If you’re in Springdale on Saturday, Oct. 17, make sure to mark your calendars to be at the Bit and Spur Restaurant. On that evening, the alt-rock band Banyan, featuring a lineup of renowned performers, will play at 10 p.m.
Banyan’s name—a reference to the species of tree under which Siddhartha Gautama attained his enlightenment—is best explained in their own words: “Banyan, you know, like the tree w/the crazy limbs that grow down from the limbs and become new trunks/roots?”
Not to be confused with Parisian hip hop producer BANYAN, the Los Angeles-based band, Banyan, is fronted by Stephen Perkins, former drummer for Jane’s Addiction and Porno for Pyros. Citing influences like Stravinsky and Miles Davis, the alt-rock band exhibits heavy jazz overtones with improvisation a central feature of the band’s aesthetic. Among others, the band has collaborated with the Dust Brothers, Flea, Martin LeNoble, Rob Wasserman, Dave Aron, Buckethead, and John Frusciante. Banyan has released three full-length albums, “Banyan,” “Anytime At All,” and “Live at Perkins’s Palace.”
As Steve Perkins’ project, Banyan’s live musicians vary from show to show. At the Bit and Spur performance, John Avila from Oingo Boingo will play bass. Brian Jordan—who has played with a variety of musicians like James Brown, Lauryn Hill, and The Allman Brothers Band—will play lead guitar. Willie Waldman, who first met Perkins through Jane’s Addiction frontman Perry Farrell, will play trumpet.
“The nice thing of about this lineup is it’s more of a funky groove,” said Alex Pelton, co-owner of the Bit and Spur. “It’s a lot easier to dance to than some of their other lineups.”
The Bit and Spur Restaurant is located at 1212 Zion Park Blvd. in Springdale. Admission is $20. Attendees must be 21 years of age or older.
