The Overture: January 31–February 6
WHAT: Carrie Rodriguez, Kelly Joe Phelps, 
Pieta Brown
WHERE: The Highdive ($15)
WHEN: Wednesday, February 1st at 7 p.m.
This year’s version of the An Acoustic Café Evening Tour features these three singer-songwriters. Each evening of the tour is hosted by Carrie Rodriguez who explains the evening and how it will flow. In what is certain to have a variety of collaborations on stage thorughout the event, multi-instrumentalist Rodriguez and the rest of the talent on this bill is enough to convince acoustic lovers to show up.
WHAT: Pressed And, Evil Tents, Dr. Responsible
WHERE: Mike 'N Molly's ($5)
WHEN: Thursday, February 2nd at 9 p.m.
This duo is currently on a long stretch of dates throughout the midwest and makes a stop through C-U just a few days before their Daytrotter session. They indulge in a variety of genres, but will fit in nicely with the more ambient tones of Evil Tents and guitar-looping Dr. Responsible.
WHAT: The Great Divide, The Duke of Uke, 
Black Coffee Fridays
WHERE: The Highdive (Free)
WHEN: Thursday, February 2nd at 10:30 p.m.
Following the acoustic filled evening at the Highdive featured above, there's a slight shift towards a more folk-rock infused evening with these three bands. Although The Duke of Uke might have the most well-known reputation of the blues/folk-rock bands around town, all three hail from right here in C-U.
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WHAT: Robots Counterfeiting Money, Hospital Garden, Midstress, Mutts
WHERE: Mike 'N Mollys ($5)
WHEN: Friday, February 3rd at 9 p.m.
Urbana natives Robots Counterfeiting Money (hopefully) bring their ridiculous hot dog outfit (pictured above) and band back onto a local bill with punk staple Midstress and a couple of Chicago acts to round it out. Head-thrashing music is not an option at this one. It's a requirement.
WHAT: Blind Pilot, The Barr Brothers
WHERE: Canopy Club ($13 advance/$15 door)
WHEN: Saturday, February 4th at 7:00 p.m.
Hailing from the great north west, Blind Pilot invade Canopy Club on the early bill on the coattails of their new record We Are the Tide, released just a few months back. This now six-piece ensemble is joined by duo The Barr Brothers out of Quebec to keep the Canopy Club busy all night, as Joe Pug takes the stage for the late night bill.
WHAT: Joe Pug
WHERE: Canopy Club ($12 advance/$15 door)
WHEN: Saturday, February 4th at 10:30 p.m.
In what is becoming a regular routine for Pug, he makes his stop through town bringing his soulful guitar and harmonica back to a venue which is typically a warm place to perform for him. Although Pug has been a bit quiet as far as recordings go, he has the solid 2010 Messenger LP to his name, along with a slew of other solid shorter EPs worth checking out before you look into to this one. I'd be on the lookout for new material around the corner from this guy.
WHAT: Davina and the Vagabonds, Threebird
WHERE: The Highdive ($8)
WHEN: Monday, February 6th at 7:30 p.m
In what they self-dub "new spin on an old sound," feisty and bluey Davina and her crew make their way down from the Twin Cities. Nothing like some New Orleans flavor from all the way up in Minnesota.
6 comments
ward
No fair. SP should get a buncha shit for listing The Duke Of Uke as… The Duke Of Yuke, Just like when all the hipsters cry foul and whine like hell if The Buzz make the same error (ie honest mistake). Put it back to YUKE ol’ Seth McFeinstein =)
Q-Tips
Start the clock on when ward’s comment is deleted. Poking fun at the “hipsters” here is blasphemy, you know.
At another site, someone—perhaps from here—was playing the usual card of “That band is well-known, so it must suck!” The resulting comment said: “Yeah, I remember the days when I hated anything that ended up on the radio, and I’d sit around making my tapes of “hip” music, too. Then I grew up.”
Finally, that 3rd pic looks like those guys are about to break into a rousing rendition of “The Devil Went Down To Georgia.” Yeeeee-haw!
hipsters are people, too.
yes.
hipsters and corporations.
David Hewitt
An Acoustic Café Evening Tour always promises satisfaction, and with the talent Carrie brings, it will be more than worth the price of admission!
Be sure to listen to deliradio.com/carrie-rodriguez to hear more!
UPDATE: Evil Tents have regrettably had to cancel their appearance at tonight’s show. Closing out this evening’s festivities at Mike N Molly’s will be the ambient noise drone project, Urbana’s own Marathon.
Thanks for understanding folks; Evil Tents will be back at MnM’s later this month. Raincheck. Cool? Cool.
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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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/