Thacker Mountain Radio is back and is starting its lineup in a new venue with a big bang. This Thursday night, Thacker Mountain Radio will be moving its “living theater” to the Nutt Auditorium at The University of Mississippi. This show, like all the rest, is sure to be a can’t miss with performances by classical pianist Bruce Levingston, the local band Silas Reed N’ Da Books and a reading by Karen Abbott.
Known for its ability to draw a crowd and provide a good time, Thacker Mountain Radio has a great way of combining hometown familiarity with nationally ranked talent. The show offers weekly author readings and local music from the Square and Oxford.
“The TMR (Thacker Mountain Radio) crowd is not the crowd that some think of when they find out about the show,” said Kathryn McGaw, producer of Thacker Mountain Radio. “The regular TMR crowd has a more ‘party or pre-party-before-the-Square’ attitude. We have a ton of student, local and out-of-town interaction.”
Although usually set at Off Square Books, Thacker Mountain Radio will kick off this semester at the Nutt Auditorium on campus. Thacker Mountain is collaborating with the The University of Mississippi Museum, which helped the popular radio station book and prepare the unusual venue.
“We partnered with the university’s museum with the hopes of attracting both great local talent and a bigger student crowd along with our own Thacker Mountain crowd,” McGaw said. “They helped us find some of the great talent that we have performing Thursday.”
Bruce Levingston is not only one of these great talents but also one of the prominent figures in contemporary music today. According to the Thacker Mountain Radio website, Levingston’s repertoire spans from the baroque works of Bach and Scarlatti and the classical and romantic masterpieces of Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert and Brahms to the most avant-garde works of today. The New York Times calls him “one of today’s most adventurous musicians.”
“I love the show myself, and it would be awesome if some of the students might get to hear some pieces they’ve never heard before,” Levingston said. “I always think that’s what’s so great about listening to radio programs. You always hear and learn about some cool piece of music you never even knew existed.”
Levingston is the university’s artist-in-residence for both the Sally McDonnell-Barksdale Honors College and the Department of Music and looks forward to working with talented university students.
However, Levingston will not be the only musical act performing at this event. The local soul and funk band Silas Reed N’ Da Books will also be showing the Thacker Mountain Radio audience a good time.
The lively band led by Oxford local Silas Reed is a jam collective fed by a deep roster of talented musical personalities and combines electro, gospel, soul, rock and jazz into one textured live experience. This group was formed in the summer of 2007 and has been playing ever since Reed graduated from Oxford High School.
“I once saw them play in The Lyric and it was great,” said Amber Goode, senior political science major. “Their music just makes you want to move and listen.”
In addition to great live music of all sorts, the Thacker Mountain Radio audience will also get a special reading from Karen Abbott, the nationally recognized author of the novel “Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy.”
“I’ve never been to Oxford, and it’s an honor and a thrill to finally have my chance,” Abbot said. “Oxford has such an illustrious literary history, and I’m looking forward to experiencing that.”
Nationally known for her novels “Sin in the Second City” and “American Rose” among others, Abbott is sure to be welcomed to the Oxford literary scene and added to the list of talent that has appeared on Thacker Mountain.
“I’m grateful for any opportunity to get young people interested in history — it’s not nearly as boring as what is on your typical required reading list,” Abbot stated. “My lady spies lied, cheated, fought, drank, stole, avenged, wheedled, flirted and murdered their way through the Civil War, and their stories deserve a new audience.
“I’m really looking forward to it. I’ve heard it’s a great time, although I’ll probably be a little nervous at first. If anyone wants to say hello beforehand, I’ll probably be huddling over a barstool at The Library.”
Thacker Mountain Radio will be live at 6 p.m. Sept. 4 in the Nutt Auditorium with free admission. The show’s audience will also be treated to an after-show reception at The University of Mississippi Museum where they will not only be able to mingle but also get a peak at the museum’s new Bloomingdale’s Fashion Exhibit.
