Well, here we are rolling our way into November of 2021 heading toward the upcoming holiday season. Yeah, I said it. The last of the outdoor shows are likely done for the year, barring a ridiculous heat wave which could happen, so we're now settling into our indoor music accommodations.
Just in time for an inside activity, The Whip radio station, formerly broadcasting from Farmer City, Illinois, as WWHP-FM and now available for online listening at BacklandRadio.com, hosts the Pork! Radio Tribute Special this Friday (Nov. 5) at noon and Saturday (Nov. 6) at 7 p.m. Now for those of you not familiar with this central Illinois legend of live and recorded music from the 1960s, 70s and beyond, get ready for a large dose of Jerry Armstrong, known far and wide, simply as Pork. Best remembered as an entertaining singer and writer of barroom classics such as "Pukin' in the Parking Lot (We Ain't Leavin' 'til We're Heavin')" and "Operator, Operator (Put Me Through to Decatur)," among other party country classics played with his incredibly good band the Havana Ducks, he passed away at age 55 in 2003. Pork also hosted a radio show on the Whip back in the day called Radio Boy's Treehouse O' Fun and segments of that program will be featured on the tribute, along with music by the Ducks and other Pork-related bands such as the Mackinaw Valley Boys, The New Watermelon Rhythm Band, AJ & The Savages, Yellow Bird and more. Visit auntieindustries.com for info on the show and more about Pork and his music. He's on YouTube, too.
In a quick heads-up on another blast from the area's past, word is out that Len Trumper, the man responsible for booking most of the rock concerts in Springfield from the late 60s through the 70s and into the 80s, has gotten together a book about those heady days and it's full of pictures of posters and tickets, plus some tales from Len. Copies will be available soon at book signings in several locations around town. We'll keep you posted on when and where.
Mark your calendars for regular jazz nights in Springfield as the Uptown Friday Night music series, held for years at Robbie's in conjunction with the Springfield Area Arts Council, returns in a slightly different form, now known as Friday Night Jazz at Boone's Saloon. To repeat and reiterate, from now until whenever (but not quite forever), there will be jazz music with no cover charge at Boone's every Friday from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The first band in is Chahrm with Ada Lou on this Friday evening with November's lineup continuing as Smooth and Blue Band (Nov. 12), Stumpy Joe (Nov. 19) and Frank Trompeter Quartet (Nov. 26). Right on, cool beans, far out, dig it and sweet are several terms I will use to describe the joy of having this gathering returning to our music community. Plus, a big thank you goes out to all who made it happen.
For an unusual, yet wonderful, situation, another live jazz music show is happening on Friday when 3Sixteen Wine Bar in Chatham, in conjunction with a Back to the Music grant through the Springfield Area Arts Council, hosts Patrick Anderson's Latin Jazz Trio from 6 to 9 p.m. Brazilian guitarist Jose Gobbo and Illinois-based bassist Ben Taylor join Patrick on drums and percussion in playing South American-influenced jazz at the intimate venue.
Don't forget to check out our live music listings for lots more of the good stuff coming your way.
