Vox Magazine

0 9 . 2 9 . 1 6 / F R E E E V E RY T H U R S D AY

THE AVETT BROTHERS

GRACE POTTER CHUMP CHANGE

THE BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA

BEN FOLDS RAYLAND BAXTER

NATHANIEL RATELIFF

A Decade of

DANCIN’

This year’s Roots N Blues N BBQ Festival is a momentous one. Vox has the food, music and insider tips for the 10th annual fest, including the PAGE 7 acts everyone’s buzzing about.

to the blues

IN THIS ISSUE

ONLINE

September 29, 2016 VOLUME 18 ISSUE 31 | PUBLISHED BY THE COLUMBIA MISSOURIAN

FEATURE For some, the end of September means pumpkins, changing weather and a new fall wardrobe. But for music lovers, it means it’s time for CoMo’s beloved Roots N Blues N BBQ Festival. We have the scoop on the must-see musical acts and the lowdown on the festival’s gloriously messy, delectable barbecue. PAGE 7 NEWS AND INSIGHT The legacy of John William “Blind” Boone lives on in his former Columbia home, which opened to the public this month. Be one of the first to experience how this famed musician lived.

PAGE 4 THE SCENE The ultimate culinary creation this fall? The Chocolate Bourbon Pecan and Dutch Apple pies from Peggy Jean’s Pies. From crumb to crust, this Columbia favorite embraces the simplicity of a great dessert. PAGE 5 MUSIC Columbia’s Remora is turning up the amps and pumping out Black Sabbath-inspired hard rock.

Vox chats with the four-member group about CoMo’s hard-rock and metal scenes. PAGE 19

CRUSHED IT Will the popular artisanal restaurant chain Crushed Red live up to its expectations in CoMo? We think so. Locations offer up a rainbow of salads and an assortment of hot soups, handcrafted pizzas and dishes for sharing.

TIME TO SOAR Vox paired up on a giveaway with Eco Zipline Tours, and the big winner will bring three friends on a free hour-and-a-half High Flyer Tour worth $340.

Snagging these tickets is as simple as posting a photo from Roots N Blues to Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and tagging us.

ROOTS N BLUES N BBQ: BUDGET EDITION Save some dough this weekend without missing out on the musical festivities. Learn a few practical ways to save a buck or two at Roots N Blues N BBQ Festival.

EDITOR’S LETTER

ARTS & BOOKS Book conservator Jim Downey breathes life into precious volumes at Columbia’s Legacy Bookbindery. PAGE 20 COVER DESIGN: Elizabeth Sawey COVER PHOTOS: Kelly Kettering at ATO Records, Rich Gastwirt, Brantley Gutierrez, Roots N Blues, Allan Amato.

CORRECTION: The Radar page in the Sept. 22 issue misstated changes at MU’s Swallow Hall. The MU Art and Archaeology Department relocated there, and The Museum of Art and Archaeology remains at Mizzou North.

CHRISTINE JACKSON EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

320 LEE HILLS HALL COLUMBIA MO 65211 573-884-6432 VOX@MISSOURI.EDU ADVERTISING: 573-882-5714

We’re social.

Vox Magazine @VoxMag @VoxMagazine Vox Mag

I’ve made some of my favorite music discoveries while wandering between stages at festivals. I always go into a weekend fest with a plan — a functional-yet-cute all-day outfit, sufficient windows for snacking and the shows I want to see circled on the lineup.

Things almost never go according to plan, though. Maybe I get a little sunburned, or I accidentally spend the day’s food money on a new T-shirt or an LP I can’t live without. Probably both. But I always end up stumbling upon a band or an artist I knew nothing about and experiencing something I never would have planned.

I hope our guide to this weekend’s 10th annual Roots N Blues N BBQ Festival (starting on Page 7) helps you make your best-laid plans, and that you, too, find some new favorites between your scheduled shows and perusal of vendor booths.

And if Roots N Blues isn’t quite your scene, well, that’s OK, too. You could visit the Blind Boone Home and explore its many artifacts (Page 4). Into music, but not the blues? Maybe give CoMo’s hard rock scene a try (Page 19). And if you need something sweet but don’t want to fight the crowds, stop by Peggy Jean’s Pies to try a slice (Page 5). I can personally vouch for the Chocolate Bourbon Pecan. That touch of Maker’s Mark makes all the difference.

Whether it’s among the musicians and vendors at Roots N Blues or elsewhere around Columbia, try to take in something new this weekend. Don’t plan too much, though. The best stuff is always unexpected anyway.

VOX STAFF Editor: Christine Jackson Deputy Editor: Dan Roe Managing Editor: Madison Fleck Creative Director: Ben Kothe Digital Managing Editor: Abby Holman Art Directors: Madalyne Bird, Elizabeth Sawey Photo Editor: Mary Hilleren Online Editor: Lea Konczal Multimedia Editor: Mitchel Summers News & Insight Editors: John Bat, Katelyn Lunders The Scene Editors: Kelsie Schrader, Jessica Sherwin, Brooke Vaughan Music Editors: Marlee Ellison, Meredith McGrath Arts & Books Editors: Katie Akin, Luria Freeman Contributing Writers: Bobby Ceresia, Corin Cesaric, Mitchell Forde, Max Havey, Kelsey Hurwitz, Lis Joyce, Rick Morgan, Rachel Phillips, Karlee Renkoski, Stephanie Sandoval, Alex Schiffer, Guimel Sibingo, Mike Tish, Carolina Vargas, Catherine Wendlandt, Clara Wright, Taylor Ysteboe Editorial Director: Heather Lamb Executive Editor: Jennifer Rowe Digital Director: Sara Shipley Hiles Writing Coach: John Fennell Office Manager: Kim Townlain

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PHOTOS BY KENTON SCHOEN, MIRANDA SMITH

RADAR

Vox’s take on the talk of the week

THIS WEEK IN

RIVALRIES Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump battled it out Monday night.

We don’t know if Lester Holt or the fact-checkers had the harder job.

James Patterson

Michelle Obama and George W. Bush

wrote a book called The Murder of Stephen King.

Patterson later said he would not release it out of respect for the King family, but we’re slightly suspicious that Patterson might have just pulled a publicity stunt.

LET US ESPRESSO OUR FEELINGS. We’d like to take this day to celebrate one of the things that makes this magazine possible and keeps us grounded. It helps us get through the daily grind when we have a latte on our minds. Happy National Coffee Day, everyone. Enjoy this brew-tiful day.

hugged it out at the opening of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, proving there is still some love among rivals.

102.3 BXR

WHERE

MUSIC MATTERS

Tru-many push-ups Last week, MU football broke a record, and fans want more from this week’s game at LSU. We’re not sure Truman’s muscles can take another 79-point game, but either way, both fanbases will definitely have their eye(s) on the Tigers.

Saturday ends more than a century of local ownership for the Columbia Daily Tribune. The sale to GateHouse Media was announced on Sept. 23 and will be finalized Oct. 1.

115

years of local ownership

111

years of ownership by the Waters family

620

publications owned by GateHouse in 35 states, 125 of which are daily newspapers

200

50

years of Hank Waters-written editorials

approximate number of current employees

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Written by: Christine Jackson, Dan Roe, Jessica Sherwin PHOTOS AND ILLUSTRATIONS COURTESY OF JOE BURBANK/AP, STEVE HELBER/AP, FRANCOIS MORI/AP, TAYLOR JEWELL/INVISON VIA AP, MADALYNE BIRD, PIXABAY, WIKIMEDIA COMMONS AND FLICKR

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NEWS & INSIGHT

Ragtime’s riches find a home

Take a look inside the house of legendary pianist John William “Blind” Boone

Ragtime music’s symphonic spirit lives on at the Blind Boone Home in downtown Columbia. Pianist and composer John William “Blind” Boone and his wife, Eugenia Lange Boone, owned the house during his thriving musical career. After 16 years of fundraising and renovations, the home opened as a community center Sept. 18. Boone lost his sight from brain fever at six months old, but he didn’t let blindness stop him from achieving success. During his career in the 1910s, he reinvented ragtime music with his unique sound. Take a look at the artifacts that represent colorful moments in Boone’s life.

sculpture

Clyde Ruffin, president of the J.W. “Blind” Boone Heritage Foundation, says Boone supposedly broke 16 pianos during his career because of the swift, impassioned pressure he applied to each keystroke. There were plans to replicate this bronze sculpture by artist Harry Weber into a life-size statue for the home’s backyard garden, but the idea was ditched due to lack of funding.

piano

Boone used this 1904 Haines Brothers piano for practice when he wasn’t downtown playing and socializing at a music shop on Tenth Street and Broadway, Salerno says.

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fireplace

Board member emeritus Lucille Salerno says the fireplace has been in the home since it was constructed between 1888 and 1892. The mantel features ornate wood carvings. Before the refinishing, the mantelpiece was painted white, Ruffin says.

water pitcher

This silver water pitcher symbolizes the status and fortune of the Lange family, Ruffin says. It is the only known artifact in existence that was owned by the Langes and has been passed down through generations, he says.

BY JOHN BAT

PHOTOS BY KATELYN METZGER

BLIND BOONE HOME 10 N. 4th Street Free 449-0039 Tours by reservation blindboonehome.com

concert poster

John Lange Jr., builder of the home and brother of Eugenia Lange Boone, was also Boone’s manager. Salerno says posters were typical advertisements passed out by Lange’s advance men, or public relations teams, who would travel to the site of the upcoming concert and hand out coupons and fliers for the show.

stairway

The renovation team constructed a closet underneath what was a floating stairway, to create storage and support as a safety precaution, Ruffin says. The 17-step stairway still has all of its original oak woodwork.

THE SCENE

Pie’s the limit

Locally made treats complement cool fall days

BY MAX HAVEY

PHOTOS BY ERIN BORMETT

A

s chilly weather rolls in, two local pie makers are rolling out crust for their popular fall pies.

Mother-daughter co-owners Jeanne Plumley and Rebecca Miller of Peggy Jean’s Pies make Chocolate Bourbon Pecan and Dutch Apple pies every single day.

Those are the two the shop rarely switches out, Miller says. “When the weather starts to turn, we can hardly keep them in stock.” Here’s a look at what goes into making these popular pies.

the simplicity

Peggy Jean’s pies are made with simplicity in mind. Plumley likes her creations to be straightforward with wholesome ingredients. “It’s just apples, flour, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg,” Miller says of the Dutch Apple pie.

“It doesn’t have to be complicated. It should just be real food, and you should have fun making it.”

IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE COMPLICATED. IT SHOULD JUST BE REAL FOOD, AND YOU SHOULD JUST HAVE FUN MAKING IT. -REBECCA MILLER

the crust

Although there isn’t a written recipe for the Peggy Jean’s pie crust, Plumley makes it herself almost every morning based on her mother’s recipe. “It’s super top secret,” Miller says. “Jeanne does 99 percent of the work on that, so if I am making the crust, be worried that something’s wrong.” If you ask nicely, you can even buy a pre-made crust to take your own pie game to the next level. the dutch apple crumble

What sets the Dutch Apple pie apart is its decadent topping. Miller and Plumley cover their Dutch Apple pies with a brown sugar and butter crumble, which is also made fresh daily. The sweetness of the crumble contrasts the crisp and nutty flavors of the apples and nutmeg. The crumble is so popular they jar it up and sell it separately for those who want a little more brown sugar in their life.

the inspiration

the extra sweetness

Plumley concocted the recipe for the Chocolate Bourbon Pecan pie using antique cookbooks she has collected over the years for inspiration. She likes to refer to the handwritten notes in the margins and takes tips from those who owned the books before her, but she tweaks the recipes to add her own flare and fit the desires of her customers.

The duo adds a splash of vanilla to both their cream-based and nut pies to give them a sweet undertone. Miller and Plumley usually opt for a “shot” of it, as opposed to actually measuring it out.

“It’s really just a good squeeze,” Miller says. “We can’t help it; it just makes everything better.” the real deal

the chocolate bourbon pecan filling

To make the Chocolate Bourbon Pecan, Miller and Plumley layer the crust with chocolate chips and add a half cup of Maker’s Mark bourbon to the stickybut-not-too-dense pecan mixture.

The alcohol cooks out, and Miller and Plumley prefer the rich smokiness of the real stuff to an imitation bourbon flavor. The result: a smoky, chocolatefilled twist on the classic pecan pie that will leave you craving another slice.

The pair doesn’t skimp on the real ingredients. Miller and Plumley pride themselves on using real butter instead of margarine and say they go through 50 pounds a week. “What can I say? We like to use butter here,” Plumley says.

Paula Deen’s got nothing on us.”

DON’T STOP ‘TIL YOU GET ENOUGH

Here are other places to get your favorite fall pies in Columbia:

THE UPPER CRUST

Marie Gallagher, head baker, says Pecan, Apple and Pumpkin pies are tied for the most popular.

HY-VEE

Bakery manager Nathan Pierce says the Bourbon Pecan pie, which will come out soon, is always popular.

U KNEAD SWEETS

Chocolate Bourbon Pecan and Dutch Apple are two of the most popular pies made at Peggy Jean’s.

Pies only come around during Thanksgiving at U Knead Sweets, but co-owner Allen Shih says the Apple and Pumpkin pies are the fan favorites.

THE SCENE

The night is still young

And so are professionals looking for fun in CoMo

BY RICK MORGAN Undergraduate students in downtown Columbia don’t need much help deciding where to go out at night. All they have to do is step outside, throw a (proverbial) dart, and they’re set. There is a vibrant community of local young professionals, however, who have a more challenging time finding an age-appropriate watering hole in the city.

Dan Rader, 29, frequently finds himself in this situation. “A lot of people I go out with are in their upper 20s and young 30s,” Rader says.

“It gets to 11 or midnight, and it’s like, ‘Where are we supposed to go? 10 Below?’”

People 10 years younger than him are there, he says.

Rader’s friend Dan Rader Trista Marple, 34, also struggles. Because she has two kids, going out for the night takes more planning and money ­— setting up babysitters can be time-consuming and pricey. “That’s

why I think I like to go out and enjoy more of the atmosphere, enjoy my friends and enjoy the drinks that I order,” she says. People pick up more obligations the longer they’re out of college: kids, careers, serious relationships and anxiety about the future.

These young professionals are far from socially washed up, though. Luckily, there are nighttime spots in Columbia that keep the party going for the wellover-21-but-still-fun crowd.

THE ATTIC LOUNGE AND ROOFTOP Rather than just accepting his fate as a 29-year-old with nowhere to go, Rader is opening a bar/club called My House. Upstairs in the club, there will be an upscale THE ATTIC LOUNGE AND ROOFTOP lounge called 119 S 7th St. The Attic. twitter.com/ This space myhousecomo will appeal to those looking for a fun happy hour or upscale club late at night. One of The Attic’s main

draws will be its expert cocktails.

“They’re all made with real fresh fruit and herbs,” Rader says. This differs quite a bit from the cheapliquor-meets-soda trend of a typical college club, but Rader hopes young professionals like Marple will appreciate his mission.

times where people have made a regular routine of coming up here to where they see a lot of people they know, and they can make it kind of a networking event,” he says. Networking at Roxy’s on a Saturday night might result in ... different outcomes.

THE ROOF

DOGMASTER DISTILLERY

Customers at The Roof, which is located atop The Broadway DoubleTree hotel downtown, can view Columbia’s skyline. Bob McDonald, THE ROOF general 1111 E Broadway manager of The thebroadway Broadway, says columbia.com/ the bar opened the-roof with the goal of attracting Columbia’s young professionals.

Although the crowd can get a little younger on some weekend nights, McDonald tries to keep as true to the original mission as possible.

“Our music will tend to have a splash of modern day and then retreat back into the ‘80s and ‘90s,” McDonald says. The Roof also has the appeal of networking within Columbia’s young professional community. “We’ve had enough

Columbia’s only distillery, DogMaster, is both a warehouse and a bar. “It’s an industrial space,” owner Van Hawxby says. DogMaster differs from the loud atmosphere and cheap drinks of an average college bar. “We’ve created a very casual place where people can come and have DOGMASTER DISTILLERY well-made 210 St. James St. cocktails,” dogmasterdistillery.com he says.

Customers are encouraged to bring their own food from outside and enjoy a classic cocktail or one of DogMaster’s seasonal cocktails from their changing menu. “I’m a big fan of the old-school cocktails, and my products lend themselves to that,” Hawxby says. “But also, as a bartender, I like to experiment.”

www.secbeerfest.com General Admission $45 | VIP $85 Efforts and proceeds of the 2016 South East Craft Beer Festival will benefit: American Red Cross and Unchained Melodies Inc. (Dog Rescue) 6

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DogMaster Distillery serves classier drinks than the cheap wells typical of college bars, says DogMaster owner Van Hawxby. He says the environment is great for conversation, too.

PHOTO BY LIV PAGGIARINO

10 YEARS SINGING ‘N’ STOMPING FOR

AND COUNTING

Autumn has arrived with its cooler temperatures, pumpkin spice everything and Columbia’s beloved Roots N Blues N BBQ Festival. For 10 years, the festival has brought together townies and people from across the country to enjoy tunes and tasty bites. While it might have grown and changed, Roots N Blues remains a celebration of American roots.

Chow down on succulent barbecue, get around like a seasoned roadie, and groove to the music with our insider guide to the fest.

NOW AND TEN

PRO TIPS

A decade of movin’ and groovin’ and Roots N Bluesin’

Read these tips, and crush the festival game

BY BROOKE KOTTMANN In 2007, it started with a birthday, the 150th birthday of Boone County National Bank to be exact. To celebrate with a bang — a blues bang — rock, jazz and blues bands were invited to perform free shows, and tens of thousands of concertgoers celebrated downtown for two days. Soon, Broadway and Eighth Street drowned under a sea of tents and the raised arms of attendees. Lights from the stages dyed these cheering and pumping arms bright pink and faded yellow. Blues blared from bellowing speakers. Barbecue connoisseurs grilled up their favorite meats. Roots N Blues was born.

In a decade, the festival swelled into what it is today. More bodies crowded in front of the stages, and more tents sprouted up to compete with the buildings downtown. The city center could no longer fit the growing crowds, stages, merchandise and food vendors, so the fest relocated to Stephens Lake Park in 2013.

This year, it continues with another milestone birthday. The light hum of folk music will make its way around the park. Accompanying it, the scent of sweet tangy barbecue from six local vendors will waft across park grounds. Meats will pair nicely with a selection of craft beers from Columbia’s Logboat, Bur Oak and Broadway breweries. The predicted sunshine overhead will be cool but inviting, and the half-marathon race will continue as it has for the past seven years. A mélange, equal part cheers, applause and heavy panting, will mean it’s time to fest.

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years the Roots N Blues Festival has been located at Stephens Lake Park

56-78

Average temperature range during the festival

202

total bands over 10 years

50

estimated hours of performance at this year’s festival

550

estimated pounds of meat Missouri Legacy Beef will serve

26,000

estimated annual attendees since 2013

BY RACHEL PHILLIPS Whether you are a repeat festivalgoer or a Roots N Blues newcomer, prepping for a busy weekend of blues and barbecue can be overwhelming. But it doesn’t have to be. We talked to five experts — Festival Director Julie King, Assistant Festival Director Hilton Peeples, Thumper Entertainment Owner Richard King, Volunteer Coordinator Tim McCarty and volunteer-turned-Whole-Hog-ticketholder Pat Holt ­— to get the inside scoop on how to navigate Roots N Blues like a pro. Find eight tips throughout our guide.

1. MU students can save nearly 50 percent

13

by purchasing the student discount tickets available at the MU MSA/GPC Box Office.

Cash-strapped college students can boogie to the blues, too.

19

2. Map out your schedule so you don’t miss your favorite acts. But if your plans change, take a deep breath; it only takes about five minutes to walk from one stage to the other.

Grammys collectively won by this year’s artists

different sauces offered by barbecue vendors

$70

Saturday ticket price; $55 Friday and Sunday

3. Download Roots N Blues’ free app to have festival info at your fingertips. You’ll be able to see the schedule, park map and bus routes and get real-time updates about who is onstage.

MUSIC MAKER BLUES REVUE

Dozens of Music Maker Relief Foundation Musicians pass through the revolving door that is The Music Maker Blues Revue. Albert White (center), Ardie Dean (second from the left) and Lil’ Joe Burton (fourth from the left) make up the core of the group.

Sunday, 1 p.m.

Great Southern Bank Stage

They are the only band that has been at all 10 Roots N Blues N BBQ Festivals.

Music made, artists saved

Music Maker Relief Foundation rekindles the human spirit via community and the blues With his clothes stuffed into a messenger bag and guitar in hand, 19-year-old Timothy Duffy was all geared up for a musical excursion to Africa in 1983.

He was traveling with Rob Leonard, a founding member of the rock ’n’ roll band Sha Na Na. The two spent four years together traversing the continent and soaking up the music.

While based in the Old Town section of Mombasa, Kenya, Duffy saw tribal communities rally around their music, passed down through generations, in the face of hardship, pain and suffering.

Upon his return to the U.S., Duffy noticed that blues musicians, similar to those African tribes, were struggling to get by. Both were living in dilapidated conditions with little-to-no economic standing, and their respective societies had pushed them to the side.

Meanwhile, Duffy was attending college at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, playing gigs and going door to door through rural

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Southern neighborhoods in search of entertainers for whom he could provide a better standard of living.

In 1994 Duffy unveiled his nonprofit organization, the Music Maker Relief Foundation. Its goal is to uplift blues musicians who have fallen on hard times.

The foundation helps artists not only by providing new musical equipment, but also with rent payments, groceries and medical bills, among other necessities.

The centerpiece of the foundation is its band: the Music Maker Blues Revue.

The lively group is composed of an ever-changing set of performers, and it performed for the first time at the Charlotte Jazz Festival in 1994.

The Music Maker Blues Revue will be the only band making a 10th consecutive appearance at this year’s Roots N Blues N BBQ Festival.

Duffy grew up in New Haven, Connecticut, in a tight-knit, music-obsessed family, and his house was filled with the music of B.B. King,

Louis Armstrong and Big Bill Broonzy constantly streaming from the family record player.

Each song struck a chord along his heartstrings and left him longing for a jam session with one of the greats.

Rounding up musicians for the foundation was not always an easy task. “I would have to sometimes talk to a screen door for 35 or 40 minutes just to get a meeting the next day,” Duffy says.

Today, the foundation has blossomed into a network of over 300 artists.

According to Music Maker’s 2014 Annual Report, Duffy and his team have helped musicians obtain more than 9,500 grants and produce over 1,900 songs since 1994. The Music Maker Blues Revue has performed live more than 4,000 times in 24 different countries.

Robert Finley, a guitarist in his first year with Music Maker, is living his childhood dream at 62. Although he has been partially blinded by glaucoma, his loss of sight has not negated the 52 years

PHOTOS COURTESY OF MUSIC MAKER RELIEF FOUNDATION

BY BRANDON BYER

he’s spent mastering the guitar. Finley began his career playing gospel and later moved to the blues, but his connection to the music has remained fluid.

“The music is more or less my place of reference,” Finley says. “I don’t have to see it to play it. I feel it. It’s in my soul, so I just do it.”

When Finley takes the stage, he owns it. “Give me the damn stage and give me the mic,” Finley says. “And let me do the damn thing.”

As Duffy surveys sold-out crowds applauding Music Maker’s entertainers, he harkens back to those moments in Africa of people coming together in the celebration of music.

The blues rekindles those memories every single time.

ONLINE

VOXMAGAZINE.COM Join our jam session online and via social media for live blogging and interactive posts from the fest.

WHICH BAND ARE YOU?

Find the Roots N Blues N BBQ Festival group that fits your groove

BY KARLEE RENKOSKI

START HERE: what are you doing while listening to your favorite band?

I’ve got that “Kumbaya” sway, and I’m just thinking about life.

how would you style up for the stage?

Matching suits are a must.

The Blue Note I’m rockin’ that fall flannel.

Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Friday, 9:30 p.m.

Missouri Lottery Stage

Singing spontaneous songs

Chump Change, Sunday, 11:15 a.m.

Missouri Lottery Stage

“Ain’t No Man”

The Avett Brothers, Sunday, 7:30 p.m.

Missouri Lottery Stage

PHOTOS COURTESY OF ROOTS N BLUES N BBQ FESTIVAL

Bring on the beats

Pickin’ some strings

The Mavericks, Saturday, 5:15 p.m.

Great Southern Bank Stage

Southern Culture on the skids, saturday, 2:15 p.m.

Missouri Lottery Stage

Small town or green pastures

Justine and the Highs, Saturday, 12:15 p.m.

Great Southern Bank Stage

The Budos Band, Saturday, 1:45 p.m.

Great Southern Bank StagE

what are your roots?

Choose a song title

Give me my Budweiser.

The Social Room

Rose Music Hall

pick your musical talent

There are no stage boundaries.

Crowd surfing is plausible.

I’m jamming, but I won’t be blurry in a photo.

pick your poison

A Rocky Mountain high

what’s your favorite local venue?

It’s all about the clapping and foot tapping.

how’s your stage presence?

The Blind Boys of Alabama, Sunday, 2:45 p.m.

Great Southern Bank Stage

I’m out on the dance floor.

percussion of choice?

Washboard

More of a city person

Stripped-down snare and cymbals

“Honey Slider”

Houndmouth, Friday, 6:30 p.m.

Great Southern Bank Stage

Brad Cunningham Band, Saturday, 11:15 a.m.

Great Southern Bank Stage

The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band, Sunday, 4 p.m.

Missouri Lottery Stage

The Oh Hellos, Saturday, 4 p.m.

Missouri Lottery Stage

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the flood Brothers, Saturday, 11:30 a.m.

Missouri Lottery Stage

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THE FLOOD BROTHERS Saturday, 11:30 a.m.

Missouri Lottery Stage

CHUMP CHANGE Sunday, 11:15 a.m.

Missouri Lottery Stage

Show me blues

A pair of local acts delivers different takes on the timeless genre BY TYLER SCHNEIDER

In a traditional blues set, the bass and drums establish the foundation, allowing the rest of the band to lock into a rhythm. As the song speeds up, the lead singer closes his or her eyes and feels the beat. Rocking back and forth with a guitar, the singer sends wailing high notes from the strings through an amplifier and into the crowd.

The band enters the trance-like state known as “groove.”

The Roots N Blues N BBQ Festival has been a driving force behind groove for Columbians for 10 years. The lineup features artists from near and far, but two local bands, Chump Change and The Flood Brothers, have become regulars.

Both groups share local roots, but each brings a unique style of groove to the table. Chump Change features seasoned veterans who favor a more traditional blues set, while Hannibal duo The Flood Brothers are more experimental.

The Flood Brothers, set to take the Missouri Lottery Stage Saturday at 11:30 a.m., were formed in 2001 by childhood friends Gabe Meyer (guitar/vocals) and Jake Best (drums/vocals). The pair grew up listening to various genres including blues, classic rock and psychedelic rock, and aspects of each can be heard in their music. Their setlist encapsulates old and new, from high-energy rock anthems to melodic, Mississippi-style blues ballads.

Their diverse, rhythmic style owes a lot to their “arsenal,” as Meyer calls it, of instruments. Many of their songs employ a semi-hollow body guitar, which creates the brothers’ signature “thump” sound. The duo’s synergy makes the addition of a bass guitar, a typical blues staple, unnecessary.

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(MARTIN) SETS UP A GROOVE, AND WE JUST LOCK IN WITH IT. WE WORK OFF OF HIS GROOVE. – CHUMP CHANGE BASSIST JAMES SMITH “Our playing has kind of evolved to compensate for not having a bass player,” Meyer says. “Overall, I think it changes things a little too much. I think some of the subtleties of (our) playing gets lost.”

If The Flood Brothers offers a glimpse of where blues is headed, then Chump Change is grounded in the more traditional version of blues: 12-bar boogie, R&B and jazz. The group, set to play the Missouri Lottery Stage Sunday at 11:15 a.m., has been jamming together since 1984. To date, they have played all but one Roots N Blues N BBQ Festival.

Chump Change’s experience has helped the band establish a rapport that allows each member to key off one another and improvise onstage. The glue holding the group together, according to bassist James Smith, is guitarist/vocalist John “Big Although The Flood Brothers Babe” Martin. and Chump Change might “(Martin) sets up a groove, and we just lock not agree on what style of in with it,” Smith says. “We work off of his blues is best, neither can deny the genre’s enduring groove. When we didn’t have a name for the legacy. Giants such as B.B. band we called it the ‘Babe Martin School of King, John Lee Hooker and Groove.’”

T-Bone Walker paved the The band officially came together after way for blues throughout the several informal Sunday night jam sessions at ‘40s and ‘50s. Texas tornado Columbia’s Lee’s Lounge, which has Stevie Ray Vaughan then changed the game in the since closed.

‘80s. Underground punk“All the free barbecue and drinks is what we blues trailblazers The White were playing for at that time,” Smith says. “And Stripes redesigned the genre somebody said, ‘What do you call this band?’ in the 21st century.

Our sax player said, ‘Call it Chump Change.

That’s what we’re playin’ for!’”

Like Chump Change, The Flood Brothers’ conception was a sheer act of fate. Although Meyer played guitar in high school, it wasn’t until years later, when Best inherited a drum kit from his uncle that they seriously considered playing music together.

The easygoing duo has always had a knack for going with the flow. Even their stage name came about by chance.

“We were playing in Chicago, and we were at Buddy Guy’s bar, Legends,” Meyer says. “There was a dumpster out back that said ‘The Flood Brothers’ on it. It was just like an epiphany, like, ‘Oh, that’s our name.’”

Now well known among regional blues circles, The Flood Brothers hope to make their third Roots N Blues a unique experience for fans.

“We have a little new material we’ve been working on for our third album that we’ll be unveiling,” Meyer says. “We’ll have some surprise guests to play some old and new stuff alike.”

Chump Change puts more emphasis on performing than recording, and they’re pretty damn good at it. Over the years, they’ve shared the stage with Try out some local brews to legendary acts such as Buddy Guy, Chuck get down to the blues. Logboat Berry, Etta James and Robert Cray. Their shows are high-energy jam sessions, and Brewing Co. showcases its Bobber they know how to get a crowd involved.

Lager in the Beer Garden. In Both bands provide a great example addition to year-rounders such of how the term groove means different as the Shiphead Ginger Wheat things to different people. It’s something and Lookout American Pale Ale, that must be experienced firsthand to Logboat also brings a new bubbly be truly understood. Fortunately for Columbian residents, local acts such as invention to all four of the park’s Chump Change and The Flood Brothers bars called the Haller-Tang. Other will be around to deliver a healthy dose special Beer Garden brews include of groove long after the Roots N Blues Bur Oak Brewing Company’s Frank’s stages are dismantled.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF TINY ATTIC PRODUCTIONS, TYLER BRETTHACHER

PRO TIP

4.

Cream Ale and Broadway Brewery’s Cherry Saison.

HARD WORK AND HARMONY

Whether designing or recycling, volunteers and interns do it all to make the festival happen Mid-Missourian Bill Clinton thought volunteering at Roots N Blues N BBQ Festival seemed like a natural fit. Clinton humbly shakes off his musicianship —­­­­ he says he’s just in a cover band called I-70 Overdrive. Still, he thought it’d be neat to volunteer after a member of the festival steering committee asked for his help many years ago. After all, he says, you get a behind-the-scenes perspective, and you get to see the shows for free.

Clinton is one of approximately 500 volunteers at this year’s festival, along with a staff of 10 interns, all working together to ensure that the weekend runs smoothly.

Volunteers tackle a wide range of tasks including setting up, greeting and recycling. Clinton started off as security, but now he’s in charge of the crew of security volunteers.

In exchange for attending one training session and two four- to six-hour shifts, volunteers receive a three-day festival pass, a $135 value. If volunteers elect to work three or more shifts, they are part of the Blues Cats category and receive VIP access to zoned-off areas near the stage.

Interns Melissa Roach and Cynthia Perez began as volunteers before taking

on larger roles with the festival. The interns went through an application process at the beginning of the year. The staff of 10 interns has the opportunity to receive course credit for their work, though it’s not necessary.

Roach, who has been an intern since November 2015, has a broad array of duties, which include market research, social media promotions and sustainability. Roach says there’s so much work that goes into the festival that’s not seen. She graduated from MU in May with a degree in hospitality management, and she says she wants to pursue a career similar to her current role for the festival.

Perez, a senior at MU, became an intern in February and says she’s interested to see all the details that she did not previously consider fall into place. Perez’s role is not quite as flexible as Roach’s because she works primarily with graphic design making advertisements and posters for the lineup and schedule. She likes being able to showcase her own modern Western aesthetic within the festival brand.

Both interns look forward to the musical performances (they are huge fans of The Avett Brothers), the electric atmosphere and the satisfaction of seeing

BY TAYLOR YSTEBOE

Bobby Acton pulls a sculpture of a nymph into a tree at Stephens Lake Park for the 2015 Roots N Blues Festival Volunteers helped decorate the park in preparation for the festival.

everyone’s hard work come together.

Perez has especially appreciated working with what she calls the “ragtag group” of interns, and Clinton agrees that the relationships he’s built with other volunteers have been his favorite aspect.

Beyond the music, BBQ and art, Roots N Blues is about the people and bonding as a community. “It’s less about getting to see the show and more about being able to give back to the community,” Clinton says.

Winner, winner BBQ dinner

Justine and the Highs perform as this year’s winners of the Roots N Blues N BBQ Songwriting Contest

BY LINDSEY JENKINS

This weekend, as about 25,000 people swarm Stephens Lake Park in search of scrumptious barbecue and aweinspiring tunes, a new band might take festivalgoers by surprise with its newwave melodies.

Southern California-based band Justine and the Highs is this year’s winner of the Roots N Blues N BBQ Contest, a songwriting contest held through a partnership with the John Lennon Songwriting Contest. JLSC hosts national songwriting competitions and will give out over $300,000 in prizes this year, says Matthew Reich, the vice president of U.S. tours and promotions for JLSC. The contest gives up-andcoming musicians an opportunity to play a 60-minute set on the second day of Roots N Blues.

This is the second year that Roots N Blues has held this competition. In 2014, the winner of the contest was Kansas City-based band Attic Wolves, which earned a spot on the festival lineup after the father of two of the band members

JUSTINE AND THE HIGHS

Justine and the Highs is currently recording in the studio. “Jaded” is the band’s first and only studio-recorded song. The festival will be the band’s first performance in Missouri.

entered them into the contest without them knowing.

This year, entrants were allowed to submit one song to the contest along with an optional video. Participants were judged on their songwriting,

PHOTOS BY OR COURTESY OF JUSTIN L. STEWART, ZECHERIAH LEE

performance and the song submitted for judging, Reich says. Justine and the Highs’ song, “Jaded,” helped the group seize the win.

“I thought it was the least Roots N Blues song that was submitted, so I

thought that was awesome to mix it up a little bit,” says Matt Myers, guitarist and vocalist for the Saturday, 12:15 p.m. band Houndmouth, Great Southern which helped judge.

Bank Stage “I think that you don’t live and die by one kind of music anymore,” says Justine Dorsey, the lead vocalist for Justine and the Highs. She says some of the band’s musical influences include The Talking Heads, St. Vincent and Arctic Monkeys.

The band is a newcomer in many senses. It doesn’t have any albums out yet and is securing a permanent drummer.

Dorsey says her goal for the band’s show is to make the audience feel good.

“When you go to a festival, you’re often there all day, and you’re tired, and you want to be won over by someone,” she says. “You want to feel inspired by them.

I want to be able to do that for people.”

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Breakout moment Grace Potter is newly solo and the act to see on day two of Roots N Blues BY MIKE TISH

screen ones with every imaginable flavor available.

You want breathy, provocative vocals? Listen to “Hot to the Touch.”

Upbeat, high-powered melodies that channel Blondie and new-wave rock?

Yep, check out “Delirious.” Funky, bass-driven tunes that groove from the start? Why not listen to “Your Girl?”

The list goes on and on, and includes bluesy anthems such as “Nobody’s Born With a Broken Heart” as well as the stomping brilliance of “Look What We’ve Become.”

Oh, and she plays a Flying V guitar on which she is lethal. Potter, like many professional artists, possesses an arsenal of musical talents — she is also a pianist.

But what makes Potter rare is her flair for putting on an exceptional show using any or just one of those abilities.

If you think she seems too good to be true, check yourself. Potter has been touring and thrilling fans with live shows for almost 15 years. Aside from her own original work, festivalgoers can expect covers of classic rock and blues hits such as The Rolling Stones’ “Paint It, Black” or Otis Redding’s “Pain In My Heart,” which Potter has previously performed.

All of this makes us confident there won’t be too many people making a break for the food trucks or bathrooms while Grace Potter is onstage.

GRACE POTTER Saturday, 8:45 p.m.

Great Southern Bank Stage

This will be Potter’s debut at Roots N Blues. She will be the only woman performing solo at this year’s festival.

SHOVELS & ROPE RESHAPE FOLK The married duo is bringing innovative Americana to Roots N Blues Award-winning Americana duo Shovels & Rope have an authentic sound influenced by the band’s Appalachian roots. Shovels & Rope is from Charleston, South Carolina, and is a husband-and-wife team, Michael Trent and Cary Ann Hearst.

The natural way their voices flow together makes their intimate relationship immediately apparent.

It is the type of chemistry you would only expect from a committed couple.

Their lovely harmonies are countered, yet intensified, by their mythic ballads which can be performed by singing in a harsh manner or a soft tone.

In 2013, the duo was awarded best emerging artists at the 2013 Americana Music Honors and Awards, a year after releasing their first album, O’ Be Joyful, in July 2012.

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“Birmingham” is one of their most popular songs and chronicles their journey from youth to duo, according to a 2014 article from American Songwriter.

The song also snagged the No. 1 spot on American Songwriter’s top 50 songs of 2012. It showcases their unique voices that cross between soul and folk.

“It’s a story of two people working it out in the midst of turmoil, each faced with the decision to blindly sacrifice a part of their self for the good of the pair… and trusting that it would all work out in the end,” said Hearst and Trent in the American Songwriter article.

Their relationship dynamic is portrayed through their twangy harmonies paired with guitar, harmonica, drums and keyboard. Trent and Hearst once pursued careers as solo artists. They were talented, but

BY CORIN CESARIC

combined, the blend of sounds they create is completely unique to the world of Americana.

Their newest album, Little Seeds, will be released Oct. 7. The band began a fall tour this week throughout the U.S. and Canada, and they’ll take the stage at Roots N Blues on Saturday.

SHOVELS & ROPE Saturday, 7 p.m.

Great Southern Bank Stage

PRO TIP

5. Mediate your desire to

make a fashion statement with a concern for comfort.

Wear some comfy kicks to keep your feet from killing you by Sunday.

Shovels & Rope’s latest album was recorded in the couple’s home studio. They wrote, recorded and produced the album themselves.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF HOLLYWOOD RECORDS, LESLIE RYAN MCKELLAR

Here is a short list of what not to do during Grace Potter’s set at this year’s Roots N Blues N BBQ Festival: get food, go to the bathroom, expect to sit down, answer your grandma’s phone call.

It all can wait. Whatever you do, don’t miss this performance.

Potter established herself in the music industry in 2002 as the frontwoman for a soulful, stomping rock band called Grace Potter & The Nocturnals. A Vermont native, she has cited Blondie, Miles Davis and David Bowie as a few of her inspirations.

There’s no surprise there, as she is a powerful live performer known for her vocal talent and is fearless in shattering other’s expectations for her music.

If musicians are judged by the company they keep, then Potter certainly passes the test: She’s performed alongside The Rolling Stones, The Flaming Lips and Neil Young and has hit some of the biggest music festivals in the U. S., including Coachella, Lollapalooza and Bonnaroo.

When it comes to musical skills, Potter shines. She has one of the most dynamic voices out of any performer on this year’s Roots N Blues lineup.

On Midnight, Potter’s debut solo album and most recent work, her voice can be likened to one of those high-tech Coca-Cola machines — the touch-

Go ahead, and ’gram it The art at this year’s festival could make you Instagram famous (if you snap it right) BY ALEX EDWARDS

THE DIRECTOR’S ’GRAM OF CHOICE

Stephens Lake Park is filled with picturesque spots during the Roots N Blues N BBQ Festival. Lisa Bartlett, the art crew and visuals director for the fest, and her team have been working since March to make art a dynamic element of the weekend. With giant installations and interactive scenes, you’ll definitely want to take advantage of all of their hard work. We highlighted the most ’gramable spots to ensure that you score maximum likes.

Along the pathway to the main stages — Missouri Lottery and Great Southern Bank — ­ is the Tunnel of Fairies, Bartlett’s favorite art installation.

“We made a tunnel through these beautiful trees, and we put larger-than-life-sized figures that light up and glow in them,” Bartlett says.

“They all have wings, and they’re all playing instruments. It’s just so beautiful and very surreal.”

FILTER THIS: Rise adds a gold hue to the photo and enhance the fantastical nature of the creatures.

GREAT SOUTHERN BANK STAGE

MISSOURI LOTTERY STAGE

GUITARHENGE

Check out Columbia’s version of one of the Wonders of the World. For the decade anniversary, the piece will feature 10 7-foot-tall guitars in a large circle, one to represent each year of the festival.

The back of each instrument contains collages of tickets, brochures, artist names and song quotes from that year.

Local businesses and organizations have sponsored a guitar, and the proceeds will be donated to Blues in the Schools, a Roots N Blues Foundation charitable program that educates local children on musical background and culture.

FILTER THIS: Clarendon brightens the colors and enhance the details covering each guitar.

THE FRONT PORCH

UP IN THE TREES

When walking around the festival, always look up. Each grouping of trees holds unique, whimsical masterpieces hidden in branches and along trunks. Iridescent dragonflies adorn the trees nearest the Missouri Lottery stage. Sixfoot-wide, six-point stars, made by draping fabric over wire frames, twinkle against the night sky.

Look to your left after walking in the festival entrance to find the ministage created specifically for you. The art crew built a porch onto an old hay wagon so audience members could have their own stage. The sponsor, Palen Music, will provide instruments for festivalgoers to test out. If you’re lucky, you might see a headliner play a private show.

THE DRAGON

If you’re walking down the hill in the park toward Great Southern Bank stage, you’ll run into the festival’s most mystical creature. Festivalgoers can enter the giant, interactive dragon through the tail, wind their way through the body of the beast and exit out the mouth.

FESTIVAL ENTRANCE

FILTER THIS: Nashville provides a light tint to play off the country-western vibes of the scene.

FILTER THIS: Reyes creates an illustration that mimics a storybook.

FILTER THIS: Moon makes your photo black and white, and create a nighttime feel any time of the day.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF ROOTS N BLUES ART TEAM, KEVIN DINGMAN, CARTO

PRO TIP

6. Avoid the lobster look that’s never in vogue, and prevent your skin from feeling the burn by tossing some sunscreen in your bag.

Even Festival Director Julie King sometimes forgets this one; she says she gets a little sunburned each year.

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2

2. MAKE IT A MEMPHIS somethin’ bout the slaw

Although Memphis style uses pork and hickory wood like Carolina style, the difference is in a classic BBQ side: coleslaw.

Putting coleslaw on top of pork sandwiches is a Bluff City tradition.

Wells says the slaw used in this BBQ usually has a vinegar base.

Coleslaws elsewhere typically use a mayonnaise base.

3 1

Find your BBQ style

4

Meet and greet the many varieties of American barbecue being served this weekend

BY JENNIFER ALDRICH

There’s a whole lot of different barbecue out there in the United States. So much that it’s easy to get lost without some direction. That’s why Vox asked Carolyn Wells of Kansas City, aka the queen of barbecue, to explain every little variance.

She reigns as the co-founder and the executive director of the Kansas Barbecue Society and has journeyed from coast to coast sampling the best of the beast.

Trust us here. Wells knows good barbecue when she sees it.

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1.

pork SWEET CAROLINA

Pork is popular in North and South Carolina, specifically pulled pork and a whole hog. Wells says the Carolinas are known for having the country’s best “pig pickin’s.”

“Literally, they will cook this hog and then lay it out and people walk by with forks and pick meat off of it,” Wells says. The sauces in the Carolinas vary: The classic Carolina BBQ sauce is mustard-based, which traditionally doesn’t go over well in the Midwest. But Carolina BBQ can also have a vinegar-and-tomatobased sauce.

try this: pulled pork

- big daddy’s bbq

Owner Lloyd Henry says the difference between his BBQ and others is all in the seasoning. “It’s a Southern seasoning that we use, and it gives the food a different flavor than most folks around here,” Henry says.

He recommends trying the pulled-pork sandwich with one of his two sauces. Both sauces start with a base of ketchup and vinegar, but one is mild, and one is spicier. “We don’t need a whole lot of sauce,” Henry says. “We need one sauce, served two different ways, and if it’s good, it’s good.” whole hog roast

- broadway brewery

Broadway Brewery will serve a few whole-hog roasts at the festival. “It’s a 30-hour roast, and the hog roasts in its own juices,” owner Walker Claridge says. “We put a little seasoning and then the BBQ sauce, and you get the flavor of the pork through the sauce.

It’s like nothing you’ve ever had before.” The sauce served with the hog is a Columbia-made Show-Me BBQ Sauce, which Claridge describes as thick and smoky.

try this: the memphis

- smokin’ chicks bbq

Lissa Orscheln, who owns Smokin’ Chicks BBQ with her husband, Chick, recommends The Memphis.

“The pulled pork is more Memphis style, especially if you put the slaw on the top,” Orscheln says. “You see a lot of that in Memphis.” Top it off with one of Smokin’ Chicks’ five sauces: sweet, classic, hot, hickory or gold, which is mustard-based.

IN THE HEART 3. DEEP OF TEXAS beef

Texans love their beef. In 2015, Texas ranked first in the country for highest number of cattle and calves with 11.7 million, according to the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. Wells says Texas BBQ uses mesquite wood or post oak wood, which is literally the wood that is used to make fence posts.

try this: the bacon cheeseburger or the half-pound sirloin ground steak burger

-

missouri legacy beef

Head cowboy, owner and fourthgeneration beef farmer Mark Mahnken says he believes his company’s food is the most healthful at the festival. “All our beef is free range; we never, ever use hormones or antibiotics, and we only use beef from our ranch,” Mahnken says. “We know exactly where the beef comes from, we know how it’s processed, and we put no additives in it. No nitrates, no MSG.” He says to try the bacon cheeseburger (he says people love it) or the halfpound sirloin ground steak burger, which is served on a big bun. All of Mahnken’s dishes are served with his own BBQ sauce, which he calls his “secret sweet sauce.”

PHOTOS BY OR COURTESY OF LLOYD HENRY, LISSA ORSCHEIN, JENNIFER ALDRICH

4.

a variety of meats and lots of sauce KANSAS CITY, HERE I COME

“If it moves, we cook it,” says Wells about Kansas City BBQ. She says Kansas City is the melting pot of BBQ where all the regional styles come together. The typical sauce in Kansas City is sweeter, with a tomato base and sometimes made with molasses for extra sweetness.

try this: the brisket

- sugarfire smoke house

Sugarfire Smoke House boasts seven homemade sauces: St. Louis sweet, Sugarfire 47, white, coffee, Carolina mustard, Honey Badger and Texas. Owner Matt Martin’s favorite is the Sugarfire 47 because he likes sweet things. The sauce has raisins and applesauce, which is made from scratch, mixed in. He says the white sauce, made from horseradish, is a crowd pleaser. As for meat, Martin recommends the brisket.

The perfect brisket comes with a process. Martin says the difference is the quality of meat; he uses an Angus brisket that’s locally sourced. He then applies his special spice rub and smokes the brisket for 12 to 14 hours. The brisket then rests for five minutes and is placed in a hot box to steam for about an hour, where it’s kept at a perfect temperature until it’s served.

“I would say the white sauce is best with the brisket,” Martin says. “But if you’re an adventurous type, try the white sauce and the St. Louis sweet sauce.”

5. MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS st. louis-style cuts

(OR NOT)

Sorry, St. Louis, but Kansas City gets you on this one. St. Louis is not a style of BBQ. “I don’t know where they got into making themselves into a BBQ capital,” Wells says, spoken like a true Kansas Citian. St. Louis style is actually a butcher cut of meat.

try this: st. louis style ribs

- dickey’s bbq pit

Dickey’s BBQ Pit will be serving St. Louis style ribs. Owner Wade Bradley says the ribs are smoked for about three to four hours, and he uses the upper part of the rib, which contains more meat. “Our ribs are fall-off-the-bone,” Bradley says.

“They’re just really nice and tender.” The ribs are served with one of three vinegarbased BBQ sauces: spicy, sweet or original.

PHOTO COURTESY OF KELLY KETTERING/ ATO RECORDS

BEYOND MEASURE

Nashville musician Rayland Baxter might have started as an athlete, but he couldn’t deny his lyrical soul

BY TAYLOR YSTEBOE Rayland Baxter is a man of contradictions. In one respect, he’s a dreamer. In another, he’s a realist. He’s down-to-earth but existential. He’s a Nashville native but also a world traveler. To pinpoint one specific characteristic of Baxter would not do him, nor his music, justice.

Despite his roots, Baxter did not immediately embark on a music career. His dad, William “Bucky” Baxter, a world-renowned pedal steel guitarist for the likes of Bob Dylan, Steve Earle and Ryan Adams, bought Baxter his first guitar — a “sparkly blue electric guitar” — from a pawn shop during a motorcycling camping trip to Kentucky when he was 7 years old.

“I learned few chords, learned how to play ‘Old MacDonald Had a Farm,’ ‘Come as You Are’ by Nirvana, and then, it grew dusty under my bed for a long, long time,” Baxter says. His mellow voice occasionally betrays his Southern twang.

Baxter opted for sports while he was growing up in Tennessee. He played soccer and lacrosse in high school, but decided to only focus on lacrosse while studying advertising in college. Unfortunately, he tore both ACLs, ending his athletic career.

At 21, Baxter bought an acoustic guitar. He began spending more time on music and opted not to finish college. While living in Creede, Colorado, in 2007, he wrote his first song, but Baxter admits it doesn’t meet his current standards. “I still kind of adopt what I was singing about then, but I don’t write like that anymore,” he says. “I just write what seems to be proper, poignant poetry that gets the message across — whatever the message may be.”

Now 33 years old, Baxter has further shaped and defined his identity as an artist. He released his debut album, Feathers & Fishhooks, in 2012 and his second record, Imaginary Man, in 2015. Both works prove that Baxter is a comfortable songwriter, one who knows heartbreak and joy but is inevitably still learning as life goes on. In the heartfelt “Yellow Eyes,” Baxter recounts a breakup, and the pain and determination is clear as he sings. His crooning is alternately set to folky finger picking or the yearn of an electric guitar.

Thumper Entertainment owner Richard King says the weekend’s lineup was chosen based on the criteria found within the name of the festival — be it roots or blues — and the influence the artists have on American music. Baxter certainly fits the bill.

Baxter draws inspiration from musical staples including Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Jerry Garcia and J. J. Cale as well as more current artists such as Feist and Dylan LeBlanc. However, his imagination can’t be confined to conventional bounds. “I’m influenced by much more than music,” he says. “The way trees grow.

The color of the leaves changing over the seasons.”

RAYLAND BAXTER Sunday, 2:15 p.m.

Missouri Lottery Stage

Rayland Baxter admits that he prefers to drift into daydreams rather than confront the “gnarly shit that goes down on a dayto-day basis” in the real world.

He cites love and nature as his biggest songwriting influences. “You can compare the two so easily,” he says.

“There are endless amounts of comparison left to do.”

Baxter really began to hone his craft during his time in Israel about a decade ago, a trip originally slated to be a couple of weeks that expanded into a months’ long sojourn. “Being in the desert affected me in just helping me with comparing love and loss to the vast desert — beautiful, empty desert,” he says. “How to pull blood out of a rock, you know?”

Dreams, whether daydreaming in the van or snoozing after a late set, serve as inspiration and a point of fascination for Baxter. “Just trying to be in fantasy land when I’m writing about something that needs to have some fantasy and beautiful escape to it,” he says.

Oliver John-Rodgers, a fellow Nashvillian, toured with Baxter in January and February, even stopping

by Rose Music Hall. An avid listener of Baxter’s, John-Rodgers found his tour partner to be a gifted musician as well as a confident and knowledgeable leader. “He’s the best big brother in the way that he holds you to a high standard,” John-Rodgers says.

Whatever Baxter is — a singer, a hippie, a songwriter — he’s undoubtedly an artist. “(Music) is an art form in all surrounding aspects,” he says. “What else would it be? An occupation? A pastime? Yeah, yeah, this is my all time. My pastime and my present time.”

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Roots N Blues N so much food

Your official guide to eternal taste bud happiness

Break out your wallet!

Here’s how to tell what you’ll spend where.

Won’t break the bank

$$

($8-12)

Bring on those Hamiltons

$ $ $ ($13-20) A bit of a splurge

Vendor

Description

FYI

BIG DADDY'S BBQ

Pulled-pork sandwiches, nachos, turkey legs, ribs and brisket

Comes with a side of coleslaw, potato salad or baked beans

Ribs, pulled-pork, brisket and chicken sandwiches

Smokes pork for half a day

Chicken and pulled-pork sandwiches

Breadless sandwich bowls available

Burgers, steak and brisket sandwiches, brats and beef jerky

Serves all-natural, local beef

Ribs, pulled-pork, brisket and chicken sandwiches

Has a mix-and-match sauce bar

Ribs, pulled-pork, brisket, chicken and turkey sandwiches

Smaller portions for children available

Sweet and salty kettle korn

You’ll never want to eat microwaved popcorn again

Corndogs, hotdogs, burgers, nachos, funnel cakes and frozen lemonade

Uses only fresh ingredients

Funnel cakes

Comes with free fruit toppings

Freshly squeezed lemonade

Choose extra flavors like lime, cherry or blue raspberry

WILSON’S GARDEN CENTER AND GIFT SHOP

Fresh fruit options, including juices and fruit kabobs

Almost all of its produce comes from local farmers

JAMAICAN JERK HUT

Jamaican-style food

Vegetarian options available

Joplin // 2nd year // $ – $$

Chinese meals and appetizers, bubble tea

Can adjust the amount of spiciness

LILLY'S CANTINA

Midwest-Baja fusion

Uses homemade flour or corn tortillas

Gourmet American fusion

Offers surf-and-turf tacos

Mediterranean-style meals

Serves pasture-raised Missouri lamb

Columbia // 3rd year // $$

BBQ Lover

$ ($1-7)

DICKEY'S BARBECUE PIT Columbia // 3rd year // $$ – $$$

GRILL-A-BROTHERS Columbia // 2nd year // $$

MISSOURI LEGACY BEEF Salisbury // 9th year // $$

SMOKIN’ CHICKS BBQ Columbia // 10th year // $$ ­– $$$

SUGARFIRE SMOKE HOUSE St. Louis // 2nd year // $$ – $$$

D. DEE’S KETTLE KORN CO. Rocheport // 10th year // $

Carnival Craving

KINDLE CONCESSIONS Sedalia // 5th year // $ – $$

RORO'S FUNNEL CAKES Branson // 3rd year // $

RORO’S LEMONADE Branson // 3rd year // $

Columbia // 3rd year // $

International Finds

Columbia // 10th year // $$

LEE’S EXPRESS

Columbia // 2nd year // $$

NOT’CHO ORDINARY TACO Bolivar // 1st year // $ – $$

TIVANOV CATERING St. Louis // 2nd year // $$

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BY ALEX EDWARDS & KARLEE RENKOSKI

PHOTOS COURTESY OF DANIEL THORNE, KELSEY DEAN, BRYAN MANESS

Lyla’s Catering Company’s Chicken Bacon Ranch Wrap: For a lighter dish with a kick of flavor, stop by Lyla’s. This plate comes with a bed of romaine lettuce, mozzarella cheese, bacon and grilled chicken rolled up tightly in a spinach tortilla with a creamy ranch dressing, which is made from scratch.

Ozark Mountain Biscuit Co.’s Boss Hog: Seek out the Biscuit Truck’s Boss Hog if you’re craving down-home cooking. This open-faced biscuit is loaded with collard greens, pulled pork, sawmill gravy, “Arkansauce,” fried onions and an overeasy fried egg.

Grill-A-Brothers’ Fried PB&J: If you (or your kids) love peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, you’ll be amazed by this decadent treat. The sandwiches are cut into quarters, dipped in pancake batter and fried until they puff up like a doughnut.

BROADWAY BREWERY

A variety of ales

Uses organic honey from Bonne Femme Farm for their honey wheat beer

Old-fashioned, homemade root beer

Contains little carbonated water and no preservatives

Late night pick-me-ups

Serves cookies and pastries in addition to refreshments

GIOFRE APIARIES & HONEY ICE CREAM

Homemade ice cream

Served in 8-ounce cups

HAROLD’S DOUGHNUTS

Doughnuts

Producing hot, cinnamon sugar-coated, mini cake doughnuts on-site

3-inch tarts and 5-inch pies

Combines just four ingredients to make the popular crust; flavors include Dutch Apple, Blueberry, Chocolate Bourbon Pecan

New Orleans and Southern comfort foods

Look for grab-and-go options

Hallsville // 2nd year // $$

Hidden healthful items and mouthwatering wraps

Has a gluten-free station and vegetarian/ vegan options

OZARK MOUNTAIN BISCUIT CO.

Biscuit sandwiches

Features a menu specifically crafted for festivals

SWANNY’S KITCHEN

Soul food and jumbo tenderloins

Seasoned and fried catfish and secret recipe for baked beans

Columbia // 8th year // $

KECK’S ROOT BEER Odessa // 2nd year // $

LAKOTA COFFEE COMPANY Columbia // 3rd year // $

Millersburg // 1st year // $

Columbia // 3rd year // $

PEGGY JEAN’S PIES Columbia // 3rd year // $

GLENN’S CAFE Columbia // 3rd year // $$

LYLA’S CATERING COMPANY

Columbia // 3rd year // $ – $$

Fayette // 1st year // $$

Southern Favorites

FYI

Sweet Tooth

Description

Thirst Quenchers

Vendor

PRO TIPS 7. Stay hydrated the free and eco-friendly way by bringing

a refillable water bottle. Bottles must be brought in empty but can be filled at the filling station on the east end of vendor row next to the Missouri Lottery Stage. Spend that hard-earned cash on some extra BBQ.

8. Stock your wallet with both cash and plastic. Many vendors will take credit cards, but some don’t. When you run out of cash, replenish at one of the five ATM locations.

On Sunday, The Blind Boys of Alabama will play their signature “Amazing Grace.” It is arguably one of the best renditions of the hymn.

BEN FOLDS Sunday, 6:15 p.m.

Great Southern Bank Stage

THE BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA

Ben Folds is in the ring with yMusic, a collaborative six-piece from New York City. Folds officially started his music career in 1994 when he began playing with friends Darren Jessee and Robert Sledge. He went on to form Ben Folds Five and define the “nerd-rock” scene.

Sing us a song, piano man

Ben Folds might not play traditional blues, but he sure can swing BY JENNIFER ALDRICH Roughly two decades ago, Ben Folds Five (with three members, not five) released Whatever and Ever Amen featuring the hit song “Brick,” which opens with Ben Folds playing piano and singing about “6 a.m., the day after Christmas.” The four-and-ahalf minute song follows the story of someone driving a woman to get an abortion.

That someone was him. Folds delivers a range of different feelings. He’ll melt your heart without a proper heads up. His music is filled with both joyous and bleak tales, beautiful memories and ones he’d like to forget.

When The Blue Note intern Jennifer Firestone was 13 years old, she heard the song “Brick” for the first time. “My friend’s dad was driving us somewhere, and he put it on,” Firestone says. “He told me it was ridiculous that I didn’t know this song, so I started listening.” Her fourth Folds show will be at this year’s Roots N Blues N BBQ Festival.

The successful sounds of Folds have been compared by fans to that of Billy Joel and Elton John. Ben Folds Five secured its 1997 release Whatever and Ever Amen a certified gold and platinum record by Recording Industry Association of America.

After a 2000 breakup, Folds embarked on a solo stunt; leading him to his current count of six personal studio albums. The 2015 release, So There, which reached No. 1 on the Billboard Classical album chart, was recorded with yMusic, a collaborative sextet from New York. The creation was previously described on his website as “8 chamber rock songs with yMusic plus his Concerto for Piano and Orchestra with the Nashville Symphony conducted by Giancarlo Guerrero.”

Since he joined the Nashville Symphony as a board member in 2011, Folds’ fervor for philharmonics has proven to be boundless. Carter Gage, a law student attending St. Louis University, says he’s seen Folds perform three times. One of those times was with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, which performed a few of Folds’ originals. “I can’t think of many other current artists who could pull that off,” Gage says.

Firestone describes Folds’ music as “ironic piano rock.” Blues or no blues, Folds’ music does not waver from weaving into multiple genres such as hip-hop just for fun. Thumper Entertainment Owner Richard King says he was reluctant at first to ask Folds to perform because his music is “a little bit of a stretch” for this year’s lineup. But King says he has only heard people are excited to see him perform. “I consider Folds a nice little twist to a blues festival,” he says.

Folds has performed in CoMo before: at Jesse Auditorium in 2006 and 9th Street Summerfest in 2009. Folds’ Roots N Blues debut will close out the festival Sunday at 6:15 p.m. on the Great Southern Bank Stage.

Artist profiles don’t begin and end in print. You can read about Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats (Friday, 9:30 p.m., Missouri Lottery Stage), Houndmouth (Friday, 6:30 p.m., Great Southern Bank Stage) and Blues Traveler (Sunday, 4:30 p.m., Great Southern Bank Stage) at VOXMAGAZINE.COM.

DEEP ROOTS

A gospel group with some grit

Sunday, 2:45 p.m.

Great Southern Bank Stage

BY RACHEL PHILLIPS

With a history that spans seven decades and includes performing at benefits for Martin Luther King Jr. and at the Grammy Awards alongside Kanye West, the Blind Boys of Alabama have proven themselves to be innovative and rooted firmly in tradition.

The group, which started singing together at the Alabama Institute for the Negro Blind in 1939 and performing professionally on June 10, 1944, has put an updated spin on Southern gospel. “These guys are going all the way back to the source of Southern gospel, but they also present it in a modern context,” says Charles Driebe, founder of Blind Ambition Management, which has managed the band since 2000.

Currently, the ensemble features vocalists Jimmy Carter, Eric “Ricky” McKinnie, Ben Moore, Paul Beasley and Joey Williams, who also plays lead guitar. They are accompanied by a bass player, keyboardist and drummer.

Under Driebe’s management, the Blind Boys have gained widespread recognition, winning six Grammy Awards, including a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009. The group has also recorded more adventurous albums, Driebe says. In fact, a 2013 Billboard article hailed the first dozen years of the 21st century as the band’s “most inventive.”

Original member Jimmy Carter, 85, still performs with the group, which Driebe says connects the band to its roots. According to Carter, the ensemble plays an average of 150 to 200 shows per year. When the band began performing, its members faced a segregated South. Carter says God called on them. “No matter how difficult it became, we promised we would never turn back, and we have stuck to that,” he says.

They began in the unaccompanied quartet style, featuring four-part harmonies that were popular at the time, says gospel historian and radio host Robert Marovich.

The Blind Boys gave that style a “church feel” with a preacher-like lead singer, a sound that had developed in the 1940s. Over the years, the group has maintained the traditional style but have updated their musical accompaniment to be more contemporary. “The Blind Boys of Alabama have probably stayed truer to their roots than most quartets,” Marovich says.

The Blind Boys brought their soulful sounds to Roots N Blues in 2007 and 2009.

Since the band’s last Columbia appearance, it has released four albums, incorporating various musical influences — ­­ Duets in late 2009; a country album entitled Take the High Road in 2011; I’ll Find a Way, produced in 2013 by Justin Vernon of Bon Iver; and Talkin’ Christmas, a collaboration with blues musician Taj Mahal in 2014.

No matter what appears on the set list, audiences can expect a unique show that fits the gospel theme the festival has traditionally had on Sunday. “This is a band, a show and a type of music that you don’t see every day, and if you go to the show, you will not leave disappointed because you will be uplifted and entertained at the same time,” Driebe says.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF ALLAN AMATO, SUE SCHRADEN

MUSIC

Hard rock heroes Local bands look to revitalize a niche music scene

BY TYLER SCHNEIDER PHOTO BY ALLISON COLLINS

MORE THAN “JUST METAL” Metal is generally characterized by heavily distorted guitar riffs, loud and aggressive vocals and over-the-top guitar solos.

However, there are many different takes on this formula. Here are some of the most popular metal subgenres.

ALTERNATIVE METAL

Originating from late ‘90s groups, alternative metal includes aspects from many other genres, such as funk. Alt-metal is more experimental in nature and can even be broken up into its own sub-subgenres.

Examples: Korn, Disturbed

THRASH METAL

Thrash takes metal in an even more extreme direction — faster, angrier and louder. Songs can be quite lengthy and usually feature complex guitar solos and heavy drumming.

Examples: Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax, Megadeth

METALCORE

Hard rock band Remora is one group working to adapt to the Columbia scene while staying true to its rock and metal roots.

The band’s latest addition, Riley Martin (not pictured), helps to mesh classic metal with a modern image.

After guitarist Tanner Ragan’s amplifier gave off feedback that resembled a whale noise during a practice session, the Columbia-based hard rock band considered the name “Metal Whale” for its ensuing project.

Although the group ultimately agreed on the name Remora, inspired by a fish known for attaching itself to whales and sharks, Metal Whale wasn’t scrapped altogether. The term now follows the band everywhere it goes — as a song and the name of its equipment van. And even though Remora is fond of its nautical theme, there’s nothing fishy about the classic metal sound.

After the departure of original vocalist Rylie Grove in 2015, Remora was left without a singer for over a year.

During that time, Ragan, along with bassist Matt Tuttle and drummer Ian Pond, shared singing duties. The band’s search for a new voice ended in August when its sound engineer, Loyd Warden, met with Stephens College freshman Riley Martin to give her voice lessons. Warden heard Martin sing and quickly got her in touch with the band. A lifelong rock fan, she signed on without hesitation.

“My soft spot has always been for gothic rock and dark-wave. That mix of the new romanticism and punk ­— kind of a nice blend,” Martin says. “I don’t like fluff.

I like rock.”

But it isn’t easy to be a hard rock or metal band in Columbia these days, and Remora is likely to run into some obstacles along the way.

“As it stands right now, rock music isn’t particularly

in vogue with college students,” says Brent Moore, singer and guitarist for local hard rock band The Many Colored Death. “They’re here for a few years, and usually they’re gone after that. So there’s not a whole lot of motivation to get involved with the local scene.”

To be successful, local bands must find ways to adapt to the Columbia scene. Moore says that different venues will often book rock shows on the same night, dividing an already niche fan base. Sometimes, rock music gets pushed aside altogether in favor of genres that draw bigger crowds.

Still, there are some who believe hard rock and metal are on the upswing.

Local talent buyer and promoter Jason Schrick, founder of JPS Productions, is among those who are optimistic. He has seen an exponential increase in the past six months and says the community must continue to stick together if that trend is to continue. “It’s always important for bands to go support each other at shows because all that does is strengthen the scene,” Schrick says.

SEE IT LIVE

Venues around town that host hard rock and metal shows include The Blue Note, thebluenote.com Peste de Merde, too elusive to be online Rose Music Hall, rosemusichall.com

More recently, bands have combined aspects of metal and hardcore punk to create metalcore.

A more aggressive form of emo, metalcore shifts between melodic and head-splitting guitar riffs.

Examples: Avenged Sevenfold, Bullet For My Valentine, All That Remains

Schrick’s advice is particularly relevant for bands such as Remora that are looking to break the mold and attract fans. Its sound evokes ’70s rock titans such as Black Sabbath, also the band’s chief influence. And with the addition of a female vocalist, Remora’s biggest strength lies in its ability to blend its hard rock origins with a more modern image.

“They like the juxtaposition of feminine sensitivity with that kind of power,” Martin says of her bandmates.

“We like to joke that we’re pumping some estrogen into the metal whale.”

With its lineup complete, Remora has its sights set on recording its first album and integrating Martin into the creative process. Remora’s upcoming record will be a big factor in attracting new fans, and the ideas are flowing.

Remora is recording its new album “almost exactly like they would’ve done in the ’60s or ’70s,” Tuttle says.

Essentially, this means they are recording a live album with very few dubs and a lack of metronome.

If the hard rock and metal scene in Columbia is to keep growing, new bands like Remora must play their part by selling tickets and creating interest in the community. Although there’s a long road ahead, Remora doesn’t plan on retiring the metal whale any time soon.

“It’s a running joke, but it’s also kind of a serious thing,” Tuttle says. “It came from a joke, but we’ve kind of turned it into a mascot.”

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ARTS & BOOKS

Chapters in history The conservation work of Jim Downey has extended the lives of hundreds of pages

BY DANIEL CHRISTIAN

J

PHOTO BY ASA LORY

im Downey pulls out two sheets of paper with Latin words pressed into them, the font quintessentially medieval.

“I could show you some paper that’s 500 years old that looks like it’s from last week,” he says as he places the sheets on his working table. He can’t recall the pages’ exact ages but finally finds his marker: The first is from 1523; the second, 1483. He doesn’t know what the words read or where the papers come from, but they feel surprisingly firm.

Downey explains that they look so crisp because paper used to be made from linen with water-powered hammers through a gentle process. Sometime around the Civil War, people started making paper from trees — a process that leaves a lot of residual acid and gives paper a shorter shelf life. That’s part of the reason many of the pieces Downey works on as a book conservator come from the mid-1800s.

“A lot of the stuff working for private individuals in this part of the country tends to be from the Civil War era,” he says. “That’s when folks have things from their family. That usually – JIM DOWNEY requires more work. I have to do more cleaning and de-acidification.”

While working on a master’s degree in English literature at the University of Iowa, Downey stumbled upon Windhover Press, a school-sponsored fine letter press. He was going to turn in a form to his department but walked next door — into the Windhover Press — and inquired about all the interesting equipment. It wasn’t long before he left the program and began the five-year training as a book conservator.

Downey has run his own preservation company, Legacy Bookbindery, since 1992 when it occupied the space downtown next to Heidelberg. He moved the shop in 1996 to open an art gallery on Broadway, where Slackers is now. At the time, it was the largest art gallery in the state of Missouri and over its eight-year existence represented the work of about 300 artists. He closed the gallery in 2004 to help look after his mother-in-law, who had Alzheimer’s disease, and moved his business in-house.

“We moved my shop into this space,” he says, gesturing to the room filled with book-making equipment, “so that I could work and be there to take care of her. I just like the peace and quiet of being here in my own space.”

He works mostly for private collectors, but he’s also done projects for MU and the Missouri State Archives, among many others. He’s worked on pages of a Gutenberg Bible and 1936 Nazi propaganda. His most recent favorite project was working on the First Baptist Church of Columbia’s original record book from 1823. The job, though, hasn’t changed much over the decades.

“A lot of what I do is very typical of what a book-

I VERY MUCH FEEL LIKE I’M A LINK IN A CHAIN; I’M VERY MUCH PART OF THIS THING’S HISTORY.

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Jim Downey has worked as a book conservator for more than 20 years. His work can preserve pages for three centuries if they are stored properly. Although he has worked on 6th century documents, most of his projects are from the Civil War era.

binder would have done in the 1500s,” he says. But it still remains important. It keeps history alive.

Downey says the work he does can preserve a page’s condition, if stored properly, for another 300 years.

“I very much feel like I’m a link in a chain; I’m very much part of this thing’s history,” he says, pointing to a beat-up copy of Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice from 1916. “I fully expect that anything I work on will be worked on again at some point in the future.”

The copy of The Merchant of Venice was translated into Thai by the then-king of Siam. Its color is rich mahogany, but the cover has been partially mutilated — it looks as if someone dragged fingernails along its surface and ripped off strips of leather, exposing a thin, discolored layer of hot pink. Some spots have been more damaged, and the structural cardboard is visible.

Downey won’t use more leather to make it whole again because it could damage the appearance — too much moisture underneath the cover could make the leather look burnt; instead, he’ll repair the book with Japanese tissue paper called kozo. Soon, it will be restored.

HERE’S HOW DOWNEY WOULD PRESERVE A TYPICAL MID-1800s DOCUMENT: ASSESS if the piece needs to be de-acidified or flattened. To de-acidify, he uses a spray to neutralize residual acid; to flatten, he places pieces in a humidity chamber to loosen fibers and then sets them under weights.

REPAIR any structural damage using Japanese tissue paper called kozo and wheat paste.

CLEAN the page to repair surface flaws, such as water damage. Depending on the fragility of the piece, he might wash it to remove the water spots. He also uses a whiteboard eraser to rectify surface marks.

STORE a finished piece in a Mylar envelope so clients may handle it.

Rockabilly legend DEKE DICKERSON comes home for Roots N Blues N BBQ Festival

B

orn and raised in Columbia, Deke Dickerson has come a long way from his first garage rock band, The Untamed Youth, as a teenager at Rock Bridge High School. Dickerson has played three Roots N Blues N BBQ Festivals, including the first in 2007, and is back to perform this year.

Now, he’s a roots music legend living in Los Angeles who has traveled the world, written two books and created his own signature guitar with Hallmark Guitars.

In addition to his primary band, Deke Dickerson and the Ecco-Fonics, Dickerson has provided music for movies, TV shows and even rides at Disneyland. His popular songs include “West Virginia White Boy,” “My Baby Don’t Love Me Anymore” and “Little Innocent.”

He also writes a regular column in Guitar Player magazine.

Steven Mace, Dickerson’s step-brother and old band buddy from The Untamed Youth, is playing the bass for Dickerson at the festival this year. Mace says there’s never a dull moment with Dickerson, and he’s excited to perform with him again.

“The guy does what he believes in and wants to do his very best work,” Mace says. “That’s why it’s so great to work with him. He’s the real deal.”

Vox interviewed Dickerson via email to learn more about the roots of his successful music career.

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What would you consider ”roots music?”

It means a lot of things to different people. I think that, in general, it means the roots of today’s music, and even though it may sound odd to say, you can take the music of Miley Cyrus or Beyonce or Justin Bieber or Avenged Sevenfold, and you can peel back the layers and go back to the roots and trace the lineage back 100 years. The music that I love the most is the music from the mid-century period — country, blues, rockabilly, rock ‘n’ roll. Those are my ‘roots’ in the music I play.

How did you get into roots music?

Columbia had an amazing live music scene when I was coming of age. Richard King and Phil Costello over at The Blue Note brought in so many great acts.

It was like a free education in musical greatness.

When I was 13 and just discovering blues, I found out that blues songwriter-singer-bassist Willie Dixon was coming to The Blue Note. Somehow my dad talked Richard and Phil into letting me in the show if I didn’t drink. From then, I was at The Blue Note several times a week. Blues, punk rock, alternative music, soul — I saw so much life-changing music at that place. And by the time I got to be 15, I was playing in my first band, and I kept bugging Phil and Richard until they let my band open.

How have you seen the roots genre evolve over the years?

It’s interesting because, to me, things like vintage rockabilly and country and surf and ‘50s rock and roll were always vital, important parts of America’s musical history. But in the ‘80s, it was still considered nostalgic, and a lot of that music wasn’t taken seriously. It’s taken the passing of a couple more decades for the powers that be to accept those types of music as important and not just goofy or nostalgic.

What advice would you give to people looking to make their way in the music industry?

You’ve always got to find something unique, something original. Unfortunately, the way the music business works, when somebody has success, there are always thousands of people who just copy the successful artist. Nobody ever remembers these copycats. People remember originality. If you come up with your own niche, you can also have a long career like I have.

— KARLEE RENKOSKI PHOTO BY SUSIE DELANEY

THE TO-DO LIST

this week in Columbia

ARTS & CULTURE

CIVIC

Venture Out Happy Hour at The Tower

Lest We Forget: Lynching at the Stewart Road Bridge

Head to Venture Out for a high-ropes climb event for all ages and experience levels.

Wear closed-toe shoes, bring a water bottle and feel free to pack some snacks. Tonight, 4–7 p.m., Venture Out, $5, free for children ages 6-12, 884-1764

Fall Festival and Chili Supper

Grab a bowl of chili and help a local elementary school purchase new equipment for their students while you’re at it. Midway Heights’ PTA shows its dedication to improving the students’ opportunities in school with carnival games, raffles and chili, of course. Saturday, 4–8 p.m., Midway Heights Elementary School, $5, 864-5077

STAGE Death of a Salesman

Arthur Miller’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Death of a Salesman is one of the great American plays of the 20th century. With great emotion, the conflict of father versus son and the distortion of the American dream into a quest for materialistic success. The problems Miller saw in the 20th century are still playing out on stage. Thursday–Saturday, 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, 2 p.m., Rhynsburger Theatre, $15, concertseries.org

Join the Association of Black Graduate and Professional Students for the unveiling of a historical marker commemorating James T. Scott, a former MU janitor who was lynched. The unveiling will take place at 5 p.m., and a dedication and reception will follow at 6 p.m. in the Leadership Auditorium on the second floor of Memorial Union. Friday, 5 p.m., Stewart Road Bridge, Free, 882-1989

Show-Me State Games Pumpkin Fun Run

It’s time for young students to lace up their running shoes. All students K-5 who attend schools in Boone County can participate in the 1.4-mile fun run. The three schools with the highest participation will win $500 for their school’s physical education program. Saturday, 9–11:30 a.m., A. Perry Phillips Park,free, parents and teachers; $10, students, 882-2101

MUSIC Cover Collide! with Vintage Pistol and Project

Hear covers of rock staples The Black Keys and The White Stripes, along with some original tunes by Vintage Pistol and Project.

Tonight, 8 p.m., The Social Room, $5, 397-6442

KOPN 89.5fm...Where Else?

Monday thru Friday National Programming Line-up...

Democracy Now! with Amy Goodman 8-9am and Noon-1pm

The Diane Rehm Show 9-11am

Expect a laid-back indie rock set. Chicago’s The Glass Eyes draw inspiration from Neil Young. Check out the band’s latest album, Real Spread, on Bandcamp before its upcoming show. Tonight, 9 p.m., Cafe Berlin, Free, 441-0400

Life, Animated

This moving documentary follows the life of Owen Suskind, a man with autism who learned to communicate through Disney movies. Life, Animated screened at last year’s True/False Film Fest.

RT RUNTIME = 1:29

Hippie Sabotage

Brothers Kevin and Jeff Saurer make up this EDM DJ duo from California. The two started gaining worldwide attention two years ago after Ellie Goulding posted their remix of “Habits (Stay High)” by Tove Lo on Instagram. Tonight, 9 p.m., The Blue Note, $15 in advance; $18 day of, 874-1944

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children

In this adaptation of the 2011 novel, a boy named Jake follows clues that lead him to a spooky Welsh orphanage for “gifted” children. F, R RUNTIME = 2:07

Still playing

Tok with Saint Gnome, Campdoggz and Jowlz

Rock and roll with this three-piece band from St. Louis. Tok was named St. Louis’ “Best Rock Band of 2013” by The Riverfront Times. Friday, 9 p.m., Cafe Berlin, $5, 441-0400

SPORTS Football Watch Party

If LSU is too far to drive to support the Missouri Tigers, The Shack is hosting a football watch party so you can see all the action on the big screen. Come indulge in pizza, soda, giveaways and a ton of school spirit. Saturday, 6:30 p.m., The Shack, MU Student Center, Free, 882-6310

The Beatles: Eight Days a Week ­— The Touring Years (NR) RT Blair Witch (R) F, R Bridget Jones’s Baby (R) F, R Deepwater Horizon (PG-13) F, R Don’t Breathe (R) R Hell or High Water (R) RT Kubo and the Two Strings (PG) R The Magnificent Seven (PG-13) R Masterminds (PG-13) F, R The Peanuts Movie (G) F Snowden (R) F, R Storks (G) F, R Suicide Squad (PG-13) R Sully (PG-13) F, R

Theaters F = Forum R = Regal

RT = Ragtag = Available in 3-D

Corpse! is not so much a whodunnit as a whodunnit to whom!

by Gerald Moon

“Corpse!” is presented by special arrangement with SAMUEL FRENCH, INC.

NOVEMBER: 3-6

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10-13

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Adults Students Seniors

Fresh Air with Terry Gross 11am-Noon On your radio dial at 89.5 fm or live streaming at kopn.org

SCREEN

The Glass Eyes with Amateur and Ripped Genes

17-20 | 2016

12 10 $ 10 $ $

1800 Nelwood Drive; Columbia, MO 573.474.3699 www.cectheatre.org This season brought to you by:

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