Smokey and the Mirror at South on Main

Last Wednesday we attended a concert at South on Main in Little Rock. Smokey and the Mirror was opening for Dylan Leblanc. South on Main is a restaurant and performance venue featuring the best of Southern cuisine and culture. The food was amazing and the music venue is great.

Smokey and the Mirror is the musical project of Bryan and Bernice Hembree. I first heard Bryan and Bernice when they came with the band 3 Penny Acre to my hometown here in Mena, Arkansas and gave a concert at The Ouachita Little Theater. I went to the concert because my friend Richie Owens was opening for them and I was curious about the band because Bernice Hembree grew up here in Mena. I was blown away by how talented they were. Since then I have tried to attend as many of their concerts as I can. I have attended concerts in Fayetteville, Eureka Springs, Harrison, Mena and Bentonville in Arkansas and have traveled out of state to Oklahoma City, Shreveport, and Houston to hear them play.

My favorite Smokey and the Mirror concert was the November 2013 concert at The Blue Door in Oklahoma City.

The Blue Door concert was part of a live recording project by Goose Creek Music.  The album that was produced was called Three Nights Live. The album was recorded at three classic listening-room venues in Texas and Oklahoma: McGonigel’s Mucky Duck in Houston, The Cactus Café located on the University of Texas’ Austin campus, and The Blue Door. Three Nights Live featured Rebecca Loebe, Smokey and the Mirror, and Raina Rose, along with studio musicians Daniel Walker and Will Robertson,



When I learned that Smokey and the Mirror was opening for Dylan LeBlanc at South on Main in Little Rock, I was excited and made plans to attend. We drove to Little Rock on a dreary day with light rain falling. We drove downtown and found South on Main easily. Our table was right in front of the stage. We enjoyed our meal. My wife had the chicken fried cauliflower steak with mashed potatoes, asparagus, and onion gravy. I had the stuffed pepper with cous cous, melted leeks, mushrooms, and piquillo puree. Our food was great, and we enjoyed visiting with the other couple at our table. They live in a condo just a few blocks from the restaurant.

Smokey and the Mirror put on a great show. South on Main is an intimate venue and a special place to see a concert and to take photos. This was our first time there but I'm sure it won't be the last.

I recorded several of the songs during the concert.