Enjoy an afternoon and evening of music from five bands. All groups will connect you to our national river and the local flavor of Ozark Mountain culture. Groups include: National Park Radio, Bruce "Sunpie" Barnes and the Sunspots, Sycamore, Will Gunselman, and Still on the Hill. We are expecting a good crowd, so please carpool if possible!
Our Band Line Up
National Park Radio
National Park Radio is a indie-folk duo from the Ozarks, echoing fresh but familiar sounds of The Avett Brothers and The Lumineers. Releasing a self-produced EP in early 2013 sparked their rapidly growing fanbase, and 2016 brought their debut full-length album "The Great Divide". In early 2017, follow-up album "Old Forests" was released in an attempt to get back to their indie roots. Touring the country and building their passionate fan-base ever since, National Park Radio released “The Road Ahead” in 2020 during quarantine, which features elegant, adventurous songwriting along with the beautiful harmonies of husband and wife duo Stefan & Kerrie Szabo. https://npr.band/
Bruce Sunpie Barnes
Bruce Sunpie Barnes is a New Orleans musician, book author and ethnographic photographer. Sunpie is a former National Park Service Ranger photographer, former high school biology teacher (30 year), former college football All-American, and former Kansas City Chiefs football player. He has traveled to 53 countries playing his own style of what he calls Afro-Louisiana music incorporating blues, zydeco, creole jazz, gospel, work songs, Caribbean and African influenced rhythms and melodies. A multi-instrumentalist, Bruce has mastered accordion, harmonica, and piano along with rubboard, talking drum, and djembe. Along with his musical group Sunpie and the Louisiana Sunspots, Bruce has performed at festivals and concerts across the US and around the globe. Sunpie has currently recorded 7 critically acclaimed CDs with his compositions featured in 19 Hollywood film productions. https://www.facebook.com/brucesunpiebarnes
Sycamore
A band born and raised in the Heartland of Arkansas. Sycamore has taken elements of rock & roll, folk songwriting, and outlaw country, to develop one of the ‘Sycest Sounds’ that the natural state has to offer.
Will Gunselman
Arkansas native, Will Gunselman has been writing and playing music for 2 decades. His lyrics embody his love for nature, Arkansas, and his family. His passion for storytelling runs deep, and he is always inspired to create a connection with the audience and make those interactions memorable.
Still on the Hill
Still on the Hill is an obvious choice for our festival celebrating the park's 50th anniversary. The folk duo immersed themselves in the history and stories of the Buffalo River and in 2016, created a whole album of songs about the river called 'Still a River'. There's even a song about Peter Tyler, the namesake of Tyler Bend. This popular duo has been well recognized for their efforts to keep stories of the Ozarks alive in song including the prestigious Governor's Folk Life Award. http://www.stillonthehill.com/
LOCATION: LAT/LONG: 36.000000, -93.000000