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The annual Freedom Fest on the Lake stood in stark contrast with all prior versions of the event, nearly to the point of being a non-event. Day time activities were limited to a couple of vendors showcasing products, a bouncy house by the Arkansas National Guard and four or five food vendors overcharging. Cardboard boat races, which had taken center stage for the last several years, failed to make an appearance due to lack of support. That probably should have been left for the end of the month anyway, rather than trying to combine it with the fourth of July. Participation had declined significantly since combining it with Freedom Fest. A hot day at the beach on Saturday ended with music from local area talent Sophie and the New Relics , playing their hearts out to a good crowd gathered on the asphalt, as well as the masses littering the beach and soaking in the lake. The whole affair culminated with the usual massive display of fireworks li

32nd world championship cardboard boat races

by jusTodd July 28, 2018

While visiting the great state of Arkansas, we had the opportunity to check out this event, which had been elusive for several years. The endurance of some of these hand manufactured boats was quite surprising, and amusing at times. Apparently, the theme of the year was Star Wars, and there were quite a variety of flotation constructions about the landscape of Sandy Beach. All of the contraptions endured the warm waters quite well, and really did not take on any water. It was quite surprising, considering the construction materials permitted. A few, while water tight, contained a few minor design flaws that caused disintegration under pressure. One almost fell apart at the starting line, and eventually did, prior to the finish line. It was quite a lot of fun though, and a full house on the beach in spite of threatening rain. We look forward to getting back to it again. view more photos from this event or add your own to the mix

a five foot powerhouse

by phocas October 01, 2006

Stacey East ~ Interview with Heather Heart ~ Heather Heart and I sat down for coffee. It was almost 4:20 and we began the interview. I was looking at a publisher, DJ, record store owner, label owner, producer, and mom. This small dynamo created the first static global forum for the underground to meet, through the only underground manual "UnderOneSky" or "UOS." "I put my entire being into the music to educate and give voice. Publishing grainy interviews from Underground Resistance to letters from Moby, UOS was the only "zine" of its kind. There was always some rage, people were very candid with me and I printed a lot of controversial letters. Record labels, DJ's and fans alike would battle on the pages of UOS. All the important record stores in England, Germany, Austria, Finland, Sweden, Holland, to name some, sold copies. The world was behind my effort. I mean this was when the scene first blossomed, just before all the politics came into

life gets real for arena artists

by jusTodd June 04, 2024

image borrowed under Creative Commons from The Concept of “Resource” Traveling down the road this morning, tuned in to "Morning Edition" on the local National Public Radio station KCUR, a brief story unfolded about failing concert ticket sales across the nation. It seems that just in the last few days The Black Keys and Jennifer Lopez have cancelled tours citing other reasons, in spite of data indicating pre-sales for their concerts were not living up to expectations. It is an interesting little tale that identifies the cause at a high level. The cost of tickets to some of our favorite shows has become completely unrealistic. Fans are backing away from the extreme expense of enjoying their favorite artists. In 2023, an article in People magazine marked the average price of concert ticket at $252. Add to that parking, dinner, drinks, memorabilia, and all t

running through color

by jusTodd April 12, 2024

A couple of folks from our crew participated in a run out at a local elementary school. The entire schools showed for this one, lined up and ready to be splashed with some colored powder or another. The more they ran the more colorful they became. Beats all around set a festive tone for everyone. Those of us participating chilled on the playground after a few laps, then joined back in for another lap or two to close out the day. Free drinks and snacks refreshed those otherwise banned from enjoying the ice cream truck.

way back with tlc in kc

by jusTodd November 17, 2018

We caught up with these girls back in the 90s, after the release of their second album "Crazy Sexy Cool." They were a little different than the regular variety and showed some promise. There was so much good music coming out during that time though, we kind of lost track. Offered a pair of free tickets to their show on Saturday, we jumped at the chance for a little flashback fun. It was a good show too, with performances of all of their top tracks from way back then, peppered with a few others from their latest release. The girls voices were as good as ever, along with the voice of Lisa Lopes aka Left Eye dubbed in spirit on all the necessary tracks. It was about an hour long show, with back to back tracks, and a sprinkling of commentary from the performers. Ending the show, they came to the corners of the stage and signed autographs for anyone and everyone that came up. Just about everyone at the show must have left with their signatures.

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