As we slide on through our last weekend before the big holiday, the happenings keep coming, including make-up gigs from last weekend’s arctic blast performance destabilization situation. With a nearly 50-degree difference in temps and no snow, let’s go with a ho, ho, ho to see what we have to know in order to go enjoy a show or so.
Our Thursdays are slowing down (next one is actually Christmas with New Year’s Day the week after), but we have a few gifts left upcoming. I spy Mike Metz and Around the Bend doing the customer appreciation party at The Bird Tavern, Mother Road Diner featuring the fun and friendly Afternoon Delight duo of Mandy Rose and Tricia Giacomini and It’s All About Wine hosting an encore performance of Elvis Himselvis, Amy Battles and yours truly doing a bunch of songs of the season, along with the usual assortment of open mics and karaoke nights scattered about the town.
Friday never disappoints us for live entertainment and we have an overload with the nice weather and holiday excitement ahead. First off, let’s head back to Danenberger Family Vineyard for the rescheduled Happy Hollowdays show by The Deep Hollow with all the trimmings intact to rock and roll the season, TDH style.
We have a good variety of solo/duo acoustic performers including Joel Honey at Boone’s, Tom & Geoff at Butternut Hut, Avery Kern at The Shed (Pawnee) and Ella Gibson at Bar Bella. Bands on the run around town Friday include Rezzin8 riding high at Weebles, Hollow Creek streaming into Locals (Pawnee) and Chris Camp & His Blues Ambassadors negotiating fun times at Lime Street.
Let’s take a pause in the cause to bring the sad news of Buzz Bomb Brewing Company shutting down after a wonderful run of fun, house brews and lots of live music over the last eight years. According to reporting in our Springfield Business Journal, the sagging economy, slow recovery from the pandemic and the Adams Street fire just took a toll on the business side of things. Doors will close on Jan. 1, so we’ve got less than two weeks left to go enjoy one of the best spaces anywhere. This Friday, check out Paiger doing a sweet solo show and Smokestacks blues-ing down on Saturday, plus a few more events ahead before the final New Year’s Eve send-off party. So long, Buzz Bomb, and we all thank you for all the good stuff you’ve done for downtown and the Springfield scene.
In happier bar news, the Curve Inn takes this weekend to celebrate the birthday of Ric “Skippy” Major, sound man extraordinaire and keeper of the Curve’s incredible sound stage. Skip’s story of a life in live music spans some 50 years (what?), from helping out Len Trumper in the 70s, to touring with regional bands in the 80s, all the way through owning a recording studio and running house sound systems at several of the top venues around. Mr. Major picked some fav groups for his birthday bash with Soul Experience movin’ ‘n’ groovin’ on Friday and a double bill of Broken Stone and Brandy Kristin Band bringing it all back home on Saturday during the 217 Boozers Bash. Happy birthday, my friend. See you soon behind the board for a while longer.
Saturday and Sunday are, believe it or not, chockful of all kinds of locally sourced entertainment in Springfield and surrounding towns. Please take the time to peruse our accurate, extensive and informative listings, then choose to enjoy the winter holidays while soaking up the pleasures of plentiful live music.
This article appears in December 18-24, 2025.
