The Jonesboro Advertising and Promotion Commission’s Downtown Jonesboro BBQ and Music festival Thursday announced plans the 2024 event, September 27-28 in Downtown Jonesboro.
The festival will include two nights of live music.
Headlining Friday night (27th) will be The Band of Heathens, an American rock and roll band from Austin, Texas formed in 2005. The band’s self-titled studio album rose to number one on the American Music Association’s radio charts and was ranked 8th on the Americana Music Associations Top 100 Albums for 2008. In July 2009 the band was showcased on the TV show Austin City Limits that showcased a set by both the Band of Heathens and Elvis Costello during the Shows 35th Anniversary. The band released “Hurricane” in 2011 which enjoyed radio play across the country. Opening for The Band of Heathans will be June & Giles. Opening up the event on Friday evening will be AL Kapone, Memphis rapper/D.J. known for his underground success in the Memphis hip hop scene in the 1990’s and most famous for “whoop that trick” featured in the movie Hustle and Flow and a signature at the Memphis Grizzlies games.
Headlining Saturday (28th) on the RightFiber Stage is Stephen Pearcy of RATT and his band. Pearcy formed RATT in 1982 and throughout RATT’s nearly four decades of success with Pearcy at its helm, they released 8 albums and played thousands of shows worldwide all the while selling over 20 million records. His list of hits includes Round and Round, Wanted Man, Lay it Down, Lack of Communication, Dance, You’re in Love and many more. Opening for Pearcy will be EXCITER, a popular local KISS tribute band.
In recent years the festival has presented concerts by Priscilla Block, Jameson Rodgers, Shane Profitt, Gin Blossoms, Queensryche, Morris Day and the Time, Blind Melon, Smash Mouth, FUEL, Scotty McCreery, Brett Michaels, Brothers Osborne, The Commodores, Lee Brice, .38 Special, Rick Springfield, Easton Corbin, Barrett Baber and Night Ranger.
“We are thrilled to bring these major artists to Downtown Jonesboro,” said festival chairman Tim McCall. “We have a full lineup of talented musicians for all of Northeast Arkansas to enjoy for free. Our event has become a mainstay in the Mid-South, and it continues to grow.”
Saturday will also include music entertainment on the Molson Coors Stage with Starroy, Further Down, Fallen Within, Flatland Funk Donors, and Smells Like NIRVANA, an American NIRVANA tribute band. Kaden Trevathan, the United Way NEA Sings competition winner, will also perform.
The festival also hosts the First National Bank, Kansas City Barbecue Society-sanctioned Arkansas State Championship with over $13,000 in prize money. The Kansas City Barbecue Society (KCBS) is the largest BBQ organization in the world. Each year, the Grand Champion is invited to the American Royal and Jack Daniels World Championship. Vendor and KCB BBQ Contest applications can be found at
www.facebook.com/downtownjonesborobbqfest & www.Downtownjonesborobbq.com
A Kansas City BBQ Judges class will also be held, August 24th at 10am to 2 PM at Abilities Unlimited, 2725 North Church St.
Saturday’s festival activities include food and craft vendors and music throughout the day.
