Hang on to your hats and whatever else is blowin’ in the wind this month, as March is living up to its blustery reputation. The coming weekend looks to be pleasant enough for the season, so let’s see what is happening around town that will get you going out to see some live music.
I spy some fun open mics on Thursday beginning with Casey Cantrall hosting his once-a-month spot at The Wakery starting at 7 p.m. This will be CC’s first as a father, since he and wife Tiffany became proud parents of a son, Elijah Casey Cantrall, on March 13. The couple, integral members of our music community, perform a duo act called The Tangents. Let’s all congratulate them on the healthy birth, then get that kid a guitar as soon as possible. Other open mics in town on Thursday include an acoustic version at the Railyard (4-6 p.m.) and then a full band jam night at The Blue Grouch (7-11 p.m.).
Fridays are always filled with a variety of musical entertainment so let’s just bounce around to show a sampling of what’s out there. We can start with classic, cool jazz when the Blue Note Quintet takes a turn during the Friday Night Jazz & Blues weekly series at Boone’s, then drift over to HyVee Wahlburger’s for a visit with Mandy Rose singing along to her acoustic guitar. The Curve hosts a night showcasing some younger musicians in town with UNCHAiNED, Crash Planet and Silhouette, while downtown at Dumb Records another three-band show of the younger generation happens when Ricki Marvel, Pinksqueeze and Emily the Band fill the record store with original live music.
George Rank’s heralds the return of the Sarah Schneider Band to the round bar, then out in Riverton, Jeb Brown gives us rising Americana star Eric Hagen in the intimate Backroom Lounge and country legend Billy Don Burns gets going at Twisted Tree in Jacksonville with me in the opening slot, joined by Owen Irwin and Amy Battles. Now let’s add in some true blues with Chris Camp and his Blues Ambassadors landing at Weebles on the north side, while Sound Decision featuring Carl Bopp and Ed Smith take all your popular requests at Lime Street. How’s that for just one night?
Saturday delivers big time, including a special “Live and in Person” concert by the world-renowned, widely acclaimed music artist John Mellencamp at UIS Sangamon Auditorium. You’d be hard-pressed to find someone who didn’t know of Mr. Mellencamp’s incredible 35-year (and counting) career in American music and on this tour, the Indiana native is putting it all into a lifelong perspective. Plus, out at Danenberger Family Vineyards comes Daniel Donato, a Nashville-based, virtuoso guitarist highly respected within his music community, bringing his “Cosmic Country” show to the rural New Berlin winery stage.
Sunday afternoon back out at Danenberger’s, catch the Springfield area debut by the Travis Ried Band, featuring Travis, who often plays with bluesman James Armstrong, on electric guitar and vocals, Jeff Cunningham on bass and Max Grevenbrock on drums. Expect soul, funk, blues and Southern rock all meshed together, power trio style, from this group of seasoned musicians.
Also on Sunday, family and friends gather at The Curve Inn for Mike Unland’s Celebration of Life, 1-6 p.m. Music made to honor Mike starts with the David Lumsden Group, followed by Grand Theft Audio and the Brandy Kristin Band, then ends with Russ and Troy in a Powerdown Experience.
That’s all for this week, but please check our listings for more music marching on.
This article appears in Spring Guide 2024.
