"Meteor" turned out to be a prophetic name for a business in Bentonville that took off like ... well, a rocket.
Born just two years ago, Meteor Guitar Gallery -- at home in a restored hundred-year-old movie theater -- started out as a music store/art gallery/theater and has grown up to be the music venue for this year's Bentonville Film Festival.
FYI
BFF Music
Tuesday — Jazz Night: Featuring internationally acclaimed Billboard-charting jazz pianist Marcus Johnson.
Wednesday — American Heroes Night: Featuring “American Idol” winner Kris Allen and friends.
Thursday — BFF Celebrates Sisters: Featuring country music trio D0zzi, winners of the 2012 Australian Country Music People’s Choice Award for Best Video, and The Duffle Bag Divas, full-time deejays for six years, paying their dues in some of Hollywood’s most exclusive clubs.
May 6 — Club Night: Featuring DJ Henri, aka Henrietta Tiefenthaler, singer/producer/songwriter and fashionista.
May 7 — BFF Classics: Featuring Joe Walsh, known as one of rock and roll’s finest guitarists with fans including Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page.
WHEN — Doors open at 9 p.m. with performances at 10 p.m.
WHERE — Meteor Guitar Gallery
COST — $25, available at the door only
INFO — bentonvillefilmfest…
Founder Les Key uses the word "surreal" frequently. And well he might. Nothing in his previous life prepared him for the success he's enjoying back at home in Northwest Arkansas.
A 1983 graduate of Bentonville High School, Key was living in Ohio with wife Alanna and sons Caleb and Mason. His career was in engineering architecture and computer management, augmented a decade or so ago by a side business restoring vintage automobiles for museums and private collectors.
Then, he was struck with what he calls an "overnight sickness" -- playing and collecting guitars. He started lessons with his sons, and soon there were 20 guitars in the house. And with the economy "tanking" up north, he came up with an idea. Why not return to Northwest Arkansas and start a business? He knew artist Trent Tally from high school, and maybe other artists would show their work in a cool, multi-purpose venue.
"As an art gallery space with vintage guitars, we thought maybe we could make it work."
Key also bought a collection of guitars and accoutrements from a store called Fly By Night in Neosho, Mo., a business that had sold "guitars to everybody in the old rock 'n' roll bands," he says. "We got Mel Tillis' old stage, and one of the amps we use used to belong to Judas Priest." Key thought singer/songwriter nights, much like those popular in local restaurants, might just be the ticket -- until a couple of members of Black Oak Arkansas walked in the door.
"They wanted to play here," Key says with wonder in his voice. "And it just hasn't stopped. We had Coco Montoya, and the Rev. Horton Heat -- probably 50 or 60 bands by now. And movies? 'Jaws I' and 'The Shining' and 'Rocky Horror Picture Show' and 'School of Rock.' It just kind of exploded."
Key says the BFF organizers were "very aware of us from Day One, but we couldn't quite explain what we were trying to turn the place into." Finally, representatives happened to wander in to sold-out shows.
"I tell people we have no control," Key says. "We did this with a few hundred bucks. Meteor just kind of became its own thing. The stars aligned, and this just happened."
NAN What's Up on 04/29/2016