Rock Talk returns to The Venue Jan. 14

Rock Talk will return to The Venue, a live music performance space in Aurora, at 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 14.

Hosted by Mark Plummer, Rock Talk is a free lecture series that goes in depth on musical topics.

Plummer, an associate professor of music at Aurora University, will lead the free, 90-minute talk on “Stax Records’ Greatest Hits: Booker T. & the M.G.s, Otis, Sam and Dave,” and the magic made on Macklemore Avenue.

Plummer, of Aurora, said he’ll take a look at the history of Stax through its music as he streams tunes from the stage.

A visit to Memphis sparked Plummer’s interest in the soul music that Stax Records produced, Plummer said.

“I discovered it’s the music I’d been listening to since high school,” he said. He added that The Blues Brothers soundtrack is full of Stax hits.

Plummer, who teaches a rock and roll history class at Aurora University, has been hosting Rock Talk exclusively at The Venue for the last few years. The next Rock Talk will be on Sunday, April 14.

An upcoming topic this year could be guitarist Tommy Bolin, a gifted musician who died at age 25 from a drug overdose.

Rock Talk is free and open to all ages at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 14, at The Venue, 21 S. Broadway in downtown Aurora.

To register or make an optional donation, visit themusicvenue.org.

The Venue, a community-focused live music and performance room, is located at 21 S. Broadway in downtown Aurora. The Venue opened in 2019, and is owned and operated by the Fox Valley Music Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to local music awareness, education and preservation.