Upcoming events

1st Friday Blues

March 2, 2012
Danny & The Devils

Danny & The Devils will be performing live on WEFT 90.1FM radio from 8:15 to 8:45, then they move up the street to play at Memphis on Main from 10pm on.

Check out the event poster here

Opening for Danny & The Devils at Memphis on Main will be Champaign-Urbana's own Full Throttle Band.

April 6, 2012
Johnny Rawls

Check out Johhny's site. More info soon.

Past events

[Painkillers' Feb. 11, 2012
CD Release Party
for The Painkillers' new CD "Done Me Wrong"
The Iron Post - 6 to 9pm

Mark your calendars and join The Painkillers for a fun night of celebration on Saturday, February 11 at The Iron Post !!! The Painkillers on Facebook
LOTS OF FRIENDS, CAKE, BLUES, AND BREWS!!

Check out the event poster here

Sunday January 29, 2012 - 2:00pm
The Sugar Prophets
Memphis on Main - Champaign

A fundraiser for The Sugar Prophets, it's their last CU gig before they head down to Memphis to compete in the Blues Foundation's International Blues Challenge at the end of the month. Come out to send the guys off on a high note!

[Hurricane Ruth] Jan. 6, 2012
January 1st Friday Blues
Hurricane Ruth at WEFT and Memphis on Main
Opening set at Memphis on Main: The Diva & The Dude

Hurricane Ruth, our IBC challenge winner, blew back into town for our second 1st Friday event. It was a great night with lots of blues fans in the house to send the band off to the Blues Foundation International Challenge in Memphis, TN at the end of the month.

The Diva and The Dude, Kathy Harden and Andy Baylor, entertained us at Memphis on Main for the first set, while Hurricane Ruth did the Blues Live show at WEFT. Our thanks to Kathy and Andy as well. They put on a great show.



Friday, Dec. 2, 2011
1st Friday Blues
Matt Hill & The Deep Fryed Two WEFT and Memphis on Main

Thanks to Matt Hill and The Deep Fryed Two (Joe Meyer and Paul Niehaus) for coming up for our initial 1st Friday event. This band is so much fun to watch. They kept us entertained all night and filled the dance floor. We had a wonderful time and look forward to hearing more from this group.

Check out some of the photos from the event on our Facebook page.

Kilborn Alley Blues Band Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2011
Kilborn Alley CD Release Party
The Iron Post

Kilborn Alley released their latest CD, Four, on Blue Bella Records, on Nov. 22 during their European tour.

Their first stop when they got back to the States was The Iron Post for their Champaign-Urbana CD Release party. What a great night. Their fans came out and stayed. Abraham was there of course, Doug Schorer sat in for a couple of tunes and a kid harmonica player named P.J. came out of the audience and blew everyone away.

Abraham Johnson

Their latest CD features all original music with a few guests sitting in here and there: Gerry Hundt on harp, Vince Salerno on sax and Ardell T Reed (Travis Reed) on organ!

We got to hear Couple of Days (Change My Ways), You Were My Woman, and Going Hard. We were also treated to Redneck in a Soul Band and Come Home Soon from "Tear Chicago Down" and a crowd-participation version of Shout. Fun, fun, fun!


Friday & Saturday, Nov. 4-5, 2011
C-U Folk & Roots Festival
Downtown Urbana

Prairie Crossroads Blues Society was so happy to be participate this year. C-U Folk and Roots hosts this annual festival to support and promote the folk arts in Central Illinois. The scope is broad - you'll find Cajun, old-time, bluegrass, folk, traditional jazz, blues, klezmer, Irish, western swing, storytelling, song circles, shape-note singing, traditional dance, arts and crafts, jamming, family activities, workshops, and much more.

PCBS and WEFT 90.1 FM co-hosted the Iron Post stage on Saturday night.

Donna Herula also hosted a guitar workshop at Corson Music on Saturday from 1-2.
What a great event, Prairie Crossroads Blues Society was pleased to contribute and help make this event such a great success.

Saturday, Oct. 22, 2011
1st Annual PCBS Blues Band Challenge
Memphis on Main


Hurricane Ruth winners of PCBS IBC Challenge 2011
As an affiliate of The Blues Foundation, PCBS took part in The International Blues Challenge (IBC), where local blues societies from around the world hold competitions for bands to send to Memphis in January to compete.

Hurricane Ruth won the competition and we finished the night with a great performance by The Terry Quiett Band, a rocking blues band from Kansas.

Skins 'n Tins donated the use of a drum set, Memphis on Main provided a great venue, as always, and the folks from Holy Smoke BBQ were there with pulled pork and brisket sandwiches.

It was an awesome competition with great performances by these bands:

 

Sunday, August 14
Lake of the Woods Blues Festival

This is an exciting new outdoor festival for East Central Illinois.
The inaugural event included:
Big Black Hand (Elam McKnight & Bob Bogdal)
and Champaign's own Kilborn Alley Blues Band.

Saturday July 30
The Painkillers
A PCBS member band, and an early supporter, played at the beautiful outdoor setting:
Alto Vineyards - 4210 North Duncan Rd. Champaign, IL
The Painkillers play a hefty mix of traditional Chicago and Southern Blues along with a variety of classic crooners and original tunes. Part of the Music Among the Vines series.

Friday & Saturday June 24 & 25
Urbana Blues, Brews & BBQ's - urbanablues.com

    Friday's lineup
  • Keith Harden
  • Guitar Shorty
  • Lil Ed & the Blues Imperials
  • The Kinsey Report
    Saturday's lineup
  • Kings Highway
  • Jim Suhler & Monkey Beat
  • John Primer
  • Jimmy Thackery
  • Duke Robillard
  • Coco Montoya
  • The Chris Duarte Group
What a great weekend! Thanks to all who attended!



Sunday June 12 - 3:00pm
Memphis on Main Blues Show - 55 E. Main St. Champaign, IL
Featuring, Eli Cook, Terry Quiett Band, Kilborn Alley Blues Band



[Blues Music Awards Logo]
Thursday evening May 5 was one of the biggest nights of the year for Blues artists and fans. The 32nd Blues Music Awards for 2011 were presented at Cook Convention Center in Memphis, TN. The Blues Foundation blues.org puts on a big party, check the schedule for many of the associated events. Can't make it to Memphis, you can tune in on SiriusXM BB King's Bluesville which will broadcast the awards live hosted by Bill Wax and Tony Colter.



Cruisin' Blues
Nothing goes together better than cruisin the highways of America while listening to some great blues! 10 Cities, 20 Bands, 700 Miles of Open Road. Designed to bring awareness to the Blues Music Awards there will be 5 stops along the inaugural tour. From Chicago, IL to Clarksdale, MS riders will experience the open road, afternoons at blues attractions and evenings with great Blues music at participating venues. From April 30 thru May 7. Check it out at cruisinblues.com



[Jr. Boy Gettin' It Real CD cover] April 2
Andrew "Jr. Boy" Jones Band were special guests of the Kilborn Alley Blues Band at The Phoenix - 215 S. Neil St. Champaign
Andrew "Jr. Boy" Jones is a former sideman from the late, great Freddie King's band and has played, recorded and toured with the likes of Charlie Musselwhite and Katie Webster. He and his band record on the Electro-Fi label and have toured extensively throughout the Americas, Europe, Asia and Australia. Come on out and bring your blues shoes; there's gonna be dancin' and carryin'-on!



[Eric McSpadden] March 20
Kilborn Alley Blues Band played with special guest Eric McSpadden
Memphis on Main - 55 E. Main St. Champaign
PCBS had a membership table and assisted with the show
Eric McSpadden grew up in Decatur and has been one of the finest harp players on the St Louis Blues scene for the last 30 years.



[Sugar Prophets debut CD cover] Sugar Prophets CD release/Memphis or Bust Party!

The Sugar Prophets hosted a fundraiser for their trip to the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, TN. Feb. 1st thru the 5th. It happened at Memphis on Main, 55 E. Main St. in Champaign on Sunday Jan. 30th.

There were musical guests, great BBQ, a slient auction and plenty of PCBS members there to lend their support. Here are the details. Here is the Event Poster.




Keith Harden receives PCBS Membership

[Keithmas - Rich + Keith Honorary Membership]
Keith, singer/songwriter, was presented with a framed certificate commemorating his Honorary Membership and a Prairie Crossroads Blues Society t-shirt at his annual Keithmas show Dec. 23, 2010, at The Iron Post in Urbana. Here's all the details.



Kick Out The Blues Fall Festival

[Prairie Crossroads Blues Society at KOTBFF]
The Kick Out The Blues Fall Festival was a great success

The Prairie Crossroads Blues Society wishes to Thank the following:
The Painkillers, The Sugar Prophets, The Kilborn Alley Blues Band
Ben and Tiffany and all the fine folks at Memphis on Main
Check out all the donors and contributors at our Thank You Page.

Thanks to WAND-TV for featuring us on their newscast Sunday evening, Nov. 21 2010, with a story about us and our Blues In The Schools programs.
Thanks also to WICD ABC Newschannel 15 for this story on our event and educational efforts.