The Keb' Mo' Band. All photos by KEVIN KINDER, NWA Media.

Legend tells us Robert Johnson sold his soul to the devil to learn how to play the blues.

Keb’ Mo’ never went through such a process, but he proved to a crowd of about 1,000 on a Wednesday night at the Walton Arts Center he’s a capable and even emphatic when he plugs in and plays with abandon.

So, the question becomes this: If people would go to such lengths to play (even if the Robert Johnson story is just a blues rock fairy tale), why wouldn’t you use your power all time?

Keb’ Mo’ — and to a lesser degree, his opening act, Anders Osborne — provided no definitive answer. Keb’ Mo’, real name Kevin Moore, is a three-time Grammy winner for contemporary blues albums. And while he colors all his music with that shade, the first 45 minutes of his set was rather subdued. Included in the first part of the evening were ballads (“Life is Beautiful”) and a slow, folk-tempered song (“We Don’t Need It”) from Keb’ Mo’s newest album, “The Reflection.” The latter, a song about struggling through the recession, never resonated despite how topical it remains.

Two years ago, when Keb’ Mo’ was last in the same venue, he played with sparse accompaniment and a purposely subdued approach. We were promised that context then.

This time around, with a full band behind him, the evening started in much the same way and left me wanting a little more oomph. It would become, eventually, a much different kind of concert.

Chalk up the first half to Keb’ Mo’ and his able backing band needing to warm up for the evening, or for the crowd needing a moment to let their drinks settle and warm them up a bit, but the difference after the hour mark of the concert was dramatic. Even early on, catcalls from the crowd gave Keb’ Mo’ suggestions for songs. When he got into one of those audience suggestions later — “She Just Wants To Dance” — the crowd was already on its feet and dancing, something it did for the bulk of the three-song encore, which found Keb’ Mo’ playing slide guitar blues and playing them well. Meanwhile, everyone in the mostly full venue showed their appreciation.

It was, after all, what they’d came to see.

A note about the opener: Anders Osborne, from New Orleans, faced the formidable challenge of opening for a largely unfamiliar crowd and using only his guitar and voice to do so. As someone said to me during the break between Osborne and the headliner’s sets, “Well, he tried hard.” Osborne set a tone for the evening, although it’s unlikely he or anyone in the crowd knew it at the time. After the fourth of the six songs he would play Wednesday night, Osborne pondered aloud that the evening was a blues night and he should play a blues song. As soon as he started into a slide guitar solo, the crowd collectively hollered in approval. Osborne too was best when he was at his bluesiest.

Keb’ Mo’ set list: 1) didn’t catch this title; 2) Change; 3) Life is Beautiful; 4) Government Cheese; 5) Perpetual Blues Machine; 6) I See Love; 7) We Don’t Need It; 8) More Than One Way Home; 9) Walk Back In; 10) The Whole Enchilada; 11) Shave Yo’ Legs; 12) Soon As I Get Paid; 13) Dangerous Mood; 14) I believe the song was Just Lookin’; 15) The Door;

Encore: 16) Am I Wrong?; 17) She Just Wants To Dance; 18) A Better Man

Bela Fleck & The Flecktones at Harvest Fest. All photos by KEVIN KINDER, NWA Media.

Welcome to 2012. Now that we’re through the New Year’s Eve shows, it feels like a good time to reminisce about the best concerts of the year that was. Here were the rules, which were pretty simple: The show had to take place in this paper’s 13-county coverage area and it had to happen in 2011. That’s it. In previous years, I’ve lumped festivals together, but that’s not terribly fair. First, those have to fall among the highlights of the year, and second, it doesn’t allow us to focus on some amazing individual moments from many of these festivals.

So, without delay, my favorite concerts of 2011:

10) Broncho, Nov. 19 at The Lightbulb Club

A complaint with Broncho’s show? It was really short. How short? Well, I don’t know. I wasn’t at their show at The Lightbulb Club for an official review, I was at their show to meet up with some friends and have an adult beverage. I didn’t have my notepad. I don’t know what songs they played. I just know I enjoyed it.

9) Steep Canyon Rangers, Oct. 13 as part of Yonder Mountain String Band’s Harvest Music Festival near Ozark

The Steep Canyon Rangers at Harvest Fest

As I said in my initial review, this was a Steve Martin-less version of the Steep Canyon Rangers, but those who avoided the band for that reason made a big mistake. I didn’t get to watch nearly enough of the band’s performance, but their tight harmonies, musical prowess and energetic approach sold me.

8) Bela Fleck & The Flecktones, Oct. 15 as part of Yonder Mountain String Band’s Harvest Music Festival near Ozark

Victor Wooten of Bela Fleck & The Flecktones

It’s hard to classify Bela Fleck & The Flecktones; it’s even harder to resist being dazzled by their performances. The group, now touring with its original lineup for the first time in more than a decade, used their slot as one of the headliners of Harvest Fest to conjure up a spell of expert playing. When Victor Wooten let loose with his bass guitar, it was a sight (and sound) to behold.

7) Kopecky Family Band (and the Memphis Pencils), May 27 at Smoke & Barrel Tavern

The Kopecky Family Band has been making a name for themselves on the road and the media, like Paste magazine, who named them one of the top touring acts of 2011, are taking notice. The group from Nashville, Tenn., performed in Fayetteville a couple times this year, but I most enjoyed their set on May 27, which served as fundraiser for Joplin tornado victims. That night featured a particularly strong collection of local openers, too, such as the Memphis Pencils, who, sadly, have moved on to other opportunities outside Northwest Arkansas.

6) Lucinda Williams, May 1 at the Fayetteville Town Center

Lucinda Williams

I’ve watched Lucinda Williams several times throughout the years, and, like always, she was good, bordering on excellent when she took the stage her in early May. She’s a strange blend of surly and self-deprecating, but it works for her. Her band was excellent that night, too. But like most, I’ll not forget that night for another reason. After the conclusion of her set, Williams announced prior to her encore that terrorist leader Osama Bin Laden had been killed in Pakistan. The crowd hooted in approval and electricity crackled through the room. Williams finished her set with the protest song “Fort What It’s Worth” by Buffalo Springfield, and the lyrics held a little more poignancy in that setting.

Marcus Mumford of Mumford & Sons

5) Mumford & Sons, June 4 as part of the Wakarusa festival near Ozark

I’m slightly jaded here (and spoiled) because I saw Mumford & Sons a week after their Northwest Arkansas performance and thought they delivered a better set the second time I watched them. That may be prohibiting me from ranking them much higher here. However, that may also be shorting them in this instance. The U.K. band stormed this country with their excellent album “Sigh No More” then stormed the Grammy ceremony by playing with The Avett Brothers and Bob Dylan. They then stormed the festival scene, including Wakarusa, where a group danced so passionately that a dust cloud rose in the midday sun. There is a grand power in the ability to make a crowd of 40,000 sing like they did that summer day, and Mumford had the group in the palm of their hands for this performance.

Sharon Jones

4) Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, June 3 as part of the Wakarusa festival near Ozark

If you want retro soul, delivered with passion, you need look no further than Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, who have released a series of fantastic albums. That list includes “I Learned the Hard Way,” which was released not long before Wakarusa took place. A Jones show is a rare treat in this part of the country, and she proved by dancing and belting out her songs the shows are not to be missed when they do arrive.

3) Girl Talk, Sept. 10 as part of the Festival on the Border in Fort Smith

The Fray in Fort Smith

Decked in sweatpants and a T-shirt, and using only a laptop, Girl Talk inspired one of the biggest, sweatiest dance parties of the year. Originally billed as a supporting act for the inaugural Festival on the Border event in Fort Smith, a day-of decision put him on the top of the bill over piano-pop act The Fray. Girl Talk rewarded the crowd with a slew of hits, blasts from confetti cannons and near-constant streams of flying toilet paper launched from onstage blasters. Girl Talk — aka Gregg Gillis — also performed at a secret show in Fayetteville later in the year, but his first show exceeded the schmaltz and fun factors of the second event.

2) Del McCoury Band and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, April 17 at the Walton Arts Center

The Del McCoury Band with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band

In a word, the combined performance by two legendary groups was, simply, joyous. The disparate sounds of bluegrass icons Del McCoury Band and legendary New Orleans residents Preservation Hall Jazz Band joined together for a memorable night of Americana. The two sides traded the spotlight throughout the evening, trading highlights, too, such as a take on “I’ll Fly Away,” and the rousing closer, “When the Saints Go Marching In.”

Jim James of My Morning Jacket at Wakarusa

1) My Morning Jacket, June 3 as part of the Wakarusa festival near Ozark

Those who know me best probably saw this coming from a million miles away. From the moment Wakarusa announced that My Morning Jacket would be among the headliners for the annual festival, my anticipation levels for the show and festival became unhealthy with the fear my heart would explode. Surprisingly, considering that level of personal hype, the Louisville-based rockers delivered. Focusing heavily on their newest record, “Circuital,” the band also delivered previous gems with blasts of guitar-fueled frenzy that came at the audience in waves.

A few weeks ago, we asked about your favorite albums of the year.

We’ve almost compiled that, and we’ll publish it on Dec. 23, both here and in print.

Following close behind will be the best live concerts of the year. Keeping mind that we’re tied to Northwest Arkansas, and are only talking about shows here…

What were some of your favorite live moments?

Here’s one of ours. The video below is the Del McCoury Band and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band doing “I’ll Fly Away” on Letterman. Lucky fans saw them play that song live at the Walton Arts Center.

What were some of your concerts of the year?

Click here to view the embedded video.

Kenny Rogers. All photos by KEVIN KINDER, NWA Media.

In watching a YouTube video in preparation for Kenny Rogers’ concert on Wednesday night at the Walton Arts Center, I turned to “The Gambler.” Of course I did — it supplied the country icon with his nickname, after all.

In the video, the opening notes begin, the crowd goes wild and Rogers lets it go. Applause and a good crowd singalong for the chorus showed off the energy and power of that song.

Rogers would offer that song (and 33 others) during show that was half based on his country hits and half a traditional Christmas show. And don’t go saying it was a ‘holiday’ show and not a ‘Christmas’ show. Rogers had a small lecture about the difference between the two.

So, Wednesday, the opening chords of “The Gambler” come across and … nothing. Not exactly ‘nothing,’ perhaps, but the tepidness of the response to his biggest song should tell you a lot about the way the evening went.

There was something slightly off about the show, and part of that may have been Rogers’ health. The vocalist, 73, told the crowd late in the set that he was sorry for the hoarseness of his voice. He even offered a free download to fans as penance. Any vocal shortcomings weren’t always noticeable, and his voice always carries a rasp, even on his best of days, and that’s part of his appeal. Wednesday, it seemed when he went very far above or below his peak vocal range, he lost the dynamism of his voice. In all, he would sing on 24 of the 34 songs offered that evening.

Lots of other folks contributed to vocals during the evening, including fellow country performer Billy Dean, the Bentonville High School Chamber Choir and a group of six young children from Northwest Arkansas. The latter two groups were a big part of the Christmas half of the program, which followed a 15-minute intermission. The cuteness factor was nearly overhelming, as the six children sat and gazed with rapture (as they were coached, no doubt) as Dean performed his song “Let Them Be Little.”

The addition of the chamber choir came late in the set, and, unfortunately, seemed to be more of an aesthetic accessory piece than a compliment to the overall sound. I wish I could have heard more of their voices, a situation that seemed more of an issue with the sound mix than their actual effort. It was only remedied in the evening’s second-to-last song, “Joy to the World,” when they came downstage and all voices — Rogers, Dean, the choir, etc… — were a simultaneous musical focus.

As for production, this was one of the more elaborate concert events in recent memory for the Walton Arts Center. A near sellout (or possible complete sellout) crowd feasted visually on an elaborate winter wonderland that featured at least seven Christmas trees, twinkling lights and three video boards that displayed song-specific graphics behind Rogers’ very capable (if underused) backing band. For instance, when Rogers sang “The Christmas Song,” a video of a fireplace played behind him. Those kind of touches didn’t end there — fake snow was pumped in while Dean offered “Let it Snow.” Additionally, video and audio of Wynonna Judd accompanied Rogers has they — with electronic assistance — sang their duet “Mary, Did You Know.”

Rogers got his standing ovations — two of them, in fact — but I felt a sense of longing. Not for the Christmas season, which is rapidly descending upon us, if not already here. All I wanted for (Kenny Rogers’) Christmas was a little more energy.

Setlist: 1) Lady; 2) -didn’t catch the name of this song-; 3) Ruby; 4) Through the Years; 5) I believe it was... Write Your Name (Across My Heart); 6) She Believes in Me; 7) Coward of the County; 8) Daytime Friends; 9) Buy Me A Rose; 10) Billy Dean — We Just Disagree [Dave Mason cover]; 11) Billy Dean — Billy the Kid; 12) The Gambler; 13) Lucille; 14; Islands in the Stream;

–intermission–

15) ‘Peanuts’ theme [instrumental]; 16) God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman [instrumental]; 17) Billy Dean and children’s chorus — When The Bells Ring Out; 18) Billy Dean — Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree; 19) Billy Dean — Jingle Bells; 20) Billy Dean — Let Them Be Little; 21) Billy Dean and children’s chorus — Santa Claus is Coming to Town; 22) Billy Dean — Let it Snow; 23) The Christmas Song (aka Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire); 24) White Christmas; 25) It’s Just Not Christmas (If I Can’t Spend it with You) [Ronnie Milsap cover]; 26) Mary, Did You Know; 27) O Come All Ye Faithful [now with BHS chamber choir]; 28) Away in a Manger; 29) O Holy Night; 30) Silent Night; 31) We Three Kings [with Billy Dean]; 32) Jesus Loves Me [with childrens’ chorus]; 33) Joy to the World [all voices]; 34) ‘Til the Season Comes Around Again [Rogers solo with band]

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All photos by KEVIN KINDER, NWA Media. Click on image to see a larger version.

How does someone review a Girl Talk show? Actually, I’m not sure. So for a couple reasons (1. I’ve already tried a review recently and 2. I had a birthday party I wanted to attend and left the concert early) I’m not even going to make the attempt.

Instead, know this: There was everything that everyone expects from the Pittsburgh-based mashup artist, with balloons, confetti, toilet paper streams and a never-ending stream of music samples mixed by Gregg Gillis, aka Girl Talk.

It resulted in a wild dance party for the crowd of about 400 who either scored free tickets during on-campus giveaways or bought them from someone who did – we heard the going rate for those free tickets was about $35.

French Horn Rebellion started the party, which was dominated by a younger demographic that was able to leave their duties (class, work, etc…) and were generally based closer to the ticket giveaway drops than the rest of Northwest Arkansas and were able to follow around an Axe brand black truck that passed out snow cones with the tickets.

So, in lieu of a more standard review, check out the photos above. Maybe you’ll even see yourself there.

Sherrie, with suitcase, arrives in Los Angeles as Drew, far right, looks on in the musical "Rock of Ages." All photos by KEVIN KINDER, NWA Media.

Here’s something you ought to know about “Rock of Ages,” the musical onstage through Sunday (Nov. 20) at the Walton Arts Center in Fayetteville: If you’re sitting in the front few rows, you’re probably going to get dusted with glitter. If you’re sitting anywhere else, you’re likely to be covered with a pretty thick layer of schmaltz.

The musical homage to the excesses of life — primarily sex, drugs and rock ’n’ roll — electrified Broadway in 2009 and has quickly made the touring circuit while the New York version remains onstage.

With its garish costumes, characters that border on being stereotypical and a headbanging live band playing the major hair metal hits of the ’80s, this is a show that could get out of hand quickly.

Except “Rock of Ages” takes plenty of time out of its busy schedule to make fun of itself. Characters read from an “Acting for Dummies” book and a character is simply called Waitress No. 1. Not just in the playbill, either — that’s how she’s referred to as she works the tables at The Bourbon Room, a fictional Los Angeles club. And then there’s Lonny (played by Justin Colombo), the narrator of the production who regularly stampedes through the fourth wall to address the crowd. In one of those characteristic, Jack Black-style rants, he laments late in the show that he went into acting to be a Broadway star. And look at him now, he begs the audience — he’s in a show full of poop jokes and Whitesnake songs. Campy as that all sounds, I found myself laughing throughout.

Lonny (Justin Colombo) narrates the musical "Rock of Ages."

But Lonny is self aware, and he tell us quickly into the show that any musical worth its time onstage has a good love story. In “Rock of Ages,” that comes courtesy of Drew (Dominique Scott) and Sherrie (Shannon Mullen). Drew has come from Detroit to seek rock ’n’ roll fortunes in Los Angeles and bides his time while working at The Bourbon Room. There, he meets Sherrie, just a small town girl (livin’ in a lonely world) from Kansas (Paola, Kan., to be exact, which randomly, is my own hometown).

They immediately hit it off, until Drew flubs a line on a date in a fit of nervousness and tells Sherrie the two are just friends. Enter Stacee Jaxx, the almost-always-shirtless rocker who sings lead for the band Arsenal. Jaxx’s band is breaking up after a final show at The Bourbon Room. On a temporary break from the other women swooning over him, Jaxx makes successful move on Sherrie.

Sherrie loses her job at the club, Drew quits and Jaxx goes on an extended bender. Their stuggles to return to rock ’n’ roll  glory — or as an alternate, just the rock ’n’ roll lifestyle — drive much of action of the second half, which runs parallel to a side story involving foreign developers who want to knock down The Bourbon Room and reinvent the Sunset Strip.

True to its form, the scenery and stage props are full of flash and verve, from the neon signs announcing nude girls (there are no nudes, by the way, but there are some that are close — more on that later) to the video board that flashed complimentary images during the onstage activity.

The show features a full, live rock band.

Hiding out below the video screen was the band, which must be given ample credit. For the whole of the 150-minute prodution (minus an intermission), the live rock band faithfully delivered songs by bands such as Styx, Whitesnake, Quiet Riot, Poison and more. The playing was crisp, but mostly unobtrusive, which is exactly what’s required in a jukebox musical. That’s a difficult balance to strike, and several times, some of the weaker voices got caught in the crossfire and drowned out by the sound of the band or, more often, the volume of the ensemble chorus. Those were fleeting moments. While the leads will get most of the credit for the vocal work, that does a disservice to many of the minor chracters, particularly Lonny, Franz (Stephen Michael Kane) and Justice (Amma Osei), who all had lovely voices and scene-stealing moments.

The dancing was strong and the actors were in sync in their movements all night, even if choreography can be faulted slightly for its overuse of rock hands and first pumps.

There were several kids sitting in the crowd near my spot on the lower level. They likely shouldn’t have been there, and I’m not just talking about the crying baby. “Rock of Ages” is a sexy, suggestive show (such as with a ensemble member and a Bomb pop early in the show). The show comes with curse words, lap dances, crotch grabs and several scenes where the actors dance in their underwear, be it bras and panties or tighty-whities. Or, think about it this way… It’s kind of like a rock ’n’ roll show.

It’s is a rock show, one coupled with a heaping helping of whimsy and nostalgia. Because, frankly, if you listened to the radio anytime between about 1985 and 1992, you already know all of these songs. You already know the outfits, too, right down to the jean jackets and Casio calculator watches (really). And you probably already knew it was going to be schmaltzy, and you probably loved it anyway.

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Photos of Saturday night’s band — and a few scenes from around the festival grounds — can be found above. All photos by KEVIN KINDER, NWA Media. Click any image to see a larger version.

I need to make a confession about my Saturday (Oct. 15) night at Yonder Mountain String Band’s Harvest Music Festival. I mostly took the night off.

I saw some shows, sure. But I arrived at the venue late and put down my pen and notepad early. That’s how a festival can go, sometimes. You can take in as much or as little of the shows as you want. And after a hectic morning for me outside of the festival grounds, I made the choice to relax a little bit.

I still went to some shows and still took a few (321, to be precise) photos. But I didn’t go after it gangbusters like I had the previous few days. That’s not a complaint, just a point of clarity about how I approached my night.

The stars of the night, with all due respect to YMSB, were Bela Fleck & The Flecktones. The original quartet, together for the first time since 1992, fired off a blistering set of instrument bluegrass fusion. The quartet consists of Bela Fleck on banjo, Howard Levy on harmonica and piano, Victor Wooten on bass and his brother, RoyEl Wooten, also known as FutureMan, on drumitar, a self-created controller that provides the percussion elements for the band.

Fleck and company are hard to classify. They played an jazz ballad in the middle of their set, almost if to show they could. They didn’t stay in that territory long. Instead, the members took turns hammering out solos. Particularly impressive were those by Wooten on bass. The plays fast and he plays with emotion.

That same kind of improvisational wonder would later lighten up the set of Yonder Mountain String Band, which followed The Flecktones onstage. Coming back out to jam with Yonder, members of the Flecktones brought energy to the mix, including a segment when Wooten grabbed the bass guitar of Yonder Mountain bassist Ben Kauffman and they eventually jointly whipped out a melody on the same instrument.

Elsewhere, I watched pieces of sets by the Travelin’ McCourys, which is essentially the Del McCoury Band without the legendary vocalist, and Mountain Sprout, the Eureka Springs-based thrashgrass band that specialize in funny story songs.

The Travelin’ McCourys were joined by guitarist Adam Aijala from Yonder Mountain String Band. He looked like a natural with them, and the band was in tight form as they clipped through a traditional bluegrass set.

Mountain Sprout never tries to be traditional. Their late-night set was late to get started because Yonder Mountain String Band ran late on the main stage. Mountain Sprout went on at 1 a.m. or so, and, how to say this… They were well lubricated for their performance. So was the crowd, which, unlike me, had been raging at the festival for hours.

For the hardcore, there is still music happening as we speak and it continues through about 10 p.m. tonight (Oct. 16). I’m not one of those hardcore types, however. See ya later, Harvest Fest. You’ve been a lot of fun.

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All photos by KEVIN KINDER, NWA Media. Click on any image to see a larger version.

While the music is great, that’s not all there is to see and do at Yonder Mountain String Band’s Harvest Music Festival. Above are images from around the festival grounds. You might even find yourself in one.

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Click on any image to see a larger version. All photos by KEVIN KINDER, NWA Media.

About 30 minutes into a two hour set by his band, Yonder Mountain String Band bassist Ben Kauffman spied the swirling masses in front of him.

“This thing’s turning out to be quite a little cookout, idn’t it?” he said.

Yonder Mountain String Band’s Harvest Music Festival, which the Colorado bluegrass jammers became a partner of in 2010, has always been quaint. His observation is right, of course. Thursday (Oct. 13) was the first of four days for the event, which continues through Sunday (Oct. 16) at Mulberry Mountain near Ozark. It certainly feels a little busier, but not exactly hectic.

Which is just the way Yonder Mountain String Band wants it, they told me in an interview prior to the festival.

Attendees who arrived early were witness to a schedule change that moved Yonder from a smaller tent to the mainstage. That looked like the right move to make. Yonder is simply too big — at least for the members of a crowd gathered at a festival that bears their name — to fit anywhere else. They gave fans a high-energy breakdown of speed, including a cover of “Spanish Harlem Incident” at a rate that would likely make Bob Dylan cringe. I didn’t stay for all of their set, as I was too busy hopping around between other shows.

Here are some quick takes from Harvest Fest’s first day:

Reckless Kelly, Harvest Tent
I got there about a third into the Texas band’s set. They are perhaps the most country of all the bands on the bill, if you consider ‘country’ music to the kind of music that plays on ‘country’ radio stations. Still, Reckless Kelly has healthy streaks of outlaw country and Southern rock in their veins, and neither is a bad thing. There was another all-too-brief style appearance. After playing the raucous, fist-waving anthem “I Hold The Bottle, You Hold The Wheel,” vocalist Willy Braun exclaimed “that’s called honky tonk music there!”

It was the highlight of the band’s performance. They battled a bout of sameness throughout, even turning the Chuck Berry song “Back in the U.S.A.” into a standard, medium tempo country rocker.

Todd Snider, Harvest Tent
What emerges from Todd Snider with a full band behind him is blues rock, but you can tell he’s a singer-songwriter at heart. He was joined by an all star backing band that included guests such as Jeff Austin and Ben Kauffman of Yonder, Vince Hermann of Great American Taxi (and Leftover Salmon, though they aren’t on this festival roster) and Tim Carbone of Railroad Earth. I poked fun at a couple other covers earlier in this outlook on the first day’s activity, but Snider offered one that did more than catch my attention. His take on Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Fortunate Son” was poignant, moving and extremely topical, considering the ongoing Occupy movements stretching across the country. Snider’s take was a little slower, but it contained an urgency and passion that made it seem as if he was wagging a finger in shame at each and every one of us.

Steep Canyon Rangers, Backwoods Stage
It took the Steep Canyon Rangers a while to get going, although through no fault of their own. As would plague some of the smaller stages at the festival (at least those I visited), sound issues, particularly during sound check, marred the experience. The same fate befell Sad Daddy, and I was forced to leave their set just minutes into it because I needed to make my way to another stage, which also had a lengthy sound check. Specifically, through no fault of the Rangers, the crowd couldn’t hear the guitar. After 15 minutes of tedious checking and button pushing, the sound was restored.

And, goodness gracious almighty, what a sound that band made. This is a Steve Martin-less version of the Rangers, but those who skipped the show on that account made a mistake. Sometimes at music festivals, the fans yell in encouragement at each lengthy instrumental solo. This crowd was different in that it did more gasping in astonishment as it did yelling. The boys traded places onstage, highlighting each member’s ability. Particularly, their traditional take of Bill Monroe’s “Tennessee Blues,” was a ferocious assault on their collective strings.

Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band, Backwoods Stage
It takes a formidable band to draw a crowd when the band that supplies the festival’s name is playing simultaneously on another stage. That was the challenge issued to Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band, but I doubt many were sad they missed Yonder for the ruckus offered by the Indiana trio. With respect to the talents of the washboard player and drummer, the star of this show is Josh Peyton, aka the Reverend. The man can play, folks. He worked over several songs, including the gospel cut “Glory, Glory Hallelujah” and the original “Mama’s Fried Potatoes.” His finger-pick style is quick and infectious, and his slide playing is perhaps even quicker. And, to top things off, he’s an early contestant for the unofficial (but coveted) best beard of the festival award. They play again today on the festival’s main stage (that’s 2 p.m. Oct. 14), and if you have any sense, you’ll check it out.

We’re headed back to the festival grounds in the noon hour. See ya there, with more photos and thoughts to follow.

Bear Rinehart of Needtobreathe. All photos by KEVIN KINDER, NWA Media.

In what will serve as the sendoff party for the Arkansas Music Pavilion as we know it, one of the largest crowds in recent AMP history watched two up-and-comers in the pop rock world on a near-perfect evening, weather wise.

Bo Rinehart

The venue, slated for $4 million in renovations in off season that begins now and last until spring, welcomed Needtobreathe and Ben Rector to the stage, and droves of college-aged fans responded. I’ve watched many concerts at the AMP, and many have been catered toward younger crowds (Colbie Caillat and The Band Perry come to mind) and plenty for the classic-rock set (Peter Frampton, etc…). What should be noted about the masses that came out for the Friday-night show is the relative youth and their demeanor: It might have been the best-behaved crowd I’ve ever witnessed.

Of course, the style of the music delivered has much to do with that. Needtobreathe bridges the gap between Christian rock and modern rock. They’ve been getting noticed in the process, particularly recently, as their new album “The Reckoning” debuted in Billboard’s Top 10 and the band is playing for massive crowds on a tour with Taylor Swift.

This was a headlining show for them, of course, and their stage set up showed they’d been entertaining large crowds. Banks of lights flanked the South Carolina band as they performed hits primarily from their new record and the one that preceded it, “Outsiders.”

In an interview prior to the show, Needtobreathe’s drummer, Joe Stillwell, told me that the band new their touring partnership with Swift was an unlikely one, but they hoped it had been working. They relished in the opportunity to be some of those fan’s first rock show, he said. After watching them live, I can understand how that pairing does work. Needtobreathe is either the country’s least offensive rock band or if not, near the top of that list. Their brand of Christian rock is popular in that circle but also palatable to more secular tastes. They come across as a better-tempered version of Kings of Leon, a blend of Southern rock, bluegrass and emotive lyrics.

They were at their best when they left the autopilot mode of their first few numbers and closed with a flurry. Particularly strong was the encore which included a couple songs from their new record, a candid observation frontman Bear Rinehart about the growth of their band an acoustic cover – with singalong – of “Stand By Me.”

Technically, Ben Rector was the opening act, and he and his band did perform before Needtobreathe. But in crowd response and enthusiasm, he was hardly second place. Rector, who attended the University of Arkansas before leaving to start a full-time music career, seemed enamored with the crowd, many of which knew the lyrics to songs from his latest record, “Something Like This,” despite the fact that it was released just less than a month ago.

Ben Rector and band

Rector’s approach is a familiar one, and it centers on piano-driven melodies and his lyrics about love. There were some unexpected moments, however, such as a little bit of keytar playing by his bandmates and the end of Rector’s set, where he stood on a table in the middle of the crowd and urged the responsive crowd to sing along with him. He also led the crowd in a spirit Hog Call chant, a moment he filmed for his personal collection. If there was anyone who enjoyed his time onstage more than the crowd did, it was Rector himself.

Needtobreathe set list (as pulled from stage): 1) Devil’s Been Talkin’; 2) Prisoner; 3) Girl; 4) Stones Under Rushing Water; 5) Drive All Night; 6) Something Beautiful; 7) Lay ‘Em Down; 8) Outsiders; 9) Keep Your Eyes Open; 10) Washed; 11) Let Us Love;

Encore: 12) The Reckoning; 13) A Place Only You Can Go/Stand By Me

Ben Rector set list: 1) Never Gonna Let You Go; 2) White Dress; 3) When a Heart Breaks; 4) Dance With Me Baby; 5) Wanna Be Loved; 6) Forever Like That; 7) [Did not catch the name of this song]; 8) She Is; 9) The Beat; 10 Hog Call; 11) Let the Good Times Roll