Hello friends, and welcome to our continuing coverage of music happenings in our fair city and surrounding areas. As we slip into the second weekend of May, there's a lot going on and lots to look forward to in the weeks ahead, so let's get a-moving and a-grooving into it all.
Fridays are always a bustling time for live music, and this week is super-duper busy. I do like to recommend starting your end-of-the-common-work week with a visit to Boones for the Springfield Area Arts Council-sponsored Friday Night Jazz & Blues weekly performances. Show time runs from 5:30 to 7:30, the music-makers are exceptional, as well as local, and the returning audience makes for a nice community of like-minded folks coming together to share music while participating in victuals and libations available at the establishment. Plus, your support of the SAAC is always appreciated, as they give back to the arts community in all kinds of ways you may not be aware of but definitely benefit from, such as Artist on the Plaza, First Night Springfield, Music at the Market, the Levitt AMP concerts and many other supportive activities behind, in front and between the scenes around town. That being said, the best thing you can do is go see what and who they sponsor, and this Friday at Boones that would be Bjorketet, featuring Brian Stark, UIS professor of music and jazz band instructor.
In other Friday occurrences, a glance at the listings show the start times of events ranging mostly from 5 to 7 p.m., with the latest kicking off at 8 p.m. So, if your excuse for not going out is the music begins too late, too bad, because it does not.
And if your excuse is there's no music style you like, check again, because I see Brazil Cafe (Latin jazz) at the Corkscrew, Blue Note Jazz Quintet (classic jazz) at Lime Street and Red Ribbon Revue (Americana) at Bar Bella. You could support local breweries and live music by visiting Slauterhouse Brewing in Auburn, presenting Nashville resident and area native Rylie Bourne, while Hand of Fate in Petersburg hosts Josh Holland rockin' the house, or stop by Brewski's for solo acoustic songs from Thomas J. Beverly.
If it's classic rock with some roll you're after, Brandi Kristin Band hits at Weebles, Rick Mari Band stops at Mowie's, Father Hank and the Hammerheads invade Brewhaus and After Sunset sets at the Curve. I'll be in Petersburg upstairs at Broadgauge with fellow singer-songwriters Hope MacGregor and Ethan Taylor Stephenson trading tunes in the round, as Ben Danaher drifts into the Backroom Lounge in Riverton while on tour in support of his latest record, Resurrection, due out on May 19. I daresay that's a nice and varied assortment of live music possibilities for one Friday night in May, wouldn't you?
Now Saturday night doesn't look quite as diverse, but the numbers are up with 17 listed acts playing in the bars around the area ranging from start times of 2 to 9 p.m., set to fit many a schedule, including yours, so take a look and pick your favorite. Here's a one-off, hip and cool house concert happening when Montessori Schoolhouse on Rickard Road presents Jaimee Harris, described by NPR as "the Next Queen of Americana-Folk" with LoveSeat (Bill Poss) opening at 7:30 p.m.
Then here comes Sunday, which is Mother's Day by the way, rolling along just full of easy-going music from here to there and a bit of everywhere all waiting to be experienced and enjoyed by you lucky people who live in such a vibrant and giving music community.
Until next week...
