Deep in the heartland of America is a sleepy little town that teems with nightlife
on an unimaginable scale. This tiny but mighty source of monumental musical
moments lives in constant denial of the true caliber of its entertainment world.
Trained workers, in a valiant attempt to enlighten the ignorant public, struggle
night and day to let folks know what’s really happening.
Here’s what’s happening in your neck of the woods:
Danny Barnes, a banjo-picking, guitar-strumming songwriter, formerly of an Austin group, the Bad Livers, cruises into the Underground City Tavern tonight. In the Midwest to perform at Twangfest, an alt-country music festival in St. Louis, Barnes comes to town to entice and coerce you into enjoying the coolest and keenest folk music this side of Pete Seeger’s wildest dreams.
Indulge yourself in outdoor summer musical delights with a little trip down south this weekend as Pawnee rocks on through its Sesquicentennial Celebration and Farmersville hosts Irish Days. Next week, the whole area becomes one big outdoor amusement park as both the Sangamon County Fair and the Chatham Homecoming begin. Giddy up, gallivanters! Your world awaits you.
Friday is a night to celebrate the delightful diversity of our veteran area bands. Good ol’ Oysters Rockefeller stops in at Robbie’s in the early evening while Black Magic Johnson clocks in after work at the Alamo beer garden. It’s a North End invasion with The Mudbugs blues-rockin’ the Wild Life and Dan Rivero Trio playing it fast and easy at Knuckleheads. The Groove Daddies rock the dickens out of Lucky’s and Sally Weisenburg (bless her heart) and the trio work the house at Norb Andy’s. Over in our near southwest, the Frank Huston Quartet (FHQ for those in the know) jazz-rocks the Trading Post Saloon and Riverboat 5+1 (do you know who plus one is?) toots and swings a Dixieland sway at Lime Street Café. That there, folks, is a mighty big list of who’s who in Springpatch music memories, all playing on the same night.
Feel like dusting off those polyesters and getting’ down tonight? Every Saturday at Lucky’s is Disco Nightwith Marcus D, but this Saturday WDBR hosts a very special Studio 54 night. Dress like you mean it. And if you’re too young to have lived through that shining moment of ’70s hyper-excitement, ask an old-timer. It will make them feel good, sharing memories of the good ol’ days of long lapels, high-heeled shoes, shiny clothes, innocently ignorant drug use, and the last time partners danced while holding each other close (we’re not counting hugging after a head butt during mosh pit bashing) to popular music. Boogie fever, baby — catch it.
If your music tastes are more aligned with listening to insightful lyrics matched with innovative Americana music, amble over to the Underground City Tavern on Saturday and check out Paul Burch of Nashville and Chicago’s Bloodshot Records. We guarantee he and the WPA Ballclub will knock your socks off and put them in the hamper, too. He’s that good. And be sure to catch opener Ben Bedford.
Now if you find out about this town that has no idea of what it has, let me know, please. Maybe we could all show up and talk some sense into the ever-complaining, complacent citizens.
This article appears in Jun 10-16, 2004.
