Tickets are now available for the Michael Ray concert at The JL Bar Ranch, Resort & Spa. Photo: The JL Bar Ranch, Resort & Spa
On Saturday, April 22, The JL Bar Ranch, Resort, & Spa is excited to welcome Michael Ray as part of the JL Bar Concert Series lineup for 2023. The concert will take place at the FBO Private Airport Hanger and tickets are available now. Michael Ray is a singer, songwriter currently signed to Warner Music Nashville and has released two albums: Michael Ray and Boats and Hoes. (The JL Bar Ranch, Resort & Spa, 2023)
Guests can turn this Saturday night event into a well-deserved weekend getaway by reserving a room in the luxury guest accommodations and booking other activities known to enhance The JL Bar experience. Additional event details are available online.
Event details: Venue doors and bar open at 6:30p.m. (times subject to change) Opening and featured performance: details coming soon
Concert reservations: General Admission tickets: $55 VIP private table: $999 (includes 8 event tickets and 2 drink tickets per person – 16 tickets per table)
Partnered hotel availability: (mention The JL Bar Event when making reservations) Quality Inn, Sonora location: $100/night (single); $120/night (double) Holiday Inn Express, Junction location: $100/night
In celebration of National School Choice Week, families can visit with nearly 30 participating schools. Photo: San Antonio Charter Moms, used with permission.
San Antonio Charter Moms continues the School Discovery Day event series with its largest event yet to be held at The DoSeum on Saturday, January 21 from 11a.m. to 2p.m. In celebration of National School Choice Week (January 22 – January 28), families will have the opportunity to meet school representatives from nearly 30 top San Antonio choice schools, ask questions, get on interest lists and learn about application processes and deadlines. School Discovery Days are free events that connect families with schools in a face-to-face format that enables them to interact directly with multiple school representatives in one convenient location. Families can receive hands-on guidance from the San Antonio Charter Moms team on navigating the nonprofit’s online tools and resources designed to simplify the search and application process. (San Antonio Charter Moms, 2023)
With over 150 schools of choice in the San Antonio area alone, parents and caregivers can quickly become overwhelmed trying to find the right fit for their child’s individual learning needs. Considered the leading authority for assisting local families in their school search, San Antonio Charter Moms (SACM) is designed to help parents and caregivers make informed decisions by providing easy access to extensive school resources such as online discussion groups with over 10K members, articles, live videos, enrollment guides, podcasts, a school finder app and perhaps the most anticipated and impactful of all, their in-person School Discovery Day Series held annually during enrollment season. The series is the largest of its kind in San Antonio, a free school fair event series focusing on charter and choice schools in the area. The events are free, open to the public, and a huge asset to families trying to make sense of the myriad of great school options in San Antonio.
School Discovery Day at the DoSeum (Flagship Event | National School Choice Week) The theater at The DoSeum, 2800 Broadway, San Antonio, TX 78209 School Discovery Day is a free event in The DoSeum’s theater space. Guests will be greeted by the beats of the young DJs of The AM Project. With admission, guests can navigate The DoSeum’s 68,000 square feet of wow-worthy galleries designed to cultivate curiosity, ignite learning, and discover the power of play through interactive fun.
National School Choice Week, January 22–28, is a celebration of the process of allowing every family to choose the K–12 educational options that best fit their children. SACM will host nearly 30 schools during this, the flagship event of the series.
Participating Schools: Anne Frank Inspire Academy, BASIS Charter Schools, Brooks Academies of Texas, CAST Schools, Compass Rose Public Schools, Edgewood ISD Schools of Innovation, Essence Prep, The Gathering Place, Great Hearts of Texas, Harmony Public Schools, IDEA Public Schools, Jubilee Academies, KIPP Texas – San Antonio, Learn4Life Edgewood, Legacy Traditional Schools – Texas, Lighthouse Public Schools, New Frontiers Public Schools, Pre-K 4SA, Prelude Prep, Promesa Academy, Royal Public Schools, SA Prep, SAISD Choice Schools, School of Science and Technology and Southwest Prep.
Other scheduled events: School Discovery Day at Second Baptist Church – Saturday, February 4, 11a.m. – 2p.m. Second Baptist Church Community Center, 3310 E. Commerce St., San Antonio, TX 78220 Second Baptist Church is a historic Black congregation dating back to 1879 now located on the Eastside of San Antonio near the AT&T Center. Inside the Community Center, event guests can sample specialty hot dogs by Doolittle’s Mobile Kitchen, dance to the beats of The AM Project, catch Once in a Wild mobile zoo’s animal program, and get creative with face painting.
School Discovery Day at Hangar 9 – Saturday, February 18, 11a.m. – 2p.m. Hangar 9 at Brooks, 8081 Inner Circle Dr., San Antonio, TX 78223 Hangar 9, built in 1918, is the oldest wooden aircraft hangar of its kind still standing in its original location; now it is an event space at Brooks, a vibrant community on the site of a former Air Force base. Guests at School Discovery Day at Hangar 9 can meet with 25 top schools as they sample specialty hot dogs by Doolittle’s Mobile Kitchen, dance to the beats of The AM Project, catch Once in a Wild mobile zoo’s animal program, and get creative with face painting.
School Discovery Day at Hemisfair (Spring) – Saturday, March 4, 11a.m. – 2p.m. Central Games Plaza in Yanaguana Garden at Hemisfair, 434 S. Alamo St., San Antonio, TX 78205 Hemisfair is a landmark park in downtown San Antonio. Families visiting School Discovery Day at Hemisfair can meet with over 15 top schools as they enjoy the fantastic amenities of Yanaguana Garden, including a splash pad, sand play area, table games, swings, climbing structures, picnic area, restaurants, and more.
The Runaway Grooms will release This Road on February 10, 2023. Photo: Google
For many years, Colorado has been the birthplace for a myriad of unique musical gems and The Runaway Grooms are no exception. The Runaway Grooms’ classic sound is a refreshing take on contemporary jam band music as it celebrates the authenticity and wholesomeness of traditional American roots music through tonality, lyricism, and instrumentation. After finishing their 6th national tour, The Runaway Grooms are now creating a buzz in many different musical communities around the country, sharing bills with nationally renowned and Grammy nominated artists like Umphrey’s McGee, Robben Ford, Leftover Salmon, Twiddle, Trombone Shorty, North Mississippi Allstars, and many more. Their newest album, This Road, is a blending of their previous two albums, marking the band’s return to an American roots rock style of songwriting, while simultaneously sending listeners on extended instrumental journeys through rich and colorful sonic landscapes. (The Runaway Grooms, 2023)
On February 10, the Grooms—guitarist and vocalist Adam Tobin, keyboardist Cody Scott, bassist and vocalist Zach Gillam, drummer Justin Bisset, and guitarist and vocalist Zac Cialek—are releasing their third studio album, This Road, into the world and onto stages nationwide. Recorded on the road at Paloma Sound Studios in Memphis, Tennessee, with former Ardent Studio engineer Jeremy Horn, the Grooms’ third LP marks the band’s return to more of an American roots rock songwriting style, all while keeping one foot in the tight-knit jam band circle from which they emerged. Equally inspired by jazz-fusion exploration from the likes of Steely Dan, Atlanta Rhythm Section, and Yes, and the guitar-driven prowess of Allman Brothers Band, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Grateful Dead, This Road dives in and out of grooves and moods, turning on a dime, but always focusing on what the band sees as the most important aspect; the song. In addition to telling stories and gleaning wisdom from life, love, and struggle, This Road captures an array of emotions and moods drawn from the dramatic narrative of living on the road in a touring band.
JamBase premiered the first track from This Road, the piano-driven rocker “Jenny.” Written by Tobin as a letter from his late grandmother to his mother, “Jenny” is a story about love, life, family, and the passing of time. Recorded live in the studio to capture the organic energy found in The Runaway Grooms’ live show, “Jenny” winds higher and higher, punctuated by Cialek’s piercing lap steel guitar and Scott’s change from rhythmic piano to swirling B3 organ. The up and down dynamics of the song’s instrumentation flows beautifully with its lyrical content, exactly as the band intended, and is capped off by an all-engulfing slide guitar solo before the song effortlessly fades into the album’s next track. Westword included the track in their new music column this week, calling it “six minutes of classic-rock bliss that’s equal parts The Band and the Allman Brothers.”
Fans of the aforementioned bands and more modern contemporaries like Goose or Billy Strings should check out “Jenny”today and stay up to dateon all things ahead of their February 10 release.
This Road track list: Jenny Mister Ford Here I Come Again This Road Heartwork
‘The Peacekeeper’ is the newest novel by B.L. Blanchard. Photo: Amazon
B.L. Blanchard is a graduate of the UC Davis creative writing honors program and was a writing fellow at Boston University School of Law. She is a lawyer and enrolled member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians. She is originally from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan but has lived in California for so long that she can no longer handle cold weather. Her new novel “The Peacekeeper: A Novel” is set against the backdrop of a never-colonized North America, where a broken Ojibwe detective embarks on an emotional and twisting journey toward solving two murders, rediscovering family, and finding himself. (Amazon, 2023)
“The Peacekeeper” – North America was never colonized. The United States and Canada do not exist. The Great Lakes are surrounded by an independent Ojibwe nation and in the village of Baawitigong, a Peacekeeper confronts his devastating past. Twenty years ago to the day, Chibenashi’s mother was murdered and his father confessed. Ever since, caring for his still-traumatized younger sister has been Chibenashi’s privilege and penance. The story begins as another woman is slain on the same night of the Manoomin harvest. She is his mother’s best friend and this connection takes Chibenashi far from the only world he has ever known – to the big city of Shikaakwa. The city is home to the victim’s estranged family – two people Chibenashi never wanted to see again: his imprisoned father and the lover who broke his heart. As the questions mount, the answers will change his and his sister’s lives forever because Chibenashi is about to discover that everything about their lives has been a lie.
Regardless of location and time, there will always be family drama; such is the human condition. This story takes place in an alternate reality where North America was never colonized, the Native people live and thrive there, and Europeans are only visitors. Yet it is far from a perfect society because there is still division of the classes via a caste system and the working class is shunned. Such is the world where Chibenashi lives and as a Peacekeeper, he is tasked with investigating the small town’s newest homicide. Due to extensive character development, most characters, with the exception of Ashwiyaa (Chibenashi’s sister), who comes off as distant, cold, and childish despite being an adult, are relatable and likeable. The language is at times poetic “The watery purple light of early dawn seeped into the room” and helps move the action along at a steady pace. Some of the characters’ names are difficult to get through but that is the uniqueness of the culture. It is interesting to read about how when someone dies, his/her personal belongings are taken to “the recyclers or redistributed to the community” and about a justice system that is restorative instead of punitive. It has just enough plot twists to keep the story from becoming too predictable. “The Peacekeeper” is an excellent crime novel set in an alternate modern society where a murder mystery threatens to tear a family apart. It is recommended for fans of Native American story lines and alternate universes.
“He had slight paranoia that it [a tall skyscraper] would fall down. It reminded him of the way many of the tourists in Baawitigong would express fear that the tall trees in the woods would fall on them, which Chibenashi had always found ridiculous.”
*The author received a copy of this book for an honest review. The views and opinions expressed here belong solely to her.
Free festival highlights the animals and natural beauty of the West. Photo: Briscoe Western Art Museum, used with permission.
From the heart of San Antonio, the museum known for spotlighting the art and beauty of the American West, the Briscoe Western Art Museum, is starting the year in a wild way with its free Wild West Wildlife Festival, as well as a weekend of beastly programming that features the most famous bear in the world to close out the fantastic Thomas D. Mangelsen: A Life In The Wild exhibition. Go “Full STEAM Ahead” into 2023 with free hands-on educational programming, free locals days and the amazing art of the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo. (Briscoe Western Art Museum, 2023)
Calendar highlights include:
Get Wild with Your Family: Free Wild West Wildlife Festival
January 21, 10a.m. – 3p.m.
Highlighting the animals and natural beauty that put the “wild” in the wild West, the Wild West Wildlife Festival celebrates the flora and fauna that define the West and inspire Western art. The Briscoe hosts a beastly day of animal fun, education and hands-on crafts for all ages. Activities highlight the wildlife that calls the West home, with a focus on Texas habitats and creatures great and small. The free festival features art, storytelling and more to inspire everyone to explore the nature all around them and includes free admission to the museum.
See the Beasts of the West at Thomas D. Mangelsen: A Life In The Wild
Through January 29
Western Art celebrates the American West, including the wild places and wildlife that grace the land. Through January 29, the Briscoe features 40 of the renowned nature photographer’s most resonant photographs in Thomas D. Mangelsen – A Life In TheWild, taking viewers on a journey across the West and around the globe. One of the most prolific nature photographers of our time, Mangelsen is an award-winning photographer whose images have been exhibited internationally and published in iconic mediums such as “National Geographic,” “Good Morning America,” and “60 Minutes.”
Spend an Evening with a Famous Bear: Meet Jackson Hole Grizzly Bear 399
January 27, 6:30p.m.
Join us as Todd Wilkinson, author of “Grizzlies of Pilgrim Creek: An Intimate Portrait of 399, the Most Famous Bear of Greater Yellowstone,” talks about the most famous bear in the world, Bear 399. One of the oldest grizzlies in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, Bear 399 is the world’s most famous brown bear mother. Wilkinson will also discuss the iconic Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. The event is free for museum members. Tickets are $14 and are available online.
San Antonio DreamWeek: The Briscoe Presents Art In The Wild & Write In The Wild
January 29, 1p.m. – 4p.m.
Discover nature in the heart of San Antonio with San Antonio Poet Laureate Andrea Vocab Sanderson in the museum’s McNutt Sculpture Garden. Everyone will commune with nature and work hands-on with clay sculpting, sketch drawing or watercolor painting to explore DreamWeek’s themes of representation and identification. Guests will then be immersed in Thomas D.Mangelsen: A Life In The Wild for the last day of the exhibition. After presenting original poetry inspired by Mangelsen’s images, Sanderson will invite guests to choose an animal for their own poetic inspiration. The event is free with museum admission.
The Art of the Rodeo: Student Western Art Competition Exhibit
On display January 5 – February 5, the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo’s Student Western Art Competition Exhibition fills the Clingman Education Gallery and is included with general admission. Featuring the 12 winning entries in the 2023 San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo’s Western Art Competition, the pop-up exhibit showcases the best work from the annual contest that includes 183 South Texas school districts across 54 counties, as well as those attending a private school or homeschooled in one of the eligible counties. Each of the works showcases an appreciation of western heritage, which the Briscoe and the Rodeo happily share. “Horse Talk” a colored pencil drawing by Katherine Ferno, a student at Dripping Springs High School, is featured as “Best in Show.” Enjoy the rodeo exhibition during regular museum hours and be sure to stop by when you are downtown for the Rodeo’s Western Heritage Weekend, February 4.
Howdy Neighbors: First Sundays Free for Local Residents
To show how friendly the West is and to thank the San Antonio community for its continued support, the Briscoe Western Art Museum makes the first Sunday of each month “Locals Day,” greeting locals with free general admission. Bexar County residents can enjoy the Briscoe’s Locals Days through 2023, with free admission on February 5, March 5, April 2, May 7, June 4, July 2,August 6, September 3, October 8, November 5, and December 3. As always, children 12 and under receive free admission to the Briscoe every day, as do active duty members of the military, making the Briscoe a terrific spot for local families to enjoy any time.
Full STEAM Ahead: Free Education Series Offers Hands-on Learning Fun
Families and visitors of all ages can learn about the American West in the Briscoe’s free monthly education series, “Full STEAM Ahead.” Learners of all ages work together and learn about the American West by engaging in hands-on, STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Mathematics) learning experiences. Each activity ties back to the Briscoe’s art and artifacts, bringing the West to life in a new way. From transportation and weather to animals, astronomy and engineering, each program explores an aspect of life in the West to engage and inspire learning. Full STEAM Ahead is included with general admission and is free for museum members.
2023 Full Steam Ahead dates include:
January 21 (Wild West Wildlife Festival)
February 18
March 18 (Part of the Briscoe’s Spring Break Roundup)
‘DBT Workbook for Adult ADHD and anxiety’ is an essential guide to understanding and overcoming the effects of adult ADHD and anxiety. Photo: Amazon
Dr. Janet Willow, MD, PhDis an award-winning clinical psychologist specializing in the psychological treatment of anxiety, ADHD, depression, and other mental health conditions. With decades of experience, she is a leader in her field and widely recognized for her passion to help clients achieve optimal mental health. Her innovative approach to therapy and counseling has had a tremendous impact on many lives and earned her recognition both within professional circles as well as among patients seeking relief from their suffering. Dr. Willow’s approach to therapy focuses on not just eliminating symptoms but also helping clients understand how they relate to their environment, making lasting changes that can improve overall life satisfaction. Her new book, “DBT Workbook for Adult ADHD and Anxiety: A Practical Guide with Dialectical Behavior Techniques and Coping Skills to Overcome a Scattered Brain, Improve Focus and Achieve Optimal Mental Performance,” is an essential guide to understanding and overcoming the effects of adult ADHD and anxiety. (Amazon, 2023)
“DBT Workbook for Adult ADHD and Anxiety” – Dr. Willow uses her decades of expertise in clinical psychology to create an accessible and comprehensive guide that provides readers with a strong understanding of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) as a strategy for addressing these conditions. The book focuses on helping readers develop tools and skills that will help them manage their symptoms associated with ADHD and anxiety — from relaxation techniques to tracking daily activities that lead to improved mental health. With each chapter, Dr. Willow helps readers identify maladaptive behaviors, uncover core beliefs that shape their self-image, and build positive coping strategies to promote sustained recovery. Dr. Willow draws upon her vast experience in treating adults with ADHD and anxiety conditions to provide readers with insight into common struggles they may experience while striving towards greater mental wellbeing. She offers practical guidance on how mindfulness techniques can be applied in everyday life — from organizing chaotic schedules to engaging in intentional conversations with family members or friends. By utilizing evidence-based practices such as DBT together with case studies of successful treatment approaches, this comprehensive DBT resource offers a revolutionary approach for tackling the challenges associated with adult ADHD and anxiety.
Those Who Call is a new horror movie available now for streaming. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
Uncork’d Entertainment has acquired Anubys Lopez’ backwoods horror film Those Who Call and premiered on digital January10, 2023. It is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video, Google Movies, and You Tube. (Those Who Call, 2023)
Those Who Call– The film, starring Angie Sandoval, Yetlanezi Rodriguez, Reese Fast, Kevin Kinkade, and Addison Cousins, tells of two sisters who go on a road trip to Colorado. On their way there, their car breaks down in an abandoned old town. Soon they realize things are not what they seem, and they are not alone in the forest. They find themselves being hunted by a sadistic pagan cult and must do everything in their power to survive.
“If you enjoyed The Lodge, Winchester, and The Heretics, Those Who Call should be on your must-see list. Headlined by two very strong actresses, Those Who Call has so much going for it. We look forward to audiences discovering it in January, when we release.” – Keith Leopard, President Uncork’d Entertainment
Uncork’d Entertainment was founded in July, 2012 by Keith Leopard, a Home Entertainment industry veteran with more than 23 years of experience in purchasing, acquisitions, merchandising, marketing, and analysis of major studio and independent supplier to the home entertainment market. The Company focuses on distribution in six areas: Digital Media, Physical Home Entertainment, Aggregation, Theatrical and Television, Foreign Sales, and has secured relationships across all platforms to ensure your film reaches the widest audience possible. Keith and his team are committed to maximizing revenue, controlling costs, and assuring their Content Partners the highest quality of service, a commitment to market and merchandise their film and a rewarding experience by partnering with Uncork’d Entertainment.
Roman Landscapes: Visions of Nature and Myth from Rome and Pompeii opens at the San Antonio Museum of Art in February 2023. Photo: Google
The San Antonio Museum of Art (SAMA) recently announced that it will present Roman Landscapes: Visions of Nature and Myth from Rome and Pompeii in February 2023, the first exhibition in the United States to explore landscape scenes as a genre of ancient Roman art. Serving as a contrast to the typical works of antiquity with which most museum audiences are familiar—the larger-than-life statues venerating gods or heroes, or scenes of battle or ritual found on friezes or pottery—these works instead depict artists’ idyllic visions of a countryside dotted with seaside villas and rural shrines, where gods and mythological heroes mingle with travelers, herdsmen, and worshippers. (San Antonio Museum of Art, 2023)
Organized by and presented exclusively in San Antonio, Roman Landscapes features more than 65 works, including major loans from museums in Italy, France, and Germany, many of which have never before been shown in the United States. The exhibition was curated and organized by Jessica Powers, SAMA’s Interim Chief Curator and Gilbert M. Denman, Jr., Curator of Art of the Ancient Mediterranean World, and will be on view at SAMA from February 24 through May 21, 2023.
Roman Landscapes will be accompanied by a richly illustrated catalogue published by the museum, featuring essays by Powers; Bettina Bergmann, Professor Emeritus of Art History at Mount Holyoke College; Verity Platt, Professor of Classics and History of Art at Cornell University; Lynley J. McAlpine, Mellon Foundation Postdoctoral Curatorial Fellow at SAMA; Timothy M. O’Sullivan, Professor of Classical Studies at Trinity University; and Thomas Fröhlich, Director of the Library at the German Archaeological Institute in Rome. In conjunction with the exhibition, Trinity University will dedicate its spring Lennox Seminar Lecture Series to subjects explored in the museum’s presentation.
Developed through several years of research that began with Powers’ explorations of works in SAMA’s own notable collection, Roman Landscapes will feature an array of wall paintings, sculptures, mosaics, and cameo glass and silver vessels created in Roman Italy between 100 BC and AD 250. The exhibition will introduce visitors to their cultural and archaeological contexts and highlight the artistic conventions that distinguish Roman landscape scenes, including fluid, almost impressionistic brushwork and the use of bird’s-eye perspective.
The exhibition is organized around five thematic sections. The first, “Garden Landscapes,” brings together paintings and sculptures from houses in Pompeii and nearby villas on the Bay of Naples to evoke the experience of a Roman peristyle garden. “Coastal Views and Cultivated Landscapes” and “Sacred Landscapes” present mural paintings and relief sculptures that depict seascapes and rustic shrines, images that show how landscape scenes once decorated lavish Roman residences. In “The DangerousLandscapes of Myth,” mythological paintings then reveal landscape scenes as settings for hazardous encounters between humans and the gods, presenting visually the oft-told stories that served as warnings about individual or community behavior. The last section, “Landscapes in the Tomb,” compares wall paintings from communal tombs in Rome with those from houses and explores the adaptation of landscape imagery for funerary settings.
San Antonio is the nation’s seventh-largest city and is consistently listed as one of its fastest-growing. The Museum is housed in the historic Lone Star Brewery on the Museum Reach of San Antonio’s River Walk and is committed to promoting the rich cultural heritage and life of the city. It hosts hundreds of events and public programs each year, including concerts, performances, tours, lectures, symposia, and interactive experiences. As an active civic leader, the Museum is dedicated to enriching the cultural life of the city and the region, and to supporting its creative community.
‘The Journey Within’ is the new book by Daniel Shaba. Photo: Daniel Shaba
Daniel Shaba is a poet and self-help author passionate about personal growth and self-discovery. His debut self-help book, “A Way to Find Self-Belief and Unlock Your Potential,” offered tools for building self-confidence and achieving goals. In “The Journey Within,” his latest poetry book, he invites readers on a journey of self-discovery and inner peace, encouraging them to explore their values and embrace life’s challenges and triumphs. His poetry, with a background in psychology and personal development, offers insights and inspiration for living a fulfilling and meaningful life, speaking to the heart and soul of its readers and offering hope and guidance on the path to personal growth and inner peace. (Daniel Shaba, 2023)
“The Journey Within” is a poetic masterpiece that takes you on a journey of self-discovery, personal growth, and inner peace. This book explores the challenges and triumphs of overcoming adversity, achieving your goals, and finding your place in the world. With chapters on positive thinking, emotional intelligence, self-confidence, and self-expression, this book offers tools and strategies for living a fulfilling and meaningful life.
Through the power of words and self-expression, this book encourages you to stand up for what you believe in and inspire change in your community. With a focus on gratitude, positivity, forgiveness, and mindfulness, this book encourages you to embrace life’s journey and find joy in the present moment.
From discovering your inner strength and finding your purpose, to building healthy relationships and exploring new possibilities, The Journey Within is a guide for personal growth and self-discovery. Through self-care, self-compassion, and self-love, this book offers tools and strategies for living a life of inner peace and contentment.
The National Park’s new album 8th Wonder will be out March 3, 2023. Photo: Amazon
Utah-based indie-pop group The National Parkswants their music to spark memories of listeners’ own outdoor adventures. Brady Parks (vocals, guitar), Sydney Macfarlane (vocals, keys), Cam Brannelly (drums), and Megan Parks (violin)—breathe in inspiration from the world around them and exhale cinematic indie folk-pop powered by soaring harmonies, organic orchestration, and luminous electronics. “I’m spiritually connected when I’m in nature and when I’m listening to music,” says the band’s violinist Megan Parks. “We hope you hear the connection between nature and music, too.” On March 3, The National Parks will expand their vision yet again on their fifth full-length album, 8th Wonder. (The National Parks, 2023)
Bonus Points: The National Parks snuck all of the Natural Wonders of the World into the lyrics of “8th Wonder.” Can you pick out all seven of them? Fans can hear “8th Wonder”now and pre-order or pre-save8th Wonder ahead of its March 3 release.
In addition to the album announcement, The National Parks have also announced the Spring leg of their 2023 8th Wonder Tour. Stops include The Troubador in Los Angeles and Antone’s in Austin. A full list of tour dates can be found below or online.
At the top of 2022, The National Parks hopped on Zoom for a “New Year’s Resolutions meeting,” which galvanized their next step and the vision for the album became completely clear. The band discussed their ambitions for the year ahead and ultimately decided they wanted to focus more on their core identity for the next LP. That connection with the natural world became the thematic center of the writing process. “We’ve stepped into what The National Parks is,” Sydney elaborates. “We basically said, ‘This is who we are and who we have always been.’ We decided to show who we are without trying to prove anything. I think it’s our best work.”
“Angels,” the album’s first single and opening track, sets the tone for what is to come. The layered, evocative song centers on breaking free of expectation and searching for adventure on the open road—a sentiment that threads through the rest of the album.
In the end, The National Parks welcome everyone into a much bigger and more wonderful musical world. “When you hear this, we hope you feel like you stepped outside,” Brady Parks leaves off. “We hope you discover the spirit of the unknown and the adventure of life with all its ups and downs. This album is about embracing it all and living life to the fullest.”
8th Wonder Tour Spring 2023 Dates: Friday, March 17 – Salt Lake City, UT – Union Events Center Friday, April 21 – Rexburg, ID – Romance Theater Saturday, April 22 – Boise, ID – Treefort Music Hall Tuesday, April 25 – Portland, OR – Mission Theater Wednesday, April 26 – Seattle, WA The Crocodile’s Madame Lou’s Friday, April 28 – Berkeley, CA Cornerstone Saturday, April 29 – Santa Cruz, CA The Atrium Thursday, May 4 – San Diego, CA Voodoo Friday, May 5 – Los Angles, CA Troubadour Tuesday, May 9 – Houston, TX The Bronze Peacock at House of Blues – Houston Wednesday, May 10 – Austin, TX – Antone’s Thursday, May 11 – Dallas, TX – Kessler Friday, May 12 – Oklahoma City, OK – 89th Street OKC Saturday, May 13 – Denver, CO – Bluebird
SA Examiner 