Whoops, we almost forgot to make a post saying that we have the new November issue of Activator Magazine! How fun! We also even have plenty of back issues – from previous months of October and September!

This month’s cover features Springfield veteran synth-pop rocker Ricki Marvel on the cover. Activator interviewed Ricki about an upcoming EP she has been working on, her experience playing the Laura Jane Grace show here in town, and more. Also interviewed in this issue is Champaign IL’s Long Birds, Bad Bad Hats from Minneapolis, local hip hop artist Composition C, Chase Baby from Champaign, and also features a “soundcheck” section checking in with other local musicians. In addition to that there are live music calendars, photo spreads, and music reviews. No “Dumb Perspective” column this issue, sorry.

You can pick up copies of Activator here for free and other local businesses around Central Illinois. Be sure to also check out and consider donating to their Patreon page. Activator is also currently accepting submissions for their art issue (to be released in December) now through November 20th!

Hey-o, it’s a little late in the game (September is already well over halfway done, and was yesterday the first day of fall?), but this is a post letting you know that we have the new issue of Activator Magazine here at our store! And plenty of copies of it still!

As you can see, this issue features hit Springfield hardcore band Prevention on the cover. Hey, that photo was even taken inside of our space! There is the usual album reviews, and Activator’s “Best Bets” which is a calendar for show and concert highlights for this month you should check out. There is also an interview with performer local performer Taylor Moni, an interview with Central Illinois metal band Blind Equation, an interview with solo Peoria musician Emily Antonacci, an interview with local jazz musician Richard Gilman-Opalski, an interview with Chris Bayless – musician from Peoria who started a new venue called “The Hotbox”, a photospread of the “Artists In Harmony” event that was held at Anvil & Forge Brewing, our own “Dumb Perspective” column which this time around focuses on our experience starting up shows again during the pandemic and requiring proof of vaccine at shows, an interview with Mt. Vernon-based musician Tom Doherty, a nice “Soundcheck” section featuring small update snippets with other local artists and musicians, a photo spread of the Old Capitol Blues & BBQ Festival, and another live music calendar!! Sorry, that was a lot. Woo!

Be sure to also check out the Activator Magazine Patreon and consider donating for other exclusive bonus monthly content!!!

This is a post to let you know that we just got stocked up with the newest issue of Activator Magazine! This one is for August 2021 – and it is packed with some great content.

As you can see on the cover is local artist Cee Jones – who just released a folk album entitled It’s Okay To Fall From Grace. Then on the bottom portion of the cover there you might be able to see the *exclusive* snippet that is an interview with Laura Jane Grace (of the band Against Me!) about her recent solo album Stay Alive and upcoming performance August 28th right here in our alleyway. What else does this issue got? It’s got “best bets” – which is highlights of upcoming local shows. Also plenty of album reviews and a “regional roundup”. There’s an interview with local singer Lazarus Lubisi who has been active at Intricate Flow Fridays, part 2 of the interview with hip hop professor A.D. Carson, a photospread of Downhome music fest – and even our “Dumb Perspective” column which is a bit of a travelogue of small towns in Illinois.

Activator is available for free and can be picked up at Dumb Records and other various local spots around Central Illinois! You should also check out their patreon page online and consider donating!

We are now halfway through July and what do you know it looks like we have plenty of copies of the new Activator Magazine stocked on our front counter! This is a very busy month for Activator with the release of the full-color and very nicely done Black Artists Matter issue that we still have plenty of copies of as well.

One the cover of this month’s issue is Decatur Illinois native A.D. Carson also known as “The Professor of Hip Hop.” There is a pretty lengthy interview with him, as well as the usual album reviews for bands in our area and more, also the live music show calendar is making a bit of a return with Activator’s “Best Best” – their top picks for live music this month. There’s a show write-up for the Intricate Flow Fridays Juneteenth Show, an interview with Springfield rock group Enamel, an interview with Splendid Flunkys, Dexter Anodyne, a photospread of bands playing in a tunnel, the Levitt AMP Music Series, and the “Dumb Perspective” column is back where Brian Galecki gives a history of ska bands in Springfield.

Wow! You can pick up all of that in this latest issue of Activator for free here at Dumb Records and various other local spots around Central Illinois. Be sure to check out the Activator Patreon Page online as well to become a monthly donor for exclusive content!

We’re only a couple of days in and already just about need to be re-stocked with this issue, but this is a post to let you know that we do have the most recent “Black Artists Matter” issue of Activator Magazine. This is the second year that Activator has compiled this local zine full of art, poetry, interviews, and more featuring black artists in the area. It’s in full color too, they’ve really gone all out this time around.

In addition to this – the July issue of Activator is also on the way! AND Activator hooked us up with printed out “Live Music Calendars” for the month of July! They are amazing! Consider going and signing up to become a donor for their online Patreon page! We’ll be sure to let you know as soon as we have the July issue in stock.

Whoops, we didn’t even do a post for Activator Magazine this month! Man, we reallly need to get back on it. By this time we are already re-stocked with our second batch of June issues of Activator Magazine in the store! Activator has recently hit 3 years of being around as a monthly magazine focusing on music and art in Central Illlinois and they are great.

This month’s issue has featured on the cover “Punks In Peoria” – which is a new book and music compilation being released on record and CD by a dedicated group of people whose mission is to document punk in Peoria in the 80’s and 90’s. There is even an upcoming festival in Peoria this early fall featuring some Peoria punk groups reuniting. In addition to a great interview with Punks in Peoria, there is also an interview with Peoria metal group Darker Than Fiction, Springfield power pop group Local Drags, a “10 Up 10 Down” with Knarly Nice, an interview with Springfield rock group Astrofix, Tiara Standage with Intricate Designz, an interview from the archives with Dave Baker about Springfield punk rock in the 1980’s, a photospread for Blue Monday at The Alamo, and an interview with local musician Cameron McClure. The “Dumb Perspective” column is also back where Brian Galecki write about the new exhibit “State of Sound” at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum.

Wow, that was a lot! You can pick up copies of Activator Magazine here at Dumb Records for free as well as other locations around town. Before you know it there will be a July issue out.

Happy Monday! It’s May – and we are now very stocked up with the new issue of Activator Magazine here at Dumb Records.

This one is packed with content – this one features local musician / artist Kristin Walker on the cover. Kristin recently released a new solo EP called Etheric Bodies. In addition to the interview with Kristin – you can also find a list of new local releases and some reviews for those, also an interview with Tebe Zalango from Decatur, The Dry Look from Champaign, Tim Reynolds (of the bands Horrible Things, Hospital Job, and Time Thieves), Balki Bros, Vincent Sebastian, and another “sound-check” segment checking in with different local musicians. All of that and more! No “Dumb Perspective” segment this week, sorry Brian Galecki was way too busy record farming and putting together youtube videos.

You can pick up a copy of Activator Magazine here at Dumb Records for free and various other locations around town – we usually have a few back issues in stock as well. Also check out the Activator Patreon page for bonus exclusive content and consider donating!

Here we are in another month, and there is yet another issue of Activator Magazine, which is approaching 3 years of being around covering local music and art in Central Illinois! As you can see pictured above, this one features local hip hop artist VGE FROST on the cover.

What else does this issue have in store? It’s got… plenty of album reviews for all different types of artists, we also have our “Dumb Perspective” column written by Brian Galecki, this time with a short interview segment with Drew Kodrich about midwesthardcore.org. There is also an interview with Liz Fitz, who just released a CD called Cover Me, a “10 up 10 down” with Zach Moad, interview with new local punk band “Fist Fight”, an interview with After School Special, Robot Army, and a nice “Soundcheck” segment checking in on many other local musicians from around the area. All of that plus more!

You can pick of free copies of Activator at Dumb Records and various other local businesses around town. We usually have a few back issues as well. Also consider heading over to the Activator Patreon page to become a monthly donor in support of the magazine!

Great news everybody, we once again have the new issue of Activator Magazine! It’s March 2021. This issue features local singer/songwriter Arlin Peebles crawling out of a snowy cave.

In addition to the interview with Arlin Peebles – this month continues to feature a column by Dumb Records co-owner Brian Galecki called “Dumb Perspective” exploring some Central Illinois local music history. This time it’s about Golden Voice Recording Co. which existed from 1966-1978 and some other stuff. This issue also features plenty of local and non-local music reviews, an interview with new Springfield band The Lovelorn, an interview with Derrick Streibig, a “soundcheck” section checking up on local musicians, and much much more.

Pick up a copy of Activator Magazine for free at Dumb Records or other locations around town! We have some back issues available as well! Also check out the Activator Patreon page and consider donating!