No matter what season we are in, there’s always something and almost anything, plus nearly everything you need while never amounting to nothing week after week. So let’s go see what’s in the works out there.
Thursdays are resurging, starting with the Thursday Night Live showcase at Motorheads, still going strong after several years. This week includes performances by Kristi White, Susan Leeann, Zach Landes, Justin Lowe, Joe Marshall, Tad Finch (Embers’ Reverie), Mandy Rose, Trish Giacomini, Steve Gragert, Roger Wainwright, William Richards, Chris Noonan (Head Over Feet: Tribute to Alanis Morissette) and Travis Ried, Max Grevenbrock and Jeff Cunningham (Travis Ried Band). Our friend and fantastic guitarist Jose Gobbo continues his monthly tributes to jazz greats with a trio performance featuring the music of Charlie Parker at the Pharmacy Gallery. An homage to Elis Regina is up for Gobbo’s final tribute of 2024 on Dec. 12. Out at UIS in the Studio Theatre, the Tater Tots (Kristi Lecocq and Micah Walk) perform “songs full of joy, movement and fun” as the dynamic duo presents their show for kids of all ages described as a “sensory friendly” event with tickets available through the UIS box office. Last but not least, Casey Cantrall takes his music to the Mother Road Diner, while Mike Metz hosts an open mic (awesome!) at the Bird Tavern, to conclude our Thursdays with a hoot.
On Friday, singer-songwriter and guitarist Kevin Aldrich with vocalist Diane Dietz “share love songs across several genres and time periods” at a show entitled “Voice and Guitar: Love Songs” at the now very popular UIS Studio Theatre for the Date Night music series. In our bars, the stars on Friday include the Illinois College Student Jazz Combo getting credit playing the Friday Night Jazz & Blues show at Boone’s, Deja Voodoo doing what they do so well at the Curve Inn, Brandon Santini bringing the blues big time upstairs at Harvest Market Farmhouse Brews, Sunshine Daydream doing three sets (count ’em!) of Grateful Dead at Danenberger Family Vineyards, Preston Searl and friends catching up to 1970s/80s classic rock with a touch of blues at Goodfellas and Mudhound grinding it out at Blue Grouch, just to name several.
Saturday gets going in a hurry when Cherry & Jerry jump up from St. Louis to share songs and stories about ragtime and blues at Stella Coffee & Tea at 10:30 a.m. Not to suggest you leave town, but you could roll on out to Petersburg and catch John Drake at 1st & 3rd Wine Bar (3-6), then cruise to Chandlerville as Branded fires things up at Duke & Joannie’s starting at 8pm. Back in downtown Springfield, Buzz Bomb Brewing hosts the one and only Ex-Bombers (7-10) as the cool and catchy duo celebrates its 14th anniversary of making music together by recreating that oh, so memorable first gig in Columbia, Mo., at a classy joint called the Snake Pit. Be sure to check out the Ex-Bombers website to get cool merch and recordings, too, while celebrating original music being played by artists at work.
Sunday Funday certainly lives up to that rhyming moniker this week starting with Billy Galt from Champaign (and Blues Deacons’ fame) early at Harvest Market Coffee Bar, Debbie Hutson tickling the ivories at Pease’s, Micah Walk (our 2024 BoS Songwriter winner) at It’s All About Wine, Ricarda Rosalina riding songs into Trails End in Curran and Dirks-Beckerman (that’s Larry and Wendy to you) at Lucky’s on the Square in Petersburg after the bar’s third annual Beers, Bears & Brats fundraiser for the Petersburg Fire Department.
And guess what? Yep, there’s more where that came in our celebrated music listings.
This article appears in Low attendance holds back school performance.
