Vol. 2, No. 20, June 12, 2026
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People. Places. Things To Do. |
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| Welcome back to The Green Room.
This week, we remember the life and legacy of beloved Ozarks storyteller Marideth Sisco, whose voice and spirit enriched audiences throughout the region, including right here on Ozarks Public Radio. We also chat with High Tide Theatrical actors about their ambitious production of “Little Shop of Horrors,” bringing a man-eating plant, rotating casts, and a botanical pop-up experience to downtown Springfield through June 27.
Speaking of theatre, I recently spoke with prolific actor and Missouri State University alumnus John Goodman about the changing realities facing young performers and his encouragement for artists to continue investing in themselves and their craft. Perhaps the only advice that truly stands the test of time as show business and the world continue to change rapidly.
I also have some bittersweet news, folks. Our Studio Live social hour performances will come to a close after The Sideburns performance this week at Springfield Brewing Company, but the music and conversations will continue on air and in a new way.
Studio Live is now a podcast! It’s joined by Arts News, Growing the Ozarks, and Talking History in a growing collection of podcasts that share the voices and stories of the Ozarks, brought to you by KSMU Studios. Subscribe today wherever you get your podcasts or explore the whole collection at ksmu.org/podcasts.
We’re excited to bring the programs you love to these platforms, so feel free to spread the word and share them with all your friends!
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| Jimmy Rea
Host, Arts News
KSMU 91.1 - FM
Ozarks Public Broadcasting
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The Green Room is sponsored by Springfield Community Gardens
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Marideth performing at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival. Photo Credit: Smithsonian Folklife Festival.
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Friends, musicians and former colleagues reflect on the life and legacy of Ozarks storyteller Marideth Sisco, the longtime host of These Ozarks Hills on KSMU...read more.
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The cast in a dress rehearsal. Photo Credit: High Tide Theatrical
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High Tide Theatrical brings the cult-classic musical “Little Shop of Horrors” to downtown Springfield this summer with a unique production featuring two rotating casts and a real botanical pop-up experience inside the venue. The darkly comedic musical runs through June 27 at The Lightroom Lounge at Martha’s Vineyard...read more.
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The Sideburns from left to right: Mike Henderson, Jonathan Keeney, Mike Rumsey, Jody Bilyeu. Photo Credit: Sideburns Corporate.
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This week, we welcome The Sideburns to the show. Specializing in Stax-era Memphis instrumental soul, the band is made up of Mike Rumsey, Jonathan “J” Keeney, Jody Bilyeu, and Mike Henderson. They stopped by the station to chat about the band’s origins and how they came up with the name...read more.
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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.
You can hear Arts News Fridays at 10 a.m. on 91.1 FM, stream it online at KSMU.org, or subscribe to the Arts News podcast wherever you get your podcasts. New podcast episodes are released every Friday,
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👉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
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Sponsored by Sothern Plumbing
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🎶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 a friend!
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My parents were both skydivers. That’s how they met. My dad, after the Army, and my mom, after college, fell into the sport, fell out of a plane, and fell in love (darn, I’m a good writer). And, as any sensible, red-blooded, sky-diving persons would do in the late 70’s; they moved to central Kansas. Like, the dead center of Kansas. A little town called Ellinwood, specifically.
Why, you may ask? For the obvious reason that in the absolute middle of brushy nothingness, you can pretty much jump out of a plane whenever and wherever you want to - as long as the wind is good.
There wasn’t much else to do there, but there was plenty of that.
And that’s where I was born.
Now, unsurprisingly, there were also not a lot of choices on the radio in the nucleus of nowhere 50 years ago either. Mostly both kinds, “Country and Western.” Therefore, by the time they moved to Kansas City several years later, the habit had been established and the soundtrack for the first decade of my life was AM Country radio and, I am here to say: I LOVE COUNTRY MUSIC.
But not just any country music. The scrappy, twangy, somehow both muggy and dust-soaked country that populated the AM airwaves of the 70’s and 80’s. And much of that belonged to, or owed a debt to, a genre best typified by the likes of Waylon, Wille, Johnny, and Merle - “Outlaw Country.”
Outlaw Country, born in Austin, TX in the early 70’s, was a rejection of the Nashville scene of the time. It represents a distillation of Country music down to its base elements, with authenticity, imperfections, looking back to move forward, and (frequently) a progressive ethos. Not surprisingly, Outlaw Country’s most direct musical analog is punk.
Per Dylan Earl, a Fayetteville based artist who’ll be playing at Ozarks Pride Fest this weekend: “Outlaw country is punk ****. Every punk in the world ******* loves Johnny Cash, and Johnny Cash loved every punk in the world.”
Earl is an Arkansian by way of Louisiana. A Katrina refugee who found himself and then found himself in the Ozarks at the age of 15. He’s made an impressive career of carrying on the lineage of the greats and stands tall alongside current outlaw artists like Orville Peck, Sturgill Simpson, Miranda Lambert, and his friend and labelmate, Nick Shoulders.
Dylan Earl is (impossibly) playing a free show on the square for Pride this Saturday at 2:45 p.m. This is a rare thing. This is a man on the vanguard and the upswing. I recommend doing yourself a favor, braving the possibly inclement weather, and giving it a shot. You don’t even have to have a mullet (but you might consider it.)
We’ll see you next week!
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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. 99.1 FM or stream KSMU.org
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Studio Live with Melissa Rea and Jess Balisle airs on the 2nd Friday of every month at noon. Tune in at 91.1 FM at KSMU.org for an hour of live music and conversation with talented local artists.
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June 12: The Sideburns - THE LAST SOCIAL HOUR
July 10: Jin J. X
August 14: Patti Steel
September 11: TBA
October 9: Drifters Mile
November 13: Pomfret
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The Sideburns will be on Studio Live on Friday, June 12, 2026 at noon on KSMU. Then join them for the final Social Hour that night at Springfield BrewCo from 6: 00 to 8:00 pm.
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📺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.
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Art in the Twenty-First Century - Human Nature. In this visually stunning episode, four contemporary artists explore questions of identity, memory, technology, and our connection to the natural world. It's a thought-provoking journey through art that challenges how we see ourselves and the world around us.
Craft in America: DEMOCRACY Episode. Through powerful examples of traditional and contemporary craft, DEMOCRACY reveals how art can preserve history, strengthen community, and give expression to the American experience.
Great Performances: Irving Berlin's Top Hat. Inspired by the beloved 1935 film starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, this dazzling stage production features unforgettable songs including "Cheek to Cheek," "Puttin' on the Ritz" and "Top Hat, White Tie and Tails."
Mumford & Sons: Tiny Desk Concert. Marcus Mumford's voice sounds extraordinary in this space, backed by the sweet harmonies of pianist Ben Lovett and bassist Ted Dwane. They're joined by a stirring string quartet and Matt Menefee on banjo as they open with "I'll Tell You Everything," from Prizefighter, followed by "White Blank Page," from the band's 2009 debut "Sigh No More".
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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.
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Was this email sent to you by a friend? If you'd love fresh takes, local gems, and behind-the-scene artsy goodness in your inbox every week subscribe to The Green Room.
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The Green Room is a production of Ozarks Public Broadcasting. For more information about our programs and services please visit our website.
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Springfield, MO 65897
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