The Hillbenders Meld Rock with Bluegrass at U of A's Faulkner Center

Photo provided by The Hillbenders

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. –The Hillbenders, a modern bluegrass band from Springfield, Missouri, will perform ‘The Who’s TOMMY: A Bluegrass Opry’ at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 5, at the University of Arkansas’ Jim and Joyce Faulkner Performing Arts Center.

This Hillbenders take this icon of classic rock and turn it into a bluegrass experience, blending genres to appeal to audiences of all ages.

Originally composed by guitarist Pete Townshend as a rock opera, the lyrics of Tommy tell the story about a deaf, dumb and blind boy, including his experiences with life and the relationship with his family. The original album has sold 20 million copies and has been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame for “historical, artistic and significant value.” In 2003, Rolling Stone magazine ranked Tommy number 96 on its list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

With a perfect mix of virtuoso musicianship and rock star vocals, The Hillbenders bring Townshend’s original vision to life in a new and exciting way.

Opening the show will be the up-and-coming Nashville trio Maybe April. 

Maybe April will beging playing at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are $15-25 and are available now. For tickets and more information about upcoming shows and events, visit our website or or at the Box Office, open Monday to Friday from 1:30-5:00 p.m. You may also call the Box Office at 479-575-5387.

About THE HILLBENDERS:  Based in Springfield, Missouri, the Hillbenders are one of the few bluegrass groups with the ability to bridge the gap between the common music consumer and the bluegrass genre, selecting material that defies any hillbilly stigmas. The band is made up of Jim Rea (guitar), Nolan Lawrence (mandolin), Gary Rea (bass), Mark Cassidy (banjo) and Chad ‘Gravyboat’ Graves (dobro).

About MAYBE APRIL:  Maybe April is a country Americana trio made up of Kristen Castro, Katy DuBois (Bishop), and Alaina Stacey. Hailing from Simi Valley, California; Jonesboro, Arkansas; and Chicago, Illinois, the three met in the summer of 2012 at a music industry camp in Nashville, Tennesseee, where they now make their home. 

About the Jim and Joyce Faulkner Performing Arts Center: The newest performing arts center at the University of Arkansas — a renovation of the old Field House — is named the Jim and Joyce Faulkner Performing Arts Center, in honor of the couple’s major gift to the project. Completed in September 2017, this world-class performance venue is 39,400 square feet, with seating for 587, and a stage that can accommodate as many as 250 performers. The center is the main performance venue for the university’s J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences Department of Music and hosts guest musical activities for the university and Northwest Arkansas community. 

About the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences: The J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences is the largest and most academically diverse unit on campus with three schools, 16 departments and 43 academic programs and research centers. The college provides the core curriculum for all University of Arkansas students and is named for J. William Fulbright, former university president and longtime U.S. senator.

About the University of Arkansas: The University of Arkansas provides an internationally competitive education for undergraduate and graduate students in more than 200 academic programs.