Author Archives: blacksheepspringfield

September 29th at Black Sheep: Free Show with Livin’ Thing, Capitol Offense, Old Fox Road, Water Tower Water Terror

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Good evening! Welcome to another brand new week here at Black Sheep headquarters. Fall is approaching, and we want a nice good free show at Black Sheep before this month is over to welcome in this new school year and all of that. No money! No costs! This one features heavy rock and rollers Livin’ Thing the band. We also have Decatur soy bean hardcore band Capitol Offense on the bill. Stream some of their music on the player below. Before that is the Champaign-Urbana based duo of folk and pop punk – Old Fox Road. Opening things up is a newer Springfield acoustic project called “Water Tower, Water Terror”. What a nice well rounded show of all different types of genres. Thank you.

This one will be starting at Black Sheep at 7:00 pm, and admission of course is – free! All ages too, of course! Bring a friend from school! Check out a facebook event for the show right here. And also check out our shows page for a look at what else we have coming up at Black Sheep this fall.

Forest Saints: “Summer”

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Although Summer may be at its end for this year, today we bring you a brand new release from Springfield recording project Forest Saints called Summer. The album is a whole 17 tracks and you can find it streaming below. From the Forest Saints bandcamp:

You are invited on an epic journey through the lush, exotic, tribal, playful, and psychedelic world of Summer. This double disc set (featuring 17 tracks) comes in a clear jewel case, and features the artwork of Anna Salzmann & Mark Schwartz.

Head over to the Forest Saints bandcamp page to download the album, also check out the wide collection of albums previously released by Forest Saints.

 

Take The Pulse: “Prescience Tapes Set Out To Highlight The Springfield Punk Scene”

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Drew Kodrich, co-owner of Black Sheep and also manager for local small tape label “Prescience Tapes” was recently featured in a short interview put on by Central-Illinois based music site and podcast “Take The Pulse.” From the post:

Drew told me in an interview that it’s not a huge operation but something that he loves to do. He uses the label to help promote other local bands in the genre by making tapes for the bands to do whatever they want with them. To help promote, Drew takes copies on tour with him and works with local record stores to get his Prescience Tapes releases in their stores.

Check out the full article right here.

Prescience Tapes recently worked with Southtown recording studio Southtown Sound to release a 15 song compilation of Dumb Fest bands recorded this past June. Find that streaming online right here.

Black Sheep Band Lotto Round 4: Names Drawn September 16th, Show on November 18th

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Black Sheep Band Lotto is BACK! This will be the fourth year we have done this fun annual event, getting anyone who wants to be in a band involved. What’s is band lotto for those of you who do not know? Let’s go over the rules:

RULES: Anyone willing puts their own name into the Band Lotto Box, now set up inside Dumb Records (1107 S Grand Ave. E, open every day noon – 8pm). Names will be drawn the night of Saturday, September 16th after bands are done playing at the Black Sheep Cafe 12 Year Anniversary Show. Names are drawn in groups of fours and fives, and it is the responsibility of these new groups to get together and form a band to play one show on Saturday, November 18th!

WARNING: This is a commitment! Do not put your name in if you can’t commit to meeting with people you are drawn with once a week, spending every day practicing a new instrument, or if you live too far to drive to Springfield for band practices!! NO FLAKES!! Also do not put anyone else’s name in the box, you will ruin it for everybody!

For now the start time of the band lotto show is 7:00 pm and admission is $5 (may change depending on the number of bands to sign up). Find a facebook event for the show right here. Also check out our shows page for a look at what else is coming up at Black Sheep this summer.

Bottom Bracket: “No Pressure”

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Today, Springfield technical emo band Bottom Bracket dropped a first hit single off of their upcoming EP, Dreamland which is coming out on CD in one week at The Black Sheep 12 Year Anniversary Show on September 16th. The song released today is called “No Pressure” and is the first song on the five-track EP which can be pre-ordered online right here. Check out the artwork above done by Kamila Glowacki of Nectar and Kowabunga! Kid.

Today New Noise Magazine premiered the song on their website, which you can check out right here. In addition to Bottom Bracket releasing their new CD, the Taylorville-based grunge rock band Stick People will also be releasing their CD, Lips at the show as well.

October 14th at Black Sheep: Battle of the Bands

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Some of you may have noticed that we skipped The Black Sheep Battle of the Bands this past summer, as we usually host the event at some point mid-July. That’s because we are so dang busy all of the time and this year it snuck up on us, so we have pushed things back to the fall!

We are looking NOW for high school and college aged bands or musicians performing original music in or around Springfield!! If this could be you or if you have any leads on potential acts, please get ahold of us at blacksheepspringfield@gmail.com! Performance times can range anywhere from 10 to 40 minutes, and of any genre!

As usual, two winners will be chosen – one picked from a panel of judges to recieve a free demo recording at Southtown Sound recording studio behind Black Sheep. The other crowd voting award will be given a slot on a bigger show coming up later this year, possibly the Black Sheep Holiday Show?

Start time is 6:00 pm for now – depends on the number of acts we have sign up! Admission for non-performers is $5. All ages of course! Find a facebook event for our battle of the bands right here. Also check out our shows page for a look at everything coming up at Black Sheep this summer.

Tonight at Black Sheep: Violence Creeps, Livin’ Thing, Boon, Spell Breaker

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It’s been a bit of a break for us for shows at Black Sheep, but we are ready to come back strong starting tonight! Tonight is the only show we have going on this weekend, but it should be a good one! This one will be the return of weirdo punk band Violence Creeps from Oakland, California to our space for the first time since the spring of last year in 2016. Check out some new material that they have released since then streaming on the player below. Then also joining them as they did last time is Livin’ Thing – the incredible stretch-suit rubber band. We also have a rare Black Sheep performance by the band Boon – they have also released some new material since they last played here. Opening things up is Spell Breaker – another Springfield band with their own special sound.

This show will be starting 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 good look at what else is coming up at Black Sheep this fall.

Videos: MU330 at Black Sheep 8-18-17

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It was last month now when legendary St. Louis ska-punk outfit MU330 took the Black Sheep stage and performed for the first time in Springfield in close to two decades, the very day after releasing their first new song in 13 years. Today we are bringing you some video of that performance. We have a video of MU330 performing two of their songs – “KKK Highway” and “Stagnant Water.” Check out that video on the player embedded below.

Also check out a list of videos shot at Black Sheep over the past twelve years on our vids/pics page.

September 15th at The Barrel Head: Stereo Static (Final Show), Synzu, Blind Social, Fill In The Blank

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Here’s a show happening in town outside of Black Sheep in a little over a week that we feel needs mentioned on our site. It’s an all ages one too! On Friday, September 15th at The Barrel Head (1577 Wabash Ave) there is an all-local rock show happening which will unfortunately be the last performance by alternative rock band Stereo Static, who has been active playing shows at Black Sheep for the past few years. From the band’s facebook page:

We are saddened to announce that Stereo Static will be playing our last show September 15th at The Barrel Head. The members of the band simply wish to go in different musical directions from one another, and there are no hard feelings. We will be giving away our last EP at the show, which will be free as well. More details involving the show and our members’ future projects to come. Thanks for a great 2 years, everyone.

This show will have a great all-local line up also including the experimental instrumental jammy band Synzu, who ended up playing in the wee hours of Black Sheep Fest this past year. Also the far-out Blind Social and pop punk group Fill In The Blank will be performing.

Things start at The Barrel Head at 8:00 pm, and there is no cover (free admission). Find a facebook event right here. Also check out our Springfield shows page where we try to keep a list of shows happening outside of Black Sheep.

Stick People: “Easier Said” (Music Video)

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We just love bands making new music videos, and we absolutely love this new one released by Stick People last week. This is also the first bit of music that we are getting to hear from the band’s newest release recorded up in Southtown Sound and being released on September 16th on CD at The Black Sheep 12 Year Anniversary Show! The video is for the song “Easier Said,” which comes off of the band’s upcoming CD, Lips. The video was shot and edited by Tyler Tag Gieser.

Check out that new music video below! Also check out our vids/pics page for a few other music videos from the area released over the years.