Back in the days when I was still a dentist, after giving an injection and waiting for anesthesia to kick in, I’d have an opportunity to chat with my patients for a bit. Karen, one of my longtime patients, knowing of my interest in food and cooking, told me about her recent trip to NYC […]
Newsletter – Event
Posted inArts & Culture
Glory days prove tempting in Used to Go Here
I suppose that looking back at the past is inherent in our nature. The phrase “If I knew then what I know now” is one tinged with regret, a futile thought that many of us fall victim to, time and again. Kris Rey’s I Used to Go Here is a delightful, though flawed examination of […]
Posted inMusic
Into August music
Here we go travelling on through July 2020 and into August, working through the pandemic problems and dealing as best we can with all the issues brought and wrought by this incredibly drastic change in our lifestyles. Let’s see what’s out there to enjoy in live music land. First and foremost, as we do every […]
Posted inMusic
JukeRox
This group can play it all and does every time out on the stage, and has the 2019 Illinois Times Best of Springfield Overall Band award as a party band to prove it. Bandmates Janet Morris (vocals), Kylan Davis (vocals, keys), Kent Starr (guitar, keys), Eric Austin (drums), Tim Copp (bass) and Jake Jensen (guitar) […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Summertime is for fresh herbs
Parsley is one of my favorite ingredients. The salt of the herb world, parsley’s fresh, herbaceous qualities serve to highlight, accent and brighten almost all savory dishes. Beyond just garnish, herbs like parsley, dill, cilantro and mint form the foundation of many dishes around the globe, especially in regions surrounding the Fertile Crescent. High summer […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Gripping Wanted a tale of unexpected redemption
I think it’s safe to say that none of us know how strong we truly are until we’re faced with a dire situation. That was certainly the case with Alain Olivier, a Canadian with a troubled past who found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time to tragic results. Ensnared in a fraudulent […]
Posted inMusic
Music marks
Things just keep getting weirder as they also seem to be simultaneously sliding back to what once was normal. In the meantime, music-making helps to keep the strange times in check somewhat by hitting the mark for helpful healing and familiar fun as we do the best we can do. First, let’s remember those frontline […]
Posted inMusic
NCR
This lineup has been together for some two years and counting, putting out a mighty musical mix of contemporary and classic country, plus familiar rock and pop songs to keep surprises going, along with the songs you don’t mind hearing again and again. Once known as New City Road, it’s been NCR for quite some […]
Posted inMusic
Topsy-turvy times
Welcome to our present state of confusion, where things “feel upside down and not in proper order,” according to the definition of “topsy-turvy.” My mom used the odd phrase to describe our situation back during the initial days of the shelter-in-place order, and the expression seems even more pertinent now in these nonsensical times we’re […]
Posted inMusic
Midnight River Choir
A favorite of many folks around here, these fellers hail from New Braunfels, Texas, and have been putting out good music through releasing records and traveling the country since 2009. They first played the Springfield scene several years ago and continue to entertain in the area on a regular basis. Based in Americana music with […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Charming Springs delivers timely message
Taking its cue from Groundhog Day and Edge of Tomorrow, director Max Barbakow and writer Andy Siara bring a new twist to the time loop premise with Palm Springs, a quirky comedy with a weighty undertone that manages to find new angles to explore in a mini-genre that had seemingly exhausted all of its possibilities […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Now that’s a wrap
Foods wrapped and cooked in leaves appear in culinary cultures all over the world. In Mexico, tamales are wrapped and steamed in corn husks or banana leaves. In Thailand there is a dish known as aeb consisting of fish wrapped and cooked in banana leaf packets. Zongzi is a Mandarin Chinese dish made with sticky […]
