Celebrating the Blues in
Champaign-Urbana, Illinois
Celebrating the Blues
in Champaign-Urbana
Illinois
Here's what's been happening in and around Champaign-Urbana and surrounding areas. Got some Blues news to share? Send us an email: news@prairiecrossroads.org
2026 Spring Fling FUNDRAISER RAISES OVER $1000The Rose Bowl in Urbana was the place to be on Saturday afternoon June 13th as music lovers from across the area joined with The Prairie Crossroads Blues Society. This day was to celebrate the 2026 Spring Fling and the organizations 16th year of operation in the Champaign-Urbana Community.
Those in attendance were treated to music from three local bands. TherUp.Y a vocal group fronted by Aaron Wilson or as he is known as (A-Train) and his band got the event started.
TherUp,Y treated the those in attendance to a mix of Gospel and Traditional Classics sometimes with just a harp and guitar player in the background. TherUp.Y ended a great set with a rendition of the Muddy Waters classic “Got My Mojo Working.” TherUp.Y really set the tone for the afternoon.
The Painkillers Blues Band played next and got the crowd up on their feet and dancing. The band’s music consisted of a set of Blues standards featuring David Addcok on Harp and vocals.
Not to be outdone, Dawn Clark added her great vocal talents on a few Koko Taylor classics. Gerry Guthrie and David Wilson added great guitar solos and Tom Cullop sat in on drums.
Candy Foster, the last performer of the event did a shortened set, but left no doubt that he can still get the crowd asking for more. Now in his 80’s, Candy is best known for performing with his band The Shades of Blue. This day he was joined by Dawn Clark who helped on a great James Brown super hit. The atmosphere inside The Rose Bowl made It seem like we were back at The Apollo Theater in Harlem.
The 2026 Prairie Crossroads Blues Society Spring Fling was a great success due to the continued support of the Champaign-Urbana Community. Please join us for our 8th Annual Blues Fest on Friday and Saturday August 7th and 8th at Bunny’s Tavern in Urbana.
— Rich Cibelli
Photos by Rich & Sherry Cibelli
Gig Report: Bubble City Playboys @ Pipa’s Pub in Champaign
What do you get when you mix some fine bubbly and a group of outstanding local musicians? The Bubble City Playboys of course! And that’s where you’ll find them each Wednesday from 5-8 pm holding down the stage at Pipa’s Pub in West Champaign. For me, Wednesday February 18, 2026 seemed like the perfect night to catch this band and was I in luck... READ MORE
CD REVIEW: JOHN LOGAN with THE LIX
If you like listening to some good Blues music with just a little bit of Jazz and Funk mixed in, then check out the new release from John Logan with The Lix. This 6 song EP times out at around 20 minutes and was recorded and mixed at Sawhorse Studios. John Logan gets credit for writing 5 of the 6 songs that appear.
This release is packed with plenty of music for your enjoyment and is available on most streaming platforms, so give it a listen.
Based in St. Louis, John Logan with THE LIX is a four-piece group that features John Logan handling Guitar and Vocals, Mike Graham on Bass, Benet Schaeffer on Drums and Frank Bauer on Saxophone... READ MORE
The Nick Moss Band played the REAL Blues for the Prairie Crossroads Blues Society fundraiser on January 15! BIG THANKS to the many Blues fans of Champaign-Urbana who came out on a cold Thursday night to support the Prairie Crossroads Blues Society fundraiser held at the Rose Bowl on January 15, 2026!!!
Also, BIG THANKS to Bunny's Tavern for donating the delicious appetizers for the guests at the fundraiser! Alligator Records artists Nick Moss and his band, featuring the acclaimed Dennis Gruenling on harmonica, wowed the crowd as they played without a break for a full two-hour show.
The band included Moss on the guitar and vocals, Gruenling on harp, Rodrigo Mantovani on bass, and Pierce Downer on drums. They were a hot, very tight, band led by the very personable Nick Moss.
This fundraiser was designed as the first of several fundraiser shows for the Prairie Crossroads 8th Annual Blues Fest to be held August 7-8, 2026 in Urbana. Mark your calendars for the festival, and watch for our future events on our home page.
Check out a snippet of video from the show here:
International Blues Challenge (IBC) 2026 The 2026 International Blues Challenge was held in Memphis from January 14-17, 2026. This brought together talented Blues musicians and bands who won competitions sponsored by local/regional Blues Societies from all over the world.
These musicians and bands played out in clubs on Beale Street in Memphis on Wednesday and Thursday nights with panels of judges at each venue evaluating their skills and musicianship. On Friday night, only the winners advanced to the semi-final performances, and Saturday culminated the Challenge with the Finalists playing for an enthusiastic audience at the beautiful Orpheum Theater.
Winners of this year’s IBC were:
The Prairie Crossroads Blues Society did not sponsor an IBC Competition in 2025, although we are considering hosting a competition for 2026. In the past, we have collaborated with Blues societies in Springfield and Decatur to host an event and sponsor a band in the IBC in Memphis. Keep your eyes and ears open for those announcements later in the year!
Enjoy this video of the Weary Ramblers who won the Solo/Duo competition at this year’s IBC!
Have you got your tickets yet? For the Nick Moss Band, of course! You know they’ll be playing at the Rose Bowl on January 15, right? This promises to be a GREAT show and it’s for a very good cause. This is a fundraiser for the Prairie Crossroads Blues Society… and we are collaborating with the Rose Bowl to bring you some high energy Blues to Urbana. This show is working toward our goal of continuing to provide a high quality 8th Annual Blues Fest on August 7-8. The Nick Moss Band will be featuring Dennis Gruenling on the harmonica. Dennis is one of the top harmonica players in the world and he adds a ton to an already fantastic band. Enjoy this short video of Dennis as he wows the audience at the 2024 SPAH (Harmonica) Convention in Tulsa. This show is likely to sell out, so get your tickets now!
ALSO SEE OLDER NEWS
