Texarkana Entertainment Blog

Looks like it’s gonna be another gorgeous weekend for Texarkana, but that doesn’t mean all the fun is outdoors. Here are a few options for local live music lovers.

The Fallow, hailing from New Castle, Ind., are a band that touts their eclectic rock sound. They’ll actually be playing Hopkins Icehouse both tonight and tomorrow night, Friday, with no cover for tonight’s show. Catch some of their video blogs here at their YouTube channel: The Fallow Band. Saturday night it’s Synergistic going unplugged at Hopkins.

1 Nite Stand plays at the venue they consider “home” on Friday night. That’s Fat Jack’s Oyster and Sports Bar. Tonight at Fat Jack’s it’s Donnie Dodson with Dim Lit Daylight coming back to town for a Saturday night show. Check out some of the endearing Dim Lit music here at their Website: Dim Lit Daylight.

Saturday night brings all-ages metal madness momentum to the Blues Iguana Coffeehouse downtown on East Broad Street. Vaste Burai, Sheeple, Flatline and Obscured Perception will rock the night on the Arkansas side. Attend early for a catfish dinner.

Speaking of live, there’s live poetry Thursday nights at The Big Easy just a few doors down from the Iguana. Open mic music can be enjoyed on Sundays at the club.

As well, here in town Friday night it’s regional act Jason Helms with his band opening for Micky & the Motorcars at Shooters Sports Bar. Lee’s Catfish has Colt Baker Friday night and Timothy’s Grill has Trey Johnson and the Droppers on Saturday night.

Down in Atlanta, Texas, at the Wooden Indian it’s Tildon Gillum for Saturday night. And at Bar C Club in Domino, Texas, the same night it’s Texas Smoke Band.

- Aaron Brand

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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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Friday night’s big headliner at Shooters Sports Bar is none other than Arkansas country musician Justin Moore (he is from itty bitty Poyen), who has a new song out (“If Heaven Wasn’t so Far Away”) and an album due to arrive later this year.

Hopkins Icehouse has Josh McGee of Nacogdoches, Texas, playing his folk and roots-inspired tunes Friday night, then Dean Agus on Saturday night. For Fat Tuesday next week, celebrate letting loose for Mardi Gras with those terrific troubadours Dave Almond and Trey Johnson.

Trey Johnson plays with the Droppers Saturday night at Timothy’s Grill. Friday night at Skyward Jazz Lounge there’s a BYOB, old school house party for the 25 and up set. Just a few door down on Sunday night it’s live blues and R&B at The Big Easy.

Fat Jack’s has L.A. Outlaw Friday night and Synergistic Saturday night. For Fat Tuesday it’s Strangelove playing those ’80s hits.

Marissa Dodge and George Buckner play at the Blues Iguana Friday night starting at 8 p.m. Later this month (March 25, to be exact), that downtown venue hosts Jasper McAdams, Nude Beach and locals Mark Meadows and his band Ida Myrtis.

The Wooden Indian has the glam outfit Butt Roxx on Saturday night. The Inside plays at The Road Map the same night for a Mardi Gras gig.

Dave’s Skatepark has an all-ages show coming up on Friday, March 18, headed up by a band (Arabrot) who come here all the way from Oslo, Norway. On their Facebook page, they list their genre as “hard noiserock.” Interesting. They’ll be joined by Wizard Rifle from Portland, OR, and our very own Giganto.

Check Best Bets on Fridays to see what’s happening in music.

Music: local and alive.

Got some live music to recommend? Let us know here.

- 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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Texarkana has live music aplenty this weekend, including a Saturday night date at Shooters Sports Bar for Reckless Kelly, the Austin-based roots rock band that released a solid, heartfelt new CD, “Somewhere in Time,” earlier this year. I’ll have a brief review in tomorrow’s Accent page of this album, which honors Idaho singer-songwriter Pinto Bennett, who served as an inspiration to the Braun brothers who head the band. Also playing live this weekend: Ms. Mac and the Groovetones at La Fogata on Friday, the Craws for a Cause benefit show at Hopkins Icehouse on Saturday (music by Taylor Parrish Band, Something Blue, and Chris Cleghorn, according to the Hopkins Icehouse Facebook page), and Trey and Dave tonight and Ronnie Bear on Friday night at Fat Jack’s. See Best Bets on Friday for a rundown on live music and other entertainment happenings coming up. Edited to add: Also playing is Coyote Blue (final show) on Saturday at Music City Texas.

- Aaron Brand

Submitted photo of Reckless Kelly's CD cover for "Somewhere in Time," the band's February release.

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The reign appears over for Purple Rain. That’s the way it looks with what started out as an upscale, downtown Texarkana dance club and live music venue now closed for remodeling. The club’s MySpace page indicates a place called Doc’s Midnight Saloon is on its way to replace Purple Rain in a few weeks. Otherwise, no word yet on what’s afoot. The East Broad Street spot in the old Belk-Jones Department Store building was certainly something different for Texarkana with its purple-themed interiors, cavernous dance floor area, and upstairs VIP lounge. It opened in June but never seemed to catch on in the way the owners must have hoped. Just at first glance, it looks like the new club will be more in tune with what’s typically popular in Texarkana. Stay tuned for more.

- Aaron Brand

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