W elcome to autumn. As the leaves begin to turn, keep your ears open for some good music to go along with the changing of the seasons.
When Jacksonville blues musician Robert Sampson plays at Casey’s Pub this Thursday, come see the talented performer and say, “Congratulations” for winning yet another berth to the International Blues Challenge this February in Memphis. It’s your time, Robert. Also on Thursday, Rogers and Nienhaus, the famed acoustic duo (really they are) come up from the St. Louis area to entertain the good folks out at the Curve Inn. These two pickers and players are world class, with an incredible pedigree, plus they are pals with Michael “Supe” Granda. What else do you want, a free taco bar courtesy of Ami at the Curve? Funny and provocative folk singer Roy Zimmerman plays the Unitarian Universalist Congregation at 7 p.m., Thursday. Google his YouTube bits for side-splitting social perspectives, then go see the guy in person.
Those Henhouse Prowlers of Chicagoland take the Bar None stage on Friday as one of the most celebrated rising groups in the bluegrass-acoustic-jam-stringed-instrument world. On one of my recent travels, I saw they were playing at a fest out west and I said to myself, I says, “I remember when these guys played Bar None and nobody knew who they were.” How cool is that! Speaking of cool, the Brad Floreth Jazz Trio plays Robbie’s this Friday. That’s all I’m saying about one of the best straight up jazz groups around. Matt Venuti, a stunning performing songwriter changing the world one song at a time on his “hang” instrument, performs a house concert on Friday, at 854 S. Lincoln St. (494-0587 for details).
Saturday, help out with the Wounded Warriors project as the group celebrates after a softball invitational tournament in Chatham with a post party concert starting at 4 p.m. at the Firefighters Lake Club.
Bands Tough Love and New City Road perform, along with silent auctions, food and more good stuff for a great cause. All day long our friends at Dumb Records next to the Black Sheep Cafe celebrate Cassette Day by hosting live music and actually selling music on cassettes. I remember those things. We were quite happy to get them back in the day. They sure beat the heck out of 8-tracks for the car, since vinyl never did work well on the move.
I’m not sure what happened on Sunday, but the music calendar explodes with a veritable fountain of music, starting with Sarah Jarosz at the UIS Studio Theater. Not only is she a Grammy-nominated (final round, folks), highly acclaimed performing songwriter, superbly talented musician and a major voice in modern acoustic music, the Texas born and raised artist is the granddaughter of Fred Jarosz, director of the Hoogland Center for the Arts for many years. John Mark Piper, a Springfield native (he was in the Camaros, a 60s rock band from Petersburg), returns to town from an amazing and continuing music life adventure. An innovative and defining vibraphone artist who sets the bar in his field with books, concerts, workshops and performances, Piper plays for his 85-yearold father, and the rest of us can listen, at 3 p.m. in the South Side Christian Church. Empires, a nationally known indie-rock band from Chicago (Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, Letterman show), comes to the Radon Lounge along with Sick/Sea and The Phoenix Sons. Check ’em out in the basement venue by contacting the folks at [email protected]. Plus, Black Magic Johnson plays Hill Prairie Winery, Jason Eklund joins us at Brewhaus and The Kitchens clean up at the Brookhills Golf Course lounge.
Autumnally yours ….
Contact Tom Irwin at [email protected].
