Texarkana Entertainment Blog

A quickie roundup:

Live music this weekend is plentiful in Texarkana, starting with Chalk Line 259 tonight and Crooked Halo tomorrow night for Fat Jack’s Oyster and Sports Bar. Hopkins Icehouse has the blues of John Calvin Brewer tonight and then Kiley Bland back in town for Saturday. At the Blues Iguana tonight, you can catch Jasper McAdams, Nude Beach and the fun and talented hometown crew of the band Ida Myrtis. Over at Lee’s Catfish this evening it’s the super trio of Candace Taylor, Anthony G. Parrish and Jimmy Roberts – doesn’t it seem like a great spring day to check out their music on the Lee’s Catfish patio? Brantley Gilbert comes to Shooters Sports Bar tonight as well. The Maytag Opry has its house band and Laquita Moore, Jimmy Calicott and Dwayne Johnson tonight. Mystery Machine plays at Cedar Shake for Saturday night, and the Big Easy downtown on Broad has started hosting Sunday night rap battles.

Do you have some live music coming up to recommend? Let us know!

- Aaron Brand

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The Texarkana area heats up with some local, live music in the upcoming weeks. Hopefully it will thaw us out and help us shake off this unusual snow and biting winter chill.

Texarkana’s newest club, the Coliseum, has the band Steel Magnolia in town this Friday night at 9 p.m. Steel Magnolia was nominated for both Academy of Country Music and CMT Music Awards. Couple and music partners Meghan Linsey and Joshua Scott Jones were also winners of CMT’s “Can You Duet?” Their concert follows the Coliseum’s big opening night with Pat Green. Snow last week didn’t deter that Friday night concert.

Over at Hopkins Icehouse it’s Synergistic unplugged on Friday and then Brad Wells on Saturday. Dave Almond and Trey Johnson play there on Feb. 19. At the Wooden Indian in Atlanta, Texas, on Wednesday it’s Rehab (think of the tune “Bartender Song (Sittin’ at a Bar)”). Fat Jack’s Oyster and Sports Bar has Dimlit Daylight this Friday night and Crash Meadows Saturday. Sunday night brings Austin-based indie band The Hi-Tones back to town with the very interesting Megafauna to play at Jack’s.

The Big Easy on East Broad Street now has its “Grown and Sexy” nights of music with a live house band on Thursday nights: R&B, soul, jazz and old school tunes. You may even hear some poetry. The Big Easy has also been hosting a blues night on Sundays.

Just a few doors down, the Blues Iguana coffeeshop has been adding more live music with the soulful, jazzy sounds of Marissa Dodge and George Buckner. They’re scheduled to play a few Thursday dates (no show tonight, however, due to illness). Glenn “SmittyG” Smith played his Narada Weeps tunes there a couple nights ago and should be back the first Tuesday in March. The cozy place also has open mic shows.

Down at Music City Texas Theater in Linden the annual winter bluegrass show features East Texas regional favorites Hickory Hill and special guest Roy Hale. The pickin’ starts at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday. Bluegrass is also the theme for an upcoming concert hosted by the Hope-Hempstead Chamber of Commerce. Headliners are Eddie and Martha Adcock, who’ve been consummate bluegrass musicians for decades and played internationally. The show starts at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 19, at Fair Park Community Center.

Then at the end of the month on Saturday, Feb. 26 ,the Perot Theatre series continues with some dynamic and youthful tap dancing: the dance troupe Rhythmic Circus and its “Feet Don’t Fail Me Now” show. Joining these four fabulous dancers are seven musicians and it should be a funky good, toe-tapping time.

- Aaron Brand

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A couple firsts.

I finally saw a set by North Carolina band American Aquarium here in Texarkana, an event that took far too long to realize. I’ll be seeing them again, I imagine. The late Sunday night show at Fat Jack’s saw the fellas in fine form, playing songs from their new album “Small Town Hymns,” as well as some earlier material. I enjoyed their album and its songs about longing to leave home and bad romance—something in their unadorned, straight-ahead delivery makes these themes feel fresher and honest. Seeing them live, however, on a cool night at Jack’s really brought out the band’s charm and swagger and sense of fun. American Aquarium inspired some unique dancing in front of the Fat Jack’s stage, and even when BJ Barham, alone with just his acoustic guitar, pulled out some sad ditties of one-night stands beneath the bar lights, it was done with a smile. Look for the band to be back in town around the first of the new year.

Another first was catching a play performed by the Texas High Little Theatre Company. Cast and crew staged an engaging production of “Over the River and Through the Woods” at the Sullivan Performing Arts Center’s John Thomas Theatre this past Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. I caught Saturday night’s show. This was also the first time I’ve seen theater at the spacious, new Texas High venue, and though I wasn’t sure how a play would feel on this stage I thought that it served the set well and I felt the action engaged the audience. The Joe DiPietro play is a comedic, heartwarming tale with a serious undercurrent to it about cross-generational family ties. The cast on this night—Aaron Harper, Travis Helmstetler, Kelsey Townsend, Robert Morris, Brooke Hubbard, and Jazmine Harrison—made it a heartfelt, emotionally affecting story. Kudos to director Michelle Robinson.

- Aaron Brand

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Caught last night’s Agent Ribbons show at Fat Jack’s on State Line, and the trio of Natalie Gordon on guitar and vocals, Lauren Hess on drums and vocals, and Naomi Cherie on the violin truly offered something altogether unique and thrilling and, for this venue, something very different indeed. What a welcome and wonderful change. Agent Ribbons, now Austin-based after moving from Sacramento, Calif., create a dramatic, theatrical presence on stage—at once raw and fine-tuned intense in the same breath, particularly with Gordon’s penetrating vocals and slashing guitar working in tandem with Cherie’s blazing (but not overpowering) violin. Hess’ drumming anchors the whole sweet deal. All three are excellent musicians. And when I first walked into the club about 20 minutes before show time, I saw two of them practicing outside in the parking lot. Good sign. Excellent band. Hard to classify their music, and that’s a great thing. Their new album, “Chateau Crone,” comes out on Antenna Farm Records in October. (I hope to get a review in at a later date, and on first listen it’s just as compelling as the band’s live show.)

- Aaron Brand

Agent Ribbons, seen here in a submitted promo photo by Christopher Fairman, rocked Fat Jack's Sunday night, even without boxing gloves.

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So thankful I got out to see The Speedbumps play Sunday night at Fat Jack’s because it’s one of the best live shows I’ve seen here in recent years. The Northeast Ohio band plays mesmerizing, low-key acoustic music with eclectic instrumentation (cello, piano, ukulele, and upright bass, for example) and great energy. Listening to The Speedbumps you can tell they are serious students of music as well as enthusiastic performers. They put heart into a live show. Lead singer and lyricist Erik Urycki crafts thoughtful, reflective songs. The Speedbumps are one of a number of unique indie acts to roll through town recently, and this is a great development for Texarkana music. Of course, it’s not exactly new that Texarkana draws some interesting indie music (we’ve been doing that for quite a while). But the recent steady stream of it is appreciated. Hopefully, this band will mosey through town again; they posted a note to their Facebook page today calling Texarkana a “new home away from home,” so good work, Texarkana music fans, on showering them with some good vibes and attention.

- Aaron Brand

The Speedbumps are shown here in this submitted publicity photo. They played Fat Jack's Sunday night.

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There’s a whole lot happening musically this weekend and into next week. One big show on tap is the rocking country of Brantley Gilbert. He lands at Shooters Sports Bar on Saturday night, and that venue also hosts its 4th Annual Biker Bash on Sunday with bands, a poker run, crawfish boil, and auction. Fat Jack’s has Synergistic (they are busy) tonight and Crooked Halo on Saturday. Tomorrow night at Club Next it’s Housecore Records artist Warbeast and local rockers Psylo; Psylo has been working on a new single and CD for Covered Bridge Records. Off the Line hosts an open jam with Andi on Saturday, and The Wooden Indian has Alan Fox Band Saturday night.

Then on Sunday night The Sideshow Tragedy brings a new album to town for a CD release show at Fat Jack’s. They are a unique, compelling, Austin-based band. Equally impressive is musician and singer Amanda Shires, who is also known for her work with The Thrift Store Cowboys; her album “West Cross Timbers” was picked by No Depression community members as one of the top 50 of 2009. She brings her beautiful voice to town for a show at Pop’s Place next Thursday night.

That’s just a few of the upcoming bands and local musicians playing in the next week. For more live music options, check the Gazette’s weekly listing of music, arts, and events happening in the region; you can find it online: Best Bets.

- Aaron Brand

Amanda Shires, seen here in a promo photo, is coming to Texarkana for a Thursday show at Pop's Place starting at 8 p.m.

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A few music notes to pass along your way. If you saw the North Carolina-based band American Aquarium at Club Next at the end of February and liked the sound you may want to check out their new album, “Small Town Hymns,” which just came out this past Saturday. The band’s straight ahead, alt-country, roots rock approach to music has garnered plenty of praise, and according to a schedule released by the band they’ll be coming back to Texarkana for a Sunday, June 27, show at Fat Jack’s.

Also, now free from their deal with Warner Music, the Tyler, Texas-based band Eisley will be playing relatively local on their “Mild Mild Midwest Tour,” which brings them to Shreveport, La., on June 23, and then Little Rock, Ark., the next day, June 24. In Shreveport they play at The Collective, 1262 Dalzell Street, with a 7:30 p.m. showtime. It’s an all-ages show.

Right here in Texarkana this weekend: Voodoo Cowboy (Friday) and Too Far Gone (Saturday) at Fat Jack’s, Ms. Mac and the Groovetones go acoustic at Lee’s Catfish on Friday, Chasing Rita on Friday at Hopkins Icehouse, The Inside on Saturday at The Road Map. See the Gazette’s Best Bets on Friday for a listing of places to see, events to attend, and bands to make you get down and dance.

- Aaron Brand

North Carolina band American Aquarium looking relaxed in this submitted photo from the band.

The band Eisley will be playing dates in Shreveport and Little Rock in June. Submitted photo.

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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:

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