Rock Candy: April 2007 Archives

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Monday, April 30, 2007 - 22:42:51

The Estate Sale of the Century

Just returned from what I heard at least a dozen people describe as the estate sale to end all estate sales in Arkansas. Roy Dudley Estate sales was hosting a preview party, at #6 Armistead in the Heights, for the living estate of Mr. and Mrs. Sterling Tucker, an Arkansas family whose roots apparently go all the way back to Arkansas Post. The Tucker's, seemingly, have kept everything their family ever collected going back to the 19th century and spent their entire lives collecting themselves. Pretty much anything you could imagine--antiques, silver, fine art, vintage dresses--they had it. Here's a pretty broad rundown.

I stayed away from all the finery and dug around amongst the old toys and weirdness in the attic. Here's what I came away with:

plastic toy pipe organ
Solid State portable record player
60s "How and Why" books on Rockets and Atomic Energy
a foot-tall plastic anatomy doll (with original small AND large intestine!)
giant poster of unknown (to me) French actress astride a motorcycle

Total score.

Runs from Tuesday-Saturday, 10-5, and Saturday, 10-3.

Posted by Lindsey Millar at 10:42 PM | Permalink | Comments [0]

Sunday, April 29, 2007 - 19:06:31

Arkansania

Arkansas history-nerd/action fans, your time is almost upon us!

Dean Cain's dad directed a movie that's apparently soon to be released about the Fancher party, the group of Arkansans, who, en route to emigrate to California, were slaughtered in the Utah Territory in 1857 by Paiutes and Mormons dressed as Native Americans. Jon Voight, Dean Cain and Terrence Stamp star.

It's looks terrible.

Posted by Lindsey Millar at 07:06 PM | Permalink | Comments [2]

Saturday, April 28, 2007 - 16:18:24

"Shotgun Stories" premieres at Tribeca

"Shotgun Stories," the debut feature film from Little Rock native Jeff Nichols, made it's North American debut at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York last night (it premiered internationally at the prestigious Berlin Film Festival last month). The audience, according to friends who attended, filled about 3/4 of the theater and applauded for a long time as the credits rolled.

Full disclosure: I'm friends with Jeff and worked on the movie, which filmed in and around Scott and England in 2005. I got to see an advance cast-and-crew private screening last year. I had low expectations. It was done on a shoe-string budget, with a lot of amateur actors and crew (ahem) and it took Jeff almost two years to finish. But, even though quoting yourself is stupid, here's what I came up with after really thinking about it while writing a story I did in my old gig several months ago:

It's a quietly precise film, driven by the languid rhythms of the South, those in-between moments that might make up half a life—a pause in conversation, the buzz of the cicadas—that're rarely so carefully captured onscreen. Beneath that moodiness, an intensely dramatic family feud roils and finally bursts through. It's a film that trades in blood and kin and justice and revenge and other eternal themes.

And it's not just the biased who like it. Variety, virtually always first in line to review important films, couldn't stop pilling adjectives on, calling it: "A point-blank buckshot blast of inarticulate American rage, played with the disarmingly placid inevitability of Greek tragedy, "Shotgun Stories" is a precisely modulated yet cumulatively forceful story of a rural family feud turned deadly."

And earlier this week "New York" magazine put it on its "dozen films to watch" list. Here's what David Edelstein, one our most consistently perceptive film critics, had to say:

The Deep South: trailer homes, sprawling farms, tractors, and two sets of brothers, one abandoned by an alcoholic father, the other raised by the same man in a good Christian home. After the forsaken brothers make a scene at their father’s funeral, resentment escalates into tit-for-tat brutality that is increasingly lethal. It’s not the Hatfields versus the McCoys, but something far eerier: the Hayeses versus the Hayeses. The countrified-bass score detracts a bit from the brilliant, barbed dialogue. But Jeff Nichols’s film is a searing, then sobering exploration of primal injuries, with a truth that can’t be repeated too often: Violence is never cathartic.

The music jab is damn near a sacrilege in these parts. Nichols' brother, Ben Nichols, lead singer of Lucero, scored "Shotgun Stories." The film still has another screening today, one Monday, and another a week from today, on May 5, so look for more reviews to trickle in as the screenings pass.

Check back for updates throughout the week.

Posted by Lindsey Millar at 04:18 PM | Permalink | Comments [0]

Friday, April 27, 2007 - 16:10:58

More To-Do

Friday:

All those folks on the poster above plus more, I hear, play the second of three CD release parties for the new Thick Syrup Records "Arkansas Compilation." Should be a good Cliff Notes-style survey of a big chunk of local music. Also, Burt Taggert (Big Cats) and Isaac Alexander (The Easys and Big Silver) don't play solo often, and I'm pretty sure this is Fits and Starts last show or at least penultimate show. 9 pm, $6. Buy the record at the show or online here.

Saturday:

Conduit, the most complete local label, celebrates the release of its second big compilation album, "Theme Muzik," with a concert at Revolution. All the family will represent--Epiphany, DK, and Suga City (Arkansas Bo and Goines)--plus extended people like the Dat Heat boys and girl, YK from Grim Muzik, and a whole host of other local talent.

Epiphany's been doing this thing lately with a live band, who call themselves One Night Stand. And honey-voiced local RnBer Gina Gee sings the hooks. Woo, son. It's a sight to behold. And every time I've seen them--three times prior, I think--they've gotten better.

So look out for that.

Here's a little preview action for you. "5 Dollas" by Epiphany feat. Gina Gee.

Posted by Lindsey Millar at 04:10 PM | Permalink | Comments [0]

Kings of Leon on Leno tonight

Set your VCR, if you're going to be out tonight, for 11:28 or thereabouts so you can catch Kings of Leon, one of our favorite bands, on "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno."

"Leno" is on from 10:35 to 11:36 on KARK, Channel 4 (the local NBC affiliate).

Kings of Leon will be performing "On Call" off their new RCA album "Because of the Times."

Posted by at 02:32 PM | Permalink | Comments [0]

Gala set for Weekend Theater on Saturday

Word we're getting is that Blake Rutherford over at StoneWard is portraying Bush in one of the skits planned for the Weekend Theater's gala on Saturday night, and Blake as Georgie will be a hoot.

Anyway, the gala will feature sketches and music, food from Vermilion Water Grill and tne announcement of the troupe's 2007-08 season. The theater will be honoring longtime supporters BJ and Sid Bray on Saturday as well.

The annual gala begins at 6:30 p.m. at the theater, 7th and Chester streets across from Vino's.

The group will stage a reading of David Hare's political comedy-drama "Stuff Happens," with Blake as Bush and author Grif Stockley reading the part of Dick Cheney. Marilynn Porter will be the narrator.

Weekend Theater artistic director Ralph Hyman will reveal the next year's lineup.

Tickets are $50. Call 374-3761 or visit the theater's website.

Posted by at 02:19 PM | Permalink | Comments [0]

Lineup change for Acoustic Sounds tonight

Alan Rhody, schedules as the headliner for tonight's show at Acoustic Sounds Cafe, encountered transportation problems and won't make it. But the cafe was fortuitous in having singer-songwriter Jack Williams in the area for another gig last night, taping his show for AETN, and now Williams will fill in as the main act.

The opening act is no slouch either. Brian and Jeanette Driscoll have entertained all over the area ever since Brian came on the local scene by winning the first Arkansas Acoustic Showdown at Conway a few years back. Brian and Jeanette previously had performed around Wichita and Brian was a member of a top band in that area before they relocated to Central Arkansas. If you haven't heard the Driscolls, this is a great chance to catch them in wonderful acoustic venue.

Showtime is 7:30 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults and $8 for students and seniors. Acoustic Sounds is at 600 Pleasant Valley Drive in the Second Presbyterian Church.

Posted by at 02:09 PM | Permalink | Comments [0]