Ok let me preface this by saying, this is the first review I have written in almost 6 months. It took local band Whale Fire kicking ass at White Water to get me back into the whole Little Rock Live Music thing. If it were not for Lizzie, this site would have been finished a long time ago. First off thanks goes out to her for keeping this thing alive and second, thanks goes out to Whale Fire for being the next best thing Little Rock's scene has to offer. If you missed tonight's show, you missed out. The first time I saw Whale Fire they were filling in for Isaac Alexander's cancelled show at White Water several months ago. Honestly, they were not that great then.
I have no idea what happened between now and then but seriously, they get better every time I see them. I remember catching another White Water show after that and a ground breaking show at Juanita's a few months ago. These guys must rehearse forty hour weeks because I have never seen a band turn around so fast. Unfortunately I missed the last couple of shows at Circa '76 and downtown. I am half battling a cold and I was still not going to miss the show at White Water for anything.
They definitely did not disappoint the several people that made it out Saturday night. The rumor mill has them playing another time in April and a possible Riverfest outing in May. An album or possible EP is in the works and I cannot wait to see what they come up with. The next time they play, don't miss them. Seriously.
www.myspace.com/whalefire
-T
“There’s something real magical about this town, but at the same time not cause people kind of get stuck here, but maybe that’s just my jaded opinion. Maybe that’s why it’s so magical. Maybe it’s just for us.” -Andy Conrad in Towncraft
I always find myself mentioning the documentary Towncraft. It’s about time I actually put my thought about it on here. Again, these are just thoughts I’ve had over the last couple years since I saw it in 2006, and I know things will be a bit long, but I’ve got a lot of thoughts on the matter.
Towncraft is so much more than just a documentary. It’s Little Rock. It’s the music. It’s the scene. Most importantly though, it’s the people here that make it what it is. If any of these integral components went missing, this wouldn’t be the scene that embraced so many youth about twenty years ago, and it still wouldn’t be the scene that has taken in me and countless other native & non-native Arkansans. Little Rock is still a diamond in the rough to most, but those who have experienced what it has to offer know that it’s priceless.
One of my regrets in life is that I wasn’t born earlier. Yes I know that was not in my control, but to be a 14, 15, or 16 year old when the punk era took off in Little Rock would have been downright kickass. Instead I was born shortly before things took off. However, those involved in the movement were young, talented, and needed a creative outlet. Punk had hit the kids in Little Rock, and that’s pretty much all it took to propel them on one crazy life journey after another. Several key bands formed, the most notable Trusty, and the scene caught like wildfire with the youth who didn’t want to stay at home. Instead shows were booked at the DMZ, which changed its name several times over the years to settle on Vino’s. This was instrumental because rather large name punk acts at the time traveled through, and the local bands got to open for them. I suppose you could say it was the best of both worlds for everyone.
The movement quickly gained momentum with mere teenagers touring the country. I know it’s not completely unheard of these days, but in the late 80s and early 90s it wasn’t seen often at all. As the slightly older bands were dispersing Little Rock, a new crop of bands arose. I believe the scene started out with about five recurring bands and in the span of a few short years multiplied four or five fold. All of these bands created rabid followings, and it was these fans and musicians alike that made this time in Little Rock special and unique.
Enter 1993 & 1994 and Soophie Nun Squad was born. I could go on about them for quite some time because they are my favorite band to come from Little Rock. Instead, I’ll leave a few fun facts about them and continue on. Nate Powell is an accomplished comic book author/illustrator. Soophie always had anywhere between 6-12 members. The shows weren’t necessarily shows but more of a spectacle. You never knew what to expects, but always knew it’d be a great time. They are severely missed by their fans, and hopefully will hold a reunion show in the future. I, along with many others, can only hope.
Fast forward another couple years and Little Rock is taken by storm with Max Recordings. (Thank you Burt Taggart!) Max has fostered an amazing group of musicians such as American Princes, The Big Cats, Sugar & The Raw, Kevin Kerby & Battery, and countless others. The label was initially started to try and help Arkansas musicians either get out of the state, stay here because of family, or simply just to help them stay put in a place they love. I know many of these artists personally, and they all seem to be exceedingly happy about the paths that they’ve chosen.
I started heavily going out to shows in Little Rock when I was 15. I used to be a fixture at Vino’s when it was a massive hangout in a large room of second hand smoke, but what venue back then wasn’t. Sure, I’ll probably be one of those unlucky people who will develop lung cancer or another respiratory ailment because of it all, but it was worth it. Some of my best times were at Vino’s and Juanita’s, and I often find myself wondering what those walls would say if they could talk. Those were my glory days along with countless others. I often wish to relive some of them, but knowing it’s impossible to do so, I forge ahead.
Upon someone turning 21 in Little Rock, several new venues open up to them. White Water Tavern (in the great hands of Matt White & co.), Sticky Fingerz, and shows once in a while at the Rev Room & Juanita’s cater to those who can legally drink. White Water books acts off the beaten path and almost always has live music 4-5 nights a week. It truly is a gem among the fodder of everyday life. The other venues tend to book better known acts, and that’s totally fine by me. It’s nice to see we can get some of those larger acts at smaller venues. I always anticipate the intimacy these shows offer. While none of these places are really prevalent in the documentary, who’s to say they won’t be mentioned if another film is made 10 years down the road.
Now deep in the latter half of the 2000s, Little Rock has seen a resurgence of those who started the scene Towncraft depicts. Sure they’re in their 30s or a little older, but that doesn’t mean they still can’t rock. I saw Burt Taggart and The Big Cats blow the roof off White Water several months ago, even though his priority these days is his family. It’s so cool to see these musicians back to doing what they love to do. It’s also great to know that the scene isn’t dead in the slightest due to a couple new record labels, Thick Syrup & Last Chance Records, and the growing amount of talented new musicians out there.
If any of my ramblings have appealed to you, I wholeheartedly recommend buying or borrowing Richard Matson’s documentary, Towncraft. It has changed how I view things. I have met a lot of great people from it, and it’s just amazingly well done. Towncraft is not some mystical idea. We are Towncraft.
--L
P.S. I'll update with show related things when I go to some. It's been a while, but I'm really looking forward to getting back in to things.
Towncraft
(Photo from the Towncraft website)
These are just some of my musings on one of the newest up and coming venues in town.
Circa 76 is located at 1910 W. 3rd Street. It's easy to miss, but if you ever went to The Italian Couple, you could find it easily. Anyways, the store is located in a place easily accessible to people from all different parts of Little Rock. It's literally a couple blocks away from the State Capitol Building so that shows you how centrally located it is. It's not the largest place, but it has a pretty decent selection of vinyl, cds, and cassettes. The other thing that amazes me to no end is that Joey, the owner, has a good selection of music from local musicians. I'm glad to see the support is there for them.
This record store is multi-faceted. While it serves to sell and trade music, it also boasts a place where bands can practice and play shows. I believe Joey might have some recording equipment as well, but that's the one fact I'm not sure of. Nonetheless, this place seems to be a jack of all trades.
I've been there several times now and have caught a few shows. The one thing that truly stands out in my mind is that it is an honest to goodness all ages venue. I went there this weekend to catch Magic Hassle and there were several kids there under the age of ten. I thought that was ridiculously cool, and I'm glad there is a place that doesn't exclude anyone based solely on age. Each show that I've heard about tends to book a local act or two and then a touring one. I don't know if that's the strict formula for all the shows, but it seems to be working. Cover is usually a reasonable $5 and the shows are fun. You never know who you'll see down there and that's half the fun of things.
I sincerely hope this place stays open for the long haul. It's nice to have another record store in town. I like getting away from White Water and the places in the heart of downtown and Circa 76 offers a great alternative to everywhere else. So keep up the good work Joey, and I encourage everyone to check it out, even if it is only to buy a record or just go to a show. I believe they'd be happy to have anyone stop by.
For a list of upcoming shows you should go to their home page. Read up on the place and most importantly have fun there. It's laid back and a nice departure from the humdrum, every day, normal life.
--L
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