Here we are, as promised, back with a Now Playing for the first full weekend of November in 2026. With the Best of Springfield behind us (until next year) and the elections over (are they ever, really), let’s see what’s about to commence in the world of local, live music.
Speaking of BoS stuff, IT’s annual party at the BOS Center last Thursday (interestingly enough the BoS party at the BOS Center is only a delightful coincidence) was a smashing success with lots of good food, dandy drinks and fine company, accompanied by award-winning music from the Brandy Kristin Band who walked off the night with several BoS wins in the hard-fought music category.
Here’s a heartfelt personal thanks to all who voted me Best Songwriter (an honor I cherish). But as we like to say, everyone’s a winner who received any recognition, nomination or mention, even those that felt they should and didn’t. There’s always next year.
Our big news this week is the reopening of the Curve Inn after a do-over of the building and grounds in the wake of the devastating fire last spring. The perennial popular place began again this past Monday as a restaurant and bar with JackAsh booked on Friday and Devin C. Williams on Saturday. Huge congratulations go to Ami and Ray Merchant, the owners and operators, plus an enormous thanks is due our community for helping so much in so many ways in the rebuild. The music keeps coming all month and into the foreseeable future as we can now “swerve to the Curve” once again. We might need to discuss the “dive bar” designation after all the wonderful restoration, but that’s for another conversation, and a lighthearted one at that.
Now to encompass and employ all the enlightenment and enjoyment through entertainment that you care to muster up, let’s try a three-fer with a visit to the Stadium Smokehouse out on Peoria Road. The Harris Family Trio, coming out of the locally-based Harris Family Band (celebrating 60 years as a sibling group in 2026), performs on Friday evening, then rural Illinoisan Craig Gerdes of cool country music fame (his 2026 album Highs N Lows was submitted for Grammy consideration in the Traditional Country category) hits on Saturday night, while southern Indiana native Kenna Elpers (a recent “The Voice”showparticipant and bonafide, emerging country music personality in her singing, songwriting and performing) serves it up Sunday morning for the brunch-time show. How about that for a smokin’ weekend?
Since we ended up here on Sunday’s schedule, what the heck is going on this week with over 20 listings on the official Funday? Compared to 27 on Friday and 37 on Saturday, that’s quite a jump from what we normally see for a Sunday. Perhaps it’s not our place to wonder why but to simply partake in the abundance of music happening with Dallas Whittaker at Weebles (11 a.m.), Robert Sampson at Hill Prairie Winery near Oakford (1 p.m.), Stefan Huffman and Aley Alevy at Locals in Pawnee (2 p.m.), After School Special at Curveside Bar & Grill near Athens (2 p.m.), Exit 52 at Trails End Saloon in Curran (3 p.m.), Bob Besser at Golden Fox Brewing in Decatur (4 p.m.) and Wowie Zowie at Mother Road Diner (5 p.m.) for an on the hour rundown of about a third of the acts in the calendar.
Please peruse the listings for all the other goings on and then go experience the experience of local, live music in person, if you please.
This article appears in November 5-11, 2026.
