Third Thursday House Concert May 19

From Staff Reports

The Artist Retreat Center will present a special Third Thursday House Concert at 7 p.m. May 19 when Outside the Lines takes the stage.

Outside The Lines, a trio of seasoned music professionals, bring a unique brand of eclectic acoustic music to its performances. Stan D'Aubin (mandolin and vocals), Emily Kaitz (bass and vocals) and Ed Nicholson (guitar and vocals) perform in a wide variety of styles ranging from swing to jazz, folk, bluegrass and blues. Audiences are apt to hear some recognizable cover tunes along with plenty of originals, particularly D'Aubin's newgrass instrumentals and Kaitz's humorous compositions such as "Shallow End of the Gene Pool," "Small Medium at Large," and "Maintenance Nightmare."

The band formed in 1999 when D'Aubin and Nicholson, both working at the corporate headquarters of Tyson Foods, began getting together for lunch-hour jams. They later brought in singer-songwriter Kaitz on bass and Springdale wunderkind violinist Jenee Keener, who at the time was a junior in high school. Outside The Lines recorded a debut CD in 2000 as a quartet. Later that year Keener left to pursue an academic and musical career in Nashville. Since then she has played with many music luminaries including Lonesome Standard Time, Martina McBride and Blake Shelton. D'Aubin, Kaitz and Nicholson continued as a trio, recording another CD in 2010.

Outside The Lines has performed at diverse venues in Arkansas, including Acoustic Sounds Cafe and the rotunda of the State Capitol in Little Rock, Crawdad Days and the Lyric Theater in Harrison, Mike Shirkey's GoodFolk Productions and the Walton Arts Center's Starr Theater in Fayetteville, the Farmers Market in Bentonville, and the Little Ole Opry in West Fork. They've also ventured to The Woodshed in Carthage, Mo., Artz Rib House in Austin, Texas, and Mary Hardin Baylor University's "Hiways & Byways" series in Belton, Texas.

After a dormant period of about two years when D'Aubin was working in New Orleans, the trio has re-formed stronger than ever and are looking forward to a fertile musical future. The Artist Retreat Center is at 13467 Lookout Drive in Old Bella Vista. Tickets to the concert are $10. Reservations can be made by calling 479-268-6463.