The University’s annual Homecoming Week is upon us, bringing with it an endless stream of events to entertain you and your family.
Among classic events like the Homecoming football game and 5k race, Champaign-Urbana’s lively music scene will be filled with different sights and sounds for everyone in the area to attend.
Whether you enjoy the local music scene or national classics, The DI has your back with a list of music events in Champaign-Urbana to get you ready for homecoming week.
Under the Canopy: Battle of the Bands
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To kick off the week, local bands and musicians will come together to compete for a $1,000 grand prize and their own headlining show at The Canopy Club on Oct. 15. Doors open for the night of nonstop music at 4 p.m., and the show starts at 5 p.m.
The performance is open to ages 14 and over, with tickets available for $10 in advance or $12 at the door.
Performers will include Emily How, Garden Girl, Grey Slush, The Hangovers, Haunted x Humans, Josh Spinner, Manifest West and Sitrus Sol.
A special panel of invited judges and an audience vote will choose the winning band. In-room and online voting will be available to accommodate audience members wherever they are.
More information on the event can be found here.
Americana Happy Hour ft. Noah G Fowler
Continuing the fun, Nashville songwriter and guitarist Noah G. Fowler will headline Americana Happy Hour at the Rose Bowl Tavern on Oct. 19. The honky-tonk show will last from 5-7 p.m.
An assortment of happy hour specials, ranging from $2 to $5, will be offered during the performance. Cover is not required at the venue.
According to Fowler’s website, his set will include musical influences that have inspired him, such as Canadian fiddle jams, Pennsylvania dive bars and Allston basement shows.
This show is a part of Fowler’s 2023 national tour that began in late July and will continue until late October. Further tour dates are listed here.
More information on the show can be found here.
It’s All A Blur
For party lovers, “It’s All A Blur,” an event hosted by Pyramid University, will take place at The Canopy Club on Oct. 20 from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Attendees must be 18 and over to enter and present their student ID upon arrival. Tickets can be purchased for $25 online or at the door.
The event will pull inspiration from rapper Drake’s and rapper 21 Savage’s ongoing tour of the same name. The tour concluded in Columbus, Ohio on Oct. 9.
Free parking is available for students in the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts parking garage after 5 p.m.
More information on the party can be found here.
Illini Cabaret: Music on Main
Combining elements of history and music, the Illini Cabaret: Music on Main will take place at the Main Library’s Reading Room on Oct. 20. The performance will begin at 4 p.m.
The Cabaret will feature a performance by Scott Schwartz, archivist for Music and Fine Arts, and three students from the School of Music.
“Music on Main” will highlight unique instruments, such as a 1923 C.G. Conn contrabass sarrusophone, a 1907 C.G. Conn cornet and a historic tenor trombone, according to the event website.
The performers will kick off the evening with a discussion on each instrument to bring awareness to sounds of the past.
Each School of Music student will then give a short performance on their respective instrument, accompanied by pianist Sarah Schwartz.
More information on the performance can be found here.
Foreigner: The Historic Farewell Tour
The famous rock act Foreigner will be performing for their Historic Farewell Tour at the State Farm Center on Oct. 22. The stadium’s doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the concert starts at 7:30 p.m.
The classic rock band will be celebrating their history of 10 multi-platinum albums and 16 Billboard Top 30 hits. With over 11 million monthly listeners on Spotify, the band’s popularity has continued to this day.
The Historic Farewell Tour began in July and will continue until September 2024.
More information on the tour can be found here.
