Time flies when you’re having fun — or so they say. And as we leap through February and land into March, I hope you’re having fun, ’cause time does fly whether the fun is there or not. Maybe this will help to expand your pleasure capacity while you’re spending your moments here on earth. It’s […]
Music
Her Reputation precedes her, and its all good
At age 19, Elizabeth Elmore was in a band. Sounds like a lot of 19-year-olds in college at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, right? That’s where the similarity ends. Elmore’s group, Sarge, became a darling of the critics, getting write-ups in Rolling Stone, Spin, Playboy, and kudos from Greil Marcus, granddaddy critic of the […]
A fast-fingered hotshot, but classy to the core
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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; […]
Thatll 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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
