3 Penny Acre CD Release Concert

 

Sunday we attended the 3 Penny Acre CD Release Concert for their new album, Rag and Bone.  3 Penny Acre is an awesome Folk Americana band from Fayetteville, Arkansas.  Over the last few years, they have been my favorite band. Their name comes from the fact that the price of the Louisiana Purchase was three cents an acre. 3 Penny Acre is Bayard Blain, Bernice Hembree, and Bryan Hembree. They are all wonderful musicians, vocalists and songwriters.

Rag and Bone is their third album following the self titled 2008 release and Highway 71 released in 2010.  Highway 71 debuted on the folk radio charts at #3, including the title track “Highway 71” as the #1 song, and held that position for two months. Highway 71 runs through Mena, and my shop is located on the highway. When we first moved to Arkansas in 1981, Highway 71 still had one lane bridges and there was a popular bumper sticker that stated, Please pray for me; I drive Highway 71.

I first heard 3 Penny Acre when they came to Mena, Arkansas and gave a concert at The Ouachita Little Theater. I was curious about them because Bernice Hembree grew up here in Mena. I was blown away by how talented they were. I attend their concerts whenever it is possible. The CD Release Concert was something really special. They not only played the songs off of the new album but lots of old favorites. As the music flowed, it was obvious to the audience that the band was having a great time.

Here is a video I recorded at the concert of Bayard Blain singing his song, "Cowbird".  As someone who enjoys birdwatching, I got a kick out of the song.  

At the concert I took a series of sepia toned photos.  Here are some of the better shots.

After the concert we enjoyed visiting with Bernice and Bryan. We also visited some people from Mena who made the trip to Fayetteville for the concert.  On the long drive back home to Mena we listened to the new album until it felt like an old friend.

If you enjoy Folk or Americana music and appreciate insightful songwiting be sure to check out 3 Penny Acre.

Kettle

My entry for this weeks ABC Wednesday Meme is a picture of my granddaughter Autumn, taken a few years ago, looking into a large kettle at Houmas House.

Houmas House is a restored plantation home on the Mississippi River in Louisiana. The first owners of the plantation were the indigenous Houmas Indians, who were given a land grant to occupy the fertile plain between the Mississippi and Lake Maurepas to the north.

The Houmas sold the land to Maurice Conway and Alexander Latil in the mid 1700's. The original French Provincial house that Latil erected on the property in is situated directly behind the Mansion, adjoined by a carriageway to the grand home described during its antebellum heyday as "The Sugar Palace." The original home was later used as living quarters for the staff that served the great house.

By the time of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, the plantation was established and producing sugar.

In 1810, Revolutionary War hero Gen. Wade Hampton of Virginia purchased the property and shortly thereafter began construction on the Mansion. However, it was not until 1825 when Hampton's daughter, Caroline, and her husband, Col. John Preston, took over the property that the grand house truly began to take shape.



Construction on the Mansion was completed in 1828. At the same time, Houmas House began to build its sugar production and continued to increase its land holdings, which ultimately grew to 300,000 acres.

Here are some more pictures of Autumn taken at Houmas House.







  ABC Wednesday Meme is a fun way to see some great blogs.