As the merry month of May comes to a close this weekend, we can look back on a fast-moving, extraordinary time of live music experiences. Heading into June and the summer season next week, our regular outdoor venues are in full swing while festivals, fairs, fish fries, homecomings, burgoos, farmers markets and various celebrations of all kinds begin in earnest. Now let’s step back and see what’s in store for this last weekend in May, before getting too far ahead of ourselves.
Thursday nights in Springfield during the summer means it’s time to go downtown for the Levitt AMP concert series held at the Y-block just north of the Governor’s Mansion from 6 to 9:15 p.m. Americana artist Chloe Kimes with opener Chaos in Red kicks off the 2026 season of the popular weekly event that runs until July 30 featuring national touring acts with mostly local openers. The poster lists under “what to bring” cute pictures to match the words, “chairs, dogs, blankets, kids, friends, drinks, dancing shoes, food” so follow the instructions knowing food trucks and libations stations are there as well. Congratulations to us and thanks to all who put in the work to make it happen for another year of Levitt AMP fun in the sun (this week’s weather is ideal). Let’s do this.
Friday arrives with a long list of locals playing regular venues including acoustic solo/duo acts Dave Littrell at Dockside Grill on Lake Springfield, Not Petty at Harvest Market Farmhouse Brews, Niko Boeker with Elijah Settles at Boone’s, Thomas J Beverly and Geoff Ryan at Butternut Hut, Angel Brown’s Smooth ‘N Blues duo at Lime Street Cafe and Johnny T-Bird at The Railyard.
Bands out and about are looking fine with Cocktails rockin’ Mowie’s Cue, Blue Note Quintet jazzin’ Pease’s at BUNN Gourmet, Jameson Freeway drivin’ across Long Bridge Golf Course, Midwest Avenue parkin’ it in Weebles, Phat Kitti meowin’ down The Tipsy Toad and Devil’s Daughter and the Black Water Band goin’ good at Goodfellas.
For festivals these days, Little Flower Church hosts Captain Geech and the Shrimp Shack Shooters at its 21st annual Heritage Days, Grounded lands in Farmersville for the always fun Irish Days and Lick Creek covers Pawnee’s Prairie Days.
If you want to buy a ticket, the Hoogland delivers Satisfaction, a top Rolling Stones tribute band, and Danenberger Family Vineyards gives us those ever-popular Here Come the Mummies with our pal Colt Ball opening.
Saturday serves up extra action, including more music performances at all those above-mentioned festivals, so let’s slow down for a few special events. WQNA, our community radio station, is staging a comeback and you can help by attending the fundraiser at 5th Street Gem from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. featuring live music by Black Queen and Last Heart. Plans are to go live over the airwaves very soon from a street level studio in the Myers Building downtown at 95.7 FM on your radio dial. Meantime be sure to find station info on the station’s website and listen online, plus get to the fundraiser to help out this terrific and important community experience.
George Rank’s (congrats on the new outdoor signage) brings in Go! Tsunami as they unveil a brand-new LP (that’s a real vinyl record, folks and they’ll have those CD things, too) full of crazy good surf rock gone wild and wooly called I Was a Teenage Sea Monkey with special guests Crash Planet joining in the celebration. That’s all the time and space for this week, friends. Please look at the music listings for all the other skinny and I’ll see you in June.
This article appears in May 28-June 3, 2026.
