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Saturday’s Music

by sstewart

Published on: April 20, 2012

Categories: General

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Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.

Giving you the music a day early:

Okay, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers at Verizon Arena. Does anything else really need to be said? This is one of those must-see shows. It’s Petty and the Heartbreakers with their classic American rock sound. Throw in indie artist Regina Spektor. Kind of an odd pairing, but again, it’s Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Be there. The doors open at 6:30 p.m. with the music starting at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available through the Verizon Arena Box Office for $27.50, $57.50, $77.50 and $99.50. It’s going to cost you extra if you go through Ticketmaster.

Clarence Carter sings the soul/R&B classic “Patches” — that’s all the reason you need for attending the all-day show Blues on the River at Riverfest Amphitheatre on the Arkansas River that also features Bigg Robb & The Problem Solvers, TK Soul, Sweet Angel, Donnie Ray and more. It’s all presented by Power 92 Jams and 102.1 KOKY. Doors open at 2 p.m. with the music starting at 3 p.m. Tickets are $25 in advance and $35 day of show. Of course, Carter also sings “Slip Away,” “The Feeling Is Right,” “Doing Our Thing” and, of course, “Strokin’.” That’s just a few more reasons.

This is how Jason Meadows‘ appearance at Shooter’s Bar and Grill is being promoted: by noting the country musician was on the reality TV music competition series Nashville Star, was a former professional rodeo star and … a Playgirl magazine model. Meadows probably wants to downplay the Playgirl thing, and he is by recording country albums such as You Ain’t Ever Been to Texas. What does it sound like? “Straight-up country,” Meadows says in his online biography. “I think country music today has gotten away from that a little bit. Country has gotten so pop … there’s a whole void there for good, traditional country.” Expect that at Shooter’s. The music starts at 10 p.m. with tickets $10 in advance and $15 day of for the 21-and-up show.

The story goes that Boston newspaper The Phoenix once named Colour Revolt the Best New Band from Mississippi. Yeah, that makes perfect sense. Listen, the indie rocking duo of Jesse Coppenbarger and Sean Kirkpatrick are great, but a New England paper anointing the best band in Mississippi? Come on. And the band is technically from Mississippi, but Brooks Tipton, who tours on keyboards, is a Little Rock native so it’s kind of a homecoming show when Colour Revolt plays Stickyz. The opening act is Velvet Kente with their soul meets indie rock sound with touches of the blues and gospel. It’s an 18-and-up show with the music starting at 8 p.m. Tickets are $8 in advance and $10 day of show.

Rock Town Distillery will host the Camp Aldersgate After Dark Party from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. with the promise of freshly made s’mores, a live and silent auction, and music from acoustic pop rocker Barrett Baber. Tickets are $50. Oh, and there will also be a wine cork pull, drinks and dinner. And all proceeds support Camp Aldersgate, Arkansas’ only nonprofit that is dedicated to serving children, youths and senior adults with disabilities in a camp environment. Good music, good s’mores, good music and good cause.

Harding University‘s second annual First Thaw, hosted by the Harding University Campus Activities Board, continues. Saturday’s day includes a bazaar with Harding students selling their goods and art, and five bands and artists — Brett Vanderzee, The Shindiggers, Brianna Gaither, The Sheriffs of Nottingham and The Coasts — playing music from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The day ends at 8 p.m. with a documentary chosen by the student body in the Administration Auditorium. Saturday’s events are free for all.

Here are Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers with their “Yer So Bad”:

Yer So Bad

Friday’s Music

by sstewart

Published on: April 12, 2012

Categories: General

Tags: Chris Young, Decadence, Dikki Du and the Zydeco Krewe, DJ Deja Blu, Jerrod Niemann, Markham Street Grill and Pub, Michael "5000" Watts, Miranda Lambert, On Fire Tour, Rev Room, Ronnie Simmons Band, Thirst N Howl Bar & Grill, Verizon Arena, VJ G Force, White Water Tavern

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Miranda Lambert.

Giving you the music a day early:

“Over You” is the latest single from country firecracker Miranda Lambert to hit the Top 40 of country radio. It’s a streak of hits, including No. 1s “The House That Built Me” and “Heart Like Mine,” so yeah, the Grammy-winning Lambert is hot. Perhaps that’s why she named her current tour the On Fire Tour, a tour which pays a visit to Verizon Arena for a show presented by KSSN 96. The doors open at 6:30 p.m. with the music starting at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are still available in the upper bowl for $51.75 and $36.75 through the Verizon Arena Box Office. Ticketmaster will cost you more. The opening acts are Chris Young, whose five country No. 1s includes “You,” and Jerrod Niemann, the man known for “Lover, Lover.”

Having spent time in south Louisiana (Lafayette actually), I can tell you that some zydeco music can get a little … well, redundant. Not boring, but after a few tunes you might feel as though you’re hearing the same melodies and such all over again. That’s some zydeco; not all, and especially not the zydeco music of Dikki Du and the Zydeco Krewe, led by Church Point’s Troy Carrier, who happens to be Dikki Du. The reason? Dikki Du and the Zydeco Krewe keep their version of zydeco fresh, throwing in a little funk and grooving on some hypnotic rhythms. See what good zydeco is supposed to sound like when Dikki Du and the Zydeco Krewe visit White Water Tavern. The music starts at 9:30 p.m. with a $7 cover.

So chopped and screwed? Yes, that’s what Michael “5000″ Watts is known for as the head of Swisha House, a Houston media company and record label that introduced to the world Mike Jones and Paul Wall. But Michael “5000″ Watts is not just a record label CEO. He’s also a DJ and musician himself, and it’s Watts making an appearance at Rev Room as part of Decadence. The music starts at 9 p.m. with cover $10 for 21 and over, and $15 for 18 to 20. Also on the bill is DJ Deja Blu and VJ G-Force, two locals kicking off the night with a little bit of their sick sounds.

Athens, La’s Ronnie Simmons Band consists of the remaining members of north Louisiana rock trio Militia. It’s a new band, but the trio of Rusty White on lead vocals and guitar, Brian Flynn on bass and backing vocals, and Jamie Dixon on drums are still mining that Southern rock ‘n’ roll sound. Think of Drive-By Truckers, The Allman Brothers Band, Zac Brown Band and others. Just good ’70s rock mixed with a little Americana, Southern rock and blues. That’s what the Ronnie Simmons Band brings to Little Rock this weekend with two shows: a 9 p.m. Friday show at Thirst N Howl Bar & Grill, and a 9 p.m. Saturday show at Markham Street Grill and Pub. There’s no cover for either show. The Thirst N Howl show is all ages until 11 p.m., and then 21 and up, and the Markham Street Grill show is 21 and up.

Here’s Miranda Lambert with her “The House That Built Me”:

The House That Built Me

Saturday’s Music

by sstewart

Published on: March 16, 2012

Categories: General

Tags: Downtown Music, Glittercore, Hayes Carll, honeyhoney, John Paul Keith & the One Four Fives, Jonathan Wilkins, Keith Sweat, Maze featuring Frankie Beverly, Rev Room, River City Tanlines, The Bar-Kays, The Januariez, The Many Persian Z's, Verizon Arena, White Water Tavern

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The Bar-Kays .

Giving you the music a day early:

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away there was nothing called the Internet. And so before any song ever was available anytime, hearing The Bar-Kays‘ “Soul Finger” was a joyous occasion that happened maybe once a year, usually when Spies Like Us happened to be on cable TV. And even though the tune is available at a click of the mouse now, “Soul Finger” is still one of the greatest party anthems ever. It’s that tune and other funk-infused R&B classics The Bar-Kays will bring to Verizon Arena as the band plays a concert that includes R&B/soul singer Keith Sweat as part of a Power Productions presents show. Both acts are opening for Maze featuring Frankie Beverly, a R&B-flavored soul band known for tunes such as “Feel That You’re Feelin’,” “Love Is the Key” and “Back in Stride.” Tickets are available at the Verizon Arena Box Office for $37, $47, $57 and $67, or through all Ticketmaster outlets where Ticketmaster is going hit you with extra fees. All tickets from the original Nov. 20 date that was postponed will be honored. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. with the music starting at 7:30 p.m.

Glittercore drummer Shayne Gray let me know back in February (maybe January) that Glittercore, a modern rock ‘n’ roll band with glam and indie rock influences, was returning to the stage at Downtown Music on St. Patrick’s Day. Let him tell you what Glittercore has in store: “[The show] will reveal a brand new Glittercore (which has changed rather dramatically since their beginning in 2011). An intense guitar, drums and bass power trio lurking somewhere between a more melodic Dinosaur Jr. and a more glamlike Jimi Hendrix.” Sounds good enough. The new Glittercore lineup is Paul Bowling on lead vocals and guitar, Gray on drums and vocals, and newest member KV on bass and vocals. The doors open at 9 p.m. with the music starting soon afterward. Cover is $5 at the door. Also on the bill is Seattle power trio The Januariez with their female fronted take on alternative rock and punk, and Little Rock’s own The Many Persian Z’s, the surreal rock trio of Chris Avakian, Bryan Frazier and Jonathan Teague.

The River City Tanlines hit White Water Tavern with six fists of furious rock. That’s really all that needs to be said, but here’s a little more: their sound takes its temperature from poppy ’70s punk and a little dose of sleazy rock. Throw in some blues. (The band is from Memphis after all.) Oh, and Carrie Brownstein called them “rad.” The music starts at 10 p.m. No word on a cover. Jonathan Wilkins is the opener, and he’ll fire the night up with his singer/songwriter Americana.

Yes, the headliner of this show at Rev Room is one Hayes Carll, that Americana singer/songwriter that Central Arkansas loves. And John Paul Keith & The One Four Fives, a live-wired Memphis-based rock ‘n’ roll gang, is likewise loves dearly by locals. But honeyhoney is also on the bill with their “sexually tinged, bruised-knee, honeysuckle” roots music. Cover is $15 at the doors for the 18-and-up show that starts at 9 p.m.

Here’s The Bar-Kays with their “Soul Finger”:

Soul Finger

Saturday’s Music

by sstewart

Published on: March 9, 2012

Categories: General

Tags: A Storm of Light, Casey Donahew Band, Corrosion of Conformity, Downtown Music, Elise Davis, Juanita's, Lauren Mann and the Fairly Odd Folk, Matt Stell & The Crashers, Rev Room, Stickyz, Torche, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Turnpike Troubadours, Valient Thorr, Verizon Arena, Vino's, Whitehorse, Zac Brown Band

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Whitehorse.

Giving you the music a day early:

Whitehorse‘s Luke Doucet and Melissa McClelland made a name for themselves as individual roots-oriented singer-songwriters in Canada, but the married couple decided it was time for their own project. So Whitehorse? It’s rowdy-yet-beautiful Canadian roots rock or maybe indie country, if there is such a thing: electric guitar and all, along with pedal steel, piano and B3 Hammond plus killer harmonies from the pair. And the two perform a grand version of Bruce Springsteen’s “I’m on Fire.” Whitehorse comes to Juanita’s, and the music starts at 8:30 p.m. with tickets $8 in advance and $10 day of show. The-well-known-around-these-parts-even-though-she-now-lives-in-Tennessee Elise Davis kicks off the show with her take on Americana.

Just in case one thinks SXSW is all indie rock or pop, North Carolina heavy metal gods Corrosion of Conformity is playing a festival showcase or two along with their touring partners Miami-based Southern metal band Torche and New York City band A Storm of Light, who pack in sludge, doom and post-metal into an ambient yet raging sound. (COC and A Storm of Light both play the SXSW ToneDeaf Touring Showcase with North Little Rock’s metal outfit Rwake at Dirty Dog Bar next Wednesday.) For this pre-SXSW stop at Downtown Music, stoner rock band Valient Thorr joins Corrosion of Conformity, Torche and A Storm of Light. The doors open at 6:30 p.m. with the music starting at 7:15 p.m. Tickets are $15 in advance and $18 at the door.

Here’s a little-known fact: Outside of the city of Tahlequah, Okla., is a public use area titled No Head Hollow Public Use Area. No lie. The city is also the capital of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Nation. Now, why are we discussing Tahlequah here? It’s the hometown of Turnpike Troubadours, a quintet of roots-rock playing musicians. This isn’t Red Dirt country like many bands from Oklahoma, but music that throws in a little bit of everything, including folk, Cajun and bluegrass. The band comes to Stickyz. The music starts at 9 p.m. with a $10 cover for the 18-and-up show.

Central Arkansas loves Texas country music, and one of the newer Texas country bands that the area has fallen in love with is the Casey Donahew Band. The country band based out of Burleson dropped its newest album Double-Wide Dream in late October and the album hit No. 2 on the iTunes country albums chart and No. 10 on the Billboard country albums chart. The band’s constant touring has made it a country rock force to be reckoned with. Casey Donahew Band comes to Rev Room. The opening act is Conway’s own Matt Stell & the Crashers, kicking off the music at 9 p.m. with their country music that also touches upon rock ‘n’ roll, blues, soul, folk and even a little of gospel. Cover is $15 for the 18-and-up show with the music starting at 9 p.m.

Here’s what Canadian folk artist Lauren Mann has to say about her group, Lauren Mann and the Fairly Odd Folk: The band “captures the attention of their listeners with extraordinary indie pop melodies and an authentic performance.” The outfit’s new album will be Over Land and Sea, being released in May. Lauren Mann and the Fairly Odd Folk come to Vino’s. The music starts at 8 p.m. No word on cover.

A few years ago, Zac Brown Band played locally and it cost $5 to get in. This was right around the time that the rocking, good-timing country band’s “Chicken Fried” was being released. The tune hit No. 1 on the country charts by the end of the year. By the fall of 2009, Zac Brown Band was headlining Verizon Arena. A few years later, and following a string of No. 1 country hits and new single in “No Hurry” climbing the charts, Zac Brown Band returns to Verizon Arena. Tickets are $43.65, $56.20, $71.10 and $76.20 through Ticketmaster, and that price includes all those nasty little fees and extra charges. The doors open at 6 p.m. with the show starting at 7 p.m. The opening act is Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue with a sound that captures New Orleans perfectly: a mixture of jazz, funk, rock and hip-hop.

Here’s Whitehorse with their version of “I’m on Fire”:

I’m on Fire

Friday’s Music

by sstewart

Published on: March 8, 2012

Categories: General

Tags: Bobby Bare Jr., CatchingYourClouds, Controlled Chaos Tour, Downtown Music, First Baptist Chemical, Good Time Ramblers, Jeff Dunham, Jimbo Mathus and The Tri-State Coalition, Juanita's, Kingsdown, Lovedrug, Verizon Arena, White Water Tavern

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Jimbo Mathus and the Tri-State Coalition.

Giving you the music a day early:

Catfish music for the masses. Let’s consider the phrase that Jimbo Mathus uses in describing the music that he creates as Jimbo Mathus and the Tri-State Coalition. The music is the song of the South, an unruly blast of blues, country, honky tonk and rock ‘n’ roll with a hint of gospel, which means catfish music will raise hell on Saturday night and quietly bow its head Sunday morning. But don’t forget there is a little bit of New Orleans funk, Ozarks folk and gritty Memphis soul in there, too. Confederate Buddha is the band’s new album, and it is truly catfish music for the masses. See what that sounds like live when Jimbo Mathus and the Tri-State Coalition visit White Water Tavern. The music starts at 10 p.m. with a $10 cover. Of note, Mathus and co. are raising money through Kickstarter to record their new album White Buffalo with Eric Ambel. The band has 20-plus tunes written and demoed, but needs a little help in the recording process.

You know what might be the best country narrative tale of all-time? “The Winner” by Bobby Bare. Seriously. Written by the late, great Shel Silverstein, it’s the tale of a “hulk of a man with a beer in his hand …” Now, Silverstein died more than a decade ago, but two years ago Bare and his son Bobby Bare Jr. produced a tribute album to Silverstein, including works by Dr. Dog and My Morning Jacket. And Bare Jr.? He performed “Daddy What If” on the album, the same tune that a young Bare Jr. performed with his dad back in 1973, earning the pair a Grammy nomination. This is the long way around of telling you that Bobby Bare Jr. is all grown up and an exemplary Americana singer/songwriter in his own right, a man who learned a great deal about singing and songwriting from two masters such as his father and Shel. Bare Jr. brings his music to Juanita’s. The opening acts are Good Time Ramblers with their honky-tonk country and First Baptist Chemical with their self-described “bumpkin folk/Afrobeat.” The music starts at 9 p.m. with tickets $12 in advance and $15 day of show.

Ohio band Lovedrug‘s name does not mean a love drug as in a love potion. No, it’s taken from the fact that singer Michael Shepard’s love of music dragged him back after he wandered into the arms of film school. Now that that is settled, let’s discuss the band’s music. The band’s version of indie rock can be sweetly gentle such as on “Girl,” or hook-filled, spirited rock such as on “Dinosaur.” Both tunes are taken from Lovedrug’s new album Wild Blood. Lovedrug is now taking that sound on the road, with a stop at Downtown Music. Opening the show are two local alternative rock acts: the high-energy music of Kingsdown and the pop-flavored rock of CatchingYourClouds. The doors open at 6 p.m. with the music starting at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 day of show.

There are those out there who find Jeff Dunham and his act unfunny. If you are one, move on to the next item because this one is for the Dunham fans in the world. In case you haven’t heard, the ventriloquist Dunham and his merry band of buddies, including two new puppet characters in Achmed Junior and Little Jeff, are coming to Verizon Arena on the Controlled Chaos Tour. Tickets are $43.50 at the Verizon Arena Box Office or via Ticketmaster with all those wicked extra charges thrown in with the doors opening at 7 p.m. and the show starting at 8 p.m. As Dunham said in an interview last year: “My show has no socially redeeming value whatsoever — you’re not going to learn anything. All you’re going to do is have a big goofy time and escape your problems for a while.” You have been warned.

Here’s Jimbo Mathus and the Tri-State Coalition with their “Kine Joe”:

Kine Joe

Sunday’s Music

by sstewart

Published on: February 18, 2012

Categories: General

Tags: Rev Room, Skillet, Verizon Arena, Winter Jam 2012 Tour Spectacular, Yelawolf

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Yelawolf.

Giving you the music a day early:

Alabama-born hip-hop artist Yelawolf‘s November 2011 album Radioactive was released via Shady Records (among other labels), the record label of one Eminem. After a couple of EPs, some mixtapes and guest spots on tunes with hip-hop artists from Big Boi to Game, it was the major-label debut of the artist known for his hip-hop that covers ground from hardcore to rap rock (the album features Kid Rock among guests that also include Eminem and Lil Jon). And now Yelawolf brings his sound to Rev Room for a headlining gig. The music starts at 8:30 p.m. with a $20 cover for the 18-and-up show.

The Winter Jam 2012 Tour Spectacular is coming to Verizon Arena. And what is so spectacular about it? It’s Christian music’s largest annual tour: 10 bands including headlining act the Grammy-nominated alternative rockers Skillet. The music also includes Sanctus Real, former Newsboys frontman Peter Furler, Kari Jobe, Newsong (the band that started the Winter Jam), Building 429 and Group 1 Crew along with illusionist Brock Gilland and national speaker Nick Hall. In addition, the OneVerse Pre-Jam Party will include performances from Dara Maclean, For King & Country, and We As Human. VeggieTales’ Bob and Larry will also make an appearance. So a bunch of bands and other goodies. How much? That’s the best part: All it cost is $10 at the door. The doors open at 5 p.m. with the music starting at 6 p.m.

Here’s Yelawolf with his “Let’s Roll” (and yes, that’s Kid Rock):

Let’s Roll

Saturday’s Music

by sstewart

Published on: February 10, 2012

Categories: General

Tags: Cornerstone Pub, Crunkfest Two, Humming House, Hunter Hayes, Juanita's, Matt Nathanson, Rachel Platten, Rascal Flatts, Reckless Kelly, Rev Room, Sara Evans, Verizon Arena

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Rascal Flatts.

Giving you the music a day early:

Celebrate the arrival of spring a month early with a visit from Rascal Flatts, a pop country band on their Thaw Out 2012 tour visiting Verizon Arena. Rascal Flatts is a new member of the Grand Ole Opry and currently readying a new release for April titled Changed so expect the band’s newest single “Banjo” along with the outfit’s other hits, including smashes such as “What Hurts the Most.” The doors open at 6:30 p.m. with the music starting at 7:30 p.m., and fellow country acts Sara Evans and Hunter Hayes open the show. Tickets are $25.50, $40.25 and $60.25 at the Verizon Arena Box Office or available through all Ticketmaster outlets with all those nasty little Ticketmaster charges extra.

Crunk music returns to Argenta and Cornerstone Pub with Crunkfest Two, a night of Southern rap and hip-hop featuring Memphis rapper Haystak; J Bo Cracker Swagger, a North Little Rock rapper known for mixing Southern hip-hop with gangsta; and a ton of other artists, including Atlanta rapper Yard Call, Young Hart, Lil Blaze and more. Advance tickets are $20 and available during business hours at Cornerstone, or $30 at the door.

Red Dirt rockers Reckless Kelly released their newest album Good Luck & True Love back in September 2011. It hit the Top 20 of the country charts with little or no radio play. How does that work? Well, Reckless Kelly bypasses the suits in shiny offices and takes their sound, which includes a mingling of rock ‘n’ roll with country and a taste of roots rock, straight to the people, creating electrifying nights that people remember. So look for Reckless Kelly at Rev Room creating another night to remember. Nashville, Tenn.-based Humming House is the opening act, kicking off the music at 9 p.m. with their “Irish porch stomp” that includes a mix of folk, blues and bluegrass with a touch of pop. Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 day of for the 18-and-up show.

Singer/songwriter Matt Nathanson put out his first collection of music way back in the early ’90s. But it was 2008′s “Come On Get Higher” that finally broke the folk rocker. Since then, Nathanson has released last June’s Modern Love, a 11-track collection that included a guest spot from Sugerland. So, Nathanson is more acoustic pop rather than folk rock now, and it’s that refined sound that Nathanson brings to Juanita’s. The music starts at 9 p.m. with tickets $18 in advance and $20 day of show. The opening act is singer/songwriter Rachel Platten, whose debut album of infectious soulful pop Be Here includes the hit single “1000 Ships.”

Here’s Rascal Flatts with their “What Hurts the Most”:

What Hurts the Most

Saturday’s Music

by sstewart

Published on: January 20, 2012

Categories: General

Tags: Chippendales, Discovery, Electric Touch, Evanescence, LiveSosa & Jay/$outh, ReVerse Thought, Rival Sons, Shooter's Sports Bar and Grill, Sunny Ledfurd, T.Jay, The Men of Cuffs & Collars, The Real Deal, Verizon Arena, Vino's

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Sunny Ledfurd.

Giving you the music a day early:

The last time that North Carolina good-timing country artist Sunny Ledfurd appeared in Little Rock it was on a bill with country, kind-of rapper Colt Ford. Now, Ledfurd returns a week after Ford’s latest Little Rock appearance as a headliner at Shooter’s Sports Bar and Grill. Who knows how these two things are connected, but they are. Anyway, Ledfurd is touring in support of his album Sunny Ledfurd Greatest Hits 2003-2009. Now, Ledfurd has never had a country hit per se, but for the last decade the man has written some of country’s best music, and now it’s all available on one disc. The music starts at 9:30 p.m. with a $10 cover for the 21-and-up show.

Think people forgot about Evanescence? No. This Arkansas-bred modern rock band hadn’t released a new album since its second album, 2006′s The Open Door, and the band’s current lineup only features one original member: lead singer Amy Lee. So what. The act sold 127,000 copies of their third, self-titled album when it was released back in October, hitting No. 1 on the charts. The band finally returns “home” for a show at Verizon Arena. The doors open at 7 p.m. with the music starting at 8 p.m. with opening acts Los Angeles hard rock act Rival Sons and Texas rock group Electric Touch. Tickets are $39.50 at the Verizon Arena Box Office or available through all Ticketmaster outlets with all those nasty little Ticketmaster charges extra, and the floor is general admission with no seats.

Discovery is opening for the ladies only with a Chippendales show titled The Men of Cuffs & Collars coming. The doors open at 9 p.m. with the show starting at 10 p.m. It’s a 21-and-up event with tickets $20 in advance and $25 at the door. The shirtless men take the stage around 10 p.m. in the Showroom for a night of … well, we all know what the Chippendales do. At midnight the Chippendales party ends, and Discovery opens its doors to men and women alike with DJs Brandon Peck, Ewell and Andy Sadler providing the music late into the night till the early morning.

Local rapper, producer and entrepreneur T.Jay is kicking off his national tour here in Little Rock with a show at Vino’s. It’s an all-ages event with the music starting at 9 p.m. with an $8 cover. Also on the bill are LiveSosa & Jay/$outh along with ReVerse Thought and The Real Deal. T.Jay released his latest album Nothin’ Less back in October. Recorded and mixed by KEV of Joker Ent. Studios, the 16-track album features appearances by Rockst*r Jones, Lute JR and others, and the tune “Breakfast & Biggie” has already been featured on MTV’s Rap Fix Live. The tune is a dirty blast of righteous Little Rock-bred hip-hop.

Here’s Sunny Ledfurd with his “Pontoon Boat”:

Pontoon Boat

Friday’s Music

by sstewart

Published on: January 19, 2012

Categories: General

Tags: Ben Franks & The Bible Belt Boys, Chillyrose, Cody Canada and The Departed, Culpepper Mountain Band, Harlem Globetrotters, Rev Room, Rodney Block & The Real Music Lovers, Starroy, Stickyz, The Afterthought, Verizon Arena, Waka Winter Classic, War Chief

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Cody Canada & The Departed.

Giving you the music a day early:

Former Cross Canadian Ragweed frontman Cody Canada released his first album outside of Ragweed back in June 2011. Titled This Is Indian Land, the new work is not only a collection of tunes by various Oklahoma songwriters who over the years have influenced Canada, but also the first tracks with his new group, Cody Canada and The Departed. And it’s Cody Canada & The Departed who are coming to Rev Room, bringing their music which is very much in the Red Dirt vein such as Ragweed but with more of a rock ‘n’ roll punch. No word on an opening act, but the music starts at 9 p.m. with tickets $10 in advance and $15 day of for the 18-and-up show.

The Wakarusa Music Festival is coming back to Ozark in late May and early June for four days of music. Thousands of fans will attend. Hundreds of bands will play the festival, and one of those bands will be either War Chief, Ben Franks & The Bible Belt Boys, Starroy, Culpepper Mountain Band or Chillyrose. The five bands are playing Stickyz as part of the Waka Winter Classic, with the band receiving the most votes from the audience being selected. Cover is $5 and each patron will receive a ticket for voting on their favorite band at any time during the night. The music will begin at 9 p.m. with War Chief’s set, and each band will play for approximately 40 minutes with a new band at the top of the hour. And the music? Well, come and check it out, but it’s everything from jamband to funk to Southern rock to folk to gospel … well, you get the picture: good music.

The Harlem Globetrotters are the only basketball team that can out NBA the NBA. And what we mean by that is the famous traveling basketball team is not only talented and competitive, but also the flashiest squad of basketball players since the legendary original Dream Team. Basketball is more entertainment than sport, and the Globetrotters know how to dazzle crowds with their electrifying ball handling, ball spinning and dunking. The Harlem Globetrotters are coming to Verizon Arena. The doors open at 6 p.m. with the game beginning at 7 p.m. Tickets are on sale at the Verizon Arena Box Office for $21.75, $30.75, $33.75, $38.75, $71.75 and $108.75, or through all Ticketmaster outlets with all those nasty little Ticketmaster fees added. Groups of 10 or more receive up to $8 off each ticket in select seating areas. Special discounts are available for Scout groups and military personnel.

It’s not strictly jazz that Rodney Block & the Real Music Lovers play, and that’s why they are one of the best bands around. Jazz is cool, and jazz is great, but Block and the boys throw in a little R&B, soul, funk and even hip-hop into their jazz. Check out Rodney Block & the Real Music Lovers as they present a night of music titled The Return of Jazz at The Afterthought. The music starts at 9 p.m. with a $10. Several guest artists are also being promised.

Here’s Cody Canada and The Departed with their “Staring Down the Sun”:

Staring Down the Sun

Tuesday’s Music

by sstewart

Published on: January 2, 2012

Categories: General

Tags: "Apex Predator" Randy Orton, Big Show, Mark Henry, Stickyz, The Frontier Circus, Verizon Arena, World Wrestling Entertainment SmackDown

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The Frontier Circus.

Giving you the music a day early:

It’s 2012 … time for the first smackdown of the year! Or at least the first World Wrestling Entertainment SmackDown, coming to Verizon Arena. So who’s coming to the party? “Apex Predator” Randy Orton vs. Mark Henry vs. Big Show. That’s right — all three in a special, triple-threat match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship belt with special referee Booker T. The undercard includes appearances by “Captain Charisma” Christian, the “Celtic Warrior” Sheamus, Wade Barrett, “Dashing” Cody Rhodes, Ted DiBiase Jr., Ezekiel Jackson, 2011 Royal Rumble winner Daniel Bryan, Justin Gabriel, Natalya, Alicia Fox and more. Tickets are available at the Verizon Arena Box Office for $17, $27, $37, $47 and $62, or through all Ticketmaster outlets for the above prices plus all those nasty little Ticketmaster charges.

Way back in the fall of 2011, The Frontier Circus dropped its debut album, a collection of the band’s “a little bit psycho … a little bit Western” music. What it was was one heck of a ride, from the thrashing punk take on the 13th Floor Elevators’ “You’re Gonna Miss Me” to an equally raucous cover of Merle Haggard’s “The Bottle Let Me Down.” It was one of the best sounds of yesteryear. Now, in 2012, The Frontier Circus — led by Frontier Dan and including new guitarist Victor El Valiente — is making its Stickyz debut. The music starts at 9 p.m. with a $5 cover. Frontier Dan says the outfit will be “bringing our ‘A’ game to town for this show.” You better believe it.

Here’s The Frontier Circus with their version of “Secret Agent Man”:

Secret Agent Man

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