Happy upcoming Easter weekend and with the big holiday celebration comes the usual, slightly diminished calendar of live music events. But even a smaller number of gigs in our scene is still "perty darn good" so let's get hoppin' to see what's shakin' over the next few days of entertainment time.
Starting with our usual Thursday night goings-on, we have a few solo shows and a couple of regular open mics available for your listening pleasure. Also, Dumb Records delivers a genuine punk-ish concert experience with aptly-named bands Entrail Asphyxiation, Coronary, Sockem, Pucker Up and Mechanizm on the bill. As you may know from my previous column musings, I am a fan of this night of the week for live music so I hope to see more Thursday shows upcoming.
Friday (yes, it's a good one and a Good one) sends us a plethora (oh, that word) of exciting and diverse performances all over.
Let's begin with Robert Sampson and his band at Boone's for the weekly Friday Night Jazz & Blues show (5:30-7:30 p.m.), where you surely must ask Robert about his recently released CD, They Call Me Lefty Preacher. At the very same time, Silas Tockey brings his charming ways of music-making to the HyVee Wahlburgers location for a sweet set of whatever enters his mind. VFW Post 755 has been tearing it up lately with a varied and interesting selection of consistent performers. This Friday it's none other than Jeff Young and the Bad Grandpas, rocking the night away with familiar classics and songs you probably forgot about but are happy to hear again. To top off the night, an old friend from days gone by, Webb Wilder, arrives to put on one guaranteed heckuva show at Boondocks with support act James Bruner taking the stage around 8.
On Friday and Saturday at the Route 66 Hotel and Conference Center on South Sixth Street, check out the Sunshine 66 Hotel Festival featuring bands, craft vendors, Mother Road diner food and a convenient place to crash. The entertainment lineup is as follows: Friday has Sunshine Daydream, Clusterpluck, Jaik Willis, Dead Man's Dog, Blue Country Revue and Fairweather Friends while Saturday brings us Sunshine Daydream, Still Shine, Birds of a Feather, Pete Jive, Hollow Down, Catfish Seminar and Ryan Kynd with a "Late Night Impromptu Hoe Down" included in the highly fun times.
Danenberger Family Vineyards continues to run with the tribute band crowd with Decade of Decadence doing their 80s Hair Night show on Friday and Nightrain: The Guns N' Roses Experience delivering the goods on Saturday. The Curve Inn is plumb full this weekend with Brandy Kristin Band kicking it on Friday and Soul Experience (with our friend Reggie Britton) bringing the sweet soul on Saturday night. Weebles also has both nights covered with The Collective shining through on Friday and Menace to Sobriety living up to their name on Saturday.
Saturday night drops us a couple of acoustic singer-songwriter shows when Ben Bedford makes a rare hometown appearance with a Buzz Bomb stop, while Avery Kern lands out at Buckhart Tavern. For a rock show of high caliber, head to Goodfellas for the lofty intensity of The Rick Mari Band.
Sunday looks particularly slow because of the Easter holiday, but that narrows your choice to a very good one when Manny Lee brings his stunning voice and easy-going stylings to It's All About Wine for a late afternoon performance.
Please check our listings for more of the good stuff, enjoy your weekend and watch out for Monday as that is April Fool's Day.
