The hills might be chilly, but music will warm the historic rooms of the Basin Park Hotel Jan. 19-22 as the annual Ozark Mountain Music Festival returns to Eureka Springs for four days of fun.
A mixture of local and national musicians will share stages in the hotel's cave and atrium room in addition to the main stage in the Barefoot Ballroom. There will also be after-hours shows throughout downtown Eureka Springs. For those who can't spend the entire four days, there's a locals' night Jan. 19, and for daytime audiences, the Eagle Rock Gospel Singers share their mix of sacred and secular songs at noon Jan. 22 in the Barefoot Ballroom. Patti Steel, an award-winning multi-instrumentalist singer and songwriter from Northwest Arkansas, is this year's artist-at-large. She will be playing as part of a duo. Other locals include Ashtyn Barbaree, Front Porch, Eureka Strings, Danny Spain Gang and "Icky" Ichniowski.
Lindsay Lou, headliner for the OzMoMu Festival, is the daughter of a coal miner and the granddaughter of a Rainbow Gathering healer. The Nashville-based headliner was all set to be a doctor but, her first love of singing won out in the end. Coming from a large musical family, "my mother was one of 12 and I've got upwards of 90 cousins at his point" she says. There was always a family jam.
"There were various phases of family bands throughout time," she says of her early years as a musician. "I got exposed to the special thing that is playing music with other people and singing with other people. My mom always sang to me, so it was just part of my surroundings growing up.
"My trajectory really started, though, when I started playing with a band called Flat Bellies in Michigan when I was in college. We started touring all over -- all over the world, really. I made some records with them, and I have some records with the Sweetwater Warblers, which is another outfit that started in Michigan. I've been just making records for the last 10 years or more."
Lou says that she came up alongside guitar prodigy Billy Strings in Michigan too. The two recorded a stripped-down version of "Freedom," the final track of his 2019 album, "Home."
"It really has that sort of singing-in-the-kitchen feeling to it. And he also played on a couple of tracks on a record that I'm going to release this coming year," she adds. "Billy is a longtime friend."
In addition to the new album, Lou says that she's finding a healthy life-work schedule.
"I think I found a good balance of home time and tour time. The pandemic helped me put the brakes on for a second -- so you could step back and see what's important and what's healthy," she says. "Since things have picked up again, I've been busy, but not like I used to be. I used to just be spinning my wheels more than I needed to. Now I'm playing just the right amount, and I'm home just the right amount."
For OzMoMu, the multi-instrumentalist says that she doesn't know yet if she'll jump into any jam sessions.
"I'll be joined by my bandmates Anthony to Costa and Alex Bice. We've been playing together for a while, and they've played on my last record, so that'll be a trio. I've started playing bass in my shows more often now. So this will be Lindsay Lou featured on electric bass, and Anthony will be on electric guitar (and he might play some acoustic as well), and Alex Bice on drums."
Keep up with Lindsay Lou at lindsayloumusic.com. Get more information on Ozark Mountain Music Festival at ozarkmountainmusicfestival.com.
Lindsay Lou will headline the Ozark Mountain Music Festival Jan. 19-22 at the Basin Park Hotel in Eureka Springs. Now living in Nashville, Tenn., Lou is a renowned singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Michigan, known for her soulful vocals and intricate musicianship. She performs with her band at 10 p.m. Jan. 20 in the Barefoot Ballroom. (Courtesy Photo/Kirk Barnett)
“The Eagle Rock Gospel Singers consciously toe the line between the sacred and secular. It’s a rewarding combination. Whether you’re a believer or not, these songs will touch all of the sacred places in your heart,” according to No Depression. The Eagle Rock Gospel Singers perform at noon Jan. 22 in the Barefoot Ballroom at the Basin Park Hotel. (Courtesy Photo)
Those who missed The Mighty Pines with Arkansauce at George's Majestic Lounge in Fayetteville over New Year's weekend will have another chance to see the St. Louis-based roots band Jan. 19-22 at the Ozark Mountain Music Festival at the Basin Park Hotel in Eureka Springs. They play at 8 p.m. Jan. 21 in the Barefoot Ballroom. (Courtesy Photo)
Local singer/songwriter Ashtyn Barbaree will perform during the Ozark Mountain Music Festival Jan. 19-22 at the Basin Park Hotel in Eureka Springs. Barbaree plays at 3 p.m. Jan. 21 on the Cave Stage. (NWA Democrat-Gazette File Photo/Spencer Tirey)
Patti Steel will be an artist-at-large during the Ozark Mountain Music Festival Jan. 19-22 in Eureka Springs. The Northwest Arkansas multi-instrumentalist and songwriter recently played Mama Jay of Mama Jay and the Jay Birds in the trailer for the film “Wonderland Cave.” See the Patti Steel Duo at 7 p.m. Jan. 21 on the Cave Stage at the Basin Park Hotel. (Courtesy Photo)