When Johan Fostier performs Friday in Springfield, the young Belgian will be filling in for scheduled artist Dimitri Illarinov, a Russian who found himself waylaid by an immigration glitch this year. Imprecise wording on Illarinov’s passport, it seems, stopped the performer “in his treks.” “Dimitri’s papers didn’t state he was coming to the U.S. to […]
Music
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Now playing 2-19-04
Take a deep breath. Let’s dive deep to find the hidden treasures beneath the still waters of the capital city’s nightlife. Can you hope for a better way to start your weekend than a visit to Robbie’s and a listen to the swingin’ strains of Dick Garretson’s Little Big Band? I think not. Garretson’s name […]
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Now playing 2-12-04
Good day, fair citizens of Illinois’ capital city, Mr. Lincoln’s hometown, and keepers of the best-kept secrets of the finest in Midwest entertainment. Well, two out of three ain’t bad. And as you should know, we do get our reasonable share of the good stuff. If you don’t believe me, pull your slumbering body out […]
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A contrast in blues
Otis Taylor plays the blues. The hurtin’ blues, not happy, well-polished, barroom blues for the beer swigging, fun-loving crowd. He sings of lynchings, dying children, murder, race relations, social problems, and other incidents of life not always covered in the “I-got-the-blues-so-bad-but-not-that-bad” whitewashed versions popularized by rock bands parading as blues purveyors. After a brief stab […]
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Now Playing 2-5-04
Are you ready for another action-packed, fun-filled, adventure-laden week in the bars and clubs of Illinois’ capital city? Well, it’s coming your way regardless of how you act, so why not open your arms and ears and embrace the inevitable with all the full-blown passion available in your heart and soul. Or just go out […]
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That’ll be the day (on Saturday)
On Feb. 3, 1959, Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper, and Ritchie Valens hired a small airplane to take them from Clear Lake, Iowa, to Moorhead, Minn., for the next gig in their “Winter Dance Party” tour. The plane made it about eight miles before crashing in a cornfield, killing everybody on board. The toll left […]
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Now Playing 1-29-04
Now we can officially call it winter — sensuous silver shadows dance as the brilliant snow cascades through the moonlit air. Crystal reflections of soft sunlight dazzle the senses with untold beauty. Oh yeah, and iced-over windshields, salt-filled gray mounds of half-frozen slush, and the inconvenience of slippery traveling. Take the good with the bad; […]
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Cool, sexy, guilty pleasures – who could ask for more?
The Springfield Classical Guitar Society features Russel Brazzel in its second concert of the 2003-04 season. The evening, Brazzel says, promises to be “strictly Spanish,’ featuring music never previously included in the artist’s repertoire. “The Serenata Andaluza [by Joaquin Malats], Variations on ‘La Folia’ [Fernando Sor], and the Torre Bermeja [Isaac Albeniz] are new, though […]
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Now playing 1-22-04
Howdy hi, live music lovers! Grab a barstool, throw your coat in the corner (watch for the spilled beer), and take a gander at the nightlife offered to you this week. An early evening Thursday search will bring you into the world of two Brians, Curtis and Cutright, that is. BC Squared kicks off the […]
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Now Playing 1-15-04
Hey there, Lincoln Landlubbers, whatcha doing this weekend? Why not try these terribly exciting and disparately challenging entertainment opportunities? The word is out — and the word is Posamist. I’m not sure what it means and neither does my faithful Webster’s, but it’s definitely a band and I’ve heard they are really good. They play […]
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Now playing 1-8-04
What goes better with frigid weather than a frosty cold one and dancing until you’re sweating like the winner of the Kentucky Derby? I don’t know, you tell me — I don’t have the answers, only questions and suggestions. Say hello to the capital city’s newest fun rock-n-roll group the Funaddicts. It’s the Bare Bones […]
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Local drummers explore the frontiers of percussion
Drumming is an obsession for Dennis Maberry, who started banging away on a drum set 25 years ago. For years, he played with rock bands until he couldn’t maintain a semblance of a normal life. He settled down, married, and got a job. Then, nine years ago, during a visit to Seattle’s World Percussion Festival, […]
