Texarkana Entertainment Blog

Ark La Tex Appliance over on West 7th Street is a place that will surprise you. If you walk in, you’ll see a stage, dance space, and even a little kitchen. When not being a place to buy refurbished appliances the rest of the week, the place turns into a space for live music, starting at 7 p.m. each Friday. It’s a stage where old country and gospel rule and where there’s a modest but most appreciative audience. Mike and Jan Helms own the place, which has been affectionately and informally dubbed the “Maytag Opry” by some of its patrons. It’s a friendly place. And there’s no cussing or drinking or fighting at this establishment. The house band (which shifts from week to week depending on who’s there to play) includes some players who’ve been around the Texarkana live music scene for years; some folks are newcomers, and they’re all good musicians. Audience members venture up to the stage to sing. I caught a show last Friday night and, for this weekend’s Sunday Accent page, will have the story. 

- Aaron Brand

Staff photo by Tanner Spendley: 

The Texarkana Museums System will soon add some space-themed exhibitions to its second-level space at Discovery Place Children’s Museum. One of the exhibits is the Smithsonian’s “Earth from Space” poster show. It features a 20-poster set of satellite images of Earth taken from far away and showing various spots on the planet with some fascinating details—from Kansas farmland to the Great Pyramids. The poster exhibition was sent to more than 700 schools, libraries, and other places for children and the general public to see, including Texarkana. Down below is an example of one of these images—a view of the Lena Delta as the Lena River flows into the Arctic Ocean after traveling through Russian Siberia. The submitted photo from the Smithsonian was taken by the Landsat 7 satellite in July of 2000. 

- Aaron Brand

Cenral Mississippi-raised Randy Houser is making a name for himself with his first single, “Anything Goes,” off of his Universal Records South debut album of the same name. It registered high on Billboard’s country music singles chart. Vince Gill lends his voice to one song on the CD—harmony vocals on “How Many Times.” Randy started in Nashville in 2003 and then co-wrote (with Jamey Johnson and Dallas Davidson) the Trace Adkins hit “Honky Tonk Badonkadonk.” A host of other performers have sung Houser’s tunes since he arrived in the country music capitol. And he made an appearance on David Letterman’s TV show. On June 4 he’ll be in Texarkana at 9:30 p.m. at Shooters Sports Bar for a show. Tickets are $10. More info: 870-773-4903. 

- Aaron Brand

Submitted photo by Kristin Barlowe: 

Somehow, someway, Texarkana has made it to “America’s Finest News Source,” as they call themselves—otherwise known as “The Onion,” the legendary satirical newspaper. It’s a satirical, fake story about math funding at a “West Texarkana High.” Link to the story: Senior prank somehow leaves high school with increased math funding. So what do you think is being satirized?

- Aaron Brand

Music City Texas continues its individual talent competition series at 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 30, with three area performers on tap to take the stage. Rather than the notable national acts MCT draws in to perform, this night is chance to shine for locals. Jordan Todd of White Oak and both Brian Grundon and Kelli Knepp of Linden will compete to impress the audience and judges. 

Tickets: $10. More info: 903-756-9934 or www.musiccitytexas.org. 

Other upcoming shows are Rick Derringer with The Wolf Tribe on Saturday, Freddie & the Falcons on June 6, the T-Bone Walker Blues Festival on June 19-20, and Brandon Rhyder on June 27. 

- Aaron Brand

Submitted photos:

Jordan Todd

Brian Grundon

Kelli Knepp

The third man to be the voice of Mickey Mouse has died. Here’s the AP story: Allwine, voice of Mickey Mouse for 32 years, dies. 

- Aaron Brand

If you fancy Mustangs of the Ford variety then Saturday, May 30, brings an event to Central Mall in Texarkana from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. that should be right up your driveway or favorite open roadway.

It’s the Annual Mustang Stampede and Cars Are the Stars Open Car Show. Mustangs of all classes will be honored with awards. You can also raffle for a new set of tires. Registration: $25 for the first vehicle and $20 for each additional one. For the Four States Mustang Corral, their annual show attracts cars from the entire Four States area. Last year’s show raised $2,700 for local charities. 

The Four States Mustang Corral organization started in 1993, and since then the group size has averaged about 30 member families. 

More info: call Mac at 903-293-1595 or visit www.4statesmustang.com. The Website has 2008 show photos. 

- Aaron Brand

…in summer camp? TexRep’s annual summer drama camp is being held June 15-27 in the Stilwell Humanities Buildings at Texarkana College for you. Classes are limited to the first 100 students, so apply soon if you want in.

Here are the three levels of student groups: Level I, open to new students entering the 1st through 4th grades (9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., Monday through Friday – $100); Level II, open to students with camp experience entering the 2nd through 4th grades  and new students entering the 5th through 6th grades (10:30 a.m. to noon, Monday through Friday – $100); Level III, open to all students entering grade 7 through college freshmen (1 p.m. to 3:15 p.m., Monday through Friday – $150). Classes teach acting, music, and movement. 

Ultimately, students show the performance knowledge they’ve gained at the showcase shows on June 26 and June 27. 

More information and enrollment forms: www.texrep.org. You can also call 903-832-5565, ext. 3360, to get more info.

- Aaron Brand

If you check out Tracy Lawrence’s Website you may notice a small change in its write-up about the Homecoming Concert on June 6. Previously, 3 Doors Down, Clay Walker, and Neal McCoy were named as participants in Lawrence’s Homecoming Concert. Not true and they’ve changed that info on there. McCoy, Walker and 3 Doors Down have all played with Lawrence before for his big show, but they’re not playing this time. We got word of this today, so I’m just passing the info along. We were originally given the wrong info in the press release for the show as well.

So without further ado, the true lineup for Lawrence’s show includes Zona Jones, Tracy Byrd, and Richie McDonald. 

- Aaron Brand

TRAHC’s 17th Annual Juried Student Art Exhibit at the Regional Arts Center opened Saturday with a reception for the local and talented high school and middle school artists who’ve contributed art for this show. The exhibit runs through June 6. In my view, it’s often the kids who come up with the more interesting and even challenging works for juried shows like this. Even if the artists may not have quite the technical accomplishments to their work, their vision or subject matter can be fresher and freer sometimes. 

- Aaron Brand

Staff photo by Megumi Rooze:

Marcus Sabbie, and his son, Paradice, of Texarkana, Ark., admire "Kinship," a sculpture from the Pleasant Grove Art III class on Saturday afternoon at the Regional Arts Center. It was a part of TRAHC's 17th Annual Juried Student Art Exhibit.