Live Music Bar Crawl
by Zachary Shields

When Mrs. Bar Crawl moved to Decatur, her first question concerned live music venues. Although Mr. Bar Crawl didn’t have a good grasp on the scene around town at the time, he’s since found a better handle on things. Summertime offerings can be somewhat thinner than they are through winter, when nobody has anything to do outside. If you know where to go, though, it’s possible to catch fun shows year-round. We offer you two options, both likely to suit all kinds of tastes if you hit them on the right night.

ON TOUR WITH MR. AND MRS. BAR CRAWL . . .

Eric Wiley knows a good act when he sees one. From Pink Floyd in Philly to Phish in — well, he can’t remember where —he’s seen some sweet shows in his time. A printing manager who travels widely for International Paper, he has a nose for great venues both at home and abroad. Brad Urban is a graphic designer with Jones and Thomas. Sometimes, he gets so drawn in to the music that he becomes the entertainment…

Cornerstone Tavern
1190 W. Southside Drive
217.422.7445

Visitation: June 15, 2006 – 9:43 p.m.

First Impression: Rewind a year-and-one issue to June/July 2005’s Before-and-After Bar Crawl. At that time we were impressed at the renovation job performed by clan Chiligiris, specifically Chris and Kostaki. We still are. Now they’re moving forward with Phase II — the floor’s been completely re-tiled, and construction is underway on an outdoor patio. No word on when it will be finished, but to judge by the elbow-bumping everybody will appreciate the overflow space. Which brings us to…

Mosh Pit? No, but the joint’s far more pleasantly packed than this time a year ago. The boys are definitely in business. This sizeable mob also puts off a buzz not wholly related to the array of spirited offerings behind the bar. Youngish collection the night of our stop — 20-somethings plus — but an effort to bring in diverse musical talent means a different gathering each event. Tonight it’s a shake-your-money–at-the-bartender type crowd. Not exceedingly polite. Not overtly unruly, either. They’ve gathered to hear, free of cover-charge…

The Ghost of John Lennon? No, but maybe as versatile. Live Karaoke is based in Champaign, and makes the occasional foray our way along I-72. From the sublime opening guitar licks of “Mary Jane’s Last Dance” (Tom Petty), it’s clear they intend to have fun with the evening no matter how much the onlookers respond – or don’t.

“We are The Live Karaoke Band,” cajoles the lanky lead singer. “Actually, right now, since none of you are singing yet, we’re just The Live Band. Buy that guy a shot. Buy him two. The sign-up sheet to be a rock star is right here.”

Interactivity Meter: This invitation allows us to test my man Scottie’s theory on such matters (“Anheuser-Busch has not brewed enough beer in its existence to get me up on stage. They’ve barely made enough to get me on the dance floor.”) Enter Brad Urban. Right after his arrival from Blues in Central Park, he’s highly skeptical about stepping into the spotlight. A couple of strategically-placed Captain and Cokes later he has a far rosier outlook. Before you know it Brad’s behind the mic, peer-pressured by Mrs. Bar Crawl into Weezer’s “Buddy Holly” song. Furthermore, he is dead certain he’s having a good time. That’s what he gets for keeping company like us.

In Random Summation: A very, very good time; bonus points for lead vocalist’s We Like it Here reference and for dedicating a song to Rodney from Robbies; repertoire stretching from “Mustang Sally” to “Hey Mickey” and more mod; and even if you don’t drink, there’s hot pizza to be had. Not every night is no-cover, but it’s always reasonable. When a DJ’s in-house there are (reportedly) lines across the parking lot waiting to shake it. For more mellow shows, call about the next solo or blues act. Even if you walk in with ‘em, you’re not likely to go away grumpy.

Headliners
2553 N. 22nd St.
217.422.6713

Visitation: June 17, 2006 – 11:24 p.m.

First Impression: Truly a first, as none of our party have set foot in here before, not even when it was MVP’s former location. Strikes us as a more late-night venue. Very spacious interior with a large bar to the left, super-wide dance floor, and enough tables so you can sit unobtrusively to the side if, like my friend Scottie, you have no rhythm. 150 or so people remained well after midnight, so was it a…

Mosh Pit? Sort of, if you count a lot of mid-fifties-folk inadvertently bumping one another during Van Morrison’s “Brown-Eyed Girl,” of which Whiskey and a Pickle does an extremely passable version. In fact, this band covers a lot of different groups with good success. Eric’s partial to the ‘80s rock anthems in which the lead singer’s doing a lot of histrionics with the mic — swinging it on its cord, pretending to make out with it, jump-roping, and so on.

Is The Ghost of John Lennon here? No, though as musicians go the lead-guitarist could jam with anybody, anyplace, anytime. It’s amazing that a human being’s fingers can groove from style to style so smoothly. You definitely get the feeling these guys would just as gladly get together in their garage as play in front of people. Yet they joke with the crowd in much the same vein as the lead singer from The Live Karaoke Band. It’s not just music, everybody – it’s ENTERTAINMENT! Have a good time! We’re here for YOU! Inhibitions are for sissies!

Interactivity Meter: Tame crowd. There seems to be a following of fans/family/friends gathered to support the group. Otherwise, not a lot of mingling. New owner Barry Sammons has the right idea for the cavernous space, as it’s ideally suited to hosting large, live events. It’ll be interesting to see how word of mouth works for the acts he books.

In Random Summation: Headliners’ staffers say they want to offer a lot of diverse sounds, from the classic rock we heard to jazz to younger Central Illinois groups starting to make a splash; fresh, hot popcorn; Hoegaarden on draft, with a slightly spicy undertow that makes us wonder why they even offer any other lesser taste to the public.

Live music fan Zachary Shields is a regular contributor to Decatur Magazine.