Here we are already at the last weekend of January and finally just in for a full slate of dates permitted by the weather for all of us music lovers. The last two weekends were a bit on the cold side to say the least (and I always try to say the least), but we are ending on a definite upswing with the temps, giving us no reason to not get out and go. And by the way, if you hadn’t figured it out yet after 20 some years of me preaching about it, there are a multitude of live music activities available for your attention and attendance.
An excellent place to start this week comes with hearty congratulations and a heartfelt welcome to Isabella Szabo as the new executive director of the Springfield Area Arts Council. She managed the University of Illinois Springfield Visual Arts Gallery from 2022 until now and her work at the SAAC office inside the Hoogland Center for the Arts begins Feb. 1.
The council, around since 1976, serves Sangamon and Menard counties and is responsible for organizing First Night Springfield, Artist on the Plaza, Poetry Out Loud, Friday Night Jazz & Blues, Art After Hours, Music at the Market and participating in other programs such as the popular, downtown-based, summertime Levitt AMP music concerts. Sheila Walk, retiring after several years at the council, including being at the helm since 2018, continues to manage the art education programs at the organization. Hip, hip, hooray for all the good stuff the council did, does and will do. Again, we welcome Isabella aboard.
I wrote an article appearing elsewhere in this IT issue about Sisters of the Moon, a concert and show at the Legacy Theatre this weekend that’s all about doing the Stevie Nicks songbook. By using vocalists involved in our community theater, plus band members you may recognize as acclaimed area musicians, the program is in-house produced and, if you attend, you would most certainly be following the “buy local” concept. As I wrote in the other piece, Nicks has really been a huge force in popular music for decades, arguably more than any other female artist, and plenty of male ones as well, so go get your Stevie on.
Dumb Records plays it smart downtown by selling precious vinyl records, keeping up the cool arcade and hosting live music shows. This Friday at 7 p.m. expect a hip-hop happening, something we don’t get enough of here in Mr. Lincoln’s Hometown, featuring traveling acts Esby573, K101, Rios Mios and Shon the Greatest. Be aware, as their Facebook post from last week says with understatement galore, “Wow, just realized we have a ton of shows coming up.” The Dumb folks have booked five in February and five more in March, so get downtown and support your local record store whenever possible.
Lots of regular Springfield bands play all weekend at the usual haunts, but here are a few less-frequent players worth a visit. On Friday, Maui Grimm comes down from up north to sing songs in a solo show at Mowie’s Cue and catch Birds of a Feather, featuring area musicians doing Phish music, at The Curve Inn.
Saturday, I spy Scarlet’s Darling, an original Springfield rock trio, at Buzz Bomb, Dysfunctional Family with Chris Sorenson Project killing it at Goodfellas and Gage McCoy bringing it on at the Main Gate.
Sunday afternoon delivers self-penned songs and more by Ethan Taylor Stephenson at It’s All About Wine and quirky covers by Captain Quirk at Danenberger Family Vineyards.
That does it for me. See you in February.
This article appears in When DCFS makes mistakes, children die.
