Band Spotlight

Back in 2009 when Caleb Smith showed up at an open mic run by Bruce Williams and sang Queen songs, the two self-described “huge fans” of the supergroup decided to start a tribute band. They knew right away the band’s name would come from the song “March of the Black Queen” from Queen II released […]

Wilderness Alive An emo-indie-alternative rock band out of Nashville, Tenn., this quartet of Peyton Rodeffer (vocals, guitar), Sean Jensen (bass), Dagan Crews (drums, vocals) and Andy Pollitt (guitar) started as a solo project and ended up as a band out on the road. The adventures began when singer-songwriter Rodeffer went on a two-day songwriting binge […]

Since the inception of this harmony-driven, original music acoustic trio of Micah Walk, Elizabeth Eckert and Dave Littrell, the attraction between audience and act was obvious and powerful. Also members of other local groups, these three created a world together that brought success not found in other combinations. A possible explanation of the TDH phenomenon […]

From 2002-07, The Junior Varsity (Asa Dawson of Griggsville, Andy Wildrick of Jacksonville, Sergio Coronado of Danville, Nick Dodson of Jacksonville and Chris Birch of Edwardsville) joined forces as a “rock band in the alternative/progressive/emo touring circuit” to make quite a splash in the music world. Based out of a communally shared house on Clear […]

Known for decades as one of the premier rock guitarists of a generation, Pat Travers has done it all and just keeps doing it. Best known to the masses as the hit maker of “Boom Boom (Out Go The Lights)” and “Snortin’ Whiskey,” Travers made it big time in the early-to-mid 80s. He toured many […]

Calvin Johnson, who will perform this Wednesday as Selector Dub Narcotic, has had a lasting influence on independent and underground music that is hard to overestimate. Beginning way back in 1982, his Olympia-based label, K Records, provided an early template for indie rock, inspiring Kurt Cobain (who identified, tongue-in-cheek, as a “Calvinist”) along with helping […]

Rolling in from Chicagoland to promote their sophomore release, No, out this fall on No Trend Records, this “extreme pop power” trio stakes claim to playing “aggressive rock and roll with a precision and intensity not often heard outside of the metal genre” and makes good on said claim. On a Midwest run through Wisconsin, […]

Sally Barris PHOTO BY ADAM FREHM A Minnesota native, this class act singer and songwriter moved to Nashville many years ago and carved out a comfortable niche as a personality, performer and writer. With her songs covered by the likes of Martina McBride, Lee Ann Womack, Trisha Yearwood and Kathy Mattea, as well as being […]

From her days as a teenage singer fronting Still Kickin’, the popular Midwest band based out of Springfield, Kelsey Hickman seemed poised for stardom. After Still Kickin’ split in 2013, Kelsey did what many aspiring country singers before her have done and headed for the bright lights of Music City, USA, Nashville, Tenn. After a […]

Native of the Asheville, North Carolina, Swannanoa Valley area, Reed Turchi grew up playing boogie-woogie blues piano, became infatuated with the slide guitar sounds of Northern Mississippi and just kept going into blues, rock and soul. From 2012 until 2014, his group Turchi rocked the blues world with solid releases plus hard touring in the […]

Rockin’ Johnny Burgin & Aki Kumar A true dynamic duo, Rockin’ Johnny Burgin and Aki Kumar come ready to play at the weekly Blue Monday jam hosted by our Illinois Central Blues Club. Johnny has graced us before with his peculiarly wonderful, expressionistic way of doing real Chicago blues. Now he brings along his pal […]

The Suburban Mystics Formed by friends interested in playing interesting music together, this local Springfield group includes members of such renowned area bands as The Aspect, Mr. Opporknockity, Winky and the Love Buddhas, Daddy$ Money, The LandSharks, The Emerald Underground, The Tongue Puppets and many more. Bandmates Lori McKenzie (vocals, percussion), Bill McKenzie (bass, vocals), […]