June music made - Illinois Times

JP Harris and the Tough Choices play Bar None on Sunday with Idle Oath starting at 5pm.

Look out ahead, here comes June in for a couple more weeks, with outdoor events all looking at the radar to avoid unwelcome raindrops in large quantities. We’ve dodged a few storms and took a few too, but off we go into the wild world of June music making, heads up and hearts in.

We’ve lost a couple of heroes lately, and it’s only fitting to get together to commemorate the lives of folks who have contributed to making this old world a better place. On Saturday, we gather at Cafe Moxo (6-8 p.m.) to celebrate Larry Roerig, who along with Lisa Rusher created and presented Music in Communities and Education, better known as MICE. The couple worked to raise funds, and then booked local musicians to perform for area schools and organizations, something we are sorely missing now. Lisa is honoring Larry, who recently passed, with a little party featuring live music (it’s gonna be me) and invites one and all to tell all you can about Larry and his giving, fun-loving ways. On Sunday (starting at 11 a.m.), come to Firefighters Postal Lake Club to celebrate the life of Richard E. “Rich” D’Elia, a firefighter in town of 29 years (including battalion chief), a husband and father, as well as a friend to countless people. He was also a musician of renown under the name of Bobo Raposi. A lifelong music maker, he played French horn, sax, guitars and keys, plus sang as well. There’s a long list of bands and musicians Bobo (Rich) performed with and he also recorded a good deal of music, which you can listen to during the celebration of life on Sunday.

Saxman and musician Kevin Cox brought to our attention that original rock ‘n’ roller Jules Blattner from St. Louis passed away on June 7. We missed the celebration of life for Jules held on June 16, but his memory will remain in the minds of the thousands of people he played for throughout his years as a frontman and working musician. Kevin reminded us that those of an age will recall how Jules and his band played atop the Illinois Building during the state fair, and as I understand it, other times during summer. Jules lived a large life and much of it is available to read online with a simple Google search. Thanks to Kevin for the information.
In live music news, Mississippi Leghound plays the VFW Hall on Old Jacksonville Road for some fun on Saturday at 8 p.m. Sounds like a party is happening with bartender birthday celebrations and who knows what all. You better be there to find out. Sunday is a big day with JP Harris and the Tough Choices being a main attraction, brought to you by Bedrock 66. The hard-working and hard-playing “carpenter who writes country songs,” now a driving force in the national new traditional country sound, plays at Bar None with Idle Oath (what?!) opening the show at 5 p.m. For a sample of Springfield original rock, go see the double bill of Astrofix and The Mazed at Danenberger’s Family Vineyard on Sunday from 2 to 5 p.m. Both groups are rockers playing original music with CDs to back them up. Cool!

Watch out when End Times Trio (Richard Gilman-Opalsky, Frank Trompeter and Mark Schwartz) delivers the tariff-free, free jazz goods of improvised songscapes moving from “serene pastoral beauty to thunderous cacophony,” Tuesday at Buzz Bomb starting at 7:30 p.m. Too much is never enough, so check out the other stuff going on in our Live Music listings.

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