Andrew Anderson, Low Key Arts Artist in Residence looking for bandmates!

THE AFTER SCHOOL ROCK BAND EXPERIENCE – accepting students for September NOW!!

Low Key Arts presents the After School Rock Band Experience. Student interested in learning & writing songs, and performing a concert read on! Four to five students will be selected to rehearse under the mentorship of Andrew Anderson during the month of September and then perform as part of the Hot Springs Gallery Walk on October 2nd. The After School Rock Band Experience is seeking guitar, bass, piano, banjo, and horn players, as well as, drummers to form a band with Andrew Anderson. There is no cost to be a part of the program. All we need are high school students who are determined, responsible and fun!

Rehearsal schedules will be determined following student selection and each students schedule. Most likely from 4PM to 7PM – two to three days per week for 4 weeks. Rehearsals will take place at Low Key Arts, 118 Arbor in downtown Hot Springs.

Students will need to provide their own instruments and amplifiers. A PA for singers will be provided.

Andrew Anderson was born and raised in Idaho and currently resides in Austin, Texas. He is a former student of The Berklee School of Music and Director of The Power Chord Academy – the premier rock and roll music camp for kids. Andrew has recently completed his debut full length album, which is being shopped to record labels, by Mike Hererra, singer for MXPX and Tumbledown. The songs that Andrew has written are akin to Social Distortion, Bob Dylan, Hank Williams and Lucero. Andrew’s songs are a little bit country and whole lotta rock and roll! http://www.myspace.com/aandersonmusic

If you are interested in this once in a lifetime opportunity please email Low Key Arts President, Bill Solleder at bill@valleyofthevapors.com or call 501-282-9056.

THE AFTER SCHOOL ROCK BAND EXPERIENCE – September Session Application APPLICATIONS DUE SEPTEMBER 1St

NAME:
INSTRUMENT:
AGE:
GENDER:
PHONE:
EMAIL:
NUMBER OF YEARS PLAYING:
ARE YOU IN A BAND?:
NAME YOUR TOP FIVE FAVORITE BANDS:
PARENT / GUARDIAN NAME:
PARENT / GUARDIAN PHONE:
PARENT / GUARDIAN EMAIL:

Please email completed application to Bill Solleder bill@valleyofthevapors.com

Arkansas Shorts - call for entries

The Valley of the Vapors Independent Music Festival (march 2010) is gearing up for our fundraising season. The VOV depends on grants, donations, and fundraisers to pull off the countries most down to earth, and humble small town volunteer run rock and roll festival.

For the third year running, The VOV and HSDFI present "Arkansas Shorts" - a night of short film. Last year we screened over a dozen shorts to a sold out audience at The historic Malco Theater in downtown Hot Springs, Arkansas. It was a wonderful evening in The Spa City!!



ARKANSAS SHORTS - a night of short film
Saturday, January 9, 2010
at The historic Malco Theater
817 Central Ave, Hot Springs
7PM $5 proceeds to The VOV

Here are the guidelines to submit for Arkansas Shorts.
1. You must be a native or current resident of Arkansas.
2. Shorts must be 10 minutes or less including credits.
3. Submissions are due by December 9, 2009
4. Submit (2) copies in 16:9 DVD format
5. Include contact name, email, phone number, film title, length
6. Mail to The VOV, 118 Arbor Hot Springs, AR. 71901

BJORK-voltaic film, Arkansas Premier, June 20

Bjork fans rejoice!

Be among the first in the world to see the premier of the avant garde performer's most recent film adventure. The VOV in conjunction with the HSDFI proudly present the yet to be released debut of Bjork's latest film project, Voltaic: The Volta Tour Live in Paris and Reykjavik on June 20th the the Historic Malco Theater in downtown Hot Springs National Park.

Voltaic: The Volta Tour Live in Paris and Reykjavik is scheduled for a release of June 23rd and will be screened in a select few markets beforehand. Bjork, the Icelandic diva/icon of rock has consisently been pushing the artistic envelope since the debut of her first album in 1977. She has been nominated for 52 international awards from Grammys to Oscars, winning 14 for Best Female Artist, Best Actress, Video of the Year and Best Art Direction among others. Volta is her tenth studio release and the first to reach the Billboard 200, while six of her releases have been in the UK Albums Chart Top 10.



The VOV, a 501 c3 whose mission includes presenting the musical and artistic work of global innovators, will screen this audio/visual feast as a fundraiser for The Valley of the Vapors Independent Music Festival in March of 2010. For information please call Bill at 501-282-9056 or Shea at 501-282-9057.

"Björk delivers a performance as visually spectacular as it is musically innovative. Fifteen years into her solo career, Björk remains the least compromising and most fantastical pop superstar talent."
- The Guardian

"No other songwriter can sound so naïve and so instinctual while building such elaborate structures. And few musicians have managed to sustain her unlikely combination of avant-gardism and pop visibility."
- Jon Pareles, The New York Times



AT THE MALCO THEATRE in DOWNTOWN HOT SPRINGS, ARKANSAS
SATURDAY JUNE, 20TH
OPENING RECEPTION AT 7:30pm
SCREENING AT 8pm
$5 ADMISSION - all proceeds to the upcoming VOV in March 2010
brought to you by the VOV / HSDFI / ARKUFF

VOV Schedule - set your clocks

TICKETS ON SALE NOW http://www.valleyofthevapors.com/

TUESDAY, MARCH 17
at Maxines - 700 Central / $5 / 21+
The Itinerant Locals (arkansas) 8:30PM
Brave Combo (texas) 9:15PM

TUESDAY, MARCH 17
at Low Key Arts - 118 Arbor / $7 /all ages
Mother Hug (arkansas)-9PM
Talk Normal (new york) – 9:30PM
US Girls - cancelled
Fiasco (new york) 10:00PM
AIDS Wolf - cancelled
Monotonix (israel) 10: 45

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18
at Low Key Arts - 118 Arbor / $7 / all ages
Scouts Honor (llinios) 7:30PM
The Mathematicians (new york) 8:15PM
Pink Spiders (tenessee) 9:15PM

THURSDAY, MARCH 19
at Low Key Arts - 118 Arbor / $10 / all ages
An A+ Set Up (arkansas) 7:30PM
Poison Arrows (georgia) 8:15PM
Teenage Bottlerocket (wyoming) 9:00PM
The Queers (new hampshire) 9:45PM
FRIDAY, MARCH 20
at Low Key Arts - 118 Arbor / $5 / all ages
Blue Screen Skyline (Arkansas) 8:30PM
The Bitter Tears (illinios) 9:15PM
Haymarket Riot (illinios) 9:45PM
Murder By Death (indiana) 10:30PM

SATURDAY, MARCH 21
at Low Key Arts - 118 Arbor / Free Show / all ages
Foundry Field Recordings (missouri) 8:30PM
The Pomegranates (ohio) 9:15PM
KaiserCartel (new york) 10PM
Headlights (illinios) 10:45PM

SUNDAY, MARCH 22 – The All Day Band BBQ Blowout
at Low Key Arts - 118 Arbor / $5 / all ages
doors open 2PM
3:00pm - theodore (missouri) - main stage
3:30pm -bad credit no credit (brooklyn) - floor
4:00pm - southeast engine (ohio) - main stage
4:30pm - rabid rabbit (chicago) - floor
5:00pm - heat machine (nebraska) - main stage
5:30pm - hex machine (richmond) - floor
6:00pm thank god (columbia, sc) - main stage
6:30pm - deastro (detroit, mi) - floor
7:00pm- anavan (los angeles) - main stage
7:30pm - pretty and nice (boston, ma) - floor
8:00pm - the resignators (australia) - main stage
8:30pm - roll the tanks (california) - floor
9:00pm - flatfoot56 (chicago, il) - main stage
9:30pm -
SPECIAL MYSTERY BAND - floor
10:00pm - Color Club (fayetteville) - main stage
10:30pm - Church of the Snake (hot springs) - main stage

HOT TUB - It's all about the water

Hot Springs - As the name suggests, The Spa City is home to lots and lots and LOTS of water. Most likely, when the oceans, lakes, rivers and streams turn into nasty yuck pits, the world population will start fighting over water and Hot Springs will be much coveted spot. For now, folks come together at the free and public natural water jug fountains to fill up their glass bottles, plastic milk jugs, cans, etc... with the water. They say the water has amazing powers of healing. One time I cut my hand on a bottle while trying to open it with a lighter. I rushed to the Happy Hollow jug fountian and ran our miracle water over the cut and "poof" the cut was gone and I grew a 6th finger on my right hand. Native Americans have been drinking and soaking in the water since way before Andrew Jackson decided to.... (a'hem, that's another story).

The VOV often take the bands we host to the Arlington Lawn to see, and feel the hot spring water. "OK, let's have a contest. Everyone stick their hands in the water on the count of three, last one with hands in wins bragging rights. One, Two, Three!!" Rarely does anyone make it past 10 seconds. If subjecting your hands to scalding water doesnt sound that fulfiling, may I suggest you soak your entire body in the newly restored community pools at The Quapaw Bathhouse http://www.quapawbaths.com/.

The facility is spic and span clean and the water temps are just right. Too much head bangin' - take a bath! Met that special someone at the show and after a lusty roll in the woods you tweaked your back - take a bath! Economy got you down - Bath! The Quapaw charge for a natural hot springs thermal bath is only 15 BUCKS! Super cheap and good for you too! No trip to Hot Springs is complete without a bath, yes?

Posters

AESTHETIC APPARATUS silk screened print show
The Local Gallery in downtown historic Hot Springs, Arkansas
Opening Reception
Friday, March 6th - gallery walk
5PM - 9PM

Images of rock and roll have been embedded in our minds, Jimi Hendrix on his knees summoning fire up from his guitar, The Clash "London Calling" album cover, or a bloody Sid Vicious. Afterall, image is a massive part of the music culture that has been responsible for legions of flannel clad grunge kids, hip-hop waistlines and even Ms. Hannah Montana. Bands design t-shirts, buttons, panties, hats, jackets, album covers and for the sake of this blog - posters. As a kid, I hung glossy Pink Floyd, Doors and Farah Fawcett posters in my bedroom. My college dorm room was an alter to The Cure, Bauhaus and U2. Even today, I proudly display posters in my home - mostly from my old band days and all of The Valley of the Vapors Independent Music Festival hand-silk-screened-limited-edition-signed and numbered posters from some of today's most important rock poster designers like Jay Ryan, and Nate Duval. Silk screened rock posters came into popular culture in the 60's, where replaced by black light posters in the 70's and then came back into importance in the 90's and today. There are thousands of designers and silk screeners creating images for rock shows, festivals, books, pop-icons and so on. One of the best resources for diving into this sub-culture can be found at www.gigposters.com. Gig Posters has a massive and continuously growing library of rock posters to browse.

The VOV has been making it a tradition to ask one of these designers to design and print a limited run of VOV posters each year, and hang a small sampling of their other works during the festival. Low Key Arts has hosted beautiful art shows for Jay Ryan's hand drawn and silk screened poster including the child-like image of teddy bear eating a sandwich in the valley of the vapors. Nate Duvall's 2008 design gave props to the mobster past of Hot Springs with a cheshire cigar grinning Al Capone. This year The VOV has commissioned the Minneapolis collective AESTHETIC APPARATUS.
Aesthetic was started by Dan Ibarra & Michael Byzewski, who by combining their mutual interest in printmaking and music, began to build a groundwork of limited edition hand-printed concert posters that would gain them enough recognition nationally and internationally. Having designed and printed posters for some of todays rock icons like White Stripes, Bob Mould, The Go-Go's, The Decemberists, as well as, politicians and celebrities like Barack Obama.

The Local Gallery in downtown Hot Springs will host the unveiling of The VOV 2009 limited edition silk screened poster, which will be available for sale. The VOV 2009 poster is limited to 65 prints and is printed on heavyweight paper, signed and numbered by Michael Byzewski of Aesthetic Apparatus and stamped for authenticity. In addition, to The VOV 2009 poster, The Local Gallery walls will adorn other Aesthetic prints including; LUCERO, THE BREEDERS, AGAINST ME, THE DECEMBERISTS, SPOON and BOB MOULD to name a few.
All prints will be available for purchase although only a very limited supply will be available.

Hope to see you at The Gallery Walk!

AESTHETIC APPARATUS silk screened print show
The Local Gallery in downtown historic Hot Springs, Arkansas
Opening Reception
Friday, March 6th - gallery walk
5PM - 9PM

Hot Springs - Spring Break, We Need a Place to Crash

Countless times I have been to a show where the band announces from stage, "Hey, we need a place to crash for the night". Yep, believe it or not, most bands touring the underground-DIY circuit can't afford a room at "the six", so they rely (hope) that some kid at the show will meet them at the merch table and say, "you dudes can crash on my floor", which often means that said "kid" gets a chance to hang with the band that recorded the 7-inch that has been spinning on his turntable for the last 7 seven months. For the band it means a hot shower, warm house, maybe some food and laundry, a cool record collection to browse, an internet hook-up, Wii to play, and hopefully a bit of quality conversation to have with a local. In the morning, the kid might get hooked up with a t-shirt and CD, and the band with some pancakes. When the kid and band say good-bye it seals the deal on a relationship that will bring the band back to town - this is what makes The bands, and the people who support The VOV an example of equal exchange, trust and community. This is the root of the underground community and a great example for all humanity. In short, give up your floor, couch, bed, or futon to a band - its good for you. Its good for all of us.

But I digress, so you're not in a band which means you dont have access to a microphone to announce to a room full of strangers that you need a place to crash. If that's the case, Hot Springs has plenty of hotels - both fancy-schmancy and certified dumps. Hot Springs is surrounded by National Forest, so I suppose you can just hike up the mountain behind Low Key Arts and lay your head on a log. For those of you who prefer a little more planning, try THE VELDA ROSE HOTEL, which is across the way from Low Key Arts - an easy stumble home. Mention The VOV and get a $49 room- sweet! For the naturalist, try Gulpha Gorge Campground which is a quick 10 minute drive to downtown Hot Springs. Check the "Where to Stay" section of the site for more info.

Hot Springs for Spring Break!? Who woulda thunk?

HOT SPRINGS (national park) HUH?

Never in a thousand years would I have ever imagined that Hot Springs would be where I called "home" having lived in Chicago for most of my years. I loved having to pick between a dozen amazing rock shows a night, taking my pick of coffee shops, restaurants, and parks to play in - seven days a week and most all hours of the night. Slow, sleepy, relaxed and safe never seemed to be in the cards for me.

Six years ago, Hot Springs came a knockin' with its criminally cheap real estate, its fresh sweet air, its famed and free flowing spring water (yeah, I get my spring water for free at the jug fountains), sorted history of indians, mobsters, gambling and bootlegging. Let's not forget the rocks too - bauxite, nevaculite, diamonds, crystals, crystals and more crystals... However, all that neat stuff aside, it became pretty clear pretty fast that the need to see and hear live music (no, not the bar band blues kind) was pulling at my most deep rooted innards, and was not available here.

Hot Springs is known as one the great small art towns in America, but truth be told as a painter friend of mine said, "filled with old lady art". The kind in really thick gold frames that fits great with your living room furniture. But one Gallery Walk Friday some six years ago I stumbled across a bunch of punk kids with 40's in paper bags blaring Cap'n Jazz cassettes on a broken boom box in a 3rd floor corner gallery. To me, it looked like a typical punk show in any town, USA but there was no band! These kids were having an art show. Instead of guitar amps and drums there was plywood and chicken wire - painted, sculpted and nailed to the wall. On that night, I found that urge pulling at plenty of deep rooted innards.

So anyway, it took a little while to find a small sub-culture of freaks, but like any big town, or small town its out there - you just need to search it out. So figuring that so many of you will be traveling from across the United States and the world for that matter, I put together a to-do list, or a scavenger hunt of places to seek out in Hot Springs National Park. Happy freak hunting!!


THE MERCURY RUB ROOM AT THE FORDYCE BATH HOUSE MUSEUM

The Velda Rose Hotel - across the street from Low Key Arts. Mention the VOV and get a $49 room. (psst... its where the bands are staying)Vicki's Coffee Shop - organic coffee and super hot hipster baristasRedbeards Living Canvas - tattoos, best in the South
CD's For Less - dig into the vinyl bins Quapaw Bath House - a $15 hot springs community bath
The Fordyce - take the FREE bathhouse museum tour
McClards BBQ - super amazing bbqu sandwiches - hey theres Bill Clinton over there...

Bill Clinton's Boyhood Home - go ahead, take a picture.Miracle Electronics - owned by a Reverand who fixes tube amps and has the most killer R&B, Soul, Blues and Jazz vinyl collection for sale.The Country Store - bulk foods, a mom and pop whole foodsMid America Science Museum - interactive museum with a lazer light show and the worlds largest Tesla Coil
The Gangster Museum - the only one in the world
Oaklawn Race Track - bet the horses and visit the casino
Lake Oauchita - a most refreshingly clean lake



Do you have a suggestion for cool spots to see for our VOV Visitors? Drop a comment...

Murder By Death confirmed for The VOV

The Indiana quartet known as MURDER BY DEATH will be stopping in Hot Springs National Park to headline The Friday VOV show with Haymarket Riot (chicago) and The Bitter Tears (chicago). MBD who released their 4th full length entitled Red of Tooth and Claw on Vagrant Records last year has gathered critic praise from Performing Songwriter, Paste, Decoy, Revolver and Alternative Press who said, "they've finally realized the full potential they've been hinting at- and like all great stories, its not always pretty." The addition of MBD to The VOV line-up without a doubt brings The VOV to another level after 5 years. Every day of festival will host the highest caliber of underground music today including The Monotonix (Israel), Pink Spiders (Tennessee), The Queers (Rhode Island), Murder By Death (Indiana), Headlights (Illinios) and whole hell of a lot more.

Advanced ticket information will be available soon.

Get Your Tickets here...Tickets!!

We set up a ticket making assembly line the other day - copy, cut, number, stamp, emboss, stack and wrap with rubber bands. The place reeked of stamp ink, it made our good friend and VOV Board Chair, Shannon sick to her stomach, but we stretched our shirts over our noses and got the job done. Make a package here, one there, and another over there. Mark the envelope for their destinations - official VOV ticket outlets, Maxines, Vicki's Coffee, Redbeards Tattoos, and CD's For Less. We jumped in the car armed with our ticket packets, tally sheets, VOV flyers, posters and scotch tape and away we went to spread The VOV love around Hot Springs National Park. You'll see our strange wooded and one-eyed creature peering out at you from store fronts all around town. It's an invasion!!

Anyway, so what's the point of this rant.. TICKETS - that's what. IMPORTANT NOTE: There are only 200 tickets available for each show, so PLEASE buy your tickets now before the shows sell out. Here's the quick list of ticket outlets.

VICKIS COFFEE CORNER - have a cup of coffee and chat up the beautiful and viciously funny barista girls.
406 Central Avenue in downtown Hot Springs 501-623-2221

REDBEARDS LIVING CANVAS TATTOOS - best tattoo parlor in The South!
413 Park Avenue in Hot Springs 501-623-4744

CD's FOR LESS - vinyl, vinyl, search the vinyl section!
1520 Albert Pike Road in Hot Springs 501-623-1440

MAXINES - Brave Combo tickets only at the bar.
700 Central Avenue in downtown Hot Springs 501-321-0909

and of course, here at www.valleyofthevapors.com Just click the BUY TICKETS icon and purchase through Paypal.

The VOV - we believe.

The Valley of the Vapors Independent Music Festival (VOV) is gearing up for its 5th and biggest year yet with bands traveling from as far away as Australia, Canada, Israel, New York, California and all points in between. These bands make up the fabric of a global community of DIY'sters who focus on sound, measure, tempo and theme and leave the pop writing formula on the backburner, so they may be someday noted for their musical innovation and not the gross total of records sold. Not sold but SOUL. Pure rock and roll soul that is loud, fast, scary and so wonderfully sincere it'll make you cry.

But The VOV is more than the bands it attracts - it's the setting these bands find themselves in when they reach our small Arkansas town of 35K, in the up-close and personal confines of Low Key Arts - a 200 capacity venue, that makes our festival great. The VOV is not the bloated idea of "festival" that has been defined by Lollapolooza, Coachella, or Bonarroo where 876545677896 bands play on 7654329007 stages, in front of 87887866669808708098098 people who will fight you for a spot in line at one of the 13 port-a-potties. No, The VOV is about community. We are a festival organized and run by volunteers who need something more, something raw, something real to inspire them. We hit the streets and ask for donations, grants, food, drinks, microphones, hammers, nails and duct tape - whatever it takes to make it happen just one time a year.

Come on in our website and poke around. See what we have to offer this year. Come to our town, Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas - surrounded by forests, lakes, rolling mountains, retirees, crystal digging hippies, and religious fanatics is the last place you would think a rock festival would take place, but it does. Come check us out.

Tickets are on sale now.