Back in 2010 for the debut of Drum Fest, I started out with a few typical drummer jokes such as “What do you call someone who hangs around with musicians? A drummer.” And a beauty like this slammer, “How can you tell if there is a drummer at your door? The knocking speeds up or, […]
Tom Irwin
Posted inMusic
James Armstrong
Some people play the blues and some people listen to the blues, but James Armstrong just is the blues. From starting his first band in seventh grade to traveling the country playing major festivals and shows, Armstrong made music his life’s work and coincidently, Springfield his home. Born in Los Angeles, Calif., as a young […]
Posted inMusic
No fooling April
If last Monday someone tried to pull an April Fool’s joke on me by talking about the quality and variety of upcoming live music this month, I think I’d wholeheartedly felt foolish and fell for the whole shebang. But really there are some amazing shows headed our way in the next few weeks. First […]
Posted inMusic
Amy Benton
Blessed with a lovely voice, a sweet smile, a creative streak and enough gumption to take on the music business world, Taylorville native Amy Benton lives her dream. Between consistent shows in central Illinois (she’s booked next weekend at the Office and Boondocks), our enterprising singer-songwriter makes steady trips to Nashville, Tenn., pitching songs to […]
Posted inMusic
The sounds of spring
Oh, I can close my eyes and hear those wonderful sounds of music played out-of-doors as the weather breaks and spring returns to take us into summer. I hear rock bands outside in beer gardens, festivals on the streets of Springfield echoing all day and late into the night, groups of all flavors playing in […]
Posted inMusic
In This Moment
From an introduction through friends, Maria Brink (lead vocals, piano) and Chris Howorth (lead guitar, vocals) got together in August of 2005 and immediately formed a common bond of music through songwriting. After starting a band called Dying Star with drummer Jeff Fabb, they soon changed musical direction and In This Moment became a reality […]
Posted inMusic
The music calling
After this wonderfully busy, gig-a-day week (with two on Friday and three on Saturday), including venues from first grade classrooms to high class social clubs, barrooms full of temporary drunken sailors and restaurants with happy, well-fed folks, I feel more qualified than ever to write a bit about the influence of music on the human […]
Posted inMusic
Family Groove Company
This Chicago-based quartet keeps making the rounds and stirring the pot with festival appearances at the Midwest’s finest, including Summerfest, Summer Camp and 10,000 Lakes. Family Groove Company employs Adam Lewis (guitar), Janis Wallin (bass, vocals), Jordan Wilkow (Fender Rhodes, keyboards, lead vocals) and Mattias Blanck (drum, percussion, vocals) as the providers of the music, […]
Posted inMusic
The Emerald Underground
Always a busy band during the St. Patrick’s Day celebration, The Emerald Underground goes for the pot o’ gold at the end of the Irish rainbow with three shows this weekend. Now into their second decade of performance, the group fluctuates from a TEU-lite on Friday to a full-blown eight members on Saturday. Now featuring […]
Posted inMusic
St. Pat’s party
Welcome one and all to the great American invention of St. Patrick’s Day. Once contained within our Irish-American communities, St. Patty’s Day now involves all who want to be included in the delightful debauchery deemed necessary in the party process of this Gaelic gala. Fortunately for us, the encompassing celebration of the Seven Celtic Nations […]
Posted inMusic
Hillbilly Casino
Wild, wooly, raucous and racy, these guys come on with a bang and stay lit all night. Well-known up and down and all around, plus parts beyond for the music, the show, the attitude, the tattoos, the sound, the look and their do-it-yourself ways, Hillbilly Casino is a force to be reckoned with on the […]
Posted inMusic
March madness
Looks like we’ve made it through the winter music doldrums as March comes in like a lion in the entertainment calendar world. Here are a few of the slew of upcoming happenings. This Saturday the Illinois Central Blues Club commemorates 27 years of serving up the best in the blues to Springfield aficionados of this […]
