Author Archives: blacksheepspringfield

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.

Dumb Fe5t Band Announcement #1

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Oh what do you know, this is something that is LONG overdue but in the wee hours of the morning last night the first ten bands were announced for Dumb Fest #5 (Dumb Fe5t) happening June 9th, 10th, and 11th right here in Springfield. Let’s jump right into it!

ACRYLICS (Santa Rosa, California)
WARM BODIES (Kansas City, Missouri)
PRYSS (Springfield, Illinois)
RAYS (Oakland, California)
PLASTIC (Chicago, Illinois)
DUMSPELL (Hattiesburg, Mississippi)
SUDDEN ATTACK (San Antonio, Texas)
THE STRANGER (St. Louis, Missouri)
BRUISED (Chicago, Illinois)
ATTIC SALT (Springfield, Illinois)

There you have it. Stream some music by the Hattiesburg punk band “Dumspell” on the player below. Dumspell for Dumb Fest, what a nice fit!

You can expect 4 more announcements throughout the next month or so for a total of 50 bands playing throughout the three days of the fest. More details on which bands are playing what days and locations will come with the second announcement at some point next week. Ticket info will also come with later announcements.

Check out a facebook event for Dumb Fest #5 right here. Also check out our Dumb Fest 5 page on our site right here.

Today on Black Sheep Radio: Calvin Pitts (Southtown Construction and Training Center)

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Time to get back into the swing of things full force with our radio show! There are a lot of great things and cleaning up going on in the Southtown neighborhood, and we are very excited seeing some of the things happening across the street. Calvin Pitts recently launched two businesses along South Grand – “Southtown Construction and Training Center” and B.O.N.E. LLC (Bringing Others To New Empowerment). He is also featured on this month’s cover of The Springfield Business Journal. Today we will be joined by Calvin in the later half of our program to talk about everything he’s been doing in the neighborhood and what we can expect to see in the future! We’ll also be playing music today from the first ten bands just announced for Dumb Fest 5.

The Black Sheep Radio Show airs today and every Friday from 4:00 to 6:00 pm on 88.3 WQNA fm. You can tune your radio dial there or tune in online the same time at wqna.net. Check out our radio page for a few downloadable episodes of the past.

Tonight at Black Sheep: Glued, Ragna Rye, Lincoln’s Tomb, Mystery Gift

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Holy smokes we have a show happening at Black Sheep tonight. It’s cold and rainy outside but if you come out to this you might catch a peak at some of the outside renovations we have been putting some time into these past couple of weeks getting ready for the big art show and studio grand opening this weekend. The show tonight will feature Glued – a rock band from St. Louis, Missouri the land of an arch. Stream some of their music on the player below. We also got the Americana blues folk duo Ragna Rye rocking the house for us all. Before that is the Springfield tourism themed band Lincoln’s Tomb. Opening things up we have a local act we have not seen in a hot minute and that is Mystery Gift.

This show will be starting at 7:00 pm and it’s a $5 show. Check out a facebook event for the show right here. Also check out our shows page for a good look at everything else coming up at Black Sheep this spring.

Mates Fest 8 Happening in Peoria March 30th – April 2nd

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With the weather getting warmer out and festival season just around the corner (first Dumb Fest band announcement is coming tomorrow), it’s time for us to tell you about some music festivals happening in other nearby Central Illinois towns. This one is coming up quick- Mates Fest is happening in Peoria the weekend after next on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday- March 31st, 30th, April 1st, and 2nd. It will be the 8th year the annual festival has taken place. Let’s take a look at the massive lineup of bands playing over the four day festival:

Alex and the XO’s – Bloomington, IL
Animal Harm – Peoria, IL
Attic Salt – Springfield, IL
blue unit – Milwaukee, WI
The Bollweevils – Chicago, IL
Bookmobile – Champaign, IL
Charmist – Peoria, IL
City Mouth (acoustic) – Chicago, IL
Constant Velocity – Bloomington, IL
Danny Severance – Orlando, FL
DEN – Chicago, IL
Denim Dragon – Peoria, IL
Dirty Rotten Revenge- Bloomington, IL
Dripping Slits – Bloomington, IL
The Dry Look – Champaign, IL
Endless Compromise – Peoria, IL
Eric Stanley (Euriah) – Champaign, IL
The Golden Fleece – Peoria, IL
Grill Billyenz – Bloomington, IL
Grün Wasser – Chicago, IL
Horseburner- Parkersburg, WV
Hospital Job – Springfield, IL
Houston Mckenzie – Peoria, IL
Infirmary – Peoria, IL
Jared Grabb – Peoria, IL
Jeremy David Baker – Peoria, IL
La Historia – Rockford, IL
Liverpool & the Contractions – Peoria, IL
Lume – Chicago, IL
Matt Charles – Philadelphia, PA
Mental Fitness – Peoria, IL
Milked – Rockford/Chicago, IL
Mother Nature – Champaign, IL
Must Build Jacuzzi – Peoria, IL
Nnamdi Ogbonnaya & ThrashKitten of Sooper SWAG Project – Chicago, IL
Old Home – Champaign, IL
Pet Symmetry- Chicago, IL
Phantom Noise – Peoria, IL
Prints (formerly Mendoza) – Peoria, IL
Raging Nathans – Dayton, OH
Reduced to Instinct -Bloomington/Chicago, IL
Relearn – Peoria, IL
Sage, the 64th Wonder – Chicago, IL
The Subservients – Pontiac, IL
Super 88 – Peoria, IL
Thetah – Peoria, IL
Tina Sparkle – Peoria, IL
Typecaster – Peoria, IL
Vagabond Maurice – Chicago, IL
We The Animals – Champaign, IL
Winder – Bloomington/Champaign, IL
Yeesh – Chicago, IL
ZXO – Champaign, IL

Wow, that was a whole 56 bands we counted (but we didn’t count too carefully). That lineup includes Springfield bands Attic Salt and Hospital Job. Check out some music from Nnamdi Ogbonnaya- one of the headlining acts- streaming on the player below. Check out the Mates Fest 8 facebook event page for links to music for all of those bands, and also more info on purchasing tickets. The festival is taking place at The Rail II and is all ages. It is also a benefit for The JOLT Foundation.

 

Saturday, March 25th at Black Sheep: Starlorde, GRINN, Magma Diver, Nagasaki, Undone

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We have a LOT of shows and events coming at us full force now that spring is here in Southtown. A lot of which we need to catch up on announcing! This show is happening coming up quick this Saturday- right after the “Get Connected” hip hop event takes place at Black Sheep from 2:00 to 6:00 pm that same day. This one’s a punk show starting at 7:00 pm that night. It will feature your local favorites- including the hardcore space act Starlorde. Stream Starlorde’s unstoppable four-track demo on the player below. 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.

This show again will start 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.