Hey there, all you happy readers of Now Playing and Illinois Times, I’d like to say thank you, just for you being right here, right now, as part of our community. This week is Thanksgiving, of course, so I’m considering it a wonderful time and an excellent opportunity to say such things. We should also be quite thankful for a robust and creative music scene to participate in and for me, personally, to be a part of actually – and also through writing this column – supporting the said scene. After that spurt of thankful thanking, I’m thinking we should get down to business and see what’s happening out there that we’re giving these thanks to and for.
With the aforementioned Thanksgiving always occurring on the day that the aforementioned Illinois Times hits the stands and your online device, and that being a Thursday, this week’s issue is coming out on Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving. This particular day is also known as the biggest party night of the year for live music and the bar scene, and 2024 is no exception. I can prove it by simply listing what’s in our listings with a bit of additional information.
Try this on for size to understand this is not your average Wednesday night in Springfield, with some 22 results showing on our music calendar page for Nov. 27. Big-name cover bands include Off the Wall bouncing into the Curve Inn, Brandy Kristin Band (fresh off Brandy’s win as our BoS female vocalist for 2024) walking the walk into Weebles and Deja Voodoo making manic magic at Motorheads.
For more acoustic-oriented solo/duo fare, watch for Rylie Bourne back in town from Nashville at Slauterhouse Brewing in Auburn, a couple knuckleheads named Tom Irwin and Michael Burnett at Brookhills Golf Club, Devin C. Williams and Amanda Scrubbs old-time Delta blues-ing it at The Bird Tavern, Tim Zini settin’ ’em up at Whiskey Ridge in Breckenridge and Devin Clemons and Jeff Eskew taking chances at Lucky’s on the Square in Petersburg.
These regular Wednesday weekly gigs get the Turkey Eve bump when Joel Honey and Silas Tockey host their very popular open mic at Boone’s, Robert Sampson hits at Fulgenzi’s, Afterschool Special lands at Coz’s and Cory Brown gets down at Dublin Pub.
In a special mention of bands doing original and cover music in a fine pairing, Fireside Relics and the Meerkats pop into George Rank’s for a night to remember, if you can remember it. While we’re here, the round bar continues on with a good roll of bands doing original and cover music through the weekend with Spoonbenders and the Liz Fitz Band on Friday and me and the Raouligans with special guest Amy Battles on Saturday.
Moving on to some after Thanksgiving Day adventures, most of our regular spots are full of live music including Menace to Sobriety at the Curve, Andrew DiRuzza Trio at Boones and Long Way Home at Harvest Market, all on Friday night. Saturday gives us a few surprises with Ella Gibson in town from Nashville playing at Buckhart Tavern, Rudy and the Stone Cold Blues Band (always a personal favorite) at American Legion Post 809 and Chris Camp and his Blues Ambassadors playing it cool at DFV near New Berlin.
Are you ready for Sunday Funday already? How about seeing The Tangents play at Hill Prairie Winery where they (Tiffany and Casey) had their wedding in October of 2022. Then take a gander through the listings for more “day of rest” gigs, which, believe it or not, will be the first day of December 2024.
Happy Thanksgiving and beyond.
This article appears in Winter Guide 2024.
