Rock Candy

Coming up: The Rep takes "Marie and Rosetta" to War Memorial Park, Mary Gauthier at Fayetteville Roots HQ, 'Raya and the Last Dragon' at Movies in the Park and more.

How Barbara Hendricks sang her way out of rural Arkansas, onto the world’s biggest opera stages and into the lives of refugees across the globe.

Like much of the music that’s come from Brasher, Morgan and Benjamin in the projects they’ve played in individually, Affection’s 2021 LP — recorded in 2003 — is both smart and wholly danceable.

The project will eventually connect the Walton Arts Center, TheatreSquared, Nadine Baum Studios, Fayetteville Public Library, and the University of Arkansas’ Art and Design District with trails and pedestrian/cyclist connections. It is slated for completion by January 2024.

Coming up in July.

"I’ve had CEOs of billion-dollar international companies come up to me at events and art openings over the past few years and say, 'I’m very concerned about what’s going on down there.' They don’t care if Arkansas is a beautiful state. They don’t care about sports. They care about how people are treated and where to put their next multi-million-dollar business expansion. They care about their investments and their reputation."

The images in Robbie Brindley's new book, "Kudzu and the Usual Erosion" were shot on 120 film on a Mamiya RB 67 camera — big enough to require a tripod and using a process that's "a lot more like fishing," Brindley told me. "You have to be very calm and patient.” 

You may not be able to catch a show at The Rep's space on Main Street just yet, but you can visit for a workshop.

Belatedly, we mark the passing of Frank Bonner, the Little Rock native who brought a little bit of Arkansas Razorback spirit to each episode of "WJRP in Cincinnati" in his role as station sales manager Herb Tarlek.

Classical music at Wildwood, psychedelta at Four Quarter Bar and more this weekend.

Attention parents and nerds (i.e. subscribers of Disney+), here's something to add to your queue: a new adaptation of Little Rock author Trenton Lee Stewart's wildly popular young adult series "The Mysterious Benedict Society." The eight-episode series debuts June 25 and stars Kristen Schaal and Tony Hale ("Arrested Development," "Veep").

After three years as The Weekend Theater's artistic director Duane Jackson is resigning from the position at the volunteer-run, social justice-minded theater company at the corner of 7th and Chester streets in downtown Little Rock.

Punk rock baseball at Interstate Park tonight.

Argenta Community Theater co-founder and philanthropist Judy Tenenbaum died unexpectedly last Thursday.

The Arkansas Country Music Awards, held Monday, June 7 at Reynolds Performance Hall on the campus of the University of Central Arkansas, paid tribute to The Natural State's legacy of country music with performances from Amy Helm, Bonnie Montgomery, Shawn Camp, Mark Currey and others.

Mitchell worked with editor Nick Weldon and illustrator Barrington Edwards on the book, which follows Dunn as he was born into slavery, emancipated at age 10, elected lieutenant governor of Louisiana in 1868 and died mysteriously in 1873, just as he was poised to become Louisiana's first Black governor.

Erin Enderlin at the Old State House Museum, the Big Red Ball Homebrew Contest, Charlotte Taylor at The Rail Yard for Habitat for Humanity and more.

Note "Rhythm in the Rock," a music and food fest going up every Sunday afternoon in June at Red & Blue Event Venue (1415 W. 7th St).

"Beef" and the rest of the tracks on "Unsupervised," like Yoder's music with Little Rock outfit The See, are the sort of melody-driven pop rock anthems made for howling along to in a sweaty circle of friends at a concert — were they not concocted in a concertless era.

Garland County native and radio/TV mogul Bobby Bones has a new show on the National Geographic channel called "Breaking Bobby Bones."