The ‘tween time from Christmas to New Year’s can often be an exciting part of the local music scene. With the weekend falling directly after the big day on Thursday, we receive another holiday gift in the excellent opportunity to see live music during the season.
I could hardly think of a better singing, songwriting, performing musician to spend an evening with than Barry Cloyd. The Peoriabased multi-instrumentalist is an amazing guy who gets all around America, Europe and Mexico, just to name a few places he’s traveled while performing some 200 shows a year. He’s been in hundreds of commercials and films, co-founded the Prairie Folklore Theatre with fellow area talent Brian “Fox” Ellis, played Chicago’s Millenium Park as part of the “Great Performers of Illinois” event and does a terrific job of singing and playing. This Friday night Barry brings his music and talent to Rochester’s Walnut Street Winery for a 7 to 11 p.m. show.
Fresh from last week’s show at Boondocks, Captain Geech and the Shrimp Shack Shooters hit up the Blue Grouch on Friday for a day-after-Christmas-blowout aptly titled, “How the Grouch Stole Christmas” on the band website. CG & the SSS, multiple winners in Illinois Times Best of Springfield contest, are one of the best at making a party happen, playing songs you want to hear, already know and sometimes least expect. They also stay busy with this week being no exception. After the Blue Grouch, there’s a Saturday gig at Fort Madison, Iowa, a New Year’s Eve party on Wednesday at Outskirts in Macomb, then a 4 p.m. show on Thursday at On the Rox in downtown Jacksonville for the town’s annual New Year’s Day Bash. Be careful out there traveling, and please make sure everyone has a good time. Yes, I know you will.
Friday, La Calia, a wonderful downtown restaurant on Sixth Street near the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, hosts the band Punk Fiction for a night of musical mayhem and mischief while The Kitchens play Charlie R’s Steak House. Catch The Kitchens there again for a New Year’s Eve performance.
Saturday night a pair of Sarah’s play out separately and unrelated in anything other than name and music, when Sarah Sgro brings her modern-pop-sensibilities sound to the friendly confines of It’s All About Wine while Sarah Schneider brings her friendly and forceful folk to the Walnut Street Winery corner performance area. John Brillhart and Friends folk-rock the heck out of the Butternut Hut outdoor/indoor stage while Monica Morris and Josie Lowder host a Candlelight Show fundraiser at Norb Andy’s for their January trip to Memphis as contestants in the International Blues Challenge.
On Sunday come on down to the Brewhaus for a Between-the-Holidays Sunday as we bring in The Hayburners band to rock ‘em and sock ‘em in the old stomping grounds. Hopefully all you folks that work hard on Mondays all year long and rarely make a Sunday night visit anymore have the day off and can come say howdy. We just celebrated 20 years of Sundays on Oct. 26 and now begin the quest for 20 more. On Monday, the Illinois Central Blues Club hosts our very own James Armstrong at the Blue Monday jam held at the Alamo. Interestingly enough, both the Brewhaus and the Alamo celebrated 20 years in the downtown bar business a few months ago. Hip, hip, hooray. That’s no easy task.
Lastly, I’d like to wish everyone happy holidays and all that good stuff. I would also like to give a hearty thanks for all the support I’ve received in writing this column as I head into year number 15. Who woulda thunk it?!.
