Well, it’s time for the annual bemoaning of the passing of another summer, one that seemed to fly by like a hungry mosquito heading for dinner on my left elbow. Now I suppose fall will just do the same. The years pile up with annoying regularity and increasing rapidity, but all in good time. First […]
Now Playing
Posted inMusic
Blues, BBQs and beyond
I feel like I’m beginning to sound like a broken record – those were those big flat, black things with music on them we had many moons ago. Sometimes they’d get stuck on a scratch and play the same thing over and over. I still have a bunch with a working turntable and the records […]
Posted inMusic
Fair and Un-fair 2
With the 2013 Illinois State Fair still in progress and plenty of hip and happening stuff going on around town, it’s time for the second installment of Now Playing: Fair and Un-Fair. I could expose you to the silly nonsense of using the word “fair” in various other contexts, but that wouldn’t be fair or […]
Posted inMusic
Fair and un-fair
Here we go again as the Illinois State Fair encompasses Springfield in an annual entertainment entanglement of deep fried frenzy and pure played pleasure. Some folks revel in the excess and others leave town to avoid the mess, but regardless, the ISF consumes the capital city for the next 10 days. Of all the entertainment […]
Posted inMusic
Downhome, BassBerg and UgStock
After sweltering and suffering through one of the hottest summers ever recorded a mere year ago, the lovely mountain-like weather of this past week seems like a dream world. And just right for a downtown music festival, wouldn’t you agree? On track for year number three to be the biggest and the best ever, the […]
Posted inMusic
Music to the rescue
Have you noticed whenever someone thinks about doing a benefit for something, live music is the main draw? Auctions, raffles and donations may make the cash, but the music magnet gets ’em there. If you don’t believe me, just ask a musician and you’ll find out more requests come in for playing for free for […]
Posted inMusic
Dreaming in Colour dreams come true
Over 20 years ago Kevin Ellis and Chris Noonan dreamed of a jazz band that would sound awesome technically and reach the hearts of listeners. When the two musicians joined forces, they began a dream journey down the long and winding road that recently took an eventful turn. A working band since the early 90s, […]
Posted inMusic
Tasting, tasting, one, two, three
Many other glorious events fill our entertainment calendar this weekend, but none can compare to the shindig of the season, Taste of Downtown Springfield. Years in the making, the Taste combines three of humankind’s favorite activities, proven through centuries of on-hand research – eating, drinking and making music. So come on up to downtown and […]
Posted inMusic
Independence daze
There’s something about the Fourth holiday being near the end of the work week that makes it all the more fun and exciting. Lots of folks I know are out of town this week and many others plan on leaving work early on Wednesday, taking off Friday and making this Independence Day thing a real […]
Posted inMusic
Catch the June music bug
We sure are on a roll weather wise lately, either sweating up a storm or sweating out a storm, with not much in between. Regardless, the music keeps pouring all the time and that’s just fine. Speaking of weather and live music, have you been to the Old Capitol Plaza on the south side of […]
Posted inMusic
A jumpin’ June to enjoy
There’s so much to talk about I’m not going to pretend to fabricate an introduction or lead you down a merry path of assumed meticulous and attempted mellifluous wordplay and just get on with the long to-do list for this week. First up is a memorial show for Jim Pearl hosted by Johnny Slu and […]
Posted inMusic
John Byrne brings on the Irish
From centuries-old songs and tunes performed in traditional ways to the adaptation of instruments and melodies to the new land, Irish music certainly infused itself into the American consciousness throughout our history and seems even stronger today than ever before. In central Illinois we have at several Irish-influenced groups playing out regularly, numerous public events […]
