Peoria this week: Umphrey's men go acoustic at Kenny's, MeSo hits the Spoke, Motionless In White close it out

Two arena metal nights bookend a week of Kenny's Westside Pub, the Twisted Spoke in Pekin and the Peoria Symphony: the shows worth planning around, Nov. 3–8.

Peoria's week opens and closes at the Civic Center with guitars at full volume, and the good stuff in between happens in rooms a fraction of the size. Tonight, Three Days Grace fills the arena; Sunday, Motionless In White does the same. In between, Friday is the night to plan around: two members of Umphrey's McGee sitting down with acoustic instruments at Kenny's Westside Pub, while MeSo brings the bass across the river at the Twisted Spoke in Pekin.

The Kenny's show is billed as An Acoustic Evening with Joel Cummins and Brendan Bayliss. Bayliss is Umphrey's McGee's singer and guitarist, and Cummins plays keys in the band; he has opened Bayliss's long-running holiday shows in Chicago with solo piano, as Live For Live Music has covered. That holiday tradition continues Dec. 19 at Chicago's Park West, per JamBase, so Friday is a chance to hear the stripped-down version a month and a half early, in a 400-capacity pub.

Here's the week, night by night:

Tue, Nov. 3 — Three Days Grace with I Prevail and The Funeral Portrait, Peoria Civic Center, 7 p.m. Tickets

Fri, Nov. 6 — Brendan Bayliss and Joel Cummins, Kenny's Westside Pub, 8 p.m., $37.50. Tickets

Fri, Nov. 6 — MeSo with SubMitten, The Twisted Spoke, Pekin, 8 p.m., $20–$25. Tickets

Sat, Nov. 7 — Peoria Symphony Orchestra, Grace Presbyterian Church, 7:30 p.m. The program is billed as Dazzling Stars. Tickets

Sat, Nov. 7 — Honeycomb x Jason Leech, Kenny's Westside Pub, 9 p.m., $17.50–$23. Tickets

Sun, Nov. 8 — Motionless In White with Dayseeker, The Devil Wears Prada and Dark Divine, Peoria Civic Center, 6:30 p.m., $50.85–$177.50. Tickets

Sunday's show is a stop on the second leg of Motionless In White's Sweat and Blood Tour, which opened Oct. 30 in Worcester, Massachusetts, and runs to Nov. 20 in Pittsburgh, per JamBase. It's the band's first fall run behind Decades, the album Roadrunner put out July 17, as The Metallist reported. With Dayseeker as direct support and The Devil Wears Prada in the middle of the bill, it's a deep lineup for a Sunday; the 6:30 start means the openers go on early, so don't count on catching them if you roll in at eight.

The Twisted Spoke deserves a word for anyone who hasn't made the drive. The Pekin bar has been booking live music since it opened in 2009, according to a local news report, and an electronic night with MeSo and SubMitten is a different look for a room better known for bands and comedy.

Saturday gives you a clean double: the symphony at 7:30, then over to Kenny's for Honeycomb and Jason Leech at 9. Pick your Friday, keep your Saturday flexible, and leave your Sunday to the pit.

Sources: Brendan Bayliss — Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org); Umphrey's McGee's Jake Cinninger, Brendan Bayliss holiday special Chicago (Live For Live Music) (liveforlivemusic.com); Brendan Bayliss Keeps Holiday Tradition Going With Guest-Filled Chicago Benefit (JamBase) (jambase.com); Motionless In White Expand The Sweat & Blood Tour With Fall 2026 Dates (JamBase) (jambase.com); Motionless In White announce fall 2026 U.S. tour; new album Decades out July 17 (The Metallist) (themetallist.com); Twisted Spoke Pekin local report (Central Illinois Proud) (digital-release.centralillinoisproud.com)