Hot Springs Hot Spots Magazine - October 2013

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22nd annual levi hospital baron’s ball PG 20

OCTOBER 2013

pocket theater PG 25

hot springs documentary film festival PG 36

halloween traditions in hot springs PG 31

LIVE VENUE LISTING PG 10 HSHotSpots.com

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PG 31

IN THIS ISSUE:

THE BAND, WHITE GLOVE TEST, HAS BECOME A STRANGELY ENTERTAINING (AND OFTEN SHIRTLESS) HALLOWEEN TRADITION FOR THE DOWNTOWN MUSIC SCENE

BEATS AND EATS

PG 6

THE GRINDHOUSE

FLIGHT MACHINE

PG 8

BECOME A FREQUENT FLYER

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK! FACEBOOK.COM/HSHOTSPOTS

ALBUM REVIEWS

PG 9

VENUES OF HOT SPRINGS: LIVE SHOWS LISTING

PG 10

black plastic memories

PG 14

MATT McCORMACK

RESTAURANT LISTING

PG 16

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

PG 19

ACROBATS AND A VAUDVILLE NIGHT PG 20 22ND ANNUAL LEVI HOSPITAL BARON’S BALL

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

ART DIRECTOR MARISA RODGERS marisa@hshotspots.com

SALES

CIARA CERRATO ciara@hshotspots.com JIM G. MILLER jim@hshotspots.com DREW MARTIN hshotspots@gmail.com

KARI BARS karibars@hshotspots.com

PUBLISHER RITCHIE WELLS rj@hshotspots.com

pocket theater

PG 25

OUR COMMUNITY THEATRE

CAN YOU DIG IT?

COPY EDITOR

CRYSTAL & CRYSTAL SKULL FESTIVAL

CIARA CERRATO ciara@hshotspots.com

HALLOWEEN IN HOT SPRINGS

PG 28 PG 31

TWO LOCAL TRADITIONS

THE DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL PG 36 22 YEARS OF DISCOVERY

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EATS

BEATS AND EATS When Grindhouse first opened, I just assumed that it was a coffee bar or some random rave club that would close down in due time like many of the former restaurants that had inhabited the space at the top of Spencer’s Corner. I now eat there almost once a week, and the delectable items brought out from the kitchen always surprise me. And, yes, they also serve coffee and other amazing drinks, but it’s not just all coffee and food. Recently they’ve had some world class disc jockeys in the space slinging beats for the locals.

Their DJ lineup this past year would impress anyone who is familiar with the genre, featuring artists like Govinda, Heroes and Villains, Joe Nice, Run DMT, Helicopter Showdown, Gang Signs, Anthony Thomaz and AK 1200, the first ever drum and bass DJ.

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They stick to their core menu which includes burgers made with rib-eye, brisket, and chuck all from natural Angus beef. Their buns are special ordered from Ambrosia Bakery. Even though they’ve become known as a burger bar, the restaurant and bar has changed its pace and

delved into new territory. For instance it is likely to be the only place in Hot Springs where you can get a Reuben sandwich made with pork belly instead of corned beef and fried Oreos for dessert. Their menu also boasts a variety of vegetarian dishes if you are not a fan of hamburgers that are the size of your head.

It is a family restaurant with father, Danny, and sons, Derek and Hunter, opening the business.

The Gonzales’ want Grindhouse to have a dynamic menu with dynamic music shows. “People get sick of eating the same stuff all the time,” says Derek who understands the importance of keeping things fresh. While also continuing to show off DJs from around the country, the venue also hopes to start hosting more local varieties of music.

Grindhouse is also planning for a night dedicated to those in the service industry, offering half-off menu items, $1 off beers, and $2 off well drinks.

December 14th will mark their one year anniversary, and Derek who is originally from Austin, recently has setup Grindhouse

Story by Jim G. MIller

DRINKS & SOMETHING FRESH: GRINDHOUSE OUTLASTS THE CYNICS Productions in Austin and is planning a startup in Texarkana. Grindhouse Productions Austin is a BYOB style venue that spreads good beats and vibes with a broader audience throughout the South. The location in Austin is in an 800 capacity historic location formerly called EMOs that serves as one of the headquarters of SXSW for a few months out of the year. Derek’s plans are to have a food truck parked out front of that venue and to possibly even bring it to the Grindhouse here in Hot Springs on occasion.

The Gonzales boys have had their hands full with opening Grindhouse in downtown Hot Springs; they have pushed a lot of boundaries and have brought a lot of new and interesting music that has never before been in Hot Springs. “We are perhaps a little bit ahead of the game, and every time I set foot in the restaurant, there are new faces and more people who have heard of our food,” says Gonzales. Grindhouse is a welcome change and a prime place to grab a good burger and maybe some truffle fries even after midnight.

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MUSIC

FLIGHT MACHINE I am not a musician, but I have always wanted to be in a band. It is a common desire for people especially if they are musically inclined or just drawn to it in some way. There is a kindred emotion that’s visible when you see men and women up on a stage zoned in on the act of creating enjoyable music. It’s a lot like that drum circle you periodically see in Adair Park with dozens of people banging out raw percussive rhythms with looks of ecstasy on their faces. The primal urge is in all of us to make music. That’s probably a good reason why the band Flight Machine just kind of picked up speed and took off one day. It was like the Wright Brothers building a plane, not necessarily knowing if it would go anywhere -- but eventually it did.

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Flight Machine took off only about a year ago as four middle-aged dudes getting together to jam.

Groups of friends soon began casually coming together to listen to them play in living rooms, and then it just transpired from there. “Some people refer to our sound as piano rock,” says Walters. But, like your favorite mutt, no one really

Story by Jim G. Miller

“HEY MAN. LET’S START A BAND.” THE STORY OF FLIGHT MACHINE

knows what kind of breed or category the band falls into, but you love it anyway. There is definitely an essence of the 90s in their sound. Listening to Flight Machine is something like the love child of Ben Folds and John Popper from Blues Traveler.

The godfather of this love child would have been a big fan of Ween and Phish.

Jon and Aaron lay the foundation for the songs, which then are expanded by the rest of the band, giving each member a chance to infuse his own style. Many of the members are multiinstrumentalists and will switch roles depending on the song. It’s this democratic kind of process that contributes to their style. These are guys with full time jobs, families, and other responsibilities who play music for the love and enjoyment of it. Whether they are entertaining friends or just each other, the music and the mood is invigorating and addictive.

Their friends and their fans are their families.

They have a fan base called the “Frequent Flyers” who don band shirts and attend shows faithfully.

This is what it’s truly all about for these men with full time day jobs. They not only find time to spend with their families but also their band and fans.

Their very first EP “Revenge of the Hill People” was a grassroots, handmade affair with original album art by Jon. They embody the spirit of camaraderie; it makes sense that both their music and their energy appeals to new fans each day.

Currently the band has about twenty-five recorded songs with ten or more that are still being polished. A couple of my personal favorite songs on the new album are “Shake Shake,” a more raucous, in-your-face dance number and “Underwater Breathers,” which has a uniquely historical and geological reference to the state.

Check out their other songs on Spotify as well as iTunes, Google Music and Amazon.

Fight Machine will be soaring into Hot Springs for the first time on November 8th for the Hot Springs Hot Spots 1st Anniversary at Maxines Live Music, and they will play alongside Nashville band Aotearoa.

hot springs

ALBUMS ON REVIEW

Flatbush ZOMBiEZ BEtterOffDEAD

bass drum of death S/T

After the first release from Flatbush ZOMBiEZ, the D.R.U.G.S. mixtape, I knew to expect anything from these lyrical masterminds. Their fan base is growing at an absurd pace, which isn’t hard to expect from a group whose ebb and flow between smooth, jazzy R&B and hard hitting hip hop bass beats keeps one interested musically, while the lyrics keep the mind stimulated. The group’s knack for making a great rap song with their creative world views transfer over into their newest mix tape, BetterOffDEAD. Right off the bat, they hit the listener with “Amerikkkan Pie,” a song that touches on the state of the nation, and the opinion that the economical and racial divide is creating a rough lifestyle due to their environment. Along with their politics, without even realizing it, throughout the album Flatbush ZOMBiES has created social commentary in a super marketable way. They essentially explain the reasons behind why so many young, and seemingly intelligent, individuals like to consume mind altering chemicals. Also, the theme carries that the glorification of ignorance happens more than it should. By putting up a facade that can cover up deeper pain and by showing indifference by not caring, one can create a false sense of independence and maturity. It just completely blows my mind. They’ve managed to combine almost all the topics of rap songs: politics, honesty, excess, glamour, machismo, violence, drug culture and partying, and found mass appeal. And, with cameos from Action Bronson and Danny Brown, I think Flatbush ZOMBiEZ have a strong chance at being a big name and sticking around a long time. Get this release at http://thegloriousdead.com.

With this sophomore release from Oxford, MS natives Bass Drum of Death, I must admit that I’m a little let down. Their first album, GB City, was something that I listened to obsessively. I got overexcited when I saw they were releasing another. So, in hopes of reliving the magic with them, I got the album and decided to put it on. But I lost interest shortly after. Something just felt off to me. This new, self-titled release has left me wanting. It’s the same Bass Drum of Death, for the most part, but they seem complacent. They sound like they got bored in the writing process and just started forcing songs out, therefore not challenging themselves to grow too much. It’s a little boring, but the album is still musically interesting. The guitar tones sound great and the vocals and drums sound perfect in the mix. I just feel like it is way too familiar and repetitive. While I enjoy this record, I’m not challenged by it. In a few songs I hear a little glimpse of the old, energetic and excited Bass Drum of Death, but just not enough. It’s great background music, but I really feel like these guys can do a better job. Get this release and others at http://3qtr.com/ store/bass-drum-of-death.

Released September 11, 2013 on Electric KoolAde Records

HHHHH

Released June 25, 2013 on Innovative Leisure

HHH

jonwayneCassette 3: Marion Morrison Mixtape

Released July 30, 2013 on Stones Throw Records

Jonwayne started to grow in cult status popularity when his first cassette only released on Stones Throw got subpoenaed by Marlboro for the similarity of the album art to the iconic cigarette packs. After Cassette 2 (which ripped off the Coca Cola font, also a cassette only release), here we arrive at Cassette 3: a copy of the first iPod, with all his info as options on the menu.

Cassette 3 is a more complete example of Jonwayne’s rapping abilities. The first two tapes had the b-side as just beats, while 3 is pure rap genius. He uses a very sophisticated vocabulary on top of beats that tend to get a little off kilter, which just contributes to his lyrical creativity. Both the lyrical content and the way the beats flow let you know he’s playful, he’s heavy, he’s joyful, he’s pessimistic, and these mood swings create a beautifully well balanced tape.The tape is fantastic to just cruise around to. He talks about his heritage and his name in the last song, Marion Morrison, with a jab at how ‘he’ is the real Jon Wayne and not the actor. This is an artist where the hype matches up to the talent, and I’m eagerly awaiting his first full album, also generically titled as “Rap Album One” with a cracker as the album cover. Look for that on October 29th. Get this release and others at https://www.stonesthrow.com/jonwayne.

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 hshotspots@gmail.com.

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VENUES

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white glove test, the mumfords, mothwind Rock/Alternative/Psych-Folk/Metal

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ALBUM RELEASES

TO LOOK OUT FOR IN OCTOBER

October 8

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CAGE THE ELEPHANT MELOPHOBIA (RCA Records) CHROME HOOF CHROME BLACK HOOF (Cuneiform Records) DALE EARNHARDT JR. JR. THE SPEED OF THINGS (Warner Bros.)

DARKSIDE PSYCHIC (Matador Records) DEAP VALLY SISTRIONIX (Interscope) DEVIN THE DUDE ONE FOR THE ROAD (Entertainment One Music) GLASSER INTERIORS (True Panther) HIS CLANCYNESS VICIOUS (FatCat) OF MONTREAL LOUSY WITH SYLVIANBRIAR (Polyvinyl Records) PARQUET COURTS TALLY ALL THE THINGS THAT YOU BROKE (What’s Your Rupture?)

RJD2 MORE IS THAN ISN’T (RJ’s Electrical Connections) SLEIGH BELLS BITTER RIVALS (Mom + Pop) WILLIAM SHATNER PONDER THE MYSTERY (Cleopatra Records) YOUNG DRO HIGH TYMES (Grand Hustle) TIM HECKER VIRGINS (Kranky)

October 15

AMERICAN SHARKS S/T (The End) BLACK MILK NO POISON NO PARADISE (Fat Beats Records) BLACK MOTH THE KILLING JAR (New Heavy Sounds) BOARDWALK S/T (Stones Throw) CASS MCCOMBS BIG WHEEL AND OTHERS (Domino Recording Co.) CAVE THREACE (Drag City) CRYSTAL ANTLERS NOTHING IS REAL (Innovative Leisure) CULTS STATIC (Columbia) DEPECHE MODE SHOULD BE HIGHER (Columbia) FOUR TET BEAUTIFUL REWIND (Temporary Residence) GARY NUMAN SPLINTER (Machine Music) HAIM DAYS ARE GONE (Columbia) HAROLD BUDD PERHAPS (Root Strata) HEAVEN’S GATE TRANSMUTING (Inflated Records) LA LUZ IT’S ALIVE (Hardly Art) LARRY GUS YEARS NOT LIVING (DFA) OOZING WOUND RETRASH (Thrill Jockey) THE MEN CAMPFIRE SONGS (Sacred Bones Records) TV GHOST DISCONNECT (In The Red)

October 22

DEAD GAZE BRAIN HOLIDAY (FatCat Records) ROYAL BANGS BRASS (Modern Art Records) THE WEEKND KISS LAND (Republic)

October 29

ANAMANAGUCHI ENDLESS FANTASY (dream.hax) ARCADE FIRE REFLEKTOR (Arcade Fire) JONWAYNE RAP ALBUM ONE (Stones Throw) PURLING HISS PAISLEY MONTAGE (Richie) THE SO SO GLOS BLOWOUT (Votiv) UNKNOWN MORTAL ORCHESTRA BLUE RECORD (Jagjaguwar) WHITE DENIM CORSICANA LEMONADE (Downtown Records) WILD CHILD - THE RUNAROUND (The Noise Company)

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ARTS

Story by Jim G. Miller

BLACK PLASTIC MEMORIES BUSTED DREAMS AND THE ENDLESS FEED CASSETTES, CAMERAS, AND THE CREATIVITY OF MATT MCCORMACK

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The first time I ever saw Matt McCormack’s video work was at an Arkansas Shor ts Festival some years ago where they had shown his breakthrough film “Moons Birds and Monsters.” The project had taken him months to complete and was meticulously done frame-by-frame in Photoshop and filmed on lo-fi cameras. The film creatively pieces together multimedia ar t and murals made by local ar tists. Each ar tist’s creation comes to life frame-by-frame, creating animated transitions from ar tist to ar tist throughout the film. It is much like a dream that someone might have, and in a lot of ways, McCormack’s creations come from his dreams. I have had the pleasure of working with McCormack on many video projects like the Valley of the Vapors Music Festival Documentary and it is revelatory to see his mind at work.

“Arkansas Shorts has been one of the only places for me to share my videos,” says McCormack. Having won a Buzz Award for “Moons Birds and Monsters” after debuting it at Arkansas Shorts, McCormack is currently planning what he will do for this year’s festival.

McCormack was introduced to video early on by making short skate videos with friends. Using a bulky VHS home video camera and editing with two linked VHS players (no computers), his earlier work has been described as inventive as well as lo-fi. No longer doing as many tricks on the half-pipe, Matt has continued doing tricks with editing and video work. McCormack has sought to build a name for himself as a cinematographer and editor here in Hot Springs.

“More and more friends are willing to par ticipate after seeing what I do with each

video, and that’s something that’s great about this community,” says McCormack who usually has a $0 budget on any film project that he under takes. McCormack has documented police brutality, acoustic harmony, and even matrimony in addition to numerous other creative projects for many years now. Progressing with a vengeance from his much resented past association with lo-fi, McCormack now edits with the precision and patience of a surgeon.

During the Day of the Dead Weekend McCormack will be debuting two of his newest music videos. Saturday, November 2nd will be the premiere of McCormack’s second Blue Screen Skyline video, the first being a very lo-fi video when BSS was still a two-piece band with Paul Cooper and Chris Seidl. The new video, which is conceptual in nature, shows the band enveloped in smoke during the course of performing “Buffalo Buffalo Buffalo Gazelle Buffalo Buffalo”.

The song builds on McCormack’s experience

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with Adobe After Effects, which he began using for a music video for Brian Mar tin’s “Kerosene Dreams”.

Showing on Friday November 1st, “Kerosene Dreams” is one of Mar tin’s darker, brooding ballads. Concentrating on the ill fated, hard-

4330 Central Ave • Suite A •

times in America, the video encapsulates dayto-day people and their struggles. There is also a personal element to this video with the underlying story of a fire and the loss of a brother. The guitar Brian Mar tin is seen playing in the video is one ar tifact from an actual tragedy that occurred in McCormack’s life. While some people might journal about a painful experience like losing a loved one, McCormack decided to do a video about it. Passionate until the end, McCormack is marinating with creative video ideas and truly only wants to make a living doing video work.

“I have never regretted not going to film school,” says McCormack, his ankles buried in cassette tapes of all shapes and sizes during a photo shoot in basement 701. “Its one of the only things that I feel confident that I can do for a living.” The self-coined MickorMack name has become the trademark for McCormack’s work and can be seen tagged at the end of each of his projects. Check out his work on YouTube.

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EVENT CALENDAR OCTOBER 4-5

Hot Water Hills Music & Arts Festival

11-20

at Hill Wheatley Plaza 629 Central Ave.

4-6

E X H I L A R AT I N G T R U E STO R I E S

HAUNTED SPRINGS PARANORMAL FEST at Whittington Place

45th Annual Hot Springs Arts & Crafts Fair at Garland County Fair Grounds

4-13

A streetcar named desire at The Pocket Theater | $10

6

OKTOBERFEST at oaklawn at Oaklawn | 5-10pm

STARDUST BIG BAND at Arlington Hotel | 3pm

8

dedication of plaque honoring baseball greats at 100 Central Ave.| 10am

10

business fest expo 2013 at Hot Springs Convention Center 8am-4pm

OCTOBER 11 - 20 HSDFI.ORG

22nd annual hot springs documentary film festival at Arlington Hotel

12

25-27

lake village resort halloween festival at Lake Village Resort, 173 Barbary

25-28

pysansky at the gardens at Garvan Woodland Gardens

26

alzheimer’s arkansas walk for a cure

22nd annual baron’s ball “Vaudeville circus”

at Garvan Woodland Gardens 7-9am

12-27

at Hot Springs Convention Center

at Magic Springs

halloween costume Contest

MAGIC “SCREAMS”

18-20

7th annual round about artist studio tour at Arkadelphia & Surrounding Area

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Mrs. arkansas pageant at Hot Springs Convention Center 7-10pm

1st annual national family health and fitness day benEfiting kid-o at Hot Springs Health and Fitness

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at Oaklawn | 5-7pm | Adults Only

NOV 1

MURDER AND MACABRE MYSTERY DINNER THEATER PRESENTS “MURDER at the graveyard bash” at The Regency, 714 Central | $40

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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BARON’S BALL

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hot springs

ACROBATS AND A VAUDEVILLE NIGHT LEVI HOSPITAL FLIES HIGH WITH A VAUDEVILLE CIRCUS AT THIS YEAR’S 22ND ANNUAL

Story by Jim G. Miller

BARON’S BALL BENEFIT

Vaudeville was once considered the heart of American show business. Its theatrical style espouses a variety of entertainment. “When we started doing the Baron’s Ball, we wanted it to be a benefit unlike any other with no rubbery chicken dinners, no pats on the back and long drawn out speeches. We want everyone who comes to be entertained. We want it to be a party,” says Davis Tillman who has been the master of ceremonies for the Baron’s Ball for the last nine years.

There is definitely no harm in injecting a healthy dose of entertainment into the tradition of raising money, especially if it’s for an important cause. Providing people with more than just a meal and an excuse to put on a tuxedo or satin gown, the people of Hot Springs look forward to the Baron’s Ball each year. “We have certainly let more out of the bag this year regarding what’s on the playbill for entertainment,” says Tillman who adds that this year will include a good deal of audience participation.

Tillman, who books the majority of the amusements for the show each year, always makes sure to pay the closest attention to every detail. Last year the gala had grown out of its old space and moved to the Summit Arena Convention Center on Convention Boulevard.

This new venue provides the best in stage setup,

lighting and sound in addition to a fine menu that is provided by Turf Catering. “Chef Randy Morrow and Turf Catering’s owner, Brad Wolken, did a wonderful job last year in ensuring that the main courses were just as exciting as the live show on stage,” says Tillman. Close to 90 percent of the entertainment comes from local professionals like Maxwell Blade, co-host Michelle CrandellBonner, Paul Praeter, Steve Bonner, Diane Kessler and others who volunteer their talents to awe the Baron’s Ball ticket holders.

Vaudeville, 20s-era clothing is the desired dress for the ball this year as the theme centers on Davis Tillman’s Vaudevillian circus routine leading up to a special aerial acrobat performance by MANTRYX from New York. “It’s usually a perfect opportunity for adults to get their Halloween fix and dress up for the fun of it,” says Tillman. This includes a wide assortment of possible fun dress options, as the Jazz age was a swinging and wild time made up of fancy boys, flappers, bootleggers and gangsters as well as your average assortment of sideshows, but if you’re at your wit’s end about what to wear then formal evening attire is acceptable, too.

Christi Batts the vice president of development for Levi Hospital is in charge of the event, managing the small army of volunteers that it takes to put on the ball each year. “I love having the opportunity

to work alongside our great volunteers to put this event together each year,” says Batts. Everyone who assists with the event is passionate about the work that is done at Levi Hospital.

All proceeds go to three different areas of healthcare—inpatient psychiatry, transitions outpatient behavioral health, and the student athlete outreach programs. Levi Hospital serves patients regardless of their ability to pay and is a non-profit charitable organization.

This will be the first year that the Baron’s Ball is held on a Saturday, which makes sense, as it’s by far one of the most talked about community events of the season.

The planners, organizers, and volunteers come together almost immediately after the ball to plan for what will be done next year. Levi Hospital will be celebrating its 100th year next year and their 23rd Annual Levi Hospital Benefit Gala and the 10th Annual Baron’s Ball. The Baron’s Ball has been one of the most successful charitable events in downtown, providing the best in entertainment in Arkansas for quite a number of years now. The Baron’s Ball is the grandest event of the season for downtown Hot Springs Society providing an evening of excitement and elegance with all proceeds going to benefit Levi Hospital patients.

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baron’s ball

MANTRYX

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Photo Courtesy of MANTRYX

One luxurious essential of the Baron’s Ball is of course the live and silent auctions that can now be bid upon online by going to www. levihospitalbaronsball.org. Three major auction items worth mentioning are the seven days and seven nights stay at a private Jamaican Villa for up to six people, including a private chef and a 180 degree view of the Caribbean Sea courtesy of Chris Rix at Rix Realty. Another is a 2-bedroom condo with full kitchen near the French Riviera and 18-hole golf course courtesy of Steve Bonner and Michelle Crandell-Bonner. Also up for auction is

a ski package with full concierge service in Vail, Colorado compliments of Bridge Street Skihaus and Quinn and Tara Norwood.

The contributions to the Levi Benefit Gala help give life and hope to mentally ill patients and their families. One in four people are affected by mental illness, and Levi is the only place in Garland County that a mentally ill person 18 years of age or older can get inpatient psychiatric help. Since Levi opened its doors in 1914, their mission has been to provide unmet services to people that need

to get well regardless of their ability to pay. The contributions help to provide these services that would otherwise not be accessible. Levi Hospital is a non-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

An exaggerated and exorbitant evening straight out of the pages from an F. Scott Fitzgerald novel, this decadent display of fancy supports a vastly more important cause. The Baron’s Ball Gala will certainly leave an indelible impression on ticket holders. For ticket information call 501.622.3948 or visit www.levihospitalbaronsball.org.

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POCKET THEATER Story by Jim G Miller

THE POCKET COMMUNITY THEATRE CONTINUES TO PUSH THE PASSION AND DESIRE OF DRAMA The stage is incomplete, everyone is in a panic, and no one has remembered the lines. There are only five or six rehearsals left, but the props are all together and at least that is something. This scenario is the life of a community theatre participant. “At the end of the day it’s fun despite the headaches and stress. Whether you are a volunteer stagehand, director or actor, everyone takes pride in what they are doing regardless of whether they are being paid to do it,” says Chip Hightower assistant director for the upcoming production of the Tennessee Williams classic “A Streetcar Named Desire”.

Any self-proclaimed, small ar t town in America can be rated based on the quality of itscommunity theatre, and luckily, for Hot Springs it has had arguably one of the best since co-founders Mark Britton and Linda Kercado recognized that the town had a need for live theatre back in 1992. The original location was housed in a tent at the Factory Outlet Mall, and when the winter came, they promptly moved into one of the empty stores where they could host larger audiences and do productions throughout the year.

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POCKET THEATER

Putting on Broadway and Off-Broadway productions, the theatre group began doing four plays a year, and in 1998 having outgrown the outlet mall, moved to the Skating Rink/Flea Market on Higdon Ferry where it was housed until 2005. They then purchased the old Ramble Street Elementary School Auditorium at 170 Ravine. Gene and his wife Margaret have been deeply involved with the Pocket for the past 17 years. Gene has produced 84 plays over the years during his involvement at the Pocket; he moved to Hot Springs to “retire” from Hollywood California where he had been well established in the enter tainment business.

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Forsyth admits that it has not been easy to keep the theatre going over the years with the overhead of the building and doing year round stage productions. “We fight for the all mighty

enter tainment dollar in this town, that’s for sure,” says Gene. Admittedly, there are many people in town who are still unfamiliar with the quality productions that are put on at the old auditorium where Bill Clinton once went to school.

Presenting six productions a year with dramas, comedies, tragedies, the occasional mystery, and a Christmas show, the theatre runs on a tight budget. To try to make due, before every performance there is a pitch for donations. “We’ve never had a grant writer in all these years,” laments Forsyth. The non-profit organization which at one time did a children’s theatre does its best to break even despite an attendance of 700-900 people per production.

The Pocket has had a great pool of talented thespians from the community of Hot Springs

as well as committed former and current theatre majors from Henderson State University in Arkadelphia. A shining jewel definitely among local actors frequenting the pocket has been Chris Powers who touts the theatre every chance he gets. This of course goes hand in hand with being a high school drama teacher.

The Pocket Theatre has touched many in the community of Hot Springs whether they have acted, assisted, or attended a production. It’s cer tain that they will continue to produce some of the best community theatre around Arkansas for many more years. A Street Car Named Desire will play October 4th, 5th, 11th, and 12th at 7:30 p.m. as well as on October 6th and 13th at 2:30 p.m. For reser vations, call 501-623-8585.

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CRYSTAL SKULL FESTIVAL

CAN YOU DIG IT?

CRYSTAL PEOPLE OF THE WORLD UNITE FOR THIRD ANNUAL CRYSTAL & CRYSTAL SKULL FESTIVAL Crystals are an inherent part of the Hot Springs landscape, yet no one knows exactly how old they are because there is no way to carbon date a crystal. They are forever growing in the earth, and some believe when they are found and taken from the clay that they still continue to grow and feed from the energy of life.

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There are people here who contemplate the significance and magic to be beheld within these crystals, but many of us are unaware of their value and splendor. “We started this festival because I met people here in Hot Springs who were unaware that crystals even came from Arkansas, and to me

Story by Jim G. Miller

that’s like growing up in Iowa and not knowing that they grow corn there,” says Cheryl Johnson, one of the founders and organizers of the festival.

Cheryl’s husband Jim is an expert craftsman and repairs damaged crystals. Jim says he carves them using a diamond drill because that is the only substance capable of carving into a crystal’s surface. What does Jim carve you might ask? He carves crystal skulls.

“I always carve the broken end of course,” he says. According to Jim, the crystals communicate to him and guide him in the process of the carving.

The pair are also modestly referred to as “crystal

hot springs

guides” and when in search of crystals are experts in finding them embedded in the earth.

Like human dowsing rods, they send and receive energy with the crystals. “Some people never have it, that natural ability to locate them in the earth,” says Cheryl. It is true that between the two of them they have found some pretty special crystals.

“Without crystals we would not have cell phones or computers or many other technologies of today,” says Johnson. Originally from Texas, Cheryl says that the crystals brought her home to Hot Springs. She and Jim had been running a Pecan Ranch in Oklahoma at the time before she came here to visit. “I told Jim you can either come with me or you can come and visit me,” says Cheryl. The two have lived in Hot Springs for quite some years now.

Taking place October 11th-13th, the location of the festival is just as exciting as the guests and workshops. Built in 1870, what is remaining of the original AR-SCENIC SPRINGS building is an amazing sight to behold. The water from the spring is said to be some of the purest around, untouched by city plumbing or the Federal Parks Service.

The water is not diluted in any way. Known as the kidney spring from ages ago before the Federal Government capped off all the springs, the water at AR-SCENIC was known to be a cure for kidney ailments. Unfortunately, a majority of the original building burned leaving what is now left. The place laid dormant and abandoned for many years, the host to vandals and bored children who would throw rocks at the windows. It has taken a great deal of work to get it looking the way it does now. Guests are welcome to come by to try the spring water.

This is the third year for the Crystal and Crystal Skull Festival, but Cheryl had not been certain that she wanted to do it this year as they were still in the process of putting the final touches on the historical AR-SCENIC SPRINGS building where this year’s festival will be held. It did not take too much persuasion from her husband Jim and a few other hopeful visitors to Hot Springs to make Cheryl decide to change her mind. Although the building still has some work to be done, they are hard at work, preparing it for this year’s festival.

One of the visitors that Cheryl is most looking forward to is author Marilee A. Snyder who recently wrote a book called Ancient Wisdom for Now that discusses the multitude of ways that crystals can heal individuals. There will also be a good share of crystal guardians joining the festival this year. “Hillbillies and people of the woods here in Arkansas have been protecting the crystals for years now whether they were consciously aware of it or not,” says Cheryl who refers to Ron Coleman of Coleman’s Crystal mine as “the King”.

The weekend will be complete with workshops, tutorials, and a whole bunch of amazing crystals.

Jim is currently working on a crystal skull known only as the “Pleiadian Queen.” “I don’t name them,” says Jim “I just carve them and fix them.

It’s entirely up to the people who channel with crystals to name them.” The morning after the festival, Cheryl and Jim pack up the festival-goers and go to Ron Coleman’s crystal mine to dig.

“Some believe that those who dig them up were the ones who planted them here originally in a former life,” says Jim whose pet dog Buddha has lived many lives prior to this one.

Crystal digging is more exciting than digging for diamonds (which can also be done in Arkansas). Though it may not be as lucrative, you can often find many beautiful pieces; this place is simply encrusted with them. There are several public and private crystal mines throughout the state, but the nearest is Coleman’s. “We are in the center of the largest crystal vor tex in Nor th America, and the water here runs through the crystals and is charged by them,” says Cheryl. The festival is only $5 per day, which is more than wor th just being able to see all the stunning crystals. It will also be an amazing oppor tunity to open your mind and meet some interesting people in a historic and significant place.

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HALLOWEEN IN HOT SPRINGS TWO LOCAL TRADITIONS

Story by Ciara Cerrato

DIA DE LOS MUERTOS AND A HALLOWEEN EXPERIENCE WITH WHITE GLOVE TEST AND BLUE SCREEN SKYLINE

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Dia De Los Muertos

Dia De Los Muertos October is a beautiful and bustling month in Hot Springs. The trees change color, the air turns crisp, and Halloween begins the holiday season. While everyone looks forward to the typical Halloween traditions, Hot Springs boasts some creative and entertaining events each year that are unique. If you love Halloween as well as art and music, there are a couple events that you won’t want to miss.

Día De Los Muertos, The Day of the Dead, will be celebrated with art and music thanks to Emergent Arts. It is the second year for this event, and it has already grown into a creative, weekend-long festival in honor of the Mexican holiday. Although this holiday is similar to and celebrated near Halloween, it is actually a holiday in honor of the dead. While Halloween is meant to be a spooky harvest celebration, Día De Los Muertos is a memorial day to remember past loved ones and celebrate their lives. Eating sugar skulls and wearing skeleton costumes is meant to be a light-hearted mocking of death since the point is to rejoice in life.

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Día De Los Muertos at Emergent Arts is a community art exhibit and interactive opening reception. The opening will take place on Friday, November 1st from 5:00 to 9:00pm, and the art will be exhibited through the end of the month. Erin Holiday, the gallery curator, will be hosting the event. She has five years of experience working at the Latino Arts and Culture Center in Kansas City, Missouri where the holiday is celebrated for two months every

Fall. “Día De Los Muertos is very meaningful for me,” Holiday explains, “It made me reevaluate my conversation with the concepts of life and death.

Because of this, and because we have such a vibrant Hispanic population in Hot Springs, I wanted to bring the format of those events here not only to educate people about this amazing holiday but also to provide a platform for Hispanic families who may wish to share their holiday with others.”

Throughout the weekend, community members may partake in the holiday through art, workshops, and music. During the opening reception, Emergent Arts will host local artist Bethannie Newsom Steelman for face painting.

There will also be a craft area where visitors may make Día de los Muertos masks and adornments.

It is traditional in Mexico to create memorial altars, and the public is invited to an altar-making workshop on Saturday, October 26th from 1:00 to 5:00p.m. They will create a large, walk-in altar for the exhibition where visitors may leave messages or objects for passed loved ones. They also may pre-register for an all-ages Mexican Folk Art workshop on Saturday, November 2nd from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in which participants will create folk art including a sugar skull. Children ages 6 to 9 may attend the Cultural Arts Explorations after school program at Emergent Arts that will focus on Mexican Folk Art for the month of November.

Students will create works inspired by Día de los Muertos and other traditional folk crafts of

Mexico. The class will take place on every Monday in November from 4:30-5:30p.m. and costs $45.

One of the most exciting moments of the celebration will be the Día De Los Muertos procession from Emergent Arts to Low Key Arts. After the opening reception, a procession of masked and festive participants will walk to Low Key Arts to continue the celebration with local music. Erin Holiday explains that she is thrilled to celebrate with Low Key Arts this year, “It is very exciting to partner with Low Key Arts for Día de los Muertos. The addition of a community procession as well as music performances after Gallery Walk is a wonderful result of the growth of the event and interest in the holiday.” After the procession at 7:30 p.m., music performances will begin at 9.pm. and will feature Brian Martin, Dirtfoot, and Pine Fever. The music will continue Saturday night with bands like Narrowed, El Paso Hot Button, and local favorite Blue Screen Skyline. Each night’s performances are all-ages events, and there will be $7 charge at the door.

By participating in the Day of the Dead Weekend at Emergent Arts and Low Key Arts, locals will be able to celebrate the fall season through art and music.

They will also have an opportunity to learn about other cultures, as Erin Holiday explains, “Whether it is standing in the community altar, walking in the procession, or dancing to bands, the foundations of Día de los Muertos will be felt: honor those who have passed and celebrate the sweetness of life.”

hot springs

A Halloween Experience: White Glove Test and Blue Screen Skyline For downtown regulars, there is a show that has become a Halloween tradition, and it is thanks to one of Hot Springs most beloved local bands, White Glove Test. Comprised mostly of the same members as Blue Screen Skyline, a band performing during the Día De Los Muertos Weekend, they play a show every Halloween, and usually in costume. Experiencing a White Glove Test performance on Halloween seems appropriate for their gritty sound and borderline bizarre stage presence. If lead singer Jade Sharp isn’t singing (or shouting) into a horse head microphone, he is probably shirtless, as well as the rest of the band. The boys and the music of both bands are elusive

yet alluring, mysterious yet familiar, and their Halloween show keenly conveys their peculiar sound and style.

White Glove Test is Paul Cooper (guitar), Chris Seidl (bass), Justin Hickman (drums), Jade Sharp (vocals), and Juzeh Correia (keys), and the band might possibly be classified as aggressive rock mixed with post punk, if you could classify them at all. With clever, punchy lyrics and relentlessly aggressive dance-rhythms, to put it simply – White Glove Test shows are very fun. With a devoted local following, crowd participation is a given; don’t be surprised if you find yourself singing along,

and yes, you will dance. Though the WGT sound seems quite singular, the boys behind the band are multi-faceted, and this versatility is evident in their other project.

While exorcising their post-punk demons as White Glove test, they also man the starship that is Blue Screen Skyline. BSS began as a twoman, instrumental piece, and Paul Cooper is the sole remaining original member. Now, the band consists of all the same members as White Glove Test, minus Sharp’s vocals and adding Alex Oberste’s bass. More mellow and experimental than WGT, Blue Screen Skyline follows more closely to post-rock. Intricately weaved guitars

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BLUE SCREEN SKYLINE

WHITE GLOVE TEST lead the songs; their exploratory melodies journey through the atmospheric crescendo of drums, bass, and brass. While a WGT show feels like going to a party, a BSS show feels like embarking on an odyssey; it is a heavy, artful experience.

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Regardless of sound or style, somehow these gentlemen hit their stride together.

It has been a slow and complex evolution for each band as members are added and instrumentation changes. For WGT, Cooper

explains some of the band’s chemistry, “Seidl’s bass and Hickman’s percussion are the backbone, and Seidl will play the most appropriate thing at the appropriate time.”

When Hickman joined forces with Seidl and Cooper, his drumming “infused new DNA,” as Cooper puts it. He brought “broody metal” influences into the band, drawing them somewhat away from the shoe-gazing feel associated with much of their previous work.

Juzeh Correia is a professionally trained musician, and including his exper tise in WGT

has expanded their sound and added a twist to their ever-evolving story.

An integral sampling of the creative forces at work in Hot Springs, Blue Screen Skyline and White Glove Test are mustsee spectacles this Halloween. You can dance with WGT at Maxines Live Venue on Halloween night, and you can also experience Blue Screen Skyline during the Día De Los Muer tos Weekend at Low Key Ar ts on Saturday, November 2nd.

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DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL

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THE HOT SPRINGS DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL 22 YEARS OF DISCOVERY Story by Ciara Cerrato

For the 22nd year in a row, the time has come again for the annual Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival to enliven and enthrall our community. Filmmakers, film enthusiasts, and people of all walks of life will convene at the historic Arlington Hotel to share and discover the vastness of human experience.

This year, long standing volunteer James Katowich serves as chair of the screening committee, leading the volunteers as they sift through the hundreds of films that are submitted from around the world. Having served as a volunteer film projectionist as well as a screener, this is his first year serving as chair of the screening committee, and he brings freshness and enthusiasm. Katowich also teaches at ASMSA. As an educator, it is only natural that Katowich loves documentary film, and he works to sustain this Hot Springs intellectual and cultural tradition. While some might find screening 700 films daunting, he takes on this challenge excitedly, “I love the film festival. It is an honor to be involved.

Watching all the films, even the bad ones, is

educational and inspiring. After watching them all, I feel like I have learned so much; it’s an intellectual adventure.”

and enlightening us. They are important because they are a record of our personal as well as collective human experience.

Hot Springs boasts plenty of music and art festivals; for years the town has been a creative and cultural hub for the state of Arkansas, but the question remains: Why documentary films?

For many, the term “documentary” conjures half-forgotten memories of grade school film reels, or worse, the pseudo-documentary tele-series that are paraded throughout cable television as educational programming.

Attending HSDFF will certainly dispel any of these terribly mistaken misconceptions as Katowich explains, “This impression is outdated. There has been a renaissance in documentary filmmaking. [Documentary films] are more capable of artistic innovation than even Hollywood films. Learning from narratives, documentary filmmakers have developed ways to express stories that are true and fascinating.”

What is both beautiful and invaluable about the art of documentary film is that it moves and entertains us while simultaneously educating

Documentaries are compelling in a way that narratives are not; they account the factual experiences of human beings: our behaviors, thoughts, struggles, and aspirations. While the crafters of documentary film are ar tists in their own right, at the hear t of documentary filmmakers are journalists. They value the discovery, preservation, and sharing of information, and in performing these tasks they provide a profound service to our history and our future. By hosting one of the world’s most esteemed and qualified documentary film festivals, Hot Springs expands its community’s cultural experience, and Katowich understands this impor tant purpose: “HSDFF gives us a way to feel less culturally isolated. [The films] reveal how truly interesting the world is. When I walk away from a film, I take with me the realization that behind every person is a fascinating story; they create in me a sense of empathy for fellow human beings.”

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DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL

22nd hot springs documentary film festival

HIGHLIGHTED FILMS SPORTS

ART

POLITICS

No Fire Zone: The Killing Fields The Trials of Muhammad Ali (86 min) Bending Sticks: No conventional sports documentary, The Trials of The Sculpture of Patrick Dougherty of Sri Lanka (93 min) Muhammad Ali investigates its extraordinary and often complex subject’s life outside the boxing ring.

From joining the controversial Nation of Islam and changing his name from Cassius Clay to Muhammad Ali, to his refusal to serve in the Vietnam War in the name of protesting racial inequality, to his global humanitarian work, Muhammad Ali remains an inspiring and controversial figure. Outspoken and passionate in his beliefs, Ali found himself in the center of America’s controversies over race, religion, and war. From Kartemquin Films - makers of such acclaimed documentaries as Hoop Dreams and The Interrupters - and Academy Award-nominated director Bill Siegel (The Weather Underground), The Trials of Muhammad Ali examines how one of the most celebrated sports champions of the 20th century risked his fame and fortune to follow his faith and conscience. www.kartemquin.com

The Short Game (90 min)

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The Short Game follows the lives of eight of the best 7-year-old golfers in the world as they train for and compete in the World Championships of Junior Golf. The annual tournament held at golfing mecca Pinehurst, North Carolina brings in 1500 young golfers from 54 different countries and determines who will be crowned golf’s next phenom. In its course, the eight stories entwine to form a fascinating and often funny portrait of a group of very young athletes and their families, in which the focused, peculiar, and highly competitive junior golf subculture becomes both a window into contemporary global society and an inspiring reflection of the human condition. www.theshortgamemovie.com

(55 min) The feature length documentary Bending Sticks celebrates the twenty-five year career of internationally renowned environmental artist Patrick Dougherty, who has created hundreds of monumental, site-specific sculptures out of nothing more than saplings. The film follows the artist and his collaborators during a year of stick work and reveals Dougherty’s process, personal story and inspirations. www.bendingsticksthefilm.com

Carefully evidenced and powerfully measured, ‘No Fire Zone’ is a feature length film about the final awful months of the 26 year long Sri Lankan civil war told by the people who lived through it. It is a meticulous and chilling expose of some of the worst war crimes and crimes against humanity of recent times. It is told through the extraordinary personal stories of a small group of characters and also through some of the most dramatic and disturbing video evidence ever recorded. www.nofirezone.org

Her Aim is True (70 min)

Breaking Through (85 min)

In 1964, a middle-aged self-taught photographer, Jini Dellaccio, began hanging out with raucous garage bands like The Sonics in her backyard, creating startling images and innovative album covers. Soon she was grabbing unprecedented portraits of Neil Young and early performances by bands like The Who, Rolling Stones, and Mamas & Papas. Musicians and rock photographers join Jini Dellaccio on an inspiring tour of her ingenuity and style, with a soundtrack and interviews that capture the Pacific Northwest’s vibrant music subculture. At the heart of this film though, is a legacy lost and found in an enduring story about love, creativity and indie spirit, with universal appeal. www.heraimistruemovie.com

Openly LGBT elected officials at all levels and from across the country, including the first openly gay US Senator, Tammy Baldwin, share their stories of self-doubt and triumph over multiple barriers ranging from race and poverty to gender and sexual orientation, revealing a deeply personal, rarely-seen side of politicians and gay people.

While featuring politicians, it isn’t about politics: it’s about people who feel fear and shame, yearning to live meaningful lives. They reveal how they broke through internal and external barriers to achieve the future they envisioned, and by showing that “anything is possible,” they impact and inspire people from all walks of life. www.breakingthroughmovie.com

hot springs

Tickets and passes may be purchased in advance at http://www. eventbrite.com/event/4619125930. The festival ticket box office, located on the mezzanine level of the Arlington Hotel during the festival, officially opens at 5:00 p.m. Friday, Oct. 11. A pre-sales ticket box-office will be available Oct. 6-10 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Hot Springs Regional Chamber of Commerce at 659 Ouachita Ave. You can purchase tickets and passes here in advance of the festival in person, as well.

MUSIC

ENVIRONMENTAL

SHORT FILMS

This Ain’t No Mouse Music (92 min)

GMO OMG (90 min)

The Night the Blackbirds Fell (39 min)

Chris Strachwitz is a detective of sounds, an archaeologist of the deep American music, music with roots that strike straight into the country’s heartland. He is the guiding force behind the legendary Arhoolie Records, producing albums that the Rolling Stones and many others played the grooves right off of. Since 1960, Strachwitz has been recording the authentic pulses of the great American music, throbbing away in the backwoods of the nation. His label offers an unparalleled catalogue of blues, Cajun, wild Hillbilly country, Tex-Mex and New Orleans R&B. These diverse musical strands seem to have grown right out of the ground they are played on.

With tape-recorder in hand, Strachwitz traveled to plantations and prisons, roadhouses and whorehouses, churches and bayou juke joints. He returned with recordings that would revolutionize the sound of popular music. www.thisaintnomousemusic.com

Punk in Africa (82 min)

Three chords, three countries, one revolution … Punk in Africa is the untold story of the multi-racial punk movement within the recent political and social upheavals experienced in three Southern African countries: South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. www.punkinafrica.com

GMO OMG director and concerned father Jeremy Seifert is in search of answers. How do GMOs affect our children, the health of our planet, and our freedom of choice? And perhaps the ultimate question, which Seifert tests himself: is it even possible to reject the food system currently in place, or have we lost something we can’t gain back?

These and other questions take Seifert on a journey from his family’s table to Haiti, Paris, Norway, and the lobby of agra-giant Monsanto, from which he is unceremoniously ejected. Along the way we gain insight into a question that is of growing concern to citizens the world over: what’s on your plate? www.gmofilm.com

The Moo Man (98 min)

This documentary film presents the events, media coverage, expert testimony and explanation, and diverse theories that the public and officials have about the 2010 New Years’ sudden deaths of redwinged blackbirds and drum fish in Arkansas. www.blackbirdsfell.com

The Trail from Xinjiang (36 min)

Musa and his friends, all men, all young, all from Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region on China’s northwestern border, now wander great cities in the East talking, shooting up, remembering home and practicing the one true skill they have: they steal.Since China’s market transition in the 1990s, child trafficking has become rampant in Xinjiang.

Thousands, like Musa, spent their childhoods drifting from city to city with the pickpocket gangs.

As the discriminative phrase, ‘Xinjiang thieves,’ has become nationally known over the past decade, Musa and the young men find lives frittered away in their struggle to establish an identity in a society caged by the pleasures and pains of transformative economic development. www.trailfromxingjiang.com

The remarkable story of a maverick farmer and his unruly cows, filmed over four years on the marshes of the Pevensey Levels. In an attempt to save his family farm, Stephen Hook decides to turn his back on the cost cutting dairies and supermarkets, and instead stay small and keep his close relationship with the herd, however, farmer Hook’s plans to save the farm do not always go down well with his 55 spirited cows. The result is a laugh-out-loud, emotional roller-coaster of a journey.

23 min) www.trufflepigfilms.com/the-mooman Past Their Prime takes a look at the world of geriatric zoo animal care at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium through Colo, the oldest living gorilla in captivity, on her 55th birthday celebration. Be it arthritis, heart disease, or decaying dental health, animals and humans have a lot in common when faced with mortality and aging. www.pasttheirprimefilm.com

Past Their Prime (

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