Monday, May 31, 2010
The best of the 'Fest
A lot more after the jump.
Posted by John on | Permalink | Comments (1)
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Sunday at Riverfest: Ludacris, Robert Cray, Steve Miller Band
LUDACRIS
10 p.m., Miller Lite Stage (Riverfest Amphitheatre).
Bill O'Reilly's once-sworn enemy and actor in 2004's Academy Award-winning Best Picture “Crash” also happens to be one of the most consistently entertaining rappers out there. After 10 years of hit after hit — his singles discography might as well be called a collection of the best ass-shakers of the decade — the instantly recognizable timbre of his voice has practically become an immediate seal of quality. It would be hard to find another rapper that has more fun nailing syllables on the beat. Luda's flow? It's kind of untouchable when he's hitting the gas, then the brakes, doing verbal gymnastics the entire time. Do you remember how you went “ohh!” (and you did because everyone did) when you first heard his guest spot in Chingy's “Holidae In?” “Some call me Ludacris, some call me Mr. Wiggles/far from little/make your mammary glands wiggle?” Those are words from a cat who can tell you tons about stressed and unstressed syllables. You can't even read that without feeling cool. He's hilarious, he's awesome, he's an immediate party-starter and he's probably the most anticipated act for Riverfest this year.
Posted by John on | Permalink | Comments (0)
Sunday: Riverfest Arkansas Tent
Hayes Carli
Local songbird with as bonafide a country pedigree as you'll find anywhere, Mandy McBryde (3:30 p.m.), sings heartfelt and witty originals with a twang. It's charming, it's infectious and it's opening up Sunday's lineup.
For a town that churns out its fair share of great bar rockers, the trio of Jonathan Wilkins & The Reparations (5 p.m.) stand tall. Beer-splattered, swaggering rock with a dollop of country twang, they're long-standing favorites around town.
Sweet Eagle (6:30 p.m.), simply put, is all the best dudes playing the best music. It's shredding, power-chord '80s rock with all the testosterone and none of the glam shtick (thank God). Even with only a handful of shows under their belts, these guys have an unfiltered, metric ton of buzz.
Jim Mize (8 p.m.), Fat Possum recording artist and criminally underacknowledged Conway-based musician, follows up with tracks from his Dixiefied oeuvre; right beside the slide guitars and shuffling drums, listen close for his painstaking songwriting.
So Hayes Carll (9:30 p.m.) may not technically be an Arkansan, but the Houston-born singer/songwriter graduated from Hendrix in 1998 and one of his albums is entitled “Little Rock,” so if any Texan deserves a double-citizenship, it's Hayes. An heir to the thrones held by Townes Van Zandt and John Prine, he's been celebrated by practically every publication worth its headphones. Heck, even Don Imus called his trademark song “She Left Me For Jesus” the “greatest country song ever.”
Posted by John on | Permalink | Comments (1)
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Saturday: Riverfest Arkansas Tent
The legendary CeDell Davis
Saturday's Oxford American-sponsored lineup kicks off with the four-man, one-mic bluegrass of Runaway Planet (3 p.m.), one of the fastest, tightest bluegrass acts in the state. It's real men's music played by real-life, hairy, manly men and it's a perfect soundtrack for a little afternoon drinking.
The quartet is followed by the jazz-infused, heady experimentalism of Mammoth Orange (4:30 p.m.). These instrumentalists are as close to an under-30 supergroup as you'll find in town.
Arguably the greatest band to come out of Little Rock in years, Velvet Kente (6:30 p.m.) follows with its genre-bending, literate and grooving take on songwriting and butt-shaking. One part Leonard Cohen, one part The Roots, with a touch of the best parts of The Police and Bloc Party, the four-piece is effortlessly goosebump-summoning and the definition of required local listening.
Blues legend CeDell Davis (8 p.m.) may get around in a Rascal chair these days, but his famous blues licks and sweaty, porch stomp words could smack around any bushy-tailed young gun anyway; he plays with his backing band Brethren.
Lee Anthony, founder of True Soul Studios, the legendary stamp of quality for Arkansas musicians, brings together the True Soul Studio Band (9:30 p.m.), a collective responsible for a number of the singles that waxhounds all over the world lust after.
Posted by John on | Permalink | Comments (0)
Saturday: The Black Crowes, Bell Biv Devoe, Lucero
THE BLACK CROWES
9:30 p.m., Bud Light Stage (Clinton Center).
This Atlanta-based act is going into its 26th year as America's premiere blues/mod/hard rock band. After their 1990 breakout single, a cover of Otis Redding's great “Hard to Handle,” and being named “The Most Rock and Roll Rock and Roll Band in the World” by British music rag Melody Maker, the Crowes spent a spell in the '90s as a rootsy alternative to grunge and pop-punk, threw in the towel in 2002 and regrouped five years ago to hit the road and return to the studio. Since, they've rolled over tens of thousands of miles and released two well-received albums to a devoted, international fan base. These guys have been defining rock star antics for years, to boot. They are all sibling rivalry (the band is led by bearded, spatting Robinson brothers, Chris and Richard), bone thin, movie star-marrying and pot-smoking. They've been accused of cribbing too much and too directly from their influences, but when you're imitating some of the greatest music ever made — The Rolling Stones, The Faces, Otis Redding, The Allman Brothers — it's hard to complain too much. The Crowes are known for a great stage show, so expect them to bring the choogle for the Little Rock crowd.
Posted by John on | Permalink | Comments (0)
Friday, May 28, 2010
Friday at Riverfest: Earth, Wind & Fire, Gary Allan, Cross Candian Ragweed, Little River Band
EARTH, WIND & FIRE
9:45 p.m., Miller Lite Stage (Riverfest Amphitheatre).
Young people might look on Earth, Wind & Fire dismissively, as a cheeseball relic of the '70s and '80s, the shiny, happy, horn-soaked antecedent to wedding bands everywhere. But this ain't for them. Grown folks don't mind a healthy dose of positivism or smooth soul in their funk. Particularly, when it comes wrapped in familiar songs. With more than 50 gold and platinum albums and 33 charting pop singles, including “Let's Groove” and “After the Love Has Gone,” the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Famers should be playing to an audience that sings back to them. It's hard to imagine any other Riverfest act drawing a larger crowd.
-Lindsey Millar
Others after the jump!
Posted by John on | Permalink | Comments (2)
Friday: Riverfest Arkansas Tent
The Arkansas Tent (again sponsored by Arkansas Times) is back for its third year, holding within it a range of local sounds from gospel to country to shredding bar rock. The Men of Praise & The United Voices (6:30 p.m.) featuring Friendly Womack — yep, that's Bobby's brother — lead off on Friday. It starts the festival off with an opening prayer, so to speak.
They're followed by Kemistri featuring Nikki Parish (6:30 p.m.), a seven-piece nu-R&B outfit fronted by a local R&B diva with as good of a set of pipes as you'll find all weekend.
Headlining on Friday is Michael Burks (9:30 p.m.), the Camden-raised “Iron Man” himself, who shreds the blues in an inimitable, untamed style. One part Albert Collins, one part Slash, Burks' world-traveled guitar handiwork has earned him a spot as one of the most imposing figures in contemporary blues.
Posted by John on | Permalink | Comments (2)
Riverfest 2010: Schedules
Riverfest! It's a bit overwhelming at times, isn't it? The combination of heat and beer and funnel cakes certainly takes a toll on our cognitive thinking, making it a bit hard to keep the schedules straight. But fear not, weekender! Here's a comprehensive schedule for this year's fest.
Right after the jump.
Posted by John on | Permalink | Comments (0)
Weekend: Cool Shoes 2nd Anniversary, Fuel, Jeff the Brotherhood
FRIDAY 5/28
The monthly Cool Shoes dance party celebrates its second birthday with a summer-welcoming beach-themed party at their regular home, Downtown Music; party architects Wolf-E-Wolf, DJ Shawn Lee and Risky Biz man the decks, 10 p.m., $5, $8 under 21.
The original lineup of aughties radio rockers Fuel come to The Village with Memphis hard-balladeers One Less Reason, 8 p.m., $18 adv., $22 d.o.s.
Local promoter Ras Levi throws a Reggae Boat Cruise on the Arkansas Queen with DJs K-One, Hy-C and Boone regulating a three-story party, 10 p.m., $25.
Hot Springs artist, curator, gallery owner and jazz pianist extraordinaire Chuck Dodson debuts his new take on dance music with Studio 54 at Maxine's, 10 p.m.
Two of Little Rock's most beloved bands, The See and Brother Andy & His Big Damn Mouth, provide an alternative to the Riverfest crowds with their show at Union, 10 p.m., free.
SATURDAY 5/29
Psych-garage rockers from Nashville, Jeff the Brotherhood, man up in Vino's, 9 p.m.
Local jammers FreeVerse hit the Midtown Billiards stage, 12:30 a.m., $5 non-members.
Benton's popular watering hole, Denton's Trotline, brings Arkansas bluegrass favorites Pope County Bootleggers to Saline County, 8 p.m.
Rockers Subdue take it to the West End weekend crowd, 9 p.m., $5.
Posted by John on | Permalink | Comments (0)
Sunday To-Do: Hot Springs Music Festival
HOT SPRINGS MUSIC FESTIVAL
6:45 p.m., Arlington Hotel Terrace. Free-$125.
As Riverfest winds down, another long-tenured Arkansas festival starts up. Here's betting there won't be huge crossover. The Hot Springs Music Festival, now in its 15th year, is a two-week camp of sorts for 250 international musicians who specialize in orchestral and choral music. The festival pairs mentor musicians from major chamber ensembles, conservatories and orchestras with promising pre-professional apprentices, who receive scholarships and free housing to attend. The two groups play side-by-side throughout the festival, presenting 20 concerts and more than 25 open rehearsals for attendees to see and hear. Performances take place all over Hot Springs — art galleries, churches, the Hot Springs Farmers' Market. Find a full schedule at hotmusic.org. Most festival days include a free performance; otherwise, concerts run $10 to $15 per event; a $125 festival pass affords access to everything and preferred seating.
-Lindsey Millar
Posted by John on | Permalink | Comments (0)
Saturday To-Do: Billy Currington
BILLY CURRINGTON
8 p.m., Timberwood Amphitheater, Magic Springs. $5-$10.
Impressive, Currington. Of the 10 singles you've released in your seven-year career as a country crooner, you've yet to have one not chart in Billboard's country singles charts. And you won a CMA for “Hottest Video” for “Must Be Doing Something Right,” so you're a bona fide, acknowledged country sex symbol. That's cool. After all, you might as well do country stardom right if you're going to do it, right? Sure, your songs tend to rely on some thin nostalgia every once in a while and, more often than not, sit in the stickiest of bubblegum camps, but, honestly, I can't hate on that for a second. Your songs and videos are about living the life with your boys and harems of gorgeous Southern peaches; you're a CMT superstar and you're doing it well, so props from this music writer. And to boot, just four hours ago you Tweeted that you finished recording vocal tracks for your new album while in an island music studio. Then you offered to buy airfare for whoever can guess which island. It doesn't matter how you cut it, that's a pretty cool move, Currington. Live the life, take it to Magic Springs this week and take it easy, y'hear?
Posted by John on | Permalink | Comments (0)
Saturday To-Do: Andy McKee
ANDY MCKEE
9 p.m., Juanita's. $12 adv., $15 d.o.s.
He's the Steve Vai of the YouTube generation. Or maybe the Internet's update on Dick Van Dyke's one-man orchestra act as Bert in Mary Poppins. Regardless, it's an impressive sight to see Andy McKee poke metal harmonics out of his guitar while simultaneously weaving classical melodies with whatever free fingers he has left and thumping his chest as a backing beat. So impressive, in fact, that the homemade videos on YouTube that propelled him to overnight celebrity have been viewed over 53 million times — and that's just the tally for his three most popular ones. His ability to walk the fine line between “technically marvelous” and, well, “listenable” sets him apart from other instrumental braggarts; his covers, from Toto's “Africa” to Bjork's “Venus as a Boy” are terrific interpretations of familiar tracks, but his originals (especially “Drifting” and “Art of Motion,” two that popularized him) are able to stand alone as the deftly scored, expansive tracks they are. Yet what's really fascinating about this guy is that the bulk of his fans are surprisingly young; you'd expect them to scoff at the music as Weather Channel noise. But judging from the number of Andy McKee cover videos uploaded to the web by anxious young classicists tackling his multi-tasking, polyrhythmic sounds, there may be real hope yet for real life Guitar Heroes like this guy.
Posted by John on | Permalink | Comments (0)
Saturday To-Do: Saline Summer Daze with Kris Allen
SALINE SUMMER DAZE WITH KRIS ALLEN
3 p.m., Watts Field, Benton. $15-$50.
Eddie Black, director of the Benton Area Chamber of Commerce, is quick to play down any suggestion Saline Summer Daze is in competition with Riverfest. The new event, he says, is merely an expansion of the Wally Hall Tournament of Champions, a softball tourney entering its third year that's expected to draw between 8,000 and 10,000. Add concessions and a carnival and some music and — boom — you've got a nice little family festival. But when you snag Kris Allen to perform his first solo concert in Arkansas since winning “American Idol” last year, your little family festival becomes a whole 'nother thing. To that end, Black says he's sold advance tickets to the concert in eight states and all across Arkansas. The advance VIP tickets, which run $50 and get you a seat near the front of the stage, should sell out pre-event, according to Black. But Watts Field (AKA the old Saline County airport) can accommodate thousands of folks, and Black anticipates there being plenty of tickets available at the door. Local acts Crash Meadows, Dry County (fitting since Saline County is dry; no alcohol is allowed in the festival) and Riverbilly open for Allen, who'll likely hit the stage around 8 p.m. Saturday. The carnival, which will be staged adjacent to the ticketed concert area and to Bernard Holland Field (where the softball tournament happens) and Saline County Park, kicks off on Friday at 3 p.m. and opens Saturday and Sunday at 10 a.m. Admission is free.
-Lindsey Millar
Posted by John on | Permalink | Comments (0)
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Greers Ferry does yacht rock on the river
Among all the familiar local talent filling the Arkansas Tent and the main stages during the day at Riverfest, don't overlook Greers Ferry (3 p.m., Sunday, Triple-S Alarm Stage). Led by prolific singer/songwriter Isaac Alexander (lead vocals, guitar), it's rounded out by an all-star line-up that includes members of The Easys, The Good Fear, The Salty Dogs and Velvet Kente. That's Rob Bell (bass, background vocals), Brad Williams (lead guitar, lap steel, background vocals), Zach Holland (keys, acoustic guitar, background vocals), John Crowley (drums) and joshua (congas/percussion, acoustic guitar, background vocals). Think: America, Bread, Seals and Croft. Or soft rock with heart. Or better yet, check out track below.
Look for a full-length release later this year.
Download: "Sea Gulls"
Posted by Lindsey Millar on | Permalink | Comments (0)
Non-music stuff to do during Riverfest
In addition to hosting one of Riverfest’s main stages, the Clinton Center is offering a number of special deals throughout the weekend. Since the center’s normal parking area will be cordoned off for Riverfest, Thursday through Sunday visitors should park at Verizon Arena (for free) and ride a shuttle. On Saturday and Sunday, admission to the library is $2 off. Forty Two, the library’s on-site restaurant, is also offering 10% off for diners who pay with Riverfest “River Bucks.” From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, the center hosts “Build My Pins,” where local artists will work with kids to make decorative pins that, like those in the Madeleine Albright collection on display through June 1, send a message.
Posted by Lindsey Millar on | Permalink | Comments (0)
Event Calendar
-
Re: The dude from 'Twilight' is making a movie about 'The Band'
You hear that noise??.......it's Levon spinning in his grave.....this has the thieving Robbie Robertson and…
- on May 25, 2012
-
Re: Willie Nelson to Johnny Cash Music Festival
Yes, good point Pygface. I'll inquire about all that and give an update when we…
- on May 24, 2012
-
Re: Willie Nelson to Johnny Cash Music Festival
Or don't buy your ticket yet if you want to ride the bus as last…
- on May 24, 2012
Top Commenters
Site Index
News
Cover Story / Arkansas Reporter / The Week That Was / Smart Talk / The Insider / The Observer / Editorial / Max Brantley / Ernest Dumas / Gene Lyons / Bob Lancaster / Words / Guest Writer / Letters
Entertainment
A&E Feature / To-Do List / In Brief / Movie Reviews / Music Reviews / Theater Reviews / A&E News / Art Notes / Graham Gordy / Books / Media / Dining Reviews / Dining Guide / What's Cookin' / Calendar / The Televisionist / Movie Listings / Gallery Listings
Slideshows
-
Pictures from the rocker's first ever performance in Arkansas on April 21 at Verizon Arena.
-
Barefoot in Arkansas, performing for rabid fans in Hawaiian shirts.
-
Fins to the left, fins to the right.
Fox16 Local News and Weather
-
Student threatens to shoot another student via text
May 25, 2012A Lakeside Junior High student is in police custody tonight after texting a threat to shoot another student. fox16.com /more/ -
Lonoke Co. recounts votes after 200+ votes missed
May 25, 2012The Lonoke County Election Commission says between 200 and 300 votes from one of their precincts were never counted Tuesday night and as a result, they're conducting a full recount... fox16.com /more/
This Week's Cover
Quick Links
Special Publications
RSS
Facebook
Twitter
