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Recently a couple new venues have emerged in the music scene in Little Rock.  Along with the tried and true venues that we know and love, Union and The Town Pump have entered the arena.  They've been booking shows now since fall of last year, but are now just coming to the attention of people in town.  It's not a competition at all, hell I'm just happy to see some new places open and furthering awesome music.  I chose the image because I think of Union as having class, and Town Pump as a grittier character, but both have similar qualities.  Even if it was a battle to see who would win, I couldn't decide because I like both places equally well.

I'll start with Union.  It's not your typical venue.  Union is a tapas bar at the bottom of Cantrell Road right behind The Red Door.  It boasts some of the best tapas in town, and to this date I've only had the hummus, but it was amazing! 

However, on to the shows.  Mike Poe, seasoned Little Rock scene veteran, is booking shows down there.  To this date, all shows have been free, which is certainly an appealing factor to them.  He's booked all types of genres so far, from crazy electronic/DJ duo Rural War Room, to the beautiful indie musical styling of The Blue Hit.  He's also booked hard hitting rock guys, Josh & The Devil Sinners.  So, there is definitely not a preference to one type of music to another.  In fact, he's encouraging bands to play there. 

The venue itself is pretty airy.  It offers a smoking environment after 9pm and has superb ventilation.  I could barely tell it was a smoking venue when I was there which was pleasantly nice.  There are tables to sit at and room to dance, so I suggest everyone go there at least once.  Shows usually run from 10-1 and drinks & tapas are aplenty. 

The Town Pump has come under new management and offers a bit more of a bar setting for shows.  Think White Water but a little less worn in & dirty.  They've been booking shows left and right it seems, and I'm glad there is another venue to see music in town.

I've been to several shows down there and my only complaint is the set up of the bar versus the venue itself.  The bar is ill placed as soon as you walk in, constricting the flow of traffic down to a narrow trickle between the game side and the music side.  They offer shuffleboard, pool, and foozball on one side of the bar, and the stage is on the other side.  Besides that one thing, it's a great place.  It offers drink specials every night, karaoke on Tuesdays, and great vittles until, I believe, 1am. 

They've booked the likes of local acts Frown Pow'r, Brother Andy & His Big Damn Mouth, and several out of band towns now.  I look forward to seeing what else they book in the future.  They offer a smokers' patio, and a down home cozy feeling. 

I wish both of these venues much luck in the coming future, and can't wait to see if they catch on a bit more with the masses in Little Rock.  Until then, happy show going!


(Photos belong to Warner Bros. & Paramount Pictures respectively)

I've purposely delayed writing about this specific band for a little over a week now.  Dallas, Texas' own Cadillac Sky played for no more than twenty people at Juanita's last week.  It's a very rare occasion that a band wows me so much that I don't say anything right off the bat, which is an amazing feeling. 

Cadillac Sky is a five man strong powerhouse of a band.  They bring mandolin, banjo, fiddle, and lap steel to the table, just to name a few of their huge arsenal of instruments.  Together, these men comprise one of the most entertaining and vibrant, non-traditional bluegrass bands I have ever seen.  I've been exposed to my fair share of bluegrass being from the South, but this was literally the best form I've seen to date.

Mixing a righteous amount of funk and a handful of indie stylings, Cadillac Sky has blended three superb genres of music in to one that left the audience in a jaw dropping stupor.  We all agreed when they finished their set that we wanted more, but tour deadlines and a late night weren't conducive to this desire.  I'm just thankful I had the distinct pleasure to see them.

I knew from the first mandolin heavy song of their set that I'd like them.  With very little exposure to the group before the show, I wasn't quite sure what I was getting in to.  Add a banjo player who can pluck catchy, funk riffs from the traditional instrument, and you have all the fixings to make a band that awed me.

Bryan Simpson was the predominate lead vocalist, but duties were shared with David Mayfield, Jessica Lea's brother.  However, don't let the famous sister throw you for a loop, David most definitely held his own and kept the Mayfield name untarnished.  These guys are so talented to the point where I kept wondering what they would do next.  All five of the guys were multi-instrumentalists as far as I could see, and one could never guess which guy would play what instrument next.  By this point, my mind has officially been blown in the best possible way.

To cinch the deal, and make me a fan for the long haul, Simpson did a heart stopping, beautifully poignant rendition of Death Cab For Cutie's, "I Will Follow You In To The Dark."  I am not a huge Death Cab fan, but I have heard Ben Gibbard's version and must say Simpson left him in his wake.  The guys went unplugged, including no mic, and time seemingly stopped for those three and a half minutes.  It was a beautiful cover, and I'll leave it at that.

These men have been busy with three CD's and an EP to their name.  They are currently touring in support of their newest endeavor produced by Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys. I'm anxiously awaiting the new CD, and I know several of the people who were at the show with me are also thrilled for it to be released. I wish these humble and gifted musicians the best of luck for the future and can only wait and hope that they will come back through town to wow some more people. 

-L

(Photo from Cadillacsky.net)