Highlights

Joseph Israel and the Jerusalem Band will play George’s Saturday night. The band has just completed an East Coast tour that included a performance at the Caribbean Festival in Miami Fla.

Memory Lane
“High Fidelity” fans and those who appreciate the almost lost format of vinyl recordings will want to take a trip to the Rogers Public Library to view Doug Fields’ collection of records that is accompanied by a history of the format. Among the collection is a copy of the first commercially released record album that was put out in 1947, Frankie Avalon’s first record (when he was 10 years old and playing trumpet), Annette Funicello’s first album, The Beach Boys’ first record and a host of other miscellaneous goodies. The exhibit is on display through March 31.

Celebrate the Irish
Want to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in a proper way? Head to Mickey Finn’s on Dickson Street on Sunday night—St. Patty’s eve—for the seventh anniversary of the Brews n Tunes Bash with Irish music by Paddy O’Grill aka Dave Malm.
Paddy will be singing Irish and Scottish songs, ranging from bittersweet love ballads and Emerald-Isle-nostalgia anthems to rowdy, humorous and sometimes bawdy pub favorites, interspersed with jigs, reels and hornpipes played on pennywhistle, mandolin, tenor banjo, guitar and harmonica. Some of Paddy’s “altered-ego” friends who play more familiar styles of music, Max Stout (blues), Dave Reckoning (country) and Dan Stallnight (pop and rock) are likely to join the party. And, of course, the pub will have a selection of Irish beers, ales and stouts on hand for hoisting high and shouting along with the traditional drinking songs. Doors open at 8 p.m., with music commencing at that time and continuing until 11 p.m. Come on out and “get yer Irish on!”

If you want some beans with your brew, start your St. Patrick’s Day celebration early with Paddy O’Grill and Russell O’Leaves (aka Dennis Lee on hammered dulcimer, guitar and mandolin) Saturday at The Bean Palace Restaurant at the historic War Eagle Mill near Rogers. Lunch will be served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. while Paddy and Russell rustle up the Irish tunes.

Secret Shine and many more
It’s that fabulous time of year when NWA music fans feel the love of SXSW by the influx of touring bands that pass through the hood coming from or going to the music festival. This year The Gypsy on Dickson Street has scored the reunited ‘90s group Secret Shine for a show this Monday night. Tagged as “dream pop or shoegaze” the British group will release their first album in 13 years early next month, so they’ve got lots of new tunes worked up. The band’s hypnotic, guitar-fueled sounds have been compared to My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive and Lush. Joining them Monday night will be Clairerecords labelmates Tears Run Rings and local rockers Jonathan Taylor Rose. Show at 9:30 p.m. Tickets only 5 bucks.

Another SXSW score will be Old Time Relijun who will play The New Deli on Sunday night. If you don’t know The New Deli, checkout their MySpace page.

Other notable shows happening this week are: Speakeasy, Flip Off Pirates and Cooper’s Orbit Friday night at George’s. Celebrated blues men Zack Bramhall and R.J. Mischo who will get together at the Green Door Saturday night for what should be a fine union. On Mar. 20, rocker Monte Montgomery will be in town to play George’s fresh from SXSW.

Get Class[ical]
Catch hot young Icelandic conductor Gudni Emilsson when he comes to Northwest Arkansas to wield the baton as guest conductor for the North Arkansas Symphony on Saturday night at the Walton Arts Center for “A Star Filled Night.”

Emilsson will lead the orchestra for Mozart’s overture from Lucio Silla, and Mozart’s Symphony No. 41 (Jupiter), which is Mozart’s largest and most complex symphony.

Emilsson, who lives in Germany, has served as guest conductor with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, the Poland Philharmonic and the Vienna Tonkünstler Orchestra, as well as orchestras in Brazil and Vietnam. He has been chief conductor of the Suk Chamber Orchestra in Prague, the “Camerata Bohemica Prague” and the Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra. He has been the artistic director and chief conductor of the Tübingen Chamber Orchestra since 1999.
Another special guest star will also join the orchestra for the Saturday performance. Guest violinist Shannon Lee will perform while Jeannine Wagar, Music Director of the North Arkansas Symphony, conducts. Lee will play Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64. Lee made her orchestral debut at age 12 with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra in the summer of 2005.

Wagar will hold a pre-concert chat during a wine tasting at 6:45 in the McBride room prior to the 7:30 p.m. performance. Tickets are $28 to $40.