Galva

 

The Burney Sisters to Perform In Bishop Hill...

The Burney Sisters, the Americana sensations from Huntsville, Alabama, are embarking on their “Seed I’ve Sown” tour and will perform a live concert on Wednesday, March 19th at Bishop Hill Creative Commons, located at 309 N. Bishop Hill St, Bishop Hill, IL. The show will begin with a potluck dinner at 6PM, with music starting at 7PM, and is open to guests of all ages. A $20-30 donation is suggested.

The Burney Sisters are a powerhouse sibling duo redefining indie-folk with their soulful harmonies, heartfelt lyrics, and magnetic stage presence.

Originally from the Midwest, sisters Emma and Bella Burney create music that blends folk, rock, and Americana into a sound that feels both timeless and fresh. Drawing inspiration from iconic artists like The Avett Brothers, Lake Street Dive, and Bonnie Raitt, as well as contemporary trailblazers like Madison Cunningham, First Aid Kit, and HAIM, The Burney Sisters bridge generations with a style that is uniquely their own.

 

 

Emma’s multi-instrumental talents—on piano, violin, guitar, and cello—pair seamlessly with Bella’s commanding basslines, showcasing a maturity and versatility far beyond their years. Their music explores themes of love, resilience, and self-discovery with a raw honesty that resonates deeply with fans of all ages. For the past eight years, The Burney Sisters have traveled extensively, performing across the U.S., Canada, and the Caribbean. Their journey has not only shaped their sound but also fueled their passion for connecting through music.

In April 2024, the sisters relocated to Huntsville, Alabama, to immerse themselves in the rich creative ecosystems of their hometown, Muscle Shoals, and Nashville. Excited to collaborate with the incredibly talented local artists, the sisters have embraced Huntsville as a home base, deepening their connection to the vibrant music scene while continuing to grow as artists and performers.

The Burney Sisters captivate audiences with their infectious energy, ethereal harmonies, and storytelling that feels deeply personal yet universally relatable. Their music resonates with fans of both classic Americana and modern indie-folk, blending the emotional depth of Bonnie Raitt with the innovative spirit of HAIM and First Aid Kit.

Bella Burney expressed her enthusiasm about the tour, stating, “We are so excited to get back on the road to share our new releases with you. The time we’ve spent crafting these songs with other writers, artists, and studios has been thrilling, challenging, and ultimately rewarding.” Her sister Emma adds, “Bringing these new songs live to our fans is something we’ve been looking forward to for so long. We hope to bring you the very best LIVE versions of these treasures to the stage!”

 

For tickets and more information please visit xroadscc.org.

 

 

Rising Blues Artist Amanda Fish to Perform In Bishop Hill...

 

Amanda Fish and her band will perform a live concert on Saturday, March 22nd at Bishop Hill Creative Commons, located at 309 N. Bishop Hill St, Bishop Hill, IL. The show will begin with a potluck dinner at 6PM, with music starting at 7PM, and is open to guests of all ages. A $20-30 donation is suggested.

Born and raised in the fertile ground of the Kansas City music scene, and playing music with her sister Samantha, Amanda Fish formed her band in 2014, a Blues Rock and Americana trio featuring her from-the-gut vocal belting out impassioned lyrics over swampy guitar and rock-heavy drums, with a driving bassline that locks in a groove the audience can't help but dance to. She quickly cut and released her first album "Down In The Dirt" the following year on Vizztone Label Group. For that record she won the 2016 "Sean Costello Rising Star" Blues Blast Music Award. After relocating to St Louis in 2018, she released her sophomore album "Free" again on the Vizztone label, which would go on to win the 2019 "Best Emerging Artist Album" Blues Music Award. During the 2020 lockdowns, she cut and self-released an album of living room demos, "Trailer Park Demos", and some of that new material would make it onto the next record when she returned to the sound booth for her third studio album. The long-awaited new album, described as "A journey of faith, redemption, and hope against a backdrop of chaos and upheaval, "Kingdom" returns time and again to its message of truth and love" was released once again with the Vizztone label in July 2024.

 

 

Amanda's music has more than 220k streams on Spotify, with over 4k monthly listeners (worldwide) and growing. Her album "Free" debuted at #6 on the Billboard Blues Chart and hit #4 on the iTunes Blues Album chart, while her latest album "Kingdom" hit #1 on the Roots Music Report's Blues Rock chart with four singles from the album charting in the Blues Rock Top 20 simultaneously.

Amanda has extensively toured the US and Canada, playing legendary stages like Knuckleheads (Kansas City), Chan's (Rhode Island), Ground Zero (Mississippi), Buddy Guy's Legends (Chicago), Funky Biscuit (Boca Raton, FL), The Blue Note (North Carolina), The Rhythm Room (Phoenix), Papa Turney's (Nashville), and Blues on Whyte (Edmonton, AB) just to name a few. Her live performances have received critical acclaim at a number of high-profile festivals as well such as W.C. Handy Festival in Kentucky, Brigg's Farm Blues Festival in Pennsylvania, Michael Arnone's Crawfish Festival in New Jersey, Gloucester Blues Festival in Massachusetts, Big Sky Blues Festival in Montana, Blues Blast Festival in Arizona, Camping With The Blues in Florida, and more!

 

For tickets and more information please visit xroadscc.org.

 

 

 

Local Music Organization Chosen for Global Music Project...

Center for Music Ecosystems is delighted to announce the launch of the 2024 Music Policy Resilience Network. Due to the massive impact live music has had socially, culturally, and economically on Henry County, Illinois and the surrounding area, local non-profit organization Crossroads Cultural Connections was selected to participate as part of a cohort of 20 cities around the world which will benefit from bespoke research, masterclasses, international best practice examples, and knowledge exchange, focusing on the most important issues facing their areas and music ecosystems.

Center for Music Ecosystems’ mission is to demonstrate that music bolsters economies and improves livelihoods. The organization collaborates with leaders and policymakers to foster policies that lead to social and economic development at local, national, and global levels.

“Despite being a rural area, Henry County has become a destination for live music, and I think that is something we all should be proud of, but I also think we are just beginning to scratch the surface of what is possible. Everyday world-class musicians from across the globe are asking to come here to perform. Guests from surrounding areas and beyond are traveling here to attend shows. My hope is that by participating in this project, we can not only solidify the work we have been doing, but also build something that will ensure live music is part of life in this area for well beyond our lifetimes,” says John Taylor, president of Crossroads Cultural Connections.

The Music Policy Resilience Network is a landmark transnational collaboration that aims to implement pro-music and culture policies that foster resilience in cities facing unique geographical, economic, or sociological challenges. It is generously supported by the Nordic Culture Fund and the Levitt Foundation.

The Music Policy Resilience Network is a result of 2022’s Defining Resilience in Remote Music Ecosystems and 2023 2024’s Music Policy Resilience Lab. It aims to further resilience in places that are, in some way, geographical outliers, facing various sociological, geographical, economic—or simply logistical—challenges to incorporating music and culture into strategic objectives, but united in their desire to advance their music ecosystems to their fullest potential.

2024 CITIES: Arundel (Norway), Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan), Cuenca (Ecuador), Cumberland (Maryland, USA), Darwin (NT, Australia), Dera Ismail Khan (Pakistan), Ede (Nigeria), Folkestone (UK), Gallup (New Mexico, USA), Galva (Illinois, USA), Gander (Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada), Homer (Alaska, USA), Lerwick, Shetland (UK), Mariehamn (Åland Islands, Finland), Nuuk (Greenland), South Tarawa (Republic of Kiribati), St. Johnsbury (Vermont, USA), Torshavn (Faroe Islands), Umeå (Sweden), Whitehorse (Yukon Territory, Canada), Whitesburg (Kentucky, USA)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Songwriter Shines Spotlight on Neglected Historic State-Owned Buildings with Heartfelt Anthem...

When singer-songwriter Dan Holmes heard the historic state-owned properties in his hometown of Bishop Hill, Illinois had fallen into disrepair he knew he needed to do something. "So, like I usually do when moved, I wrote," said Holmes. The finished product ended up being a song, titled "Hometown", which is partly a history lesson of the colony and partly an autobiographical account of a childhood spent in Bishop Hill and insight gained through a life of travel. Holmes, very gently, makes a nod to the long neglected historical landmarks owned by the state, in hopes that "it might help the cause". The Bishop Hill Colony Church was recently added to Landmarks Illinois' Most Endangered Historic Places List.

Holmes began playing guitar at age 10, learning by listening to James Taylor, Paul Simon, Jim Croce and John Denver records. His music career later began to grow while attending Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois. For a time, Holmes moved to the east coast and experienced some success there, once opening for Arlo Guthrie and Pete Seeger. When his father was diagnosed with cancer he moved home and put music on hold for a time, while he began a career in education. Years later, Holmes began performing again, including four tours of Europe, performing at the Illinois State Fair and the Susan G. Komen 3 Day Walk To Cure Breast Cancer, and writing music for the Appalachia Service Project.

Dan calls himself an "old school singer/songwriter" who loves creating music about the presence of God in our world. He lives in Belvidere, Illinois with his wife.

 

"A recording of Hometown" can be heard at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ngk0muiXq80

 

Those interested in helping the cause are encouraged to voice their concerns to Governor Pritzker, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, and their state legislators.

 

 

Blue Star Home Program Announced...

Applications are begin accepted for those that wish to participate in the Blue Star Home Program ("the Program").

Upon completion of an extensive background check, a Blue Star home will be given the opportunity to display a blue star on on their homes indicating that they have chosen to assist any young person that feels threatened in any manner, whether that threat is bullying, suspicious activity or imminent bodily harm.

Any juvenile that is uncomfortable with conditions outside a Blue Star Home may seek refuge from those conditions by ringing the door bell, pounding on the front door or yelling for help.

Blue Star Home participants are limited to assessing the situation, calling the child's parent or guardian absent an immediate threat, reporting all such incidents to the Galva Police immediately after contacting the child's parent or guardian, or in the case of a threatening situation immediately dialing 911.

Further, Blue Star Home participants agree that they will NOT take the law into their own hands, and that they will always have the best interests of the child in mind when offering assistance.

The Galva Police Department reserves the right to reject any application for the Blue Star Home Program for any reason or for no reason at all.

If you would like to participate in the Program, download the Application, fill it out in its entirety, and return it to City Hall. If your application is approved, you will receive a call from the Galva Police Department indicating acceptance into the Program and will be allowed to pick up your Blue Star from City Hall.

 

 

 

Letters from Galva...

 

 

 

 

Galvan Ryan Olson Featured In Airman Magazine...

When Ryan was a senior at the Air Force Academy, Airman Magazine wanted to do a video on the space program at the Academy. Ryan was the number one cadet in the Astronautical Engineering department and was chosen to do this video.

 

 

 

The Galva Giant Makes It To YouTube...

 

 

 

OSF Announces The Care-A-Van Mobile Health Care Unit...

 

 

 

 

Gary Metiever Produces Galva Levitt Amp Video...

 

 

 

 

Eagle Enterprises Publishes New Recycling Standards...

View or Print the Recyclables List

 

Sons of the American Legion...

The Galva American Legion Post #45 has received their charter for a new Sons of the American Legions Squadron.

The Legion is looking for new members to get the squadron rolling.

If you have a parent, grandparent or great grandparent or step parent or step grandparent that was in the military, you are eligible to join.

If interested, please contact Wayne Glisan at (309) 335 - 2931, Lloyd Anderson at (309) 853 - 7347 or Earl Stuckey at (309) 853 - 7917