Entering our last full weekend of October, we’re finishing up some beer/music garden events for the season and finding plenty of alternative happenings. Let’s pound the pavement in search of whatever it is you’re looking for.
First, we have sad news at the passing of two lifelong musicians in the area. Bassist and arranger Rob Killiam from the Jacksonville area plus blues and otherwise guitarist Bill Evans (known as Mr. Machine Gun to some) left this world recently. Both of these guys were stellar musicians, well-known in their respective genres by a commitment to the craft of performing live music with the respect and dedication it so richly deserves. I do try to always mention musicians we’ve lost, so let’s take this time to say a paradiddle for Fred Edmonds, longtime drummer for Off the Wall and founding member of Starry Eye, who left us last June. Play on, brothers.
For those of us who like the concept of early evening shows, Friday has a heapin’ helpin’ of ’em, kicking off with the tropical jazzy blues sounds of Ocean State at Boone’s for Friday Night Jazz & Blues from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Mandy Rose also gets it going with a 5:30 start time at Wahlburgers inside HyVee, while Alex Pearce hits with his solo acoustic show at 6 in Bloom Wine Bar on the downtown square. Bands beginning at 6 p.m. include the groovin’ sounds of Soul Experience at the Curve Inn and the rockin’ tunes of The Grand Moff upstairs at Harvest Market. If you can wait until 6:30, the Birds of a Feather folks fly into The Blue Grouch carrying a double dose of generous jams with an Allman Brothers set (featuring guitarist Jay Larson) before the usual Phish tribute performance takes place.
More Friday fun comes your way fairly early with start times at 7 p.m. of Mississippi Leghound pouring it on at VFW Post 755 and BuK loading up the Bird Tavern. Also listed to start at 7 are acoustic-oriented, ticketed shows of Chicago Farmer with Brandon Elliott upstairs at Broadgauge in Petersburg, plus Cody Lee Moomey and Brother Smith at the Backroom Lounge in Riverton, while Wil Maring and Robert Bowlin perform at the Cabin Concerts in the Heartland Healing Arts Center (call 217-971-8502 for reservations, including shows Friday and Saturday plus music workshops). More boisterous bands continue through the night, but nobody starts later than 8 or goes past 11, so go check out the Friday night music and be home before the cows get there.
Saturday roars in at the Gin Mill, with the magically mysterious band known as The Bonards doing its first show in 19 years to accompany an all-new music recording release as bands Doom Buggy, Wolf Crick Boys, Hessian Lord and Sonic Sunday join in the shenanigans. The Remedy takes the big stage at Goodfellas as part of a Central Illinois Philippine American Society fundraiser, while Brandy Kristin Band gives Weebles a time to remember, just as Jeff Young and the Bad Grandpas tear it up at Mowie’s Cue. Saturday keeps the bands a-rollin’ all night long so sneak a peek at the listings for more, more, more.
Sunday is plumb full, too, so allow me to plug my birthday party at Brewhaus (4-7) just because I still can. With next week being our Best of Springfield issue, there will be no Now Playing, but there will be a BoS party featuring UNCHAiNED as our musical guests at the BOS Center on Wednesday, Oct. 30, 5 -9 p.m. Be there or be square, as the kids used to say.
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