Jan/13 #3
Table of Contents Winter Farmer’s Market | 2 - 4 Think Globally - Shop Locally | 5 - 6 ClusterPluck 2013 | 7-8 Chicago Farmer Album Review | 9 - 10 Future Rock | 11 - 14 NCAA Men’s Basketball | 15
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The Winter Farmer’s Market has been up and going since the beginning of the year. During the summer months the Farmer’s Market has built a home in the Westown Mall Parking Lot near the Murdale Shopping Center on the west side of Carbondale, Ill. In the winter months the market has found a secondary home at Thomas School on Wall St. The
school allows the farmers to setup shop in the gymnasium each Saturday to sell produce to the local community. Local musicians fill the air with acoustic music as residents bounce from one stand to the next. It has become a tradition in southern Illinois for many people. Each Saturday morning from 9 AM - 1 PM CST residents have the ability to buy fresh
food directly from the farmers in the community. The shop local movement is gaining more momentum as protestors around the globe are starting to demand fair treatment in the workplace and in the marketplace. Joshua Buchheit helps run and operate Lick Creek Beef located off of interstate 57 in Lick Creek, Ill. Josh performs in a group S.I.W.A.D.E. They have a performance coming up with the ISC International Festival on Friday, February 15 from 7:007:15 PM CST. Buchheit performs live with the band and finds time to manage a farm with over 400 acres. He sells his high quality beef at the market, and is always staying busy around town. Mulberry Hill Farm provides fresh spinach from southern Illinois. There is a wide selection of other fresh produce as well.
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During this Spring we will be covering a local beekeeper that stocks his product at the market. There will be in depth content that will go over the honey-making process that beekeepers go through the provide honey and pollen. The research on bee pollen shows that there is significant positive effects that occur when people consume the natural resource. Bee pollen is known to help with stamina, premature aging, PMS, mouth sores, joint pain, and skin care. Information and details available on WebMd.com. Scott Martin is the beekeeper that is going to help me unlock all the positive side effects that bee pollen and honey can provide a community this Spring.
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PMAC Music in Carbondale, Ill is closing down their branch in southern Illinois in midMarch. They will continue to have music and merchandise available at their Cape Girardeau location in southeast Missouri. Local businesses across the country have been hit hard during the current Great Recession. Recently there has been a large influx in smaller companies in the local community that
have been shutting down after decades of providing service. This raises the question. What can we do to save local businesses? The answer is shop local. Amy Dempsey shares the bad news about the business closing in Carbondale, but informs Jason Ross about the good deals on the vinyl records. “We are trying to move a lot of merchandise. Vinyl is 50 percent off here, and there is still another
record store in town, so residents need to get out there and show support,� Dempsey said. Local record stores are vital to local music scenes, and Southern Illinois has one of the most rich music histories. Plaza Records is still available to pick up high quality music, vinyl and more off of Route 13 in Carbondale, Ill.
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On Thursday, January 31 the Greek restaurant known as El Greco served their last lunch. Staff, crew, friends and long-term customers stuffed into the restaurant on Wednesday night and Thursday afternoon. On Wednesday night, I walked by and could not even get into the door. Ian Provence and Travis Newton served one of the last meals to his bandmate James Ricks at the closing of El Greco
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on Thursday, January 31 in the photo below. Travis had performed in the band County Graves with James locally. “It was a madhouse in here last night,� Provence said. El Greco has served downtown Carbondale with Greek food for over forty years. The staff and crew have all moved on to find their places in the community. This restaurant is another tragic lose to the local business community. It is a vital time for every-
one to think smart, and help protect the local economy. There was a deep personable connection that the cooks and servers had with the customers at El Greco. The music was always unique, timeless, unconventional and entertaining. There is talk about the onion rings and fired mushrooms from the El Greco menu being added to the Pinch Penny menu, but that is not yet confirmed.
Derek Rutter- ClusterPluck
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ClusterPulck continues to ride a wave of success during the opening section of this decade. It is a thrill ride to see what the band does next. On Monday, January 7 the band performed live on the Rock with the Ox program that streamed live from the WDBX studios. The Ox interviewed the band and posted the footage live on his YouTube channel at: http://www.youtube.com/user/rockwiththeox. The band performs a Midwest blend of acoustic rock that layers gospel,
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bluegrass, funk and reggae. Before their set on WDBX the band sat down with me and tuned their instruments and caught up on plans for the Spring tour plans. LEAH Osborne has found a sweet spot in the lineup of the band after performing with them for several months now. Their sound is more polished, and the band is always upbeat and fun to talk to. They performed at the Hangar 9’s open mic night later Monday evening.
The Summer Camp Music Festival is one of the largest music festivals in the Midwest. Each year they have a multiple battle of the bands competitions across the country. This year ClusterPluck battled their way to a victory at the Old Rock House in St. Louis, Mo. The festival is being held in Chillicothe, Ill on May 24-26. Check out the event and ClusterPluck to find out about music, culture and new forms entertainment.
Album Review: Backnforth, IL Written and Produced by Chicago Farmer A spiritual connection is created when Chicago Farmer and The Hired Hands blends acoustic rock with a variety of gospel rhythms
for their latest release “Backnforth, IL”. During a listening party with a set of friends and local musicians, Matt Decker mentioned the album remind-
ed him of traveling and touring across Illinois. The first track ‘Everybody in This Town’ displays the gritty, rallied psyche within Cody Diekhoff that captivates audiences nationwide. It also reflects the personable nature of the Midwest. His voice and energy reminds me of traditional musicians that would travel on circuits throughout the country to make a name in the music industry. Some of them would break out into new territories, and some would stay in one market. This album’s energy is example of an artist that continues to break into new markets, and progress as an musician. ‘Workin On It’ is a track that I have been able to hear Chicago Farmer perform a rowdy version of this song live in concert opening for the Woodbox Gang at the Shryock Auditorium. The audience rallied with Cody during his live perfor-
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The third track titled ‘The Twenty Dollar Bill’ creates an intimate bond between Diekhoff as a solo musician and the audience. Diekhoff’s songwriting is a highlight throughout the album, and especially this song. His stories and songs are layered with moments that connect on an authentic level. ‘Backnforth’ is another great example of creative songwriting that personifies the art of traveling on the road. Diekhoff is joined by Darren Garv-
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ery on drums and vocals, Mike Davidov performs bass, Joel Paterson on pedal steel guitar & guitar, and Chris Harden on supporting vocals. ‘200 Miles Away’ tells a story on emotions that plays on the idea of being too far away to be able to change the problem. This song goes well with the traveling/touring theme that the album displays. Overall “Backnforth, IL” provides an opportuni-
ty for music lovers to step into the world that Diekhoff lives in everyday. A world in a state of constant evolution during a challenging time for artists and musicians. Diekhoff continues to find his voice and test himself to create music that is relative, sensitive and positive. Acoustic music lovers can rest easy, Chicago Farmer is still on tour and making music.
Photos by Sean Hersch
Future Rock ushered in 2013 at the Hangar 9 in style with their performance on Friday, January 18. Manic Focus opened the show with produced beats from St. Paul, MN. The members of Future Rock are based out of Chicago, and bring heavy dose of energy each show. This performance was fueled with new music featured on their “One Day” album. The band is current-
ly on a large Midwest run with stops in Minneapolis, Kansas City, Davenport and a stop at the Cabin Fever Indoor Camping Music Festival. Cabin Fever is located east of Peoria, and has Emancipator, Ben Miller Band, Ultraviolet Hippopotamus, Afternoon Moon and plenty more up-and-coming acts from the Midwest. Along with touring around the country, and producing a new album
the band continues to push themselves to new areas in life and music. The crowd at the Hangar 9 show was youthful and energetic. Future Rock launched the crowd into a frenzy during the high points of each song. Their sets are non-stop rushes of energy that captivate electronic music lovers. Band’s web link at: http://www.futurerock.net
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http://summercampfestival.com
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NCAA Men’s & Women’s Basketball is gearing up for another big March. The SIUC teams will be out of the running this year, but they have opportunities to build upon their strengths and skills that they have now, and return next season with a thirst and drive to succeed. Barry Hinson has had a troublesome first season with the salukis.
He took over the head coaching spot after Chris Lowery left in 2012. The team that is currently on the court has five freshman, three sophomores, four juniors and three seniors on board. Critics have said the team is undersized. In the past the SIUC Men’s Basketball team has reached nationwide acclaim with the talent that the university produc-
es. It might be a major stressor for Hinson not to produce a winning season right off the bat. The saluki fans have become accustomed to winning seasons. So far this season the salukis are 1-10 in conference play. This is an underwhelming opening to a new partnership with the current coaching staff.
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