September 5, 1961 – the Duke Ellington concert in Little Rock that wasn’t

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Newspaper ad for the concert that was not to be

In August 1961, it was announced that Duke Ellington would perform in concert at Robinson Center.  He had previously played there in the 1940s and early 1950s.  His concert was set to be at 8:30 pm on Tuesday, September 5.

Due to the changes of times, the NAACP had a relatively new rule that they would boycott performers who played at segregated venues.  When it became apparent that Robinson would remain segregated (African Americans restricted to the balcony), the NAACP announced they would boycott any future Ellington performances if he went ahead and played Robinson.

The music promoters in Little Rock (who were white) petitioned the Robinson Auditorium Commission asking them to desegregate Robinson – even if for only that concert.  The Commission refused to do so.  Though the auditorium was finding it harder to book acts into a segregated house, they felt that if it were integrated, fewer tickets would be sold.

On September 1, 1961, Ellington cancelled the concert.

Robinson remained segregated until a 1963 judge’s decision which integrated all public City of Little Rock facilities (except for swimming pools).

Step into the 1970s with Old State House Museum’s September edition of Nights at the Museum

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Image may contain: outdoor, text that says 'NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM Old State House Museum'Step back into the ‘70s at the Old State House Museum’s next Nights at the Museum event Thursday, Sept. 5, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.!

Get hip to the groove to some disco and soul tunes from DJ Brae Leni (from Brae Leni and The Blackout), or play along with game shows, like “Name That Tune” or “Soul Train” Scrabble.

Come dressed in your trendiest ’70s threads!

As always, there will be plenty of food and libations available to purchase.

Nights at the Museum is an event for ages 21+ on the museum’s iconic front lawn that takes place the first Thursday of each month seasonally, March-October. (In case of inclement weather, the event will be indoors at the museum.)

Arkansas State House Society – Friends of the Old State House Museum, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting OSHM and its programs, hosts the Nights at the Museum.

Admission is $5; food and beverages will be available for purchase at the event. Tickets may be purchased in advance at https://squareup.com/store/ArkansasStateHouseSociety/ or at the gate.

The museum can validate parking at the DoubleTree hotel; metered parking near the hotel is free after 6 p.m.

Upcoming Arkansas Rep production of MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET focus of Clinton School program at noon today

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The new Arkansas Repertory Theatre production of Million Dollar Quartet. will be the focus of a noontime Clinton School program today (September 5).

On December 4, 1956, in the studios of Sun Records in Memphis, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, and Jerry Lee Lewis gathered to meet with legendary producer Sam Philips. What happened next was pure rock and roll magic.

With a collection of hit songs that includes “Blue Suede Shoes,” “Folsom Prison Blues,” “Great Balls of Fire,” and “Hound Dog,” this Tony Award-winning musical is guaranteed to blow the roof off!

Join the Clinton School today at noon for a discussion with the cast and crew.

The production opens tomorrow night and runs through October 6.

All Clinton School Speaker Series events are free and open to the public. Reserve your seats by emailing publicprograms@clintonschool.uasys.edu or by calling (501) 683-5239

The Little Rock Zoo wants input from kids

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The Little Rock Zoo is looking for kids ages 7-12 to provide input for the Mayor’s Task Force on the Future of the Little Rock Zoo. Applications can be downloaded from Little Rock Zoo.com and are due by September 10, 2019 at noon.

During the two sessions held on September 14 and September 21, 2019, the Kid Task Force will be asked what they want to see happen at the Little Rock Zoo. Their opinions will be sought on what kind of new animal habitats the Zoo should offer, what new experiences the Zoo should provide and what other amenities should be added.

As a part of Task Force membership, the children will learn about Zoo operations in a fun setting and get a chance to meet some animals up-close-and-personal. The Zoo’s Education Department will lead a series of roundtable assessments with the Task Force that will include creative “play” sessions to uncover creative thought. Such sessions are used in both adult and child settings to encourage unique thought and creative thinking. 

If you have a child interested in taking part in the Task Force, please apply by September 10, 2019, at noon by downloading the application found at LittleRockZoo.com and sending it to mgates@littlerock.gov. Applications may also be mailed to:

Michael Gates
Little Rock Zoo Kid Task Force
1 Zoo Drive
Little Rock, AR 72205

 

Tonight on South on Main stage – Folk Family Revival and John Evans

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Image result for folk family revivalHouston’s Folk Family Revival are bringing their dark Americana tunes to the South on Main stage this Wednesday, September 4.

Show begins at 8 pm with opener John Evans. Purchase advance tickets for $7 or pay $10 at the door. Tickets do not guarantee you a seat. Please call ahead to reserve a table – (501) 244-9660.

Wherever the Folk Family Revival plays, the ground underneath seems more a sanctuary than a stage. Sure enough, the Lankford family, Mason, Barrett and Lincoln, once filled a pew at a Magnolia, Texas church where the brothers became fast friends with their soon to be brother and lead guitarist Caleb Pace.

They played rock’n’roll in church for a time until the congregation found them a little too wild for their flock. So the family dug up their roots from that place and headed home to the little shed next to their parents’ house, the blue house, where the brothers honed their craft.

Beneath many hours of cosmic contemplation, tempered through many hours more of pressure and concentration, the boys fashioned a sound; clear and righteous, bold and forceful, complex and simple at the same time. Mason’s lyrics ride the narrow edge of paradox and preaching, while the rumble of the band pulses with a fury of sacred rage. They’ve come to shake the windows and rattle the walls. They will go down fighting.

With their record releases thus far, 2011’s “Unfolding” and 2015’s “Water Walker”, the band of brothers’ music has evolved and left fans guessing with each rendition of their ever-changing sound. With their new record, “Electric Darlin”, released June 2019, one can appreciate the multi-genre direction they’ll take with their new sound.

Over the years, Folk Family Revival has opened for legends such as Willie Nelson, Lucas Nelson, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Hayes Carll, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Eddie Money, Atlanta Rhythm Section, Merle Haggard, George Jones, The Marshall Tucker Band, The Suffers and Jon Foreman.