BECCA MARTIN-BROWN
bmartin@nwadg.com
Musician and friend of the NWADG, Sean Harrison writes to give us news of a 57-year-old recording:
In January 1965, the five young band members who had recently taken the country by storm supporting rock-n-roller Ronny Hawkins were playing a gig at the Fondalite Club in downtown Tulsa. They were called Levon and The Hawks. Levon Helm of Arkansas was the only non-Canadian in the group. They didn’t know it yet, but they were just months away from becoming Bob Dylan’s backing band as the folk hero “got electric”. This brief period between Hawkins and Dylan is a revealing piece of American music history. The Hawks became The Band.
“They were already considered the best bar band in the country, but they were going through a few changes at that time,” says Randy Stratton, son of the late Dayton Stratton of Fayetteville, who had managed and booked shows for Levon and The Hawks. . “They were experimenting and working on a new sound that would eventually morph into The Band.”
That night in Tulsa, Dayton Stratton granted permission to a local musician, Connell R. Miller, to record the show at the Fondalite Club. It was a rudimentary setup with a Wollensak reel-to-reel tape recorder and a few cheap microphones placed at the back of the room.
But the group cooked, Miller said. “It would be their last time in the South before leaving for gigs at Tony Mart’s in New Jersey and Canada, where a few months later they would become Bob Dylan’s backing band.”
The recording was rough and heavy with crowd noise. But the 57-year-old band held their own, and local musician Darren Novotny coaxed the audio in using digital sound mixing tools. Miller and Randy Stratton joined forces to produce the CD. It sounds as it should – like a hot band on a cold night in 1965, in a crowded Tulsa music club – and is available for $19.70 via PayPal at thehawks1965@yahoo.com.
Big fucking group
Two-time Blues Music Award-nominated Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band has announced a winter/spring tour that includes stops April 13 at Beer City Music Hall in Oklahoma City; April 14 at Mercury Lounge in Tulsa; and April 16 at the Outland Ballroom in Springfield, Missouri. Buy your tickets at www.bigdamnband.com/shows/.
Nice view
• Jenna and her friends play Jan. 19; Vince Turner plays Jan. 20; Git in the truck plays Jan. 21; and Jeff Fox plays on January 25 at JJ’s, 12 Cunningham Corner. 802-6455. jjsgrill.com/jjsbellavista.
BENTONVILLE
• honey collective performs from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Wednesdays until January 26 at underground bar, 201 NW A Free St. 445-6065; digjazz.com.
EUREKA SPRINGS
• sprungbilly performs at 8:30 p.m. on January 17; there is a open mic night from 8 p.m. on January 18; drink and draw starts at 8 p.m. on January 19; there is a late night jam at 9:30 p.m. on January 20; Whiskey mash occurs at 9 p.m. followed by a late night jam January the 21st; and black mountain fever plays at 9 p.m. followed by a midnight jam January 22 to Chelsea Cafe, 10 Mountain St. Free. 253-8231; chelseascafeureka.com.
• The Hawf Brothers play at 7 p.m. on January 21; and fields of bricks performs at 7 p.m. on January 22 at Wanderoo Lodge & Bar, 216 W.Van Buren. 363-6755; facebook.com/wanderoomodge.
• Tracy Lawrence performs at 7:30 p.m. on January 29; Sierra Ferrel performs at 6 p.m. on February 18; and Lyle Lovett performs at 7:30 p.m. on March 23 at Eureka Springs City Auditorium, 36 S. Main St. 253-7788; theaud.org.
FAYETTEVILLE
• frisky squirrels play Jan. 21; Dirty flannel shirt plays Jan. 28; and feats of strength play on January 29 at JJ’s, 324 W. Dickson Street jjsgrill.com.
• fields of bricks will play from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on January 19 at that of Morano, 2179 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. 935-4800.
• J. Ray Davis performs at 7 p.m. on January 18; Phoenix Saucepan performs at 6 p.m. on January 19; JerGriffin performs at 8 p.m. on January 20; the Cole Birmingham Group plays at 8 p.m. Jan. 21; and David Baxter Band plays at 8 p.m. on January 22 at Cafe Six-Twelve, 3980 W. Wedington Drive. 856-6382; facebook.com/sixtwelvecoffeehouseandbar.
• The Jake Scott the January 18 show is sold out; Kolton Moore and Chayce Beckham play at 8:30 p.m. Jan. 19 ($15-$20); Randall King play with Aaron Copeland at 8:30 p.m. on January 20 ($20); Uncrowned Kings play happy hour at 6 p.m. on Jan. 21 ($8); Pecos and rooftops play with the Laredo Group at 9:30 p.m. on January 21 ($20-$25); and earth bones play with Witch and television preacher 8:30 p.m. on January 22 ($10) at George’s stately living room, 519 W. Dickson Street 527-6618; georgesmajesticlounge.com.
• “Rising Phoenix” will be the next program of the Northwest Arkansas Symphony at 7:30 p.m. on January 22; comic Trey Kennedy brings his “Are You For Real?” Tour” in town at 7 p.m. on February 5; and the Sullivan-Fortner Trio performs at 7:30 p.m. on February 18 at Walton Center for the Arts, 495 W. Dickson Street 443-5600; waltonartscenter.org.
FORT SMITH
• RC and the Ambers play with Kyle Nix and the 38’s and special guest Lance Roark at 7 p.m. on January 22 ($12-$15); and JR Carroll, Drayton Farley and Parker Ryan perform at 7 p.m. on January 29 ($10-$12) at the Majestic, 817 Garrison Ave 551-2424; majesticfortsmith.com.
• The Humorous Brewery Tour visits the river valley at 8 p.m. on January 29 at Fort Smith Brewing Co., 7500 Fort Chaffee Blvd. Tickets are $12 on eventbrite.com. 242-3722; facebook.com/FortSmithBrewing.
• The Cadillac Three with Ben Chapman on Feb. 4 ($20-$30); This arena rock show starts at 8 p.m. Feb. 12 ($15-$25); Frank Foster occurs on February 18 ($20 – $27.50); and Cheat Codes perform Feb. 20 ($22-$27) at temple live, 200 N. 11th St. 222-6186; fortsmith.templelive.com.
• Lyle Lovett brings its acoustic show to Fort Smith at 8:30 p.m. on March 22 at ArcBest Performing Arts Center, 55 S. Seventh St. 788-8932; fortsmithconventioncenter.org.
SPRINGDALE
• Amber and Kevin play on January 19 and Patti Steel January 26 at Basic Brewing, 2470 N.Lowell Road. 717-2231. coreofarkansas.com.
• Ashtyn Barbaree performs at 6 p.m. on January 14; and Simeon Basil plays at 6 p.m. on February 4 at hard black apple cider, 321 E. Emma Ave. Free. 751-0337; facebook.com/blackapplehardcider.
• Bret & Terri play Jan. 20; one for the money performs on January 21; James Payner performs January 24; and Presley Drake plays Jan. 25 at JJ’s, 5320 W. Sunset Ave. 419-9220. jjsgrill.com/jjsspringdale.
TICKETS
• Tickets went on sale Friday for Tab Benoit, show at 8 p.m. on March 10 at temple live, 200 N. 11th St. in Fort Smith. Tickets cost between $30 and $39. 222-6186; fortsmith.templelive.com.
• Tickets also went on sale Friday for The Moving Train Tour with headliners Miranda Lambert and little big city and featuring The Cadillac Three May 8 to Walmart Arkansas Music Pavilion at Rogers. Tickets cost between $40 and $138.50. amptickets.com.
• Tickets for Casting Crowns in concert at 7 pm on March 24 at Simmons Bank Arena in North Little Rock are on sale. Opening acts will be We Are Messengers and Jonathan Traylor. Tickets range from $19.75 to $89.75, on sale at the arena box office and on Ticketmaster.com.
• Tickets for Shinedown in concert April 29 at Simmons Bank Arena in North Little Rock went on sale at 10 a.m. Friday. The first parts will be The Pretty Reckless and Diamante. Tickets range from $39.50 to $79.50, on sale at the Arena box office and on Ticketmaster.com.
• Tickets go on sale at Walmart Arkansas Music Pavilion at Rogers for Tim McGraw, April 29; for KING + COUNTRY, May 21; Jimmy Buffett & The Coral Reefer Band, June 9; Steely Dan with Steve Winwood, June 10; REO and Styx, with Loverboy, June 13; Backstreet Boys, June 17; Chicago and Brian Wilson, June 21; Matchbox 20 with The Wallflowers, June 24; 5 Seconds of Summer, June 28; Keith Urban, August 18; Morgan Wallen, August 26; and Goo Goo Dolls, September 18. amptickets.com.
• Tickets for a Bonnie Raitt and Lucinda Williams concert at 8 p.m. on May 23 at the Robinson Center Performance Hall in Little Rock went on sale Friday at 10 a.m. Pricing was not available at time of printing.
• Tickets are also available for Weird Al Yankovic’s Unfortunate Return of Misguided Vanity tour on May 31 at the Robinson Center Performance Hall in Little Rock. Tickets cost between $39 and $79 on ticketmaster.com.
Send information about your upcoming concerts and events to Becca Martin-Brown, Managing Editor, at bmartin@nwadg.com.