William: The Illini Glider Club sits on the outskirts of Monticello: a grassy airstrip, a hangar with five gliders and a tow plane, a couple of folding chairs and an ocean of sky. Only some …
Posts by William Gillespie and C.D. Scoggins:
Blueberries and Blues in St. Louis
Fiery Furnaces and Raconteurs at The Pageant, St. Louis, June 12 Note: Not for the first time, I was one of the only audience members caught obeying the club’s strict “no cameras” policy, and so …
The Bartender: Jeff Brandt’s Exile on Main Street
The first installment in an anticipated series of articles on local music stores William: In the Feb. 28 issue of Buzz magazine, readers’ choice winners for Best of C-U in the “best place to buy …
Your Beefheart for Nothin’ and Your Kinks for Free: The Urbana Free Library
Authors’ note: A fellow rock scholar who happens to buy music for the Urbana Free Library asked us to write an article for their blog, to suggest music the library should purchase and to help …
No Reason to Eat an Egg
Howard Lyman at the Holy Land Diner, Springfield, Ill. Friday, April 25 At Springfield’s Holy Land Diner, the Springfield Vegetarian Association hosted a talk by the “Mad Cowboy”— reformed cattle rancher, outspoken vegan, activist and …
Album Review: Red Edmund, S/t
Cristy: Ah…the mid-1990s. Before Nickelback and Limp Bizkit clogged up radio with generic tattooed sludge, the rock that rose from Nirvana’s Pacific-Northwestern ash was everywhere. Exquisite Sunny Day Real Estate. Mellow Toad the Wet Sprocket. …
Food, Sex, and Death…and Insects: A Review
Food, Sex, and Death… and Insects (2007) directed by John Edginton William: The Venus 3—Peter Buck (R.E.M.), Bill Rieflin (formerly with Ministry) and Scott McCaughey (leader of the Young Fresh Fellows)—have been playing together since …
Notes from the Candy Aisle: Three Hour Tour and The Redwalls
[The Highdive, Saturday, April 19] Cristy: Power pop—the candy aisle of rock. You got your classic Hershey’s chocolate (Big Star); tangy Smarties (Weezer); and sparkly gold Werthers caramel (Matthew Sweet). If you’re a power pop …
White Light, White North: A Caribou Review
Illini Union Courtyard Café, 4/10/08 William: The venue’s website said the show would start at 8 p.m. The DJ on WPGU said 7:30. The poster said 9:00. The guy at the Illini Union Box Office …
Avant Drag: A Review of Kronos Quartet
Krannert Center, 4/3/08 William: For over 35 years, Kronos Quartet has performed and commissioned unusual works, sometimes receiving criticism from the general direction of the stodgy, black-tie classical music establishment. With their striking fashions and …