Here’s to all that holiday Happy New Year hodgepodge being gone and moving on to the regular music-making we do here in Now Playing land. We’re past the sizable snowfall earlier this week while anticipating a wee warmup just in time to make a break for live music doings this weekend. Let’s have a little look-see at what’s heating up on the scene.
Here we go with Thursday Night Live at Motorheads where the long-running (it’s been running long enough for me to say that now) event features an invitation-only, rotating lineup of local musicians showcasing new band configurations and other variations of whoever wants to play together on the second Thursday monthly. January’s version gives us Brandy Kristen (debuting a band doing country songs, BK style) with Steve Correll, Brandon Drew, Steve Gragert and Eric Tinsley, plus SoulSircus featuring the talents of Christine Parisella, David Shaw, Michael McNiff, Justin Lowe, Dave Wondercheck and Joe Marshall.
Friday comes a-knocking with a fairly full slate of entertainment, but still a little low in the usual numbers, including groups like Square of the Roots figuring in at George Rank’s, White Lightnin’ countrying up the Curve Inn, Ember’s Reverie sizzling at Goodfellas and Sound Decision deciding on Lime Street. Acoustic acts abide with David Berchtold dropping in for some mighty fine, finger-picking blues and roots music on guitar at Buzz Bomb, while the Pepper Sprouts bring the heat to Buckhart Tavern as a doing it right duo.
Saturday cranks up the juice with some 25 listings starting off with the ever-popular Springfield Uketopians kicking up their ukes at the crack of noon at Stella Coffee & Tea and JackAsh singing up a storm at 2 in the afternoon at The Stadium. The evening delivers a slew of combos including Tater Soup Band mixing up the country, rock and oldies at VFW Post 755, GatorHead getting swampy at Motorheads, Deja Voodoo conjuring hits at the Curve Inn, me with Owen and Amy, plus Geoff and Andy bringing the full band to Harvest Market and Wowie Zowie making it matter at Mowie’s Cue.
In the sad news department, Broadgauge in Petersburg is closing at the end of the month until it opens again (here’s hoping), but it will continue out January with a few booked events including this Saturday night’s Bob Dylan: A Multimedia Event. The free, open to the public show is inspired by the recent A Complete Unknown film about early Bobby in New York City and features music by Ethan Taylor Stephenson and guests, interspersed with clips from Don’t Look Back, the Dylan documentary from 1965.
The Hoogland hosts another eventful weekend event when the most magnificent musician Ryan Napier presents The Good News Experience: A Journey Through Gospel Music, featuring local talents “highlighting the progression of gospel music” with hosts Paul Bill Jr. and Lexi Tyus. The ticketed show playing in the LRS Theater on Saturday night (7 p.m.) and Sunday afternoon (2 p.m.) is a real labor of love for Ryan and the Napier family.
Sunday Funday goes full swing with Jaigh & Josie Lowder killing it at Mother Road Diner, Curt Smith coming into It’s All About Wine and Manny Lee manning the early shift at Harvest Market. In the small towns around here, check out Bruce Baise and Dave Marr getting down at Lucky’s in Petersburg, Old Stogie cranking it up at Hill Prairie Winery near Oakford, Alex Pearce sailing sweetly into Trails End in Curran and Rod Grant settling in at Buckhart Tavern.
Please check out all our other listings, then we’ll meet again on the avenue next week.
This article appears in Adams Street at a crossroads.
