Music, Music And More Music

Big names sell out AMP shows, introduce hot new openers

Academy Award-nominated actress and singer of “Love Myself” and “Starving,” Hailee Steinfeld joins Meghan Trainor on her “Untouchable” Tour, stopping at the Walmart AMP on Tuesday.
Academy Award-nominated actress and singer of “Love Myself” and “Starving,” Hailee Steinfeld joins Meghan Trainor on her “Untouchable” Tour, stopping at the Walmart AMP on Tuesday.

If you aren't familiar with Hailee Steinfeld yet, you might be living under a pop-culture rock. Besides the fact she's already been acting for nine years (including lead roles in the "True Grit" and "Romeo and Juliet" remakes), Steinfeld rocketed onto the scene last year when she showed off her pipes in "Pitch Perfect 2," became a regular member of Taylor Swift's ever growing "squad" and released her debut EP "Haiz."

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Courtesy Photo

Nathan Cochran, bassist for MercyMe, second from right, proudly says he has five children — boy, girl, boy, girl, boy — ages 14, 11, almost 8, 3 and 7 months. “I tell people we have five because we do not want six,” he jokes.

"It's two completely different ways of expressing yourself," she says by phone from Albuquerque, N.M., on a rare day off. "With music, there's more sort of an immediate reaction to things you do and choices you make. With acting, I can express myself through the look and the life of someone else."

FAQ

Meghan Trainor’s ‘Untouchable’ Tour with Hailee Steinfeld

WHEN — 7 p.m. Tuesday

WHERE — Walmart AMP, Rogers

COST — Sold Out

INFO — haileesteinfeldoffi…

FAQ

TwentyOne Pilot’s ‘Emotional Roadshow’ Tour with Mutemath

WHEN — 7 p.m. Wednesday

WHERE — Walmart AMP, Rogers

COST — Sold Out

INFO — mutemath.com

Steinfeld is in the middle of touring with female-empowerment icon Meghan Trainor as the opening act for her "Untouchable" tour. The tour started July 14, around the same time the trailer for Steinfeld's upcoming film "The Edge of Seventeen" was also released.

"For this film, I play someone trying to make it through not just school, but just their teenage years, as am I," says the 19-year-old. "I was home-schooled and a lot of people say, 'Oh, you skipped right through all that drama.' But I didn't. I dealt with my own things, and it's nice to have those outlets to express some of those things that I've been through. I'm honored to be a part of telling [this story]."

The film -- due out in late September -- sees Steinfeld opposite industry veterans Woody Harrelson and Kyra Sedgwick. Young professional that she is, pairing up with big names is something she's been doing since she was 13, and her budding music career only creates more opportunities for collaborations with other rising names in pop.

"We shot the film in the beginning of October last year. Interestingly enough, I was spending so much of my time in the recording studio. The EP was released during the making of 'Edge of Seventeen.' That was my first time doing both [music and film]," Steinfeld says. With filming on "Pitch Perfect 3" set to begin soon, and Steinfeld ready to produce more music -- "I'm always writing, always thinking of new material" -- she's likely to see more overlap in the coming year. Only two weeks ago, her most recent single "Starving" -- with artists Grey and Zedd -- became her first new release since "Haiz" introduced her to the pop scene in November of last year.

"When you play [a song] that people know and sing along to and then follow with a new one, it's always nerve-racking when you introduce people to something new," Steinfeld says of playing "Starving" on tour. "I'm really excited for the show [at the AMP] and hopefully people will know the words but if not, I'm really excited to play it for them. It's been really cool introducing people to [the new song] night after night."

With plenty to keep her busy, Steinfeld cherishes her off days. When there isn't down time or she's splitting her efforts between projects though, it's her loved ones who keep her going.

"My mama," she says in a jokingly firm voice when asked what keeps her sane. Laughing, she adds, "My dad. My friends. Things are going on at home, and it feels like another thing you're missing out on. Catching up with friends always keeps me sane."

On tour, Steinfeld feels her pairing with "All About That Bass" singer Meghan Trainor is a perfect match. Trainor's attitude of self-love and self-confidence is demonstrated again in her new album with songs like "NO," "I Love Me" and "Me Too." In a show guaranteed to be full of women's voices -- onstage and off -- Steinfeld says she feels privileged to be heard.

"Having released 'Love Myself' as my first single, it was not only a message I wanted to give my fans, it was also a message I needed to hear myself," she says. "Having it as a reminder for the message that we so easily forget: 'You are you, and you are so confident in that.' Speaking to Meghan and her message for her fans, that's definitely something we have in common. But it's not something I or [even her] have figured out. We constantly need to be reminded, too."

FAQ

Meghan Trainor's

'Untouchable' Tour

With Hailee Steinfeld

WHEN -- 7 p.m. Tuesday

WHERE -- Walmart AMP in Rogers

COST -- Sold out

INFO -- haileesteinfeldofficial.com

MercyMe

"There's an old saying that the only real difference in Christian music is the content of the lyrics -- that's the only thing that sets it apart," says Nathan Cochran, bassist for MercyMe. But for Cochran and his bandmates, who perform Saturday at the AMP, faith goes beyond words. That's what helps him through hard times, whether personal or national.

"For me, if I'm going to say I have faith in something, what's it actually in? A system? A tradition?" he muses. "For me, my faith is in the person of Jesus Christ. A lot of people kind of like the idea of Christianity, but they don't really know who Jesus is, what he has to say. Knowing who Christ is, what he has to say, gives me a reason for hope, for faith. Whatever is happening in the world around me or in my own life, there's a reason for hope.

"We're a band -- we're not pastors," Cochran says of MercyMe's music. "We could be writing about anything we want. This is what we choose to write about. We've always written from life experience, not tried to manufacture anything."

Cochran says "I Can Only Imagine," arguably the band's most popular song, was written out of vocalist Bart Millard's experience with his father passing away.

"Whether we intentionally decided a long time ago, or whether it just came naturally, I'm not sure, but if we can write a song that helps give people hope or helps them through a tough time, that's what we want to do," he says. "It seems like we do have some songs that people have really taken ownership of."

As for having "a Batphone to God," "it just doesn't work that way," he adds, chuckling. "We don't hide the fact that what we do is a form of entertainment. We're selling tickets! But we want to take it seriously that there are people coming to listen to us for the purpose of finding some comfort, some answers."

FAQ

MercyMe

WHEN -- Gates at 6 p.m.; music at 7:30 p.m. Saturday

WHERE -- Arkansas Music Pavilion in Rogers

COST -- $31-$55.50

INFO -- 443-5600 or arkansasmusicpavilion.com

-- Becca Martin-Brown

[email protected]

Mutemath

In a busy month for the AMP, Wednesday will see the venue's second sold-out show of the week. TwentyOne Pilots will make a stop in Rogers with their "Emotional Roadshow" Tour, joined by alternative rock group Mutemath.

"We've done a couple opening tours for audiences this size, but never for audiences as attentive and excited and insane as these crowds. We're honored to be touring with [TwentyOne Pilots]," says Darren King, Mutemath's drummer. "We've had really wonderful reception. Whenever you're touring for a lot of people who've never heard of you before, hearing the song isn't enough. You have to deliver it in a way that is really engaging. You have to give the crowd something to respond to."

The band is touring in support of the fourth studio album, "Vitals," which melds elements of dance and ambient pop music with their traditional sound. The band formed in 2003 with a long-distance musical partnership when King was based in Springfield, Mo.

"I have a lot of fond memories of Arkansas. Especially after I joined the band -- driving those windy roads from Springfield to New Orleans," King says. The band is also no stranger to area festivals like Wakarusa and Riverfest in Little Rock. "Arkansas is beautiful and underrated. All my family is going to come down so it'll be like a hometown show for me."

FAQ

TwentyOne Pilot's

'Emotional Roadshow' Tour

With Mutemath

WHEN -- 7 p.m. Wednesday

WHERE -- Walmart AMP in Rogers

COST -- Sold out

INFO -- mutemath.com

-- Jocelyn Murphy

[email protected]

NAN What's Up on 07/29/2016

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