Music – Tom Irwin

If May is merry, can June be jolly? I vote yes. And so it seems that the pleasant weather (so far) and plentiful events (keep ‘em coming) are conspiring to make it so – so let’s go! There’s a newly-minted happening occurring around Lake Springfield this summer called “Rumble around the Lake.” Created and hosted […]

The dominant music happening this weekend is, of course, the Legacy of Giving Festival surrounding the Old State Capitol area on Friday evening and continuing on Saturday from noon to midnight. Originally known as SOHO Fest, the new name just says what it is – a gathering of incredible diversity and inclusivity where musicians play […]

Believe it or not, here we are already at the Memorial Day weekend mark of 2018. Generally considered the “official” start of the summer season, the entertainment lineup is certainly geared for a fine kickoff of hot times in the city. On Thursday night The Curve Inn hosts an event called “The Upside Down” as […]

Maybe it’s the heat, maybe it’s the rain; more likely it’s both or neither, but whatever is going on, the music always starts to bloom around this time of year. Then everything melds – and sometimes melts – perfectly into summer festivals, outdoor gigs, burgoos, bashes, homecomings, fairs, beer tents, winery patios, and all such […]

Welcome to Mother’s Day weekend in the merry month of May. The made-up music comes on strong as several all-original artists take to the stages. Let us first send our heartfelt condolences to the family of Shane Shomidie for the tragic loss of this fine, young man, who is the son of musician Micky Shomidie. […]

With the sudden arrival of summerlike weather we rather skipped over spring, but that’ll happen some years. Now our outdoor venues are in full swing, and we’re watching for clouds from both sides now. Venues that start around 6 and host live music outside on Friday and Saturday nights include Weebles (on Peoria Road), Long […]

The weather finally decided to act somewhat like April, so our outdoor venues will be kicking into full-on enjoyment mode soon. But music waits for nothing or no one, and, like ol’ man river, “jes’ keeps on rolling along.” The Curve Inn continues to support a monthly Americana night, and this Thursday brings The Deep […]

Readers of this column know we spend a good deal of our time listening to live music inside the bars, but rest assured, my friends, many other venues host live music on a regular basis. From churches to historical sites and theaters to parks, the music rolls on all around us. This marks the last […]

If you’ve been out and about lately, you’ve surely noticed plenty of stuff going on all over. From last shows to debuts, celebrations of anniversaries and birthdays, and just plain-old gigs, there’s entertainment in the air. On Friday, April 13 (coincidence?), Micky Shomidie performs one last time in Springfield before moving to Florida to relocate […]

As we roll the rock into the first full weekend of April, there’s music-making galore, coming in all shapes and sizes to fit all needs and desires. Start your weekly music mission off with a bang and a visit to The Alamo on Thursday for the jamming reggae-blues sounds of Aaron Kamm & the One […]

We are now wiping our hands of March and moving into April this weekend, whether you like it or not. And, yes, April Fools’ Day is on Easter in 2018, so make of that what you will. In the meantime, the music marches on into the misty mountains of mysterious makings. It looks like what […]

By now everyone has (hopefully) recovered from the Celtic frenzy of last weekend and is looking forward to a variety of music for our last full weekend of March. Please pay attention now to a Facebook page called Johnny “Slu” Sluzalis Appreciation (thanks Kyle Muskopf) and “appreciate” one of Springfield’s most enduring and endearing musicians, […]