PEORIA MAGAZINE March 2023

The band Butta plays at Kenny’s Westside Pub in Peoria

PLAYING IN PEORIA

‘PAY THE COVER,’ LET YOUR ‘MIND BE BLOWN’ A few key players are keeping Downtown Peoria’s live music scene alive, and there’s something for everyone

forget all the musical magic being brought to us by cultural festivals, promoters Jay Goldberg Events & Entertainment (JGEE) and the Peoria Park District that will hit the Peoria Riverfront when warmer temps arrive. Meanwhile, the Peoria Civic Center has been selling out multiple acts for all tastes. I recently popped into a relatively new establishment, Jack’s on Adams. Owner Jack Berres opened the bar/restaurant on April 27, 2022, and on April 29, Jack’s played host to local rockers Easy Riders. Live music has played at Jack’s every weekend since. As 2023 approached, Berres stepped back, assessed the music schedule and made some tweaks. No more Friday night music, but on Saturdays he bumped it up to accommodate full bands. Thursday nights you will find local artist Mr. Charlie, a Grateful Dead themed act. Established local bands tend to bring in the big crowds and the energy, said Berres, who expresses a keen awareness that live music at a bar/restaurant is an investment that takes time to cultivate. Since day one, patrons of Jack’s have enjoyed the tunes pro bono, but on

BY ROXY BAKER PHOTOS BY RON JOHNSON

W hat’s that noise coming from Peoria’s Downtown? It’s a live music scene that is balanced, diverse and global with several key players getting the work done! From fresh upstart establishments to seasoned live music venues, the

Downtown music scene has something for everyone, according to Peoria Music Live (PML), an online resource for what is playing where in Peoria. PML’s Kindall Reuschel points to the likes of Kenny’s Westside Pub, Neon Bison, the Contemporary Art Center and X Bar at Gone Axe Throwing. And let us not

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