The weather may be slightly sluggish in participating in the average August heat
and humidity we’re familiar with, but the hot music happenings are typical for the approaching
end-of-summer season. Please allow me to enumerate a few for you.
This Friday, Aug. 7, from 6 to 8, visit the Three Legged Dog on the south side
of the plaza in Jacksonville when Jeff Davidsmeyer hosts a Songwriter Showcase
with Ken Carlyle, Eva Hunter and myself. Carlyle, known far and wide as the
leader of the Cadillac Cowboys and a music-making champion of some 35 years,
put out a CD earlier this year called Hillbilly Magic that lives up to its name. Eva just released a new CD about a month ago that
received rave reviews from the toughest critics around, those who buy the
music, listen to it and talk about. I’m happy to be in the good company of fine songwriters with a crop of my own new
tunes. Davidsmeyer promises to perform songs from his bag of excellent
songwriting and plans on celebrating 20 years of the New Goat Ensemble with
band shows in 2010. Regardless of the ramifications of shameless self-promotion
I felt this show worthy of mentioning.
An interesting group from Chicago way pops into Marly’s next Thursday, Aug. 13, starting around 10 p.m. with openers Nasty Nate.
Called Future Rock, the trio relies on a progressive mix of loops and
electronica, instruments and riffs, plus intense stage lighting to create a
distinct style of modern performance. Counting shows at Summer Camp, Rothbury
and 10,000 Lakes festivals and with bands The Disco Biscuit and Sound Tribe
Sector 9, Future Rock is on a mission, intent to become its name.
Friday, Aug. 14, Mushroomhead, a national touring and recording act of pure
metal mania, lands at the Planet. According to our local Metal Man on the
Street, Chris Hupp, even if they do seem a bit Slipknotish in get-up and
makeup, they are definitely on the up and up when it comes to the heavy sounds
and forceful actions of modern metal music. For other news on this exciting
(some say terrifying, others amusing) genre of music, tune into Metal Chris’ program on WQNA 88.3FM at 7 p.m. on Mondays and you’ll get a full dose of all about it.
About this time next week a thing called the Illinois State Fair comes to
Springfield for its annual visit, bringing all kinds of music along, as well as
a few other things too. We’ll have more on that business next week.
For another moment of brilliant cacophony supplied by the Springfield Freejazz
and Creative Music Forum stop by the Plaza on Tuesday, Aug. 18, from 7:30 to 10
p.m. for a duo from Portland, Ore., called Why I Must Be Careful. If you’ve yet to see a show sponsored by End Times Trio and the freejazz folks, you are
simply missing an extraordinary opportunity to see something spectacular and
mind altering.
After the summertime blues rundown a few weeks ago, a sharp reader brought
another superb central Illinois blues show to our attention. Walter Trout,
honored as a master blues guitarist and renowned for his early work in John
Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, performs with a top-notch band from 7 to 10 p.m., on Aug. 20,
in Decatur, for the Blues in Central Park celebration.
And speaking of Decatur and celebration, this weekend, August 7-9 is, ta-da, the
Decatur Celebration, hosting too many music acts to mention. Check out the
event Web site for all the skinny, including the incredible admission price of
nothing.
Well that about wraps it up and wears me down and we’re not even close to identifying all the incredible music shows going in the
next few weeks. Go get ‘em tiger, there’s plenty to plunder for enjoyment and amusement in the month of August.
This article appears in Aug 6-12, 2009.
