Yearly Archives: 2017

Dark Tower Fest in Champaign/Urbana This Saturday + Sunday

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We are trying to stay on top of all the DIY music festivals happening throughout Central Illinois right now! This upcoming weekend we already told you about Mates Fest #9 happening over in Peoria. Well, in another city also in the center of our state- Champaign/Urbana there is another weekend-long festival taking place and that is “Dark Tower Fest” – a new festival happening for the first time. We count 26 bands on the lineup listed below playing throughout the two days. Those include Springfield’s own Pryss and Livin’ Thing. Let’s take a look at the list:

ARTORIAS
ARTHUR
AUTOPSY THEFT
BLACK NAIL
BLIND EQUATION
BLUE MOVIES
CADENCE FOX
CAN’-KA NO REY
DISNEY 69
FOURSIDE
FRAIL BODY
GAS UP YR HEARSE!!
GRIEF SEEDS
HISTORIOGRAPHER
KELUT
KENTUCKY MEAT SHOWER
LIVIN THING
LUME
NATIONAL HERO
PORTALS
PRYSS
SHE/HER
SNAYL
STYE
TWEAK
XANAX PRINCESS

You can find out which of those bands play which days on the Dark Tower Fest event page right here. The fest will be taking place at house venues “Blips N Chitz” and “Ghost Planet.” Admission is $10 per day or $15 for both days. Nice! Stream some music by Grief Seeds from North Carolina, who are playing day 2 of the fest on the player below.

April 4th at Black Sheep: Sinai Vessel, Bottom Bracket, Household, Austin McCuten, Gadget

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Trying to stay on top of our show announcements over here! This one is happening a week from tomorrow on Tuesday, April 4th. Can you believe it’s already almost April? For this one we have the band Sinai Vessel returning from Tennessee. Last time the band came through was actually a little over two years ago and they played with Looming. Check out their newest album which came out earlier this year on the player below. Also on this show we have Springfield studio-pros in the band Bottom Bracket. We had a neat time seeing them at Cafe Andiamo a week ago. Turns out they are the only Springfield act on this show too, wow. The other big touring band on the bill is Household from Minnesota. They played here last in February of 2015. Before that we have a solo performance by Austin McCuten from St. Louis of the band Choir Vandals. Then opening things up is Gadget from Decatur.

This show will start at 7:00 pm and admission is $7. Check out a facebook event for this one right here. Also be sure to check out our shows page for a good look at some other shows coming up at Black Sheep this spring.

New Band Pages: Gutterpriest

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SNE-GUTTERPRIEST

Tonight we are bringing you a new band page for a project that has been playing shows for a good number of years at Black Sheep now, and that is the solo noise and grindcore project Gutterpriest. Check out that new page right here where you can listen to the project’s latest cassette release and find out more info. Bring on the noise in 2017.

Gutterpriest does not have any shows lined up currently but related project Weeping Iniquity (new page for that coming soon) will be performing here on Monday, April 17th with the band Futuro from Brazil. We’ll have an official announcement for that show shortly.

Also very unrelated to gutterpriest, but we will be showing a horror movie of some sort from the Dumb Records VHS collection inside Black Sheep on a projector screen tonight at 11:00 pm if anyone is looking for something to do!

New Pages: Southtown Studio

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You may have noticed a new tab on our home page for “Studio” that has been active the past week or so. This page isn’t too elaborate, but it includes all of the general info for Southtown Sound – the new recording studio holding it’s grand opening today behind Black Sheep and Dumb Records. Check out that new page right here. On the page you can find general info the studio, links to social media, and info on setting up recording time. We’ll also be sure to be posting updates from here on out on our site when bands are announced to record in the studio, and also when recordings are released to the public.

Southtown Sound’s grand opening is happening later this afternoon / evening along with the Black Sheep art show from 5:00 to 8:00 pm. The opening will be open house format with some refreshments. Come on out!

April 1st at Black Sheep: Sweet Bippy, Loudmouth Bo Dean, The Complaint Line, Roofus

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April Fools! April Fools day is coming up quick, and what do you know the holiday falls on a Saturday this year. So on Saturday, April 1st (this upcoming Saturday) we have a four band show going on at Black Sheep. This includes the cosmic weirdo band from right here in Springfield, Sweet Bippy. Stream some of that sweet, Sweet Bippy music on the player at the bottom of this post. This show will also be the debut of a brand new Springfield band called “Loudmouth Bo Dean Band” which is the new project of Bo Lowder, formerly of the band “Lowder” and a few other projects. Up before them you better have your phones ready because The Complaint Line will be taking the stage. Opening things up is the rock and roll Pana duo, Roofus.

This show will start at 7:00 pm and admission is $5. Check out a facebook event for the show right here. Also be sure to check out our shows page for a good look at everything else coming up in Southtown this spring.

Black Sheep Annual Art Show Tonight + Grand Opening for Southtown Sound

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This evening from 5:00 to 8:00 pm there will be a lot of things to check out around Southtown. This includes the annual art show taking place inside Black Sheep and this time also Dumb Records. Inside Black Sheep tonight there will be over 20 artists with work featured. For that complete list head over to the art show’s facebook event page. There will also be featured poets performing inside Black Sheep during the art show. Those include Ian Winterbauer, Mason Summers, Emma Wilson, Xavier Bishop, and Ted Keylon. Then we have a few musical acts performing during the art show as well. Those include Clem from Rockford Illinois, Kate Ridge, Opposite Good, and Just The Tip.

Going on inside Dumb Records during all of this we are allowing the Lincoln Library Art Program to take over our record store with some art installations! That’s about all we know, so prepare to be surprised! The store will remain open selling records today from 10:00 am to 9:00 pm.

Then behind Black Sheep and Dumb Records the newest addition to Southtown – Southtown Sound will be officially opening their doors for one big grand opening with finger food and cake. Check out their new space upstairs and see all of the work the team has been putting into their new recording studio for these past four months.

We’ve also been working hard to clean up the outside “courtyard” between all of our spaces! Hopefully the rain holds off during our big event and we are able to enjoy some fresh air as well. Check out a facebook event for all of that right here. Also check out our shows page for a look at everything else coming up this spring.

Looming: Audiotree Session

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Earlier this month right before Looming played their return show in Springfield right here at The Black Sheep, they made a stop in Chicago to record an Audiotree session. Audiotree is a music company featuring various bands doing live studio concert series. You can check out the full video of the session right here, and also stream the audio from the session on the player below or head over to Looming’s bandcamp page where you can purchase the album for download.

Looming are currently working on their second full length album and follow up to 2015’s Nailbiter. New Southtown recording studio Southtown Sound has also hinted that they have recorded some sort of video and audio session with the band while they were in town to be released sometime soon.

March 31st at Black Sheep: Lume, Pretend I’m Not There, Krelboyne, Drained, Blue Parks

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Another show announcement here, and this one is for a show happening in just six days on Friday, March 31st. We have returning friends Lume from Chicago who have been here a good number of times and played here last in the fall for Our Lady’s final show. You can stream some of their music on the player below. Then we have a rare full-band version of the B.J. Pearce ambient project Pretend I’m Not There. Don’t miss a surely powerful performance from them. Before that once again we have Krelboyne who also performed here last month for our Valentine’s Day show. Then we have Drained from Peoria, Illinois- a band that may have performed here last for Dumb Fest 3-D which happened the summer of 2015? Who knows! Opening things up is a solo performance by Blue Parks of the band Pryss.

This show starts at 7:00 pm and admission is $6. Check out a facebook event for this one right here. Also be sure to check out our shows page for a look at everything else coming up at Black Sheep this spring.

Today and Tonight at Black Sheep: “Get Connected” Hip Hop Event + Starlorde, GRINN, Magma Diver, Nagasaki, Undone

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We’ve made it here to the weekend and now things are going to be nonstop around Southtown with a lot going on all over the place. Today there are not one but TWO shows happening at Black Sheep.

The first of those is the “Get Connected” networking event being put together by Kick-It-Coalition. This starts at 2:00 pm and goes until 6:00 pm. Here’s more on what’s going on from the event description:

This event is designed for local/regional artists to connect with music industry professionals including Chicago’s Show MrMogul Case (CEO ofH3 Entertainment), St. Louis’ Dj Whobeta (Founder MWB $1,000 showcase series), DjJuice Ortiz (Nerve Djs/ Coast 2 Coast Mixtapes DJ) and more.

WIth live performances from OTF/ Def Jam Recordings‘ Hypno Carlito and Dottie Staxx (2 million views on YouTube) this networking event will be#Lit!

#PerformanceSlotsAvailable every artist who signs up will receive a#TenBlogBlast from our blog sponsors, and every artist 21+ who performs will receive 1 ticket to the Young Dro, Da Twin Towerz & Hypno Carlito – We In The City Concert.

Check out some music from Dottie Staxx – one of the artists performing at “Get Connected” below. Check out a facebook event for all of this right here.

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Moving on to the next show happening- starting at 7:00 pm we have five punk bands lined up! It will feature your local favorites- including the hardcore space act Starlorde. We also have GRINN bringing more of that hardcore. Before them is a newer Central-Illinois based punk band called “Magma Diver.” Before them is school bus far bomb punk band Nagasaki. Opening things up we have a rare performance by the band Undone- who last took the Black Sheep stage before a UIS professor’s book release in January.

That show will be starting at 7:00 pm and admission is $5. Check out a facebook event for this one right here. Also check out our shows page for a look at everything else coming up at Black Sheep in the near future.

Stems (Stick People) First Kickstarter Band Recording at Southtown Sound

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New Southtown recording studio Southtown Sound have unveiled the first band they are working with that donated enough for a recording incentive as part of their recent kickstarter campaign. That band is Stems – who are actually changing their name to “Stick People” playing that grunge rock from Taylorville, Illinois. The band is currently working on recording a new EP at the studio (pictured above). Stems is not the first band to record so far in Southtown Sound – the studio has hinted that they have been already been working with other groups. The studio is currently booking bands- you can reach them at southtownsoundrecording@gmail.com.

Southtown Sound will be holding their grand opening along with the Black Sheep Art Show happening this Sunday, March 26th from 5:00 to 8:00 pm. This will be an open house format along with some fun finger foods. A soft opening will be held the night before (tomorrow night) during the punk show happening at Black Sheep.

The next show that Stems/Stick People have lined up at Black Sheep isn’t until Friday, June 2nd which we will have more info on shortly. We’ll be sure to release new tunes on this site as soon as they are available.