Percussionists of all levels and skills are invited to a Drum Circle on Saturdays, continuing through Oct. 11, at Bernice Gardens, 1401 Main St., in Little Rock.
Music enthusiast Searcy Ewell will facilitate. Donations are encouraged, masks are required and physical distancing will be practiced. Drums, chairs and hand sanitizer will be supplied. No musical experience is needed.
◼️ Rog Tipton will perform at 2 p.m. Sunday on the patio of the River Bottom Winery at BoBrook Farms LLC, 13810 Combee Lane, Roland. Admission is free, no reservations are needed, and social distancing will be practiced.
Tipton's sound is described as a mix of roots, country, blues and rock 'n' roll.
LIVE IN THE SPA CITY
KK & The Reverend Blues Revival will perform, with the Reverend sitting in, at 8 p.m. today, and Rick McKean will perform at 8 p.m. Saturday at The Trough Bar and Grill, 833 Central Ave., Hot Springs.
◼️ Christine DeMeo will perform Friday night and Lil Skinny will perform Saturday night at The Big Chill, 910 Higdon Ferry Road, Hot Springs.
◼️ JackFancy will perform at 7 p.m. Saturday at The Blitzed Pig, 4330 Central Ave., Suite A, Hot Springs.
◼️ Cliff & Susan will perform from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday on the Belle Riverboat of Hot Springs, 5200 Central Ave. (Arkansas 7) in Hot Springs. Tickets for the sightseeing and dinner cruise are $55 for adults, $30 for children 3-10 and free for children 3 and under.
STAY TUNED
Michael Franti will perform at 8 p.m. Saturday in his "Stay at Home World Concert Tour." This will be the third livestream party of the summer for Franti, who lives in Bali, and he's promoting his latest album, "Work Hard & Be Nice." Tickets to Franti's "SoulRocker House Party" are $22; see michaelfranti.manheadmerch.com.
Before the covid-19 virus, Franti had been scheduled to perform two shows in Arkansas: June 11 in Rogers and June 12 in El Dorado. According to his website, michaelfranti.com, Franti is "a globally-recognized musician, humanitarian, activist, and award-winning filmmaker revered for his high-energy live shows, inspiring music, devotion to health and wellness, worldwide philanthropic efforts, and the power of his optimism." He also has a podcast, "Stay Human With Michael Franti," which you can check out at michaelfranti.com/podcast/.
◼️ Here's another item on an act that canceled a performance in Arkansas: Jason Isbell, who did not perform Aug. 5 at the amphitheater by the Arkansas River in Little Rock, can be seen with his wife, Amanda Shires, in her latest "I Be Lounging" show on YouTube, where the couple will perform a selection of songs that are women's names. Accompanied by keyboardist Peter Levin, their selections include songs by Bon Iver, Richard Buckner and Derek & the Dominos. (Yes, they do "Layla" and Shires plays violin — or is it a fiddle? — on it.)
Isbell is also offering an instructional guitar video on Twitter, along with three quick slide guitar lessons on Instagram, as well as an extremely educational and entertaining tour of his barn with his large collection of vintage guitars, available at guitarworld.com.
◼️ Luke Bryan and Darius Rucker will perform live at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Grand Ole Opry on the Circle network, available on YouTube, Twitter and Facebook channels or on the DISH network.
Old Crow Medicine Show, Molly Tuttle, Billy Strings and Dom Flemons performed together last week on Circle. Their show is available at Youtube and Facebook.
◼️ White County songbird Bonnie Montgomery has a bevy of swell videos on YouTube. Since Bonnie has been on the performance sidelines, like nearly everyone else, these should be considered a viable alternative.
◼️ The 59th annual Philadelphia Folk Festival, the oldest continuously run outdoor music festival, embracing the slogan, "The Show Must Go On ... Line," will be held today through Sunday, and tickets to view the virtual festival start at $25 per day or $75 for the weekend. For more information, see folkfest.org.
The lineup includes Adia Victoria, Amythyst Kiah, Ben Gibbard, Chris Smither, Eric Bazilian, Ivan Neville, James Keelaghan, Josh Ritter, Los Lobos, Molly Tuttle, Rhiannon Giddens with Francesco Turrisi, Richard Thompson, Robert Earl Keen, Shakey Graves, Sierra Ferrell, Steve Forbert, Susan Werner, Teddy Thompson, Terri Hendrix & Lloyd Maines, The Lone Bellow, The Milk Carton Kids, Tom Rush and Watkins Family Hour.
LISTEN UP
Kathleen Edwards, a Canadian singer-songwriter in the grand tradition of Joni Mitchell, Neil Young and Leonard Cohen, has her fifth album coming soon, "Total Freedom," and she will perform the album with her band at 2 p.m. Friday, from her own business, Quitters Coffee, 1523 Stittsville Main St., Stittsville, Ontario. Watch the show on Instagram, at instagram.com/kittythefool/.
◼️ Here's an intriguing discovery my wife made: "The Working Songwriter," a podcast from Joe Pug. Recent episodes include music and interviews with Lucinda Williams, Samantha Crain, Will Hoge, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Kathleen Edwards, The Band of Heathens, American Aquarium, Josh Ritter, John Paul White, Todd Snider, Elizabeth Cook, John Moreland, Gregory Alan Isakov, Mandolin Orange, Steve Earle and Hayes Carll.
See smarturl.it/TWS
Podcast; listen on podcast providers Stitcher, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pocket Casts or Soundcloud.
◼️ The Academy of Country Music is releasing "On the Road Again (ACM Lifting Lives Edition") beginning today on country radio. Willie Nelson will be joined on his trademark anthem by the 55th ACM Awards' new artist nominees Ingrid Andress, Gabby Barrett, Jordan Davis, Russell Dickerson, Lindsay Ell, Riley Green, Caylee Hammack, Cody Johnson, Tenille Townes and Morgan Wallen.
Proceeds from the single will benefit ACM Lifting Lives Covid-19 Response Fund to be distributed to individuals in the country music community who are currently in need of pandemic relief assistance.
The 55th ACM awards show will be broadcast at 7 p.m. Sept. 16 on CBS.
MEANWHILE ...
Sheryl Crow has a video of her new song, "Woman in the White House," and you can watch it here: arkansasonline.com/813woman/.
◼️ Anthony Hamilton, Bobby Bones, Brad Paisley, CeCe Winans, Darius Rucker, Drew Holcomb, For King & Country, Jason Mraz, JD McCrary, Johnnyswim, Jon Secada, Keith Urban, Kirk Franklin, Brett Eldridge, Lady A, MercyMe, Randy Owen (of Alabama), Seal, Skillet, Tim McGraw and Third Eye Blind will perform at 4 p.m. today in a virtual festival, "Music Gives: Together #forStJude," a six-hour benefit on six stages for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis.
Fans can watch on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, with additional announcements on Twitter.
◼️ MerleFest, the noted bluegrass and roots festival held on six stages near Wilkesboro, N.C., will be held in 2021 on Sept. 16-19, instead of its usual April dates, but it will move back to April in 2022. Adjust your calendars accordingly.