A modern pop-rock cover band out of Jacksonville has been tearing up shows around Central Illinois in 2016.
The band Smashtag consists of five local musicians, Randy Anderson, Matt Rigor, Samuel Smith, Jesse Shelton and Dane Vincent, who came together about a year ago to offer a unique performance of underrated music hits.
“We have older stuff, but we are sticking to bands in the 2000s. We have The Killers, Matchbox 20, Coldplay Fall Out Boy, and other stuff people may not have heard of. We want to make sure we are doing songs that not everybody in Springfield is doing,” says Anderson.
Anderson tells WLDS-WEAI News the band has been performing around three times a month at bars and music halls in Jacksonville, Naples and Springfield since their inaugural show.
“It seemed like when we were starting we would get show dates where other bands would cancel. It seemed like other bigger bands were playing those nights, so the crowds were kind of slow. Things picked up a bit as we gained momentum. It is getting to the point we are seeing a lot of familiar faces at shows. That means a lot when people are willing to drive,” says Anderson.
Anderson says Smashtag is always looking to add new material and songs to the set-list, but the goal of each show is to give the audience a great night.
The band’s next show is at The Curve in Springfield on Thursday.
You can order some official Smashtag apparel on the band’s Facebook page.