Rock Candy: April 2009 Archives

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Thursday, April 30, 2009 - 13:12:30

Thursday: Beginiversary, Kevin Kerby and more

Mammoth Orange. Photo by Catherine Gilbert.

At “Beginiversary,” a one-anniversary celebration of the conception of Root Cafe (which still doesn't exist in the physical sense), there'll be door prizes, food, drink and music from local experimental instrumental act Mammoth Orange and Washington state blues man Lonesome Shack, 8 p.m., $5. It goes down at Arkansas Flag and Banner.

Just a few weeks before he releases his sophomore solo album, Kevin Kerby plays a free show at Satellite Cafe, 9 p.m.

En route to possible pop stardom, Little Rock native Cory Lamb returns to Revolution from the West Coast, where he's been edging his way into the music biz, 9 p.m.

From Springfield, Mo., Jah Kings rock steady at Sticky Fingerz, 9:30 p.m., $5.

Noted jazz trombonist Wycliffe Gordon performs with the Central High Jazz Band at Trinity United Methodist Church, 7:30 p.m., $5-$10.

Northwest Arkansas blues rockers the Eoff Brothers headline at Cajun's Wharf, 9 p.m., $5.

And the Rep's production of “The Elephant Man” continues at Wildwood, 8 p.m., $20-$35.

Posted by Lindsey Millar at 01:12 PM | Permalink | Comments [0]

Shew

For the first time this season, Kris Allen ended up in the bottom three of the results show in "American Idol." Which wasn't a huge shock. His version of "The Way You Look Tonight" clearly wasn't his strongest performance. But the real surprise of the night was that he was joined by the prohibitive favorite, Tim Curry from "Rocky Horror Picture Show," who ended up getting the second fewest votes.

Either Adam doesn't have near the support we'd come to believe (fingers-crossed), his voting bloc grew complacent and took a break or there really are a lot of swing voters.

Whatever the case, Allen has to kill it in Rock week next Tuesday. Though either way, Jamie Foxx is ready to do a record and has other really complementary things to say.

After the jump, see the MTV video from the Conway watch party.

Posted by Lindsey Millar at 10:14 AM | Permalink | Comments [0]

Thursday To-Do: Rhonda Vincent and the Rage

RHONDA VINCENT AND THE RAGE
7:30 p.m., Reynolds Performance Hall. $30-$32.

Rhonda Vincent's only 46 — and lookin' good, too — but she's been playing music professionally longer than peers 10 to 15 years older. Born in Kirksville, Mo., she got her start at the age of 6, playing drums in her family band, the Sally Mountain Show. (She learned the mandolin and fiddle before she was 11.) But it was appearing on TNN's “You Can be a Star” that led her to solo fame, first singing with Opry star Jim Ed Brown, then recording contemporary country albums, with Giant Records and Warner Bros. But traditional music came calling, and she moved to Rounder in 2000 and starting cutting bluegrass albums again, eventually putting together a backing band, the Rage. In June, she'll release “Destination Life,” her 25th album. Over the years she's successfully managed to blend contemporary and neo-traditionalist country with traditional bluegrass in a way that doesn't alienate the purists. In fact, with her strong bright voice and skill with the mandolin, she's widely recognized as the queen of bluegrass.

Posted by Lindsey Millar at 09:41 AM | Permalink | Comments [0]

Wednesday, April 29, 2009 - 11:07:53

How to text 1,800 times for Kris Allen

So, as you'll see above, Kris Allen did not own Rat Pack week on "American Idol." His voice didn't hang particularly well amidst the big band bombast, but it doesn't matter, his voting bloc ain't turning away because of one not-awesome night. Particularly, if the 1,500 hundred or so rabid fans I saw last night at the Farris Center watch party are suggestive of something broader. There was all the screaming and homemade signs and T-shirts you'd expect, but more importantly, as soon as the phone lines opened, there was a sea of cell-lit faces texting furiously.

Of the 20 or so folks I talked to, from ages 13 to 50-something, men and women, nearly everyone voted, most to the limit of their cell phone plan. I found two who said they averaged 1,800 texts a night, one of whom said she and her husband together usually squeezed in around 4,000 texts.

The secret, I learned, is to input the Idol number in your phone book as many times as you're able and send it mass texts at once.

UPDATE: Here's MTV's report of the watch party, and the reporter's ode to Conway's Southern hospitality and the idea of Toad Suck Daze. Elsewhere, the LA Times "Idol Tracker" blog has some interesting demographic conjecture, mainly about tweens. I'm not sold on the idea that Kris Allen has the cougar bloc, but is fighting with Danny and Adam for the tween side of things.

ALSO: The Onion AV Club's Noel Murray, who lives in Conway, writes a dispatch from the watch party.

Posted by Lindsey Millar at 11:07 AM | Permalink | Comments [2]

Wednesday To-Do: David Cook

DAVID COOK
8:30 p.m., Revolution. $20.

Maybe you only recognize him, in passing, as the dude with the three-day stubble who beat the cherubic kid in “American Idol” last year. Or maybe as the first “Idol” to win on angst — pop-cleansed angst, but angst. But surely you know you're living in the fringes of pop culture. Because David Cook, despite only rising to fame last year, not only already owns a platinum album, he also holds the record for most songs simultaneously on the Billboard Hot 100 in one week (14!). He's huge, y'all, and he's taking a break from his “Declaration Tour” that's seen him hit college campuses across the country for this intimate gig. Get ready for homemade love signs, camera phones up in the air and a steady high-pitched squeal. Ryan Star, a vet of CBS' “Rock Star: Supernova,” opens the show, which is open to all ages.

NOTE: The remaining tickets go on sale at 11 a.m. Better hustle on down. There was a line this morning at 9 a.m.

Posted by Lindsey Millar at 10:46 AM | Permalink | Comments [0]

Tuesday, April 28, 2009 - 14:57:01

Levon Helm headlining ACL Fest

The line-up for the Austin City Limits Festival, October 2-4, came out today, and it's 90s-heavy at the top. Pearl Jam, Dave Matthews, the Beastie Boys. Then, there's Levon!

Here tis.

Posted by Lindsey Millar at 02:57 PM | Permalink | Comments [0]

Everything you need to know about tonight's "American Idol"

First, if you're in Conway and relish the idea of communing with hundreds, possibly thousands, of "Idol" fans in front of MTV cameras, the Farris Center at UCA is hosting a watch and vote party, from 6-10 p.m. There'll be a big screen and the Rodney Block Trio is playing pre-show, from 6-7 p.m. Here's MTV's preview of the watch party.

Tonight's Rat Pack night and Jamie Foxx, for reasons unknown, is serving as celebrity mentor.

If you've resisted the pull of "Idol," but enjoy gambling, now might be the time to start paying attention. At least earlier this week, Bookmaker.com had Allen's chances of winning at +1000 (or 10 to one), with screeching Adam Lambert, at -350 (I don't know how to translate), still the prohibitive favorite. But! If you put any stock in the commentators, like, say EW.com or MTV or iTunes popularity bars, Allen's got an outside shot. Either way, he seems like a lock on the final three — which would send him back to Conway for a special, pre-finale concert and parade — if not the final two.

Posted by Lindsey Millar at 01:25 PM | Permalink | Comments [0]