Hailed as “The Lennon and McCartney of kids’ music” (National Public Radio), musical duo and Northwest Arkansas-residents Trout Fishing in America will kick off their 50th Anniversary Tour at Walton Arts Center on Thursday, Sept. 24 at 7 pm.
Come out and show these legends some Fayetteville love! Standard all-in ticket prices are $20. Tickets are available for purchase online at waltonartscenter.org or by calling the box office at 479.443.5600
Keith Grimwood and Ezra Idlet formed Trout Fishing in America in 1979 as a means of survival. They had joined St. Elmo’s Fire, a Texas-based five-piece band and traveled to California with hopes of being discovered and signed by a major record label. When no such opportunity arose and the promising tour dissolved, Grimwood and Idlet peeled off from their bandmates to fend for themselves. Busking on the streets of Santa Cruz with an acoustic guitar and an upright bass, the pair quickly learned that engaging listeners instantly was the only path towards dollars and coins in the open guitar case.
Rather than waiting for a record label’s attention, they formed their own Trout Records label in the 1980s and released two vinyl albums and two cassettes. Drawing inspiration from childhoods spent listening to top 40 AM radio, the two songwriters seasoned their music with stylings from rock and roll, blues, folk, country, bluegrass, funk, Latin and reggae ... whatever sound would best bring out the flavor of the lyrics they wrote. Grimwood and Idlet have always been road warriors, driving tens of thousands of miles throughout the U.S. every year. Through hard work, strong musicianship, solid friendship, supportive families and a genuine ability to connect with their audience, Trout’s homegrown success and appeal exploded in the 1990s.
It is not unusual for three or four generations of a family to show up at a Trout performance and this is a point of pride for both performers. It may still be impossible to tell you what kind of music Trout plays, but after attending a show, you’ll know exactly what you’ve witnessed: two guys who still love what they do and are excited to share it.
Support for Walton Arts Center is provided, in part, by the Arkansas Arts Council, an agency of the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage, and Tourism, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Walton Arts Center is Arkansas’ largest and busiest performing arts presenter. Each year more than 215,000 people from Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma and beyond attend more than 300 public events at Walton Arts Center, including performances, rehearsals, community gatherings, receptions, weddings and more. Approximately 32,000 students and teachers participate annually in arts learning programs at Walton Arts Center, and almost 250 volunteers donate 28,000 hours of time each year to its operations. Walton Arts Center presents entertainers and artists from around the world including Broadway musicals, renowned dance companies, international artists, up-and-coming jazz musicians and more. As a non-profit organization, Walton Arts Center enjoys the generous support of public sector funding, corporate sponsorship and private donors, allowing audience members to enjoy world-class performances at a great price. To learn more about Walton Arts Center, visit www.waltonartscenter.org.
