Samjam offers new format, new venue

Popular Music Festival Will Now Be Indoors, with BBQ Dinner

By Tom Emery

One of the most popular music festivals in small-town Illinois returns this year, but with a lot of changes.

Samjam's BBQ & Boogie is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 18 at Rustic Venues, located at 24720 North Standard City Road in rural Girard. The date, and locale, both differ from the previous eight Samjam events, which were held at the Macoupin County Fairgrounds in either late August or September.

The event was created in 2014 to honor Sam Oswald, a 38-year-old Carlinville resident who has endured years of struggle with...