What goes better with frigid weather than a frosty cold one and dancing until you’re sweating like the winner of the Kentucky Derby? I don’t know, you tell me — I don’t have the answers, only questions and suggestions.
Say hello to the capital city’s newest fun rock-n-roll group the Funaddicts. It’s the Bare Bones duo with a bass player and anyone who has caught the double B’s act can only assume the party is bigger and better than before. The exuberant entertainers will do their stuff at the Trading Post Saloon on Friday, Norb Andy’s on Saturday, and Breaktime on Wednesday.
Say goodbye to one of the capital city’s most popular fun rock-n-roll groups, Next of Kinn. The winners of Illinois Times’s Best of Springfield 2001 band award is calling it quits. Jeff, Pat, Larry, Ken, and Steven would like to thank “Rick, John, Mark, Pete, Bret, Chuck, Chuckie (you guys figure out which one is which), Jimmy, and Johnny, plus friends and ‘Kinners’ for helping out” over the six years of the combo’s existence. The Next of Kinn requiem will be at Billy’s Stockyards on Friday night. “Nobody loves you like your Next of Kinn.”
St. Louis continues sending us the music goodies with a blues soaked appearance by The Erma Whiteside Connection at American Legion Post 809 on Saturday night. The beautiful and extraordinary Ms. Whiteside, a former Springfield resident, has been burning up the Gateway City with some powerhouse blues and now returns to town as a “professional singer, stylist, and entertainer.”
Those of you who annually celebrate the birth of the king (of rock-n-roll, not Christendom) would do well to visit Don’s Place in downtown Jacksonville on Saturday, bearing gifts and bowing at the feet of Elvis Himselvis. Even though E.P. interpreter Rick Dunham has lived longer than Elvis did, (or maybe because he has), he is still the best in our neck of the woods for infusing the spirit of the late, great singer deep into your being or at least into your pelvic area or wherever he moves you. The King is dead. Long live the King.
Next Wednesday, be sure to make your early evening rounds and catch all the action. The Funaddicts will get you hooked at Breaktime. Kit Jones and Jeff Kornfeld as Skin it Back lay down the acoustic blues and then some at the State Bar and Grill. Antone Derocci and Bill McKenzie pair up for visit to Charlie’s Club downstairs at Andiamo!, and yours truly hosts the Songwriter Circle upstairs at the Underground City Tavern.
One more note to the bonehead who decided to celebrate the New Year by firing a .38 slug into the sky. Next time see if you can place yourself under the end of its arc instead of my niece’s arm (see “Quick Takes,” page 7). She became the first person in our family to receive a gunshot wound and things would have been just dandy if that first had never happened. She’s okay, it was only a flesh wound, but come on, is this the nightlife scene we have worked so hard to achieve? I don’t think so either.
Until next week — keep warm and watch for falling bullets.
This article appears in Jan 8-14, 2004.
