By Ben Cox
Jacksonville will get a taste of some ragweed in the next week. Mike Hayes, owner of Twisted Tree Music Hall, messaged me early in the week and said he was excited to get a last-minute booking with Cody Canada & The Departed. The rock band formed in 2011 after the former lead singer of Cross Canadian Ragweed Cody Canada put the group together to keep on rolling down the highway. The super group, as they were initially billed, all came from remnants of other groups or were great solo artists on their own. I’m most familiar with Seth James from my blues days. Cross Canadian Ragweed reunited briefly last year but The Departed are back at it. They’ve got a new single, “Levelland,” that’s out. Catch them at Twisted Tree Music Hall on May 29 starting at 7 p.m. for $28.
Elsewhere, the Memorial Day music crash is in full swing. The members of the Jacksonville Country Club get a private show from St. Louis-based artist Liz Bentley on May 23 starting at 7 p.m. She will have upcoming stops in Quincy and Hannibal in case you can’t get in. Our Beardstown friends get to jam with local favorites The 4 County Band at The Nook on May 23 from 8 p.m. to midnight.
The Memorial Day weekend is somewhat quiet here in Jacksonville, so it’s a good time to travel. However, I just got this little awesome hint on social media this week. An iteration of one of Jacksonville’s most talented group of musicians will be reuniting this summer. The Way Out Yonders will perform at Soap Co. Coffee House on May 24 starting at 10:30 a.m. The performance is a teaser for an upcoming show on June 14 at Twisted Tree Music Hall of the New Goat Ensemble. The group lost bassist Rob Killam in October 2024. The group reunited for a performance for the first time in 13 years back in 2023. We could all use a little “The Tao of Physics” to get us through the summer. Mark it on your summer calendars.
You can catch some afternoon jams with Backwoods Burden at 2 p.m. on May 24 over at Evandy’s Boatel after the Way Out Yonders. Then, you’ve got a couple of choices: you can head to Crazy Horse Campground and catch The Elderly Brothers from 7-10 p.m. playing all of your favorite classic hits, or you can head to Arenzville to AJ’s Bar & Grill for a performance by Gator Head starting at 8 p.m. Jeff Newman’s Trio DeGroove will also be at Crazy Horse Campground. Should be a good Memorial Day weekend to take the camper out and hear some great music just outside of Jacksonville.
Jeff Newman is not done for the weekend, however. On May 25, he and Steve Dawson get together for a duo acoustic show at Floyds 104 Grill in Meredosia.
There’s also tons of great music coming up in Springfield for Memorial Day weekend. Springfield’s Levitt AMP concert series in the Y block gets started on May 29. They invite up St. Louis-based jazz pop singer Janet Evra to kick off the 10-week concert series. Evra is an artist in residence at The Sheldon — “The Carnegie Hall of St. Louis.” Evra released a single with jazz guitarist Al Di Meola earlier this year. It would be a perfect concert to lead into the kickoff of Jacksonville Main Street’s Downtown Concert Series on May 30 with Revel in Red.
Our friends at Pizza Records are taking a couple weeks off from rocking for some work on other projects and an upcoming stand-up comedy night with Cryptid Comics. They’ll return on May 31 with some blues in a return performance by The Bayou Prowlers.
Last but not least, a former resident of the area, Hope MacGregor, keeps picking up traction down in Tennessee. The former Rochester resident and Army veteran released the single “Hey Buddy” this past week. Her 2023 release, The Matriarch, garnered all sorts of national attention. MacGregor is set to release her sophomore album, Sloppy Seconds, on August 29. For now, you can listen to this cheeky new single for certain guys that can’t take a hint wherever music is streamed.
Remember, only you can prevent empty music venues! Support your local musicians and venues. Jam on!
If you have a show in the Jacksonville area or are a Jacksonville artist/band that would like to be featured here, email Ben Cox with your live music schedule or information at elmcityradio@gmail.com.
