Observe Independence Day in fine fashion by
going downtown, out of town, or uptown; or head for the lake or a
warehouse; or go flying; or remain on the ground. Wherever you go,
be sure to join your fellow Americans in celebrating freedom by
eating to excess, listening to music, and watching rockets burst in
the air.
Tony Turasky recently turned the former
P.J.’s Lounge in Dawson into a steakhouse featuring live
entertainment. From 2 p.m.-midnight on Sunday, July 3, he’s
hosting an old-fashioned Fourth of July celebration with pretend
gunslingers, real fireworks, and music all day on the outdoor
stage. Performers include Elvis Himselvis, Prairie Rose, Old Train
with Luke Turasky, and recent Illinois
Times cover boy Lyman Ellerman of
Nashville (formerly Riverton) with his new band, Shadow Road.
For fireworks and music, nothing beats the
celebration on Capitol Avenue between Fourth and Fifth streets.
Sponsored by the Springfield Jaycees, the city of Springfield, and
Clear Channel Radio, this big-time event features the Lost Boys,
who will revisit the big-hair ’80s at 8 p.m. July 3; and
modern-country band City Limits at 6 p.m. on the Fourth. Fireworks
begin at dusk on the grounds of the Capitol. All proceeds and profits
are returned to the community throughout the year by the good works of
the Jaycees. Is this a great country, or what?
Out on Lake Springfield, the Springfield
Firefighters Lake Club hosts its first Blues and Bar-B-Que Festival
on July 3, with Frank Herrin’s Blues Power playing outside,
6-10 p.m., and the Sofa Kings inside, 10 p.m.-1 a.m. If I’ve
got this right, the firefighters are red, the music is blue, and
the meat on the menu — chicken and pork — is white.
How’s that for showing your nationalistic spirit?
If you’ve got a hankering to leave our
fair city for the big birthday party, Fair St. Louis boasts one of
the largest fireworks displays in the country and an immense and
diverse music selection, downtown on the St. Louis riverfront. And
Milwaukee hosts Summerfest, the largest Midwest music festival of
the year.
Hope you have a blast.
This article appears in Jun 30 – Jul 6, 2005.
