Vol.2, No.11, March 20, 2026
|
|
|
People. Places. Things To Do. |
|
| | Hello friends. It's good to have you back in The Green Room.
This was a week of wide-ranging weather, starting very cold and windy and ending on an amazingly warm note as we head into an almost summer-like weekend. A similar variety can be found across Springfield as the city prepares for another Queen City Shout festival.
This year marks 15 years of film, poetry, and lots of music across eight venues in downtown, Rountree, and C-Street. What began as a handful of musicians hosting a canned food drive has grown into a weeklong gathering that reflects a community overflowing with creativity.
The songs and screenings are only part of the story. Another important thread is how the arts continue to show up for our most vulnerable neighbors.
Looking ahead to April, there is also a call for thespians of all sorts to sign up for the Playwright’s Playground Festival. The concept from Devising Original Theatre Springfield, or DOTS, asks theater makers to trust instinct over perfection by building stories literally overnight and presenting them to an audience before self-doubt has time to set in.
It is an artistic leap that thrives on collaboration and just plain fun.
From spontaneous theater creations to citywide arts gatherings, the arts remain a powerful force for connection and renewal. Let’s step into The Green Room and take a closer look together.
|
|
|
| Jimmy Rea
Host, Arts News
KSMU 91.1 - FM
Ozarks Public Broadcasting
|
|
|
The Green Room is sponsored by Springfield Community Gardens
|
|
|
The Domino Kings perform at Queen City Shout. Photo credit: Queen City Shout
|
The Queen City Shout festival returns to venues across Springfield from March 23-29, featuring more than 100 live music performances along with film screenings, poetry events, dance and visual arts programming. Organizers say the milestone year continues the festival’s dual mission of showcasing regional creativity while raising funds for local poverty relief organizations...read more.
|
|
|
Actors rehearse for upcoming DOTS production. Photo credit: DOTS
|
What happens when you give a group of creatives just 24 hours, a mystery prompt, and a stage? DOTS’ Playwright's Playground Festival throws artists into a fast, high-energy sprint to create something completely original, with results that are as surprising as they are unforgettable...read more.
| |
|
|
Arts News on KSMU is your long-standing source for what's happening in the Ozarks arts scene spotlighting local creators, performances, and cultural events every week. Tune in Fridays at 10 a.m. on 91.1-FM or stream at KSMU.org
|
|
|
👉Got a story, event, or artist I should know about? Share your arts and music tips with The Green Room, and help us shine a spotlight on the creative pulse of the Ozarks! You can email them to me at JRea@MissouriState.edu.
|
|
|
Sponsored by Sothern Plumbing
|
|
|
🎶Friends don't leave friends out of the music and arts scene - they share all the local arts and music happenings. Just forward this email to friends!
|
|
|
In 1969 James Garner starred in the comedy-western classic “Support Your Local Sheriff.” What does that have to do with local music in Springfield, MO?
Absolutely nothing.
(But it’s a real corker)
No, what it does have inherent to it is the concept of local, homegrown support. Over the last several months I have written pieces about bands, businesses, solo artists, touring artists, luminaries, up and comers, and venues both new and old. We have an amazing music scene, something frequently commented on by people who come from far and wide to play here and possibly overlooked by those who are lucky enough to have it at their fingertips.
None of it is possible without local support.
We all know that COVID changed people’s social and recreational habits. Six years removed from the start of the world shutting down, we are still seeing the impacts of that. In the face of dwindling crowds, many beloved spaces closed, and many musicians simply hung it up. But music is resilient. People are resilient. Art is tenacious and won’t simply go away. New rooms have opened, new bands have formed, and new niches within our scene have evolved to fill the gap. But, again, they can only truly exist with that continued support. That local support. YOUR support.
Matt Baker, founder of Springfield’s newest venue, Moontown Sound (previously reported on in this very column) made an impassioned plea on social media for just that this week. He and his business partner, David Bates, put a year of their lives and everything they had to open what is arguably one of the finest spaces in town for both musicians and fans. But it doesn’t matter how great a show is if there’s no one there to hear it.
This week, as we move into warmer weather and the nights become more welcoming for adventures out of doors, give a thought to any number of excellent options for live music available and go check one out. Just one. That’s where it starts. That’s how you keep this incredible scene alive. Support your local spaces.
So, to paraphrase Matt: “What show you coming to this week?”
|
| |
Local Radar with Ran Cummings is a weekly music and conversation radio show on KSMU featuring bands and performances from in and around the Ozarks every Friday night at 9:00 p.m. on 91.1 - FM or stream at KSMU.org.
|
|
|
Studio Live with Melissa Rea and Jess Balisle airs on the 2nd Friday of every month at noon. Tune in at 91.1-FM or stream at KSMU.org for an hour of live music and conversation with talented local artists. Later that evening, experience the music in person at a FREE live performance from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. at Springfield Brewing Company.
|
|
|
| April 10: The Shandies
May 8: Little Jones
June 12: The Sideburns
July 10: Jin J. X
August 14: Patti Steel
|
|
|
In the mood to stay in? Queue up one of these videos handpicked by our staff at Ozarks Public Broadcasting, perfect for a night in when you're skipping the scene but still craving culture.
|
|
|
These favorites from KSMU and OPT are just the beginning—there’s a whole world of storytelling, music, documentaries, and local gems waiting on you to dive in and discover at your local public broadcasting station.
|
|
|
Was this email sent to you by a friend? If you'd love fresh takes, local gems, and behind-the-scenes artsy goodness in your inbox every week subscribe to The Green Room.
|
|
|
|
The Green Room is a production of Ozarks Public Broadcasting. For more information about our programs and services please visit our website.
|
|
|
Mailing Address:
901 South National Ave.
Springfield, MO 65897
|
| Telephone:
Ozarks Public Television 417-836-3500
KSMU Radio 417-836-5878
|
| |
|
Manage your preferences | Opt Out using TrueRemove™
Got this as a forward? Sign up to receive our future emails.
View this email online.
|
901 S National Ave | Springfield, MO 65897 US
|
|
|
This email was sent to .
To continue receiving our emails, add us to your address book.
|
| |
|
|
