Discover Northwest Arkansas

Date: August 1, 2025 | Story: Stephanie Maxwell Newton | Photography: Lawrence Knox |

The northwest corner of The Natural State is a bastion of creativity and culture

Fayetteville’s Brian Crowne has a certain film to thank for launching his lifelong pursuit of music: The Blues Brothers. “I saw that movie and fell in love with the blues, R&B, and soul music. It just resonated with me,” he says. He borrowed a saxophone from a friend, taught himself how to play, and eventually joined the jazz program at the University of Arkansas Fort Smith before forming a band of his own and working as a touring musician for more than two decades.

Brian Crowne at George’s in Fayetteville

Today, Brian is the owner of George’s Majestic Lounge on Dickson Street and vice president of Walmart AMP & Strategic Initiatives, meaning he’s responsible for booking shows for the Walmart AMP in Rogers. “When my wife and I started a family, I transitioned to the concert promoter and event side of the business,” he says of the progression of his career. With each foot in a different corner of bustling Northwest Arkansas, Brian speaks about the region’s music scene, how it has changed over the years, and the distinct personalities of each of its major cities.

Q: Tell me about your first memory of visiting George’s Majestic Lounge. Did you imagine you might one day be the owner?
A: I played my first Fayetteville show at George’s in late 1989 or early 1990. I was 24 years old, and I never imagined owning anything. I had a kinship with the venue immediately. The owner’s son and I became best friends and roommates for many years. I helped him with booking bands over the years and eventually shared that I had an interest in buying if they were ever selling. My wife, Day, and I bought George’s in January 2004 when I was still playing full time.

Q: You’ve been with the Walmart AMP since its inception. How did that idea come to life?
A: When the AMP opened in 2005, it was a tent in the Northwest Arkansas Mall parking lot. I met a Tyson senior VP, Dan White, who talked about missing summer concerts back home where he had grown up. He had this idea of creating a seasonal concert series. I actually booked the first show to ever perform at the new venue—The Doobie Brothers—and my band at the time, Oreo Blue, opened. Fast forward three years later, Dan was moving to Atlanta and called me up to ask if I was interested in buying the AMP. Day, Suzie Stephens (a former owner of George’s), and I bought it with aspirations of doing bigger concerts. Walton Arts Center purchased the AMP in 2011 from my team with the intent of building a permanent amphitheater, which opened in 2014 as the Walmart AMP. It’s become a major attraction for the area. We’ve established Rogers and Northwest Arkansas as a great live music region. I pinch myself thinking about that tent in the Northwest Arkansas Mall.

Q: How do you think music and culture have played a role in the growth of Northwest Arkansas?
A: Something I tell people all the time about Northwest Arkansas, especially artists, is that as a region, we have a small-town vibe with worldwide amenities—that’s music, art, culinary attractions—these are all things where you can find a commonality with people. You come to a concert and you can check religion and politics at the door, and people gravitate toward that. While all four major cities in the region are unique, that’s the common denominator.

Q: What’s your vision for the future of the music scene in the region?
A: I’ve been stuck on a word recently: relevance. What I hope for our music scene is that we don’t ever become complacent and that we strive to keep quality talent coming to Northwest Arkansas. It’s good to have a diet of music people know, but it’s also important to bring new artists to the stage. I say to people all the time, from new transplants to U of A freshmen, Tell me what you want to hear. It helps me stay in touch with the market. They’ve all got different tastes, and I want to know what those are. I’m always watching trends in the industry, looking at what new venues around the country are doing, and paying attention to new talent.

Q: What’s one of your favorite smaller acts to play at George’s Recently that you think more people should know?
A: One is a new country Americana artist named Ty Myers. He’s maybe 17 years old. He sold us out twice last year and will probably be at the AMP next year. Waylon Wyatt from Hacket, Arkansas, is also blowing up. He has two sold-out shows in September at George’s.

Q: On the other end of the spectrum, who has been a big name that you were especially excited to book at the AMP?
A: Foo Fighters a year or so ago was a really major get. Lana Del Rey a couple years ago. I didn’t have any clue the passion her fans have—a thousand people weeping while she’s performing is just really moving, even if the music is not really my bag. Some other fun ones were Jimmy Buffet a few years ago before he passed. KISS was a classic spectacle of rock extravaganza. Last year, Post Malone came out of the blue and was a Top 10 stadium act.

Q: What are some of your favorite local haunts around the region?
A: In Fayetteville, Vetro 1925 is a favorite for dinner. If you like an old record store, there’s nothing cooler than Block Street Records. In Rogers, there are amazing restaurants popping up all the time. Levi’s Gastrolounge in the basement of a building off Second Street has one of the best burgers in Northwest Arkansas. The Momentary in Bentonville has really cool things going on, from their Live on the Green concert series to their 600-capacity RØDE House. One of the things that’s cool about Northwest Arkansas is it feels like there’s a niche that’s filled with different music experiences. It’s a healthy ecosystem. It sounds cliche, but I really believe a rising tide lifts all ships, and I support anything to get people talking about Northwest Arkansas.

Read on for a few of our favorite ways to discover Northwest Arkansas.

Airship Coffee at Coler in Bentonville

Superfine in Bentonville

SHOP
Owner Elizabeth Abston opened Hemma Homewares (hemmahomewares.com) in Bentonville in 2024 as an homage to her love of all things home. Shop Scandinavian-inspired décor, kitchen goods, accessories, gifts, and more at the store a few blocks from the downtown square. In Fayetteville, Dickson St. Bookshop (dicksonstreetbooks.com) is a 47-year-old institution for locals and visitors alike. Pop inside to get lost among hundreds of thousands of used titles. Located in Springdale, Abide Furniture (abidefurniture.net) has seating, tables, case goods, and more for every room of the house. Shop pieces from the showroom floor or select a custom look with the help of their knowledgeable staff. In Rogers, Village on the Creeks (villageonthecreeks.com) is a shopping destination with something for everyone, from clothing and furniture stores to destinations for beauty, health, and art and cooking classes. For antiques, vintage treasures, and one-of-a-kind finds, visit The Copper Crown (thecoppercrownnwa.com) in downtown Rogers to score pieces that will bring unique charm to your house. MIXD Gallery (@mixd.gallery) is a contemporary art space featuring artists based in the Ozarks whose work ranges from photography and painting to mixed media, ceramics, and fiber arts. Their exhibitions are crafted to create opportunities for conversation and connection, and the Rogers gallery is open during regular business hours Wednesday through Sunday.

DINE
Mockingbird Kitchen (mockingbirdkitchen.com) in Fayetteville touts its “modern Ozark cuisine” as a chef-forward menu with a focus on local, seasonal ingredients; entrees include catfish and grits, fried chicken, and other contemporary twists on Southern classics. Oven & Tap (ovenandtap.com) has long been a Bentonville favorite for wood-fired pizzas and Italian-inspired small plates. Now, the team behind the pizzeria serves desserts at nearby Superfine Sweets Shoppe (superfinesweetshoppe.com) and have a soon-to-open new concept: Townie, a burger joint offering a thoughtfully crafted cocktail menu.

VISIT
In addition to his work at George’s and the AMP, Brian Crowne also programs the Railyard Live (railyardlive.com) concert series May through September, making live music available for free in downtown Rogers every Friday and Saturday evening. Similarly, downtown Springdale (downtownspringdale.org) offers a summer concert series at Turnbow Park on the last Thursday of the month. Catch Top 40 cover band JukeBoxx August 28. In Fayetteville, enjoy the city’s newest park, The Ramble, during Weekend Starts (fayetteville-ar.gov), a miniature festival every Friday from August 15 to October 17 during its fall run. Explore The Ramble’s paved trails, walking paths, and art installations while enjoying performances from the University of Arkansas Department of Music, the Community Creative Center, and Creative Spaces at Mount Sequoyah.

STAY
The Stonebreaker Hotel (stonebreakerhotel.com) is a 78-room boutique hotel that opened earlier this year on Fayetteville’s Markham Hill. Be sure to enjoy a meal from the hotel’s restaurant, led by acclaimed chef Tyler Rogers, during your stay. This fall, Moxy Hotel (moxy-hotels.marriott.com) joins the mixed-use South Yard development in Fayetteville. With modern interiors aimed at younger clientele, the hotel is a welcome addition for game days, bid days, and the like.

Railyard Park in Rogers