All aboard, as we take a ride on the Springfield entertainment express. All stops along the way are filled with unbridled excitement and undeniable thrills.
Kick off the week with Big Sandy and His Fly-Rite Boys at the Sangamon Valley Roots Revival’s third anniversary party Thursday, March 27, at the Underground City Tavern in the Hilton Springfield. Make no bones about it, SVRR has had a huge impact on the Springfield music scene. Not only have area artists had the opportunity to open for established national touring performers, but the music travelers themselves have been reporting good things about Springfield crowds, venues, and attitudes. It’s a wonderful thing to hear musicians remark that good ol’ Springpatch is a cool and desirable place to play. Congratulations to Sean and Jamie Burns and all who have supported their cause through the years. The Moonlite Rhythm Rangers open the show at 9 p.m. Afterwards wander upstairs (take the elevator) to the top of the Hilton and check out the delightful soca, calypso, and reggae mix of Roots, Stem, and Branches at Jazz Central Station from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Friday from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m., Marly’s Pub heralds the return of Eleven Days, a modern rock outfit from Mattoon that has been making waves in the Midwest music world. They report on their Web site (www.elevendays.com) some interest in the group from a well-known New York music law firm. That could be good news for the ambitious quartet as they continue to play original tunes in bars and clubs, sell self-produced CDs, and dream of platinum sales and sold out concert halls.
At Viele’s Planet on Saturday, another area group pursues its dream of world-music domination. Lidlifter, from down Taylorville, Morrisonville way, has been topping the WQLZ Bandemonium local music chart with “Time to Shine,” a cut off its November 2002 release, The Green House Effect. Self-described musically as “high-energy, heavy groove-oriented rock,” the foursome have performed at the Chicago music festival “Mob Fest,” opened for several national acts, and played in every rock club from here to there. They recently made a video for their new single “Falling,” and you can view it on their Web site, www.lidlifter.net. Lidlifter will be the meat in a musical sandwich between Prone and Honest Pod, which puts it on about midnight during the 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. show.
The Jazz Society of Greater Springfield hooked up with Spillway Lanes to present “Sundays at Spillway” from 5 to 8 p.m., with Bob Katt and the Missing Lynx. The lyrical jazz combo mixes a tasty song list with the saxophone and flute talents of Kevin Cox to create a crowd-pleasing combination. Also on the Sunday tour, Hipbone & the Hawks rule Casey’s Pub in the Knights of Columbus Hall on Iles from 4 to 8 p.m. with the motto “The better we get, the drunker you sound.” With Bad Bill blowing harp, Kevin Hawkins on guitar and vocals, and John Turner beating the percussion, the trio plays blues and standards with heart and fire.
If you’re downtown for lunch, try the Trout Lily special–“Acoustic Lunch” with Dennis Darling on Friday and Bill Furry on Monday and Wednesday. The noontime shows are unplugged and intimate, just the recipe for a relaxing diversion from the office grind.
You have arrived at your destination–fun. Please depart safely and have at it.
This article appears in Apr 24-30, 2003.
