There was the time Mandy Barnett told the audience her dress was “going straight into the garbage can” after her On Broadway performance because she had worked up such a sweat.
When the 2009 Taste of Downtown was a washout due to all-day rains, several of the bands volunteered to perform at Bar None that evening simply to play music. Johnny Dilks saw Jamie at a Rockabilly Circus event a few years after his 2000 SVRR performance, pointed and exclaimed, “You fed me lasagna once!” Tales were told of romantic first dates at shows, couples who met at concerts now married with families, artists who weren’t as pleasant as expected and ones who offered to give money back after a poor audience showing, plus rainouts, cancellations, musician whims, late-night feedings, technical breakdowns and on and on and on.
Behind all the stories lies the thread of giving and guts, how Sean and Jamie took a chance and turned it into a force that has changed the world of entertainment in Springfield. By bringing in professional touring bands, local groups obtained opening slots and a window of opportunity to make industry connections. Through decent handling of the performance artists, word spread that Springfield treats musicians well, and by consistently booking credible acts, audiences appeared and
cheered for more. True, not everyone agrees with the choices of all the acts booked and more than one person is sure of being able to do a better job, but that comes with the territory. After explaining how a naysayer disagreed with some SVRR actions, Sean simply encouraged the well-meaning fellow to “go right ahead and start finding sponsors, booking bands and putting on shows. That’s the way to do it.”
After the first 10 years, could we see 10 more years of the Sangamon Valley Roots Revival? The Burns are not making any firm commitments to longevity, but as music enthusiasts at heart, whatever the arrangement, the couple will likely be involved bringing live music to Springfield for some time to come.
“No matter how many times I do this it still feels like I’m getting away with something. We’re booking bands we enjoy and always get a good response,” claims Sean. “Best of all we’ve been fortunate to meet and work with really good people in the Springfield community we would not have known otherwise. I like to measure our success in cool units, not finances, and I think we’re doing well.”
Contact Tom Irwin at [email protected].
Sean and Jamie Burns celebrate 10 years of the Sangamon Valley Roots Revival during the Bedrock 66 Live! concert series at Hoogland Center for the Arts on Sept. 24 at 8 p.m. with Big Sandy and his Fly-Rite Boys, Two Tons of Steel and Caffeine Patrol.
