I’ll be the first to admit it; I don’t know much of anything about the history of the scene here. Prior to landing in Champaign-Urbana, my knowledge of the town consisted of two things: Hum and REO Speedwagon.
The former first piqued my interest when I caught them on the old Late Night with Conan O’Brien. I dug it and picked up You’d Prefer an Astronaut, but I lumped them in with the Smashing Pumpkins and Chicago. And while I always loathed REO Speedwagon, I never knew of their association with Champaign until a South Carolina-based band I was in shared the stage with a Texas based band that was sued by Speedwagon over their name. The town of Champaign was name-dropped casually (as in “those jackasses from Champaign”), but that was it.
I was initially worried that Champaign would be hung up on the past just as my former home of Columbia, S.C. was stuck on godawful bands like Hootie and the Blowfish. These suspicions were confirmed after I found myself stumbling along REO Speedwagon Way in downtown Champaign one evening, but as I later learned (and am still learning), that is with good reason.
There is a great difference between being stuck in the past and reminiscing about it. Having been charged with assembling a list of great shows that I almost entirely missed in this town, I was slightly intimidated. But as I culled through survey responses, I noticed that I caught many of these acts on the same tours that blew through Champaign and elsewhere. Hearing the stories shared below offered me a glimpse into the mind of Champaign scenesters that I would not be able to gather otherwise and I found myself feeling nostalgic with no good reason.
Knowing these venues and knowing these acts, I can imagine the crowds, smell the smells, and see the lights. I know that feeling you get seeing the adorable beast that is the Flaming Lips live, or seeing a drummer as stunning as Jerry Fuchs for the first time. I get why Sufjan Stevens is a big deal here and I reluctantly made it to the Avett Brothers show only to be bowled over by their live intensity. And to this day, my girlfriend still has nightmares about the time we saw Monotonix. But more than great shows, these are great stories.
And so it is with great pleasure that we present the following list of amazing shows from the past ten years of Champaign-Urbana. You will notice we had a hard time getting it down to ten, but a lot of these stories just need to be shared. The list is by no means meant to be all-inclusive, graded, categorized or biased toward any genre, venue or year. We just want to share stories and experiences from years past.
If it helps to set the mood, crack a beer and pretend like you’re reminiscing with a stranger at the bar. If you have stories of other shows, or if you would like to add to or amend these, by all means, please share them below.
Just don’t let that stone gather no moss, Champaign-Urbana.
-MARK SIECKMAN
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THE FLAMING LIPS
March 7, 2000
The Highdive
When The Soft Bulletin was released in 1999, critics fell over themselves. How could a succinct album this perfect, come from a band that had just two years prior released an album that required four CD players to properly listen? And didn’t Mercury Rev just release something similar eight months prior? In the end, it didn’t matter. The Flaming Lips’ popularity was about to soar to new heights, and before they knew any better, they were back on tour, still imagining themselves as the little guy; the band that plays C-market shows and loads in their own gear. Well, the show was sold out before anyone had a chance to think straight, and the performance itself was as electric as can be, perhaps even moreso because of the fact that it seemed like everyone there was getting a glimpse into what might happen if the general public caught on to just how much fun a band like this can be. They did; and by the time they returned to Canopy Club in 2003, they had already blown the roof off the rest of the world. But it was the Highdive performance that remains such a special one, simply because it represented perhaps one of the last moments where indie rock was truly more underground than mainstream.
-SETH FEIN
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YO LA TENGO
April 2, 2000
The Highdive
Silence from the audience at rock shows is impossible. Like, actual silence. Someone coughs, or is still talking in the back; a glass goes clink-clank or a chair squeaks. In the history of rock music, I’d venture to estimate that true silence has been achieved on just a few occasions. Lucky for those of us able to attend Yo La Tengo at The Highdive on April 2, 2000, we were witness to one of those moments. After a long applause for their initial appearance on the stage, the stalwart trio began to perform the epic closing track (“Night Falls on Hoboken”) off of their-then-latest album, And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out, and the sounds in the room began to dissipate, one by one. After about a minute, just a few noises remained, and those still talking were promptly shushed by those around them. The bar staff (then employed with humans that not only knew bands like Yo La Tengo, but loved them), realized what was happening, and even stopped serving drinks. It was total silence, outside of what was happening on stage. And what was happening was transcendent. The capacity crowd sat through the first song completely enthralled; it took over 20 minutes to finish the first tune, and when they did, and ripped into “Sugarcube,” off of their equally amazing former album, I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One, the audience went ballistic, then, and for the rest of the performance as well. It was truly a spectacle, and for the 428 of us who saw it, it was pure joy.
-SETH FEIN
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THE BLACKOUTS, ABSINTHE BLIND, AMERICAN MINOR, THE BUZZARDS, LANTERNA
CU Cityview Local Music Showcase
November 20, 2002
The Highdive
Seven years ago, CU Cityview put together an amazing local music showcase. My friend Yejoon Koh and I came from campus and arrived to find Lanterna as a full band already in progress. We had never seen Lanterna before and were awestruck. The showcase doubled as the record release for the new Lanterna album, and we both bought a copy after the set. I had never even heard of American Minor before, but three songs into their set, there was audience discussion how they could be that good and that unknown. American Minor never released those songs, which were more indie than those on their eventual album. The showcase was also the first Absinthe Blind show with Brett Sanderson. Six weeks later, CU Cityview went out of business with no advance notice.
-TODD HUNTER
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HUM
August 9, 2003
Cowboy Monkey
The summer before my Freshman year in high school, Hum played a free show in West Side Park alongside C-U stalwarts Menthol. The year was 1996, and as a band they were still peaking on the success of You’d Prefer an Astronaut. The show was great — especially for me as this was one of my very first rock shows. It made me a life-long Hum fan. So, seven years later, when I heard they’d be playing a reunion show, I was pretty stoked. Nor was I the only one — towards the end, most of us had to squeeze ourselves in through the doors, and several had to watch from the alley. I’ve never seen the Cowboy Monkey so full or so sweaty. It was, without question, a fire code violation. Then, amidst the sweat and the beer fueled yelps of excitement that permeated the crowd, Hum commenced to live up to our enthusiasm. Drawing heavily from Astronaut while taking a few tunes from Downward is Heavenward, Tim Lash and Matt Talbott showed how their two seemingly-disparate styles (Lash’s recursive and often mellifluous riffs and Talbott’s poignant and deliberate phrasing) melded together into the cohesive, if noisy, sound they are known for. Throughout their set, and only a few short years after calling it quits, Hum reminded us just how relevant they still were (and are). For those of you who missed it, be encouraged by the fact that they played the Monkey again in 2008 — maybe it’ll be one of those once-every-five-years things.
-CALEB CURTISS
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ARCADE FIRE
November 21, 2004
The Highdive
The Arcade Fire achieved Pitchfork-approved stardom on the strength of its melodramatic, bohemian orchestra live show as much as its beloved debut album. On their way to blasting out of every Urban Outfitters across the country, the adorable ragamuffin troupe from up north stopped at the Highdive. Win Butler warbled and yelped, helmets were worn, drums were banged, an array of precious instruments fondled. And all in front of a mechanical deer made of Christmas lights. There was talk of growing old, revolution, and the backseat of a car — all part of a purification of the color scheme. If I didn’t own Funeral on Friday, I did on Monday.
-ROBERT HIRSCHFELD
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THE NATIONAL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA OF RUSSIA
March 14, 2007
Krannert Center for the Performing Arts
As a newcomer to Illinois, I waited 2.5 years too long for my first trip to Krannert. It might have been longer if my partner had not surprised me with tickets to the National Philharmonic of Russia for my birthday in the spring of 2007. Stepping into the lobby that evening, I was pleasantly surprised to discover a warmth and grandeur that belies the vaguely modern, rather unappealing brick and concrete exterior of the building. I was drawn to the details of the place: the pattern of the rich teakwood floors reflecting amber and gold under the lights of the low ceilings, the Italian marble of the walls, the vintage signage. Down plush carpeted stairs and through a narrow wood paneled door I entered the Foellinger Great Hall. I found it akin to an enormous beehive — honeycomb for a ceiling and honey colored walls, the buzz of its occupants as they looked for their seats. We found ours on the far end of the balcony, floating above the back of the stage like an ethereal hovercraft. Below us, Olga Kern played Rachmaninoff piano solos with the temper of a storm barely contained. Her performance was seductive, powerful, and engaging. Later, as the Orchestra joined her onstage to play Rachmaninoff’s Second Piano Concerto my attention was equally divided between the piano and the conductor, Vladimir Spivakov. His poise and energy drew me in and kept me with him as he led the orchestra through several Shostakovich pieces, as well as a tongue-in-cheek encore of a section from Copland’s Rodeo, otherwise known as the theme music from “Beef, It’s What’s for Dinner.” The talent and presence of the musicians and the acoustics of the space delivered a clarity and quality of sound and soul that palpably moved the audience, making me glad that there are people who dedicate their lives to this art, and those that support it.
-LISA JANES
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MASERATI, BEAUTY SHOP
June 6, 2007
The Cowboy Monkey
I’d seen Maserati before, but there was something different about this show. The vibe in the air and buzz surrounding the band’s latest album seemed to be a bit thicker than before. Of course, there’s nothing like a beautiful summer night in downtown Champaign either. I recall Seth telling me that I needed to be standing up front during the final couple songs to truly experience the percussive madness that would be taking place. Drummer Jerry Fuchs had always stood out to me as a clear featured role of the band. For those of you that never saw Maserati, Jerry’s kit was always set up front and center of the stage with the rest of the band surrounding him. On this night I believe they ended their set with “Show Me The Season” from their newest album at the time, Inventions of the New Season. And, Seth was right. Watching and hearing Jerry rock the shit out of his kick drum was amazing. It was almost as though he was a cross-breed human with a robot leg. How else could he have kept up the pace and tempo of that song for so long? It blew my mind. Jerry — you will be missed forever.
-MIKE ARMINTROUT
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NAS, TALIB KWELI, JAY ELECTRONICA
August 30, 2008
Canopy Club
It’s rare when genre royalty of any kind shows up in Champaign-Urbana while at the top of their game. Quite honestly, this decade, it’s only happened a few times that I can recall off the top of my head. Kenny Chesney, Jay-Z, Kanye West, you get the drift. But the difference here is that while these other artists were relaxing in the Assembly Hall green room, Nas was aboard his bus, waiting to get on stage to a sold-out Canopy Club — a severe, but deliberate, underplay for a performer whose latest album, Untitled; or N****r, was literally at the top of the Billboard charts on the very date that his show was scheduled for C-U. And for good reason: Nas absolutely owned the crowd that night. The level of confidence that this man exuded from first note to encore was simply indescribable. He literally walked off his bus, walked on stage — slayed — and then walked off stage, and then right back onto his bus. He performed every last hit, from “If I ruled the world” to “It Ain’t Hard to Tell” to “Hero.” In the end, the high ticket price of $30 seemed like chump change to everyone; it was the most well put together hip-hop show outside of Assembly Hall this decade. Witness below:
-SETH FEIN
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MONOTONIX
Pygmalion Music Festival
September 18, 2008
Canopy Club
I did not think it possible for any opening act to steal the show from Dan Deacon, a man who is known for the frenetic quality of his own live performances. But that’s precisely what Monotonix did during their Pygmalion performance in 2008 (check out the video here). I don’t mind it when my rock and roll is loosely interpreted, so the fact that Monotonix’s set could hardly be described as fundamental didn’t bother me. To focus on the musical aptitude of the performers is to miss the point: it’s a performance, a point driven home by singer Ami Shalev as he began the set by mooning the audience, then proceeded to spray beer and spit; rub his sweaty, smelly, hairy self on others; dump a full can of trash on his drummer’s head while the drummer kept the beat; and relocate the trio (including the drummer’s trap set) several times en route to ending the set in the Canopy’s beer garden. It was like watching Keith Moon let loose in a hotel room, or possibly like witnessing the spectacle that is GG Allin, minus some bodily fluids. Best live performance I’ve seen in my decade-plus in C-U.
-DOUG HOEPKER
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JEFF TWEEDY
January 31, 2009
Foellinger Auditorium
My love affair with Jeff Tweedy has had the opposite arc of the majority of Wilco fans. Uncle Tupelo is probably my favorite band of all time, and my favorite Wilco album is A.M. So, I entered Tweedy’s show earlier this year at Foellinger with a healthy dose of trepidation, but when he hit the stage, he didn’t disappoint. Playing solo with only an acoustic guitar (of the six he had to choose from on stage) to accompany him, Tweedy commanded the room from start to finish. With his family in attendance, he played a heartfelt, intimate collection of songs spanning the breadth of his career, from a couple of Uncle Tupelo favorites (“Wait Up” and “Acuff/Rose”) to a couple of brand-new tracks.
-JOEL GILLESPIE
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BONNIE “PRINCE” BILLY
March 13, 2009
The Urbana-Champaign Independent Media Center
More shows need to be held at the IMC. It’s the perfect place for audiences and artists to truly connect: there are no curtains, and there is no mysterious green room lurking behind the stage. It’s simply a place where artists and their fans can learn to further appreciate one another.
-JUSTINE FEIN-BURSONI
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POSTER CHILDREN, COWBOY X, LONELY TRAILER, THE OUTNUMBERED
Josh Gottheil Memorial Concert
May 24, 2009
The Highdive
The Josh Gottheil Memorial Show was the best I have been to here in the past five years, and the bill speaks for itself. The Outnumbered came together from California, Oregon, and Illinois for their first public performance in twenty-two years, and their twelve-song set culminated in an impromptu anti-nostalgia rant and the dazzlingly angry anthem “Cover Me with Flowers.” Lonely Trailer not only came off hiatus but have stayed together and if anything gotten better. The original Cowboy X (not the one from Ireland) matched Lonely Trailer for joyful je ne sais quoi. Poster Children, who never actually broke up but play only about once every two years, never disappoint and are reason enough to live here. Add a secret set afterward, and the only negative was, well, still very negative. Not only could Josh Gottheil not be there, but the news Jay Bennett had died broke right before the concert. All proceeds went to the Josh Gottheil Memorial Fund for Lymphoma Research.
-TODD HUNTER
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SUFJAN STEVENS
September 25, 2009
The Highdive
Sufjan decided to shock all of his fans on his latest tour with major underplays and visiting smaller markets, like our lovely towns. With only a limited amount of tickets available, Sufjan performed at the Highdive to a full house and opened with an epic new song about love called “Impossible Love.” Perhaps his new ten minute ballad made people antsy for some more favorites off of Illinoise, but not for a moment did the six-piece band let this intimate crowd down.
-JUSTINE FEIN-BURSONI
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THE AVETT BROTHERS
October 22, 2009
The Canopy Club
Where do I start. I’ve been surrounded by music and performing my whole life, but no music has meant as much to me during my time on this earth as that of the Avett Brothers. Especially over the last year, their words and music have enriched my life and helped me through some truly difficult times. Since February 2008, I’ve seen the Avett Brothers 10 times — but this show was far and away the most rocking and this crowd was one of the loudest I’ve ever experienced at the club in my almost 9 years here. From their first song (“And It Spread” off their most recent record, the Rick Rubin-produced I and Love and You) to their final encore (“Talk on Indolence” off their record Four Thieves Gone), the Avett Brothers delivered emotion and energy through every note, leaving it all on the stage for the audience to see, hear and appreciate. And, this audience did just that — belting almost every word at the top of their lungs and screaming for more in between each song. Two of my good friends were experiencing the Avetts for the first time, and took my advice of standing as close to the stage as possible — it’s definitely the best way to feel like part of the show and experience all that is the Avett Brothers. They heard someone standing around them say something after the second song, that I think sums up the way this band left the entire audience feeling that night and is what I will leave you with. “I feel like a kid again!” the excited fan screamed. If you haven’t done so yet, go listen to the Avett Brothers.
-MIKE ARMINTROUT