Spring Break
Fleeing the festival
Music to my ears
Amanda Wells
Issue date: 10/3/07 Section: Life & Style
- Page 1 of 1
It's that time of the year again. Hundreds of thousands of people are cruising into Fayetteville to take over the streets of our fair town. The entire downtown area will soon be filled with loud music, loud motorcycles and loud drunks.
The Bikes, Blues & BBQ festival has arrived.
Luckily, I'm catching a plane to Washington D.C. tomorrow morning, so I won't have to deal with the negative aspects of the annual festival. I see this as a good thing because, in my opinion, those negative aspects far outweigh the positive ones.
I can deal with massive crowds and horrific traffic if I have to. I've even been known to go to standing-room-only events where it's impossible to get to the bar or the restroom. However, as a person who is easily bored with motorcycles and a lot of blues music, I generally don't think Bikes, Blues & BBQ is worth my time or the headaches it causes.
That's not to say the festival doesn't have some positive aspects, though. Those who plan to attend the festival can see more than 20 local and national bands on the main stage across from the Walton Arts Center at the corner of Dickson Street and West Avenue.
Performances on the main stage will begin at 5 p.m. today and will continue each evening through Saturday. For a complete list of bands and show times, visit the Bikes, Blues & BBQ Web site at www.bikesbluesandbbq.org
Another positive aspect of Bikes, Blues & BBQ 2007 is the announcement that Rock and Roll Hall of Fame members ZZ Top will perform. The band almost didn't play the festival because of scheduling conflicts, but fans can now hear 90 minutes of ZZ Top's greatest hits beginning at 9 p.m. Friday at the Tyson Track Center, according to the Web site.
Unlike the performances on the main stage at the festival, the ZZ Top concert will not be free. Tickets for the event are $39.50 and can be purchased online at www.ticktmaster.com.
Aside from the ZZ Top concert and the goings-on of the main stage, several area bars, including The Gypsy and George's Majestic Lounge, will also feature live music throughout the weekend. So be sure to wander into some of the local establishments to see what they have to offer - if you can squeeze into them, that is.
However, if you're like me, and want to avoid the hustle-and-bustle of Bikes, Blues & BBQ altogether, I recommend a road trip.
Juanita's Café and Bar on South Main Street in Little Rock will host several listenable bands this week. Between the Buried and Me will headline tonight, Fayetteville band The Wedding will play tomorrow, and All That Remains and The Acacia Strain will play Sunday. Information about costs and show times can be found online at www.juanitas.com.
Tuesday, after you've recovered from your Bikes, Blues & BBQ-induced hangover, I recommend a trip to the Dart Room on North College for a night of indie/acoustic rock. Chris McFarland of Austin, Texas, will headline the show, and Bentonville band Taylor Clayborne Unplugged will open. A quick search on MySpace will turn up samples of both bands' music.
Amanda Wells is the editor of The Arkansas Traveler. Her column appears every Wednesday.
The Bikes, Blues & BBQ festival has arrived.
Luckily, I'm catching a plane to Washington D.C. tomorrow morning, so I won't have to deal with the negative aspects of the annual festival. I see this as a good thing because, in my opinion, those negative aspects far outweigh the positive ones.
I can deal with massive crowds and horrific traffic if I have to. I've even been known to go to standing-room-only events where it's impossible to get to the bar or the restroom. However, as a person who is easily bored with motorcycles and a lot of blues music, I generally don't think Bikes, Blues & BBQ is worth my time or the headaches it causes.
That's not to say the festival doesn't have some positive aspects, though. Those who plan to attend the festival can see more than 20 local and national bands on the main stage across from the Walton Arts Center at the corner of Dickson Street and West Avenue.
Performances on the main stage will begin at 5 p.m. today and will continue each evening through Saturday. For a complete list of bands and show times, visit the Bikes, Blues & BBQ Web site at www.bikesbluesandbbq.org
Another positive aspect of Bikes, Blues & BBQ 2007 is the announcement that Rock and Roll Hall of Fame members ZZ Top will perform. The band almost didn't play the festival because of scheduling conflicts, but fans can now hear 90 minutes of ZZ Top's greatest hits beginning at 9 p.m. Friday at the Tyson Track Center, according to the Web site.
Unlike the performances on the main stage at the festival, the ZZ Top concert will not be free. Tickets for the event are $39.50 and can be purchased online at www.ticktmaster.com.
Aside from the ZZ Top concert and the goings-on of the main stage, several area bars, including The Gypsy and George's Majestic Lounge, will also feature live music throughout the weekend. So be sure to wander into some of the local establishments to see what they have to offer - if you can squeeze into them, that is.
However, if you're like me, and want to avoid the hustle-and-bustle of Bikes, Blues & BBQ altogether, I recommend a road trip.
Juanita's Café and Bar on South Main Street in Little Rock will host several listenable bands this week. Between the Buried and Me will headline tonight, Fayetteville band The Wedding will play tomorrow, and All That Remains and The Acacia Strain will play Sunday. Information about costs and show times can be found online at www.juanitas.com.
Tuesday, after you've recovered from your Bikes, Blues & BBQ-induced hangover, I recommend a trip to the Dart Room on North College for a night of indie/acoustic rock. Chris McFarland of Austin, Texas, will headline the show, and Bentonville band Taylor Clayborne Unplugged will open. A quick search on MySpace will turn up samples of both bands' music.
Amanda Wells is the editor of The Arkansas Traveler. Her column appears every Wednesday.
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