Rock Candy, Arkansas Times

Johnny Cash mashed with Jackson 5, Steve Miller

Lindsey Millar — Mon, 20 May 2013 10:04:00 -0500

Here's what you get when you combine "Rockin' Robin" with "Folsom Prison Blues" and "The Joker." What say you — abomination or finger-snapping good time?

The mash comes courtesy of DJ Faroff.

H/T: egotripland

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Little Rock Film Festival 2013 award winners

Lindsey Millar — Sun, 19 May 2013 22:42:00 -0500

I'll have more on my impressions on this year's festival tomorrow. In the meantime, here are this year's prize winners.

Oxford American Best Southern Film Award ($10,000 prize money): "Bayou Maharajah"
Heifer International Social Impact Film Award ($10,000 prize money): "These Birds Walk"
Golden Rock Narrative Film: "Short Term 12"
Golden Rock Documentary Film: "Dirty Wars"
Extraordinary Courage in Filmmaking: Jeremy Scahill ("Dirty Wars")
Arkansas Times Audience Award: "Bridegroom"
Made in Arkansas Best Feature: "45 RPM"
Made in Arkansas Best Short: "The Discontentment of Ed Telfair"
Made in Arkansas Best Director: Mark Thiedeman for "Last Summer"
Made in Arkansas Best Actor: Liza Burns in "45 RPM"
World Shorts: "When We Lived in Miami"

A previous version of this post incorrectly listed the World Shorts winner as "When We Live in Miami."

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Video blogger Joseph Birdsong teaches you about Arkansas

David Koon — Fri, 17 May 2013 11:26:14 -0500

Arkansas is full of talented people, and we ran across yet another one of them last night: the thoroughly-hilarious writer and video blogger Joseph Birdsong. In the video seen above, Birdsong, who was born in Arkansas, schools out-of-staters on some skewed facts about the Natural State, including: "People in Arkansas are born with the ability to recognize 30 different kinds of roadkill based on scent alone," and "The first gay person to ever come to Arkansas was George Takei, and that was because he was forced here to live in an Arkansas Japanese internment camp during World War II." Just remember, he's laughing WITH us, not AT us. Okay, he's laughing AT us as well, but a great sense of humor covers a multitude of sins.

If you're looking for a good laugh, you can check out almost 200 of Birdsong's quirky videos on his Youtube site, cupofjoeshow.com. He's also got a site where he blogs, a very funny Twitter account. and a video blog for My Damn Channel's Answerly page where he talks about sex and relationships.

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'Short Term 12' folks are really good at Vine

Lindsey Millar — Fri, 17 May 2013 10:32:19 -0500

If your first reaction to Vine, the new-ish Twitter app that allows users to post 6 second video clips, was, "This is worthless," you need to check out the Vines "Short Term 12" director Destin Cretton and actor Keith Stanfield did while they were in town for the Little Rock Film Festival. So good. They're on the jump. (Click the box on the top left of each one to un-mute the sound.)

If you missed 'Short Term 12,' the opening night film at the Little Rock Film Festival that's the heavy favorite to win the festival's Golden Rock Narrative Award, you blew it. Maybe it'll play here when it opens in August.

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Saturday: Coolio, Thick Syrup anniversary show and more

Robert Bell — Fri, 17 May 2013 10:04:07 -0500

"Diary of a Wimpy Kid" fans should be excited to catch a screening of the "Rodrick Rules" installment of the film at Arkansas Repertory Theatre, followed by a Q&A with actors Zachary Gordon and Robert Capron and producer Brad Simpson, 10 a.m., $10. The Little Rock Zoo hosts an autograph signing with Gordon, Capron and Simpson from 2-4 p.m.

Discovery hosts rapper Coolio, with DJ Feelgood and MC Cat Daddy, plus DJs Crawley, Sleepy, Platinumb and Brandon Peck, 9 p.m.-5 a.m., $10 before midnight, $15 afterward.

Thick Syrup Records celebrates its anniversary in Hot Springs, with Ginsu Wives, Ezra Lbs. and Burnt, Maxine's, 8 p.m., $5 adv., $7 door.

Texas bluesman Chris Duarte plays an all-ages show at Juanita's, with Steve Hester & Deja VooDoo, Davis Coen and Chris Milam, 9 p.m., $12 adv., $15 day of.

Weakness For Blondes brings the goodtime jams to White Water Tavern, 9:30 p.m., $5.

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Saturday To-Do: 9th Annual Buzz-B-Q

Robert Bell — Fri, 17 May 2013 09:31:28 -0500

BUZZ-B-Q
11 a.m. North Little Rock RV Park. $10.

Q: How awesome is barbecue? A: Probably more awesome than most other things, but not quite as awesome as having the superpowers of flight and invisibility, which I think we'd all have to admit would be hard for anything to top. Not going to happen to anyone anytime real soon though.

But you know what is going to happen soon? The 9th Annual Buzz-B-Q Food and Music Festival, that's what. More than 100 teams will compete in professional and amateur categories to see who can create the most delicious 'cue. And hey, there's about $5,000 worth of cash and prizes for those who make the best pork, ribs and chicken.

All your favorite 103.7 The Buzz hosts will be there, including Tommy Smith, David Bazzel, Roger Scott, Justin Acri, RJ Hawk, Joe Franklin and Trey Schaap, with Matt Jones serving as emcee. The Dirty White Boys, Canvas and Jeff Coleman and The Feeders will perform. There's going to be a rib-eating contest, and if there's ever been a better-sounding way to maybe hurt yourself on purpose, I've yet to hear it.

Best of all, the event will raise money for Camp Sunshine, an annual four-day camp for pediatric burn survivors.

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Saturday To-Do: 607 Presents: Block Monster Party

Robert Bell — Fri, 17 May 2013 09:04:52 -0500

607 PRESENTS: BLOCK MONSTER PARTY
9 p.m. Revolution. $10.

This looks to be quite the rager: The unflappable, indefatigable 607 is putting on a huge party for the album release from his frequent collaborator JLaur.

Her new record, "The Mad Teacher," boasts ethereal synthesizers ("Dumb Girlz"), icy-sounding dubstep touches ("Stranger Danger") and a club-ready jam about having a double life ("She Wolf"), among others. The album's title is a reference to JLaur's day job as a teacher for the North Little Rock School District.

In addition to JLaur, there will be performances from ItsJusBobby, GM tha Boss, Sarah Cecil and TGE, with Shortfuze on the steel wheels and host DJ No Name. It's an 18-and-older show.

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Saturday To-Do: 8th Annual Stueart Pennington Running of the Tubs

Robert Bell — Fri, 17 May 2013 09:03:23 -0500

8TH ANNUAL STUEART PENNINGTON RUNNING OF THE TUBS
9 a.m. Central Avenue, Hot Springs.

Well, it's that time of year again, when teams of crazed, costumed contestants get together for the Stueart Pennington Running of the Tubs.

If you're unfamiliar with the annual event, here are the basics: Teams create bathtubs on wheels, fill them with water and a teammate, and then race them down Hot Springs' Central Avenue for the cheering throngs. The audience is encouraged to get in on the fun as well, with water guns, shower caps, robes and so forth.

Sounds like a great time.

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OA's SoLost goes behind-the-scenes of 'Mud'

Lindsey Millar — Thu, 16 May 2013 14:42:00 -0500

The latest from the Oxford American's SoLost series is from footage series director Dave Anderson got last year during the shoot for Jeff Nichols' "Mud" in south Arkansas. Good interviews with Nichols, Paul Sparks (who plays main bad dude Carver in the film and Mickey Doyle on "Boardwalk Empire") and Sarah Paulson (who plays Mary Lee, Ellis' mother).

Paulson, in particular, has nice, insightful things to say about Nichols.

He has a real old soul...He's very gentle, but specific. Very much in command. He's very self-possessed, which I think is an interesting quality for a man so young and a relatively new filmmaker. All that does, for me anyway, is inspire great confidence that I can trust whatever he's wanting or needing in a scene from me and trust that it is the exact right thing... I'd do anything for Jeff Nichols. He could ask me to do any part — big, small, toothless, peg-legged — I'd do it.

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Friday: Dirty Dozen Brass Band at Revolution

Robert Bell — Thu, 16 May 2013 10:31:49 -0500

New Orleans veterans The Dirty Dozen Brass Band bring the swinging second-line sounds to Revolution Friday, for an all-ages show, 8:30 p.m., $12 adv., $15 day of.

UPDATE: I just got word that Little Rock Film Festival pass-holders can get into this show for just $5.

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Friday: The Libras, ImprovLittleRock and more

Robert Bell — Thu, 16 May 2013 10:03:00 -0500

The Political Animals Club hosts Arkansas House Speaker Davy Carter for a look back on the 2013 legislative session, Governor's Mansion, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., $20 (includes lunch).

Little Rock's finest cover band, The Libras, returns to the White Water Tavern, 10 p.m., $5.

Fans of improv comedy, take note: ImprovLittleRock is back with two shows in one night: "Spring Flurries" at 7 p.m. and "Summer Blockbuster II!" at 10 p.m., The Public Theatre, $8 for each show.

You can also get your yuks at The Joint, where The Main Thing's "Wiener Day at the Rollercade" rolls on, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, $20.

This is your final chance to catch The Weekend Theater's production of "The Paris Letter," Jon Robin Baitz's story of Wall Street powerhouse Sandy Sonenberg, who finds his personal and professional life threatened by the unraveling secrets of his past. It's Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., $12-$16.

Arkansas Festival Ballet presents "The Adventures of Pinocchio" at the Arkansas Arts Center, 7:30 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday, $15-$20.

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Friday To-Do: Good Time Ramblers

Robert Bell — Thu, 16 May 2013 09:13:25 -0500

GOOD TIME RAMBLERS
9 p.m. Stickyz.

The Good Time Ramblers are probably a familiar name to most Times readers. The five-piece has spent the last several years honing an Americana sound with roots in the classic rock canon, playing steadily and sharing the stage with some notable country and Red Dirt acts.

This is an 18-and-older album-release show for the band's new full-length, "Bigelow Strange," the follow-up to the 2009 recording "Nashville Cowboy." The 8-song album sounds fantastic (it was produced by keyboardist/vocalist Jeff Coleman and engineered by Coleman and Jason Tedford), especially the keyboards and shimmering pedal steel.

"Illegal Things" gets the record off to an energetic start, with tales of youthful hijinks. "Six Feet Deep" finds the Ramblers considering the pursuit of material things and asking whether it was all worth it. "Last in Line" has some subtly sophisticated, Knopfler-esque guitar playing. It's an earnest, driving rocker and one of the best tunes on the album. "Nothing Left" closes out the album with hypnotic, chiming guitar/keyboard interplay, gorgeous leads and a moving chorus. It's a bit of a departure from the Ramblers' signature sound, but it's a bet that paid off and a fantastic track.

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Thursday: Justin Furstenfeld and more

Robert Bell — Wed, 15 May 2013 14:06:00 -0500

Juanita's hosts "An Open Book: An Evening with Justin Furstenfeld of Blue October," 9 p.m., $25. The evening will include a Q&A, reading from his book "Crazy Making" and an acoustic set of never-before-heard songs.

Arkansas Symphony Orchestra's Intimate Neighborhood Concert Series wraps up, with an ASO chamber performance featuring Arkansas Chamber Singers performing Mozart's Requiem, First United Methodist Church, 7 p.m., $10-$35.

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Thursday To-Do: Nathaniel Rich

Robert Bell — Wed, 15 May 2013 13:13:00 -0500

NATHANIEL RICH
7 p.m. South on Main. Free.

The Oxford American begins its programming at its new South on Main venue with a good'n: author Nathaniel Rich. His latest novel, "Odds Against Tomorrow," has been praised pretty much across the board.

It's about Mitchell Zukor, a young mathematician who takes a job that puts him at the forefront of corporate hedging, calculating the odds of various disasters that might befall society. But soon an actual catastrophe unfolds. It's sort of a comedy of manners/apocalypse thriller that Vanity Fair called "scarily prescient and wholly original."

Rich will read from the book, and if you have not yet secured a copy of it, WordsWorth Books & Co. will have some on hand, presumably so you can get him to sign his name on it. Little Rock-based writer Jay Jennings will emcee, and The John Burnette Duo will play music.

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'Short Term 12' kicks off Little Rock Film Festival tonight

Lindsey Millar — Wed, 15 May 2013 12:40:00 -0500

Director Destin Daniel Cretton's "Short Term 12," which won both the Audience and Grand Jury prizes at SXSW, opens the Little Rock Film Festival tonight. It's excellent. Indie star of the moment Brie Larson stars as Grace, a young woman who oversees a section of a foster home full of kids who've been abused or suffer from mental illness. Grace is tough, but caring, always in control. Or so it seems, until developments in her personal life and at work dredge up a dark past and send her into a tailspin.

I know if I were reading that plot description and knew nothing else about the movie, "AVOID" in red letters would probably pop into my mind. When does a movie about troubled kids, or institutionalized people of any age, ever get it right?

Well, Cretton and his fine cast do here. Larson is a revelation. Ditto for "The Newsroom's" John Gallagher Jr., who play's Grace's boyfriend and co-worker Mason. Rarely, have we seen young actors give such strong performances as Kaitlyn Dever, already showing promise as Loretta on "Justified," and Keith Stanfield, who play the main troubled kids. Cretton avoids all the lazy stereotypes and easy manipulation we so often see in similar movies. He's produced a naturalistic film that's warm, funny and packs an emotional wallop.

I'm thrilled to get the chance to moderate the post-screening discussions with Cretton, Dever and Stanfield. The film screens at 6:30 p.m. at the Argenta Community Theater and again at 7:30 p.m. at The Rep. That's collectively many, many more seats available than in years past, so don't not come for fear of being turned away.

Get tickets at the Little Rock Film Fest website or at the venues. And see our exhaustive film fest preview here.

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"J Dilla Changed My Life" tribute

Robert Bell — Wed, 15 May 2013 11:22:00 -0500

'J DILLA CHANGED MY LIFE'
9 p.m. The Joint. $10-$15.

James Yancey — or as he was more widely known, J Dilla — was one of those rare, brilliant musical minds who died too young and whose influence and unique vision wasn't properly recognized during his time on the planet. The Detroit native had been obsessed with music since he was a child. By the time he was in his teens, he'd already mastered several instruments, started a band and begun experimenting with drum machines and samplers, making forays into the production work on which he would make a career.

Dilla worked with some of the biggest names in hip-hop: A Tribe Called Quest, Erykah Badu, Busta Rhymes, Pharcyde, Questlove, De La Soul and others. He'd long suffered from a rare blood disorder, and he passed away in 2006 at the age of 32.

His legacy shows no signs of diminishing, though, with numerous tribute albums, posthumous releases and critical accolades continuing unabated. At this show, Rodney Block & The Real Music Lovers will perform with Damarcus "Blaze Beatz" Pettus, Osyrus Bolly, Fiyah Burnz, Sutter Kaine, Asylum and DJ Swift to pay tribute to the late, legendary musical genius.

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Thursday To-Do: Tom Keifer

Robert Bell — Wed, 15 May 2013 11:11:00 -0500

TOM KEIFER
Revolution. 8:30 p.m. $17 adv., $20 day of.

See, here's the thing about Cinderella: The band is sometimes unfairly lumped in with many of their blow-dried '80s hair-metal band peers. But "Long Cold Winter" and "Heartbreak Station" are solid, quality rock 'n' roll albums. Sure, they have their share of period production touches that maybe you'd do differently now.

But the songs are tough, coming from a Stones/Faces sorta mold, way more strutty and bluesy than anything by White Lion or Nelson or whoever. Seriously, go blast the first two tracks off "Long Cold Winter" — "Bad Seamstress Blues/Fallin' Apart at the Seams" and "Gypsy Road" — and tell me they don't rock.

Frontman and founder Tom Keifer recently released a solo album, "The Way Life Goes," that's cut from a similar cloth. It's 14 tracks of blues-informed, swaggering rock that'll make you forget everything that happened to mainstream rock radio between 1991 and, say, right now. That could be a very good thing indeed, depending on one's particular feelings about post-grunge and Nu Metal and whatever it is that followed those two low points. Expect Keifer to play some of the more rocking cuts from the new album (opener "Solid Ground" is great), along with some Cinderella hits.

John Corabi, formerly of The Scream and who sang for Motley Crue in the Vince Neil interim, opens the 18-and-older show.

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Ashlie Atkinson will be in the new Fox series 'Us & Them'

Robert Bell — Tue, 14 May 2013 14:19:00 -0500

Little Rock native Ashlie Atkinson has a role on the upcoming Fox comedy "Us & Them" (it's a de-Anglicized version of the Brit series "Gavin & Stacey").

It's a rom-com-type program in which two super attractive people finally get up the gumption to meet in person after making goo-goo eyes at each other over the internet. Naturally, they each recruit their respective weirdo siblings (Atkinson and Dustin Ybarra) to come along as wingmen.

The two main characters are played by this guy and this woman who were in some other stuff, but who cares about them, because Atkinson and Ybarra look to be way more interesting and funny. Also: small roles for Kerri Kenney and Michael Ian Black!

Check out the trailer after the jump. And oh yeah, "cobra basket."

H/t to Vulture, which reports that "Us & Them" will air mid-season sometime.

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Here's the schedule for Movies in the Park

Robert Bell — Mon, 13 May 2013 16:33:00 -0500

The Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau just released the lineup for this year's Movies in the Park, the quite popular series of free outdoor film screenings that take place at Riverfest Amphitheater long about dusk on midsummer Wednesday nights.

This year kicks off June 12 with "Twilight: Breaking Dawn," which concerns vampires and werewolves or something, if I'm not mistaken. The lineup is heavy on feelgood and popcorn-flick fare — "Remember the Titans" (June 19), "The Notebook" (June 26), "The Dark Knight Rises" (July 3). That's to be expected, for sure. Gotta give the people what they want, and what they want is the crowd-pleasing blockbusters. But wouldn't it be funny if, just for one year, Movies in the Park went really weird? Like, way-off-the-rails arthouse/trashy B-movie/exploitation-type weird?

What if the Movies in the Park schedule was like:

June 4: "Blue Velvet"
June 11: "Holy Mountain"
June 18: "Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song"
June 21: "Suspiria"
June 28: "The Harder They Come"
July 5: "Weekend"
July 12: "Weekend at Bernie's"
July 19: "Pink Flamingos"
July 26: "The Hills Have Eyes"
Aug. 2: "Fellini Satyricon"

Actually, looking at that list reinforces what a gigantic failure that lineup would undoubtedly be (though it would be amazing to watch "Holy Mountain" outside on the big screen surrounded by a cross-section of Central Arkansawyers). Probably better to just stick to "The Zookeeper" (July 10), "Finding Nemo" (July 24) and so forth. The press release with a full (and real) schedule is after the jump.

MOVIES IN THE PARK ANNOUNCES 2013 SUMMER SCHEDULE

Popular family-fun summer series returns for ninth season

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (May 13, 2013) — Movies in the Park, the popular outdoor free movie night at the Riverfest Amphitheater, announces its 2013 summer schedule with a diverse list of blockbuster titles beginning June 12. Movies in the Park begins its ninth season with special thanks to sponsors The River Market, LRCVB, City of Little Rock, Stone Ward, and Sumotext. Movies will play weekly at dusk on Wednesday nights through August 7.

“Movies in the Park offers Little Rock area residents a fun and inexpensive evening of entertainment in the River Market district,” said Director of River Market Operations, Diana Long. “We are excited to kick-off another successful season and invite everyone to pack a picnic basket and grab their favorite blanket for a fun night of watching movies under the stars in the park.”

The 2013 schedule includes:
• June 12: Twlight Breaking Dawn (PG 13)
• June 19: Remember the Titans (PG)
• June 26: The Notebook (PG 13)
• July 3: The Dark Knight Rises (PG 13)
• July 10: Zookeeper (PG)
• July 17: Big (PG)
• July 24: Finding Nemo (G)
• July 31: Breakfast at Tiffany’s (G)
• August 7: The Avengers (PG 13)

Families, picnics and pets are invited to the park to enjoy movies under the stars. The amphitheater will open an hour before film showings and movies will start at sundown each week. For more information please visit http://moviesintheparklr.net.
A comprehensive list of all River Market events and information this season can be found at http://rivermarket.info or by calling the River Market at (501) 375-2552.

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Review: Jason Aldean, May 11 Verizon Arena

Bill Paddack — Mon, 13 May 2013 09:57:00 -0500

Jason Aldean dished out small-town imagery and described a perfect shindig, Jake Owen unleashed his passion for Southern summer nights and Thomas Rhett contemplated having a little talk with Jesus over a beer.

Welcome to the North Little Rock stop of Aldean’s "Night Train Tour." The three talented young vocalists dispensed their own brands of country — all heavy on pop and rock influences — Saturday night at Verizon Arena in a concert that ran well over three hours.

Best known among the three and the reigning Academy of Country Music Male Vocalist of the Year, Aldean likes singing about towns in the South. In this concert alone, he served up “Crazy Town,” “Tattoos on This Town,” “This Nothin’ Town” and “Hicktown,” the latter an up-tempo number that has become his signature song. It pays homage to football games, muddin’ and buying beer at Amoco.

A hologram of duet partner Kelly Clarkson joined Aldean on their nice Grammy-winning ballad “Don’t You Wanna Stay,” and he saved his anthem to good times, “My Kinda Party,” for the encore. It’s the one where he’s “in the back of a jacked-up tailgate … chillin' with some Skynyrd and some old Hank.”

Before Aldean hit the stage, fans got an hour’s worth of Owen, a past ACM Top New Male Vocalist honoree. We won’t try to say he upstaged the headliner, but with a confident and incredibly energetic stage presence, an infectious smile and a handful of hits, he more than held his own.

“Barefoot Blue Jean Night” was, of course, a crowd favorite, with lines like “we were shining like lighters in the dark in the middle of a rock show.” And he sent the crowd of 13,139 into a frenzy when he and his band mates belted out the Beastie Boys’ "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (to Party!)"

Wearing an Arkansas flag T-shirt during his stint on stage, Owen slowed it down for perhaps his best song, “Don’t Think I Can’t Love You,” and also pleased with “Alone With You,” “Southern Summer” and “Eight Second Ride.”

Opening-act Rhett, aka Thomas Rhett Akins Jr., son of singer-songwriter Rhett Akins, only had time for five songs, but he made the most of it. “Something to Do With My Hands” and “It Goes Like This” were enjoyable, but it was the curiously terrific “Beer With Jesus” — “ask him how'd you turn the other cheek to save a sorry soul like me” — that was the most memorable.

Here are more of Brian Chilson's photos of the concert.

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Tuesday To-Do: Kvelertak

Robert Bell — Mon, 13 May 2013 09:05:00 -0500

KVELERTAK
7 p.m. Downtown Music Hall. $13 adv., $15 day of.

Dudes, y'all, this band Kvelertak? Have you heard them? For real, it's like this crazy mix of blistering, balls-to-the-wall hardcore, black metal, anthemic soccer-stadium rock, punk, classic rock, power-metal, pop-metal ... is there any genre of rock that this band is not ready and willing to throw into its ADD insanity blender? I think not.

You know what I like about them, besides the fist-pumpingly badass songs? They're sung in Norwegian. Because hell yes. I don't know about the rest of y'all, but I hear more than enough people screaming at me through my headphones in English. Is it time for some Norwegian screamin'? You know it is! Dig it! Get on board the train to Kvelertak (which means "chokehold" in Norwegian). Check 'em out after the jump.

Also on this bill: Savannah, Ga., sludge titans Black Tusk, Canadian bruisers Cancer Bats and Little Rock prog-metal act Enchiridion.

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Levon Helm documentary is a Little Rock Film Festival must-see

Lindsey Millar — Fri, 10 May 2013 15:43:00 -0500

"Ain't in It for My Health," the new documentary about the late, great Levon Helm, plays the Little Rock Film Festival on Thursday, May 16. It's going to be well-received. I got to see an advance screener of it, and I can all but guarantee anyone with even a passing affinity for Levon will eat it up.

It's not a typical documentary profile. There's a bit of archival footage and some reminiscing, but most of the film takes place closer to the present, during the nearly three years filmmaker Jacob Hatley shadowed Levon (for a time, living in his Woodstock barn). It covers what might be called the beginning of Levon's comeback, following his recovery from throat cancer (though it seems to be recurring in the film), when "Dirt Farmer," his first album in 25 years, was recorded and the "Midnight Ramble" concerts at his Woodstock farm were in full swing. But most of all, as Hatley said when I interviewed him yesterday, "it's a hangout movie." Levon swapping stories with Billy Bob Thornton. Levon and frequent collaborator Larry Campbell humming and strumming, trying to puzzle out how to complete a long-lost unfinished Hank Williams song. Levon and his daughter Amy casually serenading Amy's new baby with "In the Pines."

It's a collection of small moments that feel honest. You see some of the bitterness Levon felt about how The Band fell apart and how its legacy has been handled. Mostly, though, it's a portrait of a warm, gregarious man with a gift for telling stories and singing songs. It's filmed almost entirely in Woodstock, but Levon's Turkey Scratch roots always show.

Below is a condensed version of my interview with Hatley.

"Ain't in It for My Health" screens at 8:30 p.m. on Thursday at The Rep.

What was your initial pitch to Levon? You were with him making a music video, right?

Yeah. It was a pretty easy pitch. It didn’t really come by in a form of a “let’s sit down and let me run something by you.” I was up there, and we had a camera and we’d just break it out between takes of the music video. We did a 20-minute short film/music video thing. The idea was to do a series of vignettes that featured Levon as a personality as an actor and intercut those with him performing a couple of the songs music video style. It’s called “Only Halfway Home.”

When we were filming the stuff between takes, it was so much more fun than filming the music video. A lot of it was Levon hanging out with a couple of sweet corn farmers who live down the road from him, sitting around talking politics. Him hanging out in a seedy motel, playing music and telling stories. We had so much fun during that part, and Levon, I think, more than anyone else had a blast. Levon is an actor. He’s a performer. It felt good to have cameras around and for him to be back in front of it. He was enjoying it as much as we were.

You lived in Woodstock for several years while making the film. When you ran out of money, you lived in Levon’s barn for a while?

That’s right, but when you say “barn,” people think we were really roughing it. But if you’ve seen his barn, it was pretty good living.

At some point you must’ve become less of a filmmaker and more of a dude who was hanging out.

Even I started questioning whether I was a filmmaker. There’d be weeks go by and we would shoot anything. We wouldn’t see him. Or nothing was happening. Or it wasn’t clicking. There were periods where he didn’t feel up for being in front of a camera.

Whenever that would happen before, I’d leave and go to Los Angeles for a while, and then something would happen that I’d hear about and kick myself. So I finally decided to dig my heels in, and we were going to be there until we get it. If you’re living up there in that barn for three weeks and you’re ostensibly making a movie, but you haven’t shot anything, you start to wonder what you’re doing with yourself.

I’d think he would start to wonder what you were doing there.

Levon loved, loved having people over. He built that place so it could be a gathering place. For musicians and people to hang out after work. There were always people hanging out over there. I don’t think Levon would’ve minded if we filmed for six months and we were just hanging out.

Scenes where Levon talks about sensitive topics — the end of The Band, the exploitation of the legacy of the group, sickness — it feels very organic, like you just happened to be there when he was talking about those things. Did you ask direct, interview-style questions?

All the time. A lot of it is in the film, but we cut around it where it doesn’t look like a question has been asked. Whenever I could chime in to steer—you can’t sit down and do a formal interview and ask direct questions. Because it became stilted. I wasn’t interested in that, and he wasn’t interested in it either. You have to be the filmmaker and at the same time just be a part of the conversation and chime in at the right time to steer the conversation. But a lot of it was us not saying anything, just disappearing into the walls.

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UCA unveils 2013-2014 Public Appearances lineup

Robert Bell — Fri, 10 May 2013 14:47:00 -0500

If you're interested in catching the standup comedy of Bill Cosby, the gentle country stylings of Pam Tillis and Lorrie Morgan, an evening with Tony-winning actress and singer Audra McDonald or an mind-blowingly intriguing presentation from astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, you will be pleased to know that all of those folks are on the bill for the University of Central Arkansas's upcoming Public Appearances series.

Other highlights: "The Addams Family Musical," journalist Lisa Ling, The Haifa Symphony Orchestra and a performance from Bela Fleck and Chick Corea.

A press release with the full schedule is available after the jump.

UCA PUBLIC APPEARANCES ANNOUNCES 2013-14 SEASON

CONWAY — The comedian Bill Cosby will highlight the 16 events scheduled for the 2013-14 UCA Public Appearances season at the University of Central Arkansas.

An Evening with Bill Cosby: “50 Years of Making You Laugh, Smile, and Feel Good” will kick off the Night Out Series on Sept. 26. The season will also include Broadway and Pops series (featuring the return of the popular Straight No Chaser), two Distinguished Lectures and a family matinee.

“I can't believe that, after 25 years in the business, I have finally managed to book Bill Cosby, and now I am retiring and won't be hanging out backstage with him,” said Jerry Biebesheimer, who will retire as director of UCA Public Appearances in May. “But I will be in the audience.”
All performances will be in the Donald W. Reynolds Performance Hall.

The season includes:

• Cirque Dreams ROCKS, Broadway Series, Sept. 19, 7:30 p.m.;

• An Evening with Bill Cosby: “50 Years of Making You Laugh, Smile, and Feel Good”, Night Out Series, Sept. 26, 7:30 p.m.;

• Lightwire Theater presents: The Ugly Duckling and The Tortoise & The Hare, family show, Oct. 5, 10 a.m.

• Paul Taylor Dance Company, Night Out Series, Oct. 8, 7:30 p.m.;

• Grits & Glamour: Pam Tillis & Lorrie Morgan, Pops Series, Oct. 24, 7:30 p.m.;

• An Evening with Audra McDonald, Night Out Series, Nov. 2, 7:30 p.m.;

• Straight No Chaser, Pops Series, Nov. 5, 7:30 p.m.

• The Addams Family Musical, Broadway Series, Nov. 18, 7:30 p.m.;

• Lisa Ling, UCA Distinguished Lecture, Nov. 25, 7:30 p.m.

• Big Bad Voodoo Daddy Wild & Swingin’ Holiday, Pops Series, Dec. 9, 7:30 p.m.

• Broadway on Ice, Broadway Series, Jan. 21, 7:30 p.m.;

• Winner of the 2013 Van Cliburn Piano Competition with the Conway Symphony Orchestra, Night Out Series, Feb. 8, 7:30 p.m.;

• Neil deGrasse Tyson, UCA Distinguished Lecture, Feb. 17, 7:30 p.m.

• From Haifa Israel, The Haifa Symphony Orchestra, Night Out Series, March 3, 7:30 p.m.;

• Sweet Charity, Broadway Series, March 20, 7:30 p.m.;

• An Evening with Béla Fleck & Chick Corea, Pops Series, April 22, 7:30 p.m.

"The 2013-14 season will be by far our biggest season to date,” said Ashley Love, director of finance and marketing for UCA Public Appearances.
Subscription renewals for current season ticket holders will begin May 8. Subscriptions will go on sale to the general public July 8. Single tickets will go on sale to the general public Aug. 12. Patrons who have purchased a series subscription may purchase individual tickets during subscriber courtesy week Aug. 5-9.

This year patrons may once again subscribe to their choice of the Night Out Series, Broadway Series or Pops Series. They may also subscribe to the Performing Arts Package, which combines all 13 events in the Night Out, Broadway and Pops series. A new Pick-6 option allows anyone who donates at the Star Player level ($100+) and above to create their own six-event season ticket, picking any six events from the Broadway, Pops and Night Out series.
To purchase a subscription package, call (501) 450-3265 between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, beginning July 9. Individual tickets may be purchased online at www.uca.edu/reynolds or by calling (501) 450-3265 beginning Aug. 13.

For more information, contact Love at (501) 852-7889; alove@uca.edu or Ryan Warren at (501) 450-3680 or visit www.uca.edu/reynolds. Details about all the upcoming performances as well as information about Reynolds Performance Hall may be found there.

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Saturday: Jason Aldean at Verizon Arena

Robert Bell — Fri, 10 May 2013 12:21:32 -0500

Country favorite Jason Aldean comes to Verizon Arena on his "Night Train Tour," with Jake Owen and Thomas Rhett, Saturday, 7:30 p.m., $41-$69.

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Sunday: John Two-Hawks Mother's Day Concert, Strawberry Festival at Bernice Garden

Robert Bell — Fri, 10 May 2013 09:36:37 -0500

In search of the right Mother's Day gift? How about taking a trip to Eureka Springs' May Festival of the Arts and the John Two-Hawks Mother's Day Concert? It's at The Auditorium, 2 p.m., $12, and hey! It's free for mothers!

The Mother's Day Strawberry Festival at Bernice Garden is also a good option for showing moms how much they're appreciated. There'll be fresh strawberries for purchase from North Pulaski Farms and Barnhill Orchard, plus Boulevard Bread Co. will be offering strawberry shortcake and other treats, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

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