Texarkana Entertainment Blog

We’re marching toward the winter holiday season and there is plenty of live music in the Texarkana area to help you get out, get social and see people. Here’s a look at some of what’s ahead in the coming weeks.

Fat Jack’s welcomes two of the State Line Ave. bar’s regular acts back to the stage this weekend: L.A. Outlaw tonight and Michael DeArmond Band tomorrow night for a Saturday show, to be followed next weekend by 1 Nite Stand on Friday and Crooked Halo on Saturday. DeArmond returns for another show next Thursday, Nov. 10.

Hopkins Icehouse tonight has the popular Jeremy Phifer in for a show, followed by the reggae of Basic 5 for Saturday night. Then next week Thursday night, Friday night and Saturday night it’s Nick Brumley, Eskimo Brothers (country and rockabilly from Nashville, Tenn.) and then Gentle Giants (a band from Clarksville, Texas), respectively each night, providing musical entertainment on the cozy Hopkins stage.

Saturday night at Hippy’s Nightlife it’s a three-pronged hard rockin’ show with local rockers Giganto and Sylo, plus TornApart from the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Tonight it’s Cash Out Crew (performing their single “Cha Ching”).

At The Road Map on Saturday night it’s Tha Mutha Load paired with Up from Under. This Sunday’s live acoustic has “Possum.”

Shooters Sports Bar has a big show on Friday, Nov. 11, with Brantley Gilbert back in town for another show. He’s popular here; that show is already sold out. This Saturday night sees Boom Kinetic come to Shooters. They’re a party/dance band from the Fayetteville area.

Tonight at Lee’s Catfish and Steakhouse it’s the Acoustic Merlins (Tommy Roeck and Bobby Rogers) performing. MoBetta Band plays a show at the Wagon Wheel on Saturday night.

For blues, the big upcoming event is Friday, Nov. 11, when B.B. King’s daughter Shirley King plays a benefit concert for a fledgling veterans support organization. She performs at Northridge Country Club.

As well, Paul Capps Jr. will perform his blues, country and classic rock at The Blues Iguana on Saturday, Nov. 12.

It’s not live music but local music and party venue Club Primetime will host comedian Joe Torry and Co. on Saturday, Nov. 26. Torry is known for his appearances in “Def Comedy Jam” and various TV and film roles.

Edited to add: Oops, almost forgot … check out the White Trash Wannabees and JB and the Moonshine Band this Saturday night at the Wooden Indian down the road in Atlanta, Texas.

And tickets are still available for George Jones, who is coming to the Perot Theatre for a concert on Nov. 26. He comes to Texarkana as part of the country music legend’s 80th birthday tour. Showtime is 7:30 p.m. that night. Tickets available at TRAHC.org.

- Aaron Brand

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Over the weekend I got a chance to see “The Rum Diary,” an adaptation of the late Hunter S. Thompson’s book that finally made it to the big screen and, surprisingly to me, a Texarkana movie theater. I suppose star power has something to do with it landing here for what I anticipate may be a brief stay.

I enjoyed the film a whole lot despite many flaws, mostly for personal reasons. For a newspaper diehard like me, it offers an appealingly farcical, nearly satirical look at newspaper life, complete with maniacal editors, oddball reporters slinking through the newsroom like slugs on acid and the sort of financing dilemmas that plague small-time news. As such, those jokes hit home for me. As well, I enjoyed Johnny Depp, who here plays a Thompson alter ego, Paul Kemp, as a reporter who exhibits a talent for both crafting phrases and cleaning out the “complimentary” alcohol at his Puerto Rican hotel room.

Kemp joins the San Juan Star and soon finds himself embroiled with a variety of strange, repulsive and yet somehow beguiling characters in and around this tropical newspaper milieu, including scuzzy developers with venomous smiles who want to build more hotels on an island paradise. They’re the bad guys, the “bastards,” as Kemp puts it, and feel like classic Thompson villains. Kemp’s interplay with these characters is the best part of the film, but that can only carry the plot so far.

Along the way, we’re treated to all sorts of half-baked narrative turns, poorly developed characters and themes that don’t lead very far in this rum-soaked flick. I found myself rooting for Kemp but he doesn’t seem to have anywhere to turn in this movie. A quick scan of movie fan board sites shows what I suspected would be true: a trashing of the film by many fans who love the novel and adore Thompson. Though I haven’t read “The Rum Diary,” it seems the movie strays in many respects from the novel itself.

Ultimately and regardless of its faith to the source material and inspiration, the movie isn’t deep enough to carry much weight, and its boozy barbs aren’t as sharp as Thompson’s own writing. “The Rum Diary” never quite decides just what movie it wants to be. That said, it’s enjoyable enough on its own terms, and there are certainly worse ways to spend $5 at the movie theater, given what Hollywood churns out lately.

- Aaron Brand

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Two new exhibits are opening up right here in Texarkana.

Just opened is the Four States Regional Art Club’s annual show, and for the second year in a row the exhibit makes its home at TAMU-T’s Bringle Lake campus. The exhibit is situated inside the John F. Moss Library on the third floor of the new University Center, a space which is proving to be an attractive one for art. About 50 works from several club members are featured in this year’s rendition, covering a range of themes, mediums and styles. There’s no thematic rubric for this year’s show, but there is an unmistakable emphasis on natural settings. The exhibit will be displayed until Dec. 9. Check out our story about it on the Accent page in tomorrow’s edition of the Gazette.

In the pipeline to open soon (Nov. 8th) is the annual “Small Works on Paper” exhibit at the Regional Arts Center, which year in and year out presents a range of interesting works organized by the Arkansas Arts Council. This is the exhibit’s twenty-fourth year, and Texarkana is the final stop for this year’s exhibition. Work featured is small (no bigger than two feet by two fee), created by Arkansas artists (ones found on the Arkansas Arts Registry) and selected by a juror from outside the state, according to info from the folks at the Arkansas Arts Council. A total of 39 pieces comprise this year’s exhibition. Check out one example below and, better yet, go see it in person when the exhibit opens. Art: best seen in person. And the admission at either location? Free.

- Aaron Brand

North Little Rock artist Brian Cormack’s “Route 66 in Newkirk, N.M.,” is one of the featured pieces in the 2011 "Small Works on Paper" touring exhibition on display Nov. 8-26 in Texarkana.

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If you haven’t been at the downtown ArtSpark next to the Regional Arts Center in a while, go check it out to see something different: the Great Wall of TRAHC. TRAHC updated the art panels there at the greenspace/community art wall a bit more than a week ago to include this collaborative project between TRAHC, Opportunities Inc., and the Liberty-Eylau Kiwanis Key Club students. The art panels are sort of a marriage between Western and Eastern art concepts with red, gold and black as featured colors. Chinese dragons, as well as a few more abstract representations, are included therein in this whimsical, colorful and creative work. I snapped some photos and include them down below. The project connects, in some sense, with Tuesday night’s Perot Theatre show by the National Acrobats of the People’s Republic of China, but the art will be up on the art wall for several months for all to enjoy.

- Aaron Brand

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If you’re looking for live music, this weekend’s MoRH Better BBQ, Bands & Bikes Festival downtown offers four shows in two nights at the Friday night and Saturday night street concerts downtown at Front Street Festival Plaza.

Friday night brings a big draw with Shooter Jennings headlining (8 p.m.), along with openers Greg Gardner and Voodoo Cowboy (6 p.m.). I interviewed Shooter recently and he was a totally relaxed, fascinating guy to talk with, considering his name, lineage and talent — definitely one of the more unassuming, down-to-earth musicians I’ve interviewed on the beat. He’s looking forward to playing here in Texarkana, where he’s performed before. I’ve heard good things about his live show. On Saturday night (8 p.m.) the main act is one of last year’s headliners, Robert St. John Band, who certainly know how to ramp up the energy in their live sets. Before they hit the stage, the annual “Battle of the Bands” (6 p.m.) warms up the proceedings.

Elsewhere on the live music front, the band Honky comes to town to rock it at Fat Jack’s on Sunday night. The band features something of a famous bass player, Jeff Pinkus, a longtime member of a seminal Texas psychedelic punk band originating from the 1980s. Do an Internet search on his name and you’ll see the band name, I’m sure (keyword: Surfers). Should be a good show to check out, and our local rockers Giganto will be the opening act. Show starts around 10 p.m. after Know-it-All Trivia.

At Jack’s Friday night, LA Outlaw perform, while Hazy Jayne plays the Saturday night show. Over at Hopkins Icehouse Friday night, catch Acoustic Eden playing their unplugged “Rock of Ages” show, and then local favorites Trey and Dave perform Saturday night.

That’s just a bit of what’s happening in live music this weekend. Check Friday’s Best Bets for more options to see music live in the Texarkana area.

- Aaron Brand

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Satirical comedy that still leaves a smile on your face. That’s how I’d describe the play “Greater Tuna,” which TexRep just performed the past two weekends. A gentle social satire about some of the stranger folks you may find in Texas (in this play, it’s in the fictional town of Tuna, billed as the Lone Star State’s third smallest town), the play also creates stage characters who feel rather familiar, as if I’ve met them before while going about the daily business in town. That’s part of what makes the laughs work and mean something more. I caught one of last weekend’s “Greater Tuna” performances and congratulate Michael Cooper and Chris Polson on a fine show. They kept the humor humming along, crazy costume changes and all.

I wasn’t able to make the Travis Tritt concert that same day, but word is the estimated total attendance reached up to 4,000 to 4,500 people, a fantastic showing, especially when you consider it was the opening weekend of the fair. Friends who attended were impressed and had a great time. From what I gather, the folks at New Haven Golf Club intend to stage a Concert on the Green again, a welcome development. Congratulations to them on pulling this one off.

- Aaron Brand

Travis Tritt performs Saturday, Sept. 17, at Concert on the Green at New Haven Golf Club in Texarkana, Ark., in this staff photo by Christena Dowsett.

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Musicals and live music, festivals and more: a busy time now for Texarkana in the arts and entertainment scene. So much so, in fact, it’s been impossible for me to land back on this blog and jot down the news, but I am here to correct that. Let’s start with a live music rundown.

This weekend is a big one for local music – if you are a country fan, in particular. On the way are Travis Tritt on Saturday at New Haven Golf Club for the initial Concert on the Green series show, and then the night before, Friday night, Tracy Lawrence initiates the fair festivities with an opening night concert at the Four States Fair & Rodeo. The folks at New Haven are pulling out all the stops for the Travis Tritt concert, including a massive stage that should be arriving tomorrow morning. Joining Tritt on that stage (things kick off at 4 p.m., Tritt scheduled to start at 8 p.m.) are several local and regional acts, including Driven, a hot new country band from Texarkana, and Kosmic Girlz & Koltrane, who have found quite a following through their local live performances.

Over at Hopkins Icehouse: Friday night it’s Synergistic for another unplugged acoustic show, and then Saturday night Basic 5 bring the reggae and rock vibe to the charming Hopkins stage. Fat Jack’s has Greg Gardner & Voodoo Cowboy for Friday night, rockers Teazur for Saturday. At the Wagon Wheel, it’s 4 Wheel Drive on Saturday night.

That’s not all. James Otto performs Sept. 24 at Shooters Sports Bar, coming back to a venue where he performed a successful show a couple years ago.

By the Texarkana Museums System organizers of the MoRH Better BBQ, Bands & Bikes Festival, which is this year’s “Quadrangle,” some big music is being organized for both festival nights. We’ll be advancing that soon for a Friday Accent piece.

The MoRH Better BBQ, Bands & Bikes headliner? For Friday night, Sept. 30: Shooter Jennings (with Greg Gardner and Voodoo Cowboy as openers). Saturday night, Oct. 1 : Robert St. John Band (with a Battle of the Bands to start things off). Street concert tickets each night are $10, and there’s a whole lot more happening too: barbecue competition, best bike competition, and other activities.

The Road Map has been hosting a series of truly rocking shows. On Tuesday that continues with Gypsyhawk, a gang of straight-ahead California rockers who bring their hard but catchy riffs to town once again, and our very own metal monsters, Tha Mutha Load.

Local rockers The Inside bring it to The Branch Office for a show this Saturday. Hippys Texarkana (that used to be Off the Line) brings in Tennessee metal on Sept. 24 with the bands Pengea and Death Remains Silent. That same night, Paul Capps Jr. plays The Blues Iguana: blues, country and classic rock.

Local country singer Gena Roberts will play a benefit show at the Oaklawn Opry on Sept. 24 to help Hospice of Texarkana in its quest to bring a new patient care facility to Texarkana. Roberts will be joined by Lonnie Spiker and Joe Mack Bennett.

And last but not least for this rundown, the Texarkana Symphony Orchestra has an all-Beethoven evening coming up at the Perot Theatre; that show, featuring pianist Stephen Beus, is Sept. 24.

That’s just a taste of what’s coming up. Enjoy it live: music.

- Aaron Brand

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I can’t believe it’s the middle of August. Though temperatures still stretch way up to 100 degrees and above, kids are starting school and that means the summertime’s last legs are warming up, whether it feels like it or not. Maybe by October we’ll head down into the 80 degree range for a daytime high. Dare to dream!

No matter the temps, there’s still plenty to enjoy when it comes to live music, starting with Jawbone’s concert tomorrow night to benefit TRAHC. They’ll play at the Perot Theatre starting at 8 p.m. Should be a snazzy show and, given the historic theater surroundings, unlike any Jawbone experience before. I’m sure the hardworking folks at TRAHC would love a super big turnout to help out in tough financial times.

This weekend also brings live music to Fat Jack’s in the form of Doctor Doctor tonight and 1 Nite Stand on Saturday. Buffalo Child and Nude Beach perform a free show Sunday night at Jack’s.

Jay Kirgis performs tonight over at Lee’s Catfish, while Hopkins Icehouse has Kiley Bland of Junior fame on stage this evening for an acoustic set. Hopkins then welcomes Rising Red tomorrow night. Saturday night at The Blues Iguana features Paul Capps Jr. performing his blues, country and classic rock. Shooters Sports Bar brings The Enablers to town that same night. You can also catch Raj, Andi and Taz late Sunday afternoon and early evening over at The Road Map for more acoustic tunes.

Live music: love it and support it!

- Aaron Brand

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This afternoon I talked with the good folks over at the Four States Fairgrounds about what’s in store for this year’s rendition of a time-honored Texarkana tradition. One big piece of news is the 67th Annual Four States Fair & Rodeo headliner this year: Foreman, Ark.’s own bigtime country act in Tracy Lawrence. He performs Friday, Sept. 16, for the opening concert. General admission tickets are $25 in advance—no reserved seats. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for a 7:30 p.m. show start time.

A few other changes are in store: One, the fairgrounds will be promoting its own demolition derby this year. Two, there will be a different carnival at the fair, so expect to see some new rides and such when you bring the kids to see the cotton candy, colorful lights and wild rides along the midway. This year’s fair runs Sept. 16-25. We’ll have a preview of some of these changes in our Friday Accent page next week, so be sure to check it out.

- Aaron Brand

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Anyone looking to discover work from a young, interesting artist should get on down to Texas A&M University-Texarkana’s Bringle Lake campus and walk up to the main student center building. Take the elevator to the third floor. Once you step inside the John F. Moss Library, you’ll find a few dozen pieces by artist Shana Hoehn adorning the walls. Hoehn explores the visual world through a variety of mediums: photography, painting, drawing. She also creates some interesting sculptural works, but they’re not included in this show. Hoehn is a student at Maryland Institute College of Art, and just came back to town to teach for a month and hang her art. We featured her for a story in today’s Accent page and you can see more of her work at ShanaHoehn.com. Check it out; it is worth a look.

It’s also nice to see new gallery space take off here in Texarkana (something sorely needed), as is the case with this library art space at TAMU-T. As someone who loves art and a diverse art scene, I hope to see it continue.

- Aaron Brand

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