Bring it on, I say, as we power on through July with more music happening than you could shake several sticks at, if that was something you wanted to do. We’re right in the thick of it, so let’s go find something to keep us rocking and a-rolling along.
First up, since it’s the second Thursday of the month, let’s welcome Thursday Night Live to the Motorhead’s stage, please. Now in its third year of showcasing local talent, TNL is still going strong with this month’s lineup featuring Katie Nicole Johnson, Mark Scassiferro, Roger Wainwright, Tun (Hank Helton, Dewaine Ellis, Marty Nagel, Brad Bachtold, BBR Hendrickson) and Smokestacks (Dylan Kain Woods, Tad Finch and Pat Duran).
Another monthly event, the Art of Jazz (curated by Jose Gobbo) at The Pharmacy Gallery downtown, delivers us the gifted and prolific, multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter and producer Josie Lowder as the special guest, showcasing her jazz roots in performance and song selection, including some tunes penned by her dad, Jaigh Lowder.
Our second paragraph on Thursday happenings brings us to the weekly Levitt AMP concert and the distinctive blues of Cedric Burnside with opener Morgan Joyce Hart, a heavy hardcore Dumb Records concert with Wretched Blessing, Selenoplexia, Subversion and Mechanizm, country crooner Dale Watson and his Lone Stars at The Stadium, plus the jazz stylings of Virgil Rhodes & Footprints at Union Square Park’s History Blooms garden party. Oh, yeah, there’s much more with the Cunningham brothers (Troy and Jeff) joining forces with other accomplished area musicians for a Star 6 Nine experience at the Curve Inn, the Harris Brothers Trio with special guest Griffin Fenoglio at the Mother Road Diner, Blair House Music on Casey’s Pub patio and Keith Dunlap at Sangamo Brewing in Chatham.
Now moving on to Fridays, I see plenty on tap, especially a good list of hard rocking, area cover bands like Capt. Quirk at Long Bridge, Roxschool at the Blue Grouch, Sleeping Dogzz with Dr. Boss at Weebles, Stereo Typical at Motorheads, Positively 4th Street at The Bird Tavern, Deja Voodoo at the Stadium and Big Guns at Harry’s Adult Daycare.
For lighter fare on the un-band side of things, we have our OAT trio at Boone’s, Chris Camp and John Drake at Buzz Bomb, Dan Wilson with Larry Watson at Harvest Market and Me, Myself & Schy out at the Dockside Grill on Lake Springfield.
Rushing toward the heart of Saturday night, we should detour for early entertainment engagements including the delightful sounds of the Springfield Municipal Band outside at the ALPLM (10-11 a.m.), the Springfield Uketopians paying Stella Coffee & Tea their monthly visit (12-2 p.m.) and Voices of Love, Joy and Peace, Inc. performing in the atrium of the Illinois State Library for the Jessie May Finley Scholarship Concert (2 p.m.).
Moving on to later, it’s those darling explosive Ex-Bombers at Buzz Bomb, Afternoon Delight in the evening at The Railyard, Lick Creek on the Lake at the Prop Club and Jeff Young and the Bad Grandpas hanging out at Locals in Pawnee. In the special mention category, LowPhatt returns to bottom out at George Rank’s as the only “all bass, all the time” group goes low and gets down, while Arrowhead Drive and Backwood Anthem take on the Gin Mill with original fare and Again We Rise, Before the Fire Dies and Billy Batts put on a mighty metal music show at the Main Gate.
And here we are again leaving Sunday in the lurch to fend for itself. It’s a good thing you know how to look through our fabulously extensive listings. So go ahead and we shall meet again next week on the avenue.
This article appears in Jul 10-16, 2025.
