Lincoln Land Community College newspaper The Lamp recently featured an article on The Black Sheep Cafe, where they interviewed owner Kevin Bradford and also Drew Kodrich of Mouthsex and Asthma. Check out that article below:
Finding a place where you can listen to live music with good company is hard to come by in the Springfield area. Yes, there are many bars where people who are over the age of 21 can go, but what about teenagers or those who are under 21? The Black Sheep Café is a place where there is all kinds of live music and there is no age requirement. The music scene in this venue has been built over the years.
The Black Sheep Café opened in September of 2005. Kevin Bradford, Brian Galecki, and Cory VanMeter run it collectively. The Black Sheep is located on 1320 S 11th St, in the old Southtown neighborhood.
“The show times are random,” said Kevin Bradford. Weekends are the busiest and the cafe is usually open from 7-11 p.m., depending on how long each band plays.
There is a $5 cover charge and everyone is welcome. The fact that everyone is welcome, goes along with the name of the cafe.
The Black Sheep stands for those who might feel like “the black sheep” in society. It symbolizes those who might not feel like they fit in anywhere, but they are welcome there.
“We are like a family,” Bradford said.
There is also a record store called Dumb Records, which is located right next door and a skate park newly opened called Skank Skates; they have also opened a studio nearby too.
“We’ve kind of made that area our own,” Bradford said.
The Black Sheep is very community based and that is a main theme for this music venue.
“We’re making good out of bad,” said Bradford.
The area that The Black Sheep is in is not an area where most people go or wish to go due to the looks of it; the area that it is in is not well taken care of.
Bradford and the rest of the staff are trying to make that area more popular.
Many different bands play at The Black Sheep; most play the punk music style. Four to five bands play every night and each band plays for an average of 15 minutes.
Many of the bands are local, which allows for people to see the talent that is right in their hometown. Some of the local bands are Asthma, Kowabunga! Kid, and Jag.
Drew Kodrich is in a band, Asthma, which performs at The Black Sheep Café.
“I really enjoy playing there,” said Drew Korich, who is in the band Asthma. It performs at The Black Sheep.
Kodrich has been going there for a few years.
“The atmosphere is great,” Kodrich said. “Most of the bands play originals.”
The Black Sheep has had many touring bands also come through. They had a band from Japan play there called Ultrabide.
There have been many European bands and South American bands play there as well.
“We have loose booking,” said Bradford.
They allow the bands to book themselves and to be free to play. Normally the bands do not get paid to play, unless they are touring.
Most local bands want to play at The Black Sheep, so they contact them and book themselves to play. If the bands are more popular, the owners contact them to play.
“We are trying to make Springfield better,” said Bradford.
It allows for people to listen to music in a safe place, where they can feel accepted. It is a much safer place than it ever has been before. Many different music styles have come through, which allows for many people to enjoy what music is being played.
“The Black Sheep is known for good things,” said Bradford.
Dumb Records 