Well, folks, 'tis the season in central Illinois when the fairs abound and the festivals abide. We're going to jump over all the other incredible choices going on at all the terrific venues hosting live music this weekend to focus on those said fairs and festivals. Let's take a look at what's cooking out there, shall we?
How about a visit to the Menard County Fair, held just past Petersburg, north off of Illinois 97 at the county fairgrounds, July 16-21 when Friday gives us Travis Tritt (yeah, that one) with Pecos & the Rooftops at the grandstand stage. Here's a peek at the beer pavilion entertainment, when Brice Bailey plays at 5 p.m. on Thursday and 6 p.m. on Friday, then Menard County native Jon-Mark Robb comes home with his acclaimed rockin' group Tallula Junction, straight outta Austin, Texas, on Thursday (9 p.m.) and Morgan County's Longmeyer Band lands on Friday (11 p.m.). Saturday, a trio of area-based groups play at the pavilion including classic country kings White Lightnin' (3 p.m.), Escape Velocity, a band of early 90s PORTA high grads that formed in the late '80s (they reunited once in 2022 for a class reunion) returning with a "special focus on the grunge, rock and punk hits" that defined those high school days (8:30 p.m.) and Chandlerville's own singer-songwriter sensation, Gabe Carlock, locked in with his full band (10:30 p.m.).
Roar on into the annual Rumble on 66, a honky-tonk and rockabilly festival presented by Tom Hart Concerts at The Stadium Smokehouse from 2 to 10 p.m. on Saturday. With a carload of classic hotrods, rat rods and (motor) bikes, plus a truckload of bands including Hank 4, Hillbilly Casino, the Krank Daddies, Dead Till Dark and Union Avenue, blast into the past of tattoos, ducktails and burnouts for a cruisin' for bruisin' good time.
Now we ramble on to Rumble Down Take 3, running July 19-21, starting Friday night at the Route 66 Hotel featuring our Birds of a Feather and The Station, along with Dead Man's Dog, a St. Louis-based group with Peoria connections. On Saturday, the fest heads to Southern View Park in the afternoon with vendors and free live music (unrelated to the Rumble Down Fest, Bustin' Loose plays at 6 p.m. in the park), then returns to the hotel in the evening for The Merry Travelers, Devin Williams and the Seven String Band, plus the debut of Zach Eymann & Friends. Take 3 concludes on Sunday at Knight's Action Water Park on the Tradewinds stage with Catfish Seminar, Justin Rose and One Way Traffic, ending with the big finale of Aaron Kamm and the One Drops before heading back to the hotel for an impromptu, late-night HoeDown jamming session. Wow.
Add to that the venerable Chatham Jaycees Sweet Corn Festival, and we've got a weekend to be reckoned with. Along with a (sweet) Corn Hole game contest, the world-famous Cow Chip Throw and an Ancient Athletics competition (among other exciting and enticing events), the CJSCF always has been a superb showcase for local live music, from legendary Cats on Holiday performances to featuring original bands looking for an audience. This year is no exception to the rule with Friday night giving us an earful of the The Lovelorn (6-8) and Revel in Red (8:30-11:30) and Saturday shucks in with Soul Experience (5-8) and The Shenanigans (8:30-11:30).
Please take a look at our lengthy listings (let's give a well-deserved shout out to Daron Walker at IT for his extensive additions and careful renditions in the calendar) to see the many other local live music performances going on.
