There's no doubt about it, after the big blast of State Fair action subsides, there seems to be a lull in all the happenings around town. But really, we're just getting back to normal and that is something very good, full of mountains of music and piles of performers playing here, there and everywhere in all kinds of styles, genres and varieties. There's so much going on I am just going to ramble on about the amount and then move on to some special shows.
First, take a gander at our Thursday night activities and be prepared to be surprised at the number, quality and significance of what's out there. Scooting on to the weekend proper, I can only say I don't know what to say. Friday I count some 30 different live music shows, with some of them hosting more than one act, while Saturday clocks in at about the same and Sunday brings us about half that for "Funday" afternoon and evening performances. It's hard to even think about where to start, so as I said, I'm going to just concentrate on a couple of shows.
I will say that a good bunch of the 75-some, aforementioned listings come from our regulars, including several playing more than once. But before someone grumbles about the same people playing all the time, that's really an incredible thing when you put it into perspective of what a local music scene is all about.
On Saturday night (7:30 p.m.) at the Salem on Seventh Theater on the west side of the Petersburg square, Finnegans Wake, a three-piece, acoustic folk group originating from Springfield, celebrates 50 years of making music together. I will do the math for you (after using my fingers and a calculator) so you can say, yes, they formed in 1974, when John Van Orman, William Furry and Bill Rintz met at the County Cork Pub (a long gone, once happening bar on Sixth near North Grand) on a weekly basis to play traditional folk sourced mainly from America and the British Isles. After some years of touring the Midwest, each member settled into respective career but always carried on the music of Finnegans Wake (named after the James Joyce novel, not the Irish drinking song – hence the lack of an apostrophe, for those of you keeping grammar score) in their hearts, minds and fingers, performing together regularly throughout the ensuing half a century.
Along with the immense variety of songs to be sung including contemporary, original and traditional folk (the real folk songs, folks), expect instrumentation to include the usual tools of fiddle, dulcimer, guitar, mandolin and banjo, along with the possible inclusion of tin whistles, bodhran, glockenspiel, finger cymbals, spoons, harmonium, concertina, harmonica, oud, triangle, temple blocks, jingle bells and maybe even a hurdy-gurdy. Get tickets in advance at johnvanorman.com, 217-632-7089 or purchase them at the door. Congratulations, gentlemen. Here's to many more years of making meaningful music together.
As many mourn the loss of the much-appreciated Old Capitol Blues & BBQ downtown festival, The Alamo serves up a Saturday night treat to soothe the pain when blues harmonica great Mark Hummel comes to town with an all-star band featuring truly legendary guitarist Anson Funderburgh. Hummel, a Blues Blast award winner and Grammy-nominated artist celebrates his recent CD release of True Believer with a 7 p.m. show (tickets are $10 at the door) pretty much guaranteed to blow the roof off the joint, as the kids used to say a long time ago.
Enjoy the music and be sure to check our listings for those many other gigs going on.
