Stories by Jocelyn Murphy

Listen Here!: 'Writer's Writer' Tells Everyman Stories On Debut Album "I" JeGong Pelagic Records JeGong is the amalgamation of two distinct forces within post-rock and heavy music, Dahm Majuri Cipolla, drummer of MONO (Japan) and Watter, and Reto Mäder of Sum Of... April 18, 2021

AMP'd Up: Rogers venue prepares to welcome back live music Do you hear that? The sounds of guitars, drums, your favorite song and 10,000 screaming fans echoing out over the Ozark hills once again? OK, so maybe those familiar sounds are just sweet memories of... April 18, 2021

From Ella To Beyonce: Jazz Fest returns, connects past to future Year one: Found a new festival. Year two: Take everything completely virtual, expand teaching and performing musicians to international voices. Year three: Switch to a hybrid of in-person and virtual ... April 18, 2021

LISTEN: Fayetteville singer nabs Top 12 spot with judges' save on American Idol [Don't see the podcast above, click here: nwaonline.com/417watkins/] Fayetteville's own superstar, the effervescent Madison Watkins, continues her journey on the ABC singing competition show Americ... April 16, 2021

AMP adds Thomas Rhett, Brothers Osborne to 2021 season The Walmart Arkansas Music Pavilion announced its first new shows in more than a year. Grammy Award-winning country/soul duo Brothers Osborne will make a stop in Rogers at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 17. Academy... April 16, 2021

Del Downtown: Bluegrass legend opens Roots outdoor series "It's a beautiful part of the country," Del McCoury begins, thinking back to his most recent visit to the Ozarks. The bluegrass legend with a storied career was last in this neck of the woods in Octob... April 16, 2021

Listen Here!: 'Writer's Writer' Tells Everyman Stories On Debut Album "Call It Even" Scott Sean White For a songwriter who can produce such magical, poignant, and moving songs, it's probably no coincidence that Scott Sean White now makes his home in a place called Poe... April 16, 2021

Sights of Summer: Momentary announces three-part exhibition schedule As promised, the just-announced summer exhibition schedule at Bentonville arts space the Momentary carries on a programming philosophy aimed at expanding the capabilities of the space and furthering u... April 11, 2021

Bigger And Better: Crystal Bridges Museum announces expansion Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art revealed plans April 7 for a major expansion to be completed by 2024. Ten years after completing the original design for the museum, Safdie Architects returns t... April 11, 2021

The Room Where It Happens Even as theater offerings cautiously creep off computer screens and back onto real-life, in-person stages, much remains uncertain — especially when it comes to the industry’s pinnacle: Broadway. When... April 11, 2021

Curtis Grimes At George's Curtis Grimes -- 9 p.m. today, George's Majestic Lounge, Fayetteville Despite the pandemic's effects on the music industry, Texas country singer Curtis Grimes built some serious momentum in 2020. Com... April 9, 2021

Walton Arts Center welcomes back Broadway Broadway is back, baby! Well, almost. The Walton Arts Center in Fayetteville held its annual Broadway sneak peak on Wednesday evening and six-show Broadway subscription packages are on sale now for ... April 8, 2021

Crystal Bridges plans expansion by 2024 Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art revealed Wednesday plans for a major expansion to be completed by 2024. The expansion will add nearly 100,000 square feet to the facility, increasing the 200,00... April 8, 2021

Crystal Bridges announces expansion BENTONVILLE -- Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art revealed Wednesday plans for a major expansion to be completed by 2024. Ten years after completing the original design for the museum, Safdie Arc... April 7, 2021

Sights Of Summer: Momentary announces three-part exhibition schedule As promised, the just-announced summer exhibition schedule at Bentonville arts space the Momentary carries on a programming philosophy aimed at expanding the capabilities of the space and furthering u... April 4, 2021

Park And Party: Concert series builds community identity As live music returns to downtown Springdale, a new partnership between the Downtown Springdale Alliance and Creative Arkansas Community Hub & Exchange (CACHE) has the Live at Turnbow music series... April 4, 2021

Sharing The Showtunes: Broadway comes to Baum Walker at WAC When Broadway's Christine and Raoul from Andrew Lloyd Webber's "The Phantom of the Opera" find themselves together again on the Walton Arts Center stage in Fayetteville, you know they're sure to perfo... April 4, 2021

REVIEW: A Thousand Ways Can you see me? Am I coming in to focus? How do you qualify an intimate experience between just two people? One where you learn details about each other's childhoods; you picture her green eyes as sh... April 2, 2021

Listen Here!: Artist Focuses On 'Original Instrument' For Trilogy Finale "How Many Times" Esther Rose Father/Daughter Records & Full Time Hobby Esther Rose's homespun brand of country music has drawn comparisons to legends like Hank Williams, modern trailblazers lik... April 2, 2021

Fayetteville native advances on American Idol Fayetteville native and American Idol hopeful Madison Watkins had a good start to her week. It was revealed on the Monday night (March 29) episode of the singing competition on the ABC network that W... March 30, 2021

LISTEN: Fayetteville's Madison Watkins on American Idol [Don't see the player above, click here: nwaonline.com/329watkins/] Fayetteville native Madison Watkins continues her journey Monday, March 29 on ABC's singing competition show "American Idol." Th... March 29, 2021

Invitation For Reflection: Artists mine struggle, memory in exhibition For more than seven decades, since its inception, the Fort Smith Regional Art Museum has hosted a national competitive exhibition to recognize and encourage professional artists, as well as foster art... March 29, 2021

Finally Festive: Spring naturally brings Artosphere return Though many of its events take place outside, the Walton Arts Center's signature arts and nature festival was one of the coronavirus casualties last year. Artosphere entered its second decade (11th ye... March 28, 2021

Listen Here! Congolese Sensation Releases Debut Album "BIG DARK BRIGHT FUTURES" Growing Concerns Poetry Collective Chicago-based group Growing Concerns Poetry Collective released their new album, "BIG DARK BRIGHT FUTURES," on Oct. 16. Growing Concerns ... March 28, 2021

'In The Atrium' Continues, Expands Into Spring The Walton Arts Center's new In The Atrium series has been immensely popular with audiences itching to get back to live performance. That is to say, popular in their enthusiasm -- not bulked-up atten... March 26, 2021

Listen Here! Congolese Sensation Releases Debut Album "Tembo Kia Ngoma" Kiazi Malonga West coast Congolese sensation Kiazi Malonga released his debut album "Tembo Kia Ngoma" on March 5. The album pays tribute to Malonga's late parents, including world ... March 26, 2021

Fanning The Flames Of Freedom: New sculpture illuminates reflection on race, access Lady Liberty's torch lands on the Momentary campus on March 25. Well, artist Abigail DeVille's 2020 reimagining of it, anyway. "Light of Freedom" is a 13-foot found object sculpture referencing the S... March 21, 2021

Listen Here! Longtime Collaborators Finally Release Debut(ish) Album "Material Flats" Bethany Thomas & Tawny Newsome Fine Alpinist Records Bethany Thomas and Tawny Newsome have been singing together for 15 years, and are released "Material Flats," their debut(is... March 21, 2021

How About A Listen? 'Look What I Did' with Daniel Quin, Aaron Dotson Did you know we have a plethora of funny, educational, captivating and insightful podcasts produced and hosted by the amazing talent in our own Northwest Arkansas? In this series, we'll continue to hi... March 19, 2021

Touring The Trio: Momentary unveils three new exhibitions Bentonville contemporary arts space the Momentary introduced itself to Northwest Arkansas and the art world at large with two monumental exhibitions during its premiere year -- in spite of a pandemic!... March 14, 2021

Listen Here! Decorated Nashville Songwriter Finally Tells His Own Story "99" Steven Moss Def Jam Recordings Twenty one-year old singer/songwriter/rapper Steven Moses, who has drawn critical acclaim for his outside-looking-in heartbreakers "Lose It" and "Fake Love," rel... March 14, 2021

Making Up A Musical: Improvisers invent never-before-seen Broadway show For two nights only, you can be among the first audiences to experience the next musical sensation to take the theater world by storm. It's a show no one's even seen yet -- because the actors will mak... March 14, 2021

Decorated Nashville Songwriter Finally Tells His Own Story "Music Row" by Luke Laird It's hard to believe that a songwriter as decorated as Luke Laird -- 24 No. 1 country singles and multiple Grammy, ACM and CMA awards -- has never put out a record of his ow... March 12, 2021

Four Minutes, Four Questions: Artist Ziba Rajabi As an Iranian female artist based in Arkansas, my work revolves around the desire to reconcile my relationship with two distinctive spaces: Tehran, my native land, and Arkansas, where I reside now," s... March 12, 2021

Listen Here! Lauded Producer Discovers Unique Talent "Haiku Hands" Haiku Hands Mad Decent Australian dance-pop group Haiku Hands released their highly anticipated, self-titled debut album on Sept. 10, revealing a rebellious, experimental and wildly u... March 7, 2021

Isolation To Congregation: Momentary explores 'a thousand ways' to connect Our relationship with the telephone has changed dramatically even over the course of one generation. Many remember a time of land lines, before cell phones, when strangers might call your home frequen... March 7, 2021

21c Committed Through Challenges Few institutions in the country offer an accommodation experience like the Kentucky-based 21c boutique hotel chain. 21c Museum Hotels integrate contemporary art and chef-driven culinary practices for ... March 7, 2021

REVIEW: ‘Dixie’s Happy Hour’ at Walton Arts Center a boozy night of fun Sit down; let me tell you a story. You’ll hear it more than a few times during Dixie Longate’s new virtual show, “Dixie’s Happy Hour.” Between mixing drinks, a few dances and cheeky jokes, Longate, t... March 5, 2021

How About A Listen? 'Lean Back' with Lisa Corrigan, Laura Weiderhaft Did you know we have a plethora of funny, educational, captivating and insightful podcasts produced and hosted by the amazing talent in our own Northwest Arkansas? In this series, we'll continue to hi... March 5, 2021

Listen Here! "Guarantee" Joshua Henry S-Curve Records/BMG Actor and singer Joshua Henry takes on a new artistic outlet with the release of his debut EP "Guarantee," out March 4. Henry's acting includes three To... March 5, 2021

Listen Here! EP Celebrates Black History In Music, Art "Two Saviors" Buck Meek Keeled Scales Producer and engineer Andrew Sarlo (who produced the first four Big Thief LPs, all of Nick Hakim's LPs, and contributed as a co-producer on Bon Iver's "i,i" ) ... February 28, 2021

A Streaming Service A “season finale,” of sorts, for the brainchild of the Springdale based CACHE creative team premiered on Feb. 17. Episode 15 of OZCast brought to a close nearly four months of assembling artistic mind... February 28, 2021

Listen Here! EP Celebrates Black History In Music, Art "Black History Always - Music For The Movement Vol. 2" The "Black History Always - Music For The Movement Vol. 2" EP is the second volume of the ongoing project between The Undefeated, ESPN's content... February 26, 2021

LISTEN: "Dixie's Happy Hour" at the Walton Arts Center Dixie Longate last visited the Walton Arts Center in Fayetteville two years ago with her Off-Broadway smash "Dixie's Tupperware Party." Now, "America's Sixth Favorite Redhead" returns to the WAC, virt... February 21, 2021

Hand In Hand: Virtual WAC series brings arts education to students Even for those who don't work in the education department at the Walton Arts Center, the energy that fills the Fayetteville performance venue during a school field trip day is infectious. Watching the... February 21, 2021

Come For The Cocktails: Stay to help keep arts venues alive and well Dixie Longate will tell you freely she wouldn't have made it through 2020 without alcohol. "I was stuck at home with the kids, which is so gross! But you know, they make you," she gabs in her signatu... February 21, 2021

Out And About: New series beckons patrons back to WAC As the Walton Arts Center in Fayetteville continues to navigate the stymied performing arts world, programming staff members continue to search for ways to bring arts experiences to the community and ... February 19, 2021

Listen Here! Fayetteville Trio Offers 'Escape' "Nothing Unexpected" Modeling Fayetteville electronic band Modeling make their mark with the release of their cinematic, synth-inspired single "Nothing Unexpected," out Feb. 18. Expertly combining t... February 19, 2021