The Ellnora Guitar Festival brings in artists from around the world and also from right here in central Illinois. On Friday morning, we recorded a special edition of The 21st at the University of Illinois' Krannert Center For The Performing Arts, hosted by musician, journalist and former 21st producer Sean Neumann.

The Punch Brothers are an acoustic band with a sound that defies most descriptors. They're playing this weekend as part of the Ellnora Guitar Festival, and two members of the group, Chris Thile and Noam Pikelny, spoke with Illinois Public Media about how they describe their sound, solo projects, taking over for Garrison Keillor (in Thile's case) and, in Pikelny’s case, coming back to play after graduating from the University of Illinois. 

Tim Donaldson, Dody Cosmedy, and Tim Frazier came to Illinois Public Media's Studio F to play some music and talk with Brian Moline about Local Heroes Night at Krannert Center.