If you’re thinking that Labor Day weekend came quickly, you would be correct. Monday is the first day of September, making this holiday the absolute earliest it can be. Sooner or later, fast or slow, it’s all relatively in the time zone that we occupy so let’s see what’s going on. Thursday’s lineup includes among […]
Newsletter – Event
Posted inArts Features
Dreamgirls has lessons of love and show biz
If you’re a fan of “American Idol,” you’ve probably heard many young hopefuls audition for their chance at stardom with the number, “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going.” One can assume these auditionees pick the song because they believe it will showcase their amazing singing ability. This often proves to be the case […]
Posted inIT Picks
Day of music, more planned on Adams Street
They say music soothes the soul. It also can boost the mood and well-being, according to health professionals. Need a dose of well-being this weekend? Then Buzz Bomb Brewing Co. is the place to be Saturday as it hosts the Healing Arts Festival. Several inspirational speakers, health experts and musical acts will present beginning at […]
Posted inFood Features
Plum sauce is perfect
When my college boyfriend and I parted ways, it wasn’t the end of our relationship that I cried over – it was his grandmother’s plum sauce, similar in flavor and consistency to ketchup. She’d send us back to campus with some after every visit, the thick sauce decanted into upcycled soda bottles. Helen was a […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Relay a smart thriller, Map that Leads to You a predictable rom-com,
Relay a throwback to smart thrillers Smart, well-acted and containing a narrative switchback I didn’t see coming, Relay from director David Mackenzie (Hell or High Water) is a pleasant surprise. This slow-burn thriller revolves around an intriguing premise that would have been right at home during the era of paranoid thrillers from the mid-1970s. Hitchcockian […]
Posted inFood & Drink
It’s a Southern thing, y’all
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, my wife, our dog and I resided in our converted school bus in different areas of the country. We made an effort to shop at local open-air farmers markets whenever possible, enjoying all the regional produce. However, my wife often said, “There’s nothing better than a good Illinois tomato!” Back in […]
Posted inMusic
August music limbo time
With the state fair rush behind us and Labor Day weekend just ahead, this coming week feels like living in limbo. But never fear, there’s plenty in store for you as we peruse the local listings with verve and gusto. Sticking with Thursdays as our leadoff hitter, Al and Kathy Kitchen land at Mother Road […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Robert Moore reflects on his life
To track Robert Moore’s life and career is to study one person’s successful journey in the Great Migration of the 20th century. To see this Springfield man’s connections to other major events such as the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Civil Rights Movement adds a personal dimension that makes history feel more real. Born in […]
Posted inArts & Culture
The Golden Seed
This Liturgical Arts Festival program will be a dramatic performance with musical interludes. The theatrical component, from playwright and director James Compton Bockmier, features three figures from Springfield’s history. An in-character “trialogue” will take place among Susan Lawrence Dana (played by Arlene Cooney), Frank Lloyd Wright (Patrick Foster) and Vachel Lindsay (Keegan Otwell). The trio […]
Posted inFall Guide
Fall Guide
The annual Fall Guide issue has info on family friendly activities, fall gardening, upcoming theater and art shows and an expanded three-month calendar of events.
Posted inSpecial Issues
Celebrating the life and legacy of Marsha P. Johnson
The Phoenix Center invites the community to a weekend of celebration in honor of what would have been activist Marsha P. Johnson’s 80th birthday. The festivities include a fundraiser dance party, an afterparty and a free film screening, all paying tribute to the life and legacy of one of the most iconic figures in LGBTQ+ […]
Posted inWatch Public Meetings
Student-led senior safety and city mowing costs
Students took the lead on a project that brought together generations —teaching internet safety to over 125 senior citizens and logging 600-plus volunteer hours. The board also broke down how grass cutting complaints trigger city action, why mowing a single lot costs $250 and why the city can’t always recoup those costs. A resident shared […]
