Harleys and history at two very different music venues
When it comes to music venues, it would be hard to find two more dissimilar ones than a Harley-Davidson dealership and a restoration village state park.
But both of them have outdoors music this weekend: Texarkana Harley
Davidson with its Big Bad Birthday Bash tonight and Saturday with musicians like Jared Blake, Jared Weeks
(Saving Abel), Heather Linn and the
Deacons and Blacktop Mojo; Historic Washington State Park with its kickoff to the summer concert series Music in the Park on Saturday with the banjo-pickin’ Clark Buehling Duo.
Up at the Harley dealership this evening, local songstress Heather Linn and her band, The Deacons, will open for Palestine, Texas-based Blacktop Mojo, who are out on the road to support their second album, “Burn the Ships.” Linn can really belt it out and remains one of the hardest working local singers.
On Saturday afternoon, check out Jared Weeks, formerly of Saving Abel, and Jared Blake, a country singer who landed among the top four contestants on “The Voice” in its opening season. There’s also a dunking booth, “Rockin
The Dad Bod” contest and vendors to peruse.
Over at Historic Washington State Park, Saturday’s Clark Buehling concert is a free, 7:30 p.m. kickoff to three monthly shows on the grass at the park’s 1874 Courthouse.
Buehling’s instrument of choice is the banjo, particularly favoring the antebellum minstrel banjo style. Kent Beyette provides percussion on instruments like bone castanets and the bodhran frame drum from Ireland.
On July 14, local gospel group Measure of Grace & Friends perform. They’re a Hempstead County gospel trio that consists of Wendy Martin and both Randy and Misty Banks.
Then, to round out the Music in the Park series, it’s a program titled Bluegrass Reunion and Hempstead County Music Competition on Aug. 18.
At that event, the Hempstead County theme will continue with musicians presenting their original compositions that in some way discuss Hempstead County. Historic Washington State Park is holding a song competition with awards totaling $1,000 for the top song about Hempstead, a county that’s celebrating its 200th birthday this year.
If you’re a wordsmith and musician, get an application in by Aug. 3. A contest application can be requested by calling 870-983-2684. You can also apply and learn more about the contest at www.bit.ly/hwspmusicinthepark2018.
The state park recommends bringing a lawn chair or blanket when you attend a Music in the Park show, all the better to relax with in the summertime conditions.