All Levitt AMP Music Series Dates Announced (May 30th – August 1st)

Posted on May 7, 2019 by blacksheepspringfield

A lot of you have been very curious as to what the city of Springfield winning a $25,000 grant through the Levitt AMP Foundation would lead to and after a lot of waiting and anticipation the dates for all ten concerts that are set to take place on the Y-Block downtown this summer have been announced. These will be happening Thursday nights from 6:00 to 8:30 pm at 4th and Jackson Streets downtown (very close to our new location). At this point all of the dates have been released as facebook events posted from the Levitt AMP Springfield facebook page. Here are all of them listed out:

May 30th: Damon Mitchell + Integrity
June 6th: The Skatalites + TaQsem
June 13th: The ISO Brass Ensemble
June 20th: Oro Solido + Latin Jazz Project
June 27th: Fareed Haque’s Flat Earth Ensemble + Jazz Robots
July 4th: Concert + Fireworks
July 11th: Dirty Dozen Brass Band + Frank Parker
July 18th: Liz Cooper & The Stampede + Kate Laine
July 25th: Switchback + Skibbereen
August 1st: John Moreland + Edward David Anderson

There you have it! Dumb Records is on as a main supporting sponsor for the June 6th date with The Skatalites – active since the 1960’s and on tour from Jamaica. Keep updated with everything Levitt Springfield related by following the Levitt AMP Springfield page on facebook. We’ll also be adding all of these shows to our Springfield shows page so you can stay up to date on events going on outside of our space.

Update: Here is a video announcement put together by Downtown Springfield Inc. and PNC Bank for all of the dates.

Ty Witty: “For When It Rains…”

Posted on May 6, 2019 by blacksheepspringfield

Getting back on track with all of the new local music that’s been coming out lately! And there is a lot to keep up with when it comes up with local hip hop here in Springfield in the year 2019. Here is a brand new ten track album which dropped last month from local rapper Ty Witty called “For When It Rains…” which you can find streaming on the player below in it’s entirety. You can also head on over to Ty Witty’s bandcamp page where you can download the full album at your own price. Ty doesn’t have any local gigs lined up as far as we can tell.

We are adding this one on the list for 2019 releases on our ultimate Springfield album archive page! Go ahead and check that out and our 400+ albums/releases we have archived right here.

June 18th at Bread Stretchers: Double Grave, The Cult Of Lip, The Telephone Junkies, Nectar

Posted on May 6, 2019 by blacksheepspringfield

Wow, are you ready for this? Happy Monday by the way. Here is another show coming up at Bread Stretchers – we are moving into the June show announcements with this one happening on Tuesday, June 18th. For this we have the return of Double Grave to Springfield from Minneapolis! The band had played at Black Sheep last year. This time they are bringing another band called “The Cult of Lip” with them! Stream some of The Cult of Lip’s music on the player below. For this show we also have Nectar performing for the first time at Bread Stretchers (they also performed at Black Sheep last time Double Grave was in town). Opening things up is The Telephone Junkies! (who are also playing our next show here on the 12th).

This show starts at 7:00 pm. Admission is $5. Check out a facebook event for the show right here. Also be sure to check out our Bread Stretchers shows page for a look at what else is coming up in these next few months.

Tiny Desk Concert Series Tonight at Anvil & Forge, Dumb Records Participating In Midwest Music Expo Today

Posted on May 3, 2019 by blacksheepspringfield

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Hey all it’s Friday, it’s the weekend and there is plenty going on. We don’t have any shows lined up at Bread Stretchers this weekend, but there are still things to do in this city! Here’s a quick post that’s a rundown on some things going on.

Remember the Tiny Desk mini-concert that we told you about a couple of days ago? Well guess what, that is happening tonight at Anvil & Forge Brewery downtown at 7:00 pm. We have been told this is still all ages however sounds like if you are under 21 you require some sort of parent or guardian. :-/. For this event they have a performance by Jeff Williams of NIL8 lined up, also Springfield folk/Americana act The Deep Hollow will be performing. Also Kate Laine (Kate the Band(?)), and Looming (as a two piece?), Dexter Anodyne, and more? Wow!

By the way, we have not at all mentioned this but we are going to be apart of some panel discussion today at the Midwest Music Expo in Decatur at Millikin University. That’s kicking off in just an hour or two so it’s a little late notice for us to be telling you about it for any of you readers out there in Springfield. We’ll be on a panel of discussion topics with other representatives from different areas of the music industry to talk about things ranging from show and concert booking to social media and guerrilla marketing. We aren’t entirely sure what to expect but are up for whatever today brings!

Because of being gone in Decatur, our radio show on 88.3 WQNA will not be airing today on its usual 4:00 to 6:00 pm Friday time. Our store however will still be open its normal time today until 8:00 pm.

May 30th at Bread Stretchers: Carly Beth, No Cash Value, Blushe, Jess Knight, Dexter

Posted on May 2, 2019 by blacksheepspringfield

Here we are with another Bread Stretchers show announcement for one taking place before the end of this month. This one is happening on Thursday, May 30th. It is for out of towners “Carly Beth” from nearby over in Champaign. Carly Beth features members of bands Nectar, La Louve, and many others that you all know and love. Sorry we don’t have any music for them. And, wait WHAT? We are just now seeing that this is supposedly No Cash Value’s final show. What the heck? Stream some No Cash Value on the player below. Also on this show is new-ish Springfield group Blushe. Opening things up looks like we have solo performances by both Jessica Knight and Dexter Anodyne.

All of this starts at 7:00 pm and admission is $5. Check out a facebook event for this one right here. Also be sure to check out our Bread Stretchers shows page for a nice look at what is coming up there.

Downtown Open Streets This Saturday, The Complaint Line Playing Outside Dumb Records at 1:00 PM

Posted on May 2, 2019 by blacksheepspringfield

Hello now that we are nearing warmer nicer weather there is so much going on here in downtown Springfield and we can hardly keep up with it all! Last weekend was the downtown sidewalk sales and now this upcoming weekend is “Open Streets” this Saturday from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm. This means the streets are closed off in downtown for those hours (including Monroe right in front of our store) so that everyone can get out and play in the streets and go wild. There’s going to be like yoga and hopscotch and skateboarding and stuff. There’s a map of what streets are closed off too somewhere on this facebook event. Check out the Downtown Springfield Inc. website right here.

Anyways, WE over at Dumb Records are going to be participating in these “Open Streets” by having the alternative rock group The Complaint Line play right outside of our store in the opening to the alley right next to us at 1:00 pm.

Tonight at Bread Stretchers: Grlwood, This Is A Stick Up, Dexter, Night Night Boy

Posted on May 2, 2019 by blacksheepspringfield

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What a good show last night! We continue with the weekday shows with another one lined up tonight at Bread Stretchers! This show features a touring act called “GRLWOOD” playing some scream-pop-rock music from Kentucky. Check them out on that player below! We also have This Is A Stick Up from Decatur, coming out and playing their first Bread Stretcher gig. Also Night Night Boy, Springfield’s newest emo-indie supergroup. Last but not least is Dexter – some solo beautiful music that you will enjoy. Actually, it looks like Night Night Boy is going to be opening things up right at 7:00 so be sure to come out on time!

This show will start at 7:00 pm and admission is $5. 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 Bread Stretchers in the near future!

THE SKATALITES (Jamaican Ska, Est. 1964) Playing Free Outdoor Concert June 6th in Downtown Springfield

Posted on May 1, 2019 by blacksheepspringfield

We have been holding off BIG TIME in announcing something incredibly exciting that is coming to downtown Springfield as part of the Levitt AMP Springfield concert series that we as Dumb Records had a hand in, but we can no longer hold off as this is something that is happening nearly one month from now. Legendary ska group from Jamaica, THE SKATALITES will be performing FOR FREE on or near the Y-block in downtown Springfield on Thursday, June 6th as a part of the Levitt AMP Concert Series. The Skatalites are a group that has been around playing music in some or another since over 55 years ago. They will be performing here in Springfield as a ten piece band. Stream their first ever album from 1967 on the player below.

The concert is kicking off on the lawn (or nearby) at 6:00 pm with one opening act “TaQsem.” It is free. For those of you unfamiliar on where the Y-block, it is visible right through the alley right next to us (very close to Dumb Records). Find a facebook event for this one right here. This concert is supposed to be one in a ten part series being presented by Levitt AMP Springfield and the Springfield Area Arts Council. We’ll be sure to let you know when all of those concerts are announced, you can also follow their facebook page for updates right here.

Friday at Anvil & Forge: Tiny Desk Concert Series With Jeff Williams, Kate Laine, Dexter, The Deep Hollow + More

Posted on May 1, 2019 by blacksheepspringfield

Hey it’s the first of May and we hear we are also in the middle of Public Radio Week going on here in town! There’s been some buzz surrounding a show happening on the last day of this “Public Radio Week” being put together by NPR Illinois 91.9 UIS… looks like we have ourselves a few performances lined up on the Old State Capitol Lawn this upcoming Friday, May 3rd at 7:00 pm. (The flier above says 5th and Washington, and their facebook event says 6th and Washington… we are going to assume this is taking place somewhere out on the lawn in between those two streets). *UPDATE: This is actually now happening at Anvil & Forge at 619 E Washington Street. Wow! For this event they have a performance by Jeff Williams of NIL8 lined up, also Springfield folk/Americana act The Deep Hollow will be performing. Also Kate Laine (Kate the Band(?)), and Looming (as a two piece?), Dexter Anodyne, and more? Wow!

From what we gather there are actually pre-sale tickets for this one, which are $10 and can be found on the NPR site right here. Check out a facebook event for all of that right here. We are going to go ahead and list this one on our Springfield shows page and try to keep more up to date on shows going on in town outside of our own space!

Tonight at Bread Stretchers: CELL, CPU Rave, Grave Switcher, Prevention

Posted on May 1, 2019 by blacksheepspringfield

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Wow it’s a brand new month and there are a lot of great shows lined up at Bread Stretchers this month starting tonight (one tomorrow night too)! We are lucky enough to have two touring hardcore bands from Canada coming through tonight! One is called “CELL” and you can find their music streaming on the player below. Hardcore from Montreal, Quebec? Then on tour with them and also from Montreal is “CPU Rave“. Oh, and by the way this show is happening on Wednesday, May 1st. Both of those bands play hardcore punk music. Good thing we have Springfield hardcore punk music band Grave Switcher also on board for this show! And what’s this? Opening things up we have a brand new band called “Prevention” featuring members of No Cash Value, Final Order, and Grave Switcher??

This starts tonight at 7:00 pm. In case you didn’t know, Bread Stretchers shows start on the DOT. Admission is just five bucks. Find 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 Bread Stretchers in the near future.