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Entertainment and Music in NWA

bobhazor

By bobhazor
in Northwest Arkansas

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masons_dad1 Town

masons_dad1

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What's really needed in NWA is a large outdoor concert stage, but there aren't any parks in NWA big enough or developed enough to support it. I doubt a large enough arena to stage large concerts will ever be built in NWA. It would have to be privately funded and those kinds of funds here usually go toward a new strip mall or golf course.

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thewizard16 Hamlet

thewizard16

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What's really needed in NWA is a large outdoor concert stage, but there aren't any parks in NWA big enough or developed enough to support it. I doubt a large enough arena to stage large concerts will ever be built in NWA. It would have to be privately funded and those kinds of funds here usually go toward a new strip mall or golf course.
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bobhazor Unincorporated Area

bobhazor

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I think, though, we still have a fundamental problem here that trancends the need for large venues...the problem still lies in the fact that there is little appreciation for local, regional, or nation live music. take the amp for instance, they've brought in some larger acts, given they may not be the most popular (even though they brought in emo sensation All American Rejects last year), the crowds are barely large enough to cover the costs of these acts and therefore they had a huge shortfall this year in budget. the problem may be in several areas. One, it could be the lack of large acts that get people out and about just to see music, instead of just to drink or party and the lack of a venue to support them. We do need a dedicated large venue, track centers and arenas make for horrible sounding concerts and atmosphere. We need something that helps Fayetteville become known as a live music city, such as a festival or two. We need smaller venues that have multiple local and regional acts every night. I've said before, I play in several bands and we're all kind of angry with the scene here, but we're trying to put together more of these multiple act shows. At the same time, we support any regional or national act that comes into town. In addition, we're trying to put together several benefit concerts and I've flirted with the idea of trying to organize a festival, even though I have no idea where to start.

The problem with the venues like george's, boom boom room, gypsy, etc. is that they have little built in crowd--people who are just out to explore music. Now, I'm not saying this isn't our fault, but it's the truth.

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thewizard16 Hamlet

thewizard16

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I think, though, we still have a fundamental problem here that trancends the need for large venues...the problem still lies in the fact that there is little appreciation for local, regional, or nation live music. take the amp for instance, they've brought in some larger acts, given they may not be the most popular (even though they brought in emo sensation All American Rejects last year), the crowds are barely large enough to cover the costs of these acts and therefore they had a huge shortfall this year in budget. the problem may be in several areas. One, it could be the lack of large acts that get people out and about just to see music, instead of just to drink or party and the lack of a venue to support them. We do need a dedicated large venue, track centers and arenas make for horrible sounding concerts and atmosphere. We need something that helps Fayetteville become known as a live music city, such as a festival or two. We need smaller venues that have multiple local and regional acts every night. I've said before, I play in several bands and we're all kind of angry with the scene here, but we're trying to put together more of these multiple act shows. At the same time, we support any regional or national act that comes into town. In addition, we're trying to put together several benefit concerts and I've flirted with the idea of trying to organize a festival, even though I have no idea where to start.

The problem with the venues like george's, boom boom room, gypsy, etc. is that they have little built in crowd--people who are just out to explore music. Now, I'm not saying this isn't our fault, but it's the truth.

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Aporkalypse City

Aporkalypse

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I think, though, we still have a fundamental problem here that trancends the need for large venues...the problem still lies in the fact that there is little appreciation for local, regional, or nation live music. take the amp for instance, they've brought in some larger acts, given they may not be the most popular (even though they brought in emo sensation All American Rejects last year), the crowds are barely large enough to cover the costs of these acts and therefore they had a huge shortfall this year in budget. the problem may be in several areas. One, it could be the lack of large acts that get people out and about just to see music, instead of just to drink or party and the lack of a venue to support them. We do need a dedicated large venue, track centers and arenas make for horrible sounding concerts and atmosphere. We need something that helps Fayetteville become known as a live music city, such as a festival or two. We need smaller venues that have multiple local and regional acts every night. I've said before, I play in several bands and we're all kind of angry with the scene here, but we're trying to put together more of these multiple act shows. At the same time, we support any regional or national act that comes into town. In addition, we're trying to put together several benefit concerts and I've flirted with the idea of trying to organize a festival, even though I have no idea where to start.

The problem with the venues like george's, boom boom room, gypsy, etc. is that they have little built in crowd--people who are just out to explore music. Now, I'm not saying this isn't our fault, but it's the truth.

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masons_dad1 Town

masons_dad1

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I guess an improved live music scene on Dickson Street would be better than nothing, but I personally wouldn't pay to stand in a smoke-filled bar to listen to a local band performing with an inadequate sound system and acoustics. I would much rather pay more to see a big-name act performing in a facility specifically designed for live music. Aside from the pop bands that were mentioned there are still pleanty of well-known artists that have the drawing power of thousands that would actually tour here if there was a facility worth performing in.

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Mith242 Gigalopolis

Mith242

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Yeah bigger more current acts would help. But at the same time I'm not sure how easy it is to bring some of those to our area. Especially when it's not a permanent structure but something done in a mall parking lot. I wonder if it would help if the city of Fayetteville would get more involved with this. I don't know their stance on this since I'm guessing it is a private entity running this.

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bobhazor Unincorporated Area

bobhazor

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Yeah bigger more current acts would help. But at the same time I'm not sure how easy it is to bring some of those to our area. Especially when it's not a permanent structure but something done in a mall parking lot. I wonder if it would help if the city of Fayetteville would get more involved with this. I don't know their stance on this since I'm guessing it is a private entity running this.
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masons_dad1 Town

masons_dad1

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2007 Gulley Park Summer Concert Series

Concerts begins at 7pm!

May 24 - Big Uns

June 7 - Slaid Cleaves

June 14 - Full House

June 28 - Ocie Fisher and the Hipp Doggs

July 12 - Claire Holley

July 26 - Effron White/Shack/The Ozone Players

August 9 - Oreo Blue

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masons_dad1 Town

masons_dad1

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The only local band I've ever been really impressed with was Big Bad Voodoo Daddy back in Ventura, CA. I saw them in a few clubs and coffee shops back before they made it big. I doubt we'll see anything like them come out of NWA. And I'm just not really impressed with all the alternative rock imitators there are these days.

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bobhazor Unincorporated Area

bobhazor

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The only local band I've ever been really impressed with was Big Bad Voodoo Daddy back in Ventura, CA. I saw them in a few clubs and coffee shops back before they made it big. I doubt we'll see anything like them come out of NWA. And I'm just not really impressed with all the alternative rock imitators there are these days.
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masons_dad1 Town

masons_dad1

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When we start supporting these local acts, then we'll be able to bring in the bigger acts. Until then, we Northwest Arkansans will have to deal with a lack-luster scene. I would challenge everybody to pick up a free weekly, look for a venue they like, and go sample a little music one night at one of our venues for, most often, less than the cost of a beer. If a quarter of the drinking age population up here did that just once a month, you would see big changes in the kind of acts brought in from out of town.
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bobhazor Unincorporated Area

bobhazor

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I can't agree with that about bringing in big-name national acts. That doesn't require a live music scene at all. All it requires is a good venue and lots of advertising and some big bucks to bring them in. I do agree that something needs to be done to build more interest in the live music scene. Maybe if the radio stations would start advertising club dates more there might be more interest.
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