KNIFE*DEATH, JOSH & THE JERKS, SOMEONE STILL LOVES YOU BORIS YELTSIN AT THE OUTLAND

MAKING MOVIES AT LINDBERG’s

with Plaid Dragon and The Gardenheads

TROY CD RELEASE AT OUTLAND BALLROOM

with Ghost In The Machine and Ambrister

Also in SGF

Pearl at Three 20s Club
Kevin Friday at The Tipsy Turtle Pub
Broken Ridge at Dennis’ Place
Toe Jam at Da Cubby Hole
Voodoo Gypsy at Cartoon’s
Black Box Revue at Highlife Martini Lounge

If you are a band or venue and your show isn’t listed, email Brett@tagsgf.com, thanks!

Big Smith bassist Bill Thomas

There aren’t a great number of shows tonight in SGF, but there are some great shows tonight in SGF. While one stands out as the biggest cause (with a musical lineup you won’t want to miss), it will be happening long enough to find another show around town if you’re so inclined.

If you are with a band or venue that isn’t listed, email show information to Brett@tagsgf.com.

BIG SMITH FAMILY & FRIENDS BENEFIT FOR BILL’S BILLS AT PATTON ALLEY PUB

More than 20 performers and a stocked silent auction with wares from all over SGF. Music and auction start at 6 p.m. with music lasting until closing time. The proceeds go to Big Smith bassist Bill Thomas to help offset medical costs after suffering a stroke during a show in Arkansas. Performers include: Barak N Hill, Dallas Jones, Kasey Rausch, Brandon Moore, Cindy Woolf & The Foxxes, Mike Stevens, Brother Wiley, and members of Big Smith, Speakeasy, the Cropdusters and the Bootheel. There is a suggested donation of $10 at the door. You can also donate online.

Also in SGF:
Sally Switchblade, Black Bonnet Ballyhoo and Lilly Bee & the Johnson Three at The Outland
Deep Fried Squirrel and Hamburger Cows at Lindberg’s
VideoVamp and Nocturnal Nation at Outland Ballroom
DJ Geeg and Agent Traxxident at Highlife Martini Lounge
Canto 17 at Fox & Hound

D.J.P. (MASTER OF THE MIX CELEBRATION) AT CLUB VEGAS

with DJ Energizer

LILLY BEE AND THE JOHNSON THREE AT BILLIARD’S BLUE ROOM

with Buddha’s Groove Shoes

THE RUGS AT THE OUTLAND

with Heart Punch and Mustache

ST. DALLAS & THE SINNERS AT HIGHLIFE MARTINI LOUNGE

with Damn Livers

Also in SGF:
Jackson Tyler & The Sinner with Cole Porter Band at Outland Ballroom
The Lowdown Fancy at Miranda’s
Norman Jackson at Harlow’s
Jake Austin & The City Limits at Cartoon’s
Mr. Charlie (Grateful Dead Tribute) at Patton Alley Pub
Members Only at Three 20s Club
Mick Byrd at Galloway Station
Tripleshot at Dennis’ Place

LEMONDROP BENEFIT SHOW

with Stop Thief, Flawless, Peyote Wolf, Free at Last, Surrender, Twelvish Trees, and Trial and Error

JAH ROOTS BAND AT OUTLAND BALLROOM

with Ghost Dance

MODERN EPIC & CLOUD CITY AT THE OUTLAND

with Danny Wood Grace

CANTO 17 AND SPINRAD AT PATTON ALLEY PUB

BRING YOUR GREEN HAT AT LINDBERG’S

HAMBURGER COWS AT THE TIPSY TURTLE PUB

Also in SGF:
Sequel Dose at Cartoon’s
Brookline Station at Three 20s Club
Comedy night at Club Vegas
Anisa Dawn at Lindberg’s, early show, 6:30 p.m.

MIKE MCCLURE BAND AT OUTLAND BALLROOM

with Brian Lumley and Red Dirt Underground

MARK BILYEU AT THE TIPSY TURTLE PUB

THE EUPHIO QUESTION AT OUTLAND

STAN AND AARON’S (THE GARDENHEADS) B-DAY PARTY AT LINDBERG’S

with Thee Fine Lines and Clawhammer

Also in SGF
20 Acres From Pavement at Highlife Martini Lounge
MASK at Patton Alley Pub

SLAPDASH SCIENCE AT THE OUTLAND

with The Nautical West, Chris Gnarly

MIKE ZITO AT LINDBERG’S

THE LOWDOWN FANCY AT HARLOW’S

AMEDIVM AT HIGHLIFE MARTINI LOUNGE

Ewag3, Hessian Crucible, Clancy F**king Leakey

TEXAS HIPPIE COALITION AT NATHAN P MURPHY’S

with STL, Population Zero and Quote the Raven

Also in SGF

• Rap vs. Rock, The Playmakers CD Release with F.I.E.R.A., The Highest Priest, State of Mizzry, AP, Paulette, Yung D, Too Much at Outland Ballroom
• K.O., Kris Styles, Ayron Michael, Newgoon, Lumberjack Tracks, Young Dre Boi at Da Cubby Hole
• E. Freeman Johnston at Lindberg’s
• Tripwire at Alibi Lounge
• Bad Habit at Cartoon’s
• Sequel Dose at Galloway Station

TAKE TO THE OARS AT THE OUTLAND

with Truett and the Traitors

FILTHY THIRDS AT OUTLAND BALLROOM

with VideoVamp& Muzzle

CARTER BECKWORTH AT PATTON ALLEY PUB

CARTER SAMPSON AT LINDBERG’S

with Cindy Woolf and the Foxxes, & Black Bonnet Ballyhoo

FLOAT FACE AT LEMONDROP

with Adaliah, The Oppressor+LOCS

Also in SGF
Tuck N Abney at The Tipsy Turtle Pub
Cori J at Stepchild Lounge
Pearl at Cartoon’s

Carrie Nation and the Speakeasy

CARRIE NATION AND THE SPEAKEASY AT OUTLAND BALLROOM

with Honky Suckle

THE SHOTGUN BROTHERS AT PATTON ALLEY PUB

Also in SGF

• Lemon Drop DJs with Mask & Glove, Loogey at Highlife Martini Lounge
• St. Dallas & the Sinners at Lindberg’s
• Jimi James at The Tipsy Turtle Pub
• Code Yellow at Cartoon’s

WAKA WINTER CLASSIC AT OUTLAND BALLROOM

An absolute loaded lineup of bands battle for a spot on this summer’s Wakarusa Festival at Mulberry Mountain in Ozark, Ark. The contenders (SPiNRaD, Quantum Groove, Buddha’s Groove Shoes, Sunset to Burns and Slapdash Science) throw down at Outland Ballroom.

CANTO 17 AT GALLOWAY STATION

Canto 17, “Barking Up” 7-31

THE BOOTHEEL AT THE OUTLAND

with Jabberjosh and Whist

THE SHOTGUN BROTHERS AT PATTON ALLEY PUB

Also in SGF:
Pearl at Cartoon’s
Dark from Day One at Nathan P Murphy’s
The MCB at Club Three20s

MASK & GLOVE, LOOGEY, SYLABOL 7 & LES IZMORE AT THE OUTLAND

SGF hip hop lives! The new projects from the core of Real Rhymers Camp collide at the Outland.

PAPER ANCHORS, THE COLLECTIVE, CALL ME BETA AT OUTLAND BALLROOM

The release of Mirrors Facing Mirrors comes anxiously awaited from the SGF duo Paper Anchors.

COLE PORTER BAND AT LINDBERG’s (10 p.m.)

Red dirt country music that will stick in your head for weeks. For real.

HAN TRIO AT HIGHLIFE

Eckels-Herron-Anderson trio only covers trios.

Also in SGF:
Jimmy Rea (The HillBenders) at Tipsy Turtle Pub
John Strickler Trio at Springfield Brewing Co.
Judgemental with Sliterist, Fraught with Peril at Nathan P Murphy’s
Rhythm and Boom: Kelswater at Lindberg’s (6:30 p.m.)
Justin Bowling at The Gravel Bar
Fabulous Unexpected at Cartoon’s
Chrome at The Daily Pub
Brokenridge at Dennis’ Place

D.J.P. AT OUTLAND BALLROOM
The originator of the mash up might be a quarter-millionaire come Saturday. BET’s Master of the Mix airs Saturday at 11 p.m. Catch D.J.P. at the Ballroom tonight.

THE GARDENHEADS AT THE OUTLAND
with Strangefellas

Also in SGF:
Mask (live jazz) at Patton Alley Pub
David Boardman at Tipsy Turtle Pub

BILL FORNESS & TENNESSEE TWO: A JOHNNY CASH TRIBUTE AT LINDBERG’S

Members of One More Round, Gas Pump Talent and The Deadnettles (now a two piece)

GLASS BOTTOM BOAT RIDE AT OUTLAND BALLROOM

with Benefit of a Doubt and The Endless Summer at Outland Ballroom

Also tonight:

• Dug and the Soular Panels at Patton Alley Pub
• DJ Platinum at Highlife Martini Lounge

I warned you yesterday of the crappy headlines to come. Bear with me. While 2011 brought a gang of incredible local albums, Cornbelt Chorus drops one of the most anticipated albums SGF has … anticipated in a while. That’s because we’ve been waiting for two years. Take home a copy.

CORNBELT CHORUS CD RELEASE AT OUTLAND
Monsters and the Color Red. Finally.

LUCID EP RELEASE W/THE SPACETONES, MASK & GLOVE, CALL ME BETA AT OUTLAND BALLROOM
A trio of SGF hip hop headliners are joined by the indie tunes of Call Me Beta to celebrate the rap-rock short-play tease for Lucid’s upcoming album On the Record.

Also around SGF

• Brandon Moore and Friends at Patton Alley Pub
• Brother Andy & His Big Damn Mouth w/ Josh & The Jerks, and Thee Fine Lines at Highlife
• Three on a Wire, MadDog, and Blue at Nathan P Murphy’s
• Ryan Talbot Experience at Springfield Brewing Company
• Souled Out with Vic Vaughan at Harlow’s
• The Bluesberries at Daily Pub
• 2 for the Road at Galloway Station
• The Dropouts at Three 20s
• Fresh Mode: Sketch at Club Zeal
• Pearl at Dennis’ Place
• Norman Jackson at Cartoon’s

Romance on a Rocketship

My headlines will never be as puncy as TAG’s newly-dubbed Editor Emeritus Chris DeRosier. For that I am sorry. While TAG will miss having a staffer with the ability to grow a beard, we know he will dominate his mission for a Master’s Degree at Mizzou. Though the city’s best music writer moves on, the scene carries on, all the better for his years of dedication to SGF tunes. He vows to keep TAG and its readership abreast of goings ons and bless us with his keystrokes. Make sure to pick up a January issue of TAG Magazine to read a great column he wrote as moves on to the next chapter. Thanks for everything Chris and good luck in Columbia.

If you want variety, tonight’s your night. First Friday Art Walk is a great opportunity for skipping around downtown, but there’s a little something for everybody across the SGF landscape. If your show isn’t listed below leave it in comments and make sure to email future concert information to Brett@tagsgf.com.

ROMANCE ON A ROCKETSHIP AT RANDY BACON GALLERY
Lebanon, Mo.’s Viral star and Island Def Jam artist is joined by Ethan Gibson and Call Me Beta.

THE BEN MILLER BAND AT PATTON ALLEY PUB
Joplin trio keeps the crowd moving with that Ozarks stomp music.

ALEXANDER KOFI (JAH KINGS) AT TIPSY TURTLE
Kofi delivers powerful tunes packaged with a positive message in Glenstone’s cozy neighborhood pub.

BLACK BONNET BALLYHOO, JOSH AND THE JERKS, SALLY SWITCHBLADE AT DA CUBBY HOLE
The ladies quartet brings its brand of eery folk music to the South Campbell spot.

VIDEOVAMP, NOCTURNAL NATION, AMEDIVM, STORY OF A GHOST AT OUTLAND BALLROOM
Energy-crazed, intense lineup of bands that draw well create crowded

GOLDEN GIANT, FIRST TEENAGER EVER, KNIFE*DEATH AT OUTLAND
Powerful trio of bands range from the instrumental rock of Golden Giant to the melt-your-face metal of Knife*Death.

RHYTHM & BOOM: TECHS AND THE ROADIES AT LINDBERG’S
With folk favorites you can sing along to, it’s the early show (6:30) on C-Street.

Also around SGF

• SPiNRaD and Totojojo at Highlife
• MONTAGE feat. Carol Reinert, Harry Beckett, Pete Generous, and Dan McMasters at Houlihan’s North
• John Strickler Trio at Springfield Brewing Company
• John Miner Band at Bumstead’s (Nixa)
• Terry Armes at Mulligan’s (inside Lamplighter Inn)
• Pearl at Dennis’ Place
• Triple Shot at Cartoon’s
• Bad Habit at Three 20s
• The Fabulous Unexpected at Daily Pub

Welcome to SGF’s last night of 2011, a night full of intrigue, memory-making parties and, perhaps most importantly, tons of what this city does best: live-music entertainment. It has been an impressive ride for concerts in Springfield this year, and there’s every reason for tonight to be a strong finish to a great 12 months. Below is the list of events we brought you earlier in the week with the New Year’s Eve concert preview, re-printed to save you the online dig-through. Wherever you end up tonight, all of us at TAG wish you a great time, a happy new year and many more nights in front of a good band in the year to come. See you on the other side.

FIRST NIGHT SPRINGFIELD

Let’s start with the most family-friendly option, as NYE isn’t just for adults. First Night rolls into this year’s countdown with 10 spots buzzing with activity before the fireworks go off at Mediacom Ice Park at midnight. Here’s what’s going on at each:

• 1984 — Video game playing until 11:30 p.m.
• Canvas Art Gallery — The Lowdown Fancy (7 p.m.), Blackberry Winter (8:30 p.m.) and Abbie Benton & The Eskimo Girls (10 p.m.)
• Discovery Center of Springfield — Interactive museum activities from 6 to 11 p.m.
• Gillioz Theatre — New York International Children’s Film Festival Kid Flix Mix 2011 (6 p.m.), The Skinny Improv (7 p.m.) Downhere (8 p.m.), The Skinny Improv (9 p.m.) and Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin (10 p.m.)
• Jordan Valley Park — First Night’s Last Song winners The Kilgore Sisters (11:30 p.m.) and fireworks at midnight
• Landers Theatre — Springfield Little Theatre Young Artists & Youth Players (7 p.m.), Y.E.S. Troupe(8 p.m.) and The Kilgore Sisters (9 p.m.)
• Mediacom Ice Park — The RetroGnomes (9:30 p.m.)
• Park Central Branch Library — The Fishin’ Magicians (6 & 7 p.m.), Lyal Strickland (8 p.m.) andSPiNRaD (9 p.m.)
• Vandivort Center Theatre — Voices of Deliverance (6 & 8 p.m.), Total Praise (7 & 9 p.m.) and Ned “The Band” Wilkinson’s First Annual Last Ever Farewell Concert (10 p.m.)
• YMCA — Face painting, balloon twisting, Chinese name painting & more hands-on kids activities (5:30 p.m.)

—Advance tickets are $7 each or $25 for a family four-pack and day-of tickets are $8 or $30 for a family four-pack. Get them at Price Cutter Stores in Springfield, Ozark & Nixa; Springfield location Kum & Go convenience stores; major SGF library locations (The Library Center, The Library Station, Park Central Branch Library, Brentwood Branch Library); the Creamery Arts Center and the Urban Districts Alliance offices.

THE OUTLAND/HIGH LIFE/BALLROOM COMPLEX:

The three venues become one self-contained live music crawl of sorts similar to what they did for their Springfield Skatepark benefit earlier this year, with one $10 cover charge getting anyone 18 or older into the whole building for the night. Upstairs at the Ballroom you’ll find J.M. Buttermilk’s Hot Buttered Soul ‘n’ R&B Revue holding it down with its latest revised, bigger-than-ever night of ’60s soul classics, while the two downstairs stages offer up performances for those down with live instruments (’90s covers group Jessie & The Rippers, Slapdash Science and C.H. McCoy’s Jazz Illusion) or turntable-led hip hop (Mask & Glove, The Spacetones, Trak Masta Tom and Sylabol7).

SPRINGFIELD’S GOT TALENT:

The Ramada Oasis Convention Center turns its New Year’s party into a talent show with 12 performers (including local band Big Iron and Tom Gibson of The Seed and Elevenpoint Outlaws) competing to win more than $2,000 by a combination of celebrity judges such as J. Fotch of Power 96.5 FM, Chris Louzader of Midwest Family Radio and Dan Reiter of the Springfield Cardinals, as well as fan voting. A portion of the proceeds raised will benefit Children’s Miracle Network. You can learn more about packages, which include hotel stay, tickets and more, here.

NEW YEAR’S EVE MASQUERADE BALL

The Savoy Ballroom gets creative with this theme party with creative-black-tie attire. Bella Donna (8 p.m.) and SGF rock ‘n’ roll greats The Skeletons (10 p.m.) perform during the night. You’ll also enjoy mimes, a DJ, portrait photography, artwork for sale (a portion of their sales benefits the Muscular Dystrophy Association), full bar, appetizers and desserts and more. Look alive at the midnight balloon drop, too, as many of the balloons contain prizes. Cost is $45.

NYE DUBFIXX

Remmingtons Downtown gets busy with DJ dubstep sets by Little Rock’s Wolf-E-Wolf, Columbia’s Dr. Awkward and locals Strange People, DJ Johan & Nick Nice, Hayze and Gonzo. Cover charge is $15 at the door. Minors, be aware: If you leave the building it will cost you $2 to get back in.

THE END OF THE WORLD PARTY

Oh, yeah, did we mention it’s the New Year’s Eve for 2012, also known as The Year of Mayan Doom? LemonDrop is having some fun with the notion (might as well, right?), throwing an costume party (interpret the end-times theme however you’d like) inspired by novelist Bret Easton Ellis and including musical performances by Josh & The Jerks, Some Young Animal, JFyv, Falls Off Tables and Plaid Dragon. Cover charge is $5 and the proceeds go to benefit CASA. Starts 8:30 p.m.

From there we move from wide-scale and themed events into more focused fun, though no less exciting. For example:

* Big Smith continues its roll toward retirement next spring with a performance at Patton Alley Pub together with guest opener Guta. It’ll cost you $15 to get in.

* Speakeasy, fresh from recording its next album, pairs up with local rockers The Bootheel to blow the lid off Lindberg’s. Talk about an end-of-year bash.

* The Norman Jackson Band and SPiNRaD (doing the double with its second show of the night) ring in the new year at Jalen’s Place. Your $10 cover includes food.

* Canto 17 is the featured live music act for The Tower Club’s annual NYE event. Dinner at 8 p.m. is for members only, but the party and show are just $10.

* Cartoons brings you a night of music and food with The Mark Chapman Band and Bad Habit. Your cover charge includes a complimentary shot to start the night; dinner specials including cherry smoked prime rib, lemon roasted chicken and Alaskan crab leg; and your choice of a bottle of wine or champagne with dinner.

* The Dropouts rock out Galloway Station. Party starts at 7 p.m.(!)

* RideShy takes over Dennis’ Place for the night. Cover is $7 per person or $10 per couple. Music starts at 9 p.m.

* The Covergirlz headline the night’s festivities at Three 20′s Club, complete with balloon drop. Cover is $10.

If you’re at Patton Alley Pub later tonight you may find yourself chanting the title to tonight’s Show Report. It comes up near the end of “L5,” arguably the best-known song by local legends Fools Face, who close out the annual SGF band reunion season with their own get-together at the Pub starting at 9 p.m. The band’s hooky pop-rock made an indelible mark on local music in the late ’70s and early ’80s, culminating in a move to Los Angeles to pursue a record deal and widespread appeal. That kind of success wasn’t in the cards (though individual members found success in the music business later, such as bassist Jim Wirt‘s producing career), but the band’s legacy is secure in its hometown and its annual reunion shows are among the year’s most reliable must-sees. You can get in the door tonight for $12 or just $10 if you bring two canned goods to donate to Ozarks Food Harvest.

Also tonight:

* The Jah Roots Band and Naturally Blended at The High Life Live Martini Lounge. NB kicks off the night with a tribute to the music of Sublime, followed by an acoustic headlining set by the city’s best-known reggae group.

* Lilly Bee & The Johnson Three, Sugar Thumb, Black Bonnet Ballyhoo and Mark Cassidy & Chad Graves at Lindberg’s. Two relatively new acts hold down the night together with three-fourths of the all-girl folk rock/Americana group and two members of The HillBenders. FREE to get in.

* Hessian Crucible, Population: 0, From the Ashes and The News Called It Homicide at The Outland Ballroom. Some of SGF’s most popular present-day metal and hard rock acts throw down upstairs for the last time in 2011.

* Black Box Revue Presents at The Outland. Rapper Trey B, The Weeknd cover band XO Til We Overdose and K.W. Styles are the featured performers tonight while the Black Box DJs hold down the dance mix between sets.

* Trash Angels at Archie’s Lounge

* The Current Moment at Harlow’s

* Pearl at Three 20′s Club

* Broken Ridge at Dennis’ Place

* The John Strickler Trio (6 p.m.) at Springfield Brewing Company

Is it just me or does it feel as though The Give Up has been playing shows for a while now? We’ve known about the band for months now, heard its songs and even heard the band perform them live on the radio. But, believe it or not, tonight is the group’s first foray onto an SGF concert stage. The extra wait has given the pop-punk group time to not only hype its show but to put together a show worth hyping. Not only will you finally get to hear the songs of former S-Foil frontman Roger Kirchner‘s new band, but you’ll also experience talented young group The Captain’s Son and two relative newcomers to the local realm in the form of Gigantic and Pots & Pandas. The all-ages show gets rolling at 9 p.m. and costs $4 for those 21 and older and $6 for minors.

Also tonight:

* The Detectives at The Outland. It’s the last Detectives show until January 20, as the band is taking a bit of a break, so get in your ’50s and ’60s rock ‘n’ soul dancing while you can.

* Gas Pump Talent at Ebbets Field

* The LemonDrop DJs with guest Clawhammer at The High Life Live Martini Lounge

* A.J. Gaither (of The Fall Down Drunks) at Lindberg’s

* Mask at Patton Alley Pub

* Allen Ross at Harlow’s

* ’80s Rewind at Three 20′s Club

* Code Yellow at Cartoons

I want to start this off on the right foot by wishing Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of you. Regardless of what Christmas means to you—the birth of Jesus, a day for The Man in the Red Suit, the sixth day of Hanukkah or otherwise—it’s a good day to take stock of what makes your life special and spend time with family—for a while, anyway. Family, like everything else related to the holidays, is all about limited doses, really. Once the night falls the mind starts to wander, to wonder what else is out there. Answering that question, tonight’s live-music options center around a Center City tradition: Christmas night at The Outland and The High Life Live Martini Lounge. The doors open at 8 p.m. at the longtime side-by-side music venues, and each offers a special night of music. At The Outland it’s all about the return of former Jah Roots singer Josh Heinrichs for his first performance in downtown SGF in more than two years, accompanied by label mate Skillinjah. Next door at the High Life you’ll find the members of Speakeasy with special guests Joel Eckels of The Wreckards and Richie Rebuth of Rags to Rich‘s performing as Continuously Saucy Renaldo & The Sloppy Chops, opening the night with a set of rock covers in classic Saucy style before transitioning into a second set devoted entirely to the music of Led Zeppelin. The music begins at 9 p.m. and ends at 11:30; it’s still a Sunday, after all, and one without a holiday Monday to extend the night, at that. Enjoy it while you can. Here’s a little something to get you in the mood:

Traditions dominate during the holidays, and tonight you’ll find two top-notch examples among tonight’s concerts. One is that most hallowed of Christmas happenings: The band reunion concert. Barefoot Revoluation, one of the seminal acts in SGF’s mid-’90s jam band movment, is back together tonight and performing a headlining set at Patton Alley Pub. It’s the second stop on Brian Adams‘s band-reunions tour of SGF after getting Los Bastardos back together last night at the High Life. The group teams up with The Eckels Brothers as opening act as Joel Eckels comes in from the West Coast to perform with brother Shawn. It all gets rolling at 9 p.m. and costs $10 at the door to get in.

Another tradition renews just north of Division Street at Pappy’s Place, where the 31st annual Hacker Day welcomes performances by The Blarney Brothers, The Garbonzos and Crazy Chester starting at 5 p.m. Your math is off, DeRosh. There’s no way there were hackers 31 years ago. I didn’t even own a computer until [insert late-'80s or early-'90s year here] and I’m pretty hip. Actually, Hacker—as in Jim Hacker—was a Pappy’s regular for many years, and the show was an annual tribute to him outliving his doctors’ expectations. Now it’s a tribute to the man he was and a celebration of a good time. Sort of what all of these shows are at heart, eh?

Speaking of other shows, let’s talk about them, too:

* Cindy Woolf (6:30 p.m.) and Norman Jackson & Pawn Shop and Eric Weiler & The Ragged Company (10 p.m.) at Lindberg’s. Between Woolf’s Rhythm & Boom concert series performance, Weiler’s first show under his own name since… yeah, a long time (and aided by Brian Azevedo, Toad Wyrick and Jeb Stuart of The Cropdusters) and Jackson’s headlining soul-blues set conspire to make sure you spend seven hours at the bar tonight.

* Knife*Death, Snake Fighter and Hessian Crucible at The High Life Live Martini Lounge. Billed as the “Winter Solstice Ritual,” there may be no more rocking paganism-inspired concert going on tonight. What’s that? It wins by default?! More details to persuade you, then: Knife*Death and Hessian Crucible are two of the city’s better hard rock/metal acts today, and this is a rare occasion to see Snake Fighter perform without having to drive to their native Branson.

* Tiffany Christopher at The Tipsy Turtle Pub. The Arkansas-resident ingenue with the booming voice is back in SGF and rocking it solo tonight at one of her favorite local places to play. The joint will be jumping.

* Stag Owens & The Stagaroos at Harlow’s

* Howie & The Hillcats at Cartoons

* Astro Baron at Nathan P. Murphy’s

* Bad Habit at Three 20′s Club

* Thirst N Howl at The Daily Pub

* Midnight Thunder at Archie’s Lounge

* Scott Casteel at Dennis’ Place

* Terry Armes at Mulligan’s

* The John Strickler Trio (6 p.m.) at Springfield Brewing Company

The Wilders

Here’s a present you perhaps weren’t expecting to get this holiday season: the gift of goodbye, or goodbye for now, at least. The Wilders, a country/bluegrass group from Kansas City with roots going back 15 years, recently announced that its current slate of shows will be its last before going on an indefinite hiatus. That’s scary news for fans, as the indefinite hiatus is the deep coma of the music world; some come back, but plenty of others do not. That makes seizing this opportunity especially important, and you can experience it for yourself tonight at Lindberg’s on Commercial Street. Cost of admission is $15 at the door, and the show begins promptly at 7 p.m.

If you don’t see the real thing now you may have to settle for a tribute act one day, not unlike…

* Los Bastardos at The High Life Live Martini Lounge. Oh, wait, it is the holidays, isn’t it?! That means Brian Adams (with an “i” and not Canadian) is back in SGF to reunite with his cohorts and bring back his locally legendary Primus tribute band.

* Jimmy Rea & Friends at Harlow’s. Jimmy Rea, Chet Ellis and Dalton Wilson get the night’s music started, but anyone who wants to bring an instrument to sit in and jam is more than welcome. FREE to get in.

* The Detectives at The Outland

* Gas Pump Talent at Ebbets Field

* The John Miner Band at Three 20′s Club

* Code Yellow at Cartoons

Somewhere along the way, quietly infiltrating Christmas time like an ironic wolf in seemingly festive clothing, the bad Christmas sweater party phenomenon came about, and it has been a refreshingly different take on the stodgy holiday party ever since. Tonight it comes to local music, too, as another phenomenon, Joplin indie sensation Never Shout Never, incorporates them into his Forever Endeavor Productions-hosted holiday show with Carter Hulsey, Progress In Color, The Springs and Cloud City at The Outland Ballroom. That’s not all, either. You’ll also find the Ballroom decked out in Christmas decorations, a photo booth available to make your own memories in and more. Don’t forget to bring that sweater, though, as there’s a contest with some cool prizes to be awarded at the end of the night for the best one. Besides, it’s not like it’s going to get any other use in public anytime soon, right? Tickets are $20 at the door, which opens at 6 p.m.

Also tonight:

* The HillBenders and Sugar Thumb at Patton Alley Pub. Yes, two Jimmy Rea bands in one show.

* Paper Anchors, Gas Pump Talent and Superstar Runner at The High Life Live Martini Lounge

* DubfixX Holiday Special at American Legion Post 676. The cavalcade of local dubstep DJs brings in The Floozies from Lawrence, Kansas to top the lineup and raise gifts for Toys for Tots. Cover is $10 to get in or $7 with a new, unwrapped toy.

* Barak Hill (8 p.m.) at The Coffee Ethic

* Whoreberry Cobbler at The Gravel Bar (above The Tipsy Turtle Pub). They’re baaaack. SGF’s raunchiest two-man acoustic metal act returns for a non-Cinco de Mayo blowout.

* Samantha Fish at Lindberg’s. The Blues Down Under concert series welcomes a brand-new artist whose name you’ll want to remember for the future. She’s the total package of singer and player, too.

* Eddie Gumucio at Q Enoteca. After a long break following the birth of his child, the longtime SGF singer-songwriter is back in action again beginning tonight starting at 9 p.m. Don’t miss it.

* Truett & The Traitors, The Gardenheads and Sowing Season at The Outland

* Trash Angels at Galloway Station

* Ratt Poison and Act A Fool at Nathan P. Murphy’s

* Members Only at Cartoons

* The Brenda Meyer Band at Harlow’s

* Sam-A-Lama at Archie’s Lounge

* Broken Ridge at Dennis’ Place

* Sun City with guest Liz Valentine at W.F. Cody’s South

* The Ryan Talbot Experience (6 p.m.) at Springfield Brewing Company

I don’t know what it is about tonight’s list of concerts, but there are car and driving references strewn throughout. Winter isn’t necessarily the best time of year for a road trip—it’s the worst, frankly—but it’s hard not to read some of these names and get one’s dander up for the scent of fuel and a windshield full of open road. The plan for tonight, though, is far more stationary: Park it in front of your favorite SGF live-music stage and partake in at least one of the following:

* Greg Kutsinger & The Georgia Overdrive Band (6:30 p.m.) and Bella Donna and Gas Pump Talent (10 p.m.) at Lindberg’s. Two car-related references in one show! Seriously, though, Kutsinger doesn’t break out his band for a local show often, so start there for some Rhythm & Boom action before transitioning into the night’s acoustic-folk goodness.

* Matt Stell & The Crashers and Doyle Hargraves Construction at The Outland Ballroom. Maybe it’s the closet racing junkie in me that sees “crashers” as a car reference. No matter. Stell and the boys are back in SGF in unusually short time—their last local show was earlier in the fall—to bring Red Dirt country to their adoring masses once again with—get this—a Dwight Yoakam tribute band from Arkansas. They had better play this.

* The Shotgun Brothers Band at Patton Alley Pub. Back from hiding, one of the city’s most popular and impressive jam acts tears it up at the Pub tonight.

* The Sonny Moorman Group at Nathan P. Murphy’s. Like your blues a little on the gruff side with a side of muscle? Moorman’s playing is for you, then, hearkening back to everyone from Duane Allman to Warren Haynes and Gov’t Mule.

* Black Box Revue Presents at The Outland. Locals Chris Gnarly and New York New York get down while BBR’s DJs spin in between. It’s a good night to get familiar with two of SGF’s not-that-known acts.

* The Ascension Project (7 p.m.) and Delicious Ninja Presents (10 p.m.) at The High Life Live Martini Lounge. Diversity, thy name is the High Life’s lineup tonight. Catch a brand-new act early and follow it up with a comedy/music mix with stand-up sets by Mark Auvil and Merr and music provided by Brother Bagman.

* The Fabulous Unmistaken at Cartoons

* Vic Vaughan & Souled Out at The Daily Pub

* Bad Habit at Three 20′s Club

* Broken Ridge at Dennis’ Place

* The John Strickler Trio (6 p.m.) at Springfield Brewing Company

* Jazz in the Atrium at Doubletree Hotel

* Open Fire at Archie’s Lounge

* Terry Armes at Mulligan’s

Mannheim Steamroller comes to Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts tonight.

Say the words “contemporary holiday music” and a small handful of acts come to mind. One of them already came to SGF a month ago; now it’s time for another to drop in for a show. Mannheim Steamroller, the group combining classical music with elements of jazz that gained national prominence beginning with the first of its Christmas albums released in 1984, comes to Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts tonight to help ring in the holiday season. In addition, you can take the group’s latest recorded material, this year’s Christmas Symphony, home with you to carry the spirit in your stereo afterward. Unfortunately, if you’re not already in on this one and have tickets in hand you’re either not going or have an inside track on some scalped ones. The show is sold out.

That leaves room for options, though, eh? Let’s present a few:

* Han Trio and Deep Fried Squirrel at Lindberg’s. Han Trio on a weeknight?! Yes, and the trio of Han Solos (aka Shawn Eckels and Reed Herron of Speakeasy and John Anderson of The Sociables) ripping through a night of songs recorded by three-member bands is paired tonight with one of the city’s best up-and-coming jam bands. Screw your “sleep.”

* Population: 0, Fiera, Break the Barrier and Kevorkian Method at Zeal. Not only is this hard-rocking show the birthday party for Population: 0 guitarist Josh Price, but it’s also FREE to attend.

* The LemonDrop DJs with guest Whistle Pigs at The High Life Live Martini Lounge

* MOPoetry Slam at Nathan P. Murphy’s. Tonight is the night. The 2011 Haiku Slam Championship is on like 5-7-5 Donkey Kong—or like 17-total-syllable Donkey Kong, if you prefer. Haiku or Ku, we won’t judge. Tonight’s winner qualifies for a shot at making Springfield’s team at the National Poetry Slam next year. $5, 7 p.m.

* The Detectives at The Outland

* Gas Pump Talent at Ebbets Field

* Allen Ross at Harlow’s

* The Ben Miller Band at Patton Alley Pub

* Code Yellow at Cartoons

* The Norman Jackson Band at Three 20′s Club

Popa Chubby

The crew at Nathan P. Murphy’s has waited a long time for a chance to get tonight’s artist on its stage. Popa Chubby, the Bronx, New York-based blues guitarist and songwriter, gives his first SGF performance tonight, merging a man and a room with plenty of history between them. In Popa Chubby’s case, that history spans back 20 years to opening the Long Beach Blues Festival in 1992 and years as a road dog before joining the prestigious blues label Blind Pig Recrords in 2000. In all, he has released 22 records—yes, more albums than years as an artist.

Why the productivity? Because this is a man literally saved by the blues. Left to raise himself after his father died, Popa, real name Ted Horowitz, overcame teenage drug addiction before immersing himself in the world of blues music. His art is his obsession today, and tonight he shares it with you. And yes, the man can shred. You have to if you’re going to keep up with a Jimi Hendrix song:

Also tonight:

* Dug & The SOULar Panels at Patton Alley Pub

* St. Dallas & The Sinners at The Outland

* DJ Platinum at The High Life Live Martini Lounge

Can I help it if every time I read the name Five Finger Death Punch I think of this? It’s fitting, really, since that now-iconic movie moment was an homage to Eastern cinema, as FFDP’s name, supposedly. (No they’re not named for Bill’s death, at least not according to my research.) The band has certainly hit hard in its own right as one of the fastest rising acts in hard rock since releasing The Way of the Fist in 2007, joining an assortment of festival lineups and more while racking up tons of attention through radio play; the band’s second album, War Is the Answer, produced a total of six singles. The group is now on tour behind its third record, American Capitalist, which came out two months ago, and what a tour it is. SGF is in on the tail end of the Share the Welt Tour tonight at The Shrine Mosque, with FFDP teaming up with veteran metal band All That Remains, the excellent Hatebreed and Indiana group Rains, which is playing one of its last shows on the tour before hopping off after the Chicago date next weekend. It is also the 2011 edition of Q102‘s annual Rock B4 XMas concert, which is always one of the biggest parties the station throws all year, and this one is undoubtedly the biggest yet. You can still get day-of tickets for $35 at the door. The doors open at 6:30 p.m.

Elsewhere tonight, you’ll notice some familiar weekly Sunday-night shows such as Shawn Eckels & Friends at Ebbets Field and singer-songwriter Art Bentley at Springfield Brewing Company, but the weekly Dennis’ Place Jam Session recently drew its seven-year run of Sundays to a close.

Which way to go tonight? If you like your music with a Southern, even country, tinge you have good choices tonight. Fundamentally they couldn’t be any more different, but those who hear the song of the South could find a lot to love either way. Best of all, both acts are previous SGF visitors back to share the live music experience with you another time. On one hand, Lady Antebellum is back tonight for its Own the Night Tour stop at JQH Arena with openers Edens Edge and Josh Kelley. We last saw this group locally three years ago when it came to The Shrine Mosque as a fresh-faced Nashville group touring behind its first album. Since then Lady A has conquered the country music world, dominating the awards circuit while also becoming one of the genre’s biggest concert draws. You can still get tickets to see tonight’s show for $38.75 by clicking here.

At the other end of the spectrum sits Lucero, a Southern rock/country group with no interest in radio hits or awards but one that has created as fervent a following as post-alt-country bands like it can amass. In almost 14 of playing together the band has released nine albums (there’s a tenth, Women & Work, on the way next year) and toured the nation many times over, finally coming to SGF for the first time last year to play to a packed house at The Outland Ballroom. Forever Endeavor Productions brings the group back for a second time around at the Ballroom tonight with a fitting opener, Springfield’s own The Bootheel, for a night of rock that will remind you of punk’s don’t-give-a-s*** edge and country’s emotive twang, music at once muscular and vulnerable. If you need any other indication of the kind of party you’re in for, Ballroom co-manager Jimmy Kochs pointed out to me yesterday that the face on the Lucero poster is none other than Tennessee whiskey man Jack Daniel himself. Translation: Bring your drinkin’ gut. You can get in for $16 at the door, which opens at 8 p.m.

There’s lots more going on tonight, too. Let’s get to it:

* The New Monsters Collective, The Nova Heat and Plaid Dragon at Lindberg’s

* The First Teenager Ever, The Gardenheads and Knife*Death at The Outland. TFTE gets down with the CD release party for The Horse EP.

* Population: 0, Quote the Raven, Kevorkian Method and Archimedian Point at Nathan P. Murphy’s

* Slapdash Science, The Low Litas and Penny Hill at The High Life Live Martini Lounge

* Truett & The Traitors at Harlow’s. Seth Truett‘s Beatles-pop-esque group enters the Kimbrough Avenue hole in the wall for the first time. Gotta love seeing diversification. Here’s hoping for a full room.

* The Honkytonk Renovators at Galloway Station

* M-Dock at Three 20′s Club

* The ABS Band at Club Vegas

* The JukeDawgs at The Daily Pub

* Valen & Lowery at W.F. Cody’s South

* The Ryan Talbot Experience at Springfield Brewing Company

So many good concerts to get to tonight and only three-ish hours to get to them, amirite?! Well, not exactly; the bulk of shows waits until late to get started, but there are options for those looking to get an early start on watching and listening, too. What better way to take full advantage of Dead Day (for the students) or Friday (for the finished, flunked or otherwise not in a classroom) than to peep some good jazz or singer-songwriter tunes just after Happy Hour, then let the late-hours music spill over into the night? Dead Day is very much alive. Let it prove it to you:

* Ovaflow, LuciD and Mask & Glove at The Outland Ballroom. The Ballroom’s all-hip hop lineup also contains three very busy acts. Ovaflow, the headliner, is finally making music videos for songs from The Ovaflow Movement and getting back into the swing of things with more regular shows, most recently as last month’s Q102 Homegrown headliner. LuciD, meanwhile, recently finished its first full-length album, from which it debuted its first single, “Rad Bro,” about a month ago, and this will be the rock-meets-hip hop group’s first performance since that weekend. Finally, Mask & Glove, the coming together of DJ Nick Fury and rapper Brief, has been an act to keep an eye on almost from the moment it formed. In the holiday spirit of helping out and giving back, you can also get into this show for $1 less than the $5 cover with the donation of a canned good for Ozarks Food Harvest.

* Barak Hill (6:30 p.m.) and Cherry Bomb Burlesque and St. Dallas & The Sinners (10 p.m.) at Lindberg’s. SGFers who have still never seen Mr. Hill perform his outstanding acoustic songs, this might be your best chance and setting in which to do so. If you’re up for it, stick around until later when Dallas Self and his cohorts warm up the stage with punk-speed rockabilly and more before Cherry Bomb takes you on a hot trip through history.

* Black Box Revue Presents at The Outland. Digital Leather and Golden Giant. The one-man late-’70s/early-’80s retro-electro act (hyphenation!) pairs up with SGF’s instrumental post-grunge powerhouse in BBR’s weekly showcase.

* Canto 17 at Boca Mocha (320 Park Central West). The group performs as part of Boca’s Happy New Beer party, in which it unveils its Tap the Firkin beer, made with Tallgrass Buffalo Sweat Cream Stout & Boca Mocha coffee beans. Thirsty?

* The Chris Lager Band and Honky Suckle at The High Life Live Martini Lounge

* Bella Donna at Patton Alley Pub

* Trash Angels at Archie’s Lounge

* Hamburger Cows at The Tipsy Turtle Pub

* Local Comedy Showcase at Jekyll & Hyde’s. Eight local comics bring standup to an altogether different location in Center City. Could this be a new destination for fans in search of a good laugh?

* Voodoo Gypsy at Jalen’s Place

* Tripleshot at Dennis’ Place. The Sunshine-Street bar celebrates its 24th anniversary tonight. Big congrats to the entire staff and crew, and thanks for holding it down for music fans in search of alternatives to downtown and the South Side.

* Pearl at Cartoons

* Live Wire at Three 20′s Club

* Tony Menown & Friends at The Daily Pub

* The John Strickler Trio (6 p.m.) at Springfield Brewing Company

* Terry Armes at Mulligan’s

* Carol Reinert at Jimm’s Steakhouse

You live in the reality you create. Choose to create a great reality, because you have greatness within you. That, in a nutshell, was the message of John Lennon‘s “Instant Karma,” one of the many songs of his you’ll hear tonight at Gillioz Theatre during The Imagine Concert, but it applies to many of tonight’s shows, really. Think about it: What you’ll see on SGF’s myriad stages tonight is potential being realized, a truth, beauty and greatness manifesting itself for your entertainment. In one corner you have Lennon’s music itself, much of it—especially his solo work—a wish for a better reality as you’ll find on record. In another you’ll find the celebration of a passion project made real. In still other places you’ll find music subcommunities coming together for shows put on by the groups galvanizing the scene in a transitional, even wayward period. In all, on John Lennon’s birthday it’s a night where his hope—music bringing people together—is reality, one local music creates. Just sayin’.

Alright, I’m going to stop before this gets all sepia-toned and mushy. On to shows:

* The Imagine Concert at Gillioz Theatre. No SGF concert—seriously, none—carries as much history or, if you will, prestige as this one. Begun in 1985 to mark the five-year anniversary of Lennon’s passing and personally approved by Yoko Ono on behalf of Lennon’s estate, the annual tribute faded out in the mid-’90s and returned in 2009. Tonight’s lineup of performers includes names of participants going all the way back to the first Imagine show, as well as younger acts and a handful of first-timers to this bill. In all, the very Beatles-inspired Truett and the Traitors, Kristi Merideth, Dale McCoy of Fools Face, Cindy Woolf, The Bootheel, HeartPunch, Distant Relative and Speakeasy perform, with Big Beat Club, the ’80s group whose member Ron Butler was among the concert’s founders, close out the night. Proceeds benefit Women in Need of the Ozarks. General admission seating is $10; show starts at 7 p.m.

* Deitra Mag Issue Release Show at The Outland Ballroom. It’s time for Tamara Styer Repo‘s music and arts website to become a full-fledged quarterly magazine, an important step that will get a full-fledged celebration upstairs at the hands of Assembly Line Gods, VideoVamp (where former member Chris Greenhaw comes back from the West Coast for one night only and guitarist Patches DeVile will play his second concert of the night; you’ll read about the first in a minute), EWag3 and SPiNRaD. The all-ages show costs just $5 to get in and you’ll find copies of Issue #1 available inside. Can’t be there in person? You can watch the concert live in the TAG TV window on TAGsgf.com.

* Rock ‘n’ Rollers Unplugged at Lindberg’s. Where would local punk rock have been in 2011 without Zero Youth Records and its Zero Youth Productions concert arm? Given the volume of shows and caliber of acts they’ve brought through the city it’s an interesting question to ask. Tonight’s show, ZYR’s last of the year, is an all-acoustic affair with performances by The Lightningbolts, Angry Panda, Dallas Self of St. Dallas & The Sinners, Patches DeVile of VideoVamp, Sally Switchblade, Christopher Tyree, The Deadnettles and Deathsquad Cowboy. The shows costs $5 to get in and starts at 8 p.m.

* The Story So Far, Daybreaker, Second to Last, Cowabunga and Such Is Life at LemonDrop. Just up the road from the aforementioned punk show, another local punk pillar, Balls Deep Productions, brings an all-pop-punk tour to the city for a fun romp. All ages, $8, doors open at 5:30 p.m.

* The Detectives at The Outland

* Gas Pump Talent at Ebbets Field

* The LemonDrop DJs with guest Kids & Chemicals at The High Life Live Martini Lounge

* Jeff Kearney at The Tipsy Turtle Pub. The winner of Singer Songwriter of the Year at the Northwest Arkansas Music Awards comes to SGF with his bluesy, funky style.

* Allen Ross at Harlow’s

* Mask at Patton Alley Pub

* Code Yellow at Cartoons

* ’80s Rewind at Three 20′s Club

With the holiday season upon us the giving-back concerts in SGF are on in earnest. Saturday night’s edition of Dan Magnum’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Christmas set the tone early, and tonight comes a mid-week follow-up at least as good. Queen City Productions is unleashing its Make a Joyful Noise II concert at LemonDrop with proceeds going to The Kitchen. Those making the joyful noises make up an impressive list: Popular indie rock group Call Me Beta, Oklahoma’s Theatre Breaks Loose, hardcore-shifting-into-pop-punk act The End All, power rock act to watch The Endless Summer and Bolivar-based guitars-and-synth group The Wildlife. That’s a lot to see and hear in one show, and none of it is anything like the rest. Since The Kitchen is collecting supplies such as food, clothing and basic hygiene products (think toothbrushes and the like), your $5 cover charge drops to $3 with the donation of such items at the door. Doors open at 6 p.m. Give back and rock out.

Also tonight:

* Daryl Hance, SPiNRaD and 20 Acres From Pavement at The Outland Ballroom. Hance is the guitarist for JJ Grey & Mofro, who just rolled through SGF in early August, and his solo project follows a similar blues muse, albeit with more down-and-dirty groove in the rhythm section. (Here’s an example.) Two excellent local acts, one a jazz-inspired rock group and the other a relatively new six-member stylistic mishmash, open the night’s activities.

* The Jakebrakers at Harlow’s

* St. Dallas & The Sinners at The Outland

* Dug & The SOULar Panels at Patton Alley Pub

* Steve Newman at Hooligans Icehouse (Nixa)

* Bob Davidson at Ebbets Field

* DJ Platinum at The High Life Live Martini Lounge

There’s a lot to get to tonight and I have to move fast, so we’re going quick-hit style for tonight’s lineup:

* The Doors Tribute, The Bootheel and Josh & The Jerks at The Outland. If you missed this tribute show at singer Ran Cummings‘s birthday party a couple of years ago, it’s one of the more mesmerizing concerts you’ll see on a local stage this year. Cummings teams up with members of Speakeasy, The Detectives and more for this one. Ghost Dance was the original opener, but had to opt out and let J&J step in.

* Dan Magnum’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Christmas at The Outland Ballroom. Local bands Douglas County Deadshots, The Endless Summer, Ambrister and Kyle Lacy give of their time and music to raise money for Toys for Tots for the holiday season. $5 gets you in the door, or you can get in FREE with a new, unwrapped, unopened toy donation.

* Wayne Hancock at Lindberg’s

* The Pennydroppers, Georgia Overdrive and Deep Fried Squirrel at The High Life Live Martini Lounge

* The Mark Chapman Band, Pearl and Tripleshot at Cartoons. This remarkable combo of bands—a group you would normally see each in concerts unto themselves—benefits Victor Hughes, who was recently diagnosed with cancer. Cost of admission includes a full buffet dinner.

* The Cole Porter Band at Patton Alley Pub. Q102‘s Homegrown concert goes Red Dirt country this month.

* Stag Owens & The Stagaroos (2 p.m.) and Hamburger Cows (9 p.m.) at Galloway Station

* The Norman Jackson Band at Harlow’s

* Howard Gayles at Jalen’s Place

* The Last Mile at W.F. Cody’s South

* The Ryan Talbot Experience (6 p.m.) at Springfield Brewing Company

It would be easy to lead the list of tonight’s concerts with The Schwag at Lindberg’s, which is undeniably a big show in SGF and will surely fill the C-Street club to capacity with people listening and dancing to the music of The Grateful Dead. In fact, in a way I just did start with that. But the focus of my attention really begins with Nathaniel Cowen, the owner of Mr. Eddie’s Headies who died a few weeks ago and whose memorial concert is tonight at The Outland Ballroom. Cowen, always a big supporter of local music, frequently sponsored concerts through his shop, and tonight one of his favorite bands to back, Honky Suckle, is holding down the night for a special party. Best of all, the show is all-ages and FREE for anyone 21 and older. For those not yet of drinking age it costs just $2 to get in. The idea is to get as many people in the room as possible to celebrate the life and impact of a man taken far too soon (he had just turned 26). Here’s hoping it’s wall to wall inside, and that everyone leaves with a new memory to complement the old ones of the man they’re there in honor of.

Also happening tonight:

* Me Like Bees, The Nautical West and aMedivm at The High Life Live Martini Lounge. The Nautical West is back after a long break, and they’re bringing their unusual—and, yes, kind of nautical-feeling—rock to a show bringing Joplin indie group Me Like Bees back to the local stage.

* Good Literature, Midas Crow and Harvey Stone at Nathan P. Murphy’s. Bands put their live shows into the mix to help the x50 Project, a program out to raise awareness for the benefits of organ donation. Cover is $5 with a $4 minor surcharge.

* Black Box Revue Presents at The Outland. Mask & Glove and Trey B bring hip hop to Black Box for the first time.

* Tiffany Rene, Donnie Ray & Dave Ellis of Trash Angels at The Tipsy Turtle Pub

* Live Oak (7 p.m.) at Park Central Branch Library

* Rags to Rich’s at Patton Alley Pub

* Cold Creek at Three 20′s Club

* N 2 Deep at Cartoons

* Open Fire at Archie’s Lounge

* The John Strickler Trio (6 p.m.) at Springfield Brewing Company

* Jazz in the Atrium at Doubletree Hotel

* Terry Armes at Mulligan’s

Thought you might get a breather after last night’s musical craziness? This Thursday night laughs in the face of your need for sleep. You have more rocking to do, and the night’s lineup is sneaky good. For one thing, former Drop Kick Murphys member Rick Barton is in SGF at Lindberg’s (yes, more punk at Lindberg’s) with his latest project, Continental, together with local faves St. Dallas & The Sinners. Then there’s the big hardcore show just up Commercial Street at LemonDrop, where Twitching Tongues headlines the Forever Endeavor Productions/Balls Deep Productions co-pro show with support from Surrender and Locked-Out. That will bring the people, to be sure, but local group Brainstorm‘s last show ever could arguably be the more memorable part among SGFers as time fades memory. Either way, you’ll need all the energy you can get. I mean, it’s not even the weekend yet and it’s go-hard time. But you can handle it, right?

Here’s how the rest of the night shapes up:

* Mask & Glove, J-None, Trak Masta Tom and Loogey at The High Life Live Martini Lounge

* Shawn Eckels at Metropolitan Grill. Upscale dining with a side of rawksauce? Yes, please!

* The Detectives at The Outland

* Gas Pump Talent at Ebbets Field

* Sowing Season at The Tipsy Turtle Pub

* Code Yellow at Three 20′s Club

* Cruize Control at Cartoons

The Queers

Bow, subjects. You’re in the presence of the crown tonight. Not in a literal sense; those perky young brits aren’t rolling through SGF on this Hump Day or anything. No, this is royalty you can use, music monarchs looking to spread their wealth among the people.

DeRosh, seriously. Enough with the ****ing metaphor already… Cool. On to the nitty gritty, then, starting with punk legends The Queers, who finally return to SGF tonight for what is likely to be the biggest punk show in the city since D.R.I. was in town in the spring. How big is this? It’s the first punk show in memory that involved a local battle of the bands to determine opening acts, of which Molotov Latte and The Results, two of the city’s more respected acts in the genre, took the two openings. Add in more opening performances by The Queers’ current tour mates, Knock-Out and Reno Divorce, and the Zero Youth Productions show is a steal at $12 to get in. Doors open at 7 p.m. and music begins at 8.

The Outland Ballroom, meanwhile, offers up a king of a different kind: Kyng, namely, the hard-rock/metal trio from Los Angeles Q102 has annointed as the headliner for its low-dough show—$5, in fact—tonight with Assembly Line Gods, aMedivm and Brookroyal. Radio stations often tab up-and-coming bands such as this one for shows in the hope of having those same bands return the favor once they get big, so keep an eye on these guys in the months and years to come and get out to see them now while the cost is affordable and the music is just as good. Want more reasons? How about two of SGF’s best hard rock acts right in the middle of the bill and an out-of-town name you might be familiar with from local concerts past rounding things out in the first slot. Not only is Brookroyal a very good band in its own right (and genuinely nice guys, for what it’s worth) but the band’s name ends in “royal.” Kind of fitting, no? Now stop looking them in the eyes, peasant! Sorry, couldn’t resist one more.

Here’s how the rest of the night stacks up:

* Trash Angels at Harlow’s. The gang is back for its monthly stop in some of the city’s tightest music confines on the last Wednesday night of the month.

* St. Dallas & The Sinners at The Outland. Good news: Dallas Self and the boys are heading into the studio soon to record their debut album on Zero Youth Records. Look for that in early 2012. Tonight’s show will doubtlessly involve further refinement of those same tunes you’ll soon hear on record.

* Dug & The SOULar Panels at Patton Alley Pub. Members of Speakeasy and The Ben Miller Band team up for a 7 p.m. show of funky rock covers. FREE to get in.

The lesson from tonight’s rundown of SGF concerts: No good band has to go it alone. Excited to see one headlining speed-bluegrass/jam band? Why not see two on the same bill? Think the debut of a new funk group made up of SGF music veterans is a big deal? Why not pair it with one of the most popular rock ‘n’ roll acts in the city? Every lineup seems to be power-packed tonight, and it’s you who reaps the rewards. Check it out:

* Split Lip Rayfield and Mountain Sprout at The Outland Ballroom. Two huge names in the world of self-proclaimed “hillbilly” music go tag team on the Ballroom.

* Speakeasy and Lilly Bee & The Johnson Three at Patton Alley Pub. It’s finally time for show #1 from Lilly Bee & Co., the new funk-rock project from Dan Maple and Bryan Roberts (The Sociables) and Melissa Henderson (The Silver Hammer Band), and not a bad way to get things started, either, opening for SGF favorite sons Speakeasy.

* Dubfixx One-Year Anniversary at Remmingtons Downtown. It’s a night to celebrate for the Dubfixx crew, and that means mega-party sets from all your favorite familiar local DJs plus a guest appearance by Columbia’s Doombox at midnight. The all-ages show costs $10 and the doors open at 8 p.m.

* The Yowl, White Atlantic and Last Chance Casanova at The Outland

* The JakeBreakers at Galloway Station

* Waysted Ways and Some Young Animal at The High Life Live Martini Lounge

* Truckload O’ Comics at Prima’s Mexican Grill. SGFer turned Chicago resident Kenny DeForest hosts this monthly standup comedy showcase with performances by locals Matt Schelee and Matt Barnes plus Liza Treyger, Megan Gailey, Mike Lebovitz and headliner Nikki Glaser, whom you may have seen on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Last Comic Standing.

* Sunday Funday, Glass Bottom Boat Ride and Itschaboi Paulette at Cartoons

* Members Only at Three 20′s Club

* Dave Spencer & Dixie Creek (6 p.m.) and Dubfixx Afterparty (2 a.m.) at American Legion Post 676

* Mr. Brown at The Roost

* The Brenda Meyer Band at Harlow’s

* Triple Shot at Dennis’ Place

* The Ryan Talbot Experience at Springfield Brewing Company

Oh, don’t worry; family time/turkey time/football time will come tomorrow. You have to make it through tonight first, though, and tonight is one of the hairiest Hump Days of the entire year. Brace yourselves, chickadees, because Wild Turkey Wednesday is back and bringing its marathon of debauchery to music venues all over SGF. The shots of the brown stuff will be flowing and the music will be especially rocking, with a huge holiday hardcore show, a punk man’s solo debut and much more to keep you warm through the cold November night. Well, that and Wild Turkey, but keep it in check a little with that latter one; you know how you get when you’re whiskey drunk.

On to the shows:

* The Chariot, Vanna, The Greenery, Former Thieves and Listener at The Outland Ballroom. Forever Endeavor Productions‘ Thanksgiving Throwdown is a collection of company favorites from times past and present, with hardcore powerhouse The Chariot coming back to SGF to headline and recent “talk music” discovery Listener on board to get things started. $14; doors open at 7 p.m.

* St. Dallas & The Sinners and Death Squad Cowboy at The Outland. Dalton Elliott of Molotov Latte debuts his new solo project tonight ahead of your weekly Wednesday-night Sinners show.

* DJ Platinum Old-School Hip Hop Tribute at The High Life Live Martini Lounge. Platinum rocks the jams of yesteryear on the turntables while John Worcester makes art on canvas in the moment. Watch for a performance by Brief, too.

* Trash Angels (8 p.m.) at Finnegan’s Wake. It’s a very, very rare occasion when Finnegan’s get to make our list of concert spots; they just don’t do much live music these days. Tonight is an exception.

* Gas Pump Talent at Ebbets Field. GPT moves its weekly show up one night, letting its hard-drinking crowd capitalize on Wild Turkey Wednesday while also making room for Shawn Eckels & Friends‘ live recording tomorrow night.

* The Honkytonk Renovators at Harlow’s

* The Dropouts at Three 20′s Club

* Dug & The SOULar Panels at Patton Alley Pub

It’s a night of debuts, spotlight shining, shows that help and more. I won’t waste your time with a lot of blah-diddy-blah-blah introductions today. Let’s let the shows speak for themselves:

* Ovaflow, Mask & Glove and DJP at Bugsy Malone’s. There’s a lot to like about this month’s edition of Q102 Homegrown. Ovaflow is still riding high from the relatively recent release of its album The Ovaflow Movement. Mask & Glove is the latest collaboration from rapper Brief (formerly SincerelyYours) and DJ Nick Fury, and they’re playing only their third show under the name. Then there’s DJP, the current fan vote leader in BET‘s Master of the Mix competition, holding down a set of his own. Want more? This is the first hip hop Homegrown since… well, ever.

* Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin, HeartPunch and Whist at The Outland Ballroom. SSLYBY and the new, more punkified HeartPunch will grab much of the attention, but the opener, a new local melodic rock act, deserves a look, too. Back to the headliner for a second: This will be the last chance you’ll get to see SSLYBY locally before the band heads out on a co-headlining tour with fellow SGFers Ha Ha Tonka in December.

* Beerfest at The Shrine Mosque. I know what you’re thinking. DeRosh, why is this in a list of music concerts? Simple: 65 South is performing. Throw in more than 100 beers to sample and you have a pretty awesome way spend your 2 to 5 p.m.

* The Silver Hammer Band at Patton Alley Pub. The city’s only all-Beatles cover band celebrates its sixth anniversary tonight.

* The Quiet Type, Southern Panthers and Slapdash Science at The High Life Live Martini Lounge. The Quiet Type makes its onstage debut with tonight’s show, but that doesn’t mean you have to wait until then to hear what it sounds like. Click here and get a sneak preview.

* The Gardenheads, Chris Gnarley and New York New York at The Outland

* According to Nadia (7 p.m.) and Luna Jamboree (10 p.m.) at Lindberg’s

* Living Water International Benefit at LemonDrop. Inherit The Earth, Our Own Undoing, Before the Gallows, Beauty in the Color Red, For the Sake of Martyrs and Man Versus Malice perform to raise money to build a water well for a small town in Africa. $8, 6:30 p.m.

* Sliterist, Nocturnal Nation and Barium Alive at Nathan P. Murphy’s. Sliterist celebrates its CD release party with two hard-rocking bands of friends.

* Front Row Comedy at Billiards of Springfield. Alexander Kitsune, Crisco Kid, Michael Underlin, Ginny Bell, Steve Wallace, Merr, Matt Scheele and Tim Messersmith bring the funny, in that order, with stand-up comedy sets. FREE, 8:30 p.m.

* Canto 17 at 417 Pizza

* Jam McClanton at Dublin’s Pass

* Dr. Zhivegas at Three 20′s Club

* The Unmistaken at Cartoons

* Big Iron at Jalen’s Place

* 2 for the Road at Galloway Station

* Bob Davidson at The Daily Pub

* Broken Ridge at Dennis’ Place

* The Current Moment at Harlow’s

* The Ryan Talbot Experience (6 p.m.) at Springfield Brewing Company

Remember the last time Bone Thugs-N-Harmony came to SGF? If you answered “yes” you probably just groaned a little at the memory of how that went. If you answered “no” you’re probably denying that Bizzy Bone can rightfully call himself “Bone Thugs-N-Harmony” the way he did last year and get away with it. There’s merit to both of those answers. Almost a year and a half later, Bone Thugs is back in SGF to say hello again for the first time. The full lineup—which today consists of founding members Bizzy Bone, Flesh-n-Bone and Layzie Bone (Krayzie Bone and Wish Bone have moved on)—is in town tonight to headline at Remmingtons together with Joe Beast (aka Joe Smith of the Los Angeles Lakers), Ta Smallz and local battle of the bands winner The Playmakers. It’ll be a good time, to be sure, though if you’re planning to sing along to the songs you know you should be aware to skip Krayzie’s and Wish’s parts; it’s common practice when a member leaves a rap group to have that member’s parts of songs cut out rather than assign them to someone else. You’ll definitely hear them, though, and hopefully you’ll leave with a great memory to replace the slightly awkward one you have from a year ago. You can still get in for $25 at the door, which opens tonight at 6:30 p.m.

We may see you at the crossroads tonight, but there’s a lot more ground to cover than that. Consider:

* E. Freeman Johnston (6:30 p.m.) and Knife*Death, Golden Giant, Slapdash Science and Shoot the Moon (9 p.m.) at Lindberg’s. The night begins with this week’s Rhythm & Boom concert before transitioning into an early show from a one-time-only Face To Face tribute and ending with the CD release party for Knife*Death’s Deep Cuts.

* The Airwalks and Drop Dead Effect at The High Life Live Martini Lounge. The Airwalks hold down ’90s covers like no other, but tonight there’s an added wrinkle: the debut of a new hard-rock outfit made up of members of classic late-’90s/early ’00s SGF rockers as Brand of Freak, Downfall and Pillbox.

* Black Box Revue with guests Kids & Chemicals and (it!) at The Outland Ballroom. K&C teams up with a righteous party band from STL and moves BBR upstairs to the Ballroom to cope with it all. Wow, that was some alphabet soup, eh?

* The Mustache Bash at 5 Pound Apparel (412 South Ave.). The Collective and The Midwest Indies perform at this Movember-themed benefit to raise money for men’s health issues such as prostate cancer.

* Memphis Bound Solo/Duo Competition at Nathan P. Murphy’s. Phase Two of the Memphis Bound local blues faceoff begins tonight with performances by Bert Smith & David Faragher, Big Clayton, Gary Alexander, Justin Cauble, Maddog & Blue, Mark Montgomery & Tran Zen Dance. $10 to get in.

* Stolen Windows and Quantum Groove at Patton Alley Pub

* Ghost Dance, Suzi Trash and Yellow Teeth at The Outland

* The Mark Chapman Band at Three 20′s Club

* Howie & The Hillcats at Cartoons

* Pat Pending at Archie’s Lounge

* The Scott Casteel Band at Dennis’ Place

* Vic Vaughan & Souled Out at The Daily Pub

* Branded at W.F. Cody’s South. This is the first time I’ve ever seen this band’s name locally, and, to be honest with you, every time I see it I think of this. Make of that what you will.

* Dave Spencer & Dixie Creek at American Legion Post 676

* The John Strickler Trio at Springfield Brewing Company

* The Linda Sala Jazz Project at Mille’s Turn of the Century Cafe

* Terry Armes at Mulligan’s

I’m a big fan of bands playing it straight with their bios—being clever or coy only tells people about your sense of humor, really, and they’re not going to pay the cover charge for that—but Des Moines’ Bright*Giant might be an exception. Either that or I’m just in an easygoing mood. Their self-description is apt, too, though; fuzz and buzz are plentiful in the band’s sound, at times country-sweet and others pure rock chaos. They’re back in SGF for their second-ever visit tonight at Lindberg’s together with another returning guest, though this one is a little more familiar: Matt Stell & The Crashers, who are back out on the road promoting their latest release, Vestibule Blues. With those two acts on the stage it’ll be a pretty good night to crack one open… or five.

There’s a whole lot more coming to you on this Thursday night, too, including:

* Bone Thugs Pre-Party at Jekyll & Hyde’s. Why didn’t I start here? Because the musical performance is scheduled to amount to one song, which isn’t much to work with when you’re writing about concerts. Otherwise, the guest appearances by Bone Thugs-N-Harmony members Bizzy Bone and Flesh-n-Bone together with Ta Smallz ahead of their performance at Remmingtons Downtown tomorrow night is pretty cool. Cover is $7 for those 21 and older and $10 for minors.

* Prince Rama, Indian Jewelry and the Black Box Revue DJs at The High Life Live Martini Lounge. BBR’s Johan and Francis Rizzudo fill in for the LemonDrop crew tonight while hosting two excellent psychedelic acts from New York.

* The Detectives at The Outland

* Gas Pump Talent at Ebbets Field

* The Ben Miller Band at Patton Alley Pub

* MOPoetry Slam at Nathan P. Murphy’s. In honor of Thanksgiving, tonight is the Give Thanks Slam, with proceeds going to Ozarks Food Harvest from the $5 cover, raffles and chili tasting, and a special musical performance by Elliot Plumley.

* Mark Bilyeu at The Tipsy Turtle Pub

* The Cole Porter Band at Three 20′s Club

* Acoustically Speaking at Jalen’s Place

* Gutta, The Highest Priest, GreeneThumb, 105Duce, Jroc, Too Much, Laddie LexxLou, Kray-ZD and Paulette at The Outland Ballroom. The Takeover Part II is on tonight, bringing you one hell of a lot of hip hop for your cover charge of $5.

* Allen Ross at Harlow’s

* Code Yellow at Cartoons

* Distant Relative at Club Vegas

* Kristi Meredith at Springfield Brewing Company

Sure, when Matisyahu sings that line he’s referring to it in a religious context—he even offers a beautiful explanation of Chasidus, his particular belief system within Judaism, and its views on the soul right in the middle of the song—but its power, like a lot of the Hasidic Jewish reggae artist’s music, transcends belief systems and many other commonly held barriers in society. That transcendence is a big reason why Matisyahu (real name Matthew Paul Miller) broke through in the mid-’00s as a reggae artist getting serious critical and commercial attention, a moment in time that trickled down through the music world to bands such as Jah Roots (now The Jah Roots Band), making it all the more fitting that the SGF reggae powerhouse opens for the man himself tonight at Gillioz Theatre. It could be said, with little to no exaggeration, that mainstream America though reggae all but ceased to be after the death of Bob Marley. The return of the genre to Top-40 radio stations, music magazines and more was cited by JRB at the time as an important influence on what they do and how the band gained the massive local and regional popularity it did.

Tonight the two come together for a night of all-acoustic music, with Matisyahu’s set being a mixture of acoustic music and spoken word. His goal with the different format, of course, is a deeper connection with his audience—transcendence, or, to go back to his discussion of “soul,” “to transform the darkness into light… to take the darkness of this world and make it light.” You can still get tickets for $24 to $29 by clicking here. Doors open at 7 p.m.

Also happening tonight:

* Eliot Lipp, Mask & Glove, Johan & Nick Nice, Hayze and Captain at The Outland Ballroom. How about a second huge touring concert for your Wednesday night? Lipp’s bi-coastal, hip hop-influenced electro jams come to SGF for the first time, and the opening acts on the lineup are certain to take it up a notch with performances by the new Brief/DJ Nick Fury project and Black Box Revue‘s DJ Johan performing with his drummer for only the third time publicly. Cover charge is $7 before 10 p.m. and $10 after.

* Jam Room at Jekyll & Hyde’s. Yes, that’s right: The long-dormant SGF reggae-rock group is reuniting for one night only specifically to perform at the Matisyahu afterparty next door to the Gillioz. If you’re a fan you cannot afford to miss this.

* St. Dallas & The Sinners and Black Bonnet Ballyhoo at The Outland

* The SOULar Panels at Patton Alley Pub. Guitarist Shawn Eckels and trombone man Doug Dicharry are on the West Coast recording with Andy Frasco at the moment, so expect a different kind of show tonight.

* The Norman Jackson Band at Harlow’s

It’s not vacation time yet, SGF, and that means entertainment in the city is coming at you just as hard as responsibilities. It’s a beautiful yang to your stress-inducing yin, really. This week you’ll find Matisyahu, basketball, playoff football, new band debuts, fresh theatre and more to keep you sane until next week’s brief Thanksgiving respite. You’ll get there; local music, arts and sports are here to help.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14

• Men’s and Women’s Basketball: Drury at Southwest Baptist University — Over the last few years, the Drury-SBU rivalry has become rather heated. Both men’s and women’s teams from each school have become quality Division II programs, and when you factor in the fact they really don’t like each other. It should be a doubleheader worth a quickie road trip to watch. Tipoff is at 5:30 for the women. Men to follow.
• Cory King and Clawhammer at Lindberg’s — House Party Monday welcomes back an old friend from Montana (King) for a very special performance. Your usual FREE cover, FREE pizza and cheap Schlitz specials still apply.
• Monday Night Football Crawl at Buffalo Wild Wings and Quincy Magoo’s. * A TAG Team Party Pics Event.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15

• Let’s F*** at Jekyll & Hyde’s — DJs Johan and Francis Rizzudo of Black Box Revue and Dubfixx bring it hard every Tuesday night in front of an all-ages crowd with this weekly dance party. If you’re not of drinking age, though, you’ll want to A.) arrive early to avoid the 75-person cutoff and B.) bring $5 to get in.
• Quantum Groove at Lindberg’s — Blending jazz, funk, blues and more, this ensemble sports one of the meanest horn sections in the city. The play for FREE every Tuesday night.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 16

• Matisyahu and The Jah Roots Band at Gillioz Theatre — A full night of acoustic reggae unites SGF’s most popular act in the genre with one of its important influences, an artist strongly influenced by his hasidic Jewish background. Tickets are still available here. * A TAG Team Party Pics Event.
• Eliot Lipp, Mask & Glove, Johan & Nick Nice, Hayze and Captain at The Outland Ballroom — A special advance edition of Dubfixx (the real one is the one-year anniversary show November 26) brings a highly reputable electro artist with influences from hip hop, post-rock and more.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17

• Men’s Basketball: College of the Ozarks at Evangel — Evangel gets a chance to battle its NAIA rival at the Ashcroft Center.
• Our Town at Landers Theatre — The self-aware, slice-of-life play about small-town living in early 1900s America resumes its run. George Cron directs Thornton Wilder‘s award-winning production, which continues through Sunday.
• Give Thanks Poetry Slam at Nathan P Murphy’s — The November edition of MOPoetry‘s monthly event benefits the Ozarks Literacy Council and hosts special guest poet Elliot Plumley.
  
• Prince Rama and Indian Jewelry at The High Life Live Martini Lounge — A busy week for the Black Box/Dubfixx/Let’s F*** crew continues with this combo of indie electro dance powerhouse that are not to be missed.
• Mark Bilyeu at The Tipsy Turtle Pub — If you missed the most visible member of Big Smith at his band’s gig last weekend with The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and The Ozark Mountain Daredevils, you can catch him doing his solo thing here.
• TAG College Crawl at Bubbles, Boogie and Zan. * A TAG Team Party Pics Event.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18

• Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Joe Beast, Ta Smallz and The Playmakers at Remmingtons Downtown — When Bone Thugs came through SGF last year it was a sold-out show—and that was with just one actual member appearing. This time around all three current members will be in attendance, not to mention newer acts to watch and the local winner of last weekend’s battle of the bands. Tickets are $22 in advance at Kaleidoscope, Stick It In Your Ear and Metrotix’s website or $25 at the door.
• Park Central Square Dedication — City officials dedicate the shiny new square in downtown SGF. The ceremony is scheduled to begin at 11:30 a.m.
• The 39 Steps at Vandivort Center Theatre — You’re in for an onstage action movie as Alfred Hitchcock‘s spy thriller adapted from the big screen makes its SGF debut. Heath Hillhouse and Lisa Murphy star alongside equity actors David Schmittou and Nathan Shelton. The production premieres Friday night and continues through Sunday. * A TAG Team Party Pics Event.
• The Mustache Bash at 5# Apparel — The Collective and The Midwest Indies perform at this FREE show to raise money for men’s health issues such as prostate cancer during the month in which men grow mustaches for the same cause.
• Knife*Death, Golden Giant, Slapdash Science and Shoot the Moon at Lindberg’s — The CD release party for K*D’s Deep Cuts is finally here, together with two excellent local original acts and a group formed as a tribute to the punk band Face To Face.
• The Airwalks and Drop Dead Effect at The High Life Live Martini Lounge — Nineties tribute group The Airwalks is one of the fastest rising covers groups in the city today. What better headliner to pair with the introduction of a local hard-rock supergroup made up of ’90s and early ’00s names such as Brand of Freak, Downfall and Pillbox?

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 19

• Beerfest at The Shrine Mosque — Sample more than 100 beers and support Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Ozarks in the process with live music by 65 South. * A TAG Team Party Pics Event.
  
• Men’s Basketball: Emporia State at Missouri State — Coming off an impressive season-opening victory at Nevada, MSU opens at home against Division II Emporia State. Seems like a great opportunity to show some respect for new coach Paul Lusk. Tipoff is 7:05 p.m. There’s no telecast, so if you wanna know you’ll have to go.
• High School Football: State Semifinals — Rogersville traveling to Savannah is a historic event, marking the first time the Wildcats have advanced this far in the playoffs. Sure, Savannah is up by St. Joseph, but it’s worth a road trip.
• Ovaflow, Mask & Glove and DJ P at Bugsy Malone’s — Q102‘s monthly Homegrown showcase wades into uncharted territory with its first hip hop show, and it’s going straight for the big names to do it with the latest performance by a now-back name from SGF hip hop past, the first (official) performance by the new Brief/Nick Fury combo and the DJ who is currently tearing it up on BET.
• Front Row Comedy at Billiards of Springfield — Alexander Kitsune, Crisco Kid, Michael Underlin, Ginny Bell, Steve Wallace, Merr, Matt Scheele and Tim Messersmith give you the comedic goods in this FREE show. Starts at 8:30 p.m.
• Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin, HeartPunch and Whist at The Outland Ballroom — A new, edgier HeartPunch lineup combines with the city’s most popular indie band and a brand-new local act you’ll want to keep an eye on.
• The Quiet Type, Southern Panthers and Slapdash Science at The High Life Live Martini Lounge — TQT makes its long-awaited debut together with two of the local scene’s bands you need to know.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 20

• Shawn Eckels & Friends at Ebbets Field — SGF’s longest-running weekly live-music show remains one of its best, and it gets rolling every Sunday night at 10 p.m. Think of it as your Sunday Night Football post-game.

Murder By Death (pictured) and Trans Siberian Orchestra top an impressive list of shows.

The title of tonight’s Show Report came to me from the lyric of a Murder By Death song as I was giving a listen before its show tonight at The Outland Ballroom with Red City Radio and locals The Midwest Indies, but it occurred to me in amassing the list of shows that it applies in another way. This really might be, in your humble music writer’s estimation, an untouchable collection of concerts. Two of the night’s biggest events involve acts with past SGF experience making a repeat experience. Another involves a group of local acts proving themselves worthy of the bigger stage. There’s even an event using music and people’s self expression within it to bridge cultural gaps. To summarize, tonight is your city at its musical best, and if you believe in live music as an experience you will regret it if you sit this one out. Don’t do it. Let’s begin:

* Trans-Siberian Orchestra at JQH Arena. JQH Arena Director Keith Boaz describes TSO as by far the most complicated and challenging show The Q puts on all year. Having seen the schematics for this year’s stage setup, I can tell you he’s not kidding. The SGF venue is the smallest venue the orchestra-meets-elaborate-lights-and-pyro concert will visit on its tour, but venue and performers alike bend over backwards to make it work, which speaks volumes about the impressions TSO and SGF made on each other when they first met last year. You might still be able to get tickets for $29 to $58.50; call the box office at 417-836-7678 and give it a shot.

* Murder By Death, Red City Radio and The Midwest Indies at The Outland Ballroom. I’m running out of easy-to-digest summations for MBD, which, as I’ve said before, is one of the few bands in modern rock music that neither imitates nor is imitated, so how about I tell you instead about what the band thinks of you, SGF. In case you thought “F*** Starbucks. Go to MudHouse” was just a band patronizing its audience, TAG alum and current Columbia, MO resident Scott Perket recently told me about seeing the band’s concert at Mojo’s where the band… bragged about how much it loves playing Springfield. You can bet that irked the Boone County peeps a little, but it’s to your advantage. It means you’re getting an “A” game show tonight, from them and from the Oklahoma- and locally based openers you can be sure will be eager to please in this Forever Endeavor Productions event.

* Battle for Bone Thugs-N-Harmony at Remmingtons Downtown. Ignore for just a moment that the winner of this battle—as voted by you, by the way—gets to open for an act that causes a stir even when it just has a brush with SGF; when was the last time you saw so many local hip hop acts with so many different styles on the same bill? Trak Masta Tom, Dirty Money, State of Mizzery, King Klova, J-None, Far From It, Laddie Lexx Lou ft. BYS Click, Swag Star, Cameron McBeth, Hybrid and The Playmakers are all scheduled for 15-minute sets tonight. They’ll all finish before you know it, but you’ll get an awful lot of music exposure for your $5 ($7 if you’re a minor).

* Kublai Khan, Tip of the Iceberg, Acclaim the Martyr, Locked Out and A Hope For Redemption at LemonDrop. Sovereign Strength had to drop off this Queen City Productions show thanks to its now-useless tour van, but an emergency substitute headliner has come through that’s sure to get local hardcore fans geeked. It’s an early show (7 p.m.), too, so that QCP’s Seth Kean can pull a second shift helping to run the Murder By Death concert.

* Booyah! Dad, Matthew Darkly and Josh & The Jerks at The Outland

* Bella Donna at Patton Alley Pub

* Culture-Shock at Breaklife Springfield (405 N. Washington Ave.). Celebrating the 37th anniversary of Afrika Bambaataa‘s coining of the phrase “hip hop,” a moment consider the de facto starting point for the music and its surrounding culture, the hip hop dance school brings an event equal parts history lesson, cultural instruction opportunity and, thanks to the turntable work of DJ Nick Fury, a healthy dose of music and dance.

* The Final Piece, Dizzy DeVille and Clawhammer at The High Life Live Martini Lounge

* MEISA Battle of the Bands at Nathan P. Murphy’s. Candace Hudson, The Band of Misfits, 5 a.m. and Molotov Latte are all scheduled to perform.

* Melissa Harper at The Potter’s House

* The Norman Jackson Band at Lindberg’s

* Pearl at Cartoons

* What’s Next at Three 20′s Club

* Broken Ridge at Dennis’ Place

* The Ryan Talbot Experience at Springfield Brewing Company

Tonight is the coming together of several important occasions, all happening under one roof—O’Reilly Family Event Center, to be exact. First, of course, it’s Veterans Day, as heartfelt a national holiday as there is in America. Second, in honor of their 40th anniversary as a band The Ozark Mountain Daredevils are reuniting for a concert at OFEC tonight with longtime friends The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and local spiritual successors of sorts Big Smith sharing the bill, a mammoth show for lovers of SGF music spanning not only genres but generations. To tie the first big occasion mentioned in with the second, the bands are not only putting up a portion of their merchandise sales from the night as a donation to Ozarks Honor Flight to send local World War II veterans to see their memorial in Washington, D.C., but the Daredevils have crafted a limited edition (100 silk screens) autographed poster to sweeten the pot for OMD collectors and veterans alike.

The only catch: If you don’t already have tickets you’re not getting in; this show has been sold out for a while. Hey, don’t look at us; we’ve been telling you about it for a while now.

Luckily, if you are sans ticket you still have a plethora of great music-experiencing options ahead of you tonight:

* Dallas Jones & Barak Hill (6:30 p.m.) and The Rocketz, Cold Blue Rebels, The Problematics and Sally Switchblade (10 p.m.) at Lindberg’s. Two of the city’s best songwriters team up for the weekly Rhythm & Boom series early show, followed by the return of popular West Coast psychobilly courtesy of Zero Youth Productions.

* Troy, VideoVamp and Ambrister at The Outland Ballroom. Been a minute since you’ve heard from these three bands? There’s a lot to catch up on, then. Troy has been spending many of its weekends traveling to Kansas City to record its next album, so look for new songs during their set. VideoVamp, of course, just released its record not long ago. Ambrister, for its part, continues to gain attention with sets opening for the likes of Attack! Attack! and more.

* Honky Suckle at The High Life Live Martini Lounge

* Black Box Revue with guests American Royalty and Cloud City at The Outland. AR was one of the most popular bands to perform at Black Box’s annual Lose Control party at SXSW last March, and now they bring their genre-bending rock sound to SGF for the first time. Not to be missed.

* Club Ecstasy I at American Legion Post 676 (5484 W. Sunshine St.). Two stages of music complement a black light fashion show, including performances by LuciD, Strange People and numerous dubstep and drum n’ bass DJs both local and regional, including Black Box’s DJ Johan doing the double with a late-night set. All ages, $8 for 21 and older or $10 for minors; doors open at 8 p.m.

* The Laughing Stock Presents at Jalen’s Place (1611 N. Campbell Ave.). The traveling version of TLS goes hard tonight in a new location with Tyler Snodgrass, Seamus Pennington, Ginny Bell, Brice Johnson, Mark Auvil, Matt Scheele, Sara Osten, Tim Messersmith on the bill, all hosted by founder Merr. $5, 9:30 p.m.

* Veteran’s Day Benefit Concert Day 1 at Jack Mountain Amphitheater. Rusty Rose headlines after a day and night of open jamming among musicians. Cost is $10 each day, but there are also drives for clothing for homeless vets and for convenience items and non-perishable foods for active soldiers.

* Peyote Wolf, Message & Forum and The Captain’s Son at Randy Bacon Photography Studio & Gallery

* Canto 17 at Club Vegas

* Jazz in the Atrium at Doubletree Hotel

* The John Strickler Trio at Springfield Brewing Company

* Bad Habit at Cartoons

* Terry Menown & Friends at The Daily Pub

* Open Fire at Archie’s Lounge

* Ride Shy at Dennis’ Place

* 65 South at Three 20′s Club

* Terry Armes at Mulligan’s

* Howard Gayles at Jimm’s Steakhouse

Jacob Wyrick of The Detectives. Photo by Kara Remington.

Exciting things are happening in lots of ways tonight, and in rooms both gargantuan and intimate. If you’re in the mood for the grandiose you can hit up Third Day‘s concert at JQH Arena with Tenth Avenue North and Trevor Morgan, a big night for Christian rock fans topped by a band with some 15 years of critical and commercial success under its belt. For a big night of an altogether different kind, throw on your best dancing duds and hit up The Outland, where The Detectives, the ’50s and ’60s covers group that has been holding down Thursday nights there since 2008, finally records a live album tonight and would surely love all the audience participation it can get. Special nights come in many forms in SGF music, but they all begin with you.

Speaking of events you can (and will) make awesome:

* Barium Alive, Death May Die and Fraught With Peril at Zeal (220 W. Walnut St.). Wasn’t Revengeance headlining this show, DeRosh? Where are they? Did they disappear? What did you do to Revengeance, you son of a…?!?! Revengeance had to cancel. I had nothing to do with it. Do I look like Madeleine Stowe to you? Here’s the deal: Although the headliner is off the lineup, the rest of the show remains intact and will move from Club Fresh next door to Zeal and play for FREE. Meanwhile, plans are already in the works to find a make-up date for the missing band. We’ll keep you posted.

* The LemonDrop DJs with guest Jon Wayne & The Pain at The High Life Live Martini Lounge. A top-notch touring reggae act rolls in to team up with the boogie-down sounds of DJ Geeg of The Spacetones.

* Gas Pump Talent at Ebbets Field

* The Cole Porter Band and Kendra Edmonds at The Outland Ballroom

* Anthem for Asaph and Black Bonnet Ballyhoo at Lindberg’s

* Allen Ross at Harlow’s

* Mask at Patton Alley Pub

* ’80s Rewind at Three 20′s Club

* Code Yellow at Cartoons

* The Eddie Valen Band at W.F. Cody’s South

* Kristi Meredith at Springfield Brewing Company

The Legendary Shack Shakers, playing The Outland Ballroom tonight.

Welcome to a very special Wednesday night in SGF, a night that includes the return of some former guests who haven’t been in the city in a while. Shirts will be lost, rawk will be sauced and much more. Let’s begin:

* The Legendary Shack Shakers, The Cropdusters and St. Dallas & The Sinners at The Outland Ballroom. To be honest, I can’t tell you the last time the Shack Shakers played in SGF with 100% certainty, but it has been a few years. The punk/bluegrass/blues group is roaring back in for a headlining show tonight, though, and to help make sure the room is packed local Southern rock/Americana group The Cropdusters will return to the stage to open for them, an occurrence you can count the instances of on one hand this year. Having St. Dallas & The Sinners, who are riding a wave of local interest in punkabilly, on board to begin the night only sweetens the pot more. Cover is $10. Doors open at 8 p.m.

* Poema, Jake Germany, Ordinary People and Lydia Jordan Smith at Colby Moore Photography Studio (221 Park Central South). Queen City Productions brings the indie folk-pop of sisters Shealeen and Elle Puckett. It’s sweet, and mad perky, yo. Cost to get in is $5 or $3 with a valid college ID. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

* Sioux City Pete and The Evil Bumble Bees at Lindberg’s. Time to get down n’ dirty with the mean-a**, apocalyptic blues-rock stylings of Peter Phillips, aka Sioux City Pete, a man with 30-plus years of experience in the rock ‘n’ roll world. Who better to open the evening, then, than a local band (The Evil Bumble Bees) that includes members of such bands of SGF past and present as Thee Fine Lines, Fugue, The Itch and U$MC?

* EWag3, Funkee Noosa, Subject To Loss and Teargas at Nathan P. Murphy’s. The Blues Society of the Ozarks‘ potluck dinner and meeting serves as the backdrop for this night of loud n’ proud blues and rock. You’re more than welcome to drop in.

* Rags to Rich’s at Harlow’s. Richie Rebuth‘s nimble guitar playing guides this band through a rocking night in one of the city’s smaller live-music joints.

It’s fun to hear news of a long-dormant SGF rock group coming back for a show, and perhaps even more amusing when the news is brought to you by two digi-punks bantering in a tone even Christopher Walken would consider lively. See, this is the video Queen City Saints guitarist Adam Christensen sent me to, um, “announce” his band’s return to the stage:

The nitty gritty of it is this: QCS hasn’t played a concert in the city in seven and a half months, making this a very rare chance to see not only one of the city’s most popular punk rock groups but one acutely aware of its regional heritage and able to incorporate the sounds thereof into its own songs. To help make sure as many people stuff The Outland Ballroom as possible, Zero Youth Productions is out in front of this show, adding Angry Panda, Dead American Radio, Mr. Bucket and Strangefellas to the lineup and, as the video suggested (while calling itself a wanker), for the low price of $5 or $7 if you’re not of drinking age. Welcome back one of the city’s best in style before digipeople start calling each other turd burglars again.

Also cranking it up to 11 in the SGF today and tonight:

* Sertoma Wingapalooza at Springfield Expo Center. If you’re hungry, it’s a chance to nosh on chicken wings from some of the city’s sauce specialists. If you like music, it’s a chance to see Machine Gun Symphony, Trash Angels, The Detectives and Sequel Dose in the same place for just $15. Good luck doing that any other time this year.

* Adam Lee & The Dead Horse Sound Co. and St. Dallas & The Sinners at Lindberg’s. The honkytonk comes to Lindberg’s, paired with an SGF band and its penchant for punkified rockabilly.

* Thee Fine Lines, The Itch, The Beltniks and Boom Chick at The Outland. The two-person, ’50s- and ’60s-inspired garage rock of Boom Chick comes down from New York to play with three locals that will also make you think of eras past.

* The Domino Kings at The Daily Pub. The original lineup—Brian, Les and Stevie—throws down in classic rockabilly style tonight.

* Han Trio at The High Life Live Martini Lounge. It’s the gimmick to end all gimmicks: Three of the city’s best rock ‘n’ roll players–John Anderson, Shawn Eckels and Reed Herron–perform nothing but songs from three-member groups, do so in Han Solo costumes and, because they’re not solo, call themselves Han Trio. Let there be man-cleavage and rawk.

* The Norman Jackson Band at Harlow’s

* The Last Mile at W.F. Cody’s South

* The Sha Shas at Galloway Station

* The Ryan Talbot Experience at Springfield Brewing Company

* Jazz in the Atrium at Doubletree Hotel. Montage with vocals from Carol Reinert accompany your meal from 6 to 9 p.m.

A typical Friday night in SGF tends to offer up a lot of good live-music choices for concertgoers, but few of those shows, no matter their quality, could be described as important. Tonight there is an important show on the docket, one that could alter a local blues band’s fate for at least the next calendar year. The Blues Society of the Ozarks hosts the final round in the Band category of its annual Memphis Bound competition tonight at Nathan P. Murphy’s, and the winner not only gets a slot in Memphis (hence the name) at the International Blues Challenge but, if past form holds true, a spot on the lineup at next year’s Greater Ozarks Blues Festival. The bands going for the prize(s) are listed as Three on a Wire, Bert Smith & The Walk, The Norman Jackson Band, The Brenda Meyer Band, Kaps & Stems and Reverend Dirk & The Revival. $10 gets you in the room to help decide the winner and enjoy a long, vibrant night of singing, solos and more.

Also tonight:

* The HillBenders (7 p.m.) and The BoogeyMen (10 p.m.) at Lindberg’s

* Black Box Revue with guests Tiger High, Ghost Dance and Josh & The Jerks at The Outland. Speaking of Memphis, the city’s rock group Tiger High comes to SGF tonight to bring its style of garage rock with a jangly sheen to headline the new iteratio of Black Box Revue Presents.

* Glass Bottom Boat Ride, Charetta, Nocturnal Nation and Paper Anchors at The Outland Ballroom

* The Pennydroppers and Deep Fried Squirrel at The High Life Live Martini Lounge

* Trash Angels at W.F. Cody’s South

* The John Strickler Trio (6 p.m.) and MOJO (10 p.m.) at Springfield Brewing Company. Double your jazz at BrewCo tonight, in the latter case courtesy of Missouri State University‘s jazz orchestra.

* Rags to Rich’s at Patton Alley Pub

* Bad Habit at Three 20′s Club

* Midnight Thunder at Archie’s Lounge

* N 2 Deep at Cartoons

* Terry Armes at Mulligan’s

Need something to warm you up from the sudden cold snap? Music can provide, o ye shiver-suffering SGFers. We have metal, power rock, dance parties and more to take the temperature up. Give in and let your inner fires get stoked by one of the following tonight:

* A Bullet For Pretty Boy, The Great Commission and Casino Madrid at The Outland Ballroom. Forever Endeavor Productions brings the Revision:Revise Tour to SGF tonight. Important details you’ll want to know: Due to a death in the family and van issues, respectively, The Plot In You and The Air I Breathe have had to drop off the tour. With that said, local hardcore groups Never Meant and Free At Last are stepping in to fill the openings and the price of the show has come down from $10 to $7. The missing bands are reportedly in the works for future SGF shows.

* Last Chance Casanova, The Endless Summer and Dead American Radio at Lindberg’s. Likelihood you’ll hear some or all of the songs from TES’s recently completed album recording sessions at Engaged Audio: ~99.9%.

* Fire to Reason, ENduVal, Population: 0, Judge Mental and Plasticity Switch at Nathan P. Murphy’s. Speaking of bands that just wrapped up album recording, Plasticity Switch is preparing the upcoming release of its record Blame Prometheus. More new tunes!

* The LemonDrop DJs with guest The Ascension Project at The High Life Live Martini Lounge

* Let’s F*** at Jekyll & Hyde’s. Moved from its Tuesday slot for one week to make room for the private party that was hosted there that night.

* The Detectives at The Outland

* Mask at Patton Alley Pub. Tim Broadbent’s fusion jazz side project comes out of hiding to bring it at the Pub.

* Whiskey Rodeo at Jalen’s Place

* Allen Ross at Harlow’s

* David Boardman at The Tipsy Turtle Pub

* Code Yellow at Three 20′s Club

* Cruise Control at Cartoons

* Kristi Meredith at Springfield Brewing Company

One thing I’ve learned in the process of working through all the music-related Halloween parties going on in SGF tonight: Regardless of where you end up, it seems, you can rest assured there will be some kind of costume contest there. This is a boon for you, SGFers, because your winners’ spoils range from getting your bar tab picked up to winning $1,000 in cash. (Note: If you rack up a $1,000 bar tab in the process then they’re basically the same thing.) It’s almost time to get the makeup on and start the strategic fake-blood squirting to get your undead-ness just so, so let’s dive right in and analyze a night that is, literally rather than figuratively, from hell:

* The Downtown Halloween Pub Crawl. There will be a Halloween Pub Crawl. Oh, honey child, how there ever will be a Halloween Pub Crawl. The vital stats: 22 venues (Bistro Market, The Blue Bull, Bugsy Malone’s, Ernie Biggs Dueling Piano Bar, Fedora, Finnegan’s Wake, Club Fresh, The High Life Live Martini Lounge, Icon Nightclub, Jekyll & Hyde’s, Kai, Level 2, Mille’s Turn of the Century Cafe, Ophelia’s, The Outland, The Outland Ballroom, Springfield Brewing Company, Trolley’s, Tropical Liqueurs, Zeal), $15, 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Not every location will have live music playing in it, but here are some we know for sure will:

The High Life Live Martini Lounge: The Paperclips and The Bootheel
The Outland: Benjamin Del Shreve and Ghost Dance
The Outland Ballroom: Honky Suckle and The Jah Roots Band
Springfield Brewing Company: The Ryan Talbot Experience

* Scary Larry & The Empty Graves, Crüe Fast For Love (aka BadminxX) and The BoogeyMen at Lindberg’s. This show might be the most surprise-loaded of the lot. Scary Larry & The Empty Graves is a one-night combo of local musicians including Golden Giant guitarist Logan Williams and his father, Tim, on vocals. There are also onstage dancers called The Go-Go Ghouls to up the scary/sexy factor a bit. BadminxX, meanwhile, breaks out some new hair metal personas to become Mötley Crüe tribute band Crüe Fast For Love for the night. And The BoogeyMen… well, when you think “Halloween” doesn’t “horror movie- and Morricone-influenced instrumental surf rock played in monster costumes” naturally come to mind?

* A Haunted Dubfixx at American Legion Post 676. A huge all-night dubstep party works in DJ sets by Future Rock, R/D, Doombox, Wookie Disco, Kichen, Wolf-E-Wolf, Fractal Sky, Even Eleven, Johan, Synesthetic, Pamu, Captain and Nick Fury (yes, doing a dubstep set) featuring Brief, not to mention the DJs who took top honors at the recent Cherry Edition Dubfixx to open the show. The costume contest here boasts a winner’s prize of $1,000. Fair warning, though: Judging doesn’t begin until 3 a.m. Pro: You have all kinds of time to leave the bars and show up here to continue your good time with a shot at a grand. Con: You had better chug some 5-Hour Energy.

* Members Only’s Thriller Bash at Remmingtons Downtown. The city’s most popular covers act of the moment flexes extra ’80s power for the night, throwing a boffo party and performing the legendary Michael Jackson album. Hopefully this doesn’t happen. It’ll cost you $10 to get in if you’re of drinking age and $12 if you’re not.

* Jerry Seinfeld at Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts. Not a music show, admittedly, but listed here so it gets some love. No, it’s not a Halloween show, either, though that doesn’t mean Jerry won’t have something to say on the subject. He has before.

* Jalopy at Patton Alley Pub. Reunited for one night, and FREE to get in.

* Subject to Loss, Miles Past Hope, Quote the Raven, Popuation: 0 and SPiNRaD at Nathan P. Murphy’s

* The Mark Chapman Band at Cartoons. Another party with a $1,000 costume contest. Bring your “A” game, SGFers. Maximum grossness or slutty-ness is in order.

* Monster Mash Bash at Pellegrino’s School of Music & Art. A good party for families, including musical performances by a selection of the school’s music students and bands. $5, 7 p.m.

* The Norman Jackson Band at Jalen’s Place. Prizes for first and second place in this costume contest. Third place is the first loser!

* The Lowdown Fancy at Harlow’s. The band celebrates bassist Bo Brown‘s unofficial birthday (real date: November 8), which makes this not actually a Halloween party… sort of. We think. Nah. It is.

* Canto 17 at Galloway Station

* Dr. Zeuss at The Gravel Bar

* Sequel Dose at Three 20′s Club

* Bad Habit at Fusion Bar & Grill

* The JukeDawgs at The Daily Pub

* Thryllbilly at W.F. Cody’s South

Cake, NOT playing at The High Life Live Martini Lounge tonight... but its songs are.

There are numerous excellent shows to tell you about, several of them arguably more worthy to start with than tonight’s performance by touring Cake tribute band Fake with Quantum Groove at The High Life Live Martini Lounge, but that’s where I’m starting anyway. Why? Because it’s Friday afternoon, which means it’s time to be entertained, and I can think of no more entertaining thing to show you than this video I found earlier in the week of the band’s most famous song, “The Distance,” re-imagined as what it probably should have been all along: The soundtrack to a Speed Racer music video. Practically personifies cool, though this very different approach doesn’t do so bad either, and, well, I can actually embed it:

Fired up for music yet? Excellent. Let’s do this. Friday night’s going for speed:

* Brett Eldredge and The Cole Porter Band at Midnight Rodeo. KTTS and Nottingham Productions are teaming up for their second show in the Catch a Rising Star series, bringing you a touring act and a local that both embody the future of country in their own ways. Cover is $10. Doors open at 7 p.m.

* Black Box Revue with guests London Calling and Gashcat at The Outland. LC is back at Black Box to play horror-movie visuals as the backdrop to the night’s music. What’s more, there’s a costume contest going on during the show, too. Winner gets a FREE bar tab.

* Rave of the Living Dead II at Club Fresh (inside the 220 Complex, 220 W. Walnut St.). You know what this time of year needs? A zombie-themed dance party. Leo Productions makes it happen here with help from go-go dancers, a black light show, a costume contest and more. Any dance party is only as good as the people holding down the DJ booth, and this show boasts a lineup of New York’s Omar Santana, The EZ Brothers and head-to-head local pairings of Echoz Aurora v. DJ Hayzeand Wycon v. TJ Aether. It’ll cost you $10 to get in if you’re of drinking age and $12 if you’re not.

* The Bel Airs (6:30 p.m.) and The BoogeyMen, Big Damn Heroes, Black Bonnet Ballyhoo and Angry Panda (10 p.m.) at Lindberg’s. Great Rhythm & Boom series show early, followed by a benefit for Springfield Rollergirls late.

* Hessian Crucible, Apnea, Shadowgrove and Death May Die at The Outland Ballroom

* Machine Gun Symphony at Cartoons

* The Dusty Bottoms at The Tipsy Turtle Pub

* Static Variation at Fusion Bar & Grill

* Bob Davidson at Gameday Smokehouse. If you arrive early–6:30 p.m. or earlier–you can get in on the pumpkin carving contest. If you prove your mad pumpkin carving skills to be the best your bar tab for the night is FREE.

* XPlicit, Fetish and Act A Fool at Knightyme Bar & Billiards (3440-A W. Division St.)

* M-Dock at Three 20′s Club

* Jazz in the Atrium at Doubletree Hotel. The new jazz season is underway with Montage playing throughout the evening and Carol Reinert on vocals.

* The Mud Sharks and Solid Groove at Patton Alley Pub

* The Norman Jackson Band at W.F. Cody’s South

* The Fabulous Unexpected at Club Vegas

* The John Strickler Trio at Springfield Brewing Company

* SX Rex at The Daily Pub

* Terry Armes at Mulligan’s

When you hear the phrase “Battle of the Punk Rock Bands” you know it’s serious. After all, local punk rock is a go-hard-or-go-home community, so a competition among 10 of its more popular acts at Lindberg’s tonight will be intense, if nonetheless friendly. Then there’s what’s at stake: two opening spots at Zero Youth Productions‘ concert with famous punk act The Queers on November 30, a huge show for a local band to be a part of. Most importantly of all, they’ll need your help to decide the outcome. In random order, The Results, Portrait of Authority, Mr. Bucket, BadminxX, God’s Work, Dead American Radio, Sunshine Kings, Molotov Latte, Glory Bones and The Drunk Handsome Bastards are scheduled to play sets, and the two winners will be decided by a combination of which act sold the most tickets to tonight’s show and who the fans in attendance vote for. (When you think about it, one would most likely lead to the other, wouldn’t it?) The cost to get in is $5 if you haven’t purchased an advance ticket from a band already, and if you’re coming be prepared to vote. After tonight two local bands will get to go hard sharing the stage with The Queers. The rest… well, you know.

Ah, but there’s more to Thursday than that:

* Andy Frasco at Patton Alley Pub. Frasco has become a regular onstage visitor to SGF in recent months, bringing his high-energy jams on numerous occasions. After a short break he’s back.

* The Detectives at The Outland

* The LemonDrop DJs with guest Say You Swear at The High Life Live Martini Lounge. It has been quite a while since this SGF band performed in the city, and it’s doing its thing tonight thanks in part to the arrival of its new EP.

* Gas Pump Talent at Ebbets Field

* Population: 0, Fiera, Ominous Conception and Shadowgrove at The Outland Ballroom. Fearfest 2011 rocks hard with an all-ages show costing just $5 to get in.

* Our Majesty at Three 20′s Club. Former Dirty Old Towne drummer Daniel Dossey brings his newest band for its first performance in SGF.

* Barium Alive at Nathan P. Murphy’s

* Allen Ross at Harlow’s

* Sowing Season at The Tipsy Turtle Pub