Sangamon News

Ah, Winter is Over!

2009-04-22T08:56:00.000-07:00

Finally, I see '80' in the forecast! With this weather change always comes that renewed sense of hope that only sunny days and open windows can bring. How does this relate to Sangamon? Matching our excitement for summer, is our excitement to bring you new tunes and to perform as often as possible. We've started work on a new recording, and although it's a lengthy process, we're going to focus all energy into getting these songs to you ASAP.

This Friday, we'll be performing at Sliderz in Decatur...always a great time! Check our calendar for concert updates. Otherwise, as always, feel free to hit us up if you want to chat : )

Word,
James

Trio Trio Trio

2009-03-03T11:39:00.000-08:00

Sorry for making this awkward, we didn't mean to ignore you for so long : )

As you may have noticed, it's nearing five months since Sangamon last took the stage. Back in September '08, longtime friend and guitar extraordinaire, Tyler, left Sangamon for personal reasons. We're extremely grateful that talented guitarist, Connor Grant, stepped in to keep us moving forward during a time when we still had some important shows on the calendar, but after honoring our commitments, Shay, Sean, and I took some time to evaluate our situation. Sometimes you need to ask what you want from a life with music, while also asking if you have anything to give back??? We didn't take these questions lightly.

Although we realize that we need music more than music might need us, our desire to write and perform has never been stronger. We need stage time, we need to share new music, we need to feel the energy from our audiences, and, quite frankly, we need to express ourselves in the best way we know how.

With all that said, we have big ambitions. We're officially a trio. The challenges of creating that 'new right sound' have been met with a grin, and we can't wait to share the results. A new record is currently taking shape, and we have plans to push it hard. Expect a new release within the coming months, expect to see more dates on the calendar, and expect us to take on a new name.

Thank you all for your continued support, and we hope to see you soon! Wish us luck : )

Take care,
James

A Couple Fun Shows Before the Work Starts...

2008-10-08T17:17:00.000-07:00

We're excited to welcome Connor Grant, our friend and guitar extraordinaire, to the stage for two shows on October 9th and 10th in St. Louis and Springfield, respectively. We've been working to put together some fun shows to round out what has been over a year of steady performing. The 9th of October will see us at Off Broadway in St. Louis with a few great acts; Paper Dolls, The Dirty 30's, and Cassie Morgan...then, Friday the 10th will see us opening for longtime friends, 56 Hope Road at Marly's in Springfield. Hope to see you out!

While spending so much time focusing on the many aspects of performing (songwriting, booking, travel, practice, etc...), we now find ourselves in the fortunate situation of having nearly an hour of unreleased music that is begging to be shared. So, as you might guess, Sangamon is finally scheduling some 'me time' to put together a new album. We'll keep you posted periodically on the progress...not to mention, I'm sure we'll surprise you with some show dates as great opportunities spring up. Once again, thank you for all your support!!!

In the meantime...

James

Tyler's moving on...

2008-09-25T08:57:00.000-07:00

So, you may have heard, Sangamon is coping with the news that Tyler, our famed guitarist, is moving to Boston to pursue 'real-life' things. Anyone close to the band knows that Tyler has/had a huge influence on the sound, style and energy of our music...so, it goes without saying that our brand of rock 'n roll will be going through a bit of an identity crisis. We'll, no doubt, miss the spark that Tyler always gave us on stage and we'll miss the creativity he lent to songwriting. With all that being said, we wish Tyler the best of luck with his move to Boston... we had some great times together.

As for Sangamon...we're going to finish out the shows on our schedule and then hit the studio. Tyler will be performing with us through the end of September, then our friend, Connor Grant, will be joining us with guitar duties for a couple shows. Anyone who has seen us live knows that we have about an hour of original material that has yet to be released...so, our work is cut out for us; expect an EP in the next few months. Come catch these last few Sangamon shows before we go into hibernation!

Thank you for your support! Hope to see you soon!
James

Big Month Ahead!

2008-08-01T08:18:00.000-07:00

Hi peeps,
August is shaping up to be our biggest month yet... a quick look at our calendar and you'll see that we have six big shows on the schedule for this month alone. Sangamon continues to make strides, and more success equals more shows and more music.

In news, our friends at Tinderbox Music are helping us direct some attention to 'The Right Way EP.' Beginning in less than two weeks, the EP that started it all will be seeking national radio airplay. We're extremely hyped for this opportunity...and, best part about it, in a few months we'll be doing it all over again with a new set of tunes and a new EP.

Also, of note, we've been invited to play the Pygmalion Music Festival here in Champaign-Urbana...more on that to come!

Take care,
James

Out with a bang, but back to work...

2008-06-25T09:26:00.000-07:00

World,
Thank you for the support over the last week! There's no better feeling as a musician than that of knowing that people are appreciating what you're doing...and this weekend's shows gave us that feeling; electricity!

Real quick...huge thanks to BOJ, Mike Ingram, Murph, Larry Gates, Gentleman Auction House, and Todd Kessler...all great people who understand how much fun this business can be when you're willing to put in some hard work and show some respect to your peers...it's just a big circle of love, right?

Anyways, Sangamon has about a month off from performing...yes, we all have personal lives that need vacations, but in that time we intend to continue producing...tonight will mark the first session of what should grow into the release of another EP in a few months. Those of you who've seen us live know that we're a little overdue on releasing new material...hold tight, I promise that great tunes are soon to come!

Livin' the dream,
James

New Shows! Big Smiles!

2008-06-12T09:02:00.000-07:00

Just a quickie...
June 20th and 21st are gonna be fun, fun, fun! Back-to-back outdoor shows!

Our friends, Bottle of Justus, have invited us to share the Peoria Riverfront stage on Friday, June 20th. Nothing beats performing at an outdoor ampitheatre on the river, we're hyped...Sangamon starts around 8:30, with BOJ to follow.

Then, on June 21st, we'll be taking the stage at Mike 'n Molly's, one of our favorite watering holes, here in Downtown Champaign. The big news here is that Gentleman Auction House has been added to the bill...they've been endlessly wowing audiences for awhile now, be sure to check it! Saturday's show will begin at 8PM with the talented singer/songwriter Todd Kessler, followed by everybody's buddy, Larry Gates as Curb Service. Hope to see you out!

Good day,
James

Rock the Monkey

2008-06-06T14:25:00.000-07:00

Hey all-

Thanks to everyone who came out to the Cowboy Monkey last night - hope you enjoyed our return to the Monkey as much as we did! We had a blast hangin' out downtown with some old friends, and hopefully made a few new ones as well. On to D-town and LSB tonight...

Best,

Sean

Cowboy Monkey June 5th (Free) and the217.com

2008-06-03T18:37:00.000-07:00

Ole,

Here at Camp Sangadiddy we're ultra-mega-stoked for this Thursday, June 5th...we're playing a special two-hour show at the Cowboy Monkey in downtown Champaign! As part of the fun, after giving your our energetic original set, we'll be playing about an hour of our favorite cover songs (Bowie, Depeche Mode, U2, etc...). Hope to see you there...read what the217.com has to say about our Cowboy Monkey show.

Also, we hope to see all you loyal hometown fans in Decatur, IL on Friday...we'll be bringin' down the house at Lock, Stock and Barrel...holla!

Best,

James

WPGU 'Band of the Week'

2008-05-29T14:27:00.000-07:00

Howdy,
This week (5/26/08) we're honored to be featured as WPGU 107.1's 'Band of the Week.' ...they'll be increasing spins of, 'The Right Way EP,' all week, plus they'll be featuring an interview and some trivia on air...check it at the217.com.

In other news...we'll be performing a FREE two-hour performance at Champaign's Cowboy Monkey on Thursday June 5th!!! Then, the next night we'll be heading to our hometown, Decatur, IL, to rock the doors off Lock, Stock and Barrel.

Hoping all is well,
James

Canopy 10th Anniversary Party...and maps

2008-05-09T12:39:00.000-07:00

Hey there, Sanga-fans - Sean here. Thanks to everyone who came out to the Canopy last night to catch us and all the other awesome bands that were a part of the 10th Anniversary Party! Thanks to Seth Fein and the Canopy for letting us grace the stage on such a cool night, and thanks to Evan for stepping in and running lights for us. As of right now, the next time you can catch us live will be 6/5, playing a free live show at Cowboy Monkey. Come out and catch our original set, and dance along to some covers - should be a great time!

Also, stumbled across this random site that's too cool not to share:

http://strangemaps.wordpress.com/

Lots of very cool map-related stuff. I particularly enjoyed the post where some ambitious geography major decided to map out all the area codes from the Ludacris song of same name. Enjoy!

Cheers,

Sean

Looking ahead...

2008-05-05T08:29:00.000-07:00

First off, we had a blast in Decatur...56 Hope Road and Floweezy both put on great performances...thanks to Cornerstone for hosting! We should do it again, soon.

Moving on...this Thursday, we'll be performing at Canopy Club as part of the club's 10th Anniversary Celebration. Interestingly, May 9th of 2007 was our first show, which was ironically also at Canopy Club...so, it'll be a night of celebration all around.

In other news, while I rested a hangover all day on Sunday, Tyler spent many hours working on the yard...great job Bigcat!

Cheers,
James

The Haps...

2008-04-28T13:17:00.000-07:00

This Saturday (5/3)...be at Cornerstone in Decatur, IL for a memorable evening. We'll be joined by great friends Floweezy and 56 Hope Road, two amazing groups that'll keep you moving all night! Also, mark your calendars for May 8th at Canopy Club in Urbana, IL...we're one of 15 bands on the bill, we're excited to share our songs with what's sure to be a great audience.

Thank you to Bloomington-Normal and Chicago for the great times over the last two weeks...also, thanks to Painkiller Hotel and Modern Day Savage for being rad bands, we hope to share the stage again.

PEACE DOGG

A few quickies...

2008-04-10T14:04:00.000-07:00

Team Sangamon is working diligently to better our web presence...look for continual updates to our site; new layout, new pictures, new videos, etc.

In the coming months we're gonna release a few B-sides for your enjoyment, to give you a fix while you're waiting for a full-length release. In the meantime, you'll just have to make it to a show.

One more thing, our friends at iChannel.fm have been regularly spinning select tracks from the 'Right Way EP,' big thanks to them! Go check them out.

Farewell,
James

Hello World...Sangamon speaks.

2008-03-28T14:09:00.000-07:00

Hello Internet!

Love,
Sangamon