Grace Potter concert postponed
April 30th, 2012 at 1:11 pm
The Grace Potter concert scheduled for May 1 at the Rib Room in Fort Smith has been postponed.
According to a post on the venue’s official Facebook page, the band had a “career-advancing opportunity” and will not make the originally scheduled date.
The post further advises fans to hold on to already purchased tickets, which will be honored at the rescheduled date (which has yet to be announced).
We’ll update you if we hear more.
Tonight in tunes: EOTO at George’s
April 30th, 2012 at 11:13 am
EOTO
Originally a side project of String Cheese Incident members Michael Travis and Jason Hann, EOTO has morphed into a touring force of its own. The electronic group uses live instrumentation to create their unique sound, which is supplemented by a light show. The group performs tonight (April 30) at George’s Majestic Lounge. Admission to the 9 p.m. show with guest Kraddy is $12. Tickets are available through the club or via www.georgesmajesticlounge.com.
Concert review: Glen Campbell, April 27 at Walton Arts Center
April 28th, 2012 at 9:17 am
Glen Campbell performing during the first of two nights at the Walton Arts Center in Fayetteville as part of his Goodbye Tour. All photos by KEVIN KINDER, NWA Media
More than once, I’ve heard someone remark how difficult it must be for musicians to remember the lyrics to the dozens of songs they sing every night. Similarly, how do they remember the chord structures, the intricate solos, the cadence, the rhythm, all of it?
Now, let’s complicate the matter. What would you do if your memories were fading away, stolen by Alzheimer’s?
A song, Glen Campbell proved on Friday (April 27) night, comes from somewhere a little deeper, and though the country icon is facing a very public battle with the disease, Alzheimer’s doesn’t rob you of soul.
The answer to the first question is a rhetorical one, of course. I sometimes forget my debit card pin number, but I can belt out nearly every lyric to every song on a classic rock radio station. Ask me to write the lyrics down, and that might be another matter. But when the chords begin, the memories come back, and likewise, Glen Campbell treated a very full Walton Arts Center to a night of remembrances.
Campbell announced in June 2011 he was facing a battle against Alzheimer’s and had been for the six months prior, too. He then started booking farewell shows, including a pair in Fayetteville.
Anyone who saw Campbell’s performance during the Grammy Awards in February had a pretty good indicator of what they’d see from Campbell’s local live performance. During his songs, he showed off his voice, kept time and played lead guitar throughout the night. It wasn’t some sort of courtesy nod to his former powers; Campbell needed no help as a guitarist (he soloed often and well, in fact) and little as a vocalist. He did get some vocal assistance courtesy of son Shannon Campbell and daughter Ashley Campbell. That duo would also team up for a take on their father’s “Hey, Little One” and it wasn’t a perfunctory offering – there is talent there.
Glen Campbell with, from left, son Cal Campbell and daughter Ashley Campbell
Also joining those three onstage was another of Campbell’s sons, drummer Cal Campbell. Glen Campbell addressed his family members several times, smiling all the while. Campbell remarked several times how much fun he was having, but that was unnecessary, considering the expression on his face already told us the same.
Campbell, dressed for the occasion in boots and flower design-covered gray jacket, also received help from a pair of onstage teleprompters, and while he looked at them from time to time, it would be wrong to say he relied on them.
There’s the other side of what could be gleaned from the Grammy performance – away from the structure of the songs, Campbell seemed distant from the evening’s activities. He told partial stories about John Wayne (his friend and co-star in the original filming of “True Grit”) and the songwriter Jimmy Webb, but never found his conclusion for either.
Several times during the course of the night, Campbell, an Arkansas native, took cues from his daughter to further the proceedings, such as which fret he should capo for a specific song.
But this was not some rote, rehearsed recitation, either. One of the highlights of the night came courtesy of a duet with Ashley Campbell as the two traded licks during “Dueling Banjos” with the younger Campbell on banjo and her father on guitar.
The set list featured all of the songs a Campbell fan would come to expect, such as “Wichita Lineman” and the singalong special “Rhinestone Cowboy,” which earned him one of several standing ovations.
But perhaps most striking were the songs he offered from his newest album, the 2011 release “Ghost on the Canvas.”
Although Alzheimer’s disease never received an official mention onstage Friday night or in “Ghost on the Canvas,” lyrically, it takes on Campbell’s condition fairly directly. He closed with one of those songs, the poignant “A Better Place,” which tells listeners “One thing I know/The world’s been good to me/A better place awaits, you’ll see.”
Or how about the earlier offering “Any Trouble,” which begs “Don’t go to any trouble/You know I won’t be here long” … “Don’t go to any trouble/You know I must say so long.”
He may not be around long – Alzheimer’s is a fickle, disabling disease with a hard-to-determine timeline. During a particularly lucid interlude between songs late in the set, Campbell offered the crowd a thank you.
“I’m always amazed when I come out on stage, and you guys are so kind to me and my family,” he said.
There was no reason for any other reaction from the crowd. Campbell and company perform at a high level and the audience knew the full scope of the bargain – every handout given to patrons called the occasion Campbell’s Goodbye Tour.
There will eventually come a time when the Goodbye Tour must end, likely in some town far away from Fayetteville. Maybe those songs we know so well will finally depart from his memory, or his rich voice will finally betray him. That time is not now, however. The original Rhinestone Cowboy has a little bit of sparkle left yet.
Note: Glen Campbell performs again tonight (April 28) at the Walton Arts Center in a show that was added after the first sold out. Tickets remain to tonight’s performance and can be found through www.waltonartscenter.org.
Glen Campbell set list: 1) Gentle on My Mind; 2) Galveston; 3) By the Time I Get to Phoenix; 4) Try a Little Kindness; 5) Where’s the Playground, Susie?; 6) Didn’t We?; 7) I Can’t Stop Loving You; 8) True Grit; 9) Lovesick Blues; 10) Dueling Banjos; 11) Hey Little One [sung by Ashley Campbell and Shannon Campbell]; 12) Any Trouble; 13) It’s Your Amazing Grace; 14) The Moon’s a Harsh Mistress; 15) Country Boy (You Got Your Feet in L.A.); 16) Wichita Lineman; 17) Hadacol Boogie [vocals by Campbell’s brother] 18) Rhinestone Cowboy;
Encore: 19) Southern Nights; 20) A Better Place
The weekend in music, with Kid Cudi and more
April 27th, 2012 at 5:03 am
Kid Cudi
Need to know what music to see this weekend? You’ve got your work cut out for you with shows all around, from country to bluegrass to jazz to rap and, well, I can’t remember a weekend this diverse in some time.
Let’s start with rap, shall we?
Finding success through a series of mixtapes, and later more mainstream channels, actor, rapper and hip hop artist Kid Cudi has made a name for himself on my platforms. The performer will visit Fayetteville for a concert at 8 p.m. Sunday (April 29) at Barnhill Arena as part of the Headliner Concerts Committee series, a student-fee sponsored endeavor that brings national talent to the University of Arkansas campus. Also appearing will be Chip tha Ripper and Big Boi. A limited number of students were given free tickets. Public tickets, which are $31.50-$37.50, are available through the Walton Arts Center at www.waltonartscenter.org or by calling 443-5600.
Also this weekend will be a local boy returning home.
Fort Smith native Jonathan Karrant returns to the area for a few concerts away from his current home in California. The jazz vocalist and songwriter performed last weekend with the Fort Smith Symphony and will at 7:30 p.m. Saturday (April 28) take the stage at Second Street Live. Admission is $25. Tickets can be purchased through www.secondstreetlive.com.
Elsewhere, Hank Jr. and Jamey Johnson are at the Arkansas Music Pavilion on Saturday night. AMP officials believe this will be the best-attended show at the venue thus far.
The Walton Arts Center, meanwhile, will have a two-night run of shows by Glen Campbell. The actor and musician is on his farewell tour as he deals with Alzheimer’s. Friday (April 27) is sold out, we understand, but tickets ($43-$79) remain for Saturday night’s show. Those tickets are available by calling 443-5600 or through www.waltonartscenter.org.
This weekend also marks a CD release party for Cletus Got Shot at the UArk Bowl. Joining them for today’s 7 p.m. show is 3 Penny Acre and Adam Lee and the Dead Horse Sound Company. Admission is $10.
Additionally, this weekend also serves as the conclusion of RockIt Music Week, which began last Sunday with the Northwest Arkansas Music Awards and concludes Saturday with a music industry conference at Legacy Blues.
Whew.
Go see some music, okay?
Concert review: Switchfoot, April 25 at George’s Majestic Lounge
April 26th, 2012 at 12:36 pm
Switchfoot lead singer Jon Foreman encourages the crowd. Photos courtesy BRIAN RICKARD.
Just when I thought I had Switchfoot figured out — bright hooks, crisp guitar work and floppy hair — they went and did something different.
Would you believe me if I told you the band played a very credible version of the Beastie Boys’ crowdpleaser “Sabotage” last night?
It’s not the first time the band has covered the track — YouTube features a version — but it sure surprised me.
It may not have been much of a surprise for the 650 or so fans who showed up on a Wednesday night to see the pop/Christian/occasionally hard rockers from San Diego. I say it might not have been a surprise because Switchfoot attracted an intensely dedicated crowd to George’s Majestic Lounge. One person I stood near was on her 25th Switchfoot concert, and another was attending his six or seventh. Those weren’t the crowd’s only superfans, and I suggest that because if the woman standing directly behind me missed a single lyric to ANY of the 16 songs offered in the 90-minutes set, I didn’t catch it. She sang all night long.
Those who attended the show were treated to a well paced and energetic show, one of pristine sound quality.
Tim Foreman (brother to lead singer Jon Foreman) and bandmates in Switchfoot
Switchfoot frontman Jon Foreman told the crowd his band rarely plays in venues as small at George’s, and it didn’t sound like hyperbole in this case. The band’s light show caked the members in sweeping blocks of color all night long and it gave the venue a rare feel of a big-stage production. That’s not intended as a knock on George’s — I love the sweaty, whiskey- and beer-stained shows as well as anyone else — but it’s a small stage and many bands don’t have room for elaborate lights or onstage accouterments.
Foreman and company, aside from unexpected covers, used a few other tricks to keep the crowd entertained. Specifically, Foreman several times left his spot at the front of the stage to stand on amplifiers or a railing that separates the general admission area from reserved tables. He spent the better part of a song on that railing, standing precariously and singing.
Jon Foreman, from his perch on the railing.
But the biggest boost came courtesy of the band’s three biggest hits, which Switchfoot played to a crowd ready to belt those songs back at them. And on each of those three, “I Dare You to Move,” “Meant to Live” and “The Sound,” the band got a wild response.
That was to be expected.
But to this casual observer, the vitality the band and their fan’s dedication were not.
A note about the opener: The Rocket Summer kicked off the night, and did so very early. I don’t know where the fault lies, but the Rocket Summer (the stage name of multi-instrumentalist Bryce Avary) was already done with his set by the show’s published start time of 9 p.m.
The Rocket Summer
A friend and I confirmed the start time, but by the time we arrived 15 minutes in advance, we were told the Rocket Summer was onstage for at least a half hour. As a result, I missed the entire set.
Switchfoot setlist: 1) Afterlife; 2) Stars; 3) Oh! Gravity; 4) Rise Above It; 5) Restless; 6) The War Inside; 7) Learning to Breathe; 8) Dare You to Move; 9) Sabotage [Beastie Boys cover]; 10) Needle and Haystack Life; 11) Mess of Me; 12) Your Love is a Song; 13) Dark Horses; 14) Meant to Live
Encore: 15) Where I Belong; 16) The Sound
Tonight in tunes: Hayes Carll at George’s Majestic Lounge
April 26th, 2012 at 9:51 am
Hayes Carll. FILE PHOTO.
Hayes Carll, who attended school at Hendrix College in Conway, revers Arkansas, so much so that he independently released an album called “Little Rock” in 2004. But he’s moved on to bigger things now, forging a career in Austin, Texas and earning awards for his songwriting talents.
Carll followed up his successful album “Trouble in Mind” with the collection “KMAG YOYO (& Other American Stories),” which earned him critical praise as well. Carll returns to Arkansas tonight (April 26) for a show at George’s Majestic Lounge. Admission to the 9 p.m. show is $15.
On the way: Clutch, July 11 at George’s
April 25th, 2012 at 12:07 pm
The song above is “Electric Worry” by Clutch. If your primary worry is about Clutch not visiting Fayetteville, stress no longer.
Touring in support of their re-release of the album “Blast Tyrant,” hard rockers/metal band/etc… rockers Clutch will visit Fayetteville, it was recently announced.
Clutch formed in 1990 and has a reputation as a formidable live band. The tour that includes the July 11 stop at George’s Majestic Lounge in Fayetteville features dates around the country and a music festival in Sweden.
Also performing are Prong and Lionize, the latter of which is scheduled for a show on Sunday (April 29) at Rogue Pizza Co. in Fayetteville.
Tickets go on sale Friday (April 27), but I’m unsure of the price. I’ll update you as information arrives.
Soon in tunes: Switchfoot, April 25 at George’s
April 24th, 2012 at 3:03 pm
Switchfoot
In September 2011, Switchfoot released the album “Vice Verses,” which debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard 200 album chart. The band also released a remix version of the album, “Vice Re-Verses,” which debuted Saturday. Switchfoot visits Fayetteville for a Wednesday (April 25) night show at George’s Majestic Lounge.
Also performing is The Rocket Summer. The show begins at 9 p.m. Admission is $21.
We’ll see you at the show.
A Levon Helm story
April 23rd, 2012 at 3:23 pm
Let me tell you a story about Levon Helm, one I’ve never shared before in a public forum.
Several years ago, during a particularly rough patch in his fight against cancer, Levon Helm performed at the Walton Arts Center. Throughout the final years of his life, throat cancer stripped the power from his rumbling Southern tenor.
That cancer claimed his life Thursday (April 19). He was 71, and we published a feature obituary on the legendary drummer and member of The Band. In that story, I talked to several of his friends and former bandmates. It’s worth a read, I think, because Helm had many, many ties to this area and impacted many lives and the culture of rock ‘n’ roll in Northwest Arkansas.
Because of the sold-out status of his 2009 show, there weren’t enough seats for me, or for anyone else. But someone felt sorry for me, and in their grace, I ended up with a backstage pass. I watched Helm perform while sitting on a speaker box on the stage left wing.
Before the show, as I was talking with a longtime friend of the drummer. I saw his eyes get big and look to something beyond me. As I turned in that direction, I saw what caught his attention. It was Helm, passing between dressing rooms. Our mutual acquaintance introduced me, and with a firm handshake and his buttery drawl, Helm offered his greeting.
“Hello, Kevin. Nice to meet you.”
Were the circumstances different, I’d still remember it fondly. Considering what the reality was, I’m still moved to this day by his kindness.
You see, Levon Helm didn’t utter a word at the concert. His voiced failed him, and despite having 1,200 in the audience, he didn’t acknowledge the crowd vocally in any fashion. Instead, he played enthusiastically and gave a thumbs up during particularly rousing rounds of applause offered in his direction.
Helm’s silence was a disappointment on many levels, to be sure, but a celebration of his strength and resiliency on many other levels.
Of course, I had no idea that would happen when we exchanged greetings. I went through many emotions after watching this happen. I felt he cheated the crowd — he can talk, and I heard him do it, I thought. Or, perhaps he’d blown his vocals with a simple hello, but that didn’t seem likely, either.
In recent interviews with many of those who knew him over the years, one prevailing trait kept rising to the surface: his kindness. He made instant friends, one said. He treated everyone fairly, another mentioned. He just had charisma, said a third.
I realize now, of course, I witnessed this same thing in our brief meeting.
At the risk of his voice, Helm offered me a simple greeting. He could have passed by, gracefully, and I could have excused it away because of his vocal troubles when I watched the show, and with the rest of the crowd, learned he was unable to speak.
Instead, in an attempt not to be rude in a face-to-face setting, he said a simple hello.
One sentence, but one I’ve never forgotten and will carry with me.
The song below is “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” by The Band, the group that made Helm famous, and you can hear him on lead vocals on the track.
The song is told from the perspective of a Southern soldier surveying post-Civil War damage to his homeland.
At Helm’s passing, the South lost one of its great ambassadors and one of its enduring voices. And, a really, genuinely nice person.
R.I.P., Levon Helm. You’ll be missed.
And the 2012 NAMA winners are…
April 23rd, 2012 at 1:17 pm
Carter Sampson receiving her NAMA award as host Kyle Kellams looks on in the background. All photos by KEVIN KINDER, NWA Media
The NAMAs winners… listed below.
We attended the Northwest Arkansas Music Awards, the annual celebration of Northwest Arkansas’ music scene, which took place last night (April 22) at George’s Majestic Lounge.
We’ll offer more thoughts in Friday’s What’s Up! section, but for now, here’s a list of winners, dominated by Randall Shreve and The Sideshow, who won five awards, including several of the major ones, including Album of the Year for “The Jester” and Artist of the Year.
Listed in presentation order:
Female singer-songwriter: Carter Sampson
Male singer-songwriter: Randall Shreve
Female vocalist in a band: Leah Spears (of Leah and the Mojo Doctors)
Male vocalist in a band: Randall Shreve (of Randall Shreve and The Sideshow)
Spoken Word: Tommy Culpepper
Best Solo/Duo group: Matt and Gus Smith
Hall of Fame Award (presented to three-time winners): Benjamin Del Shreve
Best Latin band: Calle Soul
Best Jazz band: Fayetteville Jazz Collective
Best Blues band: Earl and Them
Hall of Fame Award: Leah Spears and the Mojo Doctors
Best Funk band: 1 Oz. Jig
Best Bluegrass band: Mountain Sprout
Best Country band: Sarah Hughes Band
Best Cover Band: Boom Kinetic
Hall of Fame inductee: Fayetteville Funk Ensemble
Special Award: Ozark Blues Society
Best DJ: DJ Derrick
Best Hip Hop band: Hardaway and The Commoners
Randall Shreve, collecting one of his five NAMAs.
Best Indie/Alternative band: Randall Shreve and The Sideshow
Best Rock band: A Good Fight
Best Punk/Hardcore band: The Plaid Jackets
Best Metal/Hard rock band: Perpetual Werewolf
Hall of Fame inductee: Deadbird
Lifetime Achievement Award: Oreo Blue
Best New Artist: I Do Declare
Album of the Year: Randall Shreve and The Sideshow for “The Jester”
Artist of the Year: Randall Shreve and The Sideshow