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Posts Tagged ‘Kingsdown’

Saturday’s Music

Friday, July 30th, 2010

"The Blues Brothers." Or some version thereof.

Giving you the music a day early:

The Point 94.1 and the Little Rock Zoo are on a “Mission from God.” What does that mean besides the obvious The Blues Brothers connection? We’re not quite sure. We do know that “Joliet” Jake Blues or the rest of the Blues Brothers band will not be appearing at the Zoo at noon as Sister Deborah reveals Point DJs Mike Kennedy and Sharpe Dunaway’s particular mission from God. Beyond the big reveal, expect free ice cream from Coleman Dairy, although you got to pay the regular Zoo admission to enter.

Former Deadboy & the Elephantmen lead singer, guitarist and songwriter Dax Riggs has a new solo album, Say Goodnight to the World, scheduled for release on Fat Possum Records on Aug. 3. But three days before the release of the album Riggs, known for his blistering melodic blues rock with a punkish gallop, will visit Juanita’s. Expect neo-blues rock crossed with sludge metal. (Riggs fronted Louisiana sludge band Acid Bath.) Tickets for the July 31 show are $10 with the music starting at 9 p.m. with Little Rock’s Badhand, a newish trio consisting of Aaron Copeland and former members of An Orangutan.

Luster is the Little Rock rock quartet that has existed for quite a while. Like six years a while. But since the start of 2010, the trio of guitarist Chris Hemphill, drummer Mark Gorbet and bassist Jeff Teague have been fronted by Amie Jo Bishop and her siren-impressing lungs. Expect a shot of rock when the band visits the Town Pump, headlining a show featuring another Little Rock rock band in Flash LaRue. The music starts at 9 p.m. with a $3 cover.

The Little Rock alternative rock act Kingsdown released their newest, self-titled album at Revolution Music Room in June. Now the band which delivers an energetic alternative rock sound built upon their faith and lyrics of love and hope, return, playing a show with progressive rockers The Unbearable Hand Fate Dealt and special guest Bobgoblin, a semi-legendary band formed in Denton, Texas, in 1993 who reform every once and awhile to play their version of punk meets New Wave. The doors open at 7 p.m. with the music at 8 p.m. Advance tickets are $7 for 21 and over, and $10 for 20 and under for the all-ages show.

Ohio speed metal act Mobile Deathcamp brings their The Last Thrash Metal Fest to The Village along with Denver heavy metal group Iconocaust. Of note to local metalheads are the number of local band opening the show: Arkansas metal act A Trail of Sin, Conway melodic death metal outfit Poisonwood, Heber Springs death metal outfit ShadowVein, Arkansas doom and gloom black metal group Fallen Empire, Little Rock hardcore metal band A DarkEnd Era (formerly known as A Darkened Era) and Little Rock hardcore metal act Dying Breath. The doors open at 6 p.m. with headbanging at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 advance and $17 at the door.

Here’s Dax Riggs, doing his thing, acoustically:

Saturday’s Music

Friday, June 18th, 2010

mewithoutYou.

Giving you the music a day early:

The latest album from Pennsylvania rockers mewithoutYou is titled it’s all crazy! it’s all false! it’s all a dream! it’s alright, a spring 2009 release that matches the zaniness of its title by cramming indie rock with folk and art rock into an 11-track album. The band — Aaron Weiss on vocals, Michael Weiss on guitar, Rickie Mazzotta on drums and Greg Jehanian on bass — visit Juanita’s to deliver a dose of their frenzy experimental rock. Joining the band are David Bazan, a singer/songwriter who was the guiding force behind Seattle indie rock act Pedro the Lion, with his collection of indie rock tunes and Rubik, a Finland indie art-pop collective whose U.S. debut Dada Bandits was released in 2009. The music starts at 9 p.m. with tickets $13 advance and $15 day of show for the 18-and-up concert.

Energetic alternative rockers Kingsdown have slowly matured over their eight years playing music, and the result is their self-titled debut. The quintet will host a CD release party for their eponymous debut at the Revolution Music Room. Joining them will be EKG, an energetic pop crunk crew fused from local bands Asteios and Alert All Arms; and Benjamin Del Shreve, a Northwest Arkansas rocker known for his brightly-colored, pop-flavored rock and a big winner at the recently announced Northwest Arkansas Music Awards. The all-ages show kicks off at 8:30 p.m. with tickets $7 for the over-21 crowd, and $10 for the 20-and-under crowd. Copies of Kingsdown will be available for $10.

No members of metalcore outfit Texas in July are actually from the Lonestar State, but since forming three years ago, the Pennsylvania group has quickly made a name for itself with its Texas-size sound combining progressive metal with death metal. The quintet visits The Village along with fellow Pennsylvania act An Early Ending with their alternative metal sound. The doors open at 6:30 p.m. with the music at 7 p.m.

It’s a night of praise at Verizon Arena with the Hello Tonight Summer Tour 2010 making a stop featuring the music of Chris Tomlin and TobyMac. Both artists are award-winning and platinum-selling Christian artists. Tomlin has seven No. 1 radio singles, three Grammy nominations and 16 Dove awards while TobyMac earned multiple Grammy and Dove awards for blending hip-hop, rock and pop rock while in the legendary Christian music trio DC Talk. As a solo act, TobyMac has earned five straight Grammy nominations, including his latest for the single “City On Our Knees” as Best Gospel song. The doors open at 6 p.m. with the music at 7 p.m. Tickets are $26.75 and $36.75 advance at the Verizon Arena Box Office with tickets increasing $5 day of the event.

And starting Saturday, but really getting going Sunday is !Celebrate! North Little Rock’s Riverwalk Park plays host to the second annual !Celebrate!, an International music and culture festival complete with a cultural cross section of food, drink, music, dance and games, and national and regional music acts. The music lineup includes alternative rockers Malcadence, girl band Atomic Pink, rockers Saturate, and Fayetteville party band Groovement, as well as Latino artists Sangre Michoacana, Cadetes-de-Linares and Las Kponeras, and DJs throughout the day. The festival also includes the finals of the Latin Dance contest, featuring $1,000 in cash and prizes, and a motorcycle show presented by Sonny Bruce. !Celebrate! will open at 6 p.m. Saturday with the carnival. At noon Sunday the gates open to the main area with food vendors, demonstrations, exhibitions, items for sale and a stage for the live entertainment.

Here’s mewithoutYou in action with their “The Fox, the Crow and the Cookie”:

Saturday’s Music

Friday, April 2nd, 2010

John Paul Keith and the One, Four, Fives.

Giving you the music a day early:

The soul-powered rock ‘n’ roll sound Memphis, Tenn., invades White Water Tavern with a visit from a trio of bands: John Paul Keith and the One, Four, Fives; Jack Oblivian; and The Dirty Streets. Keith and band are known for their rambling honky-tonk flavored indie rock, propelled by the band’s love of rockabilly guitars, pedal steel, piano and driving drums. Memphis-based Jack Oblivian, a member of such legendary Memphis DIY acts as Compulsive Gamblers and ’90s garage punk band The Oblivians, is Johnny Thunders meets Neil Young style garage rock ‘n’ roll. And The Dirty Streets is a young rock ‘n’ roll outfit with punk and soul roots raised on MC5, Deep Purple, Sly & the Family Stone and Led Zeppelin.

Little Rock alternative rockers Kingsdown, who are recording their new album at Lakeside Studios in Knoxville, Tenn., return to Little Rock for a show at Juanita’s. Formed by six small-town friends in 2002 at a century-old train station, Kingsdown delivers an energetic alternative rock sound built upon their faith and lyrics of love and hope. The group released its first EP Dearest Nameless in 2004 and followed it with The Scenario We Know So Well in 2005. Joining Kingsdown will be two fellow Little Rock bands: catchy, energetic rockers Knox Hamilton and punchy, technically proficient rockers Siversa. The doors open at 8:30 p.m. with the music at 9:30 p.m. It’s a $5 cover for the 21-and-up crowd, and $7 for ages 18 to 20.

The Ozzfest-playing heavy metal band Fear Factory — including original members Burton C. Bell and Dino Cazares — are currently roaring across the U.S. on their Fear Campaign Tour, including a stop at The Village with deathcore outfit Winds of Plague, thrash metal band Dirge Within and progressive metal group Periphery. The doors open at 7 p.m. with the music at 8 p.m. General admission tickets are $19 advance and $23 at the door.

Russellville heavy rock act McCuin have finished their new album and are holding a CD release party for the album at Revolution Music Room. Expect the band — Greg McCuin on vocals, piano and guitar; Chris Moran on guitar; Brad Porter on drums; Chad Lybrand on guitar; and PosX on bass — to plow through a set of Arkansas-bred modern rock. The opening act is Hot Springs alternative metal band After Eden with a showtime of 8:30 p.m. Cover is free for the over 21 crowd, and $5 for ages 20 to 18.

CurvyGirl Ent along with Osyrus Bolly and A.P.O.L.L.O. present Sounds of Liberation: An Aural Baptism at Cotham’s in the City, a night promising hip hop, jazz, spoken word/poetry, soul and more. The event starts at 8:15 p.m. with a $10 cover and features singer/spoken word artist and poet Sunni Patterson, Afrobeat act Velvet Kente, Memphis, Tenn., soul singer Ramona Smith along with pianist Carl Mouton, HypeLife Marketing poet FW Love, and local poets Like Nature, Tina, Chris James and more.

Here’s John Paul Keith and the One, Four, Fives with an Ardent Session:

Friday’s Music

Thursday, February 4th, 2010

Rock 4 Haiti.

Giving you the music a day early:

A quartet of bands are joining forces with the American Red Cross and Hope for Haiti (a local initiative started by Clinton School of Public Service student Ivan Noisette) to raise money for earthquake disaster relief in Haiti with Rock 4 Haiti at Revolution Music Room. The night starts with North Little Rock alternative rock act Third Degree kicking off the music at 8:30 p.m. followed by Little Rock’s Siversa with their energetic alternative rock. Following Siversa’s set, an American Red Cross representative will speak along with Noisette. Buckets will be passed around the audience, taking donations with 100 percent of donations going to Haiti relief efforts. Little Rock alternative rockers Kingsdown will resume the night of music followed by a set from modern rockers WishTribe. The cover for the all-ages event is free for 21 and over, and $5 for 20 and under with all cover charges going to relief efforts.

Charismatic is one adjective to describe the stage presence of Richie Kirkpatrick, the frontman of Nashville, Tenn., rock ‘n’ roll outfit Ghostfinger. With his perfectly curled at the edges handlebar mustache, Kirkpatrick is the mad musical mastermind of the trio that tears through a number of musical genres — guitar-powered indie rock on “Let It Ride,” twang-fueled roots rock on “Anne Marie” and atmospheric, cosmic country on “Follow the Water” — in a given night. The trio visits Juanita’s with two local bands opening: the Americana punch of Drunken Angels, and the gritty, lo-fi garage rock tunes of Brother Andy and His Big Damn Mouth. The 18-and-up show kicks off at 10 p.m. with a $5 cover.

Music Hates You frontman Noah Ray likes to ensure his audiences have a good time, but he also likes to ensure his audiences are totally focused on the gritty, hardcore punk-flavored rock the band cranks out so don’t be surprised to see Ray break the fourth wall and wade (or dive) into the audience when Music Hates You plays Downtown Music. Also on the bill are Conway down-tempo metal act Crankbait, the grunge-flavored metal of Little Rock’s Iron Tongue and Little Rock death metal trio Jolene. The music starts at 8 p.m. with a $6 cover.

It’s been 10 years since energetic pop punk band New Found Glory first released their self-titled record, and the Coral Springs, Fla., five piece is hitting the road on the aptly titled The 10 Year Anniversary of the Self-Titled Record Tour, including a stop at The Village. The quintet plans to play their first album from start to finish during live shows, displaying their catchy choruses and slick guitar hooks. Joining the group on their celebration tour are emo rockers Saves the Day, synth-filled power pop act hellogoodbye and pop punk band Fireworks. The doors open at 6:30 p.m. with the music starting at 7:30 p.m. General admission tickets are $18 advance and $21 at the door.

The odometer on Conway hardcore rock act Fire to Reason’s touring schedule reads 70,000 miles, and the quartet, who create rapid-fire, brutal slices of music such as “Miles and Miles,” is preparing to hit the road again, kicking off their Lead or Silver Tour at Sound Stage in Conway. The monthlong jaunt will take them to locales such as Nashville, Tenn.; Cheyenne, Wyo.; and Las Vegas (and that’s just in 10 days time) before arriving back in Arkansas on March 6. Formed in October 2005, the pummeling, energetic act, who have a melodic side, have played every state in the lower 48. Joining the band for the tour kickoff are Vilonia hardcore metal act The Curse Follows and Conway progressive metal act Still Reign. The music roars to live at 8 p.m. with a $6 cover.

And here’s a shot of Ghostfinger, working through their tune “Love My Head”: