There are a lot of different endings to the story titled Your Saturday Night at the Concert, but they all share a common beginning. Remember the “Choose Your Own Adventure” books you read as a kid? It’s a little like that; the plot sets you up to do some decision making, and those decisions then affect where the rest of the plot goes. And there is no shortage of directions for tonight’s plot to go in, considering the wide variety of entertainment available. So it would go a little like this:
Evening has arrived and you’ve got the itch to hear some live music. It’s only 7 p.m.–a little early for most shows in Springfield, but you’re getting restless–so you head to Borders Bookstore for Queen City Shout. It’s the last night of the monthlong local showcase, and to send it off in style the man who organized it all, Eddie Gumucio, is playing with his band, The Electrics. You show up with a canned good in hand to add to the showcase’s collection for The Kitchen, because you’re conscientious like that even though it’s optional. You take a seat and jam out to tunes, and when the show wraps up it’s only 8:30. There’s time for a quick meal before settling in for the next concert. You check to see how much cash you have left for the night ahead; QCS was free, so you’re in good shape. After finishing dinner and cleaning up, you get a phone call. Your friends want to know where you’re headed for the night. You tell them:
* Nathan P. Murphy’s, because you heard Jason Ricci & New Blood were back in town for some harmonica-driven blues and Ricci’s previous shows at the club were nothing short of epic. New Blood’s guitar player, Shawn Starski, is rated among the best in the country, too. For some local songwriting flavor, My Politic is the opener.
* LemonDrop (416 W. Commercial St.) to see underground hip-hop artist Mac Lethal with Les Izmore and SincerelyYours. Mac hails from Kansas City, where he honed his skills to considerable renown before signing with Rhymesayers Entertainment, the flag-bearing label of the underground scene. Les Izmore and SincerelyYours cut their teeth locally as members of the Real Rhymers Camp before Izmore moved north to KC about three years ago. Springfield gets hip hop shows like this only very rarely, you tell them, and it’s going to be major.
* You want to drop by Lindberg’s to see The Cropdusters, The Biggest Car In the County and The Gardenheads, because the combination of rock/Americana bands with the new rising-star group The Gardenheads, grounded in the sounds of ’90s alternative but writing to a more present-day indie sensibility, seems really intriguing.
* The Springfield Rollergirls are holding a fundraiser show at The Outland Ballroom, and you’re a big supporter of girl-on-girl violence on wheels so you’re all in. The fact that The Detectives and Cherry Bomb Burlesque, not to mention the first-ever gig for the new ska group Agent 15, made the choice that much easier.
* You’re really in the mood for some Speakeasy tonight, and while the band isn’t out playing its originals they are meeting up to play as Continuously Saucy Renaldo & Stiff Upper Lip at The High Life Live Martini Lounge. Sure, it’s covers, but it’s the same ridiculously energetic, charisma-laden show with the same band members.
* You wanna hit up Roadhouse Saloon to see Bender play a rare in-Springfield gig, because you read somewhere once that the Roadhouse is a pretty good time for seeing a show and you haven’t had enough of this in your life lately. Your friends on the phone then marvel at how you just linked to a MySpace video in your conversation. There’s an app for that, right?
* The Mark Chapman Band is playing in town for the first time in quite a while, and you want to hit up The Ugly Mug Live Music Tavern to check it out. It just feels like a country kind of night, something to tilt back a few cans of beer to.
* You heard about some great bands at The Outland you’re not too familiar with but heard are ones to watch. The Nautical West, Bringers of the Dawn and The Late Greats are the names.
* Mountain Sprout is back at Patton Alley Pub, and dancing to the Arkansas-based bluegrass group sounds like a great time. To the front row!
Which do you choose? Is there really a wrong answer? Heck, mix and match, even. It would be just like reading a “Choose Your Own Adventure” book from first page to last.
Follow Us!