Texarkana Entertainment Blog

If you have not seen “Super 8,” the J.J. Abrams film about a group of plucky youth who witness (and unwittingly film) a horrific train crash while shooting a movie at an abandoned train depot, get out and see it.

The crash unleashes some sort of energy, creature or something—no one in the town is initially sure what it is (apart from one local teacher)—that wreaks havoc on daily life in a rust belt Ohio town. Dogs disappear, as do people, and electrical lines go haywire throughout town with outages and other disruptions visiting the populace. The kids just want to shoot a movie, but the entrance of U.S. Air Force personnel to “investigate” the situation provides some fun backdrop footage. The kids soon puzzle over exactly what the heck is happening, and it’s here where our youngsters’ depth comes in to carry the movie with strong characterization. “Super 8″ is a self-conscious homage to ’70s and ’80s Steven Spielberg, plus movies like “Goonies,” but it’s loads of fun despite a rickety plot that gets thinner and more precarious as the movie goes on. About the biggest complaint here are some needless shoot-em-up scenes late in the film. Still, “Super 8″ gives Elle Fanning and Joel Courtney, our two young leads, a chance to shine as they develop a sweet friendship. The surrounding group of kids are all likable and real, even though they’re played for lots of laughs. The affection Abrams has for the era is endearing, and in the best sense of the phrase it’s a great summer flick with a good message to boot.

- Aaron Brand

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Saturday morning there will be a reception for the Texarkana Regional Arts and Humanities Council’s 23rd Annual Adult Regional Juried Exhibition with a ceremony and announcement of winners ’round noon. Like local art? Check it out and meet some local artists.

I visited the gallery space today and enjoyed much of the work. There are great pieces by familiar faces like Cindy Holmes, Carol Flori, Polly Cook, Nicole Brisco and others, plus some new artists in there, as well. At just under 50 works displayed on the first and second floors at the Regional Arts Center, it’s a little scaled back from other regional juried shows I have seen at the RAC, but there is great depth and quality to be found. For one thing, I’m always amazed at the quality of light in Carol Flori’s pieces. We’ll have an advance story next week; if you like local art, you should get down and see the exhibit. It’s there until Aug. 20.

- Aaron Brand

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Officials with the Texarkana Regional Arts and Humanities Council announced the 2011-2012 Perot Theatre Series last night at a membership party. After a disappointing turnout for ticket sales this past season, TRAHC is hoping to ramp up sales for its upcoming show series at the venerable, ever-elegant Perot.

They’ve gone for musicals, acrobats, the ballet and Elvis for the new season. Here’s a quick rundown of what’s on tap for the year:

Oct. 11 (Tuesday) – The National Acrobats of the People’s Republic of China

Dec. 8 (Thursday) – “Miracle on 34th Street”

Jan. 21 (Saturday) – “Elvis Lives”

Jan. 30 (Monday) – Moscow Festival Ballet’s “Cinderella”

March 3 (Saturday) – “Clifford the Big Red Dog”

March 9 (Friday) – “Young Frankenstein”

April 14 (Saturday) – Ed Asner as “FDR”

Chinese acrobats in a cirque-style show. A Christmas miracle musical with a charming, heartfelt story. A three-Elvis extravaganza with the King through the decades. A timeless, classic story set to ballet. A TRAHC family musical starring a lovable red pooch. The stage version of a popular Mel Brooks-directed screwball comedy. And a great veteran of the stage and screen (who will be giving a master class to local theater students). Oh, and local band Jawbone will be playing a TRAHC benefit show in August at the Perot Theatre.

What do you think?

- Aaron Brand

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Live music, the weekend and some nice (and hot) weather. Sounds great to me. Here’s a quick rundown of some of the live tune troubadours touring and rolling through Texarkana during the next few days.

Fat Jack’s Oyster & Sports Bar has 1 Nite Stand performing Friday night with Kinghat playing Saturday night. Also on Saturday night at Shooters Sports Bar is Richard Stuart & The One Night Stand. (Pretty sure that’s a different “one night stand” than our locals.)  Downtown T-Town venue Hopkins Icehouse has Kiley Bland of East Texas pop punk band Junior back in town for another Friday night show. Then on Saturday it’s Synergistic gracing the Hopkins stage.

Eddie Matthews and friends will perform at Lee’s Catfish for Friday evening. Windy & Rich perform at the Cedar Shake for Saturday night. The Oaklawn Opry’s Saturday night lineup includes Steve Shofner, Dwayne Johnson, Terry England and Raymond Welborn, while the Maytag Opry has its house crew The Maytag Opry Band for Friday night.

Various live acts will be at Club Primetime on Friday night for an event billed as the “Out of School Summer Jam.”

The Big Easy is starting up some dubstep DJ music tonight for Thursdays.

Friday night at the Perot Theatre there’s a Shake, Rattle & Roll live concert and block party. It’s a benefit show for Alzheimer’s Alliance.

Oh, and the Oak Ridge Boys are in town Saturday to play a few songs … see tomorrow’s Accent page for that story.

That’s just some of the live music coming up. Check Best Bets each Friday in the Gazette for a rundown of live music, and if you have an event to tell us about send an e-mail to accent@texarkanagazette.com.

- Aaron Brand

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It’s nearly time for that patriotic celebration the Fourth of July. I’m looking forward to a three-day weekend with friends, family and the dogs! But it’s also time for fireworks that spark up in the night and go boom in the sky.

To that end, Texarkana’s annual celebration, Sparks in the Park, is set for Saturday, July 2, at the Four States Fairgrounds on the Arkansas side. Three musical acts headline: Jemiah Cannon’s gospel at 5 p.m., The Inside’s rock at 6:45 p.m. and Driven’s country at 8 p.m. Fireworks launch at 9:30 p.m. (with a new vendor this year). Gates open and activities get rolling at 4 p.m.

This year’s action of one-day festival fun includes: a rock wall and kid’s sandbox, Hot Wheels and Cool Rides Car and Motorcycle Show, inflatable jump houses, an ice cream eating contest and educational activities at the Ag Learning Center, the Four States Barnyard petting zoo, motorcycle stunt show (three times: 5:30 p.m., 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.), and the Southwest Arkansas REA kids contest from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. with a whole bunch of fun stuff (water balloon toss, three-legged race, hula hoop, bubble gum blowing, etc.).

Check out the Sparks in the Park Facebook page or the Texarkana, Ark., Website for a full lineup. Also check Accent for an advance story soon.

- Aaron Brand

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Catching up here on some odds and ends, some this and that.

1) For any writer, a chance for word play and silly puns is welcome, and so on that note let’s talk about the PurpleHull Pea Festival coming up in Emerson, Ark., this weekend. Writing about this festival, which is so unique, is always fun, in part because the self-described “Pea-R” man for the festival is so enthusiastic about the job. The festival is also a real slice of life for Southwest Arkansas. The main festival day is this Saturday, and if you have a tiller you’re invited to bring it with for the Million Tiller Parade. As that “Pea-R” man himself, Bill Dailey, observed, they were even one million tillers short one year. Hopefully, tiller time will be living larger this year. There’s also a pea shelling competition (that wows in the spectators), a cornbread and peas cook-off (which is increasing in popularity), tractors and the actual rotary tiller race (kids division too). More info: PurpleHull.com.

2) We’ve written about composer and Texarkana native Clint Needham before, particularly the exciting composition he was commissioned to write for the Texarkana Symphony Orchestra. Needham was also commissioned to write a new piece for the 2011 Mizzzou New Music Summer Festival, specifically for the musicians in the ensemble Alarm Will Sound. The festival runs July 11 through July 16 in Columbia, Mo. Congrats to the busy and productive Needham!

3) Randy Sam’s Outreach Shelter will benefit from an acoustic guitar concert benefit show this Saturday, 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Cabe Center of First United Methodist Church. It’s a $5 donation to see the show. Scheduled to perform are Mark Meadows, Paul Capps and other guests.

4) Tomorrow, Thursday, brings the annual TRAHC announcement of the upcoming Perot Theatre series season lineup. TRAHC will announce what shows are coming to the Perot during its membership party, starting at 6 p.m. in the Regional Arts Center. I’m looking forward to it.

- Aaron Brand

Youngsters compete in the kid's division of the World Cup PurpleHull Pea Shelling Competition in this photo courtesy of Bill Dailey.

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This past week I stepped aboard an airplane for the first time in nearly three years. I’m not what you’d call a frequent flier. No racking up the miles for me.

I was not particularly looking forward to the inside-the-airport experience (apart from anticipated O’Hare layovers in my hometown of Chicago). But I was excited about the trip to see my cousin’s marriage. I was in good spirits, ready for adventure, ready to take wing above the clouds. But the stern TSA checkpoints, fast-and-fatty-food-on-the-go and running to make a connection? Nah, those skies seemed decidedly unfriendly.

Along the way, however, I visited four airports in all (one unexpectedly in Dallas), and at three of them I saw some art, a pleasant surprise: Little Rock National Airport, Chicago O’Hare International Airport and Quad City International Airport. (I’m sure Dallas/Fort Worth has some, but I didn’t see it.)  I like finding art where I least expect it. Between the long lines and vacant stares offered by steel and glass faces, I was happy to sense the soul of art pulsing.

- Aaron Brand

This underground pedestrian tunnel at O'Hare connects two concourses. It has a ceiling of neon lights that create a cascade of color.

Recognize the artist whose sculpture is reproduced in this piece? I also found it at O'Hare, and the sculpture is also in Chicago.

Several of these glass creations hovered above O'Hare Airport passengers and workers alike inside one of the United terminal passageways.

Iowa artist Heidi Casto’s fantastical, odd and delightful sculptures can be found at Quad City International Airport.

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You could be. The “Big Dig” has started and already there’s a big find at Historic Washington State Park, where both professional archeologists and enthusiasts from the general public have been digging in the dirt of Block 6, formerly a commercial district at the pioneer town. Park officials sent word that the first big find has been uncovered; it’s a half dollar from 1827, discovered eight inches below the surface. Check it out below in these submitted photos. The public is invited to join the dig by registering with the Arkansas Archeological Society or to simply watch. More info: 870-983-2684. Also check out the AAS Website: ArkArch.org.

- Aaron Brand

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Every year I’ve gone to the T-Bone Walker Blues Fest I’ve had a spectacular time. It’s always a high-quality event with great, world-class musical artists and a diverse lineup of folks who are fine and faithful practitioners of the blues. Truly this Linden festival is one of the best in the Four States region.

This year’s event brings an equally amazing array of musicians to the Music City Texas Theater stages both indoor and outdoor, including heralded British blues guitarist Matt Schofield. Also on tap as headliners are The Alan Fox Band and Robin & the Bluebirds, two top regional acts. Because of health reasons, David “Honeyboy” Edwards won’t be making the trip this year, unfortunately, but his replacement is also a living legend: Louisiana Red.

Here at the Gazette, we caught up with Omar Sharriff, who performs the boogie woogie as a jazz pianist (and recently relocated back to the town where he grew up: Marshall, Texas). He was a great interview, and our preview story was in last Friday’s Accent section. He spoke with affection of the generation of musicians that included the likes of T-Bone, Muddy Waters, B.B. King and Ray Charles. And he says being back in Marshall, he’s treated just like he was in Paris, France—namely, like the president of the United States. Seems fitting for a great blues man.

Check out a T-Bone Walker Blues Fest schedule and more info right here: TBoneWalkerFest.com.

- Aaron Brand

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An alert reader reminded me that the Little Rock Film Festival is upon us. In fact, the festival started today and runs through Sunday. One of the events includes the “Smokey and the Bandit” director, Hal Needham, who will sign copies of his book, “Stuntman!: My Car-Crashing, Plane-Jumping, Bone-Breaking, Death-Defying Hollywood Life.” The movie “Smokey and the Bandit,” in which Texarkana figures prominently as the starting point of a Coors-hauling run to Georgia, will get a screening at the River Market Amphitheater, 8:30 p.m. on Sunday.

Other films on tap include the Harry Thomason-directed “The Last Ride,” which concerns itself with the last days of Hank Williams, and a documentary film about Sierra Leone called “Fambul Tok,” part of the Clinton School of Public Service Doc Series. Check out more info here: LittleRockFilmFestival.org.

- Aaron Brand

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