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Saturday’s Music

Published on: May 18, 2012

Categories: General

Tags: Dax Riggs, Downtown Music, Ezra LBs, Hands Like Houses, Indie Bullsh*t, My Ticket Home, Palisades, Stickyz, The Air I Breathe, The Tricks, Through the Looking Glass, Vino's

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Dax Riggs.

Giving you the music a day early:

Former Deadboy & the Elephantmen lead singer, guitarist and songwriter Dax Riggs (he also fronted Louisiana sludge band Acid Bath before that) is closing out a May tour with a Stickyz visit. There’s a $10 cover at the door with the music starting at 9:30 p.m. for the 18-and-up show. Riggs plays blues rock, albeit experimental, or, as he calls it, a collection of “roots music, doom metal and glam-punk poetry.” Say Goodnight to the World is the newest solo release from Riggs.

The Freshman Class of ’12 Tour visits Downtown Music, which means New Jersey hardcore metal act The Air I Breathe will be headlining a show that includes Ohio hardcore group My Ticket Home, Australian post-hardcore experimental act Hands Like Houses and New Jersey post-hardcore outfit Palisades. Local support will be provided by Hot Springs hardcore metal act Through The Looking Glass. The doors open at 6:30 p.m. with the music starting at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door.

Sometimes it’s okay for others to do the work for you so we’re going to let Alexander Jones, bassist of Little Rock’s The Tricks, tell you about their show at Vino’s. “Great show to kick off the summer featuring two rising Little Rock three pieces. The Tricks combine influences ranging from Pixies to Weezer to Pavement. Thick Syrup Record’s Ezra Lbs. will bring the ruckus as always and showcase their talents with great melodies and a killer rhythm section.” Joining the two bands will be Little Rock’s Indie Bullsh*t, a band comprised of members from SiVersa, After the Tragedy and B-side Folk Union. It’s an 18-and-up show with the doors opening at 8 p.m. Cover is $8.

Here’s Dax Riggs with the title track from his Say Goodnight to the World:

Say Goodnight to the World

Friday’s Music

by sstewart

Published on: May 10, 2012

Categories: General

Tags: belair., Cornerstone Pub, Downtown Music, Epiphany, Joe Nichols, Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Shooter's Sports Bar & Grill, The OD, Thick Syrup Records, White Water Tavern

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Joe Nichols.

Giving you the music a day early:

Here’s what country musician Joe Nichols says about his new work It’s All Good, his sixth studio album released in November: “Yes, this is about commercial success, but if you want to make something that lasts, it’s about art, too. I want to bring a traditional sound into 2011 and 2012, to keep it faithful and make sure we’re still connecting with today’s listener.” Nichols connects with listeners on No. 1 country hits such as “Gimmie That Girl” and “Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off.” It’s all those new and old tunes Nichols brings to Shooter’s Sports Bar & Grill. The music starts at 10:30 p.m. with tickets $25 in advance and $30 day of for the 21-and-up show.

Red Jumpsuit Apparatus got back to what they are good at with their last record, the August 2011 release Am I the Enemy. And by what they are good at we mean some raging post-hardcore music. Not that there isn’t room for a little emo or polished pop punk in their sound, because there is. The band, with some new members since their last visit, come to Downtown Music. The doors open at 7:30 p.m. with the music starting at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at the door. Opening the show is Magnolia-based, faith-inspired alternative rockers belair.

Speaking of a local artist who has been on the road touring (and I was yesterday with Audrey Dean Kelley), Little Rock hip-hop all-star Epiphany has been out and around the region, including playing a St. Patrick’s Day show in Oklahoma City. And he is off to Tulsa, Okla., next weekend, promoting his great, new hip-hop album Such Is Life. But a The OD show finds him back at Cornerstone Pub where he’ll be part of a night of real rap and some of the best hip-hop around. The music gets going at 9 p.m.

Little Rock’s own Thick Syrup Records is turning 6 and throwing a two-night party Friday and Saturday at White Water Tavern to celebrate. (A Thursday night show is also being held at Maxine’s in Hot Springs.) The music starts at White Water at 9 p.m. each night and will include appearances by The See, The Alpha Ray, Browningham, Androids of Ex-Lovers and more. All the shows are being filmed for an upcoming documentary.

Here’s Joe Nichols with his “Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off”:

Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off

Friday’s Music

by sstewart

Published on: May 3, 2012

Categories: General

Tags: Bubba Sparxxx, Ca$h Out, Collin vs. Adam, DJ and VJ Doc Roc, Downtown Music, Epiphany, Ginsu Wives, Juanita's, Lacuna Coil, Peabody Rivertop Party, Rev Room, The Southern Swagg 2012, Toad Suck Daze, Tre' Day, Whale Fire, White Water Tavern

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DJ and VJ Doc Roc.

Giving you the music a day early:

After a long, hard, not-too-cold winter, the good times and warm temperatures are here and to celebrate it how about visiting the Peabody Rivertop Party at Peabody Little Rock? Each Friday night through the spring and early summer the rooftop of the downtown Little Rock hotel will be party central. Up first? The Florida-based DJ and VJ Doc Roc, a man known for his video and music mixing. And Doc Roc will be joined at the 2012 series kickoff by Little Rock’s own Tre’ Day and Epiphany. Plus, it’s somebody’s fifth birthday. The party starts at 9 p.m. with a $8 cover at the door.

Ca$h Out without that dollar sign and with a “S” doesn’t mean the same thing on the Internet, unless you want to know what cash-out refinancing is. (It’s a financial term for taking out a loan on property already owned.) But in the case of Ca$h 0ut coming to Rev Room, we’re not concerned with financial terms but with the 21-year-old Fulton County, Ga., native and rapper named John Gibson and who goes by Ca$h Out. Why Ca$h Out? It’s a term the young hip-hop artist came up with for “spending money without discretion.” “Cashin’ Out” is the single you should know. General admission tickets are $15 and VIP tickets are $35 for the 21-and-up show with the music starting at 10 p.m. Tickets are available at Rock City Kicks, Ugly Mike’s Record Shop and Sophisticated Urban.

Juanita’s welcomes Lacuna Coil, the Italian gothic metal band that is in the U.S. for its Dark Legacy Tour 2012. The band’s latest is the early 2012 release Dark Adrenaline, which includes more of Cristina Scabbia and Andrea Ferro’s vocals on 12 tracks, including a cover of R.E.M.’s “Losing My Religion.” No word on any supporting acts for Lacuna Coil’s Little Rock stop. The doors open at 9 p.m. with the music starting at 10 p.m. with tickets $15 in advance and $18 day of show.

Street Swagg presents … well, what else? The Southern Swagg 2012 at Downtown Music featuring some of the hottest rappers around. Like who? How about Bubba Sparxxx, the Southern rapper known for his hits “Ms. New Booty” and “Ugly.” Sparxxx will be joined by other rappers such as North Little Rock’s J Bo Cracker Swagger, Atlanta rapper Yard Call, Dees, Illinois rapper Scotty “Steez” Styles, Little Rock gangsta rapper J.U.G. and North Little Rock hip-hop duo North Rock. The doors open at 7 p.m. with the music starting at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20 in advance and $30 at the door, and VIP tickets are $100.

White Water Tavern is the home of local music this Friday with a trio of bands: Whale Fire, Collin vs. Adam and Ginsu Wives. The music starts at 9:30 p.m. with a $5 cover. North Little Rock’s Whale Fire is the foursome of Clay Grubbs and John Steel on guitars and vocals along with Matthew Steel on bass and vocals, and Will Vick on drums who play hard-charging, guitar-powered indie rock that is loaded with catchy pop melodies and vocal harmonies. Collin vs. Adam is the experimental rock duo of Collin Buchanan on guitar, bass and effects, and Adam Hogg on vocals, keyboards and beats; and Ginsu Wives is a Little Rock experimental, electronic rock group.

Get down to downtown Conway for three days of family fun, food, sporting events, arts and crafts, magicians and more, including three days and nights of free, live music as Toad Suck Daze returns. Friday night, the music kicks off at 5 p.m. and includes R&B singer Kristen Nicole and En Vogue, the R&B vocal group known for their hits “My Lovin’ (You’re Never Gonna Get It),” “Don’t Let Go (Love)” and about a dozen more R&B hits. Saturday’s music kicks off at 11:30 a.m. and includes a lineup of local — Luke Williams and Ryan Couron — and national country acts, including Randy Houser at 8:15 p.m. and Jamey Johnson at 9:30 p.m. Sunday’s music kicks off at noon and includes Magnolia, faith-inspired alternative rockers belair. at 1:15 p.m., and inspirational singers Jonny Diaz and Todd Agnew. And a reminder: The music is totally free.

And here’s Ca$h Out with his “Cashin’ Out”:

Cashin’ Out

Tuesday’s Music

by sstewart

Published on: April 30, 2012

Categories: General

Tags: Bass Invaders Tour, Downtown Music, EOTO, Hank 3, Kraddy, Rev Room

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EOTO.

Giving you the music a day early:

EOTO‘s website brags 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, electronic-dance powered music. The pair meld dance beats powered by live drums with keyboards, bass, guitar, live mixing and various other instruments to construct a mixture of unplanned, unrehearsed music. Check out the throbbing bass and thudding beats when the duo come to Rev Room on their Bass Invaders Tour. Kraddy is the opening act with his Los Angeles-based electronic-music that is heavy, dirty and nasty kicking off the music at 9 p.m. Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 day of for the 18-and-up show.

Hank 3 at Downtown Music. Here’s just a small taste of what local social media members are saying about this show: “Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet” and “can’t wait.” So people are excited about this show. And why not? Hank 3, the grandson of the legendary Hank Williams and son of Hank William Jr., is a hell of a good time with his blend of country, punk and metal that creates a hardcore rockabilly/metal sound that attacks the senses with a raging and pummeling sonic assault. Hank 3, who appeared in local documentary filmmakers David Lipke and Chris Terry’s excellent Slow Southern Steel, is coming, and whooping and a hollering on a blazing Dixie death train bound straight for hell. Tickets are $21 in advance and $25 day of. The doors open at 7 p.m. with the music at 8 p.m.

Here are EOTO with their “Flying Red”:

Flying Red

Friday’s Music

by sstewart

Published on: April 26, 2012

Categories: General

Tags: A DarkEnd Era, Bleu Edmondson, Chris Craig, Downtown Music, Moment of Fierce Determination, Severe Headwound, Shadows Fall, Stickyz, The Captain Legendary Band

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Bleu Edmondson.

Giving you the music a day early:

Texas country artist Bleu Edmondson loves Bruce Springsteen. And he loves Willie and Waylon, too, and one can hear those three influences in his music. See, Edmondson’s music is country rock, but with his last album The Future Ain’t What It Used To Be, Edmondson also got a little soulful, adding a little heartfelt emotion to this mixture of Texas country on tunes such as “No Room for Mercy.” Edmondson brings those sounds when he visits Stickyz. The music starts at 8:30 p.m. with two openers: The Captain Legendary Band with their country-flavored roots rock from Louisiana, and Chris Craig with his Texas country. There’s a $10 cover for the 21-and-up show.

Massachusetts-bred, American-made metal comes to Little Rock with a visit from Shadows Fall at Downtown Music. The doors open at 7 p.m. with the music starting at 8 p.m. Tickets are $17 in advance and $20 at the door. Shadows Fall is preparing for the release of their new album of muscular thrash metal crossed with metalcore with Fire From the Sky dropping on May 15. The opening bands are a trio of Arkansas metal acts: Little Rock hardcore/down-tempo metal outfit A DarkEnd Era, Conway old-school thrash and death metal act Moment of Fierce Determination and Little Rock thrash metal trio Severe HeadWound.

Here’s Bleu Edmondson with his “Blood Red Lincoln”:

Blood Red Lincoln

Wednesday’s Music

by sstewart

Published on: April 24, 2012

Categories: General

Tags: Andrew Belle, Downtown Music, I Was Afraid, JJ Grey & Mofro, Juanita's, Katie Herzig, Lifer, Lunsford, Rev Room, Second-Rate, The Revivalists, Title Fight

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JJ Grey & Mofro (minus the Mofro).

Giving you the music a day early:

Hearing the opening words of JJ Grey & Mofro‘s title track tune from their Georgia Warhorse album it’s apparent Grey is describing himself a little: “My shell is hard, my hooks like steel/My wings are fire and you cannot break my will.” No, no one is breaking Grey’s will. How could they? Or, better yet, why? JJ Grey & Mofro kick up a dust devil of a sound with their combination of R&B- and funk-powered Southern rock with a little soul and swamp boogie thrown in as well. What’s not to like about that? JJ Grey & Mofro — a backing band that mixes guitar, bass and drums with organ, sax and trumpet — pay a visit to the Rev Room. Tickets are $17 in advance and $20 day of for the 18-and-up show. The music starts at 9 p.m. with The Revivalists and their New Orleans-fueled rock.

Wonder what Colorado-born but Nashville, Tenn.-based folk rock singer-songwriter Katie Herzig did during those four days between playing Harding University’s FirstThaw last Friday and headlining this show at Juanita’s? Guess she retreated to Tennessee so she could write more of her sparkly acoustic nuggets that have appeared in TV show such as One Tree Hill and Bored to Death before coming back to Arkansas? Well, now she is back. The show starts at 9 p.m. with tickets $8. The opener is singer/songwriter Andrew Belle, a “smart pop” artist whose tunes have been featured in TV shows such as Grey’s Anatomy.

Back in November 2011, Title Fight — Jamie Rhoden, Ned Russin, Shane Moran and Ben Russin — wound up on the cover of Alternative Press, as the Pennsylvania pop punk/hardcore outfit was heading out on the road for the AP Tour. It was just another high point for the band in 2011, who also released their debut album Shed earlier in the year. For 2012, the quartet is headlining their own tour, including a stop at Downtown Music. Opening the show will be four Arkansas bands: Natural State pop punk act I Was Afraid, Little Rock pop punk group Second-Rate, Conway hardcore punk outfit Lifer and Lunsford. The doors open at 6:30 p.m. with tickets $10 in advance and $12 day of show.

Here are JJ Grey & Mofro with their “The Sweetest Thing”:

The Sweetest Thing

Monday’s Music

by sstewart

Published on: April 22, 2012

Categories: General

Tags: Cadaver Dogs, Crowbar, Downtown Music, Flameing Daeth Fearies, Foxy Shazam, Iron Tongue, Juanita's, Knee Deep, Prong, Witchburn

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Foxy Shazam.

Giving you the music a day early:

Foxy Shazam is a Cincinnati live-wire rock outfit known for their glam rock rhythms and frontman Eric Sean Nally, who worships the stage presences of Freddie Mercury, Bruce Springsteen, Elton John and Iggy Pop. They are a band that wants to be the “Michael Jordan of rock ‘n’ roll,” according to Nally. See how the band does it when Foxy Shazam comes to Juanita’s. It’s an all-ages show with the doors opening at 8 p.m. and the music starting at 9 p.m. Tickets are $12 in advance and $14 day of show. Opening the show is the dirty rock ‘n’ roll of nasty, Ohio band Cadaver Dogs, and for local support, the punk cabaret music of North Little Rock’s Flameing Daeth Fearies.

Sludge metal and New Orleans — Those two things come together when the legendary Crowbar plays a show at Downtown Music. Call Crowbar the kings of sludge metal with their slow and heavy songs of doom that suddenly spark into furious punk passages. The Crowbar tour stop at Downtown Music also includes Los Angeles industrial metal band Prong and Seattle sludge rock act Witchburn. Local support will be provided by Iron Tongue with their Little Rock-bred rock thunder, and Knee Deep with their hard-hitting, Southern metal. The doors open at 8 p.m. with the music starting soon afterward. Tickets are $15 in advance and $17 at the door.

Here are Foxy Shazam with their “Unstoppable”:

Unstoppable

Wednesday’s Music

by sstewart

Published on: April 17, 2012

Categories: General

Tags: A Plea for Purging, Distiller, Downtown Music, Legions Await, Missing Cats, Rev Room

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Missing Cats.

Giving you the music a day early:

Professor Longhair wasn’t a professor in the strictest definition of the word. But he was a real-world professor (perhaps where it counts most), introducing many to New Orleans, piano-powered R&B. In fact, he was one of the pioneers of that sound, influencing artists such as Dr. John, Fats Domino and Allen Toussaint. Another person influenced by Longhair? John “JoJo” Hermann, keyboardist for Southern rock jamband powerhouse Widespread Panic. With Panic on hiatus in 2012, Hermann has formed Missing Cats with longtime friend and New York City-based singer-songwriter Sherman Ewing. It’s New Orleans boogie-woogie piano mixed with down-to-earth singer/songwriter music the duo brings to Rev Room. The music starts at 9:30 p.m. with tickets $12 in advance and $15 day of for the 18-and-up show.

Nashville, Tenn.’s A Plea For Purging has only been together for a few short years, but their heavy-duty metalcore sound has already made waves. Following 2010′s The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, “a terrifyingly honest look at the age-old, wolf-in-sheep’s-clothing theme” backed by some vicious rhythms, the quartet has returned with 2011′s The Life & Death of A Plea for Purging, another headbanging collection. It’s that sound the outfit brings to Downtown Music. The doors open at 7 p.m. with the music starting soon afterward, and cover is $10. The opening acts are Legions Await, a death/thrash metal band from Little Rock, and Distiller, a Conway quintet who just want to play heavy music.

Here are the Missing Cats with their “Dead and Gone”:

Dead and Gone

Saturday’s Music

by sstewart

Published on: April 13, 2012

Categories: General

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Mountain Sprout.

Giving you the music a day early:

Mountain Sprout is one of those bands making a name for itself through its live shows and for good reason. The band is seemingly always out and about and playing, including a stop at Stickyz. The music starts at 9 p.m. with a $7 cover for the 18-and-up show. The four guys from the Arkansas band describe their band as a “highly energetic hillbilly music machine, spitting original tunes and blowing minds with witty lyrics and face-melting musicianship.” Live, the band is on fire, spitting out white-hot slices of music that’s probably best titled insurgent Americana with equal parts psychobilly and hillbilly.

Band name of the week here in the Quick Picks? DevilDriver, the California groove metal band that is visiting Flying DD on their Metal Alliance Tour 2012. The band’s guitarist Jeff Kendrick announced back in February that the outfit is working on demos for their sixth album, but in the meantime expect a menacing assault of tunes from The Fury of Our Maker’s Hand, Beast and other albums. Joining the band for the show will be Los Angeles death metal band The Faceless, Maryland-bred death metal outfit Dying Fetus, Arizona death metal band Job For A Cowboy, Canadian heavy metal band 3 Inches Of Blood, Inland Empire death metal act Impending Doom and North Carolina melodic death metal band Wretched. Tickets are $21 in advance and $25 at the door for the club located at 4601 S. University Ave.

It’s Bikes Babes Bands at The Metroplex as KSSN 96 FM and 100.3 The Edge present an all-day extravaganza dedicated to the biking culture with an appearance by “Once Bitten, Twice Shy” ’80s rock band Jack Russell’s Great White as the band fronted by the original lead singer of Great White brings their High Seas Tour to town. Also on the bill will be Jacksonville modern rockers Blind Mary, Little Rock rock ‘n’ roll cover band White Collar Criminals and Little Rock Top 40-, alternative rock-playing quartet Thread. There will be $1,900 in cash prizes for motorcycles, including in categories such as best of show, custom, antique, sport and paint. There will also be vendors, bikini contests, food, leather accessories, patches, ice cold beer … and, of course, with all those ingredients: fun. The gates open at 10 a.m.

So Guitar Lessons with Compton at Downtown Music. What do we have here? Just a showcase of local guitar players and bands under the direction of local guitar teacher Stephen Compton, a teacher at private music school Little Rock Jams and member of blues rockers Interstate Buffalo. The idea is the event will introduce these artists to playing live and encourage the up-and-coming musicians. All ages are invited for the event which kicks off at 8 p.m. with an hour of open mic time before solo acoustic singer/songwriter Lindsey Hastings and solo acoustic blues performer Adam Hope play followed by local heavy metal band Dear Karma and local hard rock band Found Fearless. Doors open at 8 p.m. with a $5 cover.

Here’s Mountain Sprout with their “Screw the Government”:

Screw the Government

Saturday’s Music

by sstewart

Published on: April 6, 2012

Categories: General

Tags: A Loss for Words, Adam Hambrick, Ballet, Cult of the Flag, Downtown Music, Every Knee Shall Bow, Graham Colton, Green River Ordinance, Legions Await, Polar Bear Club, Rev Room, The Afterthought, The Story So Far, The Wonder Years, Transit, Treva Blomquist, Vino's

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The Wonder Years

Giving you the music a day early:

Ah, The Wonder Years what a great sitcom. Kevin. Winnie. Wayne. Paul. But none of that gang is showing up at Downtown Music. No, this The Wonder Years is a Philadelphia pop punk sextet that is still touring in support of last June’s release Suburbia: I’ve Given You All and Now I’m Nothing. It’s the band’s Glamour Kills Tour that brings them to Downtown Music along with New York hard-hitting punk rockers Polar Bear Club, Massachusetts post-hardcore act Transit, Boston rock band A Loss For Words and California pop punk outfit The Story So Far. The doors open at 6 p.m. with the music starting at 7 p.m. Tickets are $13 in advance and $15 day of show.

How heavy do things get in Blevins? Pretty heavy if Every Knee Shall Bow is to be believed. The five guys are true fans of metal, playing bone-crushing music with traces of thrash and metalcore influenced by groups such as Bay Area metal pioneers Exodus and Testament; newer, Christian metal bands such as War Of Ages, Impending Doom and Underoath; and Little Rock seminal Christian metal band Living Sacrifice. Joining Every Knee Shall Bow for a Vino’s show will be Bossier City, La., metal band Ballet, Memphis metal group Cult of the Flag, and Legions Await, a death/thrash metal band from Little Rock. Cover is $8 for the all-ages show with the doors opening at 8 p.m.

Green River Ordinance sounds like some kind of legislative action by a municipality. (And it actually is a common city law that prohibits door-to-door sales.) But what Green River Ordinance actually is in this case is a Ft. Worth, Texas, five-piece band that has been around for more than 10 years, playing their alternative pop rock with a slightly Southern twist. The band’s newest album is the February release Under Fire, and the quintet is touring in support of it, including a stop at Rev Room. The opening act is Graham Colton, kicking off the music at 9 p.m. with his Oklahoma-bred indie music. It’s an all-ages show with tickets $12 in advance and $14 day of show.

The Afterthought provides a night of two local singer/songwriters. First up is Adam Hambrick, a Conway-bred singer/songwriter who has been working on songs in Nashville, Tenn., and recording in Los Angeles recently. Hambrick writes pop-flavored acoustic rock ‘n’ roll gems with infectious melodies. Joining Hambrick will be Treva Blomquist, who moved to Conway from Nashville, Tenn., about three years ago and has just released her third album titled These Fading Things. It’s an album showcasing her folk-y Americana music with a little touch of soul. The music starts at 8 p.m. with a $7 cover.

Here’s The Wonder Years with their “Don’t Let Me Cave In”:

Don’t Let Me Cave In

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