The Thanksgiving holiday has arrived, and that means an exceptionally busy live music time. From the highly anticipated and attended Thanksgiving Eve occasion to a weekend off with family, friends and everybody else, these few days have become one of the annual highlights of our live music community.

Everything starts on Wednesday night, now popularly realized as the biggest party night of the year, outperforming both St. Patrick’s Day and New Year’s Eve for at least a decade now to capture the big booze prize of the party palace people. Club owners and musicians recognize this, capitalizing on the opportunity with a slew of Wednesday night performances designed to produce that weekend feeling midweek, plus filling the weekend proper with exceptional shows.

Just in case you thought I was kidding, here we go with the list of wonders on Wednesday. We can start with an early acoustic moment as Cowboy Randy Erwin guest hosts our Abe’s Old Hat “Acoustic Open Pic” night from 6 to 9. I’ll be on assignment, as they say, and next week we start the Holiday Walk shows with me as myself and Rick Dunham as Elvis Himselvis, but we’re getting ahead of ourselves. Randy is bringing along some copies of his version of the Christmas classic “Up on the Housetop” on a CD with eleven other new songs for your perusal and purchase. This version of the holiday song comes by way of Navidad, a new Christmas album made by Audio Network, a London-based music production studio. The tunes were recorded at Abbey Road Studios, in famed studio number two where those Beatles guys did most of their work, then sent to various vocalists to complete the songs. Randy went to Chicago to record his sensational singing. Yodel on, my friend, yodel on.

Now off to the night before Thanksgiving club races, starting with Bar None’s punkified offering of The Timmys, The Gunga Dins and The Haddonfields at 8 p.m. to shake the Fifth street strip. Over on Maple street, The Blue Grouch gives you Off the Wall and Big Daddy Jasper in a fabulous two-for-theprice-of-none show in this “no cover” bar.

At The Curve, X-Crush crushes the music as only they are capable of doing in such a spectacular fashion. The Chris Sorenson Project and Polarity do the deal down at The Trading Post while Frank Parker’s Jambalaya Jam heats up downtown at 411. Catch The Brat Pack at Boondocks for a blast from the specific past just as Mike Burnett and the Blue Suns live it up and give it up at The Brewhaus. Mississippi Leghound helps folks celebrate the birthday of a certain Di over at the VFW hall by the blue water tower.

In nearby Jacksonville, Captain Geech and the Shrimp Shack Shooters rock up On the Rox as Tennessee Borderline countries up Club 217 while down highway 104 in Taylorville, The Mix stirs up Y-Zoe’s Bar. Second Chance Band cues up the hits at Mowie’s Cue as After Sunset brings down the night at The Creek in Chatham. In a Route 29 run, New City Road drives the music at the Boar’s Head in Athens and Madd Hoss Jackson kicks up the sawdust at The Hideout in Mason City.

On Friday, Casey’s Pub hosts Hurricane Ruth and the Big Bad Blues Machine to commemorate the life and times of an incredible musician, Hammond B3 artist and Springfield native Tom Poludniak, who passed away unexpectedly last January. Bar None features Bethany Victoria and Purple Stardust for a night to remember remembering fallen rock stars Prince and David Bowie.

After that, you’re on your own. Happy Thanksgiving, and don’t forget to give thanks.

Contact Tom Irwin at [email protected].