Hot Springs Hot Spots Magazine - August 2013

AUGUST 2013

BIKE RALLY: THE NEW AND THE OLD PG 21

EATING OUT. LITERALLY. PG 35

HAUNTING FOLK PG 8 GANGSTERS, GOSPEL & BLUEGRASS PG 32

LIVE VENUE LISTING PG 10

HSHotSpots.com

SPA CITY BLUES FESTIVAL Pg 26

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The Place to Come for Fitness and Fun 150 Peters Point | 501-525-9595

Open 7 days a week

Mon-Thurs 5:30am-9pm | Fri 5:30am-8pm | Sat 7:00am-8pm | Sun10:00 am to 6 pm Indoor/Outdoor Pool Year-Round | Indoor/Outdoor Hot Tubs Saunas and Steam Room | Classes for Every Fitness Level Hot Springs Athletic & Racquet Club has recently come under new ownership. The new owners, Joey & Mayra Godoy (also the owners of Bleu Monkey Grill), are well-known in the community for their contributions through sponsorships & donations.

Hot Springs Athletic & Racquet Club has been a staple in the community for many years, offering a positive and pleasant atmosphere for people of all ages with plenty of activities to satisfy your health and fitness needs. Our family would like to invite you and your family to join us in our growth and expansion of this facility. We hope you enjoy our fun healthy environment at Hot Springs Athletic & Racquet Club!

1300 Airport Road • 767-4144 Hours: 7 days a week, 8am til 8pm • Gas Docks • Full Retail • Boat Rentals (4 hr, 8 hr, and 24 hr rentals) • Boat Broker • Boat Slip Rental • Service for Mercury, Honda & Volvo • Costa del Mar Retailer

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IN THIS ISSUE: ON THE COVER

BLAKE BUTLER

LATIN ELEGANCE VINA MORITA RESTAURANT AND WINE BAR

PG 14

HAUNTING FOLK

UNDER THE NAME “BIRDS HAVE FLOWERS,” REBECCA STONE DESIGNS AND CREATES CHILDREN’S CLOTHING, BEDDING, AND CUSTOM FABRICS

AMYJO SAVANNAH

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK! FACEBOOK.COM/HSHOTSPOTS

PG 6 PG 8

ALBUM REVIEWS

PG 9

VENUES OF HOT SPRINGS: LIVE SHOWS LISTING

PG 10

BIRDS HAVE FLOWERS

PG 14

THE MANY ARTS & CRAFTS OF REBECCA STONE

HOT SPRINGS HOT SPOTS STAFF: PHOTOGRAPHER CONTRIBUTING JEREMY RODGERS WritERS jeremy@hshotspots.com

ART DIRECTOR MARISA RODGERS marisa@hshotspots.com

CIARA CERRATO ciara@hshotspots.com JIM G. MILLER jim@hshotspots.com

SALES

LEANNE HITT leann_hitt@hotmail.com

KARI BARS karibars@hshotspots.com

CHUCK DODSON hshotspots@gmail.com

PUBLISHER RITCHIE WELLS rj@hshotspots.com

COPY EDITOR CIARA CERRATO ciara@hshotspots.com

RESTAURANT LISTING

PG 16

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THE SPA (EVENT CALENDAR) AUGUST

PG 19

RALLY OF THE SPRINGS

PG 21

BIKERS FLOW INTO CENTRAL AVENUE

HOT SPRINGS BLUES FESTIVAL

PG 26

THE SPA CITY BLUES KNOWS NO BOUNDARIES

GANGSTERS, GOSPEL & BLUEGRASS PG 32 SOUNDS FROM THE SPA

EATING OUT. LITERALLY.

PG 35

DRIVE-INS THAT HAVE STOOD THE TEST OF TIME

ADVERTISE WITH US! MAKE YOUR BUSINESS A HOT SPOT OF THE SPA CITY — CONTACT US AT 501.276.8267 TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR PROMOTIONS, RATES, AND HOW WE CAN HELP YOU WITH YOUR ADVERTISING NEEDS.

5

EATS

Story by Jim G. MIller

LATIN ELEGANCE While walking by and realizing I had never sat down for a meal at Vina Morita, it was an obvious place to visit. At the center of historic Central Avenue, it is oddly almost secluded in it’s location. You wonder if this were on purpose when you walk in. There are no pesky hostesses fanning menus out to tourists. There is simply a menu next to a door adorned with elegant and stylish lettering that reads Vina Morita.

While the restaurant is upscale, the food and drinks are moderately priced, making it quite affordable whether you are going out to lunch or dinner. The culinary exper tise impar ted by chef Antonio Gonzalez in plating the fresh and varied dishes, ranks them among the best Mexican fine dining establishments in Hot Springs.

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Promoting themselves as Latin-Mexican Cuisine with a touch of culinary innovation, they are not misrepresenting themselves.

Corniced in a comfor table, softly lit alcove

VINA MORITA RESTAURANT AND WINE BAR CULTIVATES UNIQUE FLAIR ON TRADITIONAL MEXICAN CUISINE

of 610 Central Avenue in Suite B, this family owned and operated wine bar seems to be shaped as a wine glass as the entry way and hallway open into the wine bar and larger dining area.

Knowing that you are eating at a family owned restaurant sometimes just makes the food taste better. The house sangria made from a 30 year old family recipe is something owner Brenda Bahena takes pride in when she serves it especially to new customers.

The fruity beverage provides an unexpected zip and refreshing burst to the senses.

Apparently the only other sangria like it is served at a restaurant in Mexico City owned

by Antonio’s uncle.

The restaurant opened in May of 2012, but Brenda’s husband Antonio has been in the restaurant business for 20 years. First time restaurant owners in Hot Springs, the family moved here because of the natural scenic beauty and water, and they felt that it would

be a safe and healthy place to raise their three children.

It is their mission to provide customers with the warmth of an authentic home cooked meal that provides healthy flavor in alternative MexicanLatino dishes. This is definitely not your generic local tex-mex restaurant. They change up on the menu about every four months, attempting to always innovate the traditional Mexican cuisine based on regions of Mexico such as Baka, Yucatan, Mexico City, San Luispotosi, Zacatecas, and Oaxaca.

A fresh summer time dish to sample is their ceviche made with lime, orange juice, and lemon. They also do all the basics but always with an original twist, and standout dishes such as the duck enchiladas and lamb tacos are an example of these twists. There is a history behind all cuisine, and it’s the awareness of those traditions mixed with creativity and know-how that truly sets Vina Morita’s cuisine apart from the plethora of other Mexican restaurants in Hot Springs.

MUSIC

HAUNTING FOLK Wearing an American flag button-up shirt, worn blue jeans, and vintage cowboy boots, and with classic acoustic guitar in hand, Amyjo Savannah has the seasoned glow of a tried and true troubadour, with a charming Colgate white smile and a mane full of curly brown hair.

Born in Hot Springs, Amyjo took to the road and understood the significance of her southern music roots during a stint in New York and a two year lay over playing gigs in Seattle. The city being a music mecca for all genres, Savannah learned quite a bit from her fellow traveling musicians while she lived there struggling as an artist to make ends meet.

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Savannah has traversed the U.S. with her guitar and has performed in some notable festivals and venues. She has played at the Sundance Film Festival, the 2010 High Times Doobie Awards at SXSW, and the Showbox in Seattle. Opening for performers like Sammy Hagar, Garth Hudson of The Band, Vince Mira, and Nina Storey, Savannah is what you might call ‘established.’

Story by Jim G. Miller

RHAPSODY AND SOUL THE MORBID FOLK OF AMYJO SAVANNAH

Amyjo has loved writing poems and singing all her life. “It just seemed like a natural progression for me to pick up a guitar and start playing music,” says Savannah. Choosing the guitar over the piano because of its obvious portability, Savannah could not see lugging a piano around with her during her traipses into the woods. Her first ever stage performance was in the now closed Poet’s Loft. It was at this venue that she first honed her abilities as a performer on stage.

With songs like “I’m Still Alive,” you can hear an homage to Robert Johnson’s “Me and the Devil Blues”. Savannah delivers an emboldened live performance that seems profoundly intimate and also seductive. This characteristic will certainly lend itself to whatever facet of blues that she attempts to deliver both live and recorded.

Now 27 years old, Amyjo is taking a new direction with her folksy “we can do it” style of singing and guitar that can be heard in her EP “Bohemian Blues”. With a full-length album to come, Savannah is also currently working on another album project that exhibits a darker somewhat morbid style.

Her new experimentations sound like something out of a horror film, but somehow her new material still possesses the organics of blues and soul. Many of the new songs are sung into an old black telephone receiver that was fashioned in Arkansas and delivered to her when she was living in Seattle. Listeners are entranced by her smoky voice like cobras are to a snake charmers pungi . With lines that mention “playing you like a 12-string guitar,” and “I like the way you look psycho,” her most recent work takes on a new eeriness and complexity, and the material on the upcoming album is a breakthrough for the artist.

Savannah will be playing August 4th at STAR Gallery for their 3rd year celebration party and August 20th at the Tuesday evening Farmer’s Market from 5pm-8pm at 121 Orange Street.

She also will be headlining for the first time ever at Maxine’s Live Venue along with Amanda Leigh Avery and Andy Grooms on August 9th. Go and be hypnotized by her new work and performances. It may just give you the chills.

hot springs

ALBUMS ON REVIEW Contribution Courtesy of & Written by Drew Martin

DEAFHEAVEN SUNBATHER

WHATEVER BRAINS WHATEVER BRAINS

PAGIINS BAD THINGS DON’T EP

I never thought I could be the type of person to get into black metal. Until I heard Deafheaven, the genre was a foreign field to me. After hearing all the hype behind Sunbather, I was a bit apprehensive but finally took the plunge. Somehow this album managed to pull me into the depths, and it isn’t letting me pop back up for air. The album opens with Dream House a slow, rhythmic soundscape that builds, leading us to the opening lines and the scraping, whispery yell of lead singer George Clarke. The songs tend to chug along but also manage not to be one bit sluggish. Two things that don’t seem as if they would make any sense together somehow fit perfectly. Clarke’s voice also helps add an ominous ambiance to the already well formed musical skeleton of each song. One can easily become overwhelmed by and immersed in the waves of guitar crashing against the Clarke’s voice over and over again. The two collide and trade turns, rising above the gorgeous cacophony to show their true beauty. This ebb and flow creates a swirl ed union between these two oppossing forces. Give it a listen and hope to stay afloat. Get this release and others at deafheavens.bandcamp.com.

I fell in love with Whatever Brains’ weird, dissonant sound about a year ago, and it began a strange love affair. Since my first listen, they’ve grown quite a bit, but it hasn’t diverged from their identity. The chaos I once loved has become more organized but without any loss of quality.

In their newest self-titled release, Whatever Brains sticks to the old song and game of unpredictability and punky experimentation but have become more listenable (in a good way.)

They’ve maintained their weird lyrical themes and unconventional riffs but have somehow managed to become much more structured. The squiggly guitar jangles have become straight, angular lines, and the singer Rich Ivey’s chanting lyrical style is starting to fit in to the mix better than ever. They’ve transitioned from a bizarre novelty into an intriguing, even enchanting, listen. While I do miss the old Whatever Brains just a little bit, who am I to reject artistic growth?

Just as they grow as a band, they continue to grow on me. And soon, I fear, my love may be an obsession. Get this release and others at sorrystaterecords.bandcamp.com.

Fayetteville (by way of Fort Smith) band Pagiins has been building some hype lately, and with two releases in 2012, spurts of shows played throughout the south and big plans for 2013, they are making a valiant effort at living up to it all. Bad Things Don’t perfectly (and intentionally) compliments their first EP, Good Things Take Time.

With this release, we see Pagiins becoming a little less sweet and a tad bit more in-your-face. There’s a “listen here, buddy” vibe that is really easy to get on board with. The fuzzy, surfy guitar riffs, the melodic vocals, plus the added enjoyment of dueling drums (which are really a treat live), pull everything together into something that can be easily chewed. Songs about relationships, screwing oneself over, and being more open to change make it easy for anyone to relate. On top of it all, the fact that they are having fun with it seamlessly transfers into their recordings and helps create a cheek to cheek grin on the listener’s face. It will be exciting to see what Pagiins has in store for us for 2013, and I’m hoping to see their two EPs released together on a 12” sometime this year. Be looking out for these guys. Get this release and the Good Things Take Time EP at pagiins.bandcamp.com.

Released June 11, 2013 on Deathwish, Inc.

HHHH

Released April 5, 2013 on Sorry State Records

HHHH

What you missed-Independently Released December 3, 2012

HHHHH

ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR: Drew Martin is an avid music snob. He is a local historian at the Gangster Museum of America in Historic Downtown Hot Springs and also works with Low Key Arts to put on the Valley of the Vapors Independent Music Festival, the Hot Water Hills Independent Arts & Music Festival, and various events throughout the year. He’s an Aries, and loves caffeine and nicotine. Do you agree with our Reviews? Leave your feedback on our reviews at hshotspots.com. Submit your own Reviews! Send your new release album reviews to info@hshotspots.com

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VENUES

LIVE SHOW LISTINGS EVERY WED

7pm Wednesday Night Poetry, 9pm Karaoke—FREE

THURS 8/8 KINISI KOMODO - LED ZEPPELIN TRIBUTE NIGHT FRI 8/9 AMY JO SAVANNAH, ANDY GROOMS Folk SAT 8/10 THE FATTY ACIDS, GLITTERCORE Pop/Alternative Punk THURS 8/15 We’reWolves, ANIMAL SPIRITY Rock/Blues/Indie Rock FRI 8/16 FOULPLAY CABARET, THE FRONTIER CIRCUS Burlesque/Phycho Western Rock SAT 8/17 DEADSTRING BROTHERS, MAD NOMAD, SWAMPBIRD Rock/Americana/Rock/Indie Rock THURS 8/22 JOSH HARTY, CANCELLIERI Alternative Country/Folk/Indie Folk FRI 8/23 MODOC, SX REX Rock/Folk Rock SAT 8/24 WALKER LUKENS AND THE SIDEARMS Blues/Rock/Soul TUES 8/27 FOULPLAY CABARET w/ BOSOM BUDDIES Burlesque FRI 8/30 INTERSTATE BUFFALO Blues/Rock SAT 8/31 OPPORTUNIST Indie/Rock EVERY MON EVERY WED

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NEW MOON JAM or DAVID BALL JOCKO OR LIGHTNIN LEE LANGDON

THUES FRI/SAT TUES FRI SAT Tues THURS FRI SAT THURS FRI/SAT

8/8 8/9-10 8/13 8/16 8/17 8/20 8/21 8/23 8/24 8/29 8/30-31

Tin pan alley grant pierson & gary hutxhison moonshine mafia acoustic with an DAYTON WATERS THE HIRED HANDS CHRISTINE DEMEO moonshine mafia acoustic with an LIGHTNIN LEE & THE UPRIGHT ROOST MIKE MAYBERRY AND THE SLOW HANDS SHANE SIMANTON 2 BLU AND THE LUCKY STIFFS

FRI FRI/SAT FRI/SAT FRI/SAT

8/9 8/16-17 8/23-24 8/30-31

New Age outlaws aaron owens larry lee cheshier SHARI BALES

hot springs

EVERY WED

MON 8/5 TUES 8/6 FRI/SAT 8/9-10 MON 8/12 Tues 8/13 FRI/SAT 8/16-17 MON 8/19 Tues 8/20 FRI/SAT 8/23-24 sun 8/25 mon 8/26 tues 8/27 FRI/SAT 8/30-31

CHUCKY D KARAOKE [7-10pm) DEAN AGUS [5-8PM] CHRIS HENRY (5-8pm) moonshine mafia [9PM-1AM] jocko (5-8pm) john jordan (5-8pm) crash meadows [9PM-1AM] larry womack (5-8pm) shane simaton (5-8pm) john calvin brewer band [9PM-1AM] elvis “matt joyce” (5-8pm) DEAN AGUS (5-8pm) john jordan(5-8pm) community blues [9PM-1AM]

EVERY SUN

EVERY TUES EVERY THURS FRI/SAT 8/9-10 FRI/SAT 8/16-17 FRI/SAT 8/23-24 THURS 8/29 FRI 8/30 SAT 8/31

MIKE STANLEY delta donnie LIGHTNIN LEE LANGDON OHIO CLUB PLAYERS ohio club players MR. LUCKY SAMANTHA FISH LITTLE G WEEVIL BRANDON SANTINI & BAND

FRI 8/9 ARKATEXT SAT 8/10 BLANE HOWARD FRI 8/16 CHRIS HENRY SAT 8/24 HEAVY SUGA & THE SWEETONES FRI 8/30 MIDAS COVEN SAT 8/31 CHRISTINE DEMEO BAND FRI/SAT 8/9-10 FRI 8/16 SAT 8/17 FRI 8/23 SAT 8/24 FRI/SAT 8/30-31

hotel casanova ELEVEN KARLA CASE BAND TERRI & EXECUTIVES RAISING GREY SOL DEFINITION

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OPEN THURSDAY - SATURDAY Free Shuttle 421 Broadway • 501-627-0505

Live Music

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Friday and Saturday until 1:30am wtih random drink specials all night long

Thursday-Saturday late night tunes til 5am in the morning

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hot springs

ALBUM RELEASES

RELEASES TO LOOK OUT FOR IN AUGUST

August 6 POND HOBO ROCKET (Modular) LUMERIANS THE HIGH FRONTIER (Partisan) MINKS TIDES END (Captured Tracks) SHARON JONES & THE DAP-KINGS GIVE THE PEOPLE WHAT THEY WANT (Daptone) MODERAT II (Mute) BLONDES SWISHER (Rvng Intl.)

August 13 WASHED OUT PARACOSM (Sub Pop) DAVID LIEBE HART BAND S/T (Evil Weevil Records)

August 20 EARL SWEATSHIRT DORIS (Tan Cressida) CROCODILES CRIMES OF PASSION (Frenchkiss) NO AGE AN OBJECT (Sub Pop) TY SEGALL SLEEPER (Drag City) SUPERCHUNK I HATE MUSIC (Merge) WHITE LIES BIG TV (Fiction) DESTRUCTION UNIT DEEP TRIP (Sacred Bones) ZOLA JESUS VERSIONS (Sacred Bones) PORCELAIN RAFT PERMANENT SIGNAL (Secretly Canadian)

August 27 DENT MAY WARM BLANKET (Paw Tracks) THE DODOS CARRIER (Polyvinyl) FLAAMINGOS FLAAMINGOS (Felte) JUICY J STAY TRIPPY (Columbia)

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ARTS

Story by Ciara Cerrato

BIRDS HAVE FLOWERS With so much promotion and plenty of gallery space dedicated to showcasing fine ar ts in Hot Springs, we sometimes forget that there is plenty of fine craftsmanship at work here as well. Whether they are carving native hardwoods, brewing soaps and beauty concoctions, or knitting one-of-a-kind fashion accessories, local ar tisans pour their effor ts into unique creations that are as beautiful to display and admire as they are practical.

In a world inundated with mass production, there is something about the handcrafted that is refreshing. Homemade crafts feel intimate and special; they add a touch of humanity to our lives and can evoke our own creativity. Even things as simple as dressing our children or nestling them in their beds can be touched with the creative beauty of ar tisanship as ar tist and seamstress Rebecca Stone has proven.

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Stone is a many-faceted and multi-talented artist. She is a studied sculptor, an experienced musician, and a nearly life long seamstress.

Under the name “Birds Have Flowers,” Stone designs and creates children’s clothing, bedding, and custom fabrics. It all started when she was eight-years-old and began sewing clothes for her dolls. She and her four siblings grew up in a creative environment and were encouraged by her mother as Stone explains, “She really taught us to use our imagination and get creative with cooking, the outdoors, and crafts. All five of us are still active artists and continue to challenge each other in the best way.” Taking sewing tips from her mother and grandmother, Stone eventually became skilled with the sewing machine, and her development and breadth as an artist furthered in the classroom.

Aside from her skills with needle and thread, Stone is a fine artist who devoted her academic studies to the arts. Having an interest in 3-dimensional art stemming from experimenting with pottery as a child, Stone’s focus was sculpture and ceramics while she studied for her Bachelors of Fine Arts. She

THE MANY ARTS AND CRAFTS OF REBECCA STONE

attended Garland County Community College as well as Henderson State University. She had the opportunity to study under such talents as Longhua Xu when he briefly taught sculpture at HSU, “I never thought I would be able to carve in stone and do casting because they seemed to be like such impossible tasks. I was lucky to learn that while he was there.” After attaining her B.F.A., Stone continued to study ceramics in Texas where she and her husband also worked on musical projects. They eventually returned to Hot Springs to start a family and continue their creative efforts.

While rearing her children and pursuing her music career with the band Landrest, Stone also decided to take on the extraordinary responsibility of ar t gallery ownership.

Her experience working in ar t galleries in college is what encouraged her to have a gallery of her own. She explains, “I wanted to make a place for unknown ar tists in Hot Springs. It is a collective called STAR Gallery, and it is way more laid back and more about

hot springs

The creations of Birds Have Flowers exude a homemade charm and earthiness. With bright, organic color schemes, her vibrant creations are joyful, and patterned with illustrations of trees and flowers or wolves and fawns, they bring smiles to children and adults alike. There is innocence and happiness in her work, and the fact that many of her pieces stem from her own home and love for her children is apparent: “My little girl gets to be my model.

I enjoy that I can stay home with our children and do something I love.”

ar tists gathering together and having a comfor table place to hang out.” The STAR Gallery is definitely eclectic, and everything from the traditional to the experimental, from illustrations to fashion ar t is exhibited

LIVE MUSIC Thurs-Sun

there. During this time, Stone also began making clothes for her children as well as items for their nursery, and friends and family encouraged her to star t selling her creations which is how Birds Have Flowers was born.

With its natural themes and hear tfelt energy, its no wonder that Hot Springs has made quite an impression on Rebecca Stone and her work as she explains, “It is so nice to make ar t in Hot Springs because you have a chance to focus on the creative process; there is not much hustle and bustle around here, and it is just so full of gorgeous nature!” Stone’s work can be found at etsy.com, spoonflower.com, and STAR Gallery.

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525-8585 4904 Central on Lake Hamilton

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EAT/DRINK

RESTAURANT LISTINGS ceviche FROM VINA MORITA

16

Akers Market & Deli

Cajun Broilers

4198 Malvern 262-0500

2806 Albert Pike 767-5695

ANDREW’S

CENTRAL PARK FUSION

410 Central 623-3200

200 Park Ave 623-0202

Angel’s in the Park

Cheese Corner

211 Fountain Street 609-0767

303 Broadway 624-3040

Back Porch Grill

Classics Bar & Grill

4810 Central 525-0885

4813 Central 525-7172

Belle Arti

Colorado Grill

719 Central 624-7474

320 Ouachita 623-7992

Belle of Hot Springs

Doc’s Pizzeria

5200 Central 525-4438

1018 Airport 760-2227

BLEU MONKEY GRILL

Don Juan

4263 Central 520-4800

1311 Albert Pike 321-0766

BOATHOUSE

DUE FIGLIE

4904 Central 525-8585

2900 Central 318-9776

Brick House Grill

English Muffin

801 Central 321-2926

4307 Central 525-2710

Buffalo Wild Wings

FAT JACKS

4104 Central 525-9453

101 Central 623-5225

BUBBA’s CATFISH TO GO

Fisherman’s Warf

5411 Central 762-3474

5101 Central 525-7437

CAFE 1217

Fuji Japanese SteakHouse

1217 Malvern 318-1094

608 E. Grand 321-1688

hot springs

Gilligan’s on Lake

MOOYAH

SADDLEBAGS GRILL

5200 Central 525-3319

3954 Central 520-5000

4977 Albert Pike 767-2247

Higdon Square Café

MR. WHISKERS

Salsa’s

706 Higdon Ferry 623-7744

1538 Malvern 262-3474

4324 Central 520-5305

HUNAN PALACE

MUELLER’s BISTRO

Sam’s Pizza Pub

4737 Central 525-3344

111 Crawford #B 501-623-7005

401 Burchwood Bay 525-0780

Jason’s Burgers

Osaka Japanese

Smokin’ in Style

148 Amity 525-0919

3954 Central 525-9888

2278 Albert Pike 767-9797

Jose’s

PARK ISLAND CAFE

Smyly’s Crab Shack

5361 Central 525-9797

250 Park 547-7172

4916 Central 525-3442

Kings Restaurant

PICANTE’S

Stubby’s BBQ

3310 Central 318-1888

801 Central 623-2300

3024 Central 624-1552

KJ’s Grill

Porterhouse

STEINHaus KELLER

1834 Airport 767-0063

707 Central 321-8282

801 Central 624-7866

La Hacienda

RAZORBACK PIZZA

TACO MAMA

3836 Central 525-8203

4330 Central 525-1616

1209 Malvern 624-6262

LUNA BELLA

Rocky’s Corner

TREJO’s MEXICAN

104 Grand Isle 520-5862

2600 Central 624-0199

3040 Albert Pike 760-2316

McClard’s BBQ

Rod’s Pizza Cellar

TRUE BLUE BBQ

505 Albert Pike 624-9586

3350 Central 321-2313

2012 Central 276-5961

Mel’s Diner

Roland’s BBQ

VINA MORITA

1603 Airport 767-0595

200 Higdon Ferry 625-3079

610 Central 625-7143

Mi Pueblito

ROLANDO’S

ZOE’s CAFE

2070 Airport 760-4647

210 Central 318-6054

2230 Malvern 321-2921

Sauerbraten with red cabbage FROM STEINHAUS KELLER

CHIPOTLE VEGGIE BURGER from PARK ISLAND CAFE

PORTERHOUSE FOR TWO FROM THE PORTERHOUSE

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D CKERS Restaurant & Bar

4915 Central • Open Wed through Sun • 11am - Close

Sandwiches, Seafood & Chicken Wednesday All You Can Eat Crablegs

$29.95

Family Dining!

Thursday All You Can Eat Catfish

Friday & Saturday 1/2 Price Appetizers after 10pm

$29.95

Sunday $5 Burger Basket

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B SHACK CRA RESTAURANT AND BAR 4916 Central Open Thurs through Sat • 11am - Close

$2 Longnecks • $2 Well Drinks Featuring the band Midnight Parade & DJ Chucky P Open until 5am Thursday All You Can Eat Crablegs on Wed

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hot springs

EVENT CALENDAR AUGUST 2-11

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Sept 1

at The Pocket Theater Tickets $10

at Oaklawn’s Finish Line Theater

at Garvan Woodland Gardens Magnolia Room

SOCIAL SECURITY

Art Exhibit featuring “Brush Strokes” BEGINS

MAGIC SPRINGS CONCERT SERIES “coco jones”

6-10

Rhea Lana 2013 Fall “Back-to-School” Event at Hot Springs Convention Center

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Sept 5-7

at Magic Springs

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Arkansas Jazz Experience at Quapaw Bathhouse | 6pm

MAGIC SPRINGS CONCERT SERIES “peter furler” at Magic Springs

10

Herman’s Hermits with Peter Noone in concert

Acoustic Songwriter Showcase with Kevin Seconds, Kepi Ghoulie, & Rad Posture

4:00 PM 4:00 PM -

at Hot Springs Convention Center Horner Hall 7pm

AN EVENING WITH GRADY NICHOLS SMOOTH JAZZ CONCERT

29 31

MAGIC SPRINGS CONCERT SERIES “chris cagle”

at The Arlington Hotel 7:15pm - 10:30pm

16

17th Annual Hot Springs Blues Festival

at 100 Block/Downtown Hot Springs

31-Sept 1

at Hill Wheatley Plaza and Various Locations

Thursday- September 5th Convention Center Rooms 207-209 Convention Center Exhibit Halls A-C

Friday-September 6th 6:00 PM Registration Convention Center Rooms 207-209 7:30 PM Vendors Convention Center Exhibit Halls A-C 4:00 PM Poker Run: Start/Finish Convention Center Downstairs Lobby All sheets must be turned in by 4:00 PM Saturday, Sept. 7th

12:00 PM Bingo 6:00 PM Parade Staging Parade Departs Concert-Lee Brice

SEPT 6

8:00 AM 8:00 AM 8:00 AM -

Convention Center Exhibit Hall C Oak Lawn Park Oak Lawn Park Convention Center-Summit Arena

Saturday-September 7th 6:00 PM Registration Convention Center Rooms 207-209 8:00 PM Vendors Convention Center Exhibit Halls A-C 4:00 PM Poker Run: Start/Finish Convention Center Downstairs Lobby

DOWNTOWN GALLERY WALK

9:00 AM -

All sheets must be turned in by 4:00 PM Saturday, Sept. 7th

4:00 PM Fifth Annual Antique Motorcycles In the Park presented by Antique Motorcycle Club Hill Wheatly Plaza of America Convention Center-Church Street Parking 12:00 PM Field Events Lot 1:00 PM Bike Show Registration Convention Center Exhibit Hall D

at Downtown Hot Springs

10:00 AM -

11:30 AM -

at Magic Springs

STROLL THE BOULEVARD

11:00 AM 4:30 PM 6:00 PM 7:30 PM -

Good Morning Hot Springs with Representative Tom Cotton at Embassy Suites, Grand Salon 7:30 - 9am

8:00 PM Registration 8:00 PM Vendors

at Hot Springs Convention Center

8:30 AM 8:00 AM 10:00 AM -

at Low Key Arts | 118 Arbor 9pm | All Ages Welcome

Gangsters, Gospel, and Bluegrass

2013 Hot Springs Rally Schedule of Events

8th Annual Hot Springs Motorcycle Rally

1:00 PM 1:30 PM 3:00 PM 6:30 PM 7:00 PM 8:15 PM 8:00 AM

No entries after 1:00 PM-Ride in Bike Show; All bikes out by 5:00PM

Sept 7

1:00 PM -

-

5:00 PM ABATE of Arkansas Meet & Greet Come meet the State Officers, District Officers and see What ABATE of Arkansas is all about 3:00 PM Kids Events 4:00 PM Bike Show Open to Public 4:00 PM Bingo Arena Doors Open 8:00 PM Closing Ceremonies & Awards 9:45 PM Concert-Grand Funk Railroad

Convention Center Lobby

Convention Center Exhibit Hall C Convention Center Exhibit Hall D Convention Center Exhibit Hall C Convention Center-Summit Arena Convention Center-Summit Arena Convention Center-Summit Arena

Antique Motorcycles in the Park

-

at Hill Wheatley Plaza 629 Central Ave.

Sunday-September 9th 9:00 AM Sunday Morning Service & Bike Blessing Convention Center Room 203 Jack Burbridge-From Crime to Christ Schedule Updated 07/08/2013 Times, Events and Locations are Subject to Change

SATURDAYS Hot Springs Farmers Market at Transportation Depot 121 Orange St

“Salsa Night” Dancing at Vina Morita Restaurant and Winebar, 610 Central, Suite B

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TM

TM

Other Rally Events Include: ☠ParadeOther through Historic Downtown Hot Springs Rally Events Include:

☠Two Poker Run Routes with a chance to wIn $2000 ☠Parade through Historic Downtown Hot Springs ☠One of the Largest Motorcycle Shows ☠Two Poker Run Routes with a chance to wIn $2000 in Central Arkansas ☠One of the Largest Motorcycle Shows ☠Bike and non-Bike Field Events in Central Arkansas ☠Kids Events ☠Biker Bingo ☠Bike and non-Bike Field Events ☠Loads of Vendors ☠Kids Events ☠Biker Bingo and MuCH more! ☠Loads of Vendors and MuCH more! weekend and Single Day Passes Available weekend and Single Day Passes Available

For tickets and additional information visit us at:

www.thehotspringsrally.com For tickets and additional information visit us at: www.thehotspringsrally.com

hot springs

RALLY OF THE SPRINGS

BIKERS FLOW INTO CENTRAL AVENUE Story by Jim G. Miller

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BIKE RALLY

The other night while sitting in my parked truck in front of the old Hot Springs High School, I saw a man turn his bike over on Central Avenue skidding as metal sparks shot into the night air.

He jumped up immediately and picked up his bike, parking it on the sidewalk to assess the damage not to himself but to his bike. Bikers are tough, and they pride themselves on their trusty metal steeds. Most bikers in Arkansas also pride themselves not just on their bikes but also on the fact that they live in one of the most beautiful areas in the country to ride.

September 5th - 8th, the eighth annual Hot Springs Motorcycle Rally will be held once again in downtown in conjunction with Arkansas Bikers Aiming Towards Education (ABATE). This nonprofit organization that has been established since 1985, promotes, practices, and teaches motorcycle safety and awareness.

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There is something about the growling of engines and the sight of leather-vested bikers that has

branded itself onto the identity of downtown Hot Springs. As a cultural oasis for vacationers and enthusiasts, the city is a honey pot for the bikers who breeze through the scenic highways enjoying the splendor of that pristine Arkansas nature that draws them here.

“There are typically 10,000 bikers who come each year, and over half of those bikers are traveling from the surrounding states such as Louisana, Texas, Missouri, Tennessee and Mississippi. It has become more than a state event; it’s now a regional motorcycle rally,” says Fred Anderson, the organizer of the rally.

Registration for this year’s rally runs from September 5th through Saturday, September 7th.

A complete list of events can be found at www. thehotspringsrally.com. Each year the rally hosts nationally known entertainment on Friday and Saturday nights, featuring headliners like Travis Tritt, Styx, Foghat, .38 Special, and Foreigner. This year’s headliners are country music star Lee Brice

hot springs

1916 Triumph

1947 Harley Davidson

1972 Triumph Hurricanes

who will be playing Friday evening and Grand Funk Railroad who will be featured Saturday night.

Tickets are also available for the weekend event on the rally’s official website. “The weather has a huge part in the success of the rally. Since we don’t have any control over that, we just put together the best entertainment package we can, and hope for good weather,” says Anderson who stresses also that the rally is open to everyone whether you ride a motorcycle or just want to come and experience good entertainment.

For other bike enthusiasts that will be in the area, September 7th features the 6th Annual Antique Motorcycle show organized by the Antique Motorcycle Club of America’s Diamond Chapter. The show exhibits bikes that date back to 1913 all the way up to anything that is pre1980. “Generally, to participate in the show, the bike has to be 35 years or older, but if it’s something unusual, we’ll take it,” says Mike Thompson, a long time motorcycle collector and

1917 Excelsior

organizer of the show. The show has exhibited antique bikes that range with price tags from $28,000-$100,00 and more.

There is a $10 fee for people interested in entering their bike, but the show is free to the public. Traditionally held on the Arlington lawn before the feds raised the rent, the show is now held in Hill Wheatley Plaza. “It works out better for us because there is a lot of foot traffic especially from the motorcycle rally,” says Thompson.

Into motorcycles since he was 14, Thompson has enthusiastically been collecting since he retired back in 1999. “The great thing about this show is that you get to see some bikes that are incredibly rare, bikes that you may only get the chance to see in a museum,” says Thompson. As a collector, you sell bikes to other collectors from all over the country, “These bikes are like puppy dogs for some of us collectors, so you often build connections and make friendships with the people that you sell them to.”

There are a lot of serious bike collectors in Arkansas who had spoken with the producers of the American Pickers show on the history channel whom recently came through Arkansas.

“I told them about an ex-flat track racer I know who has acres of motorcycles here in the state,” says Thompson.

This year Thompson hopes to continue providing small history lessons throughout the day of the show which lasts from 6am to 6pm. Thompson plans to start up a bike every hour on the hour so that people can hear the sound of their old engines purring.

The first year there were only about fifty-four motorcycles, but over the last two years there have been over one-hundred bikes in the show.

If you are a biker, a collector, an enthusiast, or simply a Grand Funk Railroad fan, then the beginning of September is a good month to be in downtown Hot Springs. Just remember if you are in a car, look twice and save a life.

23

BLUES FESTIVAL

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hot springs

THE SPA CITY BLUES KNOWS NO BOUNDARIES THE HOT SPRINGS BLUES FESTIVAL BLOWS THROUGH TOWN FOR THEIR SEVENTEENTH YEAR

For seventeen years, the Spa City Blues Society has kept the deep southern soul of blues music alive in Hot Springs. It began as the “Hump Night Blues Jam” in the old Shapiro’s which is now where the Gangster Museum of America is housed. The group now has stationed their headquar ters at the historic Ohio Club which was built in 1905 and is Arkansas’ oldest bar where you can check out blues shows every Wednesday night.

music festival is always the weather, and last year the Blues Festival was hit hard with the backlash from Hurricane Issac losing $17,000 because of the torrential downpour that ensued that weekend. Thanks to the kindness of local businesses and major community suppor t, the Blues Festival has since more than rebounded and will be delivering a spectacular line up this year.

Story by Jim G. Miller

Harmon. “When Zak plays, it just sounds like silk,” says Hughes.

One major highlight that will be new this year is the performance by a group from the “Blues in the Schools” program. It is an initiative star ted by the Blues Foundation out of Memphis to educate children on the history, culture, genre and performance aspect of the blues genre.

The Blues Festival in downtown Hot Springs has come a long way since its humble beginnings. “The stage used to be on the back of a flat bed truck behind Boogie’s (now the home of Bootscooters) on 421 Broadway Street,” says David Hughes, president of the Spa City Blues Society. It has only been for the past four years now that the Blues Fest has been held in Hill Wheatley Plaza.

Hill Wheatley, otherwise known as “Mister Hot Springs,” donated the land for the plaza to the Hot Springs Foundation in 1981 for the use and benefit of the public, and it has since been home to various festivals and events throughout the year.

David and Sherree Hughes have been avid supporters and listeners of the blues all of their lives. The passion was evident as David started listing off bands and artists whom would be featured during this year’s festival which will be held the weekend of August 30th through September 1st. Performances include Samantha Fish, concert guitarist and singer from Kansas City, who will be playing a free show at the Ohio Club with her three piece band. Award winning artists such as Victor Wainright of “Southern Hospitality” who won the Pinetop Perkins piano player of the year award will be among the featured bands this year. Maple Leaf Award winning Canadian blues artist Shakura S’aida will also be playing Saturday evening.

This year’s ar twork for the Blues Festival is once again designed by George Hunt, an internationally recognized ar tist and Hot Springs native now based out of Memphis, who has done the ar twork for numerous other Blues Festivals like the Chicago Blues and Memphis in May. Hunt tries to come to the festival every year and will be present on Friday, August 2nd at Blue Moon Gallery. He will be featuring his work, and you may also get autographed posters by the ar tist. On International Blues Day, the Spa City Blues Society will present Back To School Blues on Saturday, August 3rd from noon until 2:00 pm at the Hot Springs Mall.

The location could not be better for the Blues Festival, but the one catch with any outdoor

The festival will also include return favorites such as The Bar t Walker Band and Zak

There will also be plenty of other ar t exhibited during this year’s Blues Festival as it is

27

BLUES FESTIVAL

featuring it’s 3rd Ar tisan Alley set up on the wandering path by the shady fountain in Hill Wheatley Plaza. “It’s always a nice diversion for festival attendees to peruse the local ar t in a relaxed and friendly setting,” says Amelia Houser, a local ar tisan who is also assisting with organizing Ar tisan Alley.

This year’s blues festival will not just be anchored to Hill Wheatley Plaza but will also hold performances at The Big Chill, 3 B’s, The Ohio Club, Fat Jack’s, and Classic’s Bar and Grill in the Clarion Hotel with after par ties featuring even more blues ar tists at nearly all of these venues throughout the entire weekend.

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An exciting facet of the festival is the workshops that are included, and Hughes was sure to mention the “build your own cigar box guitar”

workshop with Bluesboy Jag which includes a $40 fee for materials and a registration deadline of August 26th. There will also be a themed photography workshop with Jenn Ocken, Gospel Music and the Blues, Slide Guitar with Joe Pitts, and a Blues in the Schools workshop. All of the workshops will be at Star Gallery during the weekend of the festival.

The 17th Annual Blues Festival is $10 a day, and weekend passes are available for $15 online only until August 23rd. There will also be food vendors as well as beer and water for sale in Hill Wheatley Plaza. Ten percent of the proceeds from the Spa City Blues Festival go toward the “Unknown Legends Musician Relief Fund” to help Arkansas musicians who do not have healthcare. For further details and schedule information visit www.spacityblues.org.

hot springs

17th annual hot springs blues festival

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS wednesday, AUGUST 28

SATURDAY, AUGUST 31

SUNDAY, september 1

ohio club hump night blues jam - 8pm

WORKSHOPS AT STAR GALLERY

WORKSHOPS AT STAR GALLERY

12:00pM

11:00aM

BLUES FESTIVAL DAY 1

BLUES FESTIVAL DAY 2

THEMED PHOTOGRAPHY - JENN OCKEN GOSPEL MUSIC AND THE BLUES

THURSDAY, AUGUST 29 ohio club samantha fish

FRIDAY, AUGUST 30 OFFICIAL KICK-OFF PARTIES

Big Chill 2blu & the lucky stiffs ohio club little g weevil

1:00-3:00pM

12:00pM

BUILD A CIGAR BOX BLUESBOY JAG (FEE $40)

SLIDE GUITAR - JOE PITTS

GATES OPEN AT 2:30PM

BLUES IN THE SCHOOLS HEATHER CROSSE

2:30-3:30PM Happy hour 3:30pm john calvin brewer band 4:15pm blues in the schools 4:30pm little g weevil 5:45pm selwyn birchwood band 7:00pm shakura s’aida 8:30PM zak harmon AFTER PARTIES KICK OFF AT 9:00PM

1:00pM

GATES OPEN AT 2:30PM

1:30-2:30PM Happy hour 2:30pm salt & pepper 3:30pm gil franklin band 4:30pm hump night blues band 5:45PM brandon santini & his band 7:00pm bart walker band 8:30pm southern hospitality

fat jack’s bart walker band

Big CHILL 2BLU & THE LUCKY STIFFS

classic’s bar & grill youngblood blues jam

ohio club BRANDON SANTINI AND HIS BAND

ohio club BRANDON SANTINI AND HIS BAND

UNDER 21

fat jack’s BART WALKER BAND

fat jack’s LITTLE G WEEVIL

3 b’s bar JOE PITTS BAND W/ RACHEL COBA

3 b’s bar JOE PITTS BAND W/ RACHEL COBA

*Schedule is Subject to Change

AFTER PARTIES KICK OFF AT 9:00PM

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GANGTERS, GOSPEL & BLUEGRASS

GANGSTERS, GOSPEL & BLUEGRASS SOUNDS FROM THE SPA

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|

Story by LeAnne Grace Hitt

During the dog days of summer when people have tired of the lake or the heat, Hot Springs still has much to offer in the form of great music at some of our best local venues. With the variety of musical events that are held here, music enthusiasts won’t be left wonting.

From season to season, one can find any number of live music performances in town since Hot Springs has a sizeable group of music aficionados. With its live venues and numerous annual music festivals, one can find music to appease almost any palate.

hot springs

Photo Courtesy of PoseyHill.com

This past June, Hot Springs hosted the 18th annual Hot Springs Music Festival.

During this annual event, 150 international musicians come to the spa city to par ticipate in 21 performances of classical, chamber orchestras and symphonies. In late August, the Spa City Blues Society will host the 17th annual Bluesfest at various venues around town such as The Big Chill and The Ohio Club.

In September, the 22nd annual Jazzfest will take place downtown. During the hear t of the fall in October, the Hot Water Hills Music and Ar ts Festival will be held at Hill Wheatley plaza. There is a local independent music festival in the spring each year called Valley of the Vapors. If you want music—any type of music—Hot Springs has you covered.

This year for the first time, Gangsters, Gospel and Bluegrass: A Musical History of Hot Springs, will debut at the Hot Springs Convention Center. The event is presented by the for ty-person-strong Fun City Chorus which is enjoying its 35th year in existence.

This a cappella group is best known for holding 25+ shor t dinner enter tainment events at the convention center in the past, but the group finally has decided to put on a bigger show this year.

The “Gangsters”

The Clyde Adams Band is a local Hot Springs country band that frequents the VFW Post 2278 and Terry Martin’s Lounge. The Clyde Adams Band will kick off the themed show with Golden Harvest Gospel and Posey Hill Bluegrass headlining.

The Gospel

Golden Harvest is a local favorite as a liveperformance cover band with the talent to recreate various musical stylings. The band features Doug Lackey on keyboard and vocals, Joe Lackey on drums, Rodger Luker on guitar, and Ronnie Vanderslice on bass. These guys are sure to pull together a solid Southern Gospel act that will inspire the soul and get the body moving in celebration.

The Bluegrass

Posey Hill Bluegrass is a nod to the sweet, lonesome sounds loved by bluegrass and contemporary folk fans throughout the South.

It is a family affair built around the harmonic trio of Doug Burnett, his two oldest daughters Kristian and Erin, and in-law Chuck Hughes.

Their family ties make the listener feel right at

home with some of their classic country pick’n sounds, down-south harmony stylings, and tasteful acoustic instrumentation straight from front porch rockers.

The band will also be returning to Hot Springs to perform at the Quapaw Bath House during the September 7th Gallery Walk event.

Each segment of entertainment will deliver not only a stylistic example of its genre but also little known facts about Hot Springs’ rich musical history. The Fun City Chorus will also award its annual $500.00 scholarships to four local high school seniors.

THE “DIRECTOR”

The two-hour show will feature the Gangster Museum of America’s owner, Robert Raines, as a featured voice and as “The Director”.

Raines, who has recently written a book about the history of gangsters in Hot Springs, will be providing historical facts in between performing songs like “Luck Be a Lady” and “San Francisco”. Tickets are available for this event, and they can be purchased online at funcitychorus.org or by calling 501-624-6100 for $15 in advance.

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hot springs

EATING OUT. LITERALLY. Story by Chuck Dodson

There was a time when the automobile was the iphone5 of our culture. Folks were trading in the family hor se or mule for a new motor car. They were in awe of all they actually could do inside of one such as race with your neighbor, argue with your family, or have uncomfor table sex, and it wasn’t long before someone thought, “Hey, ya know, we could eat in here.”

Like television and human rights, eating in cars didn’t take off until after World War II. Of course, today you have to go pretty far back in the woods not to have a McDonald’s or Burger King in your periphery. Before the big chains took over, there were plenty of mom and pop drive-ins scattered across the country where you could park outside and enjoy a meal in the comfor t of your very own iron horse.

Though Hot Springs has lost many precious historical and architectural landmarks over the years (the Opera House, Eastman Hotel, Paramount Theater, an entire block of downtown, etc.), we are for tunate to have three classic drive-ins still standing and in operation within our city limits. They are (in alphabetical order): Bailey’s Dairy Treat, King Kone, and Sheri’s Fros-T Treat.

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DRIVE-INS

I recently had lunch, on consecutive days, and in alphabetical order, at each of our three classic dairy drive-ins. I had the same order at each stop: a burger (no cheese, mustard instead of mayo), fries (regular, not seasoned), and a chocolate shake (small). I could have ordered items ranging from nachos to egg rolls and mozzarella cheese sticks to a catfish dinner, but I kept to the basics. In eating these meals, I learned that the similarities between our three drive-ins far outweigh the differences.

All three meals were served in white paper sacks.

The burgers were wrapped in paper, the fries were in paper cartons, and the shakes were served in unmarked white styrofoam cups with plastic lids and straws. No logos, no ads. All three meals were cooked to order and were served within a few minutes. The burgers and fries were served piping hot, the shakes were thick and tasty. All three driveins had outdoor seating in more or less shaded areas in case you didn’t want to eat in your car.

Though the menu’s were similar, each drive-in had its own particular history and charm.

Bailey’s Dairy Treat

510 Park Avenue Hamburger, fries, small shake: $8.35 (tax included) Driving up Park Avenue where in 1927 Schemer Drucci tried to shoot Al Capone with a shotgun, it’s hard to imagine that this street was once the main highway into “the greatest sporting town anywhere” (Sports Illustrated). It was a few miles farther out, at Crow’s Station, that a sentry watched the road for patrol cars on their way into town from Little Rock to raid illegal casinos, so he could alert managers to stop the games and hide the tables. Tourists still come this way to see the “Boyhood Home of Bill Clinton” (1011 Park Ave.) where he lived from 1954 to 1961, and my destination, Bailey’s Dairy Treat, is where the young future president and his friends would walk for chili cheeseburgers and Grapettes during their school years (it was called The Polar Bar then).

Bailey’s, a tiny and cute building nestled against a treecovered hillside, is the most architecturally pleasing of the old Hot Springs drive-ins with a giant ice cream cone, “Bailey’s” written in neon, and a striped awning adorning the facade. The one thing at Bailey’s that you don’t expect to see at a classic drive-in is the statue of Buddha that sits inside the front window.

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The manager asks if I want the “Bailey’s Big Mouth Special” - a Large Cheeseburger, Fries & Drink for

(only) $5.75 + tax, but I stick to my basic burger, fries, and shake. Soon after I order, he hands out a white styrofoam cup that reads, “while you wait.”

On a hot day like this, sipping an icy cold chocolate shake is a wondrous thing. A few minutes later I’m sitting in the shade at one of the old wooden picnic tables beside the small building. It’s 12:45 pm on Wednesday, still lunch hour, and I’m the only one here. I can’t help imagining how many people are eating at the McDonald’s, Burger Kings, Wendy’s, and other chains around town. Thousands. But I’ve got Bailey’s all to myself.

King Kone

1505 Malvern Avenue Hamburger, fries, small shake: $7.37 (tax included) On the corner of Malvern Avenue and Cones Road, not far from the Hot Springs Country Club, founded in 1898, where Babe Ruth and Jack Dempsey played, and where the Arlington Open

was once a PGA tourney, sits a bright, shiny, Sonic Drive In. Sonic calls itself “America’s Drive In,” and the company has made big business out of looking and acting sort of like the old-time American drive-ins. There are now over 3,500 Sonics, and at least six of them are here in Hot Springs. Across the street from this particular Sonic sits a small building made of lavender concrete blocks and covered with menus in the form of hand-painted signage. A vanilla ice cream cone is painted on blocks that rise up above the roofline like a chimney. This building is King Kone. There is only one King Kone in the entire universe.

It’s 97 degrees at 2:15 on this Thursday afternoon in July, and I’m sitting outdoors at a comically bowed picnic table, shielded from the blazing sun by a small awning, with a bag of steaming hot food in front of me. Cars pass by on Malvern Avenue. When I pick up my order from the window, a man dressed in work clothes who was sitting at his own picnic table also

hot springs

on East Grand. We’d pull up in the work truck, hop out, and order at the window, and usually we would eat inside the truck before driving back to the job site.

Today it’s called Sheri’s Fros-T Treat. There are new menu items such as the EGG-PLOSION cheeseburger, and the outside of the building has been painted a bright mix of lime green and chartreuse, but other than a few small changes, it looks pretty much like the same old-fashioned Fros-T Treat.

The burger at Sheri’s is a bit different from the burgers at Bailey’s and King Kone. Sheri’s burger is bigger and on a different bun, and there is tomato and seasonings added. The burger meat at Bailey’s and King Kone tasted like pure ground beef, unadulterated with additives and flavorings (in stark opposition to the processed meat you get at the chains). The last time I ate here at Fros-T Treat years ago, the burger was about the same as the other two drive-ins, so Sheri must have spruced up her recipe with a few herbs and spices. The last difference I notice is that at all three drive-ins I ordered a small chocolate shake, but the shakes at Bailey’s and King Kone were identical in size, and the shake here at Sheri’s is substantially smaller. I wish I had ordered a medium.

All three drive-ins have a lunch special including a cheeseburger, fries, and soft drink for under $6, but all three of the menus were long and had a variety meals and treats. King Kone has a “Mexican” menu, Bailey’s has Asian items, and Fros-T Treat offers BBQ brisket, pulled pork, and funnel cakes. One thing, actually a big thing, I neglected during this survey of dairy drive-ins is the ice cream section of the menu. Though I enjoyed a chocolate shake at every location, I passed on the array of malts, floats, cones, sundaes, parfaits, banana splits, nutty buddy’s, and other tempting dairy delights. These, as much as the burgers, made the drive-ins famous. An entire story could be written on the ice cream menus alone.

waiting on his own bag of food, cast a very serious glance at me and said gravely, “You just found a good burger here.” He and I are the only customers.

The meal I have in front of me is similar to the one I had yesterday at Bailey’s, but there are two obvious differences. One is that the King Kone burger has rings of purple onion and the Bailey’s burger had chopped white onion. The other difference is the price. My meal at Bailey’s cost $8.35. This meal, essentially the same meal, is $7.37.

As I eat, clouds gently roll in overhead, and I feel

a breeze as I watch the cars passing like a stream of ants thru the Sonic drive-thru (it’s happy hour there), and I think to myself, ‘This is how to King Kone, and it’s not just good, it’s King Kone good.’

Sheri’s Fros-T Treat

1020 East Grand Avenue Hamburger, fries, small shake: $8.71 (tax included) In the mid-1980s, I worked on a construction job out highway 70E. The job lasted for months and during that time, I had countless lunches at the Fros-T Treat

It was just a few decades ago that you could watch movies from your car at the Sunset Drive In (3310 Central Ave.), sit in your car at any hour of the night atop Hot Springs Mountain or West Mountain (many of us who grew up here took full advantage of that privilege), or park your car outside McClard’s BarB-Q, honk the horn or blink the lights, and a “carhop” would bring out your food (McClard’s did this roughly three decades before the first Sonic opened). Will the great American dairy drive-in soon go the way of all-night National Park access and McClard’s curb service? Probably. But, for now, you’ve still got a chance to get in a car and drive to one of these fine local drive-ins to grab an old-fashioned treat and relive some history, no reservations needed.

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