Vol. 1, No. 3, August 22, 2025

People. Places. Things to Do.

"If music be the food of love, play on." -William Shakespeare 

Hello Friends, 

Whether you’ve been with us from the beginning or are just stepping through the door, welcome to the Green Room. I’m Jimmy Rea, announcer and host of Arts News on KSMU Ozarks Public Radio. Together with our sister station, Ozarks Public Television, we bring you this newsletter to spotlight the artists, venues, and performances that keep creativity thriving across our community. 

A special thank you goes to Ray S. and Mary C. for contributing to the tip jar last week. If you’d like to support The Green Room, you can find the tip jar at the bottom of the newsletter each week and every contribution has a positive impact on public media here in the Ozarks. 

This week feels especially close to home, as I get the chance to share some of my own artistry with you. My roots in the Ozarks music community run deep, and every chance to perform for friends, family, and fans is a gift. Tonight is a sentimental one as my band, The HillBenders, return to Springfield after more than a year's absence. We’ll be bringing new voices, new music, and plenty of energy to the Tie & Timber stage. 

Also featured in this edition of The Green Room is the debut production from a new theatre company celebrating Shakespeare with The Tempest. From fresh sounds to timeless stories, this week is another reminder of why the arts matter here in the Ozarks.

Come on into the Green Room,

The Green Room Arts News Letter is presented by 

The HillBenders return to Springfield with new voices and new music

It’s been more than a year since The HillBenders played their last hometown show, and the band is bringing a few new elements to their August 22 concert at Tie & Timber. KSMU has an exclusive first listen to their new single...read more

Shakespeare’s The Tempest arrives in The Ozarks

A new community theatre company makes its debut in downtown Springfield with a fresh take on Shakespeare. Their first production, The Tempest, sets the stage for a focus on classical works in the heart of the city...read more

Arts News on KSMU is your long-standing source for what's happening in the Ozarks arts scene spotlighting local creators, performances, and cultural events every week. Tune in Fridays at 10 a.m. on 91.1-FM or stream at KSMU.org

👉Got a story, event, or artist I should know about? Share your arts and music tips with The Green Room, and help us shine a spotlight on the creative pulse of the Ozarks! You can email them to me at JRea@MissouriState.edu.

Sponsored by DresslerPeters

August 22 -  One More Dollar Album Release at The Shoe Tree Listening Room

August 22 - The HillBenders at Tie & Timber

August 22 - 23 - Dean Delray at The Blue Room Comedy Club

August 22- 23 -Stained Glass Theatre presents The Riverboat Revival 

August 23 - Collection connection: A 99x Retrospective

August 23 - Storytelling Day at the George Washington Carver National Monument

August 21 - Live from Downtown: Buster Clifton Davis w/Krista Meadows

🎶Friends don't leave friends out of the music and arts scene - they share all the local arts and music happenings.  Just forward this email to friends! 

The Green Room Weekly Arts News Letter is supported by Highlonesome Heritage Music Festival

One of my favorite things about prepping Local Radar each week is that I discover so much local music I’ve never heard before (obviously). Quite a bit of it is new, but every now and then I stumble across something from years past that I have no idea how I missed – especially because it’s so d@mn good. 

Case in point: this little power pop gem from 2018 called “Tomorrow Night” by the band Daisypusher. Stylistically I’ve been calling it “the best song that Jimmy Eat World never wrote.” If that description means anything good to you, I guarantee you will LOVE this song. I randomly found it on Bandcamp last week and must have listened to it half a dozen times. Ever since then it has been stuck in my head in a way that would be maddening....if it wasn’t so d@mn good. 

Daisypusher itself was the second band from the brother-sister duo of Liz and Patrick Carney, who first made their name on the Springfield scene with their electro-rock outfit Kids & Chemicals (also very much worth a listen). This very talented team added three more to their cohort and recorded three EP’s as Daisypusher between 2016 and 2019. After a long absence, this group has reformed and returned, now under the name Hitters, and has just begun releasing new music. Their latest single “Bad Part of The Country” will be on Local Radar tonight! 

Meanwhile, sit back, give “Tomorrow Night” a spin, and bliss out on some absolute dreamy pop magic that is just SO D@MN GOOD.  

We’ll see you next week! 

-Ran 

Local Radar with Ran Cummings is a weekly music and conversation radio show on KSMU featuring bands and performances from in and around the Ozarks every Friday night at 9:00 p.m. on 91.1 - FM or stream at KSMU.org. 

Catch Studio Live with Melissa Rea and Jess Balisle the 2nd Friday at noon on KSMU. 

September 12 - Mitchell Matthews & The Media

October 10 - Matteson Gregory 

November 14 - Mr. Orange

December 12:- Drew Beine 

In the mood to stay in? Queue up one of these videos handpicked by our staff at Ozarks Public Broadcasting, perfect for a night in when you're skipping the scene but still craving culture. 

These favorites from KSMU and OPT are just the beginning—there’s a whole world of storytelling, music, documentaries, and local gems waiting on you to dive in and discover at your local public broadcasting station. 

Was this email sent to you by a friend? If you'd love fresh takes, local gems, and behind-the-scenes artsy goodness in your inbox every week subscribe to The Green Room Arts News letter.

❤️Huge thanks to Ray S. and Mary C. for their generous tips to The Green Room. We appreciate you!

The Green Room: A Weekly Arts News Letter is a production of Ozarks Public Broadcasting. For more information about our programs and services please visit our website.

Mailing Address:
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Springfield, MO 65897

Telephone:

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