Sarah Woolf of Follow the Woolf has your guide to Arkansas’ music scene. This week, go see Tiffany, MarQuis Hunt, Dazz & Brie and other great artists.

Around Little Rock

Thursday 8/9
The Steel Woods with The Great Whiskey Rendezvous/ Stickyz Rock N’ Roll Chicken Shack – 107 River Market Ave / 8:30-11:30 / $10 advance, $12 day of show
The Steel Woods are a traditional southern rock band from Nashville, Tenn., balancing heavy blues-rock with southern poetry and a bit of outlaw country.  Conway’s The Great Whiskey Rendezvous will open the show. Tickets available here.
MarQuis & Mood/ Blue Note Jazz / South on Main – 1304 Main St / 8-10 / $10
Blue Note Jazz is back as acclaimed Little Rock jazz saxophonist MarQuis Hunt returns to the South on Main stage with his band Mood for a night of smooth sophisticated jazz sure to melt away the worries of the week.   To reserve a table, call 501-244-9660
Friday 8/10
MarQuis & Mood/ Second Friday Art Night/ Historic Arkansas Museum 200 E. 3rd St./ 5-8/ Free
Come on downtown for second Friday Art Night, this month the Historic Arkansas Museum welcomes Little Rock’s own critically acclaimed jazz saxophonist MarQuis Hunt and his band Mood.  This will be a lovely summer’s evening with great music, beverages, food and art.
Tiffany/ Park Plaza Mall – 6000 W. Markham St./ 7 -7:30 / Free (Two canned food items recommended)
Park Plaza Mall is turning 30 and what better way for the mall to celebrate than with 80s pop icon Tiffany? Yes, the Tiffany.  Let’s go back to the days where teen pop artists got their start not on YouTube, but in the mall food courts of America with the queen of the mall, Tiffany.  The DJ starts at 6 p.m. with all your favorite 80s hits followed by Tiffany at 7 p.m.
The Roots of American Music Concert/ CALS Ron Robinson Theater – 100 River Market Ave / 7-10 / $10
Come join the CALS Ron Robinson Theater and the all-star acoustic band of Danny Dozier, Tim Crouch, Irl Hess, Ken Loggains and Gary Gazaway as they explore the roots of American music down the branches of country, blues, swing and pop. The band will showcase songs from such artist as Jimmy Driftwood, Grandpa Jones, Merle Travis, Bob Wills, Bill Monroe, Nat King Cole, Stevie Wonder, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Robert Johnson and the Beatles.
Ha Ha Tonka/ Stickyz Rock N’ Roll Chicken Shack – 107 River Market Ave./ 8:30-11:30 / $10 advance, $13 day of show
Ha Ha Tonka formed in 2004 in the Ozarks of Missouri and named after a “sweet” Missouri State Park. Their label Bloodshot Records says this of the band, “Ha Ha Tonka sit at the crossroads of Americana and indie, where Alabama meets Arcade Fire, shakes their hand, and takes them out for a drink.” With four critically acclaimed albums and stops at Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits and Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations, they come to the latest chapter a little older and a little wiser to bring us the release of their fifth studio album Heart-Shaped Mountain. Purchase tickets here.
The DAP Chapter UNO/ Revolution Music Room – 300 President Clinton Ave / 10-2 / $10
The Rev Room with Drummerboy Infinity present a dance party like no other.  Countries and cultures collide as Little Rock’s own DJ Nic Hud & DJ Franky Touchtouch from Brazil share the stage and light it up and set the dance floor blazing.
Amasa Hines, DOT and Or / Benefit for Arkansas Cystic Fibrosis Foundation / White Water Tavern 2500 W. 7th St./ 9:00 / $10
Come on out for a special night of music as three great Little Rock bands join forces to raise money for the Arkansas Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.  Those three rocking mermaid sisters of the deep the DOT (Daughters of Triton), Or and the critically acclaimed Amasa Hines.  This show will sell out, so get your tickets here now.
Saturday 8/11
Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder/ UA Pulaski Tech Center for the Humanities & Arts – 300 W. Scenic Drive NLR / 7- 10:30 / $120 VIP (includes access to the Trio’s VIP room), $50-$80 reserved seats, $35 standing room
Pulaski Tech Center for the Humanities & Arts is proud to present 15-time Grammy winner Ricky Skaggs and his band Kentucky Thunder for a night of exceptional bluegrass music. The Salty Dogs will open the concert. Purchase tickets here.
Chris Long/ Cregeen’s Irish Pub – 301 Main NLR / 7:30-10:30 / Free
Chris will be playing an eclectic set of covers including some favorites from the 90s, classics, modern pop and also debuting some new songs from his latest project Monsterboy.  He will be accompanied by his wife, Veronica, on the baritone saxophone for a unique sound to some of your old and soon-to-be new favorites.
Gil Franklin Band/ Hibernia Irish Tavern / 7:30-11:30
Come on out for a night of classic blues from one of Central Arkansas’ favorite blues musicians, Gil Franklin.
Colour Design, Sumokem, I Was Afraid/ Vino’s Pizza-Pub Brewery – 923 W 7th St. / 8:00 / $7
The alternative, shoe-gaze, post-hardcore boys of Colour Design bring their highly anticipated release They Don’t Exist to Vino’s for an all ages album release rock show.  Joined by two of Little Rock’s favorite heavy metal rock bands, the progressive doom rock of Sumokem and the space rock of I Was Afraid, this is a show Little Rock hard rock & rollers won’t want to miss.
Weakness for Blondes/ Four Quarter Bar – 415 Main St. NLR/ 10-2
There’s no better way to wind down the weekend than with one of Little Rock’s favorite jam bands, Weakness for Blondes. Join the band at Four Quarter Bar for a night of “southern cooked long jams, and soul-filled harmonies.” Grab one of their famous burgers, or my favorite the pork nachos from the kitchen (open until 1:30), a pint from the bar and sit back for a night of great music.

Around Arkansas

El Dorado

Thursday 8/9
The Salty Dogs/ the Griffin Restaurant – 101 E. Locust St. / Free
Come on out for a night of classic and original, honky-tonk, retro country from one of Arkansas favorite legendary bands, Little Rock’s The Salty Dogs.
Saturday 8/11
The Gen-X Summer Tour/ Griffin Music Hall – 101 E. Locust St. / 8:00 / $40 pit, $30 GA
Loudwire presents the Gen-X Summer Concert tour with classic 90s rock bands Buckcherry, P.O.D, LIT and Alien Ant Farm.  Purchase tickets here.

Hot Springs

Friday 8/10 

Deltaphonic and Dazz & Brie/ Maxine’s Live – 700 Central Ave / 9-1
The New Orleans duo Deltaphonic bring their fingerpicking blues, funk and roots rock to the Maxine’s stage joined by Little Rock’s own rock & soul duo Dazz & Brie for a night of great music sure to make you get up and dance.

Bentonville

Saturday 8/11
1 Oz Jig with Jamie Lou and the Hullabaloo/ Crystal Bridges Museum – 600 Museum Way/ 7:00/ $10
The 2018 Forest Concert Series is proud to present two of Fayetteville’s finest. From 7 to 8:15, listen to the soulful harmonies and solid musicianship of Jamie Lou and the Hullabaloo, while they perform in collaboration with the House of Songs Ozarks. From 8:30 to 10, enjoy the get-up-and-dance sounds of 1 Oz Jig. Purchase tickets here.

Jonesboro and Paragould

Brian Nahlen
Thursday 8/9 / Skinny J’s / Jonesboro
Friday 8/10 / Skinny J’s / Paragould
Saturday 8/11 / Eleanor’s Pizzaria / Jonesboro
Recently named an Arkansas Ambassador from Arkansas Parks and Tourism, Little Rock singer-songwriter Brian Nahlen brings his soulful covers of some of your favorite songs from the Beatles, Tom Petty and more along with his original tunes from his highly acclaimed albums Better Than I Thought It Could Beand Cicada Moon.

Dardanelle

Saturday 8/11
Trey Johnson, Jason Willmon, and Scott Gibson/ The Front Street Grill – 115 S. Front St. / 9
Come on out for a night of toe tappin’, foot stompin’, hand clappin’ blues from International Blues Championship Finalist Trey Johnson and the boys as they bring some of your favorite blues tunes and some fabulous originals to The Front Street Grill.
Check out more from Sarah Woolf here.