Join in the fun as we slide from June to July this weekend, then slip on toward the Fourth of July, combining the holiday and the aforementioned weekend into one long whoop-de-do of whatnot and wherevers. And wonder of wonders, live music, per usual, leads the way and becomes the bond that ties all the times together.
Thursday begins our adventures and continues to shine like a beacon with varied live music happenings. Big Daddy Jasper, one of our best bands from days gone by, is back for a double-duty Curve Inn visit this week, landing on Thursday as an acoustic show, then returning Saturday for the full-bore, long-awaited reunion party. As we hit week five, the Levitt AMP music series downtown rolls along with local, original and more band UNCHAiNED opening the show for BETTY, a trio of young women doing progressive indie-pop rock music with a positive and progressive message. Also, I spy Dance Creations Dance Studio presenting the between-bands entertainment and members of the Illinois Youth Symphony Orchestra kicking off the whole shebang at 6 p.m. (rumor has it there will be a harp featured). And just for being a wonderful crowd (and it being close to Independence Day), fireworks become the finale, blasting through the night skies about 9:30.
I dare say, one of our sweetest spots to see local, live music outdoors might be the Curate restaurant space located in The Gables, west of Veterans Parkway. It hosts music-makers every Thursday through the summer with this week's guests being Myers-Brant-Paoni, bringing to the hip hangout their signature harmonies and happening setlist.
And while we're digging it in the Gables area, across the street at Pease's at BUNN Gourmet, you can catch my friend and yours, Johnnie Owens, stirring it up with his buttery voice this Friday in the terrace area singing songs from the jazz and blues catalog.
Not far away at Harvest Market, inside and upstairs on the mezzanine, Not Petty plays a rare local show with Jen and Jeff doing duo versions of Tom Petty songs, plus a heaping helping of California Jeff originals, along with a few surprises they probably don't even know about until they occur.
If we jump on out to the Lake Springfield Marina, a longtime favorite event, Rock the Dock, returns with a huge fireworks show on Friday night, plus musical fireworks provided by Gracia Harrison at the nearby El Taco Guapo restaurant and bar, right on the lakefront.
Taking a hike all the way back to the north side of our fair city, the Aileana Rawlins Band takes on Weebles, and not far away out past the airport, the Ghost Town Blues Band lands at Long Bridge.
If you're looking to get out of town for a Friday night, Jacksonville's Downtown Music Series has the wonderful and quite legendary bluegrass family band The Harmans, while Petersburg's Broadgauge posts up with Black Diamond, as Theron Denson continues into the third decade of his world-renowned Neil Diamond tribute.
Here we are on Saturday already, so we better get downtown to the Y-Block area for the Capital City Celebration presented by the Springfield Jaycees. The party starts around 2 p.m. with a kid's corner, plus daylong entertainment, then goes full swing with Kapital Sound kicking in at 8 with a break for the fireworks at dusk, then grooving on until 11 o'clock.
Please check out all the other music happening in our listings, because there's lots more than mentioned here. Have a safe and pleasant Fourth of July weekend and Independence Day. Kaboom!
