Highlights Dec. 6-13 Sonic Arts Festival, Ebony's Glam Odyssey, Indigenous
Fayetteville Sonic Arts Festival
The Fayetteville Sonic Arts Festival is happening this weekend in Fayetteville. No, it’s not planes breaking the sound barrier or an arts festival sponsored by the burger chain, what it is, is a collection of musical performances that will break the sound barriers of any jazz performances you’ve heard to date in NWA. Call it experimental, call it nu-jazz, no matter how you chose to label it, it’s cutting edge stuff. The music is happening this Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the University of Arkansas Fine Arts Concert and will feature a cast of musicians including some from Fayetteville, some former residents and some who have come from around the country to perform.
Performing will be Fayetteville’s Galactic Gutbucket made up of Gerald Sloan (trombone), Garrett Jones (bass, piano, objects) and Drew Packard (bass, percussion, objects), saxophonist Jack Wright, percussionist Toshi Makihara and bassist Jon Barrios from Philadelphia; saxophonist Keefe Jackson and cellist Fred Lonberg-Holm from Chicago; and 3 Pups Music (fretless electric guitar, electronic wind instrument, software and other noisemakers) from Nashville.
Concerts at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and at 1 p.m. Sunday. Music workshops from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday. All events are free.
Glam Odyssey
The 50th annual Ebony Fashion Fair Tour, “Glam Odyssey: A Fashion Journey into Bliss & Beyond” will come to Northwest Arkansas on Friday night, thanks to the Friends of Omega Foundation. Ebony Fashion Fair is the world’s largest traveling fashion show. This year’s show will redefine glamour by a look back at the past five decades of fashion, with all the trappings of a Broadway show. Thirteen models will don the latest styles by world famous designers like Christian Dior, Oscar De la Renta, Dolce & Gabbana, Carolina Herrera, Bill Blass and Jean Louis Scherrer. The event will take place at the Embassy Suites in Rogers with a dinner at 7 p.m. followed by the show at 8. Tickets are $65-$100 and include a subscription to either Ebony or Jet magazines. The event is a benefit for the Friends of Omega’s NWA My Kid Biz Program. Tickets at www.nwaomega.org or by calling 841-9393.
An Orchestral Holiday
What are you doing different this holiday season? How ‘bout checking out the North Arkansas Symphony Orchestra? At 7:30 Saturday night at the Walton Arts Center, the orchestra will present it’s “Christmas at the Movies” concert, which will feature film clips projected behind the orchestra. Music and film clips from “Scrooge” with Albert Finney, the claymation short “Creature Comforts”, “The Christmas Story,” “The Nutcracker” featuring the New York Ballet dancing to Tchaikovsky, and Christmas Past, a short film by Fayetteville filmmaker Bob Emenegger. Emenegger is responsible for procuring and executing the film element of the performance. The finale will feature Christmas lights and snow. Call 443-5600 for tickets.
Holiday Art Sale
A seven-year holiday tradition is happening this weekend. It’s the annual holiday show and sale by a group of Fayetteville artists at GoodFolk, 229 N. Block Street in Fayetteville. Founded in 2001 by photographer Don House, featured artists are: Cindy Arsaga (encaustic with collage and oil), Marie Demeroukas (functional pottery and handmade cards), Karen Chotkowski (wool hats): Michelle Berg-Vogel (handmade journals, photo albums, cards and notebooks): William Mayes Flanagan (watercolor paintings of Northwest Arkansas), Susan Shore (beaded earrings), Tonya Tubbs (whimsical dolls), Victoria McKinney (pottery), Elizabeth Nevin (paintings, boxes and mirrors) and Jessica Robin (messenger bags with embroidery). For information call 587-8920.
Indigenous
NWA clubs are not skipping a beat this holiday season, but are continuing to schedule first-rate shows. Our pick for the week is the Indigenous show Sunday night at George’s, but there are others that are not to miss, too. Friday night Cathy Barton and Dave Para will be in town for a concert at GoodFolk. Saturday night, local singer songwriter Reese Neal will hold a CD release party at Arsaga’s Crossover and that same night Jonathan Taylor Rose, Apt. 5 and Jillian Holzbauer will play OPO (the Old Post Office) on the Fayetteville Square. These are bands to watch if you’re interested in the next wave of NWA music. Wednesday night is Nighflying’s 27th anniversary party at George’s, with bands, bands, bands and a really big time. Those who are curious about Indigenous, can hear a couple of his tunes at vanguardrecords.com. Led by Mato Nanji, from the Nakota tribe of South Dakota, it’s blues that sometimes sounds like Steve Ray and Jimi and at other times has a bit of that deep down in the barrel sound of Gov’t Mule.
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