Yeah, I really feel the identical means as you do. How on earth did it get to be 2025 already? The very last thing I bear in mind was going to live shows promoted by Len Trumper on the Armory, and the following factor right here we’re fixing up the Armory, and it is 50 years later. Oh effectively, all I can say is I am blissful to be collaborating in all of it. I am assuming that you’re, too.
Talking of fixing up issues, Sangamon Auditorium and the UIS Studio Theatre are each closing for repairs in June this yr till the autumn of 2026. However working plumbing is essential, and that is what they’re repairing within the 50-year-old facility and we shall be thrilled when these prized venues reopen.
It is enjoyable simply to ramble on a bit in el numero uno Now Enjoying of this yr (did I point out that it is 2025?) and likewise it’s extremely regular for the primary weekend of the yr (I will not point out it once more) to be low within the calendar gig numbers so I form of must goof off some. By subsequent week everybody shall be all greased up and flying excessive as soon as extra, however we nonetheless have just a little little bit of this, a complete lot of that and a really good mixture of this, that and the opposite factor, so let’s get to perusing ye previous “pub crawl” music listings and see what’s provided for our leisure profit, proper straight.
I’ll point out in my rambles – since I prefer to kick off selling Thursday reveals and there are hardly any this week – that someday again any person talked about to me that it wasn’t truthful that I am going on about Thursdays as a result of they did not learn (or choose up) the IT till normally Friday and at all times missed these reveals. I wasn’t fairly prepared with a solution, apart from the apparent one during which this particular person may simply treatment the state of affairs themselves, so I am simply going to maneuver on to Friday now and hope the above-mentioned particular person reads this. Thanks all (together with stated particular person) for caring sufficient to take the time to learn us and to observe the music in actual trip within the venues. And bear in mind you possibly can at all times try our superb paper on-line, anytime or anyplace, and look forward within the listings to plan your musical escapades weeks prematurely.
So on to Friday we go together with a load of hits like Manny Lee singing upstairs at Harvest Market, Brandon Santini blowing his harp on the Curve Inn, Sarah Schneider Band slinging songs at George Rank’s and Ricarda Rosalina beginning sturdy at Buzz Bomb.
Shifting shortly into Saturday, why not begin early with Peaches & Bacon (the old-timey folks duo, not a menu possibility) at Stella Espresso & Tea cranking up the fiddle and banjo at 10 a.m., then catch Johnnie Owens later within the night along with his stellar band and famed voice on the Curve Inn.
In between these reveals Elvis Himselvis (Rick Dunham is the person behind the shades and the voice and within the jumpsuit, after all) and his well-oiled band current the annual Elvis Presley birthday present (EP could be – or is – 90 on Jan. 8) to the Peggy Ryder Theatre (third flooring) within the Hoogland Heart for the Arts at 3 p.m.
Properly, even in spite of everything that ramblin’ ‘spherical we nonetheless discovered loads to go see, hear and do. Joyful 2025 to you and yours, they and theirs, me and mine, and all who stay.
