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GLT Arts Calendar

Jazz, blues and other music concerts, exhibits and shows, theatre and dance -- there's a lot going on in central Illinois.You can keep up to date with the GLT Arts Calendar on the air and find more in depth information right here.

Jazz

  • The Aduki Duo performs Wednesday nights from 6 to 8:30 at Reality Bites in downtown Bloomington. 309-828-1300
  • The Jimmy Binkley Trio spends Saturdays from 7 to 10 PM at Sky Harbor in Peoria.
  • The Knox College Cherry Street Combo is at McGillicuddy's Restaurant and Bar in Peoria on Thursdays from 8 PM to midnight
  • Eddie and Judy Howard play at Jim's Steakhouse in downtown Peoria Tuesdays from 7:30 PM to 1 AM.
  • The Miller Boys are at The Rhythm Kitchen in Peoria on Wednesday nights from 6 to 9 PM.  309-676-9668
  • Martini's in Peoria welcome Paul Weddle every Wednesday from 8:30 PM to 12:30 AM.  309-655-5003
  • Larry Harms is a Basta O'Neill's in Washington each Thursday from 6 to 9 PM.  309-682-9393
  • The Central Illinois Jazz Society is hosting concerts at the Starting Gate Banquet Room in Landmark Recreation Center in Peoria (3225 N. Dries Lane). Coming up Sunday, Sept. 19 it's the Illinois Central Jazz Train. On Oct. 17 it's Derel and Ellen Monteith, and Craig Russo and the Latin Jazz Project perform on Nov. 14th The music begins at 6 PM..
  • Fat Jack's in downtown Bloomington has live jazz on the first Wednesday of every month from 5:30 to 8:30 PM.
  • The Contemporary Art Center in Peoria presents Preston Jackson and Friends, August 20. Showtime is 5:30 PM.
  • The Downtown Bloomington Farmers' Market features live music every Saturday morning beginning at 9.
  • Swingers Grille in Normal presents Kevin Hart and the Vibe Tribe on Saturday, Sept. 11 from 8 to 11 PM. The Tribe also plays at the Connie Link Amphitheatre in Normal on Sunday, Sept. 26 at 3:30 PM. Admission is free.
  • The Aduki Trio performs at Michael's Restaurant in downtown Bloomington on Fridays from 5:30 to 8:30 PM beginning July 30. You can also catch the Aduki Quartet at Avenue 9 in Bloomington on August 7 at 9 PM. Tthe Uptown Normal Trailside Market hosts the Trio on Aug. 17 at 3:30 and the Quintet plays at the Illinois State Fairground in Springfield on Thursday, August 19 from 5 to 7 PM.

Blues

  • Shenanigan's in Peoria is hosting an open blues jam on Sundays, from 4 to 8 PM. 
  • The Treehouse Lounge in Bloomington features blues acts every 3rd Friday of the month from 7 to 10 PM.
  • The 22nd Annual Illinois Blues Festival on the riverfront in Peoria is Sept. 3 & 4. The Johnny WInter band is scheduled to perform, along with Grady Champion, the Gas House Gorillas, Hip Pocket and more.
  • The Sweet Corn Blues Festival returns to Uptown Normal Saturday and Sunday, August 28 & 29. Joe Zaklan, Matthew Curry, Hip Pocket, Steve the Harp and more are performing.
  • The Contemporary Art Center in Peoria welcomes Dorann and the Soul Mystics, July 16; Rob WIlliams and the Soggy Bottom Blues Band, August 13; Southside Cindy and the Slip-Tones, August 27. Showtime is 5:30 PM.
  • Hip Pocket performs at the Connie Link Amphitheatre in Normal on Sunday, July 25 from 2 to 4 PM. Admission is free. Also, the band will play at in the Ewing Manor courtyard in Bloomngton on Tuesday, July 27 from 6 to 7 PM. On August 21, Hip Pocket plays at Danvers Days from 1 to 3 PM. And on August 29, the group takes the stage of the Sweet Corn Blues Festival in Uptown Normal beginning at 2:15 PM.

  • Southside Cindy & the Sliptones play The Rhythm Kithen in Peoria on Friday, Aug. 13th.  http://www.thesliptones.com/calendar

  • Chicken Shack is at Windjammers on Bloomington on Friday, Aug. 13th @ 7pm.

  • The Alamo in Springfield presents “Blue Monday” every Monday night. Aug 9: Roger “Hurricane” Wilson; Aug 16: The Sugar Prophets; Aug 23: Bryan Lee,; Aug 30: Kilborn Alle;

  • Dave Herrero plays The Illinois State Fair in Springfield on Wed., Aug 18th at 2:00pm. 

  • The Groove Hogs will play Blues In Central Park in Decatur on Thursday, August 19th. 

  • Billy Gault & the Blues Deacons are at The Treehouse Lounge in Bloomington on Friday, Aug. 20th at 7pm. 

  • Denise La Grassa is at Baxters in Bloomington on Saturday, Aug. 21st at 6pm.

  • The  Steve “The Harp” Blues Band is playing at the Miller Park Community Bandstand Stage on Sunday Aug 22nd at 1pm.  http://www.myspace.com/stevetheharpbluesband

  • Chicken Shack is at Baxter’s American Grille on Thursday, Aug 26th at 6pm. 

Acoustic, Folk, Americana, Celtic, etc.

  • The McLean County Museum of History in downtown Bloomington hosts a bluegrass music jam every 4th Sunday of the month from 1 to 4:30 PM.
  • The Downtown Bloomington Farmers' Market features live music every Saturday morning beginning at 9. On July 31 it's The Old Men Boys; August 14, Peter Adriel; Sept. 11 The Old Men Boys; Sept. 25, Old Tyme Jam; Oct. 30, Austin Found.
  • The Joliet Area Historical Museum Rooftop presents the Five Bridges Folk Series. It's The Hatfield Sisters on August 12 & on September 8 it's Ronnie Baker Brooks. Doors open at 7 PM.
  • The 38th Annual Barnes Family Bluegrass Music Festival is Sept. 3 - 5 at the Mercer County Fairgrounds in Aledo. Rarely Herd is performing, along with Dailey & Vincent, Blue Moon Rising, Art Stevenson & Highwater and more.
  • The 30th Annual Eris Feis is August 27, 28 & 29 on the Peoria Riverfront. SOme of the acts scheduled to appear include Bloomsday, Red Hot Chili Pipers, Cathy Ryan, Bogside Zukes, the Roundstone Buskers, the Shanties and The Kells.

Theatre

  • The Illinois Shakespeare Festival is opening June 24 at the theatre at Ewing Manor in Bloomington. Three plays are running in rotation: The Tempest, The Three Musketeers and The Merry Wives of Windsor
  • Bloomington Parks and Rec Summer Theatre presents the musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, July 23 - Aug. 8 at Miller Park. Showtime is 7:30 PM Admission is free.

 

Art Exhibits

  • The Contemporary Art Center in Peoria presents Validations by Janet Jackson and Two Women - Intuitive Truths by Patricia Whalen-Keck and Judith Koren-Shanahan, and Translations by Preston Jackson. The shows are up through Sept. 3
  • The Coffeehouse in Uptown Normal presents still life photos by Matt Erickson and Matt Shrier, on display now.
  • The McLean County Arts Center in Bloomington presents the exhibition, "the backyard," running now through Sept. 11.

Miscellaneous: Readings, Comedy, Music, etc.

  • The Downtown Bloomington Farmers' Market features live music every Saturday morning beginning at 9. David Berchtold, July 24; McLean County Mandolin Society, Aug. 7; Sugar Creek Cloggers, Aug. 21; Steve Streitmatter, Aug. 28; Oh, Alchemy, Sept. 4; IWU Musicians, Oct. 2; David Berchtold, Oct. 9; The Indras, Oct. 16; Quickdraw/Whiskers, Oct. 23.

Movies

  • The historic Normal Theatre is showing a variety of classic, independent and foreign films in July, August and September. See a complete list of movies. Show times are at 7 PM.   309-454-9720.
    • Cary Grant and Myrna Loy star in Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House, July 22 & 23.
    • It's Cary Grant again (yummy!) along with Grace Kelly in the Alfred Hitchcock classic, To Catch A Thief, July 24 & 25.
    • The indie film Please Give runs July 29 - Aug. 1.
    • The Stanley Kubrick satire, Dr. Strangelove...runs Aug. 5 & 6.
    • The Goonies runs Aug. 7 & 8.
    • Aug 12 - 15 it's Micmacs.
    • The comedy Mid-August Lunch runs Aug. 19 - 22.
    • Laurel and Hardy star in Way Out West, Aug 26 & 27.
    • Spend A Night at the Opera with The Marx Brothers, Aug. 28 & 29.
    • The restored 1927 Fritz Lang film Metropolis runs Sept. 2 - 5.
    • The documentary, The Art of the Steal is Sept. 7 & 8.
    • The South Korean film, Mother, runs Sept. 9 & 10.
    • The tongue-in-cheek South Korean western The Good, the Bad & the Weird runs Sept. 11 & 12.
    • The documentary, Vincent: Life in Color is Sept. 14 & 15.
    • Tilda Swindon stars in I Am Love, Sept. 16 & 17.
    • Vincere runs Sept. 18 & 19.
    • See Exit Through the Gift Shop Sept. 21 & 22.
    • Sept. 23 - 26 it's The Secret in Their Eyes.
    • The Manhattan Short Film Festival is Sept. 30 - Oct. 3
    • Show times are at 7 PM.   309-454-9720.
    • The Normal Public Library is showing the musical West Side Story on Thursday, August 19 at 1:30 PM in the Community Room. Admission is free.

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