Brewhaus celebration

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Tom Irwin celebrates 20 years of Sundays at the Brewhaus, Oct. 26, 7 to 11 p.m.

Tom Irwin celebrates 20 years of Sundays at the Brewhaus, Oct. 26, 7 to 11 p.m.

There’s something about approaching late October that I always look forward to experiencing. It’s the smell of the cooling air, the feel of warming sunshine, leaves turning and falling in swirls and oh, yes … my birthday. I’ve always felt lucky to have my entrance into the world fall into a favorite seasonal time of the year.

I’ve also been very fortunate with another time in my life, and that would be Sundays. Seems to me like I’ve forever had a gig on a Sunday night. Back in the early 90s, we ran a regular open mic at Bruce’s Tavern for years. Not long after that, my good friend Mike Parkes, along with Denny Polk and Wally Beck, opened up a nice little downtown joint called the Brewhaus on Oct. 14, 1994. I started playing Sundays on Oct. 16. At that time, downtown Springfield had been given up for dead, the White Oaks Mall was still going strong and inhabitants of the capital city had left the Capitols (new and old) to fend for themselves.

Mike, along with a committed and devoted crew (thanks, Patty, and many others), built a dream bar in an area of town where no one else dared to go. Whether we want to believe it or not, at that time, one of the bartender tasks in the evening was to scurry away “ladies of the night” who consistently and persistently liked to advertise for business on the corner of Washington and Sixth streets. Much has changed since then, but the Brewhaus is still there and I still play there on Sunday nights. The celebration begins on Friday night with live music by Josh Catalano & the Dirty Thoughts and other special guests. The party continues through Saturday and culminates on Sunday night as I proudly celebrate 20 years of (almost every) Sunday night at the Brewhaus. Musicians are invited to jam as we kick things off around 7 p.m. Please acknowledge the wonderful portrait of Raoul (painted by Michael Mayosky) as he gazes down upon the stage. There have been several updates lately, including new flooring and a remodeled kitchen (open for lunch!) with the restrooms next on the update list, all thanks to much effort by Keith Voegele, Danielle Durham and many others.

In other downtown celebrations, the Alamo and owner Barry Friedman celebrate their landmark 20 years in the bar business on Nov. 1. Check out the Illinois Central Blues Club Blue Mondays every week, plus be on the lookout for other live music shows, including James Armstrong Presents on Thursdays. I missed this happening on Tuesday, Oct. 21, but we can still congratulate Torch and friends for another year of Torch Tuesdays at Bar None, hosting the one and only hip-hop open mic around. Here’s to many more years of promoting, playing and performing music to the mighty hip-hop beat.

In another throwback, and this one on a Thursday for you Facebook TBT junkies, the Suns of Circumstance play the Curve Inn on Oct. 23 (tonight for you quick reads; too late for the rest of you). Speaking of 20 years ago, the Suns started a Thursday night residency at the Bedrock Bar (currently the Tin Can Pub) in 1994 that lasted for several years and kept the place rocking many a Thursday night. Join Mike Burnett and his fellow Suns for the last live music Thursday at the Curve this year, as Ric “Skippy” Major does the spectacular sound and stage set up.

Well, so much for living in the past. They say that’s what happens when you get old.

“Say, there Sonny. Did I ever tell you about the time Elvis Himselvis danced on the Brewhaus bar?...”

Contact Tom Irwin at [email protected].