2023 Issue 5 Sept/Oct Focus - Mid-South Magazine

community of Fox, Arkansas, whose population is a quaint
237. Named after the creek that flows through the threemile
long valley, Meadowcreek develops land-based artist
spaces and rural development projects, and as part of
that mission hosts intimate concerts in a large barn on the
property that used to house a horse rescue operation.
The Concerts in the Barn series event listing on
Facebook has detailed instructions for city-folk
unaccustomed to the rules of country driving (which
we didn’t need – we both grew up driving on gravel in
Arkansas), such as “Don’t go over 15 mph,” and “Wave
with one finger or two,” and offers attendees who utilize
the primitive camping area across from the barn access
to the beloved Meadowcreek swimming holes. You really
have to drive several miles down into the valley, so if you
aren’t comfortable driving on gravel or navigating without
GPS, this is a road trip where you should hit up your pal
with the thickest southern drawl and/or most camping
gear to accompany you. We encountered several country
dogs running alongside the car, and a few ATVs, but we
arrived with no problems using the directions posted. A
nice Meadowcreek resident or volunteer took our money
and instructed us to park in a large field where other
attendees were already getting coolers, lawn chairs and
mosquito spray out of their vehicles. The crowd was small,
but the barn felt full, and the Ozark Old Time Fiddlers
Association was there with a merch table. The barn truly
felt like a magical space, with beautiful acoustics and
homey string lights strung through the cathedral-like wood
beams, and the Meadowcreek residents and neighbors
were warm and welcoming. I’ve seen Willi Carlisle play
in Memphis and Fayetteville, solo and with a band, at the
Crosstown Green Room and at George’s Majestic Lounge
in front of hundreds, and I can confidently say there’s no
better place to see a folk singer play than at a BYOB show
in a rustic barn, six miles down a narrow gravel road into
an Ozark valley with no cell signal. If you search “Willi
Carlisle Meadowcreek” you can see a YouTube video from
this show of “Peculiar, Missouri,” the title track of his latest
album. I will say, please don’t go to these special, intimate
events if you plan to chat through it like it’s a 1am Memphis
bar show – I have a feeling you’d be heading home quick
with a tucked tail and hurt feelings.
We drove back that night, despite having offers from
kind old friends and new Meadowcreek acquaintances
willing to put us up in various cabins and converted buses,
and going home on those dark and winding mountain
roads with no tater tot stops was a different and more
dangerous beast than the lackadaisical meandering that
got us there. Next time we’ll definitely take a tent and stay
the night next to the barn.
Another fun road trip full of southern culture and charm
you can do in a day is a loop through Alabama to see
Muscle Shoals Sound Studios and/or Fame Recording
Studio, the Frank Lloyd Wright Rosenbaum House, Ave
Marie Grotto and the Coon Dog Cemetery. We recently did
this round during a trip to Birmingham, which you could
also include if you had an extra day! On our trip we toured
Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, and standing in that tiny
carpeted studio and hearing stories from the incredibly
knowledgeable tour guide about The Swampers and the
artists who recorded there (Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett,
Etta James, The Rolling Stones, Willie Nelson, Bob Seger,
Bob Dylan!) that had such a massive influence across
multiple genres of music worldwide was a mind-boggling
experience. Whether you’re a fan of R&B, country, rock, it
doesn’t matter – this studio touched it and helped create
it. Fans of Sun Records and Stax Records tours should
especially make the pilgrimage – it’s only 2.5 hours away
and well worth the experience!
Across the river in Florence, Alabama, the Frank Lloyd
Wright Rosenbaum House offers guided tours. When we
arrived, they had just started a 45 minute tour so it would
Willi Carlisle performs at a Meadowcreek barn show in Fox, AR
Roseate Spoonbills at the Bald Knob National Wildlife Refuge in AR
Sept+Oct 2023 | focuslgbt.com | Go! 33