The Overture: February 14 - 20
WHAT: Stephen Kellogg and The Sixers,
Chris Koza, Katrina
WHERE: The Highdive ($15)
WHEN: Tuesday, February 14th at 7:30 p.m.
Stephen Kellogg and his "Sk6ers" crew want to spend Valentine's Day 2012 with you. With a cast of other folk-Americana openers, whether or not you have a date this year on February 14th, this show could make you feel some warmth with some acoustic guitars.
Listen: Stephen Kellogg & The Sixers: "Gravity"
WHAT: Robust + Old Irving, Jay Moses, Dave Coresh, 
Chance the Rapper, eGo, SCP, Floor Lovers Illinois, Wesjile, Epilep[c]
WHERE: Cowboy Monkey ($5)
WHEN: Thursday, February 16th at 10 p.m.
Hip hop shows downtown are sometimes few and far between, so this might be one to experiment with if you're on the edge about the genre. Robust + Old Irving and some of the others on the bill hail from from Chicago, while local Jay Moses joins as well after dropping his newest mixtape Hot Water For Tea just a few weeks back. Whether or not hip hop is your cup of tea, $5 is a pretty solid deal.
Listen: Robust: "Soloist"
WHAT: Morgan Orion, The Palace Flophouse, 
Hank, Kowabunga! Kid, I Am God
WHERE: Mike ‘N Molly’s ($5)
WHEN: Friday, February 17th at 9 p.m.
Pizza.fm is a recently established free format online radio station that is still in its infant stages, but is looking to make some noise in C-U. A variety of acts featured on this bill should draw an interesting crowd, but "antifolk" Morgan Orion bookended by the spastic sounds of I Am God should make for an interesting time.
WHAT: Megan Johns, Hathaways, Common Loon 
WHERE: Cowboy Monkey ($5)
WHEN: Friday, February 17th at 10 p.m.
Singer-songwriter Megan Johns is celebrating the release of her new LP Hey, Lonely and bosltered it with a very appealing bill in sharing the stage with Common Loon and Hathaways. You can buy your copy for only $5, so get over there and support your local artist and her supporting cast.
Listen: Megan Johns Band: "Mon Amour" (live)
WHAT: Grandkids, In Tall Buildings, Slothpop, Union Tree Review, Cains & Abels
WHERE: Mike ‘N Molly’s ($5)
WHEN: Saturday, February 18th at 9 p.m.
Grandkids have been hard at work on their debut full-length to follow up their two delightful EPs and settle in at MnM's with these group of bands from surrounding cities. The mini-tour covers a few states around here and C-U is the third stop. Be on the lookout for some more news about their upcoming album from us before too long.
WHAT: We Must Dismantle All This!, Boreas, 
Laughboy
WHERE: Urbana Independent Media Center ($5)
WHEN: Sunday, February 19th at 7 p.m.
The C-U Collective presents this bill filled with plenty of thrash hardcore to enter your ears. We Must Dismantle All This! is joined by black metal crew Boreas from Kansas City and a debut live show from punk outfit Laughboy.
WHAT: Umphrey's McGee
WHERE: Canopy Club ($25 advance/$30 door)
WHEN: Sunday, February 19th at 9 p.m.
An Evening with Umphrey's McGee is back at Canopy Club for another go-round following the release of their newest album Death By Stereo late last year. These guys have built quite the jam-band norm of a cult following over the span of their existence. Don't expect there to be a shortage of mind melting jams at this one.
Listen: Umphrey's McGee: "In The Kitchen"
Most Recent Music Comments
represent, Matt.
Yeah, I’d agree that Transporter Room 3 is the worst house venue I’ve ever seen.
*slow. clap.* Still offering no threat of intelligence…. I know I said I thought you should just write this whole column yourself next year, Isaac, but now that you’ve gone and taken a “part deux” run at it, I’d like to modify my request: Best Music 2013,…
Actually, it’s kind of nice, the quiet. John Heoffleur’s engaging commentary/dialogue is sorely missed, however. In lieu of someone intelligent saying something, I’ve compiled a list of Honourable Mentions: BEST ROCK BAND: Take Care ::these gentlemen have four completely different sets at their disposal right now (which…
What? Echo! (Echo!) Where’s the dischord and dissent?
That article almost looks like something out of The Onion
Thanks! I’m looking forward to writing even more….
Yay! Love this! Welcome to the family!
that last photo’s a doozie, Chris. good work.
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Most Recent Comments
Did the Crave Truck get a permit to park in city metered spots and city right of way? Or did they just get a permit? The city clerk’s office seems to be a suspect here, but it’s not clear they did anything wrong. Did the Crave Truck…
High-profile whining. AKA Lobbying.
it’s quite choice. looking forward to seeing how it and its patronage grow and develop over the course of the year. could be a neat little ecosystem.
“It was at this point, before he started his business, that working with city employees should’ve raised red flags…” But they didn’t because: 1) The City Clerk’s office originally mis-interpreted the rules, or are indeed re-interpreting them. 2) Champaign’s brick-n-mortar merchants hadn’t yet started whining about The Crave Truck.
Super cool! Excellent track, Excellent band.
Looking forward to trying this place!
I’m in the middle (or the beginning or end, depending on how you look at it) of re-reading Slaughterhouse Five. What a great companion column.
Get yours early. The Rave’s CD will be available at Exile and at The C-U Flea on Saturday. C-U Flea details here: http://www.smilepolitely.com/news/sp_radio_podcast_c-u_flea_arrives/
I don’t know about Gerard and a random police sargeant. My (mild) outrage is based on this: “...he worked closely with Champaign City Clerk Marilyn Banks to make sure he was licensed properly as a transient food peddler, filling out the necessary paperwork and paying a $225…
Local Yocal pretty much nails it here. I suspect there will be merchants who oppose food trucks because they arguably don’t pay their fair share to locate their trucks in high traffic (high rent) areas. The food trucks take away business from rent payers, park in city…
Oh nice! I’d totally vote for Matt Campbell!
“Smile Politely sports writer announces candidacy for city government.”
I also got to visit Big Grove Tavern during the soft open and definitely enjoyed the pork belly the most of all the dishes I sampled. The cheesy grits and the vinegary pickled vegetables were a perfect compliment to the rich pork belly.
The Alan Partridge lookalike on the right in the first small photo has nothing to condescend to anyone about. AH HA!
Snell and the little Hitlers of the neighborhood association need to chill out. Legitimate businesses should have the freedom to exist without having to endure the slings and arrows of ignorant and misguided opposition.
represent, Matt.
Yeah, I’d agree that Transporter Room 3 is the worst house venue I’ve ever seen.
Food trucks are the start-up, small businesses of the future for those unable to afford real estate. No surprise, that merchants who pay rent, utilities, and maintenance on a property would despise the traveling competition. Or developers who build more empty retail spaces would want to close…
Not so much far-right Tea Party as a balanced, moderate viewpoint between letting businesses succeed and protecting society with reasonable regulations. In spite of what the city reps are saying, the interpretation of policy on this issue certainly has changed. Letting a business start up under one…
I think it’s neat that SP has turned rightward, now espousing a Tea Party-style frustration with government regulations & taxes.
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Get yours early. The Rave’s CD will be available at Exile and at The C-U Flea on Saturday. C-U Flea details here: http://www.smilepolitely.com/news/sp_radio_podcast_c-u_flea_arrives/