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As I perused my short list of upcoming music events
for this weekend, I thought to myself, “Man, there is nothing to
write about.” Convinced as I was, imagine my shock on learning that I
was dead wrong. With a little perseverance, I found many live-music
happenings in Springfield this weekend. Before we get started, let’s congratulate the
Best of Springfield winners in the music field. We’re all winners
here, but face it; some of us are more winners than others, to partly
paraphrase George Orwell. Ever year someone grumbles about ballot-stuffing
and that kind of rot, but generally the biggest vote-getters are the most
popular players and in most cases they’re actually talented and good
at what they do. So for you who didn’t win, there’s always next
year. My advice? Start campaigning early, vote often, and keep practicing. Where were you when you heard the news of Jerry
Garcia’s untimely death on August 9, 1995? Springfield celebrates and
commemorates the life of Jerry Garcia and the lifestyle of his spawn, the
Deadheads, with an all-day outdoor concert at Douglas Park (Madison and
MacArthur), 1-10 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 23. Hosted by local alternative
retailer Penny Lane, the family event features the music of the Perfunctory
This Band, Springfield Shaky, Bourbon Bluegrass Band, and Scott Simpson. Munch on a gourmet Persian dinner, see a real live
belly dancer, and listen to David Cain and his jazz/rock-fusion group
Senses in a gala fundraising event for the Hoogland Center for the arts at
the Hoogland this Friday, Sept. 21. Cain — who writes the music,
sings, and plays saxophone for the band — and his compatriots are
promoting the release of new CD Looking for
Your Face while celebrating the 800th birthday
of Rumi, the great Sufi writer whose poems are the inspiration for the
lyrics on the new disk. Check out www.thesenses.net or call the Hoogland
(217-523-2787) for more information.
Now we’re off to the taverns for some bar-band
entertainment. Marly’s Pub (9 W. Old State Capitol Plaza,
217-522-2280) hosts a weekend of fun to celebrate the seven-year
anniversary of the popular downtown club. Bands include the Dave Tamkin
Trio on Thursday, the ever-popular Good Year Pimps on Friday, and the Stone
Cats, a cool St. Louis import, on Saturday. I hear that Joe Frew’s
Monday-night open stage is a hip place to be as well.
Alabaster Brown rolls up from St. Louis to host a
CD-release party for the group’s latest recording, Mississippi Mud Stomp, 10 p.m.-2
a.m. Saturday, Sept. 22, at Jazz Central Station (700 E. Adams,
217-789-1530). The group features former Springfieldian Nate Parienti on
guitar and vocals, plus current resident Harry Lounsberry on keyboards. The
band’s MySpace page says that Alabaster Brown plays rock,
psychedelic, and bluegrass, and the members cite the Grateful Dead, among
many other groups, as musical influences. It’s safe to say that the
top of the Hilton will be jamming that evening.
Contact Tom Irwin at tirwin@illinoistimes.com.
This article appears in Sep 13-19, 2007.
