February 6th at Black Sheep: Hospital Job, Drilling For Blasting, Closed Mouths, Bullnettle

Posted on December 13, 2014 by blacksheepspringfield

Guess what gang, it looks like are already to the point of announcing shows that are happening all the way in February of 2015. This one is happening on Friday, February 6th at Black Sheep. We have Springfield’s very own pop punk group Hospital Job with another hand full of other great bands from Chicago and Champaign/Urbana. The first of those is a band called Drilling For Blasting. They are pictured above and you can find their music streaming below. Also on this show is a band called Closed Mouths from Chicago. And the one Champaign/Urbana act we have is the two-piece band Bullettle!

This will be another 7:00 pm, $5 show. You can find a facebook event for this one right here. Also be sure to check our shows page for a good look at everything coming up at Black Sheep in the near future.

Tonight at Black Sheep: Cloud Rat/Plagues, Disrotted, Teen Freak, The Wrong, Diaper Rash

Posted on December 13, 2014 by blacksheepspringfield

Yes, it is Saturday night in our capital city and there is a wild hardcore show happening at Black Sheep. This show will feature a collaborative set between two touring acts Cloud Rat and Plagues. Cloud Rat is a female-fronted grind/hardcore band from Michigan and Plagues is an experimental power electronic act also from Michigan. You can stream some of Plagues’s solo releases on the player below. On this show we also have the sludge band Disrotted from Chicago and on tour with Cloud Rat/Plagues. America’s favorite band lotto band Teen Freak will also be taking the stage tonight. We also have The Wrong coming from Chicago to make up for a show they dropped at Black Sheep earlier this fall. And opening things up we have a very special set from a new mysterious hardcore band going by the name of “Diaper Rash.” We know nothing about this band or who is in it, so be sure to come early to find out!

The show tonight starts at 7:00 pm and we are asking for anywhere between $5 and $7 for entry. You can find a facebook event for the show right here. Also be sure to check out our shows page where you can find a long list of everything coming up at Black Sheep.

Night/Hex: “12/5”

Posted on December 11, 2014 by blacksheepspringfield

It looks like that this month we get to hear another song by Night/Hex, a electronic/ambient project by some of those who brought us the dream pop band War Magic. This time the song is called “12/5” and you can find it streaming below, or for download at your own price on the Night/Hex bandcamp page. Neither Night/Hex nor War Magic currently have any live shows lined up.

Night/Hex released an EP called Yuki earlier this year, and it is in the running on our best of Springfield 2014 poll that will begin sometime this weekend. The band also released songs “11/6” and “11/15” last month.

NIL8 Announce December 26th Show At Donnie’s Homespun

Posted on December 11, 2014 by blacksheepspringfield

We don’t see too many live performances from legendary Springfield punk band NIL8 these days, so we see it important to mention when the band announces any shows in the area. The band just announced a show happening the day after Christmas on Friday, December 26th at Donnie’s Homespun. Check out a video of a recent NIL8 practice in South Town Studio below, featuring the band’s original lineup. The show is going to be with Springfield alternative rock band boon, and an out of town guest- Mr. Clit And The Pink Cigarettes from Indianapolis. Another wildcard on this show is the mysterious Diaper Rash– the new hardcore band with unknown members playing their first show here at Black Sheep this Saturday.

This show at Donnie’s Homespun starts at 8:30 pm. The cover is $5 and the show is all ages. You can find a facebook event for the show right here. Also be sure to check out our Springfield shows page for a list of shows happening outside of Black Sheep.

December 19th at Black Sheep: Soul Resides, Noesis, The Incorporated

Posted on December 11, 2014 by blacksheepspringfield

Here is a little bit of a last-minute show we are having on Friday, December 19th right here at Black Sheep. This show is sure to be very metal. This is also the first show being put on by As It Is Productions at Black Sheep, a new DIY booking group. This show will feature the Staunton, Illinois progressive metal act, Soul Resides. You can stream some of Soul Resides’s music below. We have another metalcore band on the show from Central Illinois called Noesis. And things will open up for now with a newer band from the area called The Incorporated. Be on the lookout for one more band to be announced soon.

This show will start at 6:30 pm and admission is $5. You can find a facebook event for this right here. Also be sure to check out our shows page for a look at all sorts of other events coming up at Black Sheep.

Videos: NIL8 In South Town Studio Practicing With Original Lineup

Posted on December 9, 2014 by blacksheepspringfield

What a treat this is. Today we have a mysterious video of what appears to be the long-running Springfield punk band NIL8 practicing in South Town Studio with an earlier lineup of the band from the 1980’s. The lineup of Jeff and Bruce Williams along with Lance Reynolds and Eric White are seen in the video which has been taken sometime within the past month. Is something in the works for the earlier lineup of the band? Could this lead to clues as to who is in Diaper Rash?

NIL8 launched a brand new website, switchdrops.com earlier this year which archives a lot of old show fliers, recordings, videos, and more. They also will be playing a holiday show at Donnie’s Homespun on December 26th this year.

New Arrivals This Week At Dumb Records

Posted on December 9, 2014 by blacksheepspringfield

Don’t forget that we still have our very own record store right here in Southtown, and that is Dumb Records (located at 1107 South Grand East). For those of you doing Christmas shopping, you might want to check out some of the recent arrivals that came in this week. Also don’t forget that Dumb Records does sell gift cards for any amount. Let’s take a look at when the store will be open this week:

Tuesday (today): 3:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Wednesday: 3:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Thursday: 3:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Friday: 3:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Saturday: 10:00 am – 9:00 pm
Sunday: 3:00 pm – 8:00 pm

New LPs
Earth – Primitive And Deadly
Headlights – Wildlife
Headlights – Some Racing Some Stopping
Headlights – Kill Them With Kindness
High On Fire – The Art Of Self Defense
Pelican – Ataraxia/Taraxis
Power Trip – Manifest Decimation
Today Is The Day – Animal Mother
Twilight – Monument To Time End
Wolves In The Throne Room – BBC Session 2011

Used LPs
J.J. Cale – Naturally
The Moody Blues – Seventh Sojourn
Public Image LTD – Happy Warrior
Randy Newman – Good Old Boys
Todd Rundgren – Utopia Another Live
Willie Hutch – The Mark Of The Best

New Band Pages: Loses The Mighty

Posted on December 8, 2014 by blacksheepspringfield

They have been playing shows at Black Sheep for a while, but since they have had members move to Springfield we felt that Loses The Mighty needed a band page on our long list of Springfield local bands. You can now go here and check out a band page set up for Loses The Mighty where you can find out more about their band and stream some tunes. Loses The Mighty will be playing at Black Sheep next on Saturday, December 27th for the EP release show for their new EP What The Artist Said To The Bird. That show is also with Krelboyne, Au Revoir, Panzys, and Lifewithout.

Check out any of our 65+ band pages right here on our current bands page. Do you play in a Springfield band that has not yet set up a page with us? We would love to hear from you! Send an email to blacksheepspringfield@gmail.com and we will work with you to set something up.

Help Us List 2014 Springfield Releases

Posted on December 7, 2014 by blacksheepspringfield

As this year is drawing to a close we are gearing up for our “Best of Springfield 2014” poll and it looks like there are so many releases that have came from Springfield bands this year that we are going to need some help in listing them all. This list includes any release from any Springfield band or musician that was released in 2014 (no, this does not just include bands that frequently play at Black Sheep). If you know of any releases that are not on the list below, please let us know through comment or shoot an email to blacksheepspringfield.com. Here is our list so far:

Asthma – Broke & Violent
Asthma/Soap Scum/Pregnancy Test/Ski Mask – Split
Bad Banshee – Skitter/Skitter
Built In A Day – Hardship Harbor EP
The Complaint Line – 3P
Diaper Rash – Demos
Dustin Sendejas – What’s Your Wifi Password?
Evan Mitchell’s Ukulele Party – It’s Easy
F///\\\M – /FU/CK/\WA\VE\
Gazeebo – Demo
Good Times – And Cold Beer
I’m Dead Inside – Rather Be Judged By Twelve Than Be Carried By Six
Hospital Job – Believer
Jukebox Cassanova – We’re Wolves
King Worm – No Future City
Knives – In From The Stills
The Locals – EP
Loses The Mighty – What The Artist Said To The Bird
Meredosia – Midnight
Milchjunge – Demo 2014
Montagh – Am I Enough Yet?
Mouthsex – Demo
Mystery Gift – Link Together With All
Nephrons – Wet Blanket Party
Night/Hex – Yuki
Our Lady/Estates – Split 7”
Owen Davis – Condemned To Eternity
Panzys – Half Dark Heart
Park – Jacob The Rabbit 10”
Teen Freak – Demo
The Timmys – Dude Girl EP
Say Something – Fred Hampton
Swamp Rat – Becoming One With The Bugs
Wilt Candy – EP
Wir Können – God, It’s Getting Bad
Worms – Somewhere Far And In Between

That is a lot of releases! We are at 31 right now, which is by far more than any other year we have been doing our poll. If you want to see our results from last year’s 2013 poll, check out the links below:

Best of 2013 Springfield Albums/Releases
Best of 2013 Springfield Songs
Best of 2013 Springfield Shows

Voting for our 2014 poll will begin in about a week, so keep your eyes and ears peeled.

SJR: Springfield Teens Start “The Venue” To Spread Music, Culture

Posted on December 7, 2014 by blacksheepspringfield

Last week Springfield newspaper The State Journal Register published an article about a group of teens putting on shows under a name called “The Venue by Oakwood” here in town. From the article:

Tristan Tarpley, a senior at Calvary Academy, and Elijah Settles, a senior at Springfield High School, started meeting at Wm. Van’s Coffee House on Seventh Street to discuss their ideas about local music and ways to promote it. What originally started as an idea for a collaborative music app eventually turned into a local music scene called The Venue by Oakwood.

“The Venue is a hub for talent, a hub for creativity in Springfield,” Tristan said.

Check out the full article online right here. You can also view a video put together by “The Venue by Oakwood” below. The article peaked our interest since a lot of what is being discussed in the article lines up with a lot of the goals of The Black Sheep Cafe and Southtown. We also find a lot of similarities with this and Springfield house venue The Radon Lounge. There was another show put on by The Venue by Oakwook that happened this weekend at a house. The show featured Rapper Nubia Fokum, singer Alyssa Jackson, and the band Might be Mavericks. We plan on keeping you all updated on any future shows being put on by “The Venue by Oakwood” and you can always check our Springfield shows page for a listing of shows in town going on outside of Black Sheep.