Yes, my friends, the time has come when Springfield once again plays host to the Illinois State Fair. For those of us who grew up in the area and have gone to the fair from childhood, many of our experiences were connected to live music. Definitely for me and most of my friends and family, that’s the way it was and is.
There’s still gobs of music happening at the fair and most of it in the usual places, with a few alterations along the way. Be sure to check out fun cultural groups at the Village of Cultures (formerly Ethnic Village), plenty of local cover bands in the three major beer tents and mostly acoustic singer-songwriters at the Illinois Wine Experience, inside the Artisans Building. At the several temporary and permanent places situated around the grounds, such as the Grand Central Stage (by the former Food-A-Rama, now the Reisch Pavilion) and the Lincoln Stage on the east side of the grounds, you’ll find a diverse set of music shows. I think we can safely say that the 2023 Grandstand concerts are offering a good variety of acts, so if there’s not something for everyone, at least lots of fairgoers will be pleased. All in all, there are some 100 different music shows to experience during the fair, so I’m fairly sure you’ll find something to enjoy.
Outside of the gates (I did a full article exclusively on music at the fair elsewhere in IT) we have tons of music happening here, there and almost everywhere. So let’s take a look at what’s going on beyond the confines of the fairgrounds, fair enough? Besides the regular bars keeping quite busy with bands entertaining the extra folks in town from out of town (remember city rules allow bars to stay open until 3 a.m. during “operating dates of the Illinois State Fair” in a rather odd, but interesting aspect of local liquor licensing laws), we’ve got a few special events that you might be interested in attending.
The Blue Grouch and EJ Productions are putting on a big shebang Saturday night starting at 5 p.m. to benefit the Autism Speaks! Organization. Tickets are available at the Grouch and Penny Lane and online at Eventbrite. The show features the Boulder, Colorado-based band, The Samples (with original members), plus special guests Highway 50 and Pimpin Henry, along with an exclusive event koozie, casual meal and a few drink specials included in the entry fee. The Samples made Springfield a regular stop decades ago during their touring heyday. They’ve made a lot of friends here through the years, so head over to help out a good cause and have a good time doing so.
Speaking of popular bands from decades ago, many of you might recall the New Goat Ensemble of Jacksonville and how they made their way over here to the capital city many times in the 90s and beyond. Loaded with a bunch of great original songs and a few killer covers, the NGE is “baaaaack” with a Saturday night show at Water’s Edge Winery & Bistro in Jacksonville. Led by chief songwriter Jeff Davidsmeyer and always accompanied by guitar god Brad Floreth, other original Goat members including Tony Berkman and Mike Krupp will be there too, along with an appearance by bassist Rob Killam and guest musicians. Owen Irwin and I have the great honor of opening the show at 6 p.m. for these longtime friends and musical partners. Think Goat and come have some fun.
Enjoy the fair and please check our listings for a fair amount of more music out there.
This article appears in Fair music.
