Music fills Gulley Park again this summer
JOCELYN MURPHY
jmurphy@nwadg.com
For 21 summers, Gulley Park in Fayetteville has hosted a family-friendly, pet-friendly summer tradition that returns this year on May 31. Lawn chairs and blankets are welcome as live music fills the park from 7 to 9 p.m. on six Thursdays through the summer. This year’s schedule includes:
May 31 — Crescent City Combo
One of Fayetteville’s favorite bands, Crescent City Combo brings together eight swinging musicians that perform a mix of New Orleans’ early beginnings through current tunes that make you want to dance the night away. “Northwest Arkansas Big Easy appreciators, Crescent City emulators, former residents, natives and regional natives,” this group brings the funk and the brass.
June 14 — Ben Miller Band
“I like the idea of saying something very complicated in a very simple way,” Ben Miller states. “That’s what we strive for musically, and what I strive for lyrically — to get directly to the point.” And the point is that the Joplin, Mo., quartet Ben Miller Band is bringing its self-described “Mudstomp” — combining elements of folk, blues, bluegrass and country — back to Fayetteville for the Gulley Park Concert Series.
June 28 — The Empty Pockets
The Empty Pockets is a surprising yet familiar blend of folksy rock ‘n’ roll and Midwestern soul. “Polished yet rootsy Chicago outfit Empty Pockets” (Rolling Stone) showcases multiple lead singers, rich harmonies, skilled instrumentalists, and an old-school sensibility built on Americana, blues and soul.
July 12 — The Mighty Pines
The Mighty Pines are a fierce roots band making music inspired by the wide rivers and red-brick streets of St. Louis. With their genre-bending original songs, the band bridges the gap between groove and grass, between country and funk, between blues and folk. The music can at one moment be raucous and at the next hushed, with soaring harmonies keeping it sweet through every song.
July 26 — Barrett Baber
NBC’s “The Voice” finalist Barrett Baber gave millions of viewers an unforgettable introduction to a rising new artist and entertainer on the country music scene. Since “The Voice” success, the country rocker has opened for Rascal Flatts in Las Vegas, toured the country, and release his album “A Room Full of Fighters,” which debuted in the top 10 on iTunes Top 100 Album Charts.
Courtesy photo
“Bluegrass with a twist,” local group Fetts Folly closes out the 22nd annual Gulley Park Summer Concert Series with a performance Aug. 9.
Aug. 9 — Fetts Folly
Local group Fetts Folly are always on that music scene grind and can be seen constantly performing at bars, clubs, fundraisers, events and private engagements all over Northwest Arkansas. The trio is a mix of all genres of music with a bluegrass twist.
FAQ
Gulley Park Summer Concert Series
WHEN — 7-9 p.m. Thursdays this summer
WHERE — Gulley Park in Fayetteville
COST — Free
INFO — fayetteville-ar.gov
