THE TO-DO
LIST
BY ROBERT BELL & DAVID KOON
FRIDAY 11/8
THE AVETT BROTHERS
8 p.m. Verizon Arena. $46-$53.
North Carolina’s Avett Brothers have spent the last decade and change rising to the top of the heap of scruffy, earnest folk rock outfits with banjos and beautiful vocal harmonies. Brothers Scott and Seth Avett (banjoist and guitarist, respectively) formed the band back about the turn of the millennium with their buddy, “Bass-Playin’” Bob Crawford (bassist). The trio cut several albums of wide-eyed folkcraft and gentle harmonizing and banjo pluckery, touring the venues of this nation with tireless resolve. Before too long, they’d become quite popular, and ol’ Rick Rubin, producer of Slayer and Johnny Cash, signed the band and brought them under his wing (or perhaps into the warm recesses of his gigantic beard, which also would likely be beneficial to an aspiring young band). Now the dudes are playing big outdoor festivals and stadiums. RB
FOLK SCENE: The Avett Brothers perform at Verizon Arena Friday night.
FRIDAY 11/8-SUNDAY 11/10
SATURDAY 11/9
COMICON-WAY
NIK TURNER
Various times. Faulkner County Library. Free.
8 p.m. Revolution. $8.
Comic book fans and gamers, y’all listen up now: You lot need to go ahead and collectively take off work, clear your calendars, cancel any appointments and otherwise unburden yourself of any obligations you might have had this weekend, because it’s time for ComiCon-Way. It’s gonna be three days of intense, geek-centric revelry. Some of the speakers and guests include featured guest Erik Larsen, co-founder of Image Comics; Joe Staton and Mike Curtis of “Dick Tracy” renown; fantasy illustrator R.K. Post; Sam de la Rosa of “Venom” and other titles, Tom Feister (“G.I.” Joe” and “Iron Man” among others) and many others. But there’s more: Trivia buffs? Y’all can flex your arcane comics knowledge at the trivia contest. Magic the Gathering? Aw, hell yeah you know it! Tournaments! Cosplay? Please, there’s gonna be so much Cosplay going on and so many people decked out in their finest duds that you’re not even going to know what to do. Check out the website for all of the pertinent info at ComiCon-Way.com. RB
Man, how rad is this? One of the founding members of utterly mind-exploding space rock pioneers Hawkwind (and as such, one of the guiding lights of the genre) will be performing right here in Little Rock City. Nik Turner helped guide the good ship Hawkwind during the band’s prime of 1969-1976 (and again from ’82-’84), playing skronky, free-jazz-inspired sax and writ-
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ARKANSAS TIMES
ing or co-writing some of the band’s most memorable tunes. Any of you heavy music heads who’ve somehow avoided Hawkwind should remedy that situation right quick. Everything from the self-titled debut up to and including “Warrior on the Edge of Time” is absolutely essential proto-metal outer-reaches head-trip gonzo insanity. And Nik Turner was a key part of it. What an interesting dude. Even after he left the band he kept doing cool things, including 1978’s Egyptian mythology-informed
“Xtintoday,” which included key personnel from Gong and Hawkwind, notably Steve Hillage. Turner’s got a new album out this year, “Space Gypsy,” which carries on the tradition of tripped-out cosmic rock that he helped birth. Also, here’s this interesting note: On guitar is none other than Nicky Garratt of legendary British punk outfit U.K. Subs. Also on the bill at this all-ages show: Pallbearer, The Sound of the Mountain, Sumokem and Tropical Body. RB
often paying tribute to the figures who inspired him: Duke Ellington, Jelly Roll Morton, Thelonious Monk (check his “Alone with Three Giants” album for interpretations of those three legends). Jordan joined the trio in 2009. He has been noted for his versatility and is associate professor of jazz studies at Florida State University, where he and Roberts first met. Marsalis is the youngest of Ellis Marsalis’s sons. He was a founding member of Los Hombres Calientes, but left that band to play with Roberts. RB
JAZZ ON MAIN: The Marcus Roberts Trio performs at South on Main Saturday night.
SATURDAY 11/9
MARCUS ROBERTS TRIO
8 p.m. South on Main. $45.
Jazz lovers, here is your absolute best bet for Saturday night: Veteran pianist Marcus Roberts, bassist Rodney Jordan and drummer Jason Marsalis, who has long collaborated with Roberts. Early in his career, Roberts played in Wynton Marsalis’s band for six years before venturing out on his own. He’s an incredibly versatile player who has cut a number of albums over the last couple of decades,