Hello fellow travelers, and welcome to the month of March in 2022. Our first full weekend is chock-full of goodies as we continue to work our way back to our regularly scheduled programming after the nearly two-year pandemic interruption.
I'm going to jump out of the daily order to start with Sunday and the Doug Warcup Memorial Benefit hosted by Boondocks and Mason Sound from 1 to 7 p.m. at the award-winning venue on North Dirksen Parkway. Doug was a well-respected sound engineer based here in central Illinois, and well-loved by many as a great guy above and beyond his workplace credentials. When he passed away unexpectedly the day after last Thanksgiving, hearts were broken and lives were changed forever.
The proceeds of this benefit go directly to his family, along with our sympathies. There will be a $20 donation request at the door, plus donated silent auction items (no live auction), along with several bands joining in to support the cause for Doug, including Jeff Young & the Bad Grandpas, Unchained, Sleeping Dogzz and Lick Creek. If you're unable to attend but would like to help out, please send donations directly to Edie Warcup, 309 E. Sixth St., Pana, Illinois, 62557.
And while you're here, be sure to take a look online at all the upcoming national touring acts scheduled over the next few months at Boondocks, including several popular new country acts, plus a show on April 30 by Rob Schneider, the SNL alum and successful film star.
What do you say we just hang out on Sunday and see what else is happening? Looky here, there's the Jay Larson Band at Trail's End in Curran (4 p.m.), Schy Willmore and Sarah Schnieder at It's All About Wine (3 p.m.) and the Fantastical Folk Jam, where you bring along your instruments to play some music, at Buzz Bomb (6 p.m.). Then out at Danenberger's Family Vineyards (2 p.m.), the one-and-only Groove Daddies, possibly the longest-running Springfield rock band ever, take the stage. That's a bunch of good music happening right there for your first Sunday in March.
Back it up to Saturday night, and we're in for a good run of music fun. Let's start with Off the Wall playing at the Sangamon County Fair Pre-Fair Party held at the fairgrounds in New Berlin as part of a fun benefit to support our county fair. When the doors open at 6, for the $5 admission you get to participate in a live auction, plus check out the silent auction of donated items, too. Then the best party band around starts at 8 and there'll be food available from the Fast Break Food Truck, plus a cash bar for your libation consumption. It's all for the good of having fun at the fair, scheduled for June 15-19, 2022.
Midnight River Choir, one of the coolest bands ever to become friends with central Illinois folks, drops into Connor's Corner Pub in Tallula on the tail end of a Midwest run that includes shows in Nebraska, Minnesota and Wisconsin before landing in Menard County. Tallula native and Austin, Texas inhabitant, Jon-Mark Robb opens the show, advertised as a CD release party for MRC.
Here's one more Saturday night special as the highly regarded and well-attended Wednesday night Open Mic at Boone's, hosted by your friends and mine, Silas Tockey and Joel Honey, is now happening on Saturdays for the foreseeable future.
Now it's up to you to look up all the other good stuff in our live music listings. Then watch out when next week brings us St. Patrick's Day party music.
