BLACK JOE LEWIS AND THE HONEY BEARS
9 p.m., Sticky Fingerz. $6.

Contemporary blues and soul acts often fail similarly: they’re watered-down or, even worse, cleaned-up imitations of their forbearers. Aus-tin’s Black Joe Lewis and the Honey Bears have a healthy sense of the past. The blues/soul act features a three piece horn section, and the band’s mixture of soul beats and horns with blues riffs often recalls Stax greats like Albert King. As a vocalist, too, Lewis’ bark has a visceral strength that brings to mind the likes of Wilson Pickett and James Brown. Long an Austin standout, the band’s starting to crossover nationally — they’ve been out on tour with Spoon and they recently attracted a massive crowd at the Austin City Limits. They come to Little Rock in support of their forthcoming debut, produced by Spoon’s Jim Eno. Get a taste of the group’s raucous energy (“DC Killer”) and slow-burn soulfulness (“Bitch, I Love You”) here.

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