TEXARKANA, Texas - Local quintet Jawbone hasn't performed on the Perot Theatre stage in a couple of years, but the band will remedy that with a concert Saturday, Aug. 24.
For this benefit show to help the Texarkana Regional Arts and Humanities Council, Jawbone's crew joins forces with special guests the Pleasant Grove Showstoppers and Stateline Avenue Horns. Show time is 8 p.m.
Despite missing last year when the band took a break, Jawbone have made a steady tradition of these late summer, back-to-school shows. After years of playing regularly, they simply needed a break, explains Jawbone's Paul Whitt.
"We took off almost a full year-and-a-half," said Whitt. That allowed members to work on their own music projects and spend time with family and other hobbies, he said.
"I think when we got back together, it kind of renewed interest for all of us," Whitt said. They realized they still enjoyed making music and having a good time together. "And also I think that the people that follow us in Texarkana, they were kind of glad to see us back."
They started back up with rehearsals early in the year and had a first show back at Hopkins Icehouse. They started talking with TRAHC about getting back to the Perot, and so here they are.
"This is going to be similar to what it's been like before as far as the bulk of this goes to benefit TRAHC and then part of it will also benefit Arkansas Children's Hospital," Whitt said. The performers are all working the show for free, too.
A new addition is the group of local horn players: Bass Deese and Buddy Deese both on trumpet, Ed Grissom on trombone and Gary Meggs on saxophone. That's a quartet of top local band teachers. "All of them are fabulous musicians," Whitt said.
Their presence adds horns to songs Jawbone traditionally plays, but it also brings something new to the mix for this longtime band.
"It allows us to do some songs that we would just never do before," Whitt said. "Like we're going to do some old Chicago tunes, and you know those songs are so heavy with the brass section. They're just so exciting with these guys because they do such a good job."
It's also exciting to put four additional musicians on stage for many numbers. "That's probably the newest thing that we're doing this year and we're super excited about that," Whitt said.
Jawbone's band lineup now includes Whitt on keys, bass and vocals; Lisa Childress on vocals; Meko Radomski on drums; Curt Richardson on guitar, bass and vocals; and Sean Womack on guitar and vocals.
They'll shift a little bit from the dance music Jawbone's known for playing and focus more on the rock and roll this time. So expect to hear the likes of Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith and U2.
"That will be kind of fun because some of those old rock songs are really interesting to do," Whitt said, noting newer material from Bruno Mars, Elle King and OneRepublic will land on the playlist, too. Still, they'll be more rock than pop for these artists.
Look for video elements to be incorporated into the production. Jawbone has a production crew of Craig Forand and Casey Lauterbach to work on that aspect of a live show.
"Even though they're cover tunes, all of them are cover tunes it's still neat music that maybe people have never heard it done live or if they have it's been a long time. It makes it interesting to be able to do live and have a lot of different looks for everybody," Whitt said.
(Tickets: $15 advance, $20 at the door; $40 for VIP concert and Pecan Point Brewing after party. More info and ticket purchase: TRAHC.org or 903-792-4992.)