Featured Photos: Black Sheep Fest 2012

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Black Sheep Fest was a blast this year, and some pictures have finally rolled in!  Just look at that gem of a photo up there ^^^.  You can look at a complete flickr set including some photos we pulled from facebook here.  Also be sure to check out our Black Sheep flickr stream for pictures from many different shows.  There was also one roll of film that has not been developed from the fest, so keep checking back with our flickr stream later this week!  If you take pictures and are interested in helping us add to our photo stream then feel free to email us at blacksheepspringfield@gmail.com.

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Black Sheep Fest 2012, a set on Flickr.

There is also a two part video on youtube of Obi-Wan Kanblo Mi‘s entire set from this year’s fest.  You can check out the first part of that video below.  Check out the second part here.


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If you were at Downhome Music Fest this year instead of Black Sheep Fest there is no need to feel left out!  You can find some photos from that festival here.

In Memoriam: Chad Jeffers

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Our condolences to Chad Jeffers’ family and friends. Chad was a great guy and a big part of Pound For Pound for many years.  We will miss him greatly.  Chad played a lot of shows here over the years and took lots of pictures of P4P and other local bands.  He loved to make his friends laugh.  He cared a lot about Hardcore and our local Hardcore scene. Rest in peace brother.

-Kevin

Skeletal Lightning Music Compilation Features Horrible Things and More

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A newer, Champaign-based music blog going by the name Skeletal Lightning has released a twenty six song compilation.  The compilation, which can be streamed and downloaded here and also below, features bands from all over Central Illinois and the Midwest.  Springfield-related act Horrible Things have a newly recorded cover of a This Bike Is A Pipe Bomb song, “Depression.”  Check out the Skeletal Lightning music blog here.

Donnie’s Homespun Pizza to Open as New Music Venue in Springfield

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The State Journal Register and other sources have been reporting that Donnie’s Homespun Pizza is going to be taking the place of The Pizza Machine in Vinegar Hill Mall this fall, and the space is being remodeled so that larger musical performances can be hosted.  You can read the full article here.  Donnie’s already has one location which operates as a music venue and pizza restaurant in Decatur.  Donnie’s website reports that the location in Springfield will be more than quadruple the size of the Decatur location.

The Springfield Shows facebook page has already given away two of the acts to perform at Donnie’s later this fall.  One is the Marky Ramone of the legendary punk band, the Ramones.  He is to perform Thursday October 4th along with Action Bastard and Soy City Stranglers.  The other act is Reverend Horton Heat on November 21st.  Information on both shows as well as any other Donnie’s shows will be announced later and eventually listed in our shows section.

2012 Illinois State Fair Kicks Off Tonight

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The Illinois State Fair is happening this year from August 9th through the 19th.  The twilight parade kicks off tonight at 6:00 pm starting at 9th St. and North Grand.

Go here for a complete schedule of acts playing the Grandstand this year.  Headlining bands and musicians include: Eric Church, Demi Lovato, Toby Mac, Million Dollar Quartet, Brantley Gilbert, Train, Creed, Cheap Trick, Miranda Lambert, and the Steve Miller Band.

Central Illinois Fests: Yardfest, Festival of the Gods, Never Forgot Fest

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While Black Sheep Fest and Downhome Music Fest were both a lot of fun this past weekend, there are a few music festivals coming up later this summer throughout in some of our sister cities that may be worth going to.

First is Yardfest in Peoria, happening this upcoming Saturday on the 11th at the The Satterfield Haunted Mansion.  Yardfest features a rare performance by power pop/garage rock band The Amazing Kill-O-Watts (formerly HAM).  Other bands include: Deceased Priest, SkyMaul, Not All There, Mayhew the Traitor, Jared Grabb, The Dirty Gentlemen, Rob Applegate and Big Business, Kawabunga Kid, Random Kritters, Randle Travis and Friends, Sage Cramer, and Lark’s Tongue.  The festival starts at 3:00 pm, is free, and is also open to all ages.  You can find the facebook event here.  The address to the fest has not yet been posted, so you may have to ask a friend to find that out.

Next is the opening of a new house venue in Champaign/Urbana, Illinois going by the name of God’s House.  Those interested in going can email ayemgod@gmail.com for the address.  The first show at the house is taking place on Saturday, August 25th and is being called the “Festival of the Gods.”  Bands playing include: Bubblegum Octopus, I Am God, Thrash Kitten, Pat Bright Cat Fight, Gay For Cats, The 92s, Easter, Kowabunga! Kid, Sons Of The West, and Gas Up Yr Hearse.  Find a facebook event here.

Happening in Bloomington/Normal on the 15th of September will be the FOURTH annual Never Forgot Fest/We Forgot Fest.  This festival will be taking place at two locations: The House Of Representatives, and The Marilyn Mansion.  Both locations are houses, so you will have to ask a friend to find out more about the address.  Bands playing include: Jared Grabb, Altar Goliath, Pig Champion, Small Time Bandits, Alex Fisher and The Familiar Strangers, Tunnel Snakes, Tina Sparkle, Iguana Bonfire, Joie De Vivre, The Please And Thank Yous, Warren Franklin and the Founding Fathers, Easter, and The Sooper Swag Project.  Facebook event is here.

Foxtail Release 4 Song Demo, Plan Tour

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A new band going by the name Foxtail has emerged from members of the bands Our Lady (Tim Williams), Mother Leopard (Benny Dewitt), and Caterpillar Club (Kyle Ratliff).  They play 1990’s influenced emo.  As of right now the band has not played any shows, but they have released a four song demo that is available for name-your-price download here and are already planning their first week long tour of the midwest later this month.  The tentative dates are as follows:

August 20th In Chicago, Illinois
August 21st In Grand Rapids, Michigan
August 22nd In Fort Wayne, Indiana
August 23rd In Louisville, Kentucky
August 24th In Bloomington, Indiana
August 25th In Champaign, Illinois

New Hospital Job Album To Be Released On Insubordination Records

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Springfield pop-punk supergroup Hospital Job are going to be coming out with their debut full-length album soon, and word on the street is that the album will be released on vinyl through Insubordination Records.  From the Insubordination Records facebook page:

The Hospital Job (new band consisting of Luke from the Copyrights) coming in the fall on Insub. Mind = Blown. We haven’t been this excited since Mutiny Pop came out.

They also added that the album is likely to be released in October and the first pressing will feature 100 records on green wax and 200 on mixed marble.  Hospital Job, which features Luke McNeill of The Copyrights, recently posted two new tracks supposedly from the upcoming full length onto their bandcamp page.  You can stream the two new tracks below.  They also have a show coming up at the Poon Lagoon here in Springfield on September 1st.

Tonight at Black Sheep: Mother Leopard, Host, Ghost Key

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Here at the new blacksheepspringfield.com we plan on keeping you all informed of all the shows going on at Black Sheep so that you don’t have to miss out on anything!  We will make a note of shows on our front page the day they are happening, but you can always check out a complete list of upcoming shows in our shows section.

Tonight we have Mother Leopard (ex Renae) taking the stage with touring act Host (ex Ambush!) and Peoria friends Ghost Key (formerly False Light).  The show starts at 7:00 pm and is five dollars.  You can check out the facebook event for the show here.

Welcome to the Black Sheep Website!

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Hi everybody!  Welcome to what is now the official Black Sheep website.  This is hopefully the beginning to a long and on-going project to raise awareness for the Springfield Illinois music scene and every hard working band and musician in town.  The goal of this site will be to better organize band and show information, as well as update everyone on any music related news and going-ons around town.

Right now we would like to thank everyone who helped contribute band information for the band pages as well as those who helped with any other part of the site.  Your help means a lot.  If you are a band or a musician in town and have not yet talked to us about setting up a page, we would love to hear from you.  Send an email to blacksheepspringfield@gmail.com.

We would also like to thank everyone that came out to Black Sheep Fest 2012 on Saturday.  This was the by far the most fun and well-attended fest we have had yet and it was great to celebrate seven years of being an all ages venue with a bunch of great bands and supportive people.  Pictures from Saturday are being organized and developed right now and you can be on the lookout for a feature on the site with some pictures and videos sometime soon.

In the meantime, feel free to explore what the site has to offer.  Read Kevin’s story of how The Black Sheep came to be in our “about” section.  See what shows are coming up at Black Sheep and around Springfield in our “shows” section.  Find some new and old local bands  through our band pages.  Check out other local businesses and projects in the “community” page.  The vids/pics is under construction still, but feel free to look at that too.  Then head over to the forum and tell us what you think.  We want to hear what’s working and what isn’t, and what kinds of things you want to see featured.