Girl Talk. All photos by KEVIN KINDER, NWA Media.

Let me tell you this: I’d hate to be on cleanup duty for the Festival on the Border.

Specifically, I’d hate to clean up after the evening’s headliner, Girl Talk, was done with the crowd of about 4,000 who gathered for the inaugural festival, which began Friday (Sept. 9) night at Harry E. Kelley Park and moved last night (Sept. 10) to the Campus Green on the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith campus.

Here’s why: During the Pittsburgh artist’s 70-minute, manic set, he dropped sackfuls of confetti, delivered via a pair of cannons on the sides of the stage. There were also the mountains of toilet paper that were blasted into the direction of the crowd. This also says nothing of the balloons, glow sticks and other accessories that became part of the event.

It’s hard to define Girl Talk; it’s perhaps even more difficult to review him on a critical level.

Girl Talk fans

The artist (real name Gregg Gillis) takes fragments of pre-existing songs and loops them or smashes them together at the same time. It’s a disparate event, as he might play, as he started the night off with, a mix of Black Sabbath and Ludacris at the same moment.

Live, it comes off in much the same way it does on his albums: lots of surprise moments, moments of mania followed by brief respites in tempo and energy.

It is that energy that remains the most remarkable element of a Girl Talk concert. He began the evening in what has become his trademark attire — a pair of sweatpants, a white T-shirt and a headband. He ended the night sans shirt and caked in sweat. For someone who does little more than push buttons on a computer, he sure looked to be working hard.

The crowd was sweating too. It was a cool evening in the River Valley, but many men in my vicinity had shucked their shirts. It was a product of the intense dancing inspired by Girl Talk, who also rarely stopped moving. Essentially, what Girl Talk has done is take Top 40 club hits and transported the party to festivals across the county. Say what you want about Girl Talk’s methods and use of samples (The Fray’s Isaac Slade, in introducing Girl Talk, said “I think what he does is illegal, but I love it”), the fever pitch of dancing last night and at other Girl Talk shows is rarely rivaled in contemporary. How that happens, exactly, remains a point of debate. Girl Talk certainly isn’t the first artist to stand on a table, play songs that everybody recognizes and encourage people to dance. Nor is he the first to dump party favors such as confetti and balloons on a crowd. Why, then, was that party so much fun last night? That secret might be stored somewhere in Gillis’ laptop. After watching it firsthand, I can tell you the phenomenon of Girl Talk isn’t one that’s soon to fade.

The Fray

The Fray, after middling returns on their post-“How to Save a Life” success, seem to also be making plans to stick around, too.

The Colorado-based group debuted three songs from an album lead singer Isaac Slade told the crowd would debut in January or February. The crowd responded warmly to those tracks, particularly “Here We Are,” a tale about two lovers intertwining. The Fray tell piano-based songs of love and hope, much in the style of British counterparts such as Keane and Coldplay. That formula failed them a bit on “Little House,” during which Slade — in the tradition of such groups — used a falsetto that missed the mark. Don’t take that as a deep dig at Slade’s voice. It was, for the bulk of the night, an emotive and powerful tool. This song just seemed out of place.

The rest of it found appreciation from the crowd. The Fray’s down tempo, sometimes solemn rock still evokes strong responses.

Which can be said about the festival as a whole – it too generated a strong response. For its first effort, the festival is to be commended, booking both county staples (we’re told about 8,000 showed up for Friday’s event with Dierks Bentley and Randy Rogers Band) and pop acts who have yet to play in this market. I can’t speak for Friday night’s setup, but the stage aesthetics were strong on Saturday. The Campus Green made for a pretty place to have a concert.

Here’s to hoping for future success for Festival on the Border.

Girl Talk setlist: Um, what didn’t he play? I heard Black Sabbath, The Ramones and Beck… in the first 10 minutes of the show. One of his closing efforts was a sequence containing the Isley Brothers song “Shout,” although this telling was much more in line with Otis Day and the Knights version from “Animal House.”

Isaac Slade of The Fray

The Fray setlist: 1) Oceans Away [I think that’s the song, anyway…]; 2) Over My Head (Cable Car); 3) Absolute; 4) All at Once; 5) Syndicate; 6) You Found Me; 7) Here We Are [a new song]; 8) We Build Then We Break; 9) Never Say Never; 10) Little House; 11) Burning [a new song]; 12) Look After You; 13) Run For Your Life [a new song]; 14) How to Save a Life

Others: I didn’t catch any of the sets by Boom! Kinetic or Andy Grammer, who opened the evening. Anyone have any thoughts?

Girl Talk photo by Paul Sobota

True story: The first few times I mentioned it to people, they didn’t believe me.

‘The Fray (or Girl Talk) coming to Fort Smith? No way,’ someone would tell me.

The answer has always been the same: ‘Way.’

And it happens this weekend. The first Festival on the Border kicks off Friday (Sept. 9) in Fort Smith at various venues in Fort Smith. It features shows by Dierks Bentley and Randy Rogers Band on Friday and Andy Grammer, Girl Talk and The Fray on Saturday (Sept. 10). It was also to include a show by Mark O’Connor and the Fort Smith Symphony, but that event was cancelled.

The festival also has an unofficial opening act: Travis Tritt, who plays a free concert on Thursday (Sept. 8) night at Harry E. Kelley Park in Fort Smith. Tickets (which, again, are free) are available at Cox Communications stores throughout the region.

In preparation for the festival, I talked to Gregg Gillis, the one-man, computer-wielding maniac responsible for Girl Talk. You can read that interview online, if you’re a subscriber to our paper.

We’ll be down at the festival on Saturday night, but will not be able to make it on Friday because of scheduling conflicts.

See some of you down there?

Girl Talk (and The Fray and Dierks Bentley) is coming to Fort Smith.

Festival on the Border officials earlier this month announced the lineup and confirmed the event that will take place on Sept. 9-11 in Fort Smith.

I went to the press conference. I wrote a story about it. And, then, I forgot to blog about it. Whoops.

Here’s what you need to know.

The multi-day, multi-venue event begins in earnest with a combination of country performers on Sept. 9. That evening, Dierks Bentley and Randy Rogers Band will perform at Harry E. Kelley Park.

On Sept. 10, a triumvirate of pop rockers — The Fray, Girl Talk and Andy Grammer — will perform on the UAFS Campus Green.

Also on Sept. 10, Mark O’Connor will join the Fort Smith Symphony for a show at the Arkansas Best Corp. Performing Arts Center. Among other songs, the symphony will play music from the film “True Grit.”

Tickets to the country show or the pop show are $10. Tickets to the symphony show are $25. All proceeds go to charity, and organizers expect 10 charities will benefit from the music festival. You can purchase tickets through the the festival’s website or through UAFS box office by calling 788-7300.

See some of you there?

Dierks Bentley performs in Barnhill Arena. All photos by KEVIN KINDER, NWA Media.

I was lucky enough to go to my share of concerts this year, both here in Northwest Arkansas and elsewhere. Although I did see some great shows outside of this area (Pavement, The National, Eric Clapton, Conan, The Avett Brothers, etc…), for the purposes of this post, I’m only talking about the shows that happened within this newspaper’s 12-county readership area.

There are a lot of things that make a concert great, of course. The set list has to be good. The fans have to react. The band has to give it their all. Weather, the mood of the crowd and other factors also play a role.

So, here are those shows that I’ve watched that best meet those criteria. You’ll notice there are no local bands on this list, and that’s because I’ve purposely tried to keep the list to those national acts that have passed through the area. Trust me, I’ve watched some great local shows (I’m looking at you, Perpetual Werewolf, 3 Penny Acre, Cletus Got Shot, etc …)

Here are my picks, in descending order:

10) Grace Potter & The Nocturnals, June 25 @ Fort Smith’s Riverfront Blues Festival

Just two weeks removed from the release of her band’s self-titled record, which peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Album Chart, Grace Potter & The Nocturnals made a warm night in June a little bit warmer. Formidable frontwoman Grace Potter screamed, sang and prowled the stage during a ferocious set. Particularly, Potter and company were brightest on vocal track “Nothin’ But the Water” and a white-hot cover of the Jefferson Airplane song “White Rabbit.”

Read the original review posted on June 26.

9) Merle Haggard, Nov. 11 @ Walton Arts Center

This was a short concert, coming in at about an hour and with Merle Haggard showing signs of fatigue even at that. However, those who watched him saw little to fault, as in that hour he delivered a mixture of jokes and the hits his fans have come to adore: “Mama Tried,” “Okie from Muskogee,” “Big City” and “Fighting Side of Me.” Haggard has survived lung cancer and 50 years of a career that he would be the first to admit was rough on him. But he’s done more than survive, he’s flourished, and his new offerings, such as the closer “I Am What I Am” have a place in his deep catalog.

Read the original review posted on Nov. 11.

8) Dierks Bentley, April 7 @ Barnhill Arena

I’m not the world’s biggest country music fan, but I saw a few country shows this year (Zac Brown Band, Cross Canadian Ragweed, Tim McGraw, etc…). None of them were matched by the output of Dierks Bentley at Barnhill Arena. He might not be a top-tier country artist just yet, but his enthusiasm for both his own material and his fans showed on that April evening. He darted between country, rock ’n’ roll and even bluegrass sounds. The concert came just prior to the release of Bentley’s first bluegrass album, and he played a couple of those songs, with help from his band on acoustic instruments, into a single microphone. Bentley is a genuine article, and it seeps from every song on every note he sings.

Read the original review posted April 8.

7) Joe Bonamassa, March 27 @ Walton Arts Center

Reading through my original review of Joe Bonamassa’s concert earlier this year, I realized I may have been unfair to him. I commented on how robotic he was, and he was a bit silent during the show, choosing instead to let his guitar speak for him. But the main reason I called him robotic is that few humans are capable of such precision, such tone and such speed on a guitar. And when you don’t get much interaction from someone who plays like that, it’s easy to think they aren’t human. On second (and third and fourth) glance, that concert holds up well.

Joe Bonamassa

Bonamassa absolutely must be considered among the best American guitarists; there are simply are few men or women who play as fluidly, as actively or as resoundingly as he does. And on songs such as “Sloe Gin,” “Woke Up Dreaming” and a cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Dazed and Confused” he proved it note after note.

Read the original review posted March 29.

6) Lucinda Williams, Sept. 20 @ George’s

I wrote after the show that’s Lucinda Williams‘ intimate shows at George’s Majestic Lounge were the perfect way to see her, and I stand by that statement. Williams’ strengths as a songwriter have always exceeded her strengths as a vocalist and bandleader, though she’s good at both of those tasks, too. Williams played two nights at George’s backed only by her own guitar (a loaner at that) and the stories she shared about the songs she played that evening. She played songs of her own (“Port Arthur,” “Drunken Angel”) and covers of those songs that inspired her, such as “Down The Big Road Blues.” She also offered a performance of “Pineola,” a song a former Fayetteville resident, the late poet Frank Sanford. I’m not sure which I enjoyed more: her songs, or her tales about them. Either way, it was a night of magic.

Read the original review posted Sept. 21.

5) The Old 97’s, July 30 at George’s

I don’t have notes for the Old 97′s show, and I didn’t offer an official review. But here’s my favorite memory from that show: When a girl glared at me because I was singing too loud during the song “Won’t Be Home.” The Texas quartet played a lot of great songs that night, including “Lonely Holiday,” a song about Fayetteville. I remember this show as being a quick one — something like an hour and a half. But perhaps that’s only because I didn’t want them to stop playing.

4) Heartless Bastards, April 11 @ George’s

I remember even less about the Heartless Bastards show. It was a Sunday night at George’s, and so it was cheap-mug-of-beer night at George’s and the sparse crowd had chosen to take advantage of that. I’d watched the Bastards once before, as an opening act for Jenny Lewis.

Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys

On that Sunday night, though, it was the Bastards who were in control, and their brand of Rust Belt rock turned George’s into a sweaty, beer-soaked mess.

3) The Black Keys, June 5 at Wakarusa

I could have cheated, as I have in year’s past, and declared a festival as my favorite concert. Under those guidelines, Wakarusa was certainly a top experience for anyone who visited the Mulberry Mountain site. This year, though, I tried to separate all the shows on an individual basis. There were some great performances on Mulberry Mountain (Todd Snider, JJ Grey & Mofro, Black Joe Lewis, etc…) but one show still stands out in my mind. The Black Keys were great. Basked in early afternoon sun, the duo from Ohio charged through a series of songs from the new album “Brothers” and also played old staples such as “Stack Shot Billy” and “Girl Is on My Mind.”

Read the original review posted June 6.

2) One Night of Queen, Feb. 19 @ Walton Arts Center

I feel like I’m cheating, putting a cover band so high on this list. But I don’t think anyone who attended the first of two performances from Queen tribute band Gary Mullen and The Works will question my decision. It was a masterful show, a blend of lights, opera and the soaring voice of Gary Mullen, who has the nearly impossible job of duplicating the late great Freddie Mercury. In playing Queen songs such as “Another  One Bites the Dust,” “Killer Queen” and “Somebody to Love,” the band had the crowd not only on its feet but screaming in approval after every high note Mullen sang with aplomb.

Read the original review posted on Feb. 20.

1) Dr. Dog, May 3 @ George’s

The night began with a surprisingly good opening set by Deer Tick and only got better from there. This was the fourth time I’d watched Dr. Dog perform live, but this show far exceeded those other evenings. It’s hard to say why that was, exactly, but the crowd was buzzing the entire show and the band was charging into new material. They played all 11 songs from their newest album, “Shame, Shame,” but also played some older gems like “Heart it Races.” Between the screaming of the fans the the exuberance of the band, it was my favorite show of the year.

Read the original review from May 4.

Dierks Bentley. All photos by KEVIN KINDER, NWA Media

Sometimes, a musical performance seems scripted.

And, why wouldn’t it? The songs that are played are the same every night. The crowds cheer at the same places of the night, and the stages always tend to look similar.

Sometimes, it more than SEEMS scripted, it is: I’ve even seen set lists on the stage that tell the main act when they are supposed to talk to the crowd and that indicated which anecdote to share at which time.

You know, Dierks Bentley has been at this thing for a while. He’s released four albums during the past seven years and has toured both as a headlining artist and as an opener for country heavyweights such as Brad Paisley.

But on a beautiful spring evening, Bentley was about as far from rote recitation as he could be. He sped around the stage with enthusiasm, shaking hands and serving as his own cheerleader. He wore fans’ cowboy hats. He took a picture of himself with a fan’s camera. He paused in the middle of his set to indulge in one of his loves outside country music — bluegrass — and sing a classic rock number.

What Bentley did on Wednesday night (April 7) at Barnhill Arena on the University of Arkansas campus was nothing that remarkable, really. He played middle-of-the-road country songs which leaned pretty hard toward sounding like rock songs. He clapped and sang. But when it’s delivered with such enthusiasm and believability, it was hard not to enjoy what was happening.

Click the ‘more’ link below to continue reading about Bentley’s concert on Wednesday night at Barnhill Arena.

Not only did Bentley seem enthusiastic, but he also seemed real. He stammered about during his introduction to the song “My Last Name,” eventually just saying he liked it.

He talked candidly about his love of the military. He talked of ex-girlfriends. He said he stopped by the Sigma Alpha Epsilon house(he was a collegiate member of that fraternity) on campus earlier in the day to say hello to the members.

He comes across as an average sort of person who hasn’t taken his fame for granted. He’s still has the illusion of working hard for his fans, and, if you’ve got the voice and good backing band to support the effort — and he does — it’s going to make for a pleasant evening.

The pacing of the set was well done, too, moving between slower ballads such as “Long Trip Alone” and uptempo rockers such as “Sideways” and “Little Heartwreckers.”

Bentley is getting ready to release an bluegrass album this summer, and he spent a few moments in the middle of the set exploring that territory, first with the title track of the forthcoming album, “Up On The Ridge,” and then with a bluegrass take on the Allman Brothers’ classic “Midnight Rider.” The songs were delivered from a single microphone on the middle of a platform that extended out from the stage, and both must be considered among the highlights.

The biggest response from the crowd — very much college age, due in large part to the free tickets that students got courtesy of the student-fees supported Headliners Concerts Committee — came during singalongs that were mustered for “Feel That Fire” and “Free And Easy (Down The Road I Go).”

The show may have been the least well attended (I’m guessing there were 4,500 to 5,000 there) of any of the Headliners shows that I was personally present at, but that never stopped Bentley during his 75-minute set.

Not in the least, in fact. He seemed grateful for every cheer he received. He acquired — and deserved — plenty of them.

Randy Rogers

About the opener: It’s a hard job for any band to find enthusiasm while a crowd is still arriving at the venue, but that’s what the Randy Rogers Band faced when they opened up the evening. Aside from the fiddle player, who looked as if he were more excited to be in the venue than anyone, Rogers and company didn’t seem to have much energy. They received the largest response during “One More Goodbye” and “Kiss Me In The Dark.” Not coincidentally, that was their last song.

Dierks Bentley Set List, according to the list attached to the soundboard: 1) Lot of Leaving Left To Do; 2) Trying To Stop You Leaving; 3) Feel That Fire; 4) So So Long; 5) Every Mile A Memory; 6) How Am I Doin’; 7) Close Your Eyes; 8) Long Trip Along; 9) Sideways; 10) Little Heartwrecker; 11) Settle For A Slowdown; 12) Up On The Ridge [acoustic bluegrass tune]; 13) Midnight Rider [Allman Brothers cover in bluegrass style]; 14) My Last Name; 15) Come A Little Closer; 16) Free And Easy (Down The Road I Go);

Encore: 17) What Was I Thinking; 18) Folsom Prison Blues [Johnny Cash cover]

Dierks Bentley

Later tonight (April 7), Dierks Bentley and several thousand of his friends will fill Barnhill Arena. Bentley comes to Fayetteville as one of the last stops on his current tour in support of his release “Feel That Fire.”

Shortly after his concert here, Bentley, a country star who has recorded such hits as “Long Trip Alone,” “Every Mile a Memory,” “What Was I Thinkin’” and more, will begin touring with a bluegrass band in support of his upcoming album “Up On The Ridge,” an acoustic, bluegrass-inspired album.

The Randy Rogers Band will serve as the opening act. Doors open at 7 p.m.; the Randy Rogers Band is expected to go on about 8 p.m. Bentley and his band will follow.

As of yesterday afternoon, a few student tickets were still available. Students will need a valid ID to get one.

For those of you who aren’t students, tickets are $37.50 and are available through Ticketmaster.com.

We’ll see you at the show.

However, we’re told the distribution would start about 10:30 a.m. — which was about 30 minutes ago. So, if you’re a University of Arkansas student, you should be able to get a ticket for Bentley’s show in Barnhill Arena now if you have a student ID and show up at the Union Ballroom. Until tickets are gone, of course.

Pollstar.com has some insight on Bentley regarding his upcoming album, although it appears as if his official tour in support of his upcoming bluegrass-based “Up on the Ridge” will began after his appearance in Fayetteville.

Still, maybe he’ll play a song or two? Read more about that project here.

Tickets are scheduled to go on sale to the general public at 10 a.m. tomorrow (March 17) through Ticketmaster.

Dierks Bentley talks about how everyone wants to “Feel That Fire.” Let’s hope there are some pyrotechnics on his stage.

Update: We’re told tickets that public tickets will go on sale March 17 through Ticketmaster. The site indicates the tickets will be $37.50 each.

According to a Facebook event listing sent out by folks involved with the University of Arkansas’ Headliner Concerts Committee, we know who the spring act for the series will be.

Country star Dierks Bentley is scheduled to perform in Barnhill Arena on April 7, a Wednesday night, in Barnhill Arena. The hit maker is responsible for the song you see above, “Feel That Fire,” a No. 1 chart country tune, and others such as “Lot Of Leaving Left To Do,”Every Mile A Memory” and “Long Trip Alone.”

His Web site confirms his appearance.

Because the headliner committee is a student-fees supported endeavor, the first several thousand students to request a ticket will get one free. Distribution of student tickets will begin at 7:30 a.m. March 16 in the Union Ballroom on campus.

No word on an opening act or ticket prices for members of the public. We’ll let you know what we find out.