Jeff Gosey has an idea what Fort Smith area music fans want. They want a little bit of everything -- jam bands, gospel, rock and more.
"The diversity of the music is important. We think we pulled it off," says Gosey, the founder of the brand new Peacemaker Music and Arts Festival, which kicks off tonight in Fort Smith's Riverfront Amphitheater.
Schedule of Events
All shows take place at the Riverfront Amphitheater in Harry E. Kelley Park near downtown Fort Smith
Today
4 p.m. — Gates open
5 p.m. — Tyrannosaurus Chicken
5:50 p.m. — The Paul Benjamin Band with Jesse Aycock
7 p.m. — The Cate Brothers Band
8:20 p.m. — Lucero
10 p.m. — Jason Isbell
Saturday
2 p.m. — Gates open
3 p.m. — Luke Pruitt
3:50 p.m. — Isayah’s Allstars
5 p.m. — Brownout presents Brown Sabbath
6:10 p.m. — Red Wanting Blue
7:20 p.m. — Anders Osborne
8:30 p.m. — Corey Smith
10 p.m. — Chris Robinson Brotherhood
Sunday
11 a.m. — Gates open
Noon — Shadygruve
1:10 p.m. — The Boxcars
2:30 p.m. — Sleepy Man
WHEN — Today through Sunday
WHERE — Riverfront Park, Fort Smith
COST — $20 per day or $30 for a three-day pass
INFO — peacemakerfest.com
And apparently, the River Valley wanted a music festival, too.
Gosey, president of a plastics-making firm in Fort Smith, pitched the idea of a music festival on Facebook. Interest came in droves, and within a few weeks, a group of a dozen local residents had formed a board of directors to "kick the tires" on the idea, Gosey said. Planning started in October and November, and offers for artists were submitted in February and March. The name was one of the most difficult element, Gosey says. The board drifted between ideas before selecting Peacemaker. The name is a nod to Fort Smith's history as a Wild West town -- "peacemaker" is a nickname for the Colt Single Action Army revolver -- and the idyllic festival atmosphere, which promotes peace, love and music.
Headliners include Jason Isbell, who performs tonight, and the Chris Robinson Brotherhood on Saturday. Isbell, a songwriter and guitarist from Alabama, just released the album "Something More than Free" on July 17. It debuted as the best-selling album on the country, rock, folk and and indie charts, and in the Top 10 overall. Isbell and his band will be joined by Memphis, Tenn.-based country punk act Lucero and local blues and soul rockers The Cate Brothers Band, among others. Saturday's headliners, psychedelic rockers the Chris Robinson Brotherhood, are fronted by Chris Robinson, the former lead singer of The Black Crowes. Other Saturday acts include songwriter Corey Smith and Brownout presents Brown Sabbath, a Latin funk band covering the songs of metal icons Black Sabbath.
The idea of the festival comes from a desire to create something special in Fort Smith, says Gosey, who had previously dabbled in local music promotion but never attempted anything on this level.
"We're just trying to do something for the city," Gosey says. And do something for a few charities as well. The nonprofit festival will donate to Girls Inc., the Children's Emergency Center and Developmental Wings, all in Fort Smith, provided a profit is made in the festival's first year. Indeed, success is "getting to write a check to those three charities," Gosey says.
The event includes festival staples such as visual artists and vendors. There will also be hula hooping and yoga sessions offered through the duration of the event. Food comes courtesy of local vendors and food trucks, and a selection of both alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages will be available for sale during the festival. Patrons are allowed to bring lawn chairs or blankets, but no outside food or drink.
Fort Smith's Riverfront Park, the host venue for the festival, maxes out at about 10,000 patrons, but Peacemaker officials have elected to cap ticket sales at 8,000 to provide patrons some space, Gosey says. He hopes first-year attendance approaches that mark, saying ticket sales have been particularly encouraging the past two weeks.
NAN What's Up on 07/31/2015