The first wise guy in this old world to see the truth in the saw, “if you want something done, do it yourself” latched on to a key precept in human endeavors. Another seriously silly saying like, “every great journey begins with a step,” carries a good deal of folk wisdom as well. When the notion of hosting live music concerts in Springfield occurred to Sean and Jamie Burns, both these ancient adages soon came into play in a big way.

The wife and husband team originated the Sangamon Valley Roots Revival music organization on a whim and a wish in 2000 with no other idea than bringing live music of their liking to town without busting the family budget.

Since those thoughtful and hopeful days, the project grew from several club shows a year per sonally organized and financed by the couple and attended by a loyal following of SVRR members, to encompass booking some of Springfield’s largest live music events held in conjunction with corporate sponsors, governmental offices and private organizations. All this happened while Sean and Jamie worked fulltime jobs, raised a family and kept doing all those things everyone else does as everyday business. In fact it seems the biggest live music promoters in town aren’t actually promoters at all, but simply enthusiastic music lovers, willing to work to make a dream come true.

“Jamie and I have both been music fans as long as we can remember. My mother told the story that I would sing along to The Beatles’ ‘She Loves You’ in my playpen. Jamie remembers fondly sitting outside the family trailer and listening to the Grand Ole Opry,” reports Burns. “Music has always been a part of our lives.”

Sean, a convert from the punk movement of the 80s to the neo-hillbilly faction in the mid- 90s, became intrigued with the bands and music of the rockabilly-country styles prevalent on small record labels and in nightclubs around the country. Jamie, always a fan of classic country music as well as 80s hair-metal bands, discovered a real kinship for some of the music in the genre then known by the rather clumsy and all-encompassing title of alternative country. The intrepid couple frequently took to the road, heading to Chicago, Indianapolis and St. Louis to find engaging music, enticing dance floors and an enclave of enthusiastic music fans. After more than a few weekend outings, the couple pondered how pleasant not driving 200some miles to hear live music of their liking could be, and soon began scheming ways to bring this new-found music to Springfield.

“We were at a Derailers show in St. Louis and noticed on their signup sheet about three names from Springfield out of the 15 or so people there,” said Sean. “We thought surely if we booked them in Springfield we could get 30 or 40 people to come out, and that would pay for the band.”

The difference between being a music fan and a music promoter generally entails enjoyment without regard to income, versus selling an act to an audience for profit, regardless of the promoter’s personal taste. Combining the two can make for poor business decisions. The Burns realized early on that bringing in only artists they admired would likely not be lucrative and could be presumptuous, but then again the whole premise turned on the intent of booking acts they preferred.