• Wed
    19
  • Thu
    20
  • Fri
    21
  • Sat
    22
  • Sun
    23
  • Mon
    24
  • Tue
    25

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Advice Goddess

Coitus frustratus

By Amy Alkon

My boyfriend is a very spiritual person who practices yoga, meditation, etc. He showed me a website about karezza, which basically involves deriving sexual pleasure through long, drawn-out, non-vigoro

Advice Goddess

Beating them about the head with a shtick

By Amy Alkon

I’ve always made people laugh with my self-deprecating humor, but I was complaining about not having much luck with the ladies recently, and my buddy told me that my humor is a problem. He said

Advice Goddess

Ennui go!

By Amy Alkon

My girlfriend and I love each other, but we feel we’re becoming numb to hearing it from each other. We’ve been together three years, so I assume that time is what’s put a damper on t

Advice Goddess

Time is on her slide

By Amy Alkon

My girlfriend is constantly late, which is annoying, but what’s more annoying is that there’s always an excuse: She had to do one more thing at work; traffic was horrible; her dog wouldn&r

Advice Goddess

The audacity of grope

By Amy Alkon

My friend’s girlfriend hits on me all the time. (We’re all lesbians.) She always offers to get me a drink before she gets her girlfriend one, and she’s taken to giving me quick shoul

Advice Goddess

Tail from the crypt

By Amy Alkon

I’ve been with my boyfriend for two years. I do have trust issues, having been cheated on in past relationships. My boyfriend’s best friend of six years, a beautiful and intelligent woman,

Advice Goddess

Smells like libertine spirit

By Amy Alkon

I got involved with my co-host on my Web show – a woman in an “open relationship” with her live-in boyfriend of two years. Things were light and fun between us until we developed act

Advice Goddess

In sickness and in stealth

By Amy Alkon

This woman and I were involved 13 years ago, before I met my wife, but she was married then. She got divorced and moved away. We reconnected recently on Facebook, and I discovered she’s now only

Advice Goddess

Fry, fry again

By Amy Alkon

I walked into my apartment and, to my horror, thought my boyfriend had been electrocuted. He was sprawled on the kitchen floor by an open electrical outlet with wires sticking out. There was a screwdr

Advice Goddess

When you wish upon a sleazebucket

By Amy Alkon

I was seeing a guy for four months – a guy I liked better than I’ve ever liked anyone. Two months in, he was calling me his girlfriend, putting me on the phone with his mom, and saying tha

Band Spotlight

What thou Will

By Tom Irwin

When the “about” section of a band’s Facebook page says, “A malicious onslaught of diabolical debauchery and brutal blasphemy!!!!!” you know they mean business. What thou

Band Spotlight

Bill Price

By Tom Irwin

Based out of the Indianapolis area, Bill Price discovered early on a fascination and respect for the songwriting of both Bob Dylan and the Beatles that led to a lifetime of chasing the song muse. Afte

Band Spotlight

Mr. Opporknockity

By Tom Irwin

The origins of Mr. Opporknockity’s peculiar moniker remains a conundrum, but the Springfield-based, five-piece rock band continues to attract fans and gain attention some 15 years after hitting

Band Spotlight

Great American Taxi

By Tom Irwin

Considered some of the best Americana artists touring today, the “Americana Without Borders” music of Vince Herman, Chad Staehly, Jim Lewin, Chris Sheldon and Brian Adams sparkles with roc

Band Spotlight

Whiskey of the Damned

By Tom Irwin

Take an Irishman, drop him in Milwaukee and let him go wild in a Celtic-influenced rock band, and that’s Whiskey of the Damned. With Eoin McCarthy (guitar, vocal), Blaine McQuinn (fiddle, bagpip

Band Spotlight

ZZ Tripp

By Tom Irwin

Springfield’s ZZ Tripp with Brad Alan (as Billy Gibbons on guitar), Dan Kress (as Dusty Hill on bass) and Tom Summerlin (as Frank Beard on drums) gives ZZ Top a tremendous tribute treatment. Wit

Band Spotlight

The Brothers

By Tom Irwin

The Brothers do the Allman Brothers music and do it well. Unlike other tribute bands, they have actual experiences of working with the group they celebrate, as some of the “brothers” actua

Band Spotlight

Josh Catalano and The Dirty Thoughts

By Tom Irwin

A stalwart on the local music scene in performing, writing and recording original, rocking American music, Josh Catalano (guitar, vocals, songwriting) formed The Dirty Thoughts in 2011 with former Dam

Band Spotlight

CW Ayon

By Tom Irwin

New Mexican bluesman CW Ayon (pronounced “I own”) began his adventure as a one-man band in 2008. Playing what he terms his “Hill Country Blues, Chihuahuan Desert, hook-laden groove,&

Band Spotlight

Randy Charles and the Western Angels

By Tom Irwin

This five-piece group are darn good purveyors of country, folk and bluegrass tunes, combining choice covers by the likes of Dwight Yoakam, Johnny Cash and Garth Brooks with a handy bunch of well-suite

Books

Home is where the heart is

Area structures featured in Dan Guillory’s latest book of poems with histories and photos

By Peggy Sower Knoepfle

HousePoems by Dan GuilloryMayhaven Publishing, 2013161 Pages, $19.95HousePoems is the latest book by Dan Guillory, poet, essayist and historian of the central Illinois landscape and its people. He has

Books

Innocence, the mystery

Northwestern students face Chicago corruption

By Stuart Shiffman

The Innocence Game, by Michael Harvey.Knopf. 256 pages.Mystery writers often set their stories in their hometowns. For Michael Connelly it is Los Angeles, for Sara Paretsky, Chicago. The late Stuart K

Books

The book of baseball books

Start off the season with a good read

By Stuart Shiffman

501 Baseball Books Fans Must Read Before They Die, by Ron Kaplan. University of Nebraska Press, $24.95. “The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by lik

Books

Carefully crafted poems of imagery

Springfield professor debuts new book

By Rodd Whelpley

Judging from his new book of poetry From Delancey West (forthcoming by BlazeVOX [books]), Springfield poet Brian Jackson will not be poetry slamming any time soon. This is no insult. This is just to s

Books

Lindsay’s ‘Little Turtle’ comes back to life

Two famous locals’ work united in new book

By Anita Stienstra

Vachel Lindsay, a lifelong resident of Springfield, internationally renowned poet and author of 20 books of poetry and stories, was born in 1879. Two years before Lindsay’s death in 1931 came th

Books

A literary album of a farm

Jackie Jackson recalls the well-ordered life of her youth

By Lola Lucas

The Round Barn: A Biography of an American Farm, Volume 2, by Jacqueline Dougan Jackson. Beloit City Press, 2012. 487 pages, $24.95 Imagine you’ve discovered a box of jumbled old black and white

Books

The golden boy of Illinois

By Stuart Shiffman

Reading Golden: How Rod Blagojevich Talked Himself out of the Governor’s Office and Into Prison, is an excruciatingly painful experience. But the pain does not come from the work of Jeff Coen an

Books

Minute perception and the cosmic

John Knoepfle’s latest collection of poetry

By Brian Leroy Jackson

Shadows and Starlight by John Knoepfle. 84 pages, $16.68. Indian Paintbrush Poets, 2012. Few writers remain active in their ninth decade, but John Knoepfle is one of those few; his Shadows and Starlig

Books

Spare and elegant: The William Maxwell style

Conversations with the late author and central Illinois native, edited by UIS professor

By Rich Shereikis

Conversations with William Maxwell, edited by Barbara Burkhardt. University Press of Mississippi. (Literary Conversations Series) 241 pages. Hardback, $40.When Barbara Burkhardt, an associate professo

Books

A magical high school baseball season

By Stuart Shiffman

One Shot at Forever: A Small Town, an Unlikely Coach and a Magical Baseball Season, by Chris Ballard. Hyperion, 234 pages.Here in central Illinois we love our high school sports. Granted we also pay a

Culture

Africans lived here first

Scholar explores connections to Cahokia Mounds “pyramids”

By LaVern McNeese

Historians credit Christopher Columbus for finding the Americas, but Kaba Hiawatha Kamene declares that African descendants lived in what is now the United States many years prior to 1492. Kamene, a s

Culture

When the city becomes a stage

New Year’s party brings safe, affordable all-ages fun

By Patrick Yeagle

For the past 25 years, Springfield’s downtown has become a giant party every New Year’s Eve with First Night Springfield, the first and longest-running event of its kind in Illinois. The p

Culture

Art for every need

The arts scene in Springfield finds vitality in niche markets

By Scott Faingold

“We’re grateful that we still have this nice space to be in. It’s really made a big difference to what we’ve been able to deliver to the community,” says Janet Seitz Carl

Culture

Country dancing for 25 years

Homecoming Dance Oct. 19 marks Prairie Land Dance Club anniversary

By Grace Sweatt

Yes, it’s a little boot scootin’ and a little two-steppin,’ but Prairie Land Dance Club (PLDC) in Illiopolis ain’t your mama’s square dance. Folks at PLDC are just as com

Culture

A green beauty

For his own office building, architect John Shafer optimizes sustainability and design

By Ginny Lee

Architect John Shafer’s new office building at 1230 S. Sixth St. in Springfield recently won an award for sustainable design from the Central Illinois Chapter of the American Institute of Archit

Culture

Anatomy of an Advice Goddess

Illinois Times interviews columnist Amy Alkon on her career, methodology and the scourge of rude behavior

By Scott Faingold

Every week, Amy Alkon provides IT readers with her spin on romantic problems in her syndicated column The Advice Goddess. The column, which received the first place award for commentary last month fro

Culture

Taste of Downtown

In celebration of local food and good music

By Zach Baliva

Visitors and residents hungry for good music and good food in Springfield are sure to find some of both this weekend at the 11th annual Taste of Downtown. The popular event is presented this year in c

Culture

Steal these ideas

Springfield should copy what works in other towns

By Patrick Yeagle

“To this place, and the kindness of these people, I owe everything.”Abraham Lincoln uttered those words in his famous farewell speech to Springfield almost 150 years ago. Since then, Sprin

Culture

Dancing without the stars

The capital city learns to tango, swing and waltz

By Julie Cellini

It’s chilly in the packed parking lot of the Eagles Club on Springfield’s far east side. But inside the club’s cavernous concrete ballroom more than 100 novice dancers are shedding s

Culture

Hero of Hotel Rwanda campaigns for truth about genocide

Paul Rusesabagina speaks in Springfield May 12

By Fletcher Farrar

Just when we thought Rwanda had reinvented itself into a genuine success story in Africa, and that Rwandan president Paul Kagame had become a star of international leadership, along comes the hero of

Film - Chuck Koplinski

Purge lacks the strength of its flimsy convictions

By Chuck Koplinski

James DeMonaco’s The Purge hints – and I mean hints – that it might be a socially relevant film that imagines that today’s divide between the “Haves” and the &ldquo

Film - Chuck Koplinski

Midnight a bracing look at the realities of love

By Chuck Koplinski

Richard Linklater’s Before films are a special collection of movies that not only takes an unique look at romantic love but reminds us how engaging the fine art of conversation can be in capable

Film - Chuck Koplinski

No Clark makes for cold Steel

By Chuck Koplinski

One of the crucial aspects of superheroes is the notion of the secret identity, the physical and psychic split in the character that delineates the real person from the heroic persona. Whenever this n

Film - Chuck Koplinski

Internship surprises as sincere summer sleeper

By Chuck Koplinski

Every summer season produces a sleeper, a film that comes out of nowhere and exceeds expectations. Shawn Levy’s The Internship is that movie for 2013. It succeeds in not only delivering some sol

Film - Chuck Koplinski

Both Smiths end up marooned on Earth

By Chuck Koplinski

Much has been written in the last week pertaining to how awful Will Smith’s After Earth is. It’s been referred to as the Battlefield Earth for a new generation, described as “cheesy,

Film - Chuck Koplinski

Epic Fails to Live Up to its Title

By Chuck Koplinski

Anymore, it’s hard not to be impressed with most of the animation that comes from major studios. Since Pixar raised the bar, others have been playing catch up just to keep pace with the ever-exp

Film - Chuck Koplinski

Now not so magical

By Chuck Koplinski

One of the things that’s mentioned often in Louis Leterrier’s heist movie Now You See Me, which focuses on a quartet of Robin Hood-like illusionists, is that the secret to a good magic tri

Film - Chuck Koplinski

Hangover III brings the wolf pack home

By Chuck Koplinski

As years go by and I sit through more and more insufferable, unimaginative comedies, Todd Phillips’ The Hangover continues to stand the test of time. It was apparent when it was first released i

Film - Chuck Koplinski

Darkness a worthy addition to Trek canon

By Chuck Koplinski

Viewers are likely to be sharply divided after seeing J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek Into Darkness, his second entry in the venerable science-fiction series. Is it shamelessly derivative or an inspired

Film - Chuck Koplinski

Furious 6 throws Fast into reverse

By Chuck Koplinski

I was just as surprised as anyone when Fast 5 not only revived the Fast and Furious franchise but also proved to be one of the best action films of the last decade. You’re excused for having mis

Film Fest Interviews

Chuck Koplinski interviews Doug Jones and Katlyn Carlson

By Courtney Enlow

Illinois Times film critic Chuck Koplinski interviews Doug Jones ("Hellboy", "Pan's Labyrinth") and Katlyn Carlson, stars of the indie feature "My Name is Jerry", winner of Best Comedy Feature at the Route 66 International Film Festival.

Film Fest Interviews

Chuck Koplinski interviews Oscar Piloto and Alfonso Corona

By Courtney Enlow

IT film critic Chuck Koplinski interviews star Oscar Piloto and director Alfonso Corona (both are co-producers) of the short film "Dixon's Girl".

Film Fest Interviews

Chuck Koplinski interviews director Sam Holdren

By Courtney Enlow

Illinois Times film critic Chuck Koplinski interviews Sam Holdren, director of the film "The Paradigm Shift", playing in the Route 66 International Film Festival.

Film Fest Interviews

Chuck Koplinski interviews Brian Dobrik

By Courtney Enlow

IT film critic Chuck Koplinski interviews Brian Dobrik, director of the indie short "Robert Shaw", playing in the Route 66 International Film Festival.

Film Fest Interviews

Chuck Koplinski interviews director Daric Gates

By Courtney Enlow

Illinois Times film critic Chuck Koplinski interviews Daric Gates, director of the film "Crook", winner for Best Thriller in the Route 66 International Film Festival.

Film Fest Interviews

Chuck Koplinski interviews Dominique Schilling

By Courtney Enlow

Illinois Times film critic Chuck Koplinski interviews Dominique Schilling, director of the film "Business As Usual", playing in the Route 66 International Film Festival.

Film Fest Interviews

Chuck Koplinski interviews Zach Baliva and Morgan Mead

By Courtney Enlow

Illinois Times film critic Chuck Koplinski interviews Morgan Mead, director, and Zach Baliva, co-producer, of the film "My Name Is Jerry", winner for Best Comedy in the Route 66 International Film Festival.

Film Fest Interviews

Chuck Koplinski interviews directors and star of Sinnerman

By Courtney Enlow

Illinois Times film critic Chuck Koplinski interviews Travis Pittman and Kelly Daniela Norris, co-directors, and Matthew Cadet, star of the film "Sinnerman", playing in the Route 66 International Film Festival.

Film Fest Interviews

Chuck Koplinski interviews Lynelle White

By Courtney Enlow

Illinois Times film critic Chuck Koplinski interviews Lynelle White, director of the film "And Seven Hours Later", playing in the Route 66 International Film Festival.

IT Picks

Fun fitness

By Anita Stienstra

If you have children 12 and under, mark your calendar to attend Get Fit on Route 66 Walk, Run, Roll, Sat., June 22. This Generation Healthy (genHkids) Kids Coalition event, sponsored by Springfield El

IT Picks

Yards of green

By Anita Stienstra

Lincoln Land Community College’s Workforce Development division offers workshops this summer for the general public to learn or improve their work skills, but others with a personal interest in

IT Picks

Talking spirits

By Anita Stienstra

Here’s your chance to delve into the mysterious and the strange. Haunted America Conference returns to central Illinois for its 17th year June 21-22 at the haunted Lincoln Theater in Decatur. A

IT Picks

Prairie play

By Anita Stienstra

Learn about the past at the Grierson Days Celebration, June l4-l6, in Community Park, Jacksonville. The l8th annual Civil War reenactment features battles, camps, exhibits of veterans and World War I

IT Picks

Masterful musical

By Anita Stienstra

The Muni opens its 2013 season with Les Miserables, June 14-16, 19-23 and 27-29. Directed by Stephan Kaplan, this musical follows Jean Valjean, an unfairly imprisoned man who upon release becomes a fo

IT Picks

Slam-dunk social

By Anita Stienstra

The 20th Annual Juneteenth Celebration takes to Comer Cox Park, June 15-16. New this year is a gospel fest on Sunday from 2-4 p.m. featuring local church and area gospel groups. A new splash fountain

IT Picks

Sealed in freshness

By Anita Stienstra

Herb lovers and enthusiasts can rejoice in the smell of fresh herbs at The Illinois Herb Association 2013 HerbFest. The fest will take place on Saturday, June 8, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:10 p.m. at Washing

IT Picks

Get your art fix

By Anita Stienstra

This year’s MacARTFest brings together some of Illinois’ most talented artists. The festival will be held on June 7 from 6-9 p.m. and June 8 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at South Grand Avenue an

IT Picks

Civil War reenactment

By Anita Stienstra

There is so much to learn about Springfield’s rich history. Whether it’s in the Old Capitol or New Capitol, so much has taken place here. The Old State Capitol will morph into a Civil War

IT Picks

Sealed in freshness

By Anita Stienstra

Dixie Longate of Mobile, Ala., brings Tupperware parties into the 21st century and into a whole new realm of entertainment with an onstage improv and comedy act that really is a Tupperware party. Admi

Movie Blurbs

The Warrior's Way

By Movie blurbs

In theaters December 3, 2010 is The Warrior's Way, a visually-stunning modern martial arts western starring Korean actor Dong-gun Jang who plays an Asian warrior assassin forced to hide in a small

Movie Blurbs

Faster

By Movie blurbs

After 10 years in prison, Driver has a singular focus - to avenge the murder of his brother during the botched bank robbery that led to his imprisonment. Now a free man with a deadly to-do list in han

Movie Blurbs

Love & Other Drugs

By Movie blurbs

Maggie (Hathaway) is an alluring free spirit who won't let anyone - or anything - tie her down. But she meets her match in Jamie (Gyllenhaal), whose relentless and nearly infallible charm serve him w

Movie Blurbs

The Next Three Days

By Movie blurbs

Life seems perfect for John Brennan until his wife, Lara, is arrested for a gruesome murder she says she didn't commit. Three years into her sentence, John is struggling to hold his family together,

Movie Blurbs

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1

By Movie blurbs

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,is a much-anticipated motion picture eventto be told in two full-length parts. The long-feared war has begun and Voldemort's Death Eaters seize control of the Min

Movie Blurbs

Morning Glory

By Movie blurbs

When hard-working TV producer Becky Fuller stumbles into a job at Daybreak, she decides to revitalize the show by bringing on legendary TV anchor Mike Pomeroy. Unfortunately, Pomeroy refuses to cover

Movie Blurbs

Skyline

By Movie blurbs

After a late night party, a group of friends is awakened in the dead of the night by an eerie light beaming through the window. Like moths to a flame, people outside are being drawn to strange lights,

Movie Blurbs

Unstoppable

By Movie blurbs

A massive unmanned locomotive, nicknamed The Beast and loaded with toxic cargo, roars through the countryside, vaporizing anything put in front of it. A veteran engineer and a young conductor, aboard

Movie Blurbs

Megamind

By Movie blurbs

When super villain "Megamind" defeats his archrival Metro Man, the world should be his oyster. But instead, "Megamind" falls into total despair. It turns out that life without a ri

Movie Blurbs

For Colored Girls

By Movie blurbs

In 1974, Ntozake Shange’s choreopoem “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When The Rainbow Is Enuf” made its stage debut, combining poetry, dance and music, and most signif

Movies

Reel foreign

Seven international films screen in Springfield

By Zach Baliva

Springfield area cinephiles benefit as the Route 66 Film Festival and the Springfield Art Association’s Film Series grow in size and quality. The 2009 Route 66 Fest, held last September, tripled

Movies

An independent obsession

The behind-the-scenes process that brings foreign and indie films to town

By Zach Baliva

Molly Schlich knows movies. She has organized the Springfield Art Association’s annual film festival for the past 18 years. The event, she says, was started not as a fundraiser, but as a way to

Movies

Q&A with Goodbye Solo director Ramin Bahrani

By Zach Baliva

2009 was a good year for director Ramin Bahrani. The 34-year-old was awarded a prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship and watched as critics continued to laud Chop Shop (2007) and Goodbye Solo (2008). Not

Movies

2009 FESTIVAL SCHEDULE

WED, SEPT 16Taste of the Festival7-9pmFREE Open to the publicCapital City Bar and Grill3149 S. Dirksen PkwyFor those not familiar with film fests, this evening event will include a preview of 5-6 of t

Movies

Terrible teens

They’ve met the enemy – and it’s them

By Marc Sigoloff

Untitled Document Many recent films about troubled youth remind me of Jean-Paul Sartre’s play No Exit, in which hell is other people. The biggest problem facing teens today

Movies

Fab Four on film

The Beatles left an incredible screen legacy

By Marc Sigoloff

Untitled Document Forty years ago the Beatles changed music for the second time with the release of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, and it still tops lists as

Movies

Mr. Costner

A reliable presence, even when he defies expectations

By Marc Sigoloff

Untitled Document Kevin Costner needs no introduction, but he seems to need a reintroduction. Audiences mistakenly think that they know what to expect from him. His taking on the

Movies

Hurricane Billy is back

Bug marks William Friedkin’s return to form

By Marc Sigoloff

Untitled Document Bug may have been drowned in the current flood of sequels, but it has great cinematic significance. The intense psychological-horror thriller marks the return t

Movies

The cult of Jodorowsky

Mexican director’s influence goes beyond his name recognition

By Marc Sigoloff

Untitled Document His is hardly a household name, but the influence of Alejandro Jodorowsky goes beyond name recognition. His best-known film is El Topo (1970), which translates

Movies

All is Welles

The greatest Orson Welles film he didn’t direct

By Marc Sigoloff

Untitled Document The Third Man (1949) is the greatest Orson Welles movie Welles didn’t direct. It is a testament to the greatness of this film that many people assume that

Music

Symphony season goes out on a high note

Maestro Alastair Willis has great expectations for coming years

By Scott Faingold

This past weekend marked the end of the Illinois Symphony Orchestra’s 20th anniversary season, which was the first under the musical direction of Maestro Alastair Willis. Willis did not conduct

Music

One hell of an awards show for Springfield hip-hop

Torch Tuesday blows the roof off the sucka… respectfully

By Scott Faingold

Nobody can accuse the crowd at Torch Tuesday of not knowing how to party. Springfield’s most prominent showcase for regional hip-hop talent presented the second annual Torch Tuesday Awards on Ja

Music

Henry Rollins brings a ‘talking show’ to the Hoogland

Former Black Flag singer is on a tour of state capitals

By Scott Faingold

Henry Rollins is no Abe Lincoln.But that doesn’t stop the 51-year-old punk rock icon, TV personality, author and blogger from incorporating sections of the 16th president’s 1838 speech to

Music

Art, bikes and rock ’n’ roll

Jeff Williams of NIL8 has been creating music and art in Springfield for 30 years

By Scott Faingold

Rock musician. Fine artist. Cycling champion. If lifelong Springfield resident Jeff Williams does not qualify as a genuine renaissance man, he’ll have to do until one comes along. In addition, t

Music

Meet the maestro

The Illinois Symphony starts fresh with a new musical director

By Scott Faingold

“The power of music can unite a community,” says Alastair Willis, brand new music director of the Illinois Symphony Orchestra. “That’s what we all need to be striving towards.

Music

Confessions of a (minor) rock star

Mike Doughty performs at Legacy Theatre March 30

By Scott Faingold

Mike Doughty has been through the ringer. The former lead vocalist for sample-heavy ’90s alternative-rock mainstays Soul Coughing (“Super Bon Bon,” “Circles”) has put a l

Music

This Langfelder son is a New York singer

Home for the holidays, Jacob Langfelder performs in Springfield Dec. 29

By Julie Cellini

From the moment he made his musical debut at age 10, lip syncing Prince’s “Let’s Go Crazy” at Blessed Sacrament School’s talent show, Jacob Langfelder wanted to be on sta

Music

Hip-hop in the Heartland

The talent at Torch Tuesday may be the Springfield music scene’s best-kept secret

By Scott Faingold

[SOUND EFFECTS: needle drops onto vinyl; surface static; reporter clears throat]I’ll never forget the day I stumbled onto Springfield’s underground hip-hop scene. It all started with Raekw

Music

The mysterious Lazer Dudes

Springfield’s own electro-rock-sex-revival adventure

By Tom Irwin

Black leather fingerless gloves. Love Club and Stripping Glitter. Tattoos of strange designs in stranger places. Cahokia Mounds and MoonPandas. What link ties these odd and peculiar things together? A

Music

Central Illinois bands in Texas

Sounds from home at South by Southwest music fest

By Matthew Schroyer

Austin, Texas — At the South by Southwest music festival, the spring break of the music industry, sensory overload is practically guaranteed. From March 17-21, nearly 2,000 acts played in Austin

Music - Tom Irwin

A jumpin’ June to enjoy

By Tom Irwin

There’s so much to talk about I’m not going to pretend to fabricate an introduction or lead you down a merry path of assumed meticulous and attempted mellifluous wordplay and just get on w

Music - Tom Irwin

John Byrne brings on the Irish

By Tom Irwin

From centuries-old songs and tunes performed in traditional ways to the adaptation of instruments and melodies to the new land, Irish music certainly infused itself into the American consciousness thr

Music - Tom Irwin

So goes SOHO so far

By Tom Irwin

Here it is the first of June already and time for another SOHO music fest and, for some reason or another, time for more controversy surrounding the charity-driven event. Regardless of the obstacles,

Music - Tom Irwin

Chris Vallillo makes music work

By Tom Irwin

Macomb resident and working folk musician Chris Vallillo (sounds like pillow), has spent a lifetime making a living making music. Anyone who’s tried knows what a trying time that can be, and any

Music - Tom Irwin

Memorable Memorial Day Weekend

By Tom Irwin

Yes, friends and neighbors, the official beginning of the summer season is upon us as we celebrate Memorial Day with a weekend of fun and excitement. Please remember to remember your lost loved ones a

Music - Tom Irwin

From Perkins to Presney

By Tom Irwin

John Michael Presney spent the better part of the last two years on the road in the first national touring production of the Tony award-winning musical Million Dollar Quartet portraying the “fat

Music - Tom Irwin

This Momma’s Boy is blessed

By Tom Irwin

Within the burgeoning Springfield music scene bubbles a wonderful and creative world of hip-hop and rap music that thrives on talent and expression. As the national music direction goes, so goes the f

Music - Tom Irwin

20 years of the FTQ

By Tom Irwin

Oh, how we love to measure time, indeed, we live by that desire, but that’s the human way of observing and commemorating movement through our lives. Important events in our travels are designate

Music - Tom Irwin

Kirwan, Foster and Lincoln

By Tom Irwin

What do the songs “Oh! Susanna,” “Camptown Races” (“doo-dah, doo-dah”) and “Old Folks at Home” (“… way down upon the Swanee River”) a

Music - Tom Irwin

Heil, high and hi-fi

By Tom Irwin

During a recent conversation with Illinois Times blogger Scott Faingold, I mentioned that National Record Store Day coincided with what has become national “weed” day (Huffington Post has

Performing Art

Les Mis local

Bringing the international hit to the Springfield stage

By Zach Baliva

Joshua Ratz could have done anything on Father’s Day. He could have spent time with his 19-year-old stepson. He could have helped his pregnant wife care for their infant. He could have worked on

Performing Art

Sangamon Auditorium expands its borders

An eclectic 2013-14 season is waiting in the wings

By Scott Faingold

Sangamon Auditorium’s upcoming season, starting in September, is a heady mix of surefire crowd-pleasers and boundary pushing one-offs, finding Broadway touring companies rubbing shoulders with c

Performing Art

Gus’s new gig

Gus Gordon takes the helm of the Hoogland Center for the Arts

By Scott Faingold

“At a certain point I realized I was a clone,” says Gus Gordon of his 22-year tenure as chief meteorologist at WICS-TV Channel 20. His tone is more amused than bemused, and entirely withou

Performing Art

Genders bent here

Hedwig is a “transformative” rock musical

By Scott Faingold

“The word of the day is ‘immersion,’” says Legacy Theatre owner Scott Richardson, and truthfully there are few more appropriate terms to describe the Legacy’s production

Performing Art

The Civil War’s effects on ordinary folks

Civil War Journeys continues at New Salem’s Theatre in the Park July 19-22

By Grace Sweatt

The stories we tell and the songs we sing help us make sense of the past, understand the present and build the future. Civil War Journeys, which opened last weekend at New Salem’s Theatre in the

Performing Art

I bought a theater

Scott Richardson’s theatrical labor of love brings eclectic culture to Springfield

By Scott Faingold

“I would say buying real estate is an emotional decision,” says Scott Richardson. “It’s probably not the wisest move, but sometimes you follow the heart. So we bought a theater

Performing Art

UIS stages a classic, True West

And don’t miss Den of Thieves by the Less is More Theatre Company

By Phil Funkenbusch

Eric Thibodeaux-Thompson, the head of the UIS theatre department these last 10 years, is taking a sabbatical this semester, but he is staying home in Springfield. As head of an academic program, he do

Performing Art

A winter full of fine Springfield theater

By Phil Funkenbusch

The new year begins with exciting theater in Springfield, with the now-playing Chess, a musical by Benny Anderssen and Bjorn Ulvaes (of ABBA fame) with lyrics by Tim Rice (Jesus Christ Superstar, Evit

Performing Art

The 25th annual First Night

On New Year’s Eve come downtown for a bargain celebration of the arts

By Patrick Yeagle

On Dec. 31, 1987, Springfield became the first city in Illinois to host a First Night event celebrating the new year through the arts. Penny Wollan-Kriel, executive director of the Springfield Area Ar

Performing Art

A family’s clash of values in a time of war

Shenandoah at New Salem July 15-17 and 21-24

By Grace Sweatt

Don’t let the music fool you. The stage adaptation of Shenandoah is a drama. Set in the Commonwealth of Virginia during the Civil War, the play explores the impact of the war on a family whose p

Poetry

estate sale poem #1

By Jacqueline Jackson

one should not feel regretfor the things not boughtat an estate sale after all I gotthe presents for my grandkids’joint birthday bash due that nighta fleet of bright little motorcycleswell-made

Poetry

brewpoem #1

By Jacqueline Jackson

here are the brews we drank in englandpiddle from the nearby village of piddlethere’s a cluster of piddles includingpiddle in the hole we drank hobgoblindark ale from the wychwood brewery inwitn

Poetry

remember poem #8

By Jacqueline Jackson

in sunday schoolwas I five or sixone sundayI wanted togo back tothe sand tablebut they saidyou’re too biga girl for that

Poetry

operapoem #2

By Jacqueline Jackson

when you hear over WILL thatthe opera will start an hour earlyyou automatically think wagnerand sure enough here come theleit motifs of sigmund or seigfriedor whoever (our cows never milkedwell during

Poetry

personal pilgrimage poem

By Jacqueline Jackson

her ashes – my brit child’s – were in abaggie about a teaspoonful I left a pinchat the dorset farm she loved another onwhite horse hill near the town of her birthsun wind skylarks br

Poetry

ecopoem #17

By Jacqueline Jackson

ecopoem #17everything livingon this thin skin that supports life has three missions eat to stay alive for the same reason avoid being eaten and breed in order to perpetuate your line so it can go on e

Poetry

earthday-ecopoem # 11

By Jacqueline Jackson

“A major study commissioned by theBritish government concludes in itsyesterday report that rapid andsubstantial spending to combatglobal warming is needed to averta catastrophic reduction in wor

Poetry

earthday poem #3

By Jacqueline Jackson

earthday poem #3went to earthday festivities at union park: encouraging displaysgreeny ideas demonstrationsso cold and rainy not many camethe decorated refrigerators caughtmy heart they should be a tr

Poetry

marathon poem #2

By Jacqueline Jackson

marathon poem #2two unbidden pictures keep fillingmy head neither from tv screens onethat kid younger than my grandsonslying in his pooled blood in the beachedboat waiting for the inevitable he’

Poetry

ZenMomentPoem #2

by guest-poet Delinda Chapman

By Jacqueline Jackson

The visiting choir directorWhen speaking with the childrenAsked their favorite song.As they shrugged their shouldersShe asked then their favorite animal.“Cows” said a boy,“The cows s

Sports

MMA mania

Mixed martial arts comes of age in Springfield

By Patrick Yeagle

In an unassuming beige garage on the edge of town, two muscular, tattooed young men circle around and around, punching, kicking and grappling with one another with all the intensity of a dogfight. A l

Sports

Scrumming in Springfield

The Celts are looking for a few good men

By Bruce Rushton

It is easy to imagine the Springfield Celts as third-graders.These are the guys who loved dodgeball, the ones who laughed and screamed “Whoa!” when balls found their mark in particularly v

Sports

Golf classic to benefit injured motorcycle riders

By Grace Sweatt

Charlie Roberts, 51, of Springfield, knows what it’s like to race a motorcycle at speeds of more than 130 miles per hour around a flat track. He also knows what it’s like to lose control o

Sports

Springfield Sliders, a family operation

New team owner aims to bring community together

By Neil Schneider

Some children draw pictures of dogs and cats, but when Shane Martin was a child growing up in the early 1980s, he drew baseball stadiums. Shane, the new owner and CEO of the Springfield Sliders baseba

Sports

Talk derby to me

For fun, fitness and self-esteem, be a roller derby queen

By Rick Wade

“The night that I fell in love with a Roller Derby Queen, Round and round, oh round and round, The meanest hunk of woman that anybody ever seen, Down in the arena …,” – Jim Cr

Sports

Everybody plays

Thousands take the field for youth soccer

By DiAnne Crown

With the end of summer come the beginning of a new school year, the harvest and the start of an area tradition that draws thousands of children away from their video games and outside onto the mown gr

Sports

Swim, bike, run for fitness and fun

By Patrick Yeagle

Maybe it’s the obesity epidemic that has so many people worried about their waistlines. Or maybe it’s the ongoing recession that has people looking for low-cost extracurriculars. Whatever

Sports

‘Ultimate Frisbee’ offers fitness, fun and community

Springfield group needs more women to play

By Holly Dillemuth

If you’re home from college or just wanting to get fit and have fun in central Illinois this summer, ultimate Frisbee may be for you.A game of “ultimate” is like soccer but is played

Sports

School’s out, but there’s plenty for children to do

By Rachel Wells

For at least a few students, the countdown to summer vacation began last August. Others maybe waited until January, by which time the bitter cold and recent memories of semester finals started giving

Sports

Not ready for the big time

UIS stumbles into the NCAA

By Rachel Wells

As the University of Illinois Springfield in October 2008 made another move toward full membership in the National Collegiate Athletic Association, then-Chancellor Richard Ringeisen said the eventual

Visual Art

ARTIFICATION of Springfield

A mural project is set to bring beauty to downtown

By Scott Faingold

“It used to be scary down this way.”Barry Friedman, owner of the Alamo, 115 N. Fifth St., is reminiscing about conditions in downtown Springfield prior to the 2005 opening of the Abraham L

Visual Art

Wonderful world of Illinois watercolors

Statewide contest honors Skip Watts’ support of arts

By Anita Stienstra

Carol Watts and Mary Selinski enjoyed a watercolor class together years ago. Neither could have guessed that in 2012-13 they would collaborate on a sizable statewide watercolor exhibit and contest.Car

Visual Art

Photo contest winners: Images of Illinois

Prairie Art Alliance contest yields impressive regional talent

By Anita Stienstra

Digital cameras that are affordable and easy-to-use, including those cameras and image-sharing apps in our smartphones, have sparked a photo craze. Who could have predicted that so many Americans woul

Visual Art

Feet first

Kimberly Conner’s Jump In has red carpet premiere

By Scott Faingold

Midway through the filming of Jump In, director Kimberly Conner of Springfield faced a day of personal reckoning.“We were on day five of a 10-day shoot,” she recalls. “My emotions we

Visual Art

The Stories Behind the Faces

Springfield Art Association adds biographies to new portrait exhibit

By Anita Stienstra

The Springfield Art Association has an interesting new exhibit planned to open Friday, Jan. 4, that includes images and stories of local people. The Stories Behind the Faces, features a combination of

Visual Art

Skin City

Tattoos come of age in Springfield

By Patrick Yeagle

Why would someone voluntarily undergo several hours of a needle stabbing them several thousand times per minute? The simple answer is for the sake of art, but the long answer is a bit more complicated

Visual Art

America Behind Barbed Wire

Art at UIS captures nightmare of US concentration camp

By Anita Stienstra

America has a dark little secret. We imprisoned 120,000 fellow citizens during World War II in U.S. concentration camps or, as some call them, internment camps. Artist Roger Shimomura tells this troub

Visual Art

Art fun in the summertime

The Pharmacy ups the ante and throws a party

By Scott Faingold

Since mounting its first group show on 11/11/11, upstart local art collective The Pharmacy has already become something of a Springfield institution. Along with providing work space for a variety of a

Visual Art

Living pictures come to life again

The Soldiers Aid Society performs at SAA’s Civil War Ice Cream Social July 14

By Erika Holst

“The ladies of Springfield gave a grand Tableaux last week for the benefit of the Soldiers Aid Society,” Mercy Conkling wrote to her son in 1862. “It was a brilliant affair.  Mr

Visual Art

Pottery summer at Edwards Place

“The experience is more than the end result.”

By Grace Sweatt

The Springfield Art Association is offering two exciting opportunities for the community to explore ceramics and pottery-making over the summer months. A kickoff event, ROASTED:%u2008Hot Pots or Pork,