Band Spotlight

When Springfield native Jeff Dauksch of Chawbacon infamy moved to Chicago nine years ago looking for bigger and better things, he formed a band called Old Black and Blue Eyes. The power trio specialized in performing Frank Sinatra standards punk-rock style and made a splash doing so. Now bandmates Dauksch, Brad Bischoff and Michael Mace […]

Known as an “acoustic coastal, rock and roll, feel good vibe” band, Headshine keeps it poppy and positive, very refreshing for a modern rock band. Ras, the band’s singer and songwriter, pops up to play a central Illinois show after performing in Edwardsville. Ras may be bringing another player or just accompanying himself on the […]

As the lines between musician and performer blur with DJ and electronic music maker, sounds are created by whatever is available, from a drumbeat to the computer and everything in between, a place where music exists by intent. Prominent DJ/producer Eliot Lipp brings in the normal sampling of existing music then adds bits and pieces […]

Wondering what exactly a Whiskey Tango might be? The four-piece group says, “it’s a hell-yeah, honky-tonk, roadhouse-type band, driven by harmonica, irony and keeping your x-mas lights up all year long.” They do songs “about drinking and women” from blues and country territory while visiting the “redneck rock” part of town where you might see […]

Wow, what a chance to see two modern legends of country and Americana songwriting under one roof. Ed Becker, Mount Olive resident and longtime program host on KDHX, the community radio station in St. Louis, befriended Tom Russell many years ago and whenever possible brings this amazing songwriter to town. Russell just released Mesabi, his […]

As founder, bassist and self-titled “senior member,” Joe O’Neill relates the beginning of the band as “almost by accident.” The 55-year-old musician hadn’t played bass ever and not played out live in 35 some years when he started looking to form a band. The original plan of gigging a few nights a month progressed into […]

Raised outside of Knoxville, Tenn., John Paul Keith took the hard road to getting heard in the music business. His dad gave him a guitar at age 10 with lessons coming from studying records by the likes of Chuck Berry and BB King. Next, JPK landed in Nashville ready to take on the world at […]

Hailing from nearby Columbia, Mo., Deke Dickerson has toured the world as an entertaining guitarist and developed an international career as a journalist/historian in the arena of American roots music. No stranger to Springfield, Dickerson was an early participant in the Sangamon Valley Roots Revival and continues to stop by the capital city when his […]

When these four experienced musicians (nearly 100 years of combined playing time in area bands like Affliktion, Xavier, Passion, Kancelled, Destiny, Ariel, Blue Racer Rockhouse, Poetic Justice and fantasia) got together in October of 2009 something special happened. As the quartet discovered a shared interest in the music of superstar group Poison, the idea of […]

Four years ago Adrian Muex knew he wanted to start a blues band. His previous live music experience entailed mostly church performances as a choir director and gospel singer influenced and inspired by his father, Alfred Muex, and other members of his musical family, so deciding on a band name and blues style was a […]

After six years as an up and coming band on the national music scene, The Graduate is done. The 20-something band, featuring Corey Warning (vocals), Matt Kennedy (guitar, keyboard, vocals), Max Sauer (guitar, vocals), Jared Wuestenberg (bass) and Tim Moore (drums, vibraphone, keyboard, vocals) “accomplished more than we ever could have dreamed” during their tenure […]

Originally conceived by Billy Bacon in 1993 as a Latin percussion-oriented group focusing mainly on material from Carlos Santana with a few cool covers by the band War, the Screamin’ Vatos have always been local favorites. With an average of 8 to 10 members in the band at all times, including percussionists and horn players […]