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Archives: March 2011

Friday’s Music

Published on: March 31, 2011

Categories: General

Tags: Billy Currington, Chris Michaels and The Cranks, Downtown Music, Kenny Chesney, Kevin Kerby + Battery, Matthew Huff, Medic Red, My Hands to War, On Hollowed Ground, Our Friends Fall Silent, Rev Room, Riverbilly, The Front Line, The Luke Williams Band, Uncle Kracker, Verizon Arena, White Water Tavern, Words Like Waves, Words Within

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Kenny Chesney.

Giving you the music a day early:

Get your Corona in hand as the beer presents a visit to Verizon Arena from Kenny Chesney, that country music superstar who enjoys easy-going music and beach-going themes. The doors open at 6 p.m. with the music at 7 p.m. Tickets are $26.50, $44.50 and $75 at the Verizon Arena Box Office, or at all Ticketmaster outlets, charge by phone at (800) 745-3000 or on line at www.ticketmaster.com for an additional cost. Chesney’s Goin’ Coastal Tour 2011 is sure to present such summer-sounding country hits as “No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems” and “Summertime,” and new tracks from Chesney’s 2010 release Hemingway’s Whiskey. The opening acts are Billy Currington, the country musician who is “Pretty Good at Drinkin’ Beer,” and Uncle Kracker, the rap rocker turned country star.

Want to know what Arkansas rock sounds like? Go see Kevin Kerby + Battery at White Water Tavern. Fronted by the aforementioned and former Mulehead member Kerby on guitar, the band delivers brass-knuckle tough rock ‘n’ roll with a soul of gold. The band’s 2009 Beautiful & Bright, released in high-quality vinyl by Last Chance Records and in other formats by Max Recordings, is a roaring, meat and potatoes rock ‘n’ roll ride with chunky riffs chugging along with lumbering rhythms, but the music also includes stunning organ work and gorgeous harmonies. The music starts at 10 p.m. Also on hand is another excellent Arkansas rock act, Chris Michaels and the Cranks, a local outfit known for their rock ‘n’ roll with a touch of soul.

For a different take on Arkansas rock — a heavier, howling take — Downtown Music has lined up a number of bands who like their rock with a heaping side of hardcore. The acts include Pearcy hardcore metal band Our Friends Fall Silent, central Arkansas post-hardcore band My Hands to War, Perryville experimental electronica band Medic Red, Little Rock Christian hardcore band Words Within, Mountain Home hardcore act Words Like Waves, Arkansas Christian screamo act The Front Line and Heber Springs screamo outfit On Hollowed Ground. The doors open at 6 p.m. with a $7 cover.

Following Kenny Chesney’s triumphant return to Verizon Arena, head back across the river to Rev Room where Arkansas country rockers Riverbilly kick off their 2011 tour with a Kenny Chesney after party. It’s an all-ages show with the doors opening at 7 p.m., and admission is $7 for 21 and up, and $10 for 20 and under. Also on the bill are Arkansas country music up-and-comers Matthew Huff and The Luke Williams Band, opening the show. Riverbilly’s spring tour includes headlining dates and opening slots with artists such as Charlie Daniels and Kris Allen.

Here’s Kenny Chesney with his “Somewhere With You”:

Thursday’s Music

by sstewart

Published on: March 30, 2011

Categories: General

Tags: Ghost Shirt, Jason Kutchma, White Water Tavern

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Ghost Shirt.

Giving you the music a day early:

Ghost Shirt might be a cool band name (Isn’t any band name with ghost in it?), but it’s also the name given to vest that certain Plains Indians believed protected them from bullets through magical powers. Enough of the history lesson; let’s talk about Ghost Shirt the band, a Columbus, Ohio, act releasing 52 singles in 52 weeks — all for free. The power-pop influenced indie rockers create “giant, sweeping, epic pop songs about love and love lost,” according to themselves and play White Water Tavern along with a solo Jason Kutchma of Red Collar, a North Carolina rock quartet that plays rock ‘n’ roll combining the ramshackling rock of The Replacements and the punk-stomp of The Clash. The music starts at 10 p.m.

Here’s Ghost Shirt with their “Heart to Haunt”:

Wednesday’s Music

by sstewart

Published on: March 29, 2011

Categories: General

Tags: Johnny Cooper, Monkhouse, Stickyz, White Water Tavern

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Johnny Cooper.

Giving you the music a day early:

Johnny Cooper might be a little young (He hasn’t turned 24 yet.) but he’s a veteran of the road and a well-seasoned country rocker, averaging about 200 shows a year over the past four years. So what about the music? Cooper’s take on country rock is Red Dirt country, but the musician and his band stretch the genre a little, adding in blues, funk, R&B and pop to the Red Dirt mixture of country and Southern rock. For a stop at Stickyz, Cooper and band promise to give fans some music that makes them forget their worries and just cut loose for a couple of hours. The opening act is to be announced but expect the music at 9 p.m. with cover $7 for the 21-and-up show.

It’s March (Well, the next to last day of March.), and time for that musical social movement known as Monkhouse to return to the White Water Tavern. The band plays a collection of hand-raising music that combines Americana, roots rock and gospel into one roof-raising blend, but Monkhouse, lead by musician Mark Currey, also concerns itself with its fellow man, using each White Water appearance to support a social cause. This time around Monkhouse — Currey on vocals and guitar; Nathaniel Greer on guitar and background vocals; Daniel Schoultz on bass and background vocals; and David Bishop on drums — is asking White Water patrons to bring a $5 cover for the purchase of gas cards for SOAR Network and Helping Arkansas (two homeless outreach groups) so the two agencies can assist the homeless in the area.

Here’s Johnny Cooper running through his “Crazy”:

Tuesday’s Music

by sstewart

Published on: March 28, 2011

Categories: General

Tags: Booyah! Dad, Canopy Climbers, Downtown Music, Mobley, Owen Pye, Sam Walker, Stickyz

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Owen Pye.

Giving you the music a day early:

Illinois folk rocker Owen Pye is coming to Downtown Music in support of his newest album The Truth About Man, a collection of tunes exploring relationships and faith. The artist will be joined by Little Rock musician Sam Walker, a Little Rock indie folkie with influences ranging from the Smoky Mountain Music series of hymns and gospel songs to more modern influences such as Sufjan Stevens and Iron & Wine. Also on the bill are Canopy Climbers, a two-piece Conway outfit known for their experimental electronica music. The music starts at 7 p.m. with a $7 cover.

Austin, Texas, catchy pop rock outfit Mobley heads north and comes to Stickyz for a night of their genre-bending music. The opening act is Booyah! Dad, formerly Pilot Whale, kicking off the music at 9 p.m. It’s a 21-and-up show, but admission is pay what you can. Booyah! Dad is the latest project of Andy Warr from Brother Andy & His Big Damn Mouth, and J.R. Top and Chad Conder. It’s interesting. Dance-infused garage rock interesting, like The Killers-but-rougher “Say You Love Me.” And the band has a seven-song EP titled Ride the Whale out as well.

Here’s Owen Pye with his “Just a Spark”:

Monday’s Music

by sstewart

Published on: March 27, 2011

Categories: General

Tags: EOTO, Rev Room

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EOTO.

Giving you the music a day early:

EOTO‘s website brags that the band delivers a 100 percent live, improvised dubstep, breakbeat, house, drum and bass, and trip-hop sound, with the duo of String Cheese Incident drummer Michael Travis and percussionist Jason Hann delivering a sick dose of danceable, electronica-powered music. The pair meld dance beats powered by live drums with keyboards, bass, guitar and live mixing to construct a mixture of unplanned, unrehearsed music. The duo return to Rev Room. The opening act is to be announced but the music will start at 9 p.m. Tickets for the all-ages show are $13 in advance and $15 day of.

Here’s EOTO with their “Sonic Bloom”:

Sunday’s Music

by sstewart

Published on: March 26, 2011

Categories: General

Tags: Destroyer, Rev Room, Stickyz, The War on Drugs, Tidal Waves

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Destroyer.

Giving you the music a day early:

The New Pornographers’ Daniel Bejar’s full-time, side project Destroyer, a Canadian-based indie rock band that crosses chamber pop with ’70s jazz rock and ’80s New Wave for a truly unique sound, is stopping at Stickyz. The show will start at 8:30 p.m. with opening act The War on Drugs, a Philadelphia band that layers on the best influences of American rock music and then strips it bare, channeling it through a Sonic Youth funnel. Tickets for the 21-and-up show are $10 in advance and $12 day of show.

Reggae music in South Africa? Sure. In fact, Tidal Waves, the band appearing at Rev Room, is known as one of South Africa’s top reggae acts, a collection of five musicians led by Jacob “Zakes” Wulana on guitar, vocals, harmonica and vuvuzela (Yes. Vuvuzela.), and Sam “Drumbo” Shoai on vocals and drum kit. It’s uniquely South African reggae, filled with politically charged lyrics but still highly danceable music. The opening act is to be announced but the music will start at 8:30 p.m. Tickets for the all-ages event are $10.

Here’s Destroyer with their “Kaputt”:

Saturday’s Music

by sstewart

Published on: March 25, 2011

Categories: General

Tags: A Faith Forgotten, American Aquarium, At War's End, Days Of The New, Juanita's, Mandy McBryde & the Unholy Ghost, Rev Room, Stickyz, Wade Bowen

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American Aquarium.

Giving you the music a day early:

North Carolina gritty, country-flavored rock ‘n’ rollers American Aquarium return to Little Rock and a gig at Stickyz. The music starts at 9 p.m. with a $7 for the 21-and-up show. The opening act is Mandy McBryde & the Unholy Ghost playing their collection of country, folk and roots rock. Aquarium’s latest album is Small Town Hymns, a collection of alt country, rustic back-porch numbers and rollicking bar anthems released on Little Rock’s own Last Chance Records. Lead singer and songwriter B.J. Barham is a master storyteller, heartfelt but brutally honest with a touch of wickedly good wit.

Former Alice in Chains bassist Mike Starr was set to play with Days Of The New at Juanita’s, but unfortunately Starr passed away a few weeks ago after struggling with a long-term addiction. But the show will go on, with lead singer, guitarist and songwriter Travis Meeks soldiering on. “Touch, Peel and Stand” from Days of the New’s self-titled debut in 1997 was one of the first modern rock hits from the post-grunge era. The doors open at 8 p.m. with the music at 9 p.m. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door. The opening acts are Magnolia post-hardcore band A Faith Forgotten and Little Rock hard rock/metal outfit At War’s End.

Wade Bowen, a Texas country artist with one foot in the Red Dirt country rock of Oklahoma, returns to Rev Room. Him and his band, including a twin guitar howl, followed the success of 2008′s If We Ever Make It Home, which hit No. 29 on the country album charts, with Live at Billy Bob’s Texas in 2010, a live album that captures the band’s passionate and intense live shows. The opening act is to be announced, but expect the music at 9 p.m. Cover is $10 for the 18-and-up show.

Here’s American Aquarium with their “I Hope He Breaks Your Heart”:

Friday’s Music

by sstewart

Published on: March 24, 2011

Categories: General

Tags: Billy Montana, Charliehorse, Juanita's, Nashville Hit Songwriter Show, Phillip White, Stickyz, Wynn Varble

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Charliehorse.

Giving you the music a day early:

Fayetteville’s Charliehorse is a five-piece band well-known to fans of music in the metro. For the uninformed, here’s why the band is a must-see live act in their own words: “Charliehorse is a rowdy, original country-rock band whose musical grit has been mined from somewhere between the rocky soil of the Ozarks and the red dirt of Oklahoma.” So think Red Dirt country with Ozark-flavored Americana when the band visits Stickyz. The opening act is to be announced, but expect the music at 9 p.m. with cover $7 for the 21-and-up show.

The names Phillip White, Billy Montana and Wynn Varble probably don’t ring a bell. How about the tunes “I’m A Survivor” by Reba, “I’m Movin’ On” recorded by Rascal Flatts, Garth Brooks’ “More Than A Memory,” Sara Evans’ “Suds in the Bucket,” Jo Dee Messina’s Grammy-nominated “Bring On the Rain,” Easton Corbin’s “I’m a Little More Country” and others? Thought so. The Alabama country songwriter White is responsible for the first two, Montana wrote the next three, and Varble wrote Corbin’s Academy of Country Music Song of the Year nominated hit. All three songwriters will come to Juanita’s for a Nashville Hit Songwriter Show. The doors open at 8 p.m. with the music at 9 p.m. Tickets are $8 in advance and $12 at the door.

Here’s Charliehorse running through their “AK Nights”:

Thursday’s Music

by sstewart

Published on: March 23, 2011

Categories: General

Tags: Aloud, belair., Brenn, Downtown Music, Ellisons Cage, Frown Pow'r, Honky, Juanita's, Karma to Burn, The Alexei, The Reparation, White Water Tavern

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Brenn.

Giving you the music a day early:

Nashville, Tenn., guitar-driven rock band Brenn arrives at Juanita’s to unleash their grand take on “big” rock music. The band’s newest effort is their second EP, Stack of Fears, a collection of tunes complete with dynamic synths, anthemic riffs and dramatic vocals — the cornerstones of “big” rock music performed by U2 and Radiohead. But the group mixes the “big” with dreamy soundscapes. The doors open at 8 p.m. with the music at 9 p.m. Tickets are $5 in advance and $7 at the door. The opening acts are a collection of local bands: Magnolia pop punkers belair., Conway punchy alt rock act The Alexei and Little Rock progressive indie rockers Ellison’s Cage.

Proving that ZZ Top isn’t the only power rock trio from Texas worthy of praise, the three members of Honky crank out Texas boogie music, stripped to its soul but on speed, delivering tunes such as “Love to Smoke Y’r Weed,” a heavy metal meets Texas blues rock tune. Honky visits Downtown Music with West Virginia instrumental stoner rock band Karma to Burn and The Reparation. The doors open at 8 p.m, with cover $8.

Frown Pow’r, a band whose live show combines gorgeously messy rock ‘n’ roll with the fervor of an old-time religious tent revival, returns to action with a show at White Water Tavern. The act creates scratchy, raggedy, deconstructed rock ‘n’ roll exhilaration. The music starts at 10 p.m. Joining the Arkansas act will be Aloud, a Boston band known for their harmonies from newlywed lead singers Henry Beguiristain and Jen de la Osa and layered, orchestral pop. The band includes drummer Mike Dawley, and Aloud’s long-time touring bassist and Little Rock native Charles Haywood Murphy IV.

Here’s Brenn with their “Colours”:

Wednesday’s Music

by sstewart

Published on: March 22, 2011

Categories: General

Tags: D.C. Curry, Damon Williams, Dignan, G-Love & Special Sauce, Rev Room, Robinson Center Music Hall, Sommore, Stickyz, The Belle Brigade, The Spring Standards

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G. Love.

Giving you the music a day early:

Of course, G. Love & Special Sauce are known to fans of early ’90s music, especially for their tunes “Cold Beverage” and “Baby’s Got Sauce” from their 1994 debut and for mixing folk with hip-hop and blues. Seventeen years down the line, Love (Garrett Dutton) and Sauce are still making music, including the February release Fixin’ To Die, an energetic collection of beat-banging folk produced by The Avett Brothers’ Scott and Seth Avett. The Fixin’ To Die tour brings G. Love and band to Rev Room. The music starts at 8:30 p.m. with The Belle Brigade, a Los Angeles-based sibling duo who are influenced by Fleetwood Mac, Simon & Garfunkel and Stevie Wonder in creating their harmony-heavy, California sunshine pop. Tickets for the all-ages show are $20 in advance and $25 day of show.

The three members of folk rock act The Spring Standards first started playing together while growing up in the Delaware Valley, but now call Brooklyn home. The trio has toured relentlessly since forming, showcasing their three-part harmonies and instrument switching while pumping out energetic. pop-flavored rock ‘n’ roll crossed with folk. The band is returning from South by Southwest in Texas and stopping in at Stickyz for midweek show. The opening act is McAllen, Texas, indie rock act Dignan, kicking off the music at 9 p.m. Cover is $6 for the 21-and-up show.

The self-proclaimed “Queen of Comedy” is coming to Robinson Center Music Hall with an appearance by Sommore, a stand-up praised for her piercing, female look at today’s issues. A Richard Pryor Award winner for comic of the year, Sommore will be joined by special guests D.C. Curry and Damon Williams, two stand-up comics known for their appearances on Comedy Central and BET. The laughs start at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $35, $45 and $65, but $42.30, $52.60 and $73.70 with all those nasty little Ticketmaster fees.

Here’s G. Love with his version of “Fixin’ to Die”:

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