Texarkana Entertainment Blog

The world of Ancient Egypt will be brought to life soon at the Arkansas Arts Center in Little Rock. Covering about 3,000 years and 200 pieces of art and artifacts, “World of the Pharaohs: Treasures of Egypt Revealed” depicts a world long gone but one that still stirs the imagination; Ancient Egypt was a fascinating and accomplished civilization. Opening Sept. 25 and running through July 10 of next year, it will be the largest exhibition ever to be shown in Arkansas. For more information on the exhibit, check out the Arkansas Arts Center’s Website: Arkarts.com. We usually don’t cover exhibits this far out of town, but it’s such a huge and important exhibit that we think it’s worthy of some attention. So, we’ll have a story in the Gazette’s Accent page in the upcoming weeks when it comes closer to the opening date. But until then the Website gives a sneak peek of this incredible collection that should interest those who value the arts and history. 

- Aaron Brand

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Texarkana has some interesting shows coming up at the local clubs. Here’s a rundown of some of them. This Friday Kashioboy (also known as Chris Finley) plays Club Next starting at 9 p.m. He grew up right here in Texarkana but moved off to Denton, Texas—a college town perhaps more hospitable and amenable for the experimental “chiptunes” music he creates using old Gameboys and similar electronic equipment. He’ll be back in town with gizmos in tow to no doubt find appreciative local fans. On Saturday at Hopkins Icehouse the East Texas-based Junior frontman Kiley Bland plays along with Billy Trey starting at 8 p.m. Bland will be performing an acoustic set, a bit mellower in pace than the brash, good-times, pop punk of Junior. Then next weekend on Friday, Sept. 4, Texas country singer Wes Hayden comes to play at Shooters Sports Bar starting at 9 p.m. He’s best known for a controversial appearance on “The Bachelorette.” But his fame there, it seems, has also brought some attention to his music. And the next night, Saturday, Sept. 5, at Music City Texas in Linden sees Shreveport, La., swamp rock blues dudes The Bluebirds join Moon and the Starz for a concert that night. Things kick off at 7:30 p.m. For more on these shows, check Friday’s Accent page right in the Gazette. 

- Aaron Brand 

Submitted photo of Kiley Bland: 

I haven’t followed Quentin Tarantino’s movie career too obsessively since his “Pulp Fiction” days. While I appreciate his style and the creative energy in movies, his attitude strikes me as just less clever and interesting than he thinks he is. Don’t get me wrong—both “Pulp Fiction” and “Reservoir Dogs” are worthy classics—but to me he’s just not all that; he’s more flash than depth. I saw one of the “Kill Bill” movies and liked it, but it hasn’t stuck with me as a particularly memorable film. But “Inglorious Basterds,” just released widely this past Friday, is what I see as a strong return to form, or I should say perhaps a deepening of his form. It is a wildly inventive film where Tarantino pushes the limit of tension and humor. This film is entirely fun and very funny … as much as a film about WWII and Nazis can be. It is also extremely violent, so be warned that there’s a scene with a captured Nazi, tough Jewish soldier, and a baseball bat. You do the math on that one. “Inglorious Basterds” features some great performances, and Brad Pitt comes in as a natural to work with Tarantino. I highly recommend it. 

- Aaron Brand

I have a couple of items to share about museums. First, I wrote several weeks back about the Texarkana Museums System revamping and updating its Website, which was in need of a fresh look. Now they’ve truly gone 21st century with the addition of a blog, Twitter page (yes, they Tweet), and Facebook pages for both the Quadrangle Festival and Discovery Place Children’s Museum. Check it out at Texarkanamuseums.org. Pretty cool stuff. 

Also, the University of Arkansas will open a new science and math museum for youngsters on Monday, August 31, in Fayetteville. The University of Arkansas Discovery Zone will operate in partnership with the Arkansas Discovery Network. Admission to the museum will be free. The first exhibit, “Arkansas Road Trip: Arkansas Rocks, Rivers and Roadcuts,” explores Arkansas geology, and since Texarkana’s Discovery Place is part of that network the exhibit will eventually come here after it’s displayed in Fayetteville. More info about the University of Arkansas Discovery Zone: 479-575-3875. 

- Aaron Brand

I’ve long been a fan of Gary Bachers. The New Boston artist is pretty well established here in Texarkana with his art, which features such neat motifs as circles, moons, trees, children, and lizards presented in a calming, somewhat mystical and musing manner. He’ll have his third exhibition at the Regional Arts Center coming up in September. It’s interesting work—to my eyes even more so when you look at how his art works through these themes with subtle changes from one piece to the next. His latest work focuses on vegetation and sometimes subtle, sometimes more overt, mandala-like imagery. His exhibition will include these newer pieces. I had the good fortune of interviewing his wife, who was able to discuss his work perceptively; he suffers from expressive aphasia so can’t talk about the great work he does, but both he and Gabrielle were very hospitable. This Sunday’s Accent page includes this interview.

Also on tap for the Sunday arts and entertainment page in the Gazette is a look at some youthful rockers who recently learned about the real band experience at Texarkana Rock School, a series of music lessons offered by Michael Lee and Mark Meadows at Mic’d Music. Young musicians as young as 8 years old took part in two four-day session of “music camp” there at the store on Richmond Road, and after sitting in on a couple hours of this I can say it looked like a fun way to learn. One group pretty much nailed “Back in the U.S.S.R.” on their first run through and it was impressive. Both guitarists and drummers learned how to properly play with a group and tune their ears to how their sound can merge with other musicians during a performance. They really rocked out and learned quickly. So, more about that in Sunday Accent this weekend. Be sure to check it out. 

- Aaron Brand 

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I’m researching the shows the Texarkana Regional Arts and Humanities Council is bringing to the city for the 2009-2010 Perot Theatre season. I’ll have a Gazette story on the whole season at the end of the month. First up in the Perot series are the rhythmic, powerful drummers of San Jose Taiko, who come to perform at the Perot at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 22. They’re a dynamic group of musicians who practice traditional Japanese drumming but incorporate into their musical performance the drumming traditions of many other cultures. The result is a mesmerizing, moving art that transcends boundaries. I find it intoxicating to hear. Down below is a video promoting a different performance than the one that will be brought to us through TRAHC, but it gives a glimpse of the music they create and their unique and exciting style of performing. San Jose Taiko started in 1973 in San Jose’s Japantown neighborhood, and performers regularly leave the group’s California home to tour the United States. More info: Taiko.org.

- Aaron Brand

Promo video of San Jose Taiko’s Rhythm Spirit concerts:

Looks like it’s country through and through for the big Friday night opening concert at the Four States Fair & Rodeo this year, the 65th annual rendition of this big Texarkana tradition. On tap for the show starting at 7 p.m. that night (Sept. 18) are Texas singer/songwriter Deryl Dodd, Johnny Lee of “Urban Cowboy” fame, Grammy Award-winning Shenandoah, and crossover country band Restless Heart. They’re artists whose best days of popularity seem to be behind them, but they’ve all achieved considerable impact on the music scene nonetheless. We’ll have more about them here and in the print edition of the Gazette as the Fair gets closer. The Fair runs Sept. 18-27. 

- Aaron Brand

I saw the very first screening of “District 9″ up at Cinemark this morning and will have a review in the Sunday Accent page. It was an awesome movie, thrilling for both its emotional impact and the gory fun. The CGI effects make for some pretty cool and gruesome aliens, and Neill Blomkamp’s directorial style of using herky-jerky camera work and a news documentary look both work effectively to visually engage us with the film. Plus, the alien mothership looks pretty darn sweet. It’s one of the best science fiction films to come out in a long time, and on of the best movies of the year so far. As with some of the best sci-fi flicks, it really teaches us a lot about the human condition, perhaps more than we want to know as both the dark side and deeper side of it are explored in the context of humans versus aliens. Anyone else get to see it yet? 

- Aaron Brand

A true guitar hero and inventor passes at the age of 94. AP story and obit: Guitar legend Les Paul dies at age 94. 

- Aaron Brand

East Texas-based bluegrass buddies Hickory Hill have been forging their own distinctive touch with this unique form of American roots music for 30 years through several albums and just a few personnel changes. Their fortitude and success therein give them cause to celebrate, which they’ll do at 8 p.m. on Saturday, August 22, at Music City Texas Theater in Linden. They’ve achieved plenty of critical kudos over the years and are still releasing new work; their latest CD is “Old School.” John Early, guitarist and vocalist for the band, attributes their success to the friendship they have for each other and their approach to music as a hobby, one they love to share with others. I interviewed Early a few days ago and will have the story in tomorrow’s Gazette on the Accent page. Tickets for the show are $15. For more information or to purchase tickets: Musiccitytexas.org or 903-756-9934. Oh, doors open at 6:30 p.m. and Early invites folks to come down then for free chicken and dumplings while the food lasts. 

- Aaron Brand

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