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![[Nightflying Notes From The Pub]](http://www.nightflying.com/pub.gif)
Canned music is like audible wallpaper…
---Alistair
Cooke
Greetings and fair weather to you all. It is now
5:15 in the a.m. as I sit to peck out these final tidbits of this, our
Rites of Spring issue in the year of our Lord, 2010.
Have you noticed the trend? The fact that it always
seems to be about this time of day when this column gets written? I can
assure you that it really isn't by design. It's just the way it
happens, you know?!
It's Spring, children, and with that comes the warm
weather and the beginning of our favorite time of the year: Festival
Season: when the music once again goes outside to play and our hearts
realize the gladness of tossing off our Winter blues.
Momma always told us to go and play outside,
anyway…and we always were more than happy to oblige. Nothing has
changed in that department…especially now that we make a living out of
it.
Here's hoping we don't have a repeat of the last
year's weather this time around. As you may remember, it seemed as
though every other day brought more stormy weather. I don't know the
official rainfall amount, but I'm betting that we squashed all the
records put together from all the years past. (In one week we measured
22" of rain here at the Nightflying compound, and the yard looked like
a lake…)
The Altered State is truly blessed in our location,
for we are surrounded by major concert markets. Indeed, depending on
where you live, you are within mere hours of some of the most serious
outdoor festivals in the entire country.
There's New Orleans to the south with the Jazz &
Heritage festival; there's Memphis In May; there's the myriad of
great blues festivals in Arkansas; and it seems that practically every
community in our state has some major festival celebrating nothing more
than their own existence. Indeed, we could refer to Arkansas as the
Festive State and be semi-accurate. (Personally, I, of course, think of
it as The Altered State, and I think Arkansas should officially adopt
this motto and put it on the flag…'cause it fits…)
Nowhere in our midst is this more true than in
Eureka Springs, the largest open-air asylum in the country. From May
Festival of the Arts to the Eureka Blues Weekend to Folk Fest to
Bluegrass Weekend to…? Whatever it may be, Eureka Springs seems to find
in its collective wisdom the manner to celebrate everything…from food
to art to UFO's to ghosts to jazz to wacky cars to what they refer to
as Diversity…er…lifestyles, you know…
We all have heard about the wild lives rock 'n'
rollers live, and it's time to let this out of the closet. Back in my
rock star days I once had the pleasure - nay, privilege - of giving the
city of Eureka an impromptu fireworks display at 3:30 in the morning.
Back in the 1970s I performed at a club referred to as the Top Of The
Crescent, located outside on top of that majestic hotel. As fate would
have it, well after the gig when the band was winding down (courtesy of
a couple bottles of Tequila and a generous bartender), we got the
inspired notion to give the area a treat. The bartender had somehow
acquired several city-sized fireworks rockets (you know…the kind that
go BOOM when they're set off), so we could think of nothing better to
do than generously share them with the community. We went out on that
deck and fired them off. It was beautiful, and that concrete Jesus on
the hill even seemed to approve (I swear I saw it crack a smile…) We
only tarried long enough to see the police lights driving up the hill,
then of course ran down to our room and hid out.
The next day the hotel manager paid us a visit.
"Boys, someone shot off some fireworks early this
morning from the deck up top. Do you know anything about that?"
"Is that what all those booms were about?"
"Er…yeah…"
"We heard those and they woke us up. What was that
about? Was there any damage or problem?"
"No, not really, but there have been complaints
about the noise…"
"No sir…whoever would have done such a thing?!"
Ah well, maybe you had to be there…but let me tell
you, those fireworks from the top of the Crescent Hotel were
breathtaking…
One of the best festivals in our midst has just been
announced: Wakarusa, which will happen during the first week of June.
This year they have more than 100 bands on the roster, including
Widespread Panic, STS9, Umphrey's McGee, Disco Biscuits, Slightly
Stoopid, The John Butler Trio, Blues Traveler, Robert Randolph and
many, many more. See their ad elsewhere in this issue for the line-up,
or go to Wakarusa.com for the complete picture.
And plan now to attend. Mulberry Mountain is nothing
short of superb, designed and built to accommodate music shows and
several-day-long parties. Right here in Arkansas…and that's as exciting
as it can be…
Also, just to the northeast of us, is Camp Zoe…a
several hundred acre camping facility that is home to the Schwagstocks.
There are several of these planned for the season, and they are all
like mini-Wakarusas, complete with multiple bands and stages, and
frankly, large crowds of Deadhead-minded individuals.
Check it out…
Keep an eye on these pages over the next several
months and we'll let you know where and when these shows will happen.
And make your plans to get out there and join the NF staff as we
proceed to party under the stars where God meant us to party.
Another thing about this time of
year is that all the clubs with outdoor facilities are kicking the
doors open. Every deck and beer garden is now, or will soon be,
brimming with the sounds of live music. And people, we'll all be once
again, as the song goes, "dancing in the streets…"
It's Spring! May all our brains turn to mush…
In Central Arkansas….
Grumpy’s Too was rocking on St. Patrick’s Day, which
is no suprise. There's always a party going on at the club, especially
when there's some specific event. Fact is, long before any other clubs
around, Grumpy's was celebrating what we've come to know as the
National Day of Drinking.
Cinco de Mayo is usually even bigger a bash, and
this year should be no exception. That great Mexican Reggae band,
Firsto Impressiono, will be playing, and there will be free Mexican
munchies and hoards of drink specials.
There's never a cover charge at Grumpy's Too, and
probably never will be.
Also set to appear at Grumpy’s in the next several
weeks are Ryan Couron, Tim Meitzen, Dean Agus, Steele Jessup, Barrett
& Colby, Chris Henry, Kickback, Matt Leiblong, GoodTime Ramblers,
Barrett Baber and Colby, Shannon McClung and more.
Also coming to the club will be our 2010 SXSW
showcase band, The Pope County Bootleggers, on May 8th. If you haven't
caught this band you need to. Put it like this: they are the first band
we ever sent to showcase at the festival that actually drew a standing
ovation and encore. They're that good.
For bookings at Grumpy’s Too call (501)225-3768…….
The White Water Tavern is packing them in. Set to
appear are Flash Larue, The Fox Hunt, Mark Jungers, The Sarah Hughes
Band, Dana Falconberry, Graham Wilkinson, Cory Branan, the return of
the incredible Jimbo Mathus, our 2007 SXSW band, Runaway Planet, Damn
Bullets and a bunch more.
You can, of course, check all the dates and details
in our Sound pages later on in the paper…but you know that by now.
It’s a great sounding wooden room, perfect for
really setting the tone and especially good for recording. And it's
usually something along the lines of Standing Room Only on most nights.
Word is that they are preparing an outdoor beer
garden, too, which should be up and running in the next several weeks.
For bookings and directions call Matt White at
(501)375-8400…….
The Town Pump, on Rebsamen Park Road, is one very
cool little bar that’s open every day and night, serves really
excellent food and has a full bar. Live bands perform on Thursday
through Saturday. In addition there’s a very cool covered and screened
outdoor smoker’s patio with full service.
Add to all this Debbi T and her Ts Tunes Karaoke
work out every Tuesday night.
The Town Pump is also in the process of building a
starlit patio, which should be up by the end of April.
On the roster in the coming weeks are Voodoo Sauce,
Exra Lbs & A440, Brother Andy, Frown Pow'r, Life Size Pizza, Ol'
Puddin Head, Brugh Foster, Elise Davis and many more, including the
aforementioned Pope County Bootleggers.
See the Sound pages for the dates and details.
For bookings contact Dane at the club in the
afternoons at (501)663-9987…….
Rumba Revolution, aka The Rev
Room, has a line-up in the coming weeks that is truly exciting.
Look for the likes of Cowboy Mouth, Sierra Leone's
Regugee Allstars, Frightened Rabbit, Lord T & Eloise, BASSNECTAR,
Free Micah, and a lot more.
In addition, every Monday is now Open Mic night so
even you - yes you - can rock out and trip the light fantastic.
The restaurant side serves up delectable island
cuisine, has a full bar and a cool full-service outdoor deck facing the
river.
And the entire building is famously wired for sound.
It’s exactly what Chris King and Suzon Awbrey wished
for when they relocated from the wilds of Fayetteville to LR.
For bookings contact Chris King at (501)372-1151…….
Down at the other end of the Market is Chris and
Suzon’s other restaurant-club, Sticky Fingerz Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicken
Shack, which has one of the strongest live music programs of any
nightclub in Arkansas.
On the bill in the coming weeks are Dave Raymond,
Gold Diggin' Mothers, Underground Comedy, MC Frontalot, Whoremoans,
Brandon Patton, Local H, Kinch, Underclaire, Four On The Floor, Battery
(a Metallica Tribute band), Martin Sexton, Ryan Montbleau, Candye Kane,
Vallejo and much more.
And every Wednesday check out the Lucious Spiller
band.
Sticky Fingerz is a smoker-friendly establishment,
serves real good food, has music nightly, and has a sweet and covered
outdoor patio.
To reach the club call (501)372-7707, and for
bookings call Chris King at (501)372-1151…….
Cregeen's Irish Pub is one of the sweeter places to
party in the Central Arkansas area. The food is excellent, the service
is quite fine, and the folks who work there are, shall we say, rather
inviting (okay…they have lots of real babes working the floor…)
Music is every Thursday through Saturday, and leans
towards acoustic-type artists.
Look for Rob Moore, Jeff Coleman, Steve Bates and
Grayson Shelton and more. See our Sound listings for details.
For bookings call (501)376-PINT…….
As usual, Midtown Billiards checks in with a full
calendar. This tiny hole-in-the-wall bar is the place to be for the
late-night crowd. Indeed, many of the hard-core club crowd practically
lives there from midnite to daybreak on most nights.
Set to appear in the coming weeks are Bombay black,
Number #2 With Me and Hugh, Eric Sommer, Joystick, The Crumbs,
Wisebird, Ghost Town Blues Band, The Pope County Bootleggers,
Interstate Buffalo, Mat Mahar, Joeephus & The GeorgeJonestown
Massacre, The ChiliRose Band, FreeVerse and much more.
MidTown is open each and every day until 5 a.m.
For bookings at MidTown, contact Conan at
(501)372-7110 or email him at moeman03@comcast.net…….
Denton's Trotline continues to bring in fine music,
and continues to grow, too. They have already expanded that new deck
considerably, and the talk is to kick out the walls even further. This
all began just months ago, and already they've built it up even
further. Indeed, this is now Saline County's premier party room.
I caught an excellent set with The Lyle Dudley Band
the other night.
In the coming weeks are Typhoid Mary, Tragikly
White, The Shannon Boshears Band, Port Arthur, Wanda Watson, Ben
Coulter, The Big John Miller Band, The Joe Pitts Band, the legendary
Sonny Burgess & The Pacers, Roy Rivers, Big Stack, Little Creek and
the return of guitar monster Wes Jeans.
And of course, Big John Miller hosts karaoke every
Wednesday.
Just take the Congo exit in Benton and the Trotline
is right there next to I-30.
Bands looking for bookings should call Robert Denton
at (501)315-1717 in the afternoons…….
Set to appear at West End in the coming month are
Memphis Yahoos, Big Stack, Pail, PG-13 - The Band, Fracture, 7-Toed
Pete, The Meanies, 1st Impressions, Crisis, Jason Greenlaw & The
Groove, Max Taylor & The Blue Katz, The Gettys, House Arrest,
Subdue…and don't miss the return of The Seth Freeman Band.
This is a great dance room as well, with a massive
sound and light system, a large dance-floor and a comfortable ambience
overall. It is open every day, has a bazillion tvs for sports action,
and they live, eat and breathe sports of all kinds.
There’s an overflowing bar, it’s smoker-friendly,
and they serve their full menu until 1 a.m. 7 days a week.
For bookings call (501)224-7665…….
The Markham Street Grill checks in with their usual
excellent line-up.
It is open 7 days a week, has live music about half
the time, and is a total sports bar in every sense.
The food is great, the service is top-notch, and the
bar is always well stocked.
It features free Wifi, a multitude of tv screens and
serves up all things sports, and serves the full menu late into the
night.
Set to appear in the coming weeks are Brian Nahlen,
Penguin Dilemma, The Trustees, Brown Sole Shoes, White Collar
Criminals, Tonya Leeks, Joe Arats, The Paperboys, and more.
And they have started building their downtown
location, Dugan's Irish Pub, in the River Market. Look for it to be up
and running by June.
See the Sound pages for all the listings and
dates.
And they also feature a special late-nite happy hour
from 10-12 nightly.
For bookings call (501)224-2010…….
Counterpoint is the all-nite bar
in North Little Rock, and hence is busy all night every night. There’s
live music every Saturday, Karaoke with Larry P on Sunday, Free pool,
darts and ping pong every Monday, Karaoke with Debbi T every Wednesday,
a live dj on Thursday, Funky Fridays with Debbi T every Friday…on
Tuesday they want you to come and entertain them…
On the bill in the coming weeks
are After Eden, Jason Greenlaw & The Groove, The Gettys, Wicked
Wes, Flood, Austin 305, Strange Love, and a bunch more.
This club is open 'til daybreak as well, so it's a
fun alternative for having to go on home…you know?!
For bookings call Cheryl Drennan at (501)771-5515…….
The Bamboo Club in Morrilton has shelved the greasy
fried stuff and has created a truly delicious home-made pizza that’s
worth driving a while to get.
Coming up, look for the likes of South Bound, Risky
Business, Dayton Waters (!), Midwestern Playboys, Jason Greenlaw &
The Groove, Judge Parker with Seth Freeman sitting in, Eli & The
Cotton Gin, Jett 420, Razzin' Kane, and much more.
The Bamboo Club is open for lunch and dinner, has
pool tables, a great bar, and features all the sports you can imagine
on the big screens.
For bookings contact Clay Griffey at (501)354-9990
in the afternoons.
The Bamboo Club is located at 1111 W. Broadway…
In Hot Springs….
The annual running of the ponies has come and gone
once again. Most
of the venues in town seem to think that they had a good season, with
lots of horse lovers and gamblers pouring into town and dropping lotsa
cash. (Which is good, as they can now pay all those bills that piled up
during the rest of the year…)
Thing is, for a few weeks after the meet ends
there's a welcome
lull in the town. Indeed, the whole community seems to breathe a
collective sigh of relief…that is, until Memorial Day, when the Summer
officially kicks in. With all the lakes and water sports activities,
everything will soon get back to hustling, and will be that way until
Fall.
(Do keep in mind that this is also a National Park…)
The exception seems to be The Big Chill, where the
crowds appear
like magic almost every night. But hey, it's a very cool spot:
comfortable, reasonably priced, no cover charge, great bar and great
bar food, sports bar downstairs, large outdoor wrap-around patio-deck,
and some fine feathered friends that take care of your every need.
Live music at The Big Chill is every night they're
open - Monday
through Saturday - and there's seldom any cover charge. The food is
good for bar food, the bars are well-stocked, and the crowd that hangs
there is a trip by itself.
In the coming weeks look for the likes of Levon
Walkin (every
Monday), Grant Pierson & Joe Hall, Tabor & Young, perennial
fave Dayton Waters, Kasey Kimmons, Trey Johnson & Dave Almond,
Brian Bearden, Jocko, The Terry Black Band, Heavy Suga' & The
SweeTones, Terry Black & The Upright Rooster, old friend Buddy
Flett, and a great deal more.
The folks are friendly, and the music is always
top-notch, and there's simply no telling who might sit it with the
bands.
For bookings call Gina or David at the club at
(501)624-5185…….
Caught a great set by The Hump Night Blues Band at
Odie's. This is
a very fine band across the board, and Tony Nardi's left foot is
astounding to witness. Indeed, that foot on those Hammond pedals is my
favorite bass player in the world. They call themselves a blues band,
but there's a lot of hard-core steady rock 'n' roll involved.
Odie's is celebrating its 1-year aniversary right
now, with some
special dates and treats. This is a cool club, and I for one
congratulate them on pulling it off for the first year. The club
bidness is a tough one - especially in a town with so many nightspots
and so many excellent restaurants.
Kudos to Doug and the gang. Here's to another
year…and as many as they wish.
On the bill in the coming weeks are One Bent Minute,
The Chris
Watson Band, Danny Smith & The Midnite Shufflekings, The John
Calvin Brewer Band, Strange Love and a bunch more.
Hump Night hosts the blues jam each and every
Thursday, and all real musicians are welcome to sit in.
Odie's also has a free shuttle, too, and will pick
you up and drive
you to the club from almost anywhere in town. (They want to make sure
their customers get around safely, you know…talk about taking care of
bidness…)
Odie's is just south of the track on the left going
south…or on the
right going north…funny how that works out… Look for the enormous
parking lot full of cars and barbecue trucks.
For bookings contact David Hughes at (501)620-3596…….
Maxine's has a great line-up in store for the coming
weeks. Look
for shows by Kasey Anderson, Chip Robinson, Isaac Hoskins & Benko,
The Boondogs, The Greg Spradlin Outfit, Andrew Anderson, The
Rocketboys, Midwest Caravan, Izzy Cox and much more.
For bookings contact Bill
Solleder at (501)321-0909…….
Lucky's is a 7-day-a-week rock 'n' roll bar,
featuring live bands
on weekends, really top-notch bar food, myriad food and drink specials,
a primo stereo for dancing, pool tables, arcades and a virtual party
going day and night.
Coming to the club in the next several weeks are
Jason Greenlaw
& The Groovem The John Calvin Brewer Band, After Eden, The
Bannister Brothers Band, Raising Grey, House Arrest and much more.
And Lucky's is only one part of the quadruple threat
of Joe and
Penny Gargano's empire. It was a triple threat, but they recently
opened a 4th venue: The Regency Banquet & Reception Room, just
across from the street. I haven't had a chance yet to check it out
personally, but will make a point to do so pryor to next issue.
For information and reservations, call Lucky's at
(501)622-2570,
The Porterhouse at (501)321-8282, and Bela Arti at (501)624-7474…….
For a late-night bar in the Spa look to Bogart's,
downtown in an
old train station. Bogart's is open 7 days a week, has several full
bars, and a kitchen that serves until 4:30 a.m.
There are live bands and karaoke on weekends, pool
tables, a
mechanical bull, a killer sound and light system, and this is where the
townspeople tend to congregate when the other clubs close.
Set to appear in the coming weeks are Ronnie Bear,
the Midnight
Hurricanes, The Aaron Owens Band, Mike Mayberry & The Slowhand
Band, and much more.
It is a private club for liquor law reasons, but the
membership
fees are nominal, and joining is a matter of basically signing in and
paying the fee - which is good for a year.
Check it out in the old train station on Broadway.
For bookings and information call (501)623-5152…….
In Fort Smith….
The fort is HAPPENING!!!
With the warm weather upon us all the outdoor spots
are getting in full gear, and we are SO happy about this. There's so
much happening in Fort Smith these days it's hard to keep track of it
all. But I'll do my college best to give you a run-down.
Caught a fine show at the new Second Street Live,
with the band Del Castillo. A full house was there for the band, and
nobody left disappointed whatsoever. This band showed why they are in
great demand throughout North America and beyond, with their riveting
stage presence and terrific musicianship. The unusual combination of
music styles was very infectious and more than a few folks couldn't
help from dancing in their seats.
Coming up are shows with Johnny A., jazz legend
Stanley Jordan, Sam Bush, The Blue Fiddle (featuring Tom Ware), Raul
Malo (who manager Dick Renko says is the best vocalist in the world,
bar none), and an art reception fot world-famous Arkansas artist Doug
Lippicott.
Second Street Live is at 101 No. 2nd. To reach them
by phone call Dick Renko at (479)782-5483…….
It's finally here! The season opening of Neumeier's
Rib Room & Beer Garden. This is the ultimate nightclub across the
board, with great food, libations, and the tremendous music Bill
Neumeier brings in.
Already there has been a bit of a set-back: The sold
out concert featuring Bret Michaels had to be postponed suddenly, as
Mr. Michaels suffered an appendectomy. Word is that he's doing fine as
can be expected, and that he will make the April 23rd show. As we say
in these pages often, excrementum occurrum…
Not to worry, though, as the club has a stellar
line-up of talent booked for the season.
Look for dates with Jason Boland & The
Stragglers, Bret Michaels, The Klocks, Dallas Moore & The Snatch
Wranglers, Oreo Blue with special guest Earl Cate, The Velcro Pygmies,
Miss Used, Fly-By Radio and a lot more.
On the 24th is the 14th Annual Barry Ratliff
Memorial, featuring Steady Rollin' Bob Margolin, Woodshed and the Fuel
Church Band.
Then on April 29, it's the Hooter's Regional
Swimsuit Competition (!), and the contestants will all be judged by
their intelligence, poise and wit, I'm sure…much like they used to be
when I took all those photos for Miss Hawaiian Tropic, you know?!
I'm sure.
The Rib Room serves up the very best barbecue ribs
I've ever added to my body, and that's not an exaggeration. Indeed, I
once watched a couple call ahead and drive 500 miles to pick up a large
to-go order. That's how good they are.
And it's a neat room by itself, complete with great
custom lights and sound and several full bars to choose from.
For bookings and info call Bill at (479)494-RIBS…….
Heros has a full roster in the coming weeks. Look
for Beans & Cornbread, Roger Alan Wade, The Hosty Duo, Copesetic,
Flatland Travelers, Jim Dick & The Pocket Aces, Soda, Tom Ware
& Petrifried, Roloo Tumasi, and more.
Hero's is open every day and serves food until the
wee-wee hours. There are hugh-screen tvs, pool tables, various arcades,
excellent tacos and corndogs worth writing home about (I get a bagful
whenever I'm there…)
For bookings at the club call (479)784-5055…….
R. Landry's has a stellar line-up for the next
month. Look for The Sultans of Schwing, The Terri Quiett Band,
powerhouse blues singer Wanda Watsoon, Clay Fisher, Brandon White &
Chris Henderson, Gooding, The Phosphenes, 15 Keys, Satellite Hearts,
Joe Pierson, Kory Montgomery, Chris Cameron, The 1 oz. Jig, some guy
named robb, Keith Nicholson, The Crumbs, Sisters in the Round
(featuring Tiffany Christopher, Candy Lee, Carter Simpson and Sarah
Hughes), Rob & Shannon Caloway, harpman RJ Mischo with Earl &
Them, The Pope County Bootleggers, Ben Miller Band, and Jed Clampit
sitting in with Sarah Hughes, among others.
R. Landry's is one of my favorite music venues…not
just in Fort Smith, but in general.
Be sure to see Landry's owner Dori Colston's report
on this year's SXSW elsewhere in this issue.
To reach them by phone, call (479)783-2505…….
Old Town of Fort Smith checks in with a fine
calendar of music for the coming weeks. On the bill are Chris
Henderson, Josh Brown & Friends, The Mighty Moon Frogs, George
Hughen, 15 Keys, Greg Madden, The Crumbs, Strangers 'Til Sunrise,
Masagua, The Brittany Reilly Band, Take Five, Dorian Cross and a bunch
more.
Old Town is a legendary music room. Despite it's
tiny size, the list of notables who've played there through the years
is long as a well-rope.
For bookings call (479)782-1999…….
On down Garrison is the new Webby
D's. This club features music on weekends and special occassions, and
whenever I'm there the place is jam-packed.
Coming in the next several weeks are the Gary
Hutchison Trio, The Bannister Brothers Band, Subdue, Hedtripp,
Kickstart, Dayton Waters, Quadrajet and Young Grammarians.
There are pool tables, tvs, a great sound system,
and a very full bar.
Webby D's is a private club for liquor law reasons,
but memberships are nominal.
For bookings call (479)651-7555…….
Things are changing at The Hangin' Judge Saloon, but
for the better. They no longer sport that 5 a.m. license (according to
Billy, after 2 in the a.m. the place was filling up with the sort of
folks you really don't want.)
It's open Monday through Saturday, with live DJs and
dancing every night, and Gabe's karaoke on Tuesday and Wednesday.
There's hip-hop on Thursday, and the occassional live band on the
weekends.
The stereo is top-notch, and there's always a crowd
of partiers to keep the energy up.
For bookings and information, call (479)494--0000…….
The only place off Garrison with solid live music to
speak of is Bordertown (formerly Ava's Rib Shack). There is live music
every weekend, and truly incredible food.
Set to appear in the coming weeks are Brandon White,
Robert Presley, Hank McMurtry, The Dorian Cross Band, Willin' &
Able, The Bannister Brothers Band, Mighty Moon Frogs, Tyrannosaurus
Chicken, Cloud 9, Bordertown (the band), and many more.
Bordertown has a spacious outdoor beer garden, a
couple full bars, and they know how to party under the stars.
For bookings call (479)646-4900…….
In NWA….
Northwest Arkansas is going great guns these days.
With the sunshine upon us, all the outdoor venues are going full steam
ahead. There are quite a few now, and nearly all report in that
business is booming.
Of course, that guy on our cover is coming back to
Fayetteville on April 22. Levon Helm will be the debut artist at the
AMP, along with one of the best bands in the history of The Altered
State, The Cate Brothers Band. Indeed, the Cates are the world-champion
bar band in my book, and all you have to do is witness a show to see
why. Earl, Ernie, David, Terry and Ron make some of the most solid
sounds since the beginning of all music, and the fact that Terry Cagle
is a nephew of Mr. Helm just sweetens the overall picture.
The AMP has a large roster of dates planned for the
upcoming season. Look for Rock The Runway, Blue Oyster Cult with The
Georgia Satellites, The Indigo Girls, The Goo Goo Dolls, M.C. Hammer,
Ted Nugent and a bunch more. (Actually I know who they are planning,
but was asked not to spill the beans just yet…)
The AMP is easily one of The Altered State's premier
concert venues, and the shows and sheer presentations at the venue are
always superb.
George’s Majestic Lounge checks in with their usual
killer roster. With two stages, jumbotrons to watch and monitor each
room, concert-level sound systems and lighting, two outdoor patios and
music-loving owners that feature some of the best bands in the world on
a nightly basis, you can't go wrong.
In the coming weeks look for the likes of Brantley
Gilbert, Taddy Porter, The Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash, Big Uns,
Boombox, Cletus Got Shot, The Beatles tribute The Britins (complete
with requisite outfits, haircuts and instruments), Lotus, Scarlet
Night, BKI, Wrought, Even Heroes, Wisebird, Sevendust, Non-Point, Day
Of Fire, Hail The Villain, Hardaway & The Commoners, Josh Garrett,
Michael Burks, The Odds, Deer Tick, ROTC, Rocker Lips, Ryan Bingham, a
pre-Wakarusa bash with Dirtfoot and Mountain Sprout, Boomkinetic, FOS
Project, Fayetteville Funk Ensemble, Big, Bad Gina, Snake Eyes &
The Bug Band and many, many more.
And coming on May 1 is the release party for the
band A Good Fight's newest CD - which is killer. Recorded at Barry
Poynter's Palace studio, it's a great collection of music. See
the feature on A Good Fight elsewhere in this issue, and make a point
to get to the club for this party. (Otherwise you'll just hear about
the great time you missed…)
For bookings contact Brian or Harold at
(479)527-6618…….
The Greenhouse Grille, on South School, is easily
one of the coolest clubs I've ever set foot in. The food is worth
writing home about, and the ambience and atmosphere are as good as it
comes.
This restaurant/nightclub is being operated by
people who love music and really know what they are doing…both in the
music department and the kitchen.
On the bill in the coming weeks look for Matt Smith
Jazz, Clarke Buehling, Ren Lovely, an Earth Day bash with Jeff Kearney,
The Drew Packard Triage, Raja, Sarah Hughes, Walter Savage Trio, Pat
Pathoumthong, Shawn Eckles (of Speakeasy), Beth Stockdell on her harp,
3 Penny Acre, Claire Holley, Candy Lee & The Sweets, Mark Bilyeu
(of big Smith), and much more.
They are also in demand for their excellent
catering, providing meals for bands that play at The AMP, Walton Arts
Center and so on.
For bookings call (479)444-8909…….
The Walton Arts Center is jammin'…
Of course, at the end of the UA Semester they are
hosting various University concerts, with many of the various
departments utilizing that stage for some large productions.
On the bill in the coming weeks are funny-man
musician Steve Martin (An Evening of Bluegrass & Banjo), a
production of the musical Grease, Mary Oliver, and on the 22nd, Mr. Jim
Brickman on his "Beautiful World Tour."
For information call (479)443-5600, or check out
waltonartscenter.org…….
The Smoke & Barrel Tavern checks in this issue
with a very fine list of performers.
In the coming weeks look for Phosphenes, Rolo
Tumasi, Friday Maybe Saturday, Bandit Sound, Literature, Candy Lee
& The Sweets, Jeff Kearney, Lucio Presents, The Pope County
Bootleggers, Tyrannosaurus Chicken (featuring Smilin' Bob Lewis and
Rachel Ammons, Mark Bilyeu, Awesome Color, The Hair Police, Graham
Wilkinson & The Underground Township, Andy Frasco, Cletus Got Shot,
and Adam Lee & Dead Horse.
There is still no word yet on the progress of their
micro-brewery, but it should be ready any day now.
The Smoke & Barrel is open 7 days a week.
For bookings call (479)521-6880…….
Both Jose's locations are back in the musical saddle
now that the sunshine has returned. The Dickson Street store has
returned to shows in Streetside. On that bill in the coming weeks are
Lean, Joe Giles, Chester P & Vinyl Kings, Earl & Them, Jason
Strode, The Odds, FOS Project, John D. Levan, Sarah Hughes, Lil Hoojin,
The Travelling Wheelbearings and Big Bad Bubba.
For bookings call (479)521-0194…….
In Springdale, the list includes Old Dime Box, FOS
Project, Kelly Road Band, Charliehorse, Perfect Strangers, Cassette,
Earl's Garage, Leah & The Mojo Doctors and a bunch more.
For bookings call (479)750-9055……..
Powerhouse Seafood has kicked up the music on the
patio again as well. Set to appear are Boom Kinetic, After The Crash,
Travis Kidd, Full House Band, Charliehorse and Hardaway & The
Commoners.
For bookings call (479)442-8300…….
Rogue Pizza has Army of Birds, Starved For
Attention, Deadbird, Imperius Rex, Bent Grass Green and a bunch more.
For bookings call (479)571-5200…….
Coming in late May, our good friend Mr. Flying
Possum, will be presenting Megan Slankard playing live in the store.
We'll try to have a look at her for next issue, but make a point to get
to Dickson on May 26…….
All in all, it is time now, children, to take it
outside and play. Don't step on the roses…….
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