Riverfest eve open line

Tomorrow will be kind of crazy as Riverfest takes hold of my office's corner of downtown. But there's still tonight's open line. And these final words:

* CORRECTION: Please note that the Little Rock police said they reported erroneously the death of a second person yesterday in a four-car wreck on Cantrell Road. Charles Crockett remains alive, in critical condition, contrary to earlier police reports.

* NATURALLY BLUE: Naturally Blue, the grassroots Arkansas PAC that isn't ready to be inundated by the red tide, at least without building some dikes, got a very nice mention in this op-ed in Alabama. Next positive development: monthly Naturally Blue happy hours. Put it on your calendar for 5:30 p.m. Wednesday June 13, the day after the runoff, at Browning's in the Heights.

* PARTY DOWN WITH MAYOR REPUBLICAN DABBS: Invite says Rep. Tim Scott (Wacko, S.C.) will join Rep. Tim Griffin (Teabagger, Little Rock) at the Saline County Lincoln Day shindig. Events begin with a private reception at 6 p.m. May 29 at the home of Bryant Mayor Jill "Republican" Dabbs. Music, art by Matt Coburn and "great conversation" with the congressmen are on tap. Then, you may head to an "elegant dinner and program" at Bishop Park. Dinner and reception will cost you $125. If you go, let me know if they crack any beers open in the city's Bishop Park. You may recall that's been a bit of an issue down in Dabbstown.

* WHY STOP AT THE 4TH DISTRICT?: Bill Kristol has had the hots for Tom Cotton for a good while, at least since he wanted to arrest New York Times reporters for doing their jobs. Today, in the Weekly Standard, he touts him for president, comparing him with Bill Clinton. I've met both of them. You can love every single one of Tom Cotton's political utterances; you may think he's the Einstein of politicians; you may love him as a brave and admirable man. Fine, though I'd take some exceptions. But I'll tell you this: He is charisma challenged. It matters. He makes Mitt Romney look empathetic. Bill Kristol also loved another political upstart, helped create her in fact. Remember Caribou Barbie?

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Posted By Max Brantley | Permalink | Comments (3)

Little Rock Government

Little Rock can do better than ditches

We can do better.

Re my rant earlier today about the scarcity of visionary and dramatic efforts by local government to build a city that anyone could see at a glance is a great city.

I got the following note from Tim McKuin, who joined in a little civic demonstration this morning — a ride-in, I gues — in response to my rant yesterday about the city's decision to symbolically begin a sales tax-financed capital improvement campaign with beautification of a ditch in the wealthiest country club neighborhood in Little Rock. Much as the CCLR neighborhood lot might need a little drainage work and some park-like landscaping, I thought it wasn't a razor-sharp public relations move. Anyway, the note from Tim:

Hi Max,

Re: Vision-less drainage project to kickoff Little Rock's ten years of capital projects…
Re: More traffic fatalities on Cantrell Road…
Re: Arkansas ranked 50th in the League of American Bicyclists' annual rankings…
Re: Pedestrians feeling ever more accosted by drivers and the LRPD while just trying to cross the street in downtown LR…
Re: The River Trail STILL not being completed in front of Episcopal Collegiate...
Re: etc., etc., etc…

Bicycle Advocacy of Central Arkansas is pushing for some truly visionary changes in Little Rock. Despite the city's late announcement about this morning's groundbreaking, a few of us were able to show up and remind the city leaders that Little Rock can do better than lining a ditch with concrete. We plan to take a much more active role moving forward in advocating for better use of the city's limited sales tax dollars. Drainage projects may be necessary, but we need more inspirational symbols of what the City hopes to accomplish in the next ten years to put it back on sound financial footing while improving the lives of everyone who calls Little Rock home or comes here to work, shop, or play.

Here's a pic (above) of me, Mayor Mark Stodola, City Manager Bruce Moore, Judy Lansky, Director Stacy Hurst, Jeremy Lewno from Bobby's Bike/Hike, and David Paoli at this morning's ceremony:

Ride on, brothers!

PS — I asked McKuin to elaborate, he responded:

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Posted By Max Brantley | Permalink | Comments (8)

Arkansas Lottery

Judge orders new trial in $1 million dollar lottery ticket dispute

White County Circuit Judge Thomas Hughes ordered a new trial in the dispute over the ownership of a $1 million lottery ticket today, Fox 16 reports.

The judge's three-line order came, Hughes wrote, "after reviewing the actions of counsel appearing in the case."

Three weeks ago, Hughes awarded the lottery winnings to Sharon Duncan, the woman who claimed to have purchased the winning ticket at a convenience store in Beebe before discarding it when she said the ticket scanner did not indicate that it was a winner. Sharon Jones redeemed the ticket last July after she said she found it discarded in a waste bin.

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Posted By Lindsey Millar | Permalink | Comments (4)

Reviews

White Water Tavern blows up, courtesy of Ty Segall & friends

• Cheree Franco
• Ty Segall's band

Ty Segall erupted all over White Water last night, even as the remnants of his openers, album-mates White Fence and sometime label-mates Useless Eaters, were still dripping off the rafters. (That’s not supposed to sound as gross as it does, except that sounding gross, beautifully, is kind of the point, right?) The bands were rowdy, fuzzy and loud, the crowd was sweaty, wired and (eventually) trashed. And even though the first set of the night featured a song about “we can’t fuck the dog” (best we could decipher), all was right with the world. Or at least, that was the overwhelming sentiment of it all.

Useless Eaters opened with a hypnotic stretch of gorgeous, layered heroin drone, almost to prove that they could, before launching into fast, catchy riffs with short bursts of repetitive lyrics and heavy drums – you know, standard punk delivery. Seems the live lineup changes regularly (and at one time included the late Jay Reatard), but singer/guitarist Seth Sutton – who landed in Nashville by way of Mississippi, Germany and more recently, Memphis – holds things together, in addition to somehow managing a faux British accent when shouting. They were danceable, they were familiar, they were great.

San Fran garage rockers White Fence just put out an album with Segall, so of course he and frontman Tim Presley scrambled into each other sets. White Fence is a disconcerting band. Presley cradled his guitar, picking and sliding, tweaking and bending air. Just when you start to get lost there, start to meld with the sound, some hook or jangle or rapid, warbling guitar lick reclaims you attention and reminds you to look.

As for Segall, I’d heard the buzz (mostly coming out of Memphis, so that I’d always thought he was Memphis garage-rocker rather than a California golden boy), but I’d never seen the band. And frankly, the buzz was getting old. But now I get it. Because he puts on a blaring live show and somehow, even as he’s thrashing, he seems friendly and accessible. He’s the sunny prophet of good-time punk rock, and the crowd reaction was vaguely cultish – they stretched their arms toward their prophet, they showered him with beer. Girls gyrated against each other, occasionally tumbling onstage (a stalwart, if only slightly more sober friend, always pulled them back into the crowd). Segall's radiating optimism was tempered with the drafty jolt of his drummer, Emily Rose Epstein. All sharp edges and unfurling dark hair, her absorption read as utterly cool detachment – a true feat considering that she really bangs those drums. She was excellent. She was perfect. We all were.

Photos and video after the jump.

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Posted By Cheree Franco | Permalink | Comments (0)

Tattoos

Bro tat saga continues with new ink of Diffee, by Diffee

• Scott Diffee's facebook page

Check out these awesome bro tats of Scott Diffee, by Scott Diffee, on some other folks. Oh, and he did them all in a single day! They were posted this week on the Parlor co-owner's Facebook page. (Also, in case you missed it a few weeks back, here's Meredith Martin-Moats' excellent feature on Arkansas tattoos. She visited with Diffee and his partner Alina Bennett, and she put together this page, with lots more Natural State tattoos).

Anyways, Times honcho Lindsey Millar had the rad suggestion that someone should get a tattoo of Diffee giving someone a Diffee tattoo, which I immediately volunteered to get, as soon as I can secure myself a tattoo benefactor.

This one right here is mind-blowingly awesome, it's Diffee as a young'un:

• Scott Diffee's facebook page

• Scott Diffee's facebook page

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Posted By Robert Bell | Permalink | Comments (0)

Music / Coming soon

Willie Nelson to Johnny Cash Music Festival

• Willie Nelson will headline the second Johnny Cash Music Festival.

The organizers of the Johnny Cash Music Festival just announced this year's lineup and the headliner is none other than Mr. Willie Nelson.

Rosanne Cash will once again emcee the event. She'll also perform, along with Dierks Bentley and The Civil Wars. The concert will broadcast on SiriusXM. The festival is at 7 p.m., Oct. 5 at Arkansas State University's Convocation Center in Jonesboro. Tickets are from $38, $75 for premium and $150 for VIP, which includes a pre-concert meet and greet.

Last year, the Times chartered three buses full of music lovers to the festival and it was a resounding success. Let's try for four buses this year!

UPDATE: Tickets go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. Get them online right here, or call 888-278-3267.

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Posted By Robert Bell | Permalink | Comments (1)