http://www2.nwanews.com/blogs/tunedin Information and updates on the Northwest Arkansas Music scene. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:05:15 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en [caption id="attachment_3597" align="aligncenter" width="396" caption="Geoff Oelsner with his wife and singing partner, Leslie"][/caption] Geoff Oelsner doesn't spend too much time thinking about writing songs. Inspiration, he says, just hits him. He calls them "givens," and he knows that a gift like that is to be used. The songwriter releases his second CD ... http://www2.nwanews.com/blogs/tunedin/2009/11/20/listen-here-first-%e2%80%94-geoff-oelsner-nov-20-bgso/ Composer William Grant Still was not born in Arkansas, but he spent many of his formative years in Little Rock. As for an Arkansan as a respected symphonic music composer, he's as close we get, says John Jeter, music director for the Fort Smith Symphony. Under the leadership of Jeter, the symphony ... http://www2.nwanews.com/blogs/tunedin/2009/11/20/listen-here-%e2%80%94-1120/ [caption id="attachment_3594" align="aligncenter" width="396" caption="Straight Line Stitch"][/caption] Straight Line Stitch will perform at tonight at Drifters, the club. Admission is $10 at the door. The concert is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. http://www2.nwanews.com/blogs/tunedin/2009/11/20/in-the-spotlight-%e2%80%94-straightline-stitch-nov-20-drifters/ For the final number of their concert on the University of Arkansas campus on Wednesday (Nov. 18), the Bowerbirds played in the stairwell of the Arkansas Union. Seriously. They had a proper venue. They spent the bulk of the the night in the Union Theatre in that building on an actual ... http://www2.nwanews.com/blogs/tunedin/2009/11/19/concert-wrap-bowerbirds-nov-18-union-theatre/ [caption id="attachment_3614" align="aligncenter" width="396" caption="Third Eye Blind. All photos by KEVIN KINDER, Northwest Arkansas Newspapers"][/caption] As I was leaving Tuesday (Nov. 17) night’s Third Eye Blind concert, a young man sitting next to me noticed me putting away my notebook. “Are you writing some kind of report?” he asked. When I explained that I ... http://www2.nwanews.com/blogs/tunedin/2009/11/18/concert-wrap-%e2%80%94-third-eye-blind-nov-17-barnhill-arena/ [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OaII3kUn5ug[/youtube] Step back from that ledge, my friend. No need to worry. The wait is almost over. Third Eye Blind is coming here on Tuesday. Well, as we eluded to in this week's Listen Here! music column, there simply wasn't enough room to include all of the details from our e-mail conversation ... http://www2.nwanews.com/blogs/tunedin/2009/11/13/read-more-here-%e2%80%94-third-eye-blind-nov-17-barnhill-arena/ [caption id="attachment_3580" align="aligncenter" width="396" caption="Carman"][/caption] Carman (born Carman Domenic Licciardello) has been around showbiz long enough to know how this works. Just standing around and singing isn't going to cut it. Churches, where the Christian recording artist usually performs, often have their own musicians and no need for such entertainment. Which is why ... http://www2.nwanews.com/blogs/tunedin/2009/11/13/carmans-coming/ [caption id="attachment_3576" align="aligncenter" width="396" caption="Bowerbirds"][/caption] With nonstandard instrumentation and a knack for songwriting, indie rockers Bowerbirds have caught the ears of several of their contemporaries, earning opening slots for bands such as The Mountain Goats and Bon Iver. The neo-folk trio is touring in support of their summer release “Upper Air,” ... http://www2.nwanews.com/blogs/tunedin/2009/11/13/in-the-spotlight-%e2%80%94-bowerbirds-nov-18-union-theater-ua-campus/ [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7VsoxT_FUY[/youtube] George Thorogood may be getting older himself, but that blues guitar work will still make some old women blush. His Web site indicates he'll be coming to the Walton Arts Center on March 7. To the concert announcement that follows, I only have this to say: "B-B-B-Bad!" As in the good ... http://www2.nwanews.com/blogs/tunedin/2009/11/12/on-the-way-%e2%80%94-george-thorogood-march-7-wac/ Today, the doors at the Bentonville and Fayetteville Ben Jack's music stores are closed in tribute to their namesake, Ben Jack. According to the stores' Web site, the founder of those stores passed away unexpectedly on Friday (Nov. 7). The stores are expected to resume normal operation at 10 a.m. Tuesday ... http://www2.nwanews.com/blogs/tunedin/2009/11/09/r-i-p-ben-jack/