Posted on June 2, 2014
Originally published in the El Dorado News-Times on May 3, 2014.
Murphy USA, Main Street El Dorado and KIX 103 have announced the 2014 Showtime Concert Series summer schedule. The concert series is free to the public and includes national music artists performing outside on Union Square in downtown El Dorado, 300 N. Jefferson St.
The events will take place June 28, July 26 and Aug. 23 and each concert will begin a re-enactment of a famous 1902 shoot-out on the Union County Courthouse at 6:00 p.m. and pre-event music at 7:00 p.m., followed by the headliner at 8:00 p.m.
The SCS will kick off on June 28 with a concert featuring Jamie Lynn Spears. Her debut single, "How Could I Want More,? is climbing the country charts. At 22 years of age, the Kentwood, La., native is already a seasoned entertainment veteran. She began her entertainment career with a small part in "Crossroads,? portraying the fictionalized younger version of real-life sister Britney Spears' character.
She then found a home in television appearing on Nickelodeon?s "All That? and most notably starring as the title character of "Zoey 101,? for which she won the Nickelodeon Kid?s Choice Award for "Best Actress? in 2006. "How Could I Want More? was written by Spears, along with Nashville songwriter Rivers Rutherford, who has also collaborated with Tim McGraw and Brad Paisley. Her first single was named a Taste of Country Critic?s Pick and her journey has been covered by such outlets as E!, Entertainment Tonight, BuzzFeed, MTV, CMT, People magazine and others.
The next performance of the summer will take place on July 26, with Joshua Scott Jones headlining. As one-half of the successful country duo Steel Magnolia, Jones won CMT?s Can You Duet. Jones and his duo partner, Meghan Linsey?s hits have included "Keep on Lovin? You,??Just By Being You (Halo and Wings? and "Last Night Again.? They were nominated for Best New Vocal Duo or Group at the ACM, CMA and CMT Awards. His debut album is titled, "The Healing,? which will drop in 2014. His lead single, "Honk (If You?re Tonky),? launched worldwide in January and was a fan favorite on radio, including SIRIUS XM?s The Highway. Jones has a full-length record, a new music video and a tour coming in the next few months.
The final SCS performance of the summer will take place on Aug. 23 and will feature rising country star Logan Mize. This heartland-rocker?s latest single, "Used Up,? has also seen rising success on SIRIUS XM?s The Highway and his debut video is being played on CMT. Mize spent a good part of 2013 behind the camera in a couple of high profile turns on the small screen. The Kansas native ended up in a widely viewed "Fabric of Our Life? cotton commercial with Hayden Panettiere of ABC-TV?s lauded Nashville.
Mize played himself and sang in a recent episode of The CW?s hit drama, "Hart of Dixie,? starring Rachel Bilson. He also has a fan in country and pop superstar LeAnn Rimes, who not only tweeted about Mize?s new single, "Used Up,? but also invited him to open her recent shows in Europe. He has opened shows for Lady Antebellum, The Band Perry, Eric Church, Dierks Bentley and Blake Shelton, to name a few.
The Showtime Concert Series will start each night at 7 p.m. with pre-event music on the Showtime Stage with the headliner taking the stage at 8 p.m.
The event will follow Main Street El Dorado?s award-winning Showdown at Sunset performances beginning at 6 p.m. on the steps of the Union County Courthouse in the center of historic Union Square (101 N. Washington Ave.).
Showdown at Sunset was named one of the Top-100 Events in North America by the American Bus Association and received the Community Trademark Award by the Arkansas Festival and Event Association, according to Mark Givens, executive director of Main Street El Dorado. "