Category Archives: Music

Tonight’s Oxford American Local Live at South on Main features Finger Food!

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llsom fingerTonight (December 2) at 7:30 PM, join the Oxford American magazine for this week’s Local Live concert at South on Main, featuring Finger Food! As always, Local Live is free and open to the public. To guarantee a table/seat for this popular series, call ahead at (501) 244-9660.

 

Finger Food is a feast not only for guitar lovers, but also for anyone with a passion for acoustic music. The guitarists perform “in the round” and trade songs and stories about their compositions and their approach to the guitar in a casual concert setting. The music focuses on contemporary instrumental American Fingerstyle Guitar with folk, jazz, Celtic, classical, and blues influences.

The guitarists are very different stylistically, and these different styles contribute to an evening of broad musical tastes. They will play solo, duets, and trio work. The guitarists also will be performing on some very unique custom built instruments and historic instruments.

Danny Dozier is a legendary guitarist in the state of Arkansas. Danny’s solo performances showcase his wide range of guitar styles and his superb choice of material. He has performed at the Ozark Folk Center in many configurations over the years, fronts the Danny Dozier Band at gigs around the state and the country, and is the two-time winner of the Merle Travis Fingerstyle Guitar Championship at the Ozark Folk Center.

Steve Davison is a Little Rock guitarist who performs on the 6- and 12-string guitar. He tours the country with artists such as Ken Bonfield and Peter Janson. They have performed at acoustic venues around the country and shared the stage artist such as Larry Coryell, Muriel Anderson, Peter Janson, Tim Farrell, Dakota Dave Hull, Doug Young, Teja Gerken, Tim Sparks, and others. Steve was also the winner of the 2005 Arkansas Acoustic Music Festival in the solo category, and he has been a featured artist on AETN Presents. He has performed at the Montreal Guitar Festival, the Healdsburg Guitar Festival in California, and the Memphis Guitar Festival in Tennessee. More information about Steve is available at www.stevedavison.com

Micky Rigby is an exceptional guitarist from Little Rock who has performed at multiple acoustic venues across the state. He was a runner up at the Merle Travis Fingerstyle Guitar Championship at the Ozark Folk Center and was a familiar face at Acoustic Sounds Café in the past in Little Rock. Micky has an extensive repertoire and is an accomplished player of the guitar and the banjo.

#GivingTuesday – support a cultural institution

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Today is #GivingTuesday. Since most of the cultural institutions are non-profits, please remember them when considering a donation.

 

21 Songs with Cody Belew & John Willis tonight at South on Main

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codyandjohn.png.190x140_q60_cropA perfect way to spend Thanksgiving weekend Saturday: South on Main proudly presents 21 Songs with Cody Belew & John Willis, presented by Barbara/Jean and ESGI. Doors open at 4:00 PM, show begins at 9:00 PM. Wristbands can be purchased for $10 after doors open. Call (501) 244-9660 to reserve your table for this show in advance.

Cody grew up singing at rodeos and in black gospel church houses. He was a scrawny little white kid with a stutter and big voice. He could not carry on in normal conversation, so he sang- all the time. Life happened to him, and he grew up; finding his feet somewhere between college and 22 years of age. He moved to Arkansas’ capital city, Little Rock, and booked his first show in the fall of 2008 at a little club called The Afterthought. He has been tearing his way through sold out show after sold out show ever since. Shortly after moving to Nashville, Tennessee, Cody received the call that would change his life. After making it to the top 8 on season 3 of NBC’s number one show, “The Voice,” Cody has earned his spot in the world of music. He is currently working on his debut album that will introduce the world to his heart and soul. Good things to come.

How do you get to be @likejohnwillis? Grow up listening to equal parts MoTown, 60’s-70’s singer/songwriters, and Gospel. Take piano lessons long enough to learn to love classical music. Start listening to late-night jazz on public radio in high school because you think it will make you cool. Start listening to world music in college because you think it will teach you something and because you think it will make you unique. Read some good books and some good poetry in hopes you’ll apprehend how to express adequately all your heartache and your hope. Keep practicing. Play some shows. Record your songs. Play some more shows. Keep it interesting. Have fun.

John Willis released the King of the Cocktail Party EP in 2013 and his latest single, “Enough,” in October of this year. He’s been featured on AETN’s “On the Front Row” and UALR’s Songwriter Showcase. He also sings and plays keys in Late Romantics, the 4-voiced soul-pop band he helped form in 2014. John Willis is thrilled to be back at the piano playing with Cody Belew for this special Thanksgiving Weekend show.

Tonight at South on Main – Bonnie Montgomery headlines Friendsgiving

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som bonnieTonight at 10:00 PM, South on Main has special music for its third-annual Friendsgiving celebration featuring Bonnie Montgomery and Friends!

Come on down for some late night boot-scootin’ with Arkansas’ beloved honky-tonk howler Bonnie Montgomery! There is a $10 cover charge payable in cash only at the door on the night of the show. Music will start at 10:00 PM.

 

Following the release of EPs Cruel (2012) and Joy (2013), Arkansas born and bred Bonnie Montgomery released her self-titled LP in July 2014 on Nathan Howdeshell’s (of Gossip) Portland/Arkansas label Fast Weapons. A classically trained singer whose southern roots run deep, Montgomery has taken her authentic spin on golden-era country/western music through the U.S. and Europe, sharing the stage with Gossip, Shovels and Rope, Robert Ellis, Hayes Carll, Billy Joe Shaver, Turnpike Troubadours, Pokey LaFarge, and Wayne “the Train” Hancock.

Bonnie’s composition of the modern folk opera Billy Blythe, about the childhood of Bill Clinton, previewed in New York, and has earned her the attention of The New Yorker, The Huffington Post, and the London Daily Telegraph. Recent West Coast and upcoming Northeast tour dates will feature her supercharged Little Rock/Austin-based band.

Tonight at South on Main – UCA Jazz II Ensemble

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ucajazzTonight at Join the Oxford American magazine for a special concert at South on Main, featuring the UCA Jazz II Ensemble! This event is free and open to the public. To guarantee a table/seat, call ahead at (501) 244-9660.

Led by Dr. Gail Robertson, the UCA Jazz Ensemble II consists of students with a variety of jazz backgrounds. Some members are experienced while others may have never been in a jazz band before. This ensemble often provides valuable opportunities for our students to play on secondary instruments. There is a strong focus on learning improvisation that has become known as the weekly “Blues Around the House.” Jazz II performs standards such as works by Duke Ellington, Thad Jones, Neal Hefti, Billy Strayhorn, Herbie Hancock, Sammy Nestico, Les Hooper, Mark Taylor, Josef Zawinul, Woody Herman, as well as over 50 charts from our Dance Band Book!

The University of Central Arkansas is a vibrant and exciting place to study jazz. With generous funding from the College of Fine Arts and Communication, UCA Student Government Association, and a partnership with the Oxford American, UCA is able to host several guest artists and clinicians each semester.

Past featured artists are: Delfayo Marsalis, Gordon Goodwin Big Phat Band, Maynard Ferguson, The Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra featuring Wynton Marsalis, Poncho Sanchez, Chris Vadala, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Jim Cullum Jazz Band, The Bad Plus, Warren Wolf and Wolfpack, Peter Martin and Romero Lubambo, Bennie Wallace Quartet, Anat Cohen, Rhythm and Brass, and many more to come!

FREE ASO Concert at UAMS this afternoon at 4:30

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ASO NewToday (November 24) at 4:30pm, musicians from the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra will present a concert at UAMS as part of the Ruth Marie Allen Concert Series.

This FREE concert will take place in the lobby of the UAMS Hospital.

Featuring the Rockefeller String Quartet, the program includes:

  • BEETHOVEN – Selected movements from String Quartet No. 4
  • BORODIN – String Quartet No. 2

 

 

Late Night at South on Main tonight – Big Piph & Tomorrow Maybe

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big-piph-34.jpg.190x140_q60_cropSouth on Main brings Big Piph & Tomorrow Maybe back to their stage tonight!

Doors open at 4:00 PM, show begins at 10:00 PM. Wristbands can be purchased for $15 after doors open. Call (501) 244-9660 to reserve your table for this show in advance.

“One of Arkansas’ best bands” and “hip-hop ensemble” are terms often used for the collective known as Big Piph & Tomorrow Maybe. However, although they are both deserving titles, they have proven to be too confining of descriptions. The creativity, work, and showmanship that BPTM put into their jazz, soul, funk, and rock infused hip-hop experiences will soon have them recognized as one of the best bands.. period.

Although he was already enjoying a successful solo rap career, Epiphany looked to further separate himself from the pack of competitive emcees by joining forces with a stellar live band, and in 2012 he did just that. Each of the seven members approaches the apex of their field and is a “frontman” in their own right. However, when their paths finally overlapped, the collective of Paul Campbell (percussion), Dre Franklin (keys), Bijoux Pighee (vocals), Epiphany “Big Piph” Morrow (MC/lead vocalist), Dee Dee Jones (vocals), “Cool Hand” Lucas Murray (guitar), and Corey Harris (bass) formed something special.