February 23rd at Black Sheep: Doby Watson, Tom Irwin, Kate Laine, Heck, Whitney Devine

Posted on February 16, 2018 by blacksheepspringfield

Hey what’s up, we better tell you about this show that is happening one week from today on Friday, February 23rd. It’s going to be a nice acoustic / folk one, great for the whole family. Our touring artist on the bill is Kansas City’s own Doby Watson, and friend of The Black Sheep’s for many years. You can check out Doby’s newest material on the player below. And what do you know it looks like for this show we are blessed to have Springfield legendary and long time performer Tom Irwin joining us! Hi Tom! Up before that is the classic and very busy solo artist Kate Laine. Before that is “HECK” which is the project of Hannah Songer from Bloomington, Illinois. Opening things up we have Whitney Devine also from right here in town.

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 what else is coming up at Black Sheep in the coming months.

Today on Black Sheep Radio: Free Press Coffee

Posted on February 16, 2018 by blacksheepspringfield

Stop the press! Today we are excited to welcome another local business on the same street as us (kinda) as we invite Kate, manager of the new Free Press Coffee on South Grand and MacArthur onto our radio program. The new shop (pictured above) has been open now for one week, and will be holding a grand opening celebration at their new location one week from today on the 23rd. We will be talking to Kate about that as well as what the new coffee shop on South Grand has to offer!

Tune in to the Black Sheep Radio Show today and every Friday from 4:00 to 6:00 pm on 88.3 WQNA fm or online during that same time at wqna.net. Also check out our radio page for a list of some downloadable episodes of the past.

Animals With Human Names: “The Basement Tape”

Posted on February 11, 2018 by blacksheepspringfield

Around the end of the year last year we got pretty behind on all of the new releases coming on in Springfield music. (Sorry!) We want to make sure we try to catch back up now, first making sure you all know that Springfield hip hop artist Animals With Human Names dropped a brand new album at the very end of last year called The Basement Tape. You can stream all ten tracks of The Basement Tape on the player below. You can also pick up a copy on cassette over at Dumb Records. Head over to the Animals With Human Names bandcamp page to download the album at your own price.

Animals With Human Names does not have any *official* shows lined up as of just yet, but you can be sure to be on the lookout for something this March at Black Sheep.

February 19th at Dumb Records: Old Fox Road, Fiona Kimble, Alec James, Clementine

Posted on February 11, 2018 by blacksheepspringfield

We all had a wonderful time at the Radon Lounge presents… show at Black Sheep last night! Thanks to all who braved the weather and came out anyways to enjoy the music, food, and smiles that The Radon Lounge cooked up in our space.

Today we have a next show at Dumb Records to tell you about – it’s going to be a folk / acoustic one happening a week from tomorrow on Monday, February 19th. For this we have friends and familiar Champaign folk punk act Old Fox Road on the bill. Steam some of their music on the player embedded below. They will be touring this time around with other Champaign artist Fiona Kimble. Both of those acts will be joined by local support from two other solo artists. One of those is singer / songwriter Alec James. Opening things up is the newest solo project from Clare Frachey of Spell Breaker – going by the name “Clementine.”

This kicks off in Dumb Records on the 19th at 7:00 pm. We are asking for $5 to go towards the touring musicians. 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 Dumb Records and Black Sheep in the coming months.

Tonight at Black Sheep: The Radon Lounge Presents: Native Land, Moonglasses, Kneller, Arlin Peebles

Posted on February 10, 2018 by blacksheepspringfield

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Tonight is a very special night at Black Sheep! We are hang over our keys to The Radon Lounge (just for tonight and this weekend, don’t worry). For those of you who are not familiar, The Radon Lounge is a basement venue right here in Springfield putting on shows roughly once a month in their own space featuring many touring and local acts, usually of the indie-rock varieties. They also do a lot to add to the show-going experience by featuring old arcade and pinball games for show goers to play and also feature local artists displaying works at shows. You can expect some of this to spill over into Black Sheep next weekend.

For this show The Radon has four acts lined up that we are very excited about. “Native Land” is headlining the bill is a husband and wife duo from Nashville, Tennessee. You can stream some of their music on that player embedded below. Moonglasses is the other out of town act on this bill, they are indie rock from St. Louis and were formerly known as “Skunkworks”. Then we have a brother and sister folk duo called “Kneller” from right here in Springfield unfamiliar to the Black Sheep stage. Opening things up is THE Arilin Peebles – from right here in town – you may know as the host of the popular local web series The Studio Show (now on a third season).

All of that starts at 7:00 pm on Saturday for just $5. You can check out a facebook event for this one right here. You can probably expect some free refreshments or coffee of some sort and at least one arcade game inside of Black Sheep. Find our list of other upcoming shows right here on our shows page.

Today on Black Sheep Radio: Jeff Black (The Radon Lounge)

Posted on February 9, 2018 by blacksheepspringfield

Today we have a very special episode of The Black Sheep Radio Show lined up. Today we will be having our first guest(s) on since we hit the five year mark of running our weekly radio program. Today our main guest is Jeff Black of Springfield house venue The Radon Lounge. Jeff will be coordinating a “Radon Presents…” show at Black Sheep tomorrow night, which we are very excited for. We will be talking with Jeff about that as well as playing music from bands playing tomorrow night. We will also be talking about other going-ons, playing some cuts from your voted top Springfield songs of 2017, talking to someone from a new Springfield house venue called The C.F.P., and more.

Tune in to The Black Sheep Radio Show today and every Friday from 4:00 to 6:00 pm on 88. 3 WQNA fm on your radio dial or stream at wqna.net during that same time. Check out our radio page where we are starting to collect recorded programs we have done from over the years.

February 17th at Black Sheep: Beyond Peace, Spell Breaker, The Velveteers, Spirits, SCRUB

Posted on February 8, 2018 by blacksheepspringfield

We have a show going on in nine days on Saturday, February 17th featuring a lot of acts to look forward to! At the top of the bill is blisteringly fast hardcore band “Beyond Peace” coming from Iowa City, Iowa. We are very blessed to have them play in our space. Looks like this is also another one for very busy Springfield punk group Spell Breaker as well. And another touring act on the bill is a duo called The Velveteers coming all the way from Denver, Colorado. Check out one of their songs embedded on the player below. Then from over the river our friends from St. Louis will be coming and playing in the rock group called “Spirits” – featuring members of past bands Black Panties, and more. Opening things up will be the ongoing band lotto 2017 band SCRUB.

This show will start at 7:00 pm and admission is $7. 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 going on at Black Sheep in these coming months.

The Studio Show: Season 3 Episode 1

Posted on February 8, 2018 by blacksheepspringfield

We are very excited that our favorite Springfield-based web series is back! The Studio Show within the past week released their first episode of a brand new Season #3 after being gone from us with their last season ending roughly one year ago. The usual cast of Arlin Peebles and Keil Isham are back as two hosts of the series with 30 minute episodes featuring local artists and musicians and other fun tidbits thrown in. Episode one of the new season features local poet Ian Winterbauer and local singer/songwriter Kate Laine as guests. Both of whom are very familiar to the Black Sheep stage. Stream that new episode on the player below. Check out The Studio Show’s Youtube channel for all episodes of the past.

Pictured above is a writeup done on The Studio Show in this week’s copy of The Illinois Times done by Scott Faingold. You can find that here. Host of The Studio Show Aril Peebles will also be performing at Black Sheep this Saturday as part of the Radon Lounge presents show.

Tonight at Black Sheep: The Complaint Line, The Little Death, Our Landmark, Bottom Bracket

Posted on February 8, 2018 by blacksheepspringfield

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It might be a Thursday, but did you know there is a show going on tonight at Black Sheep? This one features all types of alternative rock. We have The Complaint Line headlining the bill from right here in Springfield. We also have the indie-sad rock band from Springfield/Taylorville called The Little Death up before them. This show will feature one out of town act and that is a newer Champaign indie rock group called Our Landmark. You can stream some of their music on the player below. Opening things up this time around is hit #1 2017 album of the year band, Bottom Bracket.

Things start tonight 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 list of shows coming up at Black Sheep in the near future.

Friday at “The C.F.P.”: Spell Breaker, Stick People, Sorry Charlie

Posted on February 8, 2018 by blacksheepspringfield

There’s a show happening this weekend in Springfield at a brand new house venue!? Did you know that? And it’s not the Radon Lounge! (Instead The Radon Lounge is going to be taking over Black Sheep on Saturday). What kind of backwards weekend is this? On Friday night, February 9th there will be a show featuring an all local lineup of three bands at a new house venue called “The C.F.P.” (we do not know what this officially stands for but our best bet is Carter’s Friendship Palace). This show will feature hit Springfield rock group Spell Breaker, a band very familiar to our own Black Sheep stage. Taylorville’s secret band Stick People will also be making an appearance. Then (we are guessing opening things up) is the first performance of a brand new Springfield band that we know little about called “Sorry Charlie.” Those three acts.

The show starts at 7:00 over at this mysterious new house. To find out where it is, go check out the facebook event. Admission is donation based. Also check out our shows page for the best list of shows happening in town outside of Black Sheep that we could put together.