Valley of volume: Annual Hot Springs festival finds firm footing as indie band showcase

It's a festival that features bands of all stripes, secret shows, free workshops and takes place over five days, starting Friday.

South by Southwest in Austin, Texas, you say?

No, silly. Valley of the Vapors in Hot Springs.

The venerable musical gathering of all things indie and underground kicks off its 13th year Friday and will feature bands from all over the United States, Canada and beyond playing venues like Maxine's, the Low Key Arts space and Adair Park.

Started by Chicago transplants Bill Solleder and Shea Childs, VOV has always acted as a sort of stopping point for bands headed to or from Austin and the gargantuan music industry showcase that is the SXSW festival.

"Bands don't just want to go play one show at South by Southwest and go home," says David Hill, interim director of Low Key Arts, the Hot Springs nonprofit that sprouted from the festival. "They like to book a whole tour around that gig."

Which is where an accommodating fest like VOV comes in.

"I think we're getting a reputation around the country as a festival that's a little bit different and a little bit quirky, but very hospitable," says Hill, who grew up in Hot Springs, has been living in New York and is back home for a year. "We're a small market, but we punch above our weight."

Among the 40 or so bands lined up for this year's five days are Providence, R.I., punk rockers Downtown Boys, orchestral poppers Grandchildren from Philadelphia, Chicago experimental electronic outfit Joan of Arc and indie rockers Weaves of Toronto.

The VOV hasn't forgotten Natural State talent, as Arkansas-based acts Big Piph & Tomorrow Maybe, Dangerous Idiots, Ginsu Wives, May the Peace of the Sea Be With You, and Dylan Earl & The Reasons will perform.

"I'm excited about the entire festival," says VOV artistic director/talent buyer Bobby Missile. "Every single band this year is top-notch. It's hard to say this is the greatest lineup, because all the VOV lineups have been great, but this one is right up there with the best lineups ever."

High on his list of must-see bands this year is Joan of Arc.

"They're headlining the Sunday show at Low Key Arts," says Missile, who is in his second year of booking the festival, although he has helped out in years past. "Another highlight for me would be Weaves. They're an up-and-coming band with a killer sound that's kind of upbeat, with angular guitar. It's a little wild and out there, but has very gracious pop elements."

Missile is also stoked to see Walker Leukens of Austin, who brings his brand of indie-pop to the Low Key venue at 9:30 p.m. Tuesday.

"I'd never heard of him before, but he's created his own original thing and I'm pretty excited about seeing him," Missile says.

It's pretty much nonstop jams during VOV's five days. Not only are there nightly shows at Low Key Arts and Maxine's, but daytime gigs will take place outdoors at Adair Park, and "secret" gigs will happen all over town.

"The secret shows are a VOV tradition," Hill says. "Around 5 p.m. each evening, there will be a show somewhere in Hot Springs at a secret location."

A committee comes up with "special and weird" locations for the shows, Hill says, that can range from the Hot Springs Mountain Tower and wooded trails to people's living rooms.

Passholders will be texted the locations for the free shows, which will also go up on the festival's Facebook page.

Free workshops on sketch comedy, improv, storytelling and music reviewing complete the VOV experience.

Texas-based indie dance-soul crooner Ronnie Heart, formerly of Neon Indian, will make his return to Hot Springs for a 9:30 p.m. show Saturday.

"We always have a really good time there," he says. "It's a cool town. Every time I've gone there I've always felt good about how the shows go. Everyone seems excited and they're all dancing. Everyone's so friendly and accommodating and helpful."

Indeed, being good hosts is a VOV attribute.

"It's a very hospitable festival to the bands," Hill says. "Our volunteer committee does this adopt-a-band thing where people in town 'adopt' a band and buy them gifts and food and take care of them while they're here."

Heart says, "It's few and far between to see that kind of hospitality at a festival like that. But it seems like an easy thing for Hot Springs to do. It has that kind of vibe."

The first day of this year's VOV coincides with another annual event that is uniquely Hot Springs.

The First Ever 14th Annual World's Shortest St. Patrick's Day Parade starts rolling, briefly of course, on Friday, with festivities beginning at 5:30 p.m. on Bridge Street.

"We think it will be pretty cool," Hill says. "Our festival is happening at Maxine's and [Low Key Arts], which are both downtown where the parade is. So we'll all go to the parade and have a good time and then watch some bands."

VOV passes for individual days and for the whole shindig are available, but organizers are also offering something new this year.

"One of the things we're trying to put together here at Low Key Arts is a sustaining member program," Hill says.

The arts group grew out of the festival organization and now includes the performance space, the Hot Water Hills Music & Arts Festival, Inception to Projection Filmmaking Program, the Arkansas Shorts film festival and solar-powered community radio station KUHS-FM, 97.9.

Imagine something along the lines of what theater groups and public radio stations do to raise money and maintain a base of donors. To that end, the Friends of Low Key (FOLK) Pass is being offered. For $120, VOV attendees can take in all the bands, experience VIP treats and discounts and have access to Low Key Arts events year-round.

"If you buy a FOLK Pass you become a member of Friends of Low Key for a year," Hill says. "It's an all-access pass to the festival that gets you into the shows and also into special hospitality areas."

"Our hope," he says, "is that if we do this year after year, we can build up a good number of sustaining members that can help [keep] the organization not only going, but growing."

Style on 03/14/2017