Attack of the B-list movie posters
Enjoy a fun evening out while celebrating some of the worst movies ever made. On Friday, Nov. 3, join the Springfield Art Association for a “Canvas and Cocktails” event where attendees can paint movie posters and other images inspired by their favorite B-list movies while watching a B-list movie. All “Canvas and Cocktails” events, hosted…
City police say no confidence in chief
By an overwhelming margin, Springfield police officers have said that they have no confidence in Chief Kenny Winslow. “Police officer morale over the last few years has gotten so low that action needed to be taken,” wrote Grant Barksdale, president of Police Benevolent and Protective Association No. 5 in a memo to media outlets sent…
Neibuhr speaks to our present from the past
This was brought to my attention by the editors of the London Review of Books. It concerns something written by the influential mid-century theologian Reinhold Niebuhr, who as every mid-Illinoisan should know was raised and partly schooled up in Lincoln. The concluding sentence of Niebuhr’s The Irony of American History (1952) says this: If we…
Columbus in Illinois
I addressed the problem of Columbus Day in “What Columbus Day means to us.” I decided write the column after rejecting performing some symbolic act by which I might commemorate Christopher Columbus and his arrival in this hemisphere, like sending some poisoned candies to the day care center up the street. I didn’t relish the…
Best of Springfield Party a success!
Hundreds of people turned out for the inaugural Best Of Springfield party at the BOS Center on Thursday, Oct. 26. It was 1985 all over again, and there were many celebrity sightings including Flavor Flav and his crew, Prince, MC Lyte, the Blues Brothers, Slash, Brett Michaels, and not just one, but two, MC Hammers.…
Powerful “Thank You” Recounts Vets’ Long Journey Home
“I’m going to name my son after me so I don’t forget his name.” This is the sort of coping mechanism the veterans in Jason Hall’s impressive debut Thank You for Your Service are forced to employ when they return from active duty and take on their biggest challenge – reintegrating to the home front,…
“The Snowman” – Yes, It is that Bad
I ran into someone over the weekend who said to me, “We just came from seeing ‘The Snowman.’ With all the people in it, I didn’t believe it could be as bad as everyone’s saying it is. Man, I was wrong.” Yes…yes he was. With approximately 10 weeks left in the 2017 movie season, Tomas…
Brothers in Arms – Teller, Hall & Schumann Discuss “Thank You for Your Service.”
Imagine that you’ve served nearly three tours of duty in an incredibly dangerous warzone and when you return home, all that you thought you were sure of – your job, the relationship with your wife and that with your children – is put into question. You struggle to come to terms with all this and…
Staff Picks
Visit our Flickr album to view all the photos! BEST TENACIOUS UPSTARTSThe Southtown scene At the corner of 11th Street and S. Grand stands a veritable Mecca of youthful D.I.Y. culture, including all-ages music venue Black Sheep, Dumb Records, Southtown Sound Recording Studio, Boof City Skate Shop and a skateboard ramp. That ramp, Skank Skates,…
Food & Drinks
Visit our Flickr album to view all the photos! BEST BAKERY/SWEET SHOPBEST WEDDING CAKES BEST FARMERS MARKET VENDOR Incredibly Delicious925 S Seventh Street, 528-8548 We heard you, Springfield – Let Them Eat Cake! Springfield has embraced Incredibly Delicious not just for its sweet offerings, but for its savory ones too. Located in the historic Weber…
Arts, Culture and Music
Visit our Flickr album to view all the photos! AMERICANA/FOLK BAND COUNTRY BAND ORIGINAL MUSIC BAND (ANY GENRE)Lick Creek To say Lick Creek floated to the top this year would be an understatement, winning by wide margins in three separate, but somewhat related categories. Our readers aren’t the only ones taking notice of Lick Creek’s…
People
Visit our Flickr album to view all the photos! BEST ACCOUNTANTPaul SchaferEck, Schafer & Punke, LLP227 S. Seventh St., 525-1111 Eck, Schafer & Punke, LLP, provides income tax and estate planning for closely held businesses and their shareholders, as well as individuals. Paul Schafer describes their clients as ranging from “mom and pop” small businesses…
Places
Visit our flickr album to see all the photos! BEST TATTOO SHOPBEST TATTOO ARTISTNew Age Tattoos, Jason Lee2915 S. MacArthur Blvd., 546-5006 We confess. We are not tattoo aficionados. But plenty of folks are, and readers, by an overwhelming margin, agree that New Age Tattoos is the place to go for a forever stamp on…
Celebrate Halloween downtown
On Saturday, Oct. 28, join The Parent Place and HSHS Medical Group for downtown Springfield’s first-ever Halloween parade. The family-friendly event will feature festive lighted floats, Mayor Jim Langfelder will as Grand Marshal, and Shawn Balint and Ray Lytle as emcees. The parade will follow the traditional downtown parade route, starting on Jefferson, traveling south…
Spooky songs and dance
Don’t miss Muni Mayhem, a new Halloween happening brought to you by The Muni and Landmark Auto Group. The highlight of Muni Mayhem is the “Muni Mayhem’s Mainstage Massacre,” which features a mix of spooky, Halloween-themed songs and dance. “Muni Mayhem’s Mainstage Massacre” will be performed four times nightly, from 7:15-7:45 p.m., 8-8:30 p.m., 8:45-9:15…
Kyle Nachtigal
Originally from another Springfield, specifically that one in Missouri, this talented guitarist, singer and songwriter has lived in Nashville, Tennessee, since 2009. He studied at Belmont University in the Music City and dedicated himself to full-time music making in February of 2016 which got him out on the road. In his travels he kicks it…
