The Fayetteville Folk Festival, Inc. is now an Arkansas corporation. Planning and development stages are taking place in 2009. The first show is being planned for 2010. Interest in our activities is growing throughout the region. We are excited about the possibilities that the Fayetteville Folk Festival will bring to our region. Ox Cart, Inc. will be managing the festival for 2009 and 2010. Mike Shirkey, Goodfolk Productions, will be booking the acts for the festival, so you know it will be a great show featuring some wonderful musicial acts. We are working hard towards making the inagural show in 2010 one to remember.
The MUSIC ON THE MOUNTAIN SERIES at the Mount Sequoyah Conference and Retreat Center will continue with the 2009-2010 series.
ANNIE BENJAMIN --The first show scheduled for Saturday, May 16, 2009, is postponed, due to unique circumstances. Annie has been very understanding of the unique circumstances and has agreed to come back to Fayetteville for a show in the future. Stay tuned for info on the next show.
BUDDY MONDLOCK may be coming back to Fayetteville, the date and venue is uncertain at this time. We are working on a date for him. Watch for details.
SUZI RAGSDALE may be coming to Fayetteville to perform this year. Watch for details.
KEN GAINES came to Fayetteville and played well as always. We look forward to bringing Ken back to Fayetteville. Ken's website is: www.kengaines.com
On the trip to Austin, I saw KEN GAINES, BUTCH MORGAN AND OTHERS out in Luckenbach. I can finally say I have been to Luckenbach.
SLAID CLEAVES played at the opening of "The Ginger Man" at it's new location, it was a cold night on the patio, but the pro's they are Slaid and Mike played through it and put on a good show. "The Ginger Man" has been around for a number of years in Austin. It is a neat restuarant with an outside deck, good food and good music -- cool place. Check out Slaid's tour he is doing some "Ribbon of Highway" shows with Jimmy LaFave and others.
ROD PICOTT AND AMANDA SHIRES played a very good show at GOODFOLKS IN FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS. Rod has been one of my favorite songwriters since I first became aware of his music. Amanda and Rod are doing some great work together. Their music together at times is greater than the sum of it's parts. I am always amazed with artists that are constantly growing with their art. Rod and Amanda are two that are.
Wades Ogle's cd "Songs From Winter" is GOOD. SUZI RAGSDALE is an artist that I am just getting familiar with, she can sing folks. Suzi's cd "Future Past" and a new EP that she has out are worth the listen. Rumor has it that Suzi may be coming to Fayetteville sometime this year (2009). Suzi and Wade were a couple of new big music surprise of the year for 2008 for me. Check out their myspace pages.I was reading the "emith" website, Stevie Gurr spoke highly of "Clare and the Reasons", songs like "Pluto" and "Rodi", wow, unique and exciting music. Also, check out "emith" new video "High Sierra". Stevie and Carol the duo that form the core of "emith" have a special vibe when they play together, they are cool as we use to say in my younger days.
KUMPANIA put on a great show, this is a new combo that combines two very good acts to make a third excellent act. Bring together a great duo and a great solo act and you get a really great musical adventure. I believe this was their first formal gig as a trio. With the summer touring schedule they will be touring seperately; but, hopefully later in the year they will continue and maybe move it into the studio.
THE OZARK SKITTLE MUSIC SERIES 2009 Edition is in the works. We hope to have more details in April about when we will be doing the show in late summer or early fall. This will be another show featuring the original music of local singer/songwriters.
STACEY EARLE AND MARK STUART played a GREAT show in Fayetteville in January. Mark has his new solo cd "Left of Nashville" (I listen to this cd over and over) and they have a new release as a duo "Town Square" that is an incredible live recording.
At Ox Cart Inc. we have observed a growing movement within the songwriter community. The singer/songwriter movement out of Northwest Arkansas continues to get recognition regionally and nationally.
At Ox Cart Inc. we are under the belief that this movement is significant in American music. We want to share that musical experience with as many folks as we can.
Click here to read a story in "Nightflying," Arkansas' premier entertainment publication, about Ox Cart's beginnings.
Some of the artists that were instrumental in Ox Cart, Inc. getting formed are below. Effron White, shack, Eddie Glenn and Phil Lancaster. You can find their website links below and book them directly.
Effron White, winner of the New Folk Award at the Kerrville Folk Festival in Kerrville, Texas, as well as numerous Northwest Arkansas Music Awards.
Visit Effron's website
Derek Shacklett, the artist known simply as "Shack," has won awards in the Oklahoma Songwriters and Composers Association's One-Plus-One Songwriting Contest and the International John Lennon Songwriting Contest, and been awarded an Individual Artist Fellowship from the Arkansas Arts Council in recognition of his songwriting and artistic endeavors.
Visit Shack's website
Eddie Glenn's witty and satirical lyrics have earned him the title of "Oklahoma's own Kinky Friedman," although Eddie currently has no plans to run for governor of that state.
Visit Eddie's website
Extraordinary Stories is dedicated to providing a contemporary, multi-media format with which to tell the stories of unsung heroes and ordinary people in the little-known chapters of history.
Visit the Extraordinary Stories website
To book any (or all!) of these acts, please visit their websites.
