Band Spotlight | Thursday, May 16,2013

ZZ Tripp

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

Music - Tom Irwin | Thursday, May 16,2013

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

Band Spotlight | Thursday, May 9,2013

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

Music - Tom Irwin | Thursday, May 9,2013

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

Band Spotlight | Thursday, May 2,2013

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

Music - Tom Irwin | Thursday, May 2,2013

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 | Thursday, April 25,2013

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

Band Spotlight | Thursday, April 25,2013

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 | Thursday, April 18,2013

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

Music - Tom Irwin | Thursday, April 18,2013

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