Page 4 – Lovely County Citizen – February 13, 2014

THANKYOU

We want to thank everyone who sent thebeautiful flowers and plants, food, your cards,notes, calls and visits, and those who made

donations to the American Diabetes Associationin David’s name.

Special thanks to Tim Garrison,Marvin Peterson, and

the Faith Christian Family Church.

From Family Of David Bland

By kristal kuykendallCitizen.Editor.Eureka@gmail.com

Did you know Eureka Springs has a “sound”?

Well, it’s turned out that way, some would say.

A major player of that Eureka Springs sound is Springbilly, one of seven acts per-forming at this Saturday’s Third Annual Midwinter Hometown Jam, hosted by the Chamber of Commerce and held at The Au-ditorium.

Springbilly, one might say, is kind of like Eureka Springs’ rotating house band.

The group, which could be described as hillbilly punk rock with a bluegrass feel, has played at venues all over Eureka during its five years of existence, which has seen the band’s membership change a few times and has seen dozens of local musicians sit in here and there.

“Springbilly is an amorphous blob of Eu-reka Springs musicians,” explains the band’s co-founder, guitarist and vocalist Travis Gra-ham.

That’s what makes a Springbilly show so much fun and so intensely energetic: Those musicians who come, come to play – and play hard. (They play so hard, in fact, that Graham breaks multiple strings nearly every Monday at the band’s weekly gig at Chelsea’s Corner; his penchant for breaking strings has become a running joke among fans and bar employees.)

For about the last year, the line-up of Springbilly has consisted of Graham; co-founder and banjo player Cameron Dun-away; bassist Mark “Slim” Nelson; and gui-tarist/vocalist Ratliff Dean Thiebaud. The group often also includes a guest fiddler as well as a friend on dobro, mandolin and/or lap steel guitar. Until last November, Eureka Springs fiddler (and vocalist) Blayne Thei-baud also was a regular member; since he moved away, Chuck Onofrio has been sit-ting in on the so-called “Devil’s box.”

Springbilly’s music will appeal to fans of Mountain Sprout, Split Lip Rayfield, Dead-man Flats, Doc Watson, and Hank 3. The group’s raucous, bluegrass-flavored songs feature rambunctious lyrics with a big atti-tude: a rebel, hillbilly, in-your-face spirit that is typical of the independent-minded moun-tain-dwellers of the Ozarks.

Springbilly injects an irresistible ener-gy and intensity into every measure of ev-ery track, prompting audience members to want – no, need – to dance. That’s why club owners and Eureka Springs music fans alike know: For a raucous, good time — and to hear and feel the sound and spirit of this small city — call Springbilly.

• • •The chamber’s Midwinter Hometown

Jam features seven acts, each performing a

20-minute set before they all come together at the end of the evening for a jam session finale — which was a very special highlight of last year’s show.

“Eureka Springs is one of the best live music cities in the state,” said Mike Bishop, president and CEO of the chamber and an entertainer himself. “We have such a vari-ety of entertainment venues, clubs, theaters, festivals, and of course the City Auditorium that feature live music. To compliment that, we are home to an abundance of gifted sing-ers, musicians, entertainers and groups. The Midwinter Hometown Jam is a way to in-crease awareness and promote the continua-tion of live music, as well as recognize some of the area’s best.”

Tickets are $12 at the door with children under 12 admitted free. Advance tickets can be purchased at the Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center in the Village at Pine Moun-tain for only $10. For more information call 479-253-8737.

Following are glimpses at each of the groups performing at this weekend’s Jam:

SARAH HUGHES BANDAcclaimed singer/songwriter Sarah

Hughes is a native of Forrest City — as her songs about growing up in the Delta South will attest to — but for the past decade or so her music as well as her life have been based in Fayetteville. (She also has a few songs that reference the City of Seven Hills, such as the track “No Seat Belt” that mentions Dickson Street.)

Hughes’ band has morphed several times through the years, but it has allowed her the flexibility to draw on the region’s best tal-ent to help bring her heartfelt, upbeat sto-ry-songs to audiences all over the state. Their work has drawn much praise from music critics, fans and their peers alike, garnering the Sarah Hughes Band induction into the Northwest Arkansas Music Awards Hall of Fame in 2012.

Hughes’ musical beginnings can be traced to her father, a guitar player himself, who taught her the basics during her teenage years. The powerful Southern voice anchor-ing her folk-rock style has drawn compari-sons to Neil Young, Bonnie Raitt, and Lucin-da Williams. She draws from such diverse influences as Gillian Welch, Wilco, Bob Dylan, The Grateful Dead, & Widespread

Panic, resulting in a sound that houses tradi-tional country storytelling in steady rhythms & strumming with some southern jam-rock on the side.

In November 2012, the Sarah Hughes Band released its first live album, titled “Live: No Chaser.” The record captures the band’s raw energy as it performs a mixture of songs from the two previous albums along with some new, unrecorded originals. Her songs are humorous, thoughtful, and deliv-ered in a sexy twang that makes you say, “She’s got it!”

On Saturday, expect to hear mostly orig-inals and perhaps a cover of someone like Gillian Welch, Neil Young or The Dead, Hughes said this week. We’re keeping our fingers crossed for Hughes’ “Bees,” and as for covers, we’re hoping to hear Hughes belt out Welch’s “Miss Ohio,” which the Fayette-villian calls “one of the most beautiful songs ever.”

For more information or to listen to Hughes’ music, check out the Sarah Hughes Band on iTunes or Spotify, or visit www.Sar-ahHughesMusic.com.

SXREXTake some hard-rock drumming, blues-in-

fluenced bass lines and a heavy dose of Celt-ic and folk musical flavor -- and a mandolin to boot -- and what do you get? A band from Eureka Springs called SxRex, featuring one of the most unique and melodic folk-rock sounds you’ve heard in a while.

SxRex -- pronounced S-X-Rex — is a three-piece folk-rock group featuring soul-ful, on-the-mark lead vocals by personable and fun-to-watch frontman Josh Bower, who also plays mandolin and guitar, depend-ing on the song. His brother, Chris Bower, a contributing songwriter, mans a mean bass guitar and contributes vocals as well. Young-est brother Nick drives the drum-kit and is a contributing songwriter.

All three add their own flavor to the band’s overall sound and the development of the group’s scores of original tracks, which range in sound from straight-out rock to Celtic-flavored folk-rock and progres-sive-bluegrass tunes.

The group is known for long, variety-filled sets that include trippy instrumentals -- think Ireland’s answer to Widespread Panic, plus psychedelics -- and songs with musical

Midwinter Jam: The sounds of Eureka

February 13, 2014 – Lovely County Citizen – Page 5

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themes covering a wide range of genres, in-cluding Celtic rock (a la Flogging Molly and the Pogues), modern blues-rock (a la The Black Keys), reggae (a la Bob Marley), and progressive jam-grass (a la Mumford and Sons or Trampled By Turtles). They even have a comically heart-felt country song about a dog.

SxRex also covers a wide range of pop-ular hits, including tracks by Queens of the Stone Age, The Black Keys, The Misfits, Rage Against The Machine, Scissor Sisters, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Ween and Mumford and Sons, among others.

But it is the band’s originals — particu-larly tracks such as “1879,” “Dolphin Rid-er” and “Conifer” — that truly reveal these musicians’ depth and talent. Check them out for yourself at www.ReverbNation.com/sx-rex.

THE ARIELSThe Ariels formed in 1978 when a group

of friends in Eureka Springs discovered how much they loved making music to-gether. The group derived their name from a 1950s British motorbike, another passion shared by the founders. Over the years some of the faces have changed, but the joy of playing is as fresh as ever, they say.

The Ariels were voted Eureka’s Favorite Band in 2002 and continue to be the pre-mier choice for many city events and festi-vals. The group’s versatility allows them to glide between many genres. This versatility plus a strong local fan base make the Ariels a favorite for clubs, Eureka Springs Jazz Fest, and Eureka Springs Blues Fest.

Rock n’ Roll, Rhythm and Blues origi-nals and interesting arrangements of classic and current favorites make up the set list of this four-member group that includes Tony Walker on drums, Pat “Bear” Griffith on a funky bass guitar, David Burks on vocals, guitar and harmonica, and Karen FitzPat-rick on sultry lead vocals.

KEVIN RIDDLEKevin Riddle began his musical journey

at age 5 in his hometown of Fayetteville, playing drums alongside his father in their old spare room for fun.

At age 14, with some inspiration from his grandfathers (one a music aficionado, and the other a DJ), Riddle picked up a gui-tar. He began by teaching himself tunes by his favorite bands, gradually evolving into penning and composing original tunes in-spired by a variety of influences and events.

In 2010, he landed his first paying gig

in at The Balcony Restaurant in Eureka Springs, and he has spent the past few years playing shows at several different venues in Eureka Springs and Fayetteville.

Riddle thrives on music, and it reveals itself in many ways. Whether humming a tune around the house, playing air drums in his vehicle, or performing a live show, mu-sic is his medicine, he says.

Riddle is currently working on produc-ing an album with mandolinist/vocalist and Eureka native Korey Danley, and he plans to begin working on his own album soon thereafter.

JOSH JENNINGS BANDA band with a hefty dose of country fla-

vor that is also performing Saturday nights is The Josh Jennings Band.

Fayetteville-based Josh Jennings has been writing and recording music for more than 15 years. His songwriting skills earned him the top prize at the 2012 Annual Ozark Folk Festival held here in Eureka Springs, and he performed in the main event in 2013.

In June 2012, Josh Jennings Band re-leased its debut album, “Ol’ Car,” which has received great reviews and is being played on Spotify and Pandora as well as local country radio.

Teaming up with lead vocalist, guitarist and frontman Jennings is Bob Alexander, a seasoned flat-picker who adds a lot of drive to their sound, and Kris Hurt holds down the rhythm with upbeat, walking bass lines.

The group performs all originals, but they have a familiar feel and sound to them — likely thanks to the nature of Jennings’ songwriting.

To check out Josh Jennings Band’s sound, visit www.ReverbNation.com/Josh-Jennings100.

THE MEDICINE MAN SHOWThe Medicine Man Show’s sound is a

conglomeration of folk, rock, and roots mu-sic, combined with an old-time tent meet-ing feel.

The band started in 2006, in an Irish pub in Branson, Mo., as a way to celebrate the end of the week’s hard work; it has since grown into a lifelong friendship of musi-cians and music fans all over the Southwest.

The Medicine Man Show is comprised of members Brennan Crim (lead vocals and guitar), James MaCall (vocals and percus-sion), Todd Plympton (upright bass, electric and vocals). The band will be performing at the 2nd Annual Peach Tree Festival in Crane, Mo., this May.