Texarkana Entertainment Blog

Punk rock and Magnolia. Poster art for bands like Nirvana. That’s what happening through November at Southern Arkansas University’s Brinson Fine Arts Gallery for an exhibit (by the name of “Don’t Call Me Pretty”) of artist Art Chantry’s work. Chantry, a Pacific Northwest-based graphic designer, has made posters for a number of punk (or, more specifically, punk-like and grunge) bands like The Cramps, Nirvana, Hole, Pearl Jam, and Mudhoney. He also worked for The Rocket, an influential Seattle music newspaper. I lived in Seattle and Portland and remember the kind of wild, innovative posters he put out. You’d see them plastered all over utility poles and at music stores. He has a unique style, to put it mildly. Now his work will be at SAU with 52 posters collected, subjects ranging all over the map from rock to AIDS. Honestly, it’s kind of amazing and great that his work has found it’s way to South Arkansas. The Brinson is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

- Aaron Brand

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Halloween is just not what it used to be … at least in my eyes. But with the decline, it seems, of kids making the neighborhood rounds to scare up treats, Halloween festivities focus more on interesting events as an alternative. There surely will be lots going on Saturday, which is Halloween, to celebrate the ghoul inside all of us, but a unique event this Halloween night is to pair a monster mudbath with monstrously large vehicles and get the kids watching. That’s the plan for what’s being billed as the 1st Annual Halloween Mudfest at the Four States Fair Entertainment Center in Texarkana. The Four States Fair and Red River Mudbog teamed up to get this event rolling; the doors open at 5 p.m. that night with a “Trick or Teat” and meet-the-drivers event. Then the mud show starts at 7 p.m. Kids 12 and under can compete in a costume contest. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for kids. More info: 870-773-2941. So go get your Halloween freak on … in the mud.

- Aaron Brand

Music City Texas Theater has truly been reeling in some great singer-songwriters in recent years. On tap in December is Jackson Browne, but before then is a true master of Texas-flavored song and independent spirit in Ray Wylie Hubbard, who graces the MCT stage at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 7. A lot of guys pin that “Texas singer-songwriter” label to themselves, but Hubbard is the real deal, an original who has inspired many others. I spoke with Hubbard yesterday morning, and he said he has an acoustic duo or trio show planned for MCT patrons; although he hasn’t played there before, he’s looking forward to holding court musically in Linden. This region isn’t unfamiliar to him; after all, he grew up in Hugo, Okla. Hubbard clearly has monumental respect for the craft of songwriting. “It’s such a joy and an anguish,” he said to me. He’s also set to release a new album in early 2010. Check out the Gazette’s Friday Accent page a week from today for the full story.

Tickets are $20 and the doors open before the show at 6 p.m. More info and tickets: 903-756-9934.

- Aaron Brand

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Even though Halloween hasn’t hit us yet, it’s creeping closer to that time when holiday songs get us singing along to celebrate the winter season. You know … sleighs, snow-critters, snowballs, and eggnog. It’s a natural time to be festive and share the merriness … If you enjoy singing and performing for others, you may want to check out the Twin City Sensations, an a cappella women’s chorus . They’re searching for women (any age) to join as “Santa’s Singers” and perform Christmas songs through the winter holiday season. You don’t have to have a background of musical knowledge to join the group. The Twin City Sensations will start hold ing rehearsals from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 3, at Trinity Presbyterian Church (2623 N. Robison Road). More info: call Robin Curtis at 903-838-6979 or 903-244-0132.

- Aaron Brand

Heads up, Texarkana U2 fans: Sunday should be a sweet day online. U2 announced the Irish lads will be streaming their sold-out Rose Bowl concert live, free, and in-full on the band’s YouTube station. For more information, check out the U2 Website: U2.com. It’s a pretty rare treat to find a big name concert like this placed online for a Webcast. It will kick off at 10:30 p.m. our time. Enjoy!

- Aaron Brand

The Regional Arts Center has two new exhibits on tap for Texarkana.

In the main, secure gallery is “Watercolor Views of WWII,” a series of beautiful and evocative watercolor works by artist Robert Andrew Parker. Here he is inspired by the poems of British soldier Keith Douglas, a writer who died from injuries sustained during the D-Day invasion of Normandy. His poems (and Parker’s watercolors) depict life on the battlefield in North Africa. Parker’s approach is fascinating because they’re pretty watercolors, on the one hand, and depict events that are gruesome in their nature, on the other hand. But there’s a subtlety here that seems to deepen the emotional impact. This exhibit runs through Dec. 5.

The 4 States Art Club/Decorative Artists also have new work up in the open gallery space at the RAC through Nov. 7. Local artists have considered the topic “My Favorite Subject.” In addition to landscapes and other works with a generally naturalistic approach, there are some fascinating and fun decorative and functional pieces on display, showing the diversity of artistic approaches in this area. You can meet some of the artists and see their work tomorrow, Thursday, during a reception at the Arts Center starting at 6:30 p.m. Both exhibits are free to see, of course, and the RAC is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and a 7 p.m. close on Thursdays. More info: 903-792-4992.

- Aaron Brand

Staff photo by Tanner Spendley:

Bryan Phillips, TRAHC's director of community programs, directs spotlights to paintings in preparation for the "Watercolor VIews of WWII" exhibit by Robert Andrew Parker. The exhibit runs through Dec. 5.

Apparently, Texarkana loves its Franz Joseph Haydn. People turned out in droves Sunday to see the Texarkana Regional Chorale  & Orchestra, along with the Texarkana College Choir and Shreveport Chorale, perform a selection of choruses from Haydn’s “The Creation.”

Personally, I’m not a massive Haydn fan though I do appreciate the elegance and form in his compositions. I’m more of a Ravel, Mozart, and Chopin fan myself. But these choruses were quite enjoyable and stately. There must be plenty of folks in Texarkana who appreciate Haydn and the outstanding work from the Texarkana Regional Chorale. The Sugar Hill United Methodist Church was absolutely packed and the audience was enthusiastic with its applause.

Kudos to Marc-André Bougie, conductor, and soloists Candace Taylor, Carol McReynolds, Ryan McDonald, and Steven McDonald, along with the rest of the performers for an excellent afternoon of music.

- Aaron Brand

Jackie Robinson is a true American hero, having broken the Major League Baseball color barrier in 1947 by playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers. It was a time when baseball was king, a central part of American sports life. Robinson endured behavior surrounding him that would shock us today, including threats and racial epithets lobbed his way. With dignity and grace, he persevered, preserving a place for African-Americans in the great game on the professional baseball diamond in modern times.

Now, the Dallas Children’s Theater is bringing this story to Texarkana’s Perot Theatre on Monday as part of the TRAHC’s Theatre for Young Audiences program. The play “Most Valuable Player” dramatizes Robinson’s story from his days as a youth to the times when he paved the way for future African-American ball players. There are still plenty of tickets left for the 9:30 a.m. show. It’s a play meant for teens (ages 12 and up), but director Andy Long told me yesterday that adults enjoy it as well. If you’d like to see it, tickets are $7 and available at the Perot Box Office at the show or in advance. More info: 903-792-4992. Check the Friday Accent page in the Gazette at the end of the week for more information, including an interview with the director.

- Aaron Brand

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You probably couldn’t get much farther apart on the musical spectrum than Pail and Franz Joseph Haydn, but they’re part of what’s on tap this weekend for live music in Texarkana. Each in their own way represents some of what’s best about the music available here in T-Town. Free classical music and a $5 show from a fun live band are pretty enticing.

Pail, the bluesy/punky rock outfit with a truly downhome independent spirit, comes to town Friday to play a 9 p.m. gig at Fat Jack’s Oyster & Sports Bar. Cover charge is $5. Prescott, Ark.-based Pail have been workhorses on the Arkansas music scene for many years now, and much of their success, says lead singer and guitarist Trey Johnson, is that they grow with each other, not against each other. They’ll certainly share songs Friday from their latest album, “From Where We Stand,” a nine-song CD they put out themselves earlier this year. They’re just getting back in the live music groove after taking a few months off; they recently played MusicFest in El Dorado, Ark. Their single “Raynlee” has a video filmed right here in Texarkana by Over the Edge Studios. Check out their new music at the Pail MySpace page.

Then on Sunday it’s something completely different: Austrian composer Haydn’s choruses from his celebrated oratorio, “The Creation.” The Texarkana Regional Chorale and Orchestra team with the Texarkana College Choir and Shreveport Chorale to present this concert at 4 p.m. at Sugar Hill United Methodist Church, 1621 Sugar Hill Road. Soloists should be familiar to anyone who’s been enjoying classical music in recent years here in Texarkana: soprano Candace Taylor, mezzo-soprano Carol McReynolds, tenor Ryan McDonald, and baritone Steven McDonald. Admission? Absolutely free. And if you attend you’ll get to partake of a free chili dinner as well. Tasty.

Check out Friday’s Accent page in the Gazette for interviews with Johnson and conductor Marc-André Bougie.

- Aaron Brand

Submitted photos:

Tomorrow a special exhibit called “Main Street in Black and White” opens at the Arkansas Studies Institute gallery space at 401 President Clinton Ave. in Little Rock, Ark. Texarkana, one of three cities with downtowns honored in this traveling photographic exhibit, figures prominently with 15 photos from local citizens as part of the show. Historic photos give a sense of the intriguing, unusual, and fascinating architecture in downtown Texarkana. Other places chosen (with photos generally ranging from the 1880s to 1940s) are Blytheville and Batesville. The show is scheduled to appear in Texarkansa at a yet-to-be-announced location in early December. Main Street Arkansas organized the show. The exhibit is free and the public is invited to see it between tomorrow and Nov. 13, after which it closes. Hours: Monday through Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. More info: 501-320-5790. Find out more in tomorrow’s Texarkana Gazette on the Accent page.

- Aaron Brand