Valley of the Vapors: Band Blitz on the Horizon in Hot Springs

Photo Courtesy of Aaron Brewer | Weeknight plays a secret show in the Hot Springs Mountain Tower during the 10th annual Valley of the Vapors music festival in 2014.

What once started as a small independent music event in 2006 at Maxine’s in Hot Springs, Ark., has since grown to an impressive five day festival hosting 70 bands of genres ranging in all styles from avant garde to hip hop.

About a three and a half hour trip southeast of Fayetteville, Valley of the Vapors starts Thursday, March 18 and goes through Tuesday March 22. The independent music festival essentially turns downtown Hot Springs into an urban music festival, where venues and businesses host original, under-the-radar bands.

As for tickets to the festival, day passes are $10 and full festival passes are $75, which include admittance to all events at participating venues, except for the VIP events. VIP Passes are limited to 100 passes (and are just about sold out) and are $100. They provide access to all VOV events at participating venues, VIP parties and the VIP lounge.

The 2016 lineup is the biggest yet in the festival’s lifespan, featuring 70 acts from more than 20 states and eight different countries including Japan, Colombia, Canada, England, Israel, and the United States.

Courtesy of Aaron Brewer | Swearing at Motorists performs at Valley of the Vapors music festival in 2014.

Some of the many under-the-radar bands to watch for include Juiceboxxx (Milwaukee), Grandchildren (Philadelphia), Gus Unger-Hamilton of Alt-J (England), Nervous Curtains (Dallas), Seratones (Shreveport) and Kelley Deal, who will be performing with her band R. Ring (Ohio/Kentucky), Brian Martin (Arkansas), and Dikki Du and the Zydeco Krewe (Louisiana). The Uh Huhs, winners of the 2016 Arkansas Times Musicians Showcase, will also be performing.

“Every year I’ll have an agent ask me what we’re looking for. Punk, indie?” said Bill Solleder, founder and executive director of Low Key Arts and Valley of the Vapors. “My response is always the same. Anything with heart. I feel like I can just listen to a song and feel whether or not it’s sincere within the first 10 seconds or so usually. From there I check out the band and see how we can work with them.”

While many bands nowadays vie for a spot on the lineup, Valley of the Vapors is oftentimes a touring band’s first-ever Arkansas gig.

“Most bands will just skip Arkansas completely,” Solleder said. “Usually the markets aren’t just large enough to sustain larger shows. With that in mind many artists already have this stereotype of Arkansas and Arkansans. It’s been nice for us to treat musicians from all over the world to surprise them with great hospitality and audiences that are engaged, listening, moving and interested in talking with artists.”

The festival typically brings in potentially about 4,000 attendees throughout the week. Solleder said he wants to keep the festival small and intimate.

“I want it to stay small,” he said. “I want them to be able to touch, so to speak, and to be touched by the artists and to keep it as a close-knit community.”

Photo Courtesy of Aaron Brewer Habits performs during Valley of the Vapors 2014.

An advantage to the smaller festival size allows for secret shows to pop up around town in unorthodox venues. The details of the event for who and where are announced the day of on social media, rewarding keen festival goers looking for a unique experience.

“Last year a band played in the mountain tower in Hot Springs,” said Bobby Missile, VOV’s talent buyer. “It was unreal, maybe the coolest show I’ve been to. It’s a fun spur of the moment thing we feel is appropriate for the festival.”

In addition to the all of the music going on, there will be live art performances and several educational workshops during the festival. Some of the workshops include a knitting class led by Kelley Deal, lo-fi photography, a building of a whiskerphone (an instrument that can turn textures into sound) and making art on physical film to produce a film loop.

Art is another cornerstone of the festival. Each year, Valley of the Vapors puts on a “silent auction in a loud room” with local and regional art on sale to benefit the festival. During the fest, an 8×8 mural painted inside Low Key Arts. The muralist this year will be Gary Tripp who was chosen by Alex Bridges, who painted the live mural the previous year. The wall is repainted each year, said Bethannie Newsome-Steelman, VOV’s art director.

Photo Courtesy of Aaron Brewer | Bruiser Queen performs during Valley of the Vapors music festival in 2015.

The festival began in 2005, when Solleder — who toured for several years in bands as a singer — booked a solo show in Hot Springs for solo artist and friend Nora O’Conner, who was on her way to South by Southwest. That kind of underground show was unprecedented in town, and word got out that there was a place to play on the way to Austin in Arkansas.

In less than two weeks time, Solleder had booked five shows in a place where there were never any shows. It continued to grow to the point he decided he needed to name it something. Many bands enjoy the hospitality and interest from the festival attendees and Hot Springs.

Shaping up to be a super indie music week in Arkansas, Fayetteville’s brand new On The Map Fest begins the Thursday after Valley of the Vapors ends. The two could make for a stellar week of one-of-a-kind shows from indie bands who otherwise skip through Arkansas.

“There’s been a real dedication from the fans since starting in 2005,” Solleder said. “There’s probably a couple dozen people from around the country that have been every year. I know of some people are tattooing their bodies with the VOV logo. That gets them free access for life. To me, it’s is an honor and an example of the dedication our fans have.”

For more information on Valley of the Vapors, check out valleyofthevapors.com.