WHAT: Isaac Arms & The Extremities / Free Kittens & Bread / City Mouth / Single Player
WHERE: Blips and Chitz ($5 suggested donation for touring bands)
WHEN: Tuesday, Feb. 21 at 8 p.m.
This rock show is a party to celebrate the release of the new album from Isaac Arms & The Extremities. Local and touring groups alike will come together to help benefit Girls Rock! C-U, an always excellent reason to support a show.
———————————————————————————————————————-
WHAT: Andy Frasco
WHERE: Canopy Club ($10 in advance / $12 at the door)
WHEN: Wednesday, Feb. 22 at 9 p.m.
Andy Frasco is an eight-member party blues and rock band out of LA. Their funky performances require dancing, so they’ll expect no less from you on a Tuesday night.
———————————————————————————————————————-
WHAT: Guido Sanchez-Portuguez Concert with Class
WHERE: The Upper Bout ($10)
WHEN: Thursday, Feb. 23 at 7:30 p.m.
This interactive session will feature a performance from Guido Sanchez-Portuguez, an instructor at The Upper Bout who specializes in classical guitar. It will also include a masterclass, which enables members of the audience to become performers and receive feedback. This will be an in-depth event great for guitarists of all genres.
———————————————————————————————————————-
WHAT: Old Fox Road / Choir Vandals / Spooky Poo / Elliot K / The Sun Will Rise
WHERE: Blips and Chitz ($5 donation for touring bands)
WHEN: Thursday, Feb. 23 at 8 p.m.
A somewhat dialed-down show isn’t quite the norm for this venue, and it’s always great to see how different scenes work with different types of music. This mostly acoustic show is different for Blips and Chitz, and it’s still going to be excellent.
———————————————————————————————————————-
WHAT: Florida Georgia Line
WHERE: State Farm Center (tickets start at $46)
WHEN: Thursday, Feb. 23 at 7 p.m.
Huge country duo Florida Georgia Line have taken their genre by storm over the last decade, climbing to the top of country and pop charts several times. They’re known to put on quite the show, and are sure not to disappoint.
———————————————————————————————————————-
WHAT: Female Songwriter Showcase
WHERE: The Red Herring Restaurant ($5)
WHEN: Friday, Feb. 24 at 7:00 p.m.
Women will run this show. Sets from three different female singer-songwriters will lean mostly towards folk and indie music sounds. It’ll be a lovely accompaniment to your delicious Red Herring dinner.
———————————————————————————————————————-
WHAT: Champaign-Urbana Band Lotto 2017
WHERE: Ghost Planet ($5 suggested donation)
WHEN: Friday, Feb. 24 at 7:30 p.m.
At a handful of shows over the past few months, several local musicians and non-musicians put their names in a drawing, in order to be put together with random people to form an impromptu band. Seven bands were formed, each one tasked with writing and performing fifteen minutes of new material with bandmates who might be complete strangers. This show will be the fruit of their efforts. Proceeds will go to benefit the UP Center of Champaign County. There’s no telling what will come out of this show, and there’s no way it won’t be a blast.
———————————————————————————————————————-
WHAT: Grand Ambassador, ZXO, Discoverer, Cardboard Hilltop
WHERE: Cowboy Monkey ($5)
WHEN: Friday, Feb. 24 at 10 p.m.
Jangle pop outfit Grand Ambassador return to the stage after a hiatus, and they’ll be joined by local and touring acts of the folk, psychedelic, and math rock varieties.
———————————————————————————————————————-
WHAT: 40 North’s Untitled 2017
WHERE: Orpheum Theater ($45 per person / $80 per couple)
WHEN: Friday, Feb. 24 at 7:30 p.m.
40 North brings you Untitled 2017, the organization’s sole fundraising event of the year. This is a punk-themed event and will feature seven different DJs, food and drinks, a silent auction, an escape room, and much much more. Take advantage of this chance to support 40 North, which does amazing things for art in the community. See the event page for more info.
———————————————————————————————————————-
WHAT: Ganja White Night
WHERE: Canopy Club ($15 in advance / $18 at the door)
WHEN: Friday, Feb. 24 at 9 p.m.
The EDM duo Ganja White Night are prepared to pump things up and make you sweat this Friday at Canopy.
———————————————————————————————————————-
WHAT: The Threads EP Release show with The Apothecaries and Puzzlequest
WHERE: See event page for more information
WHEN: Friday, Feb. 24 at 8:30 p.m.
C-U rock act The Threads are celebrating the release of their second EP, which is out today. They’ll be supported by fellow rockers The Apothecaries and Puzzlequest. See the event page for more info on the venue.
———————————————————————————————————————-
WHAT: Artist Workshop Weekend with Derek Linzy
WHERE: Independent Media Center (free)
WHEN: Friday, Feb. 24 at 6 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 26 at 4 p.m.
IMC’s Open Scene kicks off their first youth artist workshop weekend with local music producer, Derek Linzy. Linzy, a native of Champaign, has worked with artists such as Prince, Coolio, and Chuck D. Friday will be an artist talk and demonstration on recording and making music, and Sunday will have a showcase of all the attendees’ created art, as well as a reflective dialog on the event.
———————————————————————————————————————-
WHAT: Capitol Offense / Souls / Bite / Ustanak / Not For The Faint of Heart
WHERE: Blips and Chitz ($5 suggested donation for touring bands)
WHEN: Saturday, Feb. 25 at 7 p.m.
A hard-hardcore evening at Blips and Chitz features Soul, on tour from South Dakota. They’ll be supported by local and regional heavy hitters prepared to set the scene to scream.
———————————————————————————————————————-
WHAT: Ben Folds and a Piano
WHERE: Canopy Club (Sold out!)
WHEN: Saturday, Feb. 25 at 7:30 p.m.
Keep an eye out for last-minute tickets that might become available for this show, and then snatch ‘em up if you see them. Ben Folds has had a hand in dozens of musical projects over two decades. From the 90s chart-topping pop rock of his band Ben Folds Five to his role as judge on five seasons of The Sing Off, it’s unlikely that you haven’t heard of him. Catch his melodic pop rock on Saturday if you can.
———————————————————————————————————————-
WHAT: Our Landmark / Winder
WHERE: Loose Cobra
WHEN: Saturday, Feb. 25 at 9 p.m.
Tolono’s best watering hole is having a show, and that means you should go. Isaac Arms continues to stay busy this week by playing with his band Winder, along with Our Landmark.
———————————————————————————————————————-
WHAT: Jake McVey
WHERE: The City Center ($7)
WHEN: Saturday, Feb. 25 at 8 p.m.
Another great night of country music is to be had at The City Center on Saturday, supplied by Jake McVey.
———————————————————————————————————————-
WHAT: Ccurlss / Blacker Face / TÖK / Dream Probe
WHERE: Ghost Planet
WHEN: Saturday, Feb. 25 at 7:30 p.m.
Fearless punk act Blacker Face is in from Ohio to play a show with noise band Ccurlss (NY), TÖK (Chicago), and new hardcore band Dream Probe, who are making this their first show ever.
———————————————————————————————————————-
WHAT: Give a Little: A Benefit for Imerman Angels
WHERE: Exile on Main St. ($5 suggested donation)
WHEN: Saturday, Feb. 25 at 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Four local acts will play a rare Exile show on Saturday for a good cause. Imerman Angels provide one-on-one cancer support for fighters, survivors, and caregivers. Exile and Dandelion will also be donating 10% of their sales during the show to the cause. There will be poetry readings along with the music, so make sure to stop by.
———————————————————————————————————————-
WHAT: Sammy Adams
WHERE: The Canopy Club ($15 in advance / $20 at the door)
WHEN: Sunday, Feb. 26 at 9 p.m.
Eclectic artist Sammy Adams pulls from a range of genres, including hip-hop, rap, electronica, and more.
———————————————————————————————————————-
WHAT: Reduced to Instinct / Lower Automation / Frail Body
WHERE: Blips and Chitz ($5 donation for touring bands)
WHEN: Sunday, Feb. 26 at 8 p.m.
B&C ends the weekend in music strong with a show set to help out some travelling bands as they make the rounds and bring the tunes. A hardcore/emo/punk night full of fresh faces is sure to welcome in your work week the right way.