Music - Tom Irwin | Thursday, September 20,2012

Feeling like fall

First I’d like to thank the folks at Penny Lane and all who helped organize the 18th annual Jerry Garcia Tribute at Douglas Park last Sunday. The Raouligans and I were honored to play along with

Music - Tom Irwin | Thursday, September 13,2012

Seven years of Black Sheep

By Tom Irwin

What started as a way for bands to just get a place to play turned into a seven-year success story as a home for all-ages music in Springfield. Snuggled into one long room on the east side of 11th Str

Band Spotlight | Thursday, September 13,2012

The Hitmen and a Dame

By Tom Irwin

These guys have been playing the popular hits for awhile or, as the promo coyly states, “deez guyz been playing da hits of the 60s, 70s & 80s since 2001,” booking everything from bar g

Band Spotlight | Thursday, September 6,2012

Room 306

By Tom Irwin

Claiming to be “playing more musical styles than a department store soundtrack” and that the band “has musical ADHD,” Room 306 comes a-calling with an attitude ready to take li

Music - Tom Irwin | Thursday, September 6,2012

A Brewhaus adieu

By Tom Irwin

In a heartbreaking time for me, after 18 and a half years of being booked at the Brewhaus every Sunday, my streak has come to an inglorious end. Management at the club wants to “shake things up&

Music - Tom Irwin | Thursday, August 30,2012

Rockhouse: Twenty years of rocking the house

By Tom Irwin

One of the most difficult things in the music industry is not so much playing the music (as hard as that can be), but keeping everything together, from booking, bandmates and business, to supporting a

Band Spotlight | Thursday, August 30,2012

David Berchtold

By Tom Irwin

When done well, fingerpicking a guitar looks so easy anybody could do it. But the task of convincing several digits to make music while moving simultaneously in different, yet coordinated directions a

Music - Tom Irwin | Thursday, August 23,2012

More moving music

By Tom Irwin

By the looks of the Springfield scene, the days of searching to find something to do may be over for good. This week is chock-full of exciting musical adventures sure to please the palate of many a mu

Band Spotlight | Thursday, August 23,2012

Shelley Miller and Jeremiah Birnbaum

By Tom Irwin

As these two acclaimed singer-songwriters work through an eight-day Midwest tour, the music is not the only thing being celebrated. Birnbaum spent a good part of 2012 recovering from a vocal cord inju

Band Spotlight | Thursday, August 16,2012

Don Smith Band

By Tom Irwin

The Illinois State Fair has many long-running traditions and in the music department none is more incredible than the run of the Don Smith Band. This year marks 32 straight years of performances on th