By Ben Cox
Jacksonville might as well be called “Little Oklahoma” this coming week. The red dirt will be thick, so find your Justin boots and a 10-gallon hat and hear some tales about north Texas and southern Oklahoma this week.
The red dirt starts on Friday, June 20 downtown on the square with the Jacksonville Main Street Downtown Concert Series guests, Back Country Roads. Hailing from Van Buren, Arkansas, this 5-piece group covers a number of great country hits from yesteryear. They are a favorite at the famous I-40 Music & Dance Hall in Muldrow, Oklahoma, but they play virtually everywhere someone wants to set up a honky tonk.
Once you’re done, head out to Twisted Tree Music Hall for some authentic red dirt singer-songwriter acoustic tunes from Jenna Paulette at 7 p.m. Paullette was born in Lewisville, Texas and was raised on her family’s cow-calf ranch in Thackerville, Oklahoma. She says she grew up singing in church and along with her dad’s George Strait CDs. Paulette ultimately settled in Nashville, where she struck up a mentorship with Ashley Gorley, a veteran songwriter with 50+ No. 1 tunes under his belt. After running around with Gorley and his songwriting pals for a number of years, she found herself as an opening act in 2019 on a national tour for Mason Ramsey. The tour eventually led to a publishing deal with Sea Gayle Music in June 2021, a 2022 CMT Next Women of Country honor, a performance at the Grand Ole Opry in 2023 as well as the release of her debut album, The Girl I Was. Now she is out in support of her latest full-length effort, Horseback, as well as a new single “How To Make A Cowboy Cry.” This should be a must-see show for any hardcore country music fan. But wait … Twisted Tree has more coming up. Read on. If country music is not your thing, go out and catch a solo acoustic show of local troubadour Jeff Newman at The Vault from 8-11 p.m. Our friends to the east, Patriot’s Pub in Waverly have a return solo acoustic performance of Jason McKenzie starting at 8 p.m.
As I mentioned, Twisted Tree has more Oklahoma for you on Saturday, June 21 with Oklahoma red dirt folkies The Damn Quails. Gabe Marshall and Bryon White met for a weekly gig nearly 15 years ago and decided to do something about it with 2011’s critically-acclaimed album Down the Hatch. They toured long and hard for five years and decided to take a hiatus in 2016. The record business can be a crazy one — and The Damn Quails bore the brunt of it.
In 2022, they decided it was time to put the band back together, returning with a new album called Clouding Up Your City. They released a full-length live album last year, and rumor has it they are shopping songs for a new album out on this tour. This is another can’t miss for red dirt fans. Again, if red dirt/country isn’t your bag — Jeff Newman and The Portable Beat are your antidote in Jacksonville. The Beat drops at KJB’s Pint Haus from 9 p.m. to midnight. For our friends outside of town, Jason Michael Launer strums up an acoustic show at AJ’s Bar & Grill in Arenzville from 9 p.m. to midnight. If you really want to get out of town for the weekend, head south to Jerseyville to George’s Local Brew and catch St. Louis-based singer-songwriter Cree Rider with his band. Cree has notably had songs featured on television shows such as “True Blood,” “Justified,” “Wynona Earp,” “Heartland” and “Bloodline,” among others. Show starts at 6 p.m. Last but not least on June 21, if you are looking for a full day of fun out of town, there is a music festival and vendor fair just east of Jacksonville. Oak Hills Country Club in Girard is hosting a full day of tunes, food and fun. Music starts at 11 a.m. with Springfield singer-songwriter Micah Walk. Walk will be followed by Hank Greenwalt from 1-4 p.m. Wreckless Whiskey rocks from 4:30-7:30 p.m. and Flip the Frog closes out the show from 8-11 p.m. Looks like a good time. Festivals have been having a rough go of it lately, with several summer hallmark festivals in Springfield going the way of the doo-doo this year.
Don’t worry, the fun doesn’t end on Saturday. Take a jaunt down the road to the village of Curran and the Trail’s End Saloon. Jacksonville native and R&B extraordinaire Robert “Lefty Preacher” Sampson will keep the joint hopping on June 22 for the afternoon.
Remember, only you can prevent empty music venues! Support your local musicians and venues. Jam on!
If you have a show in the Jacksonville area or are a Jacksonville artist/band that would like to be featured here, email Ben Cox with your live music schedule or information at elmcityradio@gmail.com.
