The Screamin Vatos play their final gig with a reunion celebration at the Curve Inn on Friday, Oct. 30, 6 to 10 p.m. Always a big night for music, Halloween weekend 2015 seems extra special as All Hallow’s Eve lands on a Saturday. There will be plenty of parties, costumes, prizes, music and merrymaking in […]
central Illinois
Octobering for music
Chris Miller, along with Joe Dawkins and Mike Burnett, plays Trail’s End Saloon in Curran on Fri, Oct. 23. I don’t know why, but this weekend shows up like a who’s who of what’s happening here, there and everywhere. Tough choices lie on the entertainment table. Let’s start when Chris Miller, the extraordinary guitarist, singer […]
Mid-October music
Governor Street jams out at Brewhaus on Sat. Oct. 17, 10 p.m. PHOTO BY LAURA COFFEY Welcome all to the Ides of October and beyond. We have a few lingering festivals, plenty of diverse performers and a bushel basket full of local regulars playing the scene. By now the Cubs/Cards first-ever postseason series is over. […]
Planes, trains and trucks
Illustration by David Hine. It all began with a napkin. The international food-processing company Archer Daniels Midland was paying $250 per shipping container to transfer its goods between two railroads in Decatur, and they were looking for a way to cut that cost. Scott Fredericksen, ADM’s president of transportation, and Mark Schweitzer, then the company’s […]
Blues, BBQ and other news
Blues Expressions plays the Old Capitol Blues & BBQ Festival in downtown Springfield on Sat., Oct. 3, 8:30 p.m. PHOTO BY PERFECT CONCEPT PHOTOGRAPHY Let’s enjoy our lovely October while we can, shall we? After last year’s blistering heat fest during the end of August, the Downtown Springfield, Inc. folks decided to bring the Old […]
Jeff Cordes
Jeff Cordes With a winning smile and a pocketful of songs, Springfield-based singer-songwriter-entertainer Jeff Cordes brings on the music. Born in the capital city, raised in Lincoln and a graduate of Illinois College with a degree in philosophy, the introspective songsmith spent plenty of time elsewhere traveling and learning, but credits a mysterious “small town […]
September music sizzles
Cannonball, a hard-driving, roots music, Americana band from Chicago featuring Springfield native, Andon Davis, Jr., plays the Curve Inn on Friday with Cats on Holiday. Our happening little scene in Springfield continues to burn up the music atmosphere at an incredible rate. Here we go on a trip through marvelous music-making mayhem. Congratulations to the […]
Bustin’ out all over
Joe and Joey Tenuto play father and son blues all around town this weekend. Oh my goodness, where do we begin? TheSeptember run on getting all the happenings in before autumn falls upon us is in full swing. Look out! The Krannert Center at the University of Illinois Urbana hosts the Ellnora Guitar Festival this […]
Music labors
Skibbereen plays the Old Capitol Farmers Market on Saturday morning at Fourth and Adams. As we roll into the end-of-summertime weekend anchored by Labor Day on Monday, this seems like a good spot to reflect on an eventful summer of great music and incredible events. Sorry, though, we just don’t have time to look back, […]
More than fair
Gaelic Storm rolls into Boondocks on Thurs., Aug. 20 with O’Hare & Irwin opening at 7:30 p.m. for an all ages show. As we head into the second and final weekend of the 2015 Illinois State Fair, the dust has settled, the corn dogs are setting low and the beer tents are settling in with […]
Fair time
Looming hosts their album release party for Nailbiter at the Black Sheep Cafe with guests Park, Choir Vandals and Hidden Hospital on Friday, Aug. 14. It’s back. The Illinois State Fair comes to town for ten days of entertainment, excitement, exasperation, excrement (sorry, but the livestock, you know) and all around endeavors of intrepid Illinoisans […]
Festival festivities
The Timmys go crazy at the Downhome Music, Beer & Art Festival on Saturday night, 9 p.m., on the Washington Street stage. PHOTO BY SETH ADAMS PHOTOGRAPHY This weekend brings us festivals galore, bands all over town and a happening ALS benefit. Just around the calendar corner comes the Illinois State Fair and all the […]
