As we wing our way through the last weekend in September, look for more fun in the sun for a bit longer as we transition from the beer gardens gigs and few remaining outdoor festivals back into the more intimate spaces to be seen inside the bar scene.
Brace yourself as the 18th annual International Route 66 Mother Road Festival takes over downtown Springfield this weekend. There will be plenty of live music happening too, even though getting to the spots might be more difficult than usual with blocked off streets and parked show cars, but the tens of thousands of extra people in the area could be a payoff. Official festival groups, including NCR on Friday (8-10 p.m.) and The Fundamentals (1-3 p.m.), For the Love of Lennon (4-6 p.m.) and JukeRox (7-10 p.m.) on Saturday, play the Hot Rod stage at Sixth and Washington.
Also in the downtown bars, drop by to see Mary Jo Curry at Anchors Away on Friday night and Casey Cantrall at Craft Beer Bar, Fairly Odd Duo at Buzz Bomb and The Lone Canary at Anvil & Forge on Saturday night, plus Mike Burnett in Frankie’s Brewhaus on both nights. For Saturday daytime shows, Lowder and Manning entertain at the Old Capitol Farmers Market (10 a.m.-2 p.m.), Stuart Smith, Tom Irwin (me!) and Samuel Smith rock out in front of Recycled Records (12-2 p.m.) and The Pop! Singer Songwriter Showcase features Levi Tucker, Jeff Davidsmeyer and Idle Oath at Anvil & Forge (1-3 p.m.).
Friday (6-9 p.m.) out at Danenberger’s, the green gets going as the libations start flowing to celebrate a “Halfway to St. Patrick’s Day” night with The Emerald Underground, Springfield’s original, and oneand-only, Celtic-Fusion band. The inimitable Tommy and Beth Ogilvy, along with other friendly folks, supply the traditional effects of drums, pipes and dancers, as all together they demonstrate that March’s annual St. Pat’s party need not come but once a year.
On Friday, Long Bridge presents Brandon Santini and Jeff Jensen in Tennessee Redemption. The two musicians bring back this band in full force, amplified by music made from years of playing together in the clubs of Memphis. Yes, this will be a fantastic show.
For those in the mood to stalk musical folks, Rhodes & Battle and Jamie Meredith offer up a fine opportunity to do so by playing twice this weekend. On Friday the combined talents of the two separate acts take on the Trading Post Saloon. Then on Saturday the show sashays out to the Walnut Street Winery in Rochester, giving you ample chances to discover and enjoy these mighty fine artists by and by and through and through.
The Station salutes 20 years of being a band by inviting one and all to a party at Danenberger’s Saturday with special food items, including a pig from Dave Carter’s family farm (located just down the road from the vineyard) getting roasted luau style by Doug Danenberger. Live music performances begin with Thornhill at 5, then Josie Lowder takes the stage, followed by a night of The Station doing The Station. Congrats to the band and thanks for the party!
On Sunday, we sadly but proudly celebrate the life and times of Tom Lewis as family, friends and fans gather for a memorial jam at the Curve Inn from 4 to 8 p.m., hosted by the MojoCats with a backline supplied for jamming musicians. The FB event page invites “anyone whose life he impacted” to “please join us in celebration of Tommy!” and you should be there to commemorate a life lived well, surrounded by music and supported by love.
October beckons, so here we go into the wild autumn out yonder.
