WHAT: The Way Down Wanderers with Penny Horses & Fiona Kimble
WHERE: The Accord ($8 advance/$10 door)
WHEN: Wednesday, August 24th at 8 p.m.
The Way Down Wanderers are a folk and Americana act that hail from Peoria. The young foot-stompers are known to stage “RestStomps,” which are free acoustic sets at truck and rest stops along their tour route. Paired with equally exuberant local folk acts, this is sure to be a fun one.
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WHAT: Daisy Glaze, Nectar, Gnargoyle, Bath Naps
WHERE: Ghost Planet ($5)
WHEN: Thursday, August 25th at 7 p.m.
Ghost Planet is chugging along and getting a fair amount of shows under its belt. This one features punk, slacker rock and drone music.
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WHAT: Andy Mo
WHERE: The Accord ($8 at the door)
WHEN: Thursday, August 25th at 9:00 p.m.
Andy Mo’s “heavy soul” sound continues and grows with the release of the physical copy of his new album on Thursday, and The Accord is hosting the album release show for it.
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WHAT: Holly Brandy with Slick Lisp & Eric Stanley
WHERE: Cowboy Monkey ($7 at the door)
WHEN: Thursday, August 25th at 9 p.m.
Holly Brandy is a hard rock band from Biscay, a province of Spain. On Thursday, they will remind us that badass rock music isn’t unique to America. Add Slick Lisp and Euriah’s Eric Stanley to the mix and you’ve got a pretty heavy show.
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WHAT: Grateful Dead Tribute feat. Sunshine Daydream
WHERE: Cowboy Monkey ($7 at the door)
WHEN: Friday, August 26th at 9 p.m.
It’s undeniable that a Grateful Dead tribute act in the summer is going to be a good time. There is even a possibility that buzzkills might be turned away at the door. (Just kidding. You probably still shouldn’t be a buzzkill, though.) Let the good vibes flow and you’ve got a pretty heavy show.
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WHAT: Late Night Punk Rock Karaoke
WHERE: The Accord (free)
WHEN: Friday, August 26th at 10 p.m.
Punk Rock Karaoke at The Accord is starting out well, and why wouldn’t it? Karaoke shouldn’t be just for pop music. Come rock out to choice punk staples, and maybe some stuff you haven’t heard before. The late show part is great because karaoke is best when already inebriated. End your Friday night with a (head)bang.
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WHAT: I AM GOD. with Bubblegum Octopus, Elephant Stereo, and Signal to Noise
WHERE: Library House (free/donations suggested)
WHEN: Friday, August 26th at 7 p.m.
This show consists of mostly “chip music” outfits. Chip music, a.k.a. video game music, is electronic in nature and sounds like the background tunes in Tetris, and other games from your childhood. It’s kind of silly and a lot of fun, and these bands are prepared to work it.
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WHAT: Urbana Sweetcorn Festival
WHERE: Downtown Urbana (admission is free)
WHEN: Friday, August 26th from 5 p.m. – midnight, and Saturday, August 27th from 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.
This year’s fest will have the usual food, drinks and fun set to the music of all sorts of acts, both local and touring. Friday’s headliner will be the country act Diamond Rio, and Saturday’s will be pop “All Stars” Smashmouth. (Sorry, I couldn’t resist.) Check out the full schedule below.
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WHAT: AC/DC Tribute feat. Hells Bells
WHERE: The City Center ($10)
WHEN: Saturday, August 27th at 9 p.m.
Don’t dig Deadhead tributes? If the hippie stuff isn’t for you, the following night has a different kind of tribute band. This one seeks to emulate the swaggering classic rock act AC/DC. Different indeed.
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WHAT: The Life and Times & Molly Mcguire
WHERE: The Accord ($10 advance/$13 door)
WHEN: Saturday, August 27th at 7:30 p.m.
This show features two bands with different takes on alternative rock music. The Life and Times and Molly Mcguire are both very guitar-forward bands, but their inception was more than ten years apart. Hear the difference between 90’s alternative and the sound of the oughts on Saturday.
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WHAT: The Threads/The Decadents
WHERE: Memphis on Main
WHEN: Saturday, August 27th at 9 p.m.
Chicago’s The Threads will join fellow rockers The Decadents for this one. If you’re on the fence about attending, let the hilarity of this gorilla picture be the deciding factor.
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WHAT: Super Famicom / Spandrels / Love Handles / Isaac Arms
WHERE: Library House (free/donations suggested)
WHEN: Sunday, August 28th at 7 p.m.
Sunday’s show at Library House will have music from all over the genre spectrum – emo, folk, experimental, hardcore, and a self-described indie feminist outfit.
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WHAT: Lavender/Monterrey/Old Fox Road (Solo)/Gadget/xanax princess
WHERE: Blips and Chitz ($5 suggested donation)
WHEN: Sunday, August 28th at 7 p.m.
Although we’ve had to say goodbye to music at the wonderful Institute 4 Creativity, we can find a bit of solace in the fact that some of those from I4C are going to be working with houses like Blips and Chitz. The bands for Sunday’s show are different flavors of emo and experimental music, and they’ll come together for good vibes in true I4C spirit.
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WHAT: Sounds at Sunset Series – Gospel Jazz Fest
WHERE: Hessel Park (free)
WHEN: Sunday, August 28th from 3 – 7 p.m.
This is the summer’s very last Sounds at Sunset concert, featuring a gospel jazz fest. Bring an easy dinner and the family, have a seat on the lawn, and soak up every last drop of summer.