Everyone
wish a happy birthday to the Illinois Central Blues Club as it commemorates
two decades in the blues society business. The ICBC, one of the senior
blues associations in the nation, is celebrating in grand style with the
Larry Taylor Blues Band of Chicago, featuring slide guitarist Tom Holland.
Taylor plays traditional postwar Chicago electric blues along with ’60s and ’70s good-time soul music. The party happens at
Starship Billiards (2301 Stevenson Dr., 585-8888) on Friday, March 11, from
9 p.m. to 1 a.m.
But
wait, that’s not all for the not-quite-drinking-age blues club
anniversary hoopla. At 8:30 p.m. Monday, March 14, the Sonny Rhodes Blues
Band, featuring our own Bill Evans, leads ICBC’s annual celebration
of the life of blues legend Eddie Snow. The birthday party for the late
Springfield blues man, held at the Alamo (115 N. Fifth St., 523-1455), is
always a special gathering of players and admirers taking time to remember
and pay their respects to a truly wonderful man and musician.
Who says there is no hip-hop scene in Springfield? Don’t tell that to
95 Mental. The ubiquitous local rappers are extending an invitation to
“come flex your skillz on da mic” at an Open Mic Hip-Hop Nite
at Two Olives and a Pepper (107 W. Cook St., 241-1027) on Saturday, March
12, 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. After the amateur hour, hang for the Mental
Crew’s performance of songs from their new CD, Physical Capitol.
Say it ain’t so, Joe! Original members of Big Fur will re-unite for
the first and last time this Friday, March 11, around 9:30 p.m. at
Mojo’s (225 E. Monroe St., 544-3400). The more-popular-than-ever pop
group has survived a few personnel changes through the years, but these
guys started it all. Camron Yates, the ever-so-large Fur-sters first
guitarist, now plays for Enamel, the central Illinois “smart
rock” band headlining the bar concert.
Prisms
Bar (2143 N. 11th St., 525-6717) hosts a rare live music night at 8 p.m.
Monday, March 11, with L.P., a rockin’ girl with a killer band and a
great attitude. Her latest CD, Suburban Sprawl & Alcohol, is a pounding fury full of
great songs and tight playing. Lyrics from the title cut offer us this: “When you can’t remember and you can’t forget/And you
want to change/But you haven’t yet.” Sound familiar, anyone?
This article appears in Mar 10-16, 2005.
