The 13th annual Southern Soul Showdown is set for Sept. 8 at the Union County Fairgrounds, and this year’s affair will not only be a showdown between the headliners, but also a battle of the bands that accompany them.
Gates open at 6 p.m. and the show starts at 7 p.m. with performances by contemporary blues and Southern Soul artists J-Wonn and The Legacy Band, LJ Nichols and The Neckbone Band, and Vick Allen and The Velvet Soul Band.
Featured acts who have developed a following throughout the region will round out the bill, including Summer Wolfe and The Mississippi Players, MP Soul, CoCo and Fat Daddy.
P2K will host the show, with DJ Banks and and DJ Big Daddy on hand to help entertain the crowd.
Presented by Mr. Mike’s Productions, Showdown began in 2006 as a response from fans of Soul Fest, which is held in late spring each year and is also presented by Mr. Mike’s.
Michael Jackson, of Mr. Mike’s Productions and owner of Mr. Mike’s Music and Artwork, said area blues and Southern Soul fans who regularly attended Soul Fest asked for another outdoor show “before it got too cold.”
Thus, Showdown was born.
Like Soul Fest, Showdown offers some of the most well-known names and music on the close-knit Southern Soul circuit.
Showdown differs, however, in that it pits the artists against each other in a stiff, but friendly competition in which the winners are chosen by the audience.
For this year’s lineup, “The Prince of Southern Soul” (Echols) will square off against “The Velvet Voice of Southern” (Allen).
They both will face a hearty challenge from J-Wonn — who, within the last five years, has emerged as one of the youthful voices of the Southern Soul.
Echols and Allen have built solid and dedicated fan bases over the years, having remained true to the gritty, seductive mix of R&B, soul, jazz and gospel that have come to characterize Southern Soul.
J-Wonn is following in that old-school tradition and has won hardcore fans over with songs such as “We Gone Party” and “2 Ways.”
Echols and Allen have filled their musical repertoires with songs that have become some of the most popular hits in Southern Soul, including one of Echols’ most recent releases, “How Low Can You Go” and Allen’s 2014 single, “Soul Music,” a rumination and tribute to the genre.
Tickets for Showdown are $25 until Saturday, $30 until Sept. 7 and $35 at the gate.
Jackson said fans took advantage of an early-bird ticket special of $20 — which ended Aug. 4.
There will also be food and photography vendors onsite.
Showdown typically draws an average crowd of 1,500 - 2,000, and Jackson said he is hoping for an even bigger crowd on Sept. 8.
“We just want everybody to bring their lawn chairs and come out and have a good time,” he said.
Tickets are available at Mr. Mike’s Music and Artwork, 1309 E. Hillsboro; Special Touch in Camden; JB’s in Crossett; Golden Girls in Warren; Record Rack in Pine Bluff; Ugly Mike’s in Little Rock; and Golden Lady in Texarkana.
Tickets are also available in Louisiana at LBK’s in Farmerville; Martha’s Boutique in Ruston; and Poppa’s Liquor in Arcadia.
For more information, call Jackson at 870-866-7441.
Tia Lyons may be contacted at 870-862-6611 or by email at [email protected].