I’ve lived in the River Valley all my life. And, all my life I’ve been perplexed and frustrated that I have to drive 2 hours to Tulsa or 2 hours to Little Rock to see a good rock concert (and I’m not talking about Lynyrd Skynyrd at the fairgrounds). Now, I’m no mathematician, but upon looking at a map, seems to me that most of those bands playing a show in Tulsa on Friday have to come right through Fort Smith to play their show in Little Rock on Sunday. I’ve never understood why said band couldn’t set up here in the Fort and take our money, too.
But, either the times, they are a changin’, or the types of bands that I like are becoming today’s Lynyrd Skynyrd that I saw in my youth at Harper Stadium. Which would also explain why I can find good rock bands on local radio today. When does 90’s modern rock become classic rock? But, that’s beside the point. The point is, within the last 6 days, I’ve seen two great rock bands come to Fort Smith (during the week mind you) and rock out for eager, excited fans. You can see our review of Saving Abel at Neumeier’s Rib Room here.
Last night Longhorn Saloon played host to Dallas-based, heavy metal band Drowning Pool who brought with them fellow rockers Eye Empire, Exilia and Even The Dead Love A Parade. This was not a night to come to Longhorn to casually sip on some drinks and have leisurely conversations with friends. As a matter of fact, one had to time their communication with friends quickly between songs and bands since even the filler music in between was a ear-melting levels. These guys were here to ROCK and they weren’t willing to let you forget it!
The performances of the supporting bands would have left any ticket holder with a feeling of rock fulfillment and that they got their money’s worth. But, when Drowning Pool took the stage around 10:45 pm, it was obvious why everyone was there. The pit was crowded, fists were pumping and bras were flying (4 bras to be exact which eventually adorned Jasen Moreno’s mic stand leaving it to resemble that of Steven Tyler’s). The crowd was playing off the band’s energy and the band was playing off the crowd’s energy. Drowning Pool knew that Fort Smith was excited for them to be there and the band showed their appreciation by playing that Longhorn stage like it was that of Wembley Arena. Fans ate up energy-coated recent hits like “Feel Like I Do”, “All About Me” and “One Finger and a Fist”. But, we all knew why Drowning Pool was there – “Bodies”. With the first few riffs of the guitar the crowd exploded in excitement. Like ripping open “the big gift” on Christmas morning, there was no holding back. When it was all over, I do believe some bodies hit the floor. But, that was expected at a show like this. Especially, since the Longhorn Saloon staff did an unprecedented job of keeping the thirsty patrons quenched from 7:00 pm to almost midnight.
I’d personally like to thank Longhorn Saloon and Neumeier’s Rib Room for bringing these types of bands to Fort Smith. The turnout for both shows has been huge and I hope that helps to make this type of concert common here in the River Valley. It’s just one more way to combat those that say, “There’s Nothing To Do In This Town”. Send the naysayers to ThingsToDoInFortSmith.com to check the calendar of events.
-Brock Girard, Photographer/Rock Lover