Arkansas Blog

Certainly not the first time for the ol' drunk. He probably has canceled at least five shows for the old Bad Bobs/Electric Cowboy over the years due to "illness." Glad he made it for the Stones show.

Merle is in danger of snatching the No-Show Jones crown that Possum wore for so long.

Word is the replacement will be named by the day and that he's a big-time country guy (dozen-plus No. 1 hits) though not as old or legendary as Merle. But who is?

Who gives a hoot about some twangy old crooner with a mouthful of snuff? Hillary does, I'll bet. Max, did you buy up the last package of pastries at the Geek Food Fest?

How about Kevin Black

They can always retreat Montgomery-Gentry again, or maybe Dierks Bentley. I would think Riverfest would find some classic country from the 70s-80s to go along with the rest of the has-beens on this year's lineup.

Call them "has-beens" if you will, but ZZ Top, Chaka Khan and Huey Lewis and the News will all pack the place. Robert Earl Keen's not a has been. Nor is Jonny Lang. Nor is Miranda Lambert, who just won "album of the year" from the Academy of Country Music on Sunday.

And just how many current superstars do you expect to get for TEN FREAKIN' DOLLARS for THREE DAYS of music?

Check the cost of seeing any one of the six acts I mentioned and see how many multiples of $10 it will cost you.

Is it Don Williams? Hope it's Don Williams!

Is Slim Whitman still alive?

Sawyer *&@#% Brown?! Thanks Merle

Couple of bigger solo acts appeared available, but alas. It was not to be. Tough to book a concert 72 hours out.

Sure am glad they were willing to reschedule and rearrange all their other bookings in their busy schedule at the last minute to accept this engagement. I guess Riverfest must be a worthy 1st tier gig now . . .

Sawyer Brown - I thought I saw them - one of those companies you see on the Discovery Channel show "Ax Men"?

Of course Huey Lewis, Chaka Khan, ZZ Top, 38 Special and all the rest will pack the place, because Little Rock LOVES its has-beens. Always has and always will. Just listen the local radio and see for yourself.
Hell, I'm surprised they couldn't get Skynyrd in too. The has-beens come reasonably cheaper than, say, Journey (seemingly on a comeback), and it fits with the limited festival budget, but the main thing is that Little Rock loves its has-beens as well as its COVER bands. Bring 'em on tooi. I remember a few years back when some of the wise Riverfest board heads even suggested they needed a few cover bands like Venus Mission and the like to play. Maybe they could bring in a series of "tribute" bands that stand in for the Stones, Zep, Dave Matthews and have a big time. Also, bring in Springsteen and Dylan and whoever, but by god don't let them play a show with some originality to it; they'd better play those hits, and in chronological order. Because Little Rock likes its has-beens, its cover bands and its classic hits. No B sides for this B-side city. We're all about hits and cheap has-beens. And cover bands.
Now, all that aside, Robert Earl Keen is the best. I will be looking forward to his show, and the fireworks. The fireworks never get old, especially with the soundtrack of Lee Greenwood backing them up.

On tonight's finale of American Idol, the most watched show of the year, the two bands with which the finalists performed? ZZ Top and One Republic, the Riverfest headliners Sunday and Saturday, respectively, on the Bud Stage in NLR.

Guess American Idol can only attract "has beens," too -- just like Riverfest.

"Of course Huey Lewis, Chaka Khan, ZZ Top, 38 Special and all the rest will pack the place, because Little Rock LOVES its has-beens. Always has and always will. Just listen the local radio and see for yourself."

Gimme a break, jimmyboy. That lineup does the national county fair circuit just like Head East, Foreigner, and whatever 80s hair band is sober that month. It's not particular to Little Rock, but I guess you wouldn't know that if your only out of state trip was to Branson.

With Merle Haggard cancelled, half my musical motivation for going is gone. There's still Chaka Khan, and I suppose I might take a chance on Robert Earl Keen. The one song I know by him is well-written.

By the way, is "has-been" code language for "old"? If so, the hell with those who use it that way.

John A,
Merle will be in Izard county August 2 for an outside concert. More details and ticket info later.

"On tonight's finale of American Idol, the most watched show of the year, the two bands with which the finalists performed? ZZ Top and One Republic, the Riverfest headliners Sunday and Saturday, respectively, on the Bud Stage in NLR.
"Guess American Idol can only attract "has beens," too -- just like Riverfest."

Two words: American Idol.

No more comment needed.

No, John A., "has-been" does not mean old. The Rolling Stones are not "has-beens." 38 Special hasn't released anything of note since the beautiful and lyrically stunning "Fantasy Girl." They would be a has-been act to me. But, of course, one rock fan's has-been is another fan's can't-wait-to-see-'em.

38 Special played Riverfest several years ago. It was terribly uninspired, has-been arena rock in all it's glory.

Bring back Brave Combo and get some Zydeco!

Three Dog Night?

jimmyboy,

I'm glad that's not what you were saying. But riddle me this: What have the Rolling Stones released worth a damn since Undercover? I've heard at least parts of all the studio albums since, and they're kind of lame. That's twenty-five years of sucking in the studio (as opposed to Sucking in the Seventies). By the standard you put on 38 Special (I'm not a fan, but one of them did give me a ride [or so he said] when I was hitchhiking in ancient times), that'd make them has-beens.