Coming to the Wal-Mart Shareholders' meeting… maybe
May 20th, 2009 at 10:53 am
Aerosmith in Fayetteville? “Dream On,” right? Well, it COULD happen.
Lost in the commotion surrounding the upcoming Wakarusa Music Festival, at least on my part, is that fact that at almost exactly the same time, the Wal-Mart Shareholders’ meeting will again invade Fayetteville.
Wal-Mart always provides entertainment for the thousands who are visiting the town, and it’s always top-rate: last year, performers in the days leading up to the actual meeting included Journey, Taylor Swift, Lifehouse, Keith Urban and Carrie Underwood. David Cook (of “American Idol” fame), Joss Stone and Tim McGraw were also in town for the Shareholders’ meeting, which was not open to the public.
So, what about this year?
Well, we’re not sure, but, if the buzz we hear on the street is correct, expect the following people: Brad Paisley and Sugarland on June 2 and Daughtry and Foreigner on June 3. Wal-Mart has not formally announced the artists, nor did they confirm these acts.
But, checking their concert schedules, none of the bands mentioned have a commitment that would prohibit them from being here.
What does this mean for us, the non-shareholder types? Well, all of the shows last year were free and open to the public, who were admitted on a first-come, first-serve basis after all of the Wal-Mart guests were seated. Two concerts —Taylor Swift and Journey — were in Bud Walton Arena, and Keith Urban’s show took place at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. See a review of Swift’s show here; find one for Urban and Underwood here.
We’re not sure if these shows are open to the public like they were last year, but with the goodwill it gives to those in the area, Wal-Mart would be silly not to open them again.
It also leaves us wondering something else: Where is the Thursday-night performer? Wal-Mart’s Shareholders’ Meeting will be on June 5, a Friday. We’ve got names for the first two nights, the Tuesday and Wednesday preceding the meeting, but nothing for June 4, a Thursday.
Who, then? Will there even be a show? Maybe they don’t want to compete with Wakarusa, with headliners Gov’t Mule just 45 minutes away?
This much is all guesswork, but if Wal-Mart follows their trends from years past, it likes to book artists who have exclusive record deals with the company, such as Journey from last year and The Eagles the year before that. It would be difficult, but not entirely impossible, for AC/DC to perform. The band released an exclusive album last October but will be in Europe at the time of the Shareholders’ meeting. The band has a June 3 concert in Lisbon, Portugal, and a June 5 concert in Madrid, Spain, leaving June 4 open for any concerts on the other side of the globe.
So, what about Aerosmith? Could happen, as the band hinted they have an exclusive deal with Wal-Mart in the works. Conveniently, they aren’t booked anywhere on June 4. Coincidence? Maybe. It’s sure fun to guess.
While were at it, let’s make another guess: Kris Allen, the Conway resident who finds out tonight (May 20) if he’s won the current season of “American Idol,” will likely make an appearance, probably for the closed portion of the meeting. If he did, he would follow in the traditions of Idols before him who have followed their appearances on the show with one at the Shareholders’ meeting. And considering he’s an Arkie, it practically makes him a lock.
We think, anyway.
Let’s just put it this way: With Wakarusa following on the heels of the Shareholders’ meeting, Northwest Arkansas is in for six days of big-name talent. It’s going to be a crazy time. We’ll see you out there for all of it, too.