Micah Smith | Stories | Jackson Free Press | Jackson, MS

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Micah Smith

Stories by Micah

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Celebrating Mississippi Composers

When the Mississippi Chorus began looking ahead to the launch of its 30th season this fall, Artistic Director Mark Nabholz says that the board faced an important question: How should …

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Mixed Messages: The JFP Interview with Big K.R.I.T.

Justin Scott, better known as hip-hop artist Big K.R.I.T., says that he has always felt like a bit of an anomaly.

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Keeshea Pratt Keeps Going

This year's International Blues Challenge featured many musicians from the Magnolia State, with artists from the Mississippi Delta Blues Society of Indianola and the Vicksburg Blues Society making the semifinals. …

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Michael Farris Smith

Author Michael Farris Smith's latest thriller, "The Fighter," hit shelves on March 20. He began working on the novel shortly after finishing his critically acclaimed third book, 2017's "Desperation Road."

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The Sounds of St. Paddy's

These days, venues across the city make sure there are plenty of options for live music before and after the parade, but Hal's St. Paddy's Festival is still one of …

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Alexander FRE$CO

Something was not sitting right for James Villes. In 2017, after working on a new recording project for about a year and a half, the hip-hop artist and Jackson native, …

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The Future of Fleet Foxes

When a band ends a six-year hiatus, there are bound to be high expectations for the new music that breaks the silence. For Robin Pecknold, principal songwriter of Seattle indie-folk …

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Travis Meadows: On Mississippi Dirt

Travis Meadows may not be a household name for every country-music fan, but the Nashville, Tenn., singer-songwriter has made a place for himself among the biggest stars in the genre.

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Tedeschi Trucks: Capturing New Ground

When Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks performed together on New Year's Eve in 2008, it was a normal day in many ways.

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REVIEW: Wake up to Heart Society

If musicians Teneia Sanders-Eichelberger and Ben Eichelberger have proved only one thing over the course of their careers, it is that they are adaptable. On "Wake the Queens," their debut …

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Shovels & Rope Breaks Down 'Jukebox’

Many fans were shocked when Cary Ann Hearst and Michael Trent, husband-and-wife folk-rock duo Shovels & Rope, announced their second cover album, "Busted Jukebox, Vol. 2," just a week before …

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A Story of Healing and Hip-hop

Jackson rapper 808 tha BASS performs his one-man show, “My Story,” on Saturday, Feb. 3, at the Russell C. Davis Planetarium.

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A Super Bowl for the Super Hungry

Here are just a few places in the capital city where you can grab a bite to eat, a beer to drink and a good seat for Super Bowl LII …

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UPDATED: The Drum of Royal Thunder

Drummer Evan Diprima may provide a lot of the “thunder” of hard-rock band Royal Thunder, but he is actually the one of two later additions to the Atlanta four-piece. Guitarist …

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Better Sans Ezra

Better Than Ezra fans will hear plenty of hit songs when the band's frontman, Kevin Griffin, performs solo on Jan. 19 in Jackson. However, not all of those familiar tunes …

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English Rocker to Play Steve's Deli

Marty Willson-Piper sat in a booth at the back of Steve’s Deli in downtown Jackson, lifting a finger to trace a line between the records on the wall. He owns …

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Ben Sparaco

At age 20, Florida native Ben Sparaco has already amassed a highlight reel longer than many that of many older guitarists and songwriters.

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The Mississippi 40: New Music for the New Year

There is never a shortage of music in Mississippi, with countless concerts, showcases and open mics taking place around the state on a daily basis. Since the live music scene …

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A Choral Christmas

The Mississippi Chorus will perform the first movement of 18th-century composer George Frideric Handel's seminal oratorio, "Messiah," again this year, following two sold-out performances in 2016.

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Liza Mundy

Author Liza Mundy was at her home in Arlington, Va., when the wheels began turning for her next bestseller. At the time, however, she did not yet realize what the …

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Illuminating ‘Shine’

For Larry Brewer, writing songs isn't a "some of the time" endeavor. He has been a professional musician for more than 40 years, most notably as the frontman for rock …

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Mega Ran

Fans may recognize Raheem Jarbo, also known Mega Ran, as a prolific writer of "nerdcore" rap, blending the worlds of hip-hop with video games and other forms of entertainment. However, …

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J.C. Villegas

J.C. Villegas was moving from Mississippi to Texas when she began writing her debut novel, which came to her in a dream—one that she tried to ignore.

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The ‘Hart’ of Jackson Comedy

Plenty of fans around the country tune in for actor and comedian Kevin Hart's TV series, "Hart of the City," each week. For the latest episode, however, Jacksonians will have …

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Particle Devotion

The formation of indie-rock bands is a pretty common occurrence on any college campus, but things were a little different for Baton Rouge, La., quintet Particle Devotion.

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Love for the Rebel and the Saint

Kirk Franklin will be a familiar name to many people who grew up in church in the 1990s, but it's a name that is still picking up steam today.

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Sara Gatlin

Photographer Sara Gatlin's fascination with being behind a camera began with her in front of one.

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From Ireland to Jackson

Accordion-player Paul Brock has been a professional musician for the past decade, but his pursuit of traditional Irish music has spanned almost his entire life. As for how long that …

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Dawes

Dawes may seem like an instant success story for the millions of supporters who have followed the California folk-rock band since its first release, "North Hills," in 2009. However, for …

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Music Videos, Evolved

The popularity of watching music videos on TV channels such as MTV and CMT has waned over the years, but the format has not lost its impact on consumers and …

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Maren Morris

For some in the music industry, there is no clearer evidence that times have changed than country artist Maren Morris.

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Love and the Lavender Pen

The shooting at Orlando nightclub Pulse in June 2016 was a shock to Chris Verdugo, as it was to members of the LGBT community and supporters around the country. However, …

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A Star-Studded State Fair

The Mississippi State Fair is never short on activities to keep visitors occupied, between the carnival games, livestock shows, rides and food—oh, so much food.

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The Avett Brothers: Learning from ‘Sadness’

Fans of The Avett Brothers might not have to find the band in such high spirits based on the title of their ninth album, "True Sadness."

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Dent May: MS Confidential

There's a story that countless TV shows and movies have mined over the years: The small-town artist moves to the big city chasing fame and fortune.

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John De Chiaro

As a child, John De Chiaro often traveled with his stepfather, a shoemaker in New Jersey, into New York City to buy supplies, but on one trip, at about 5 …

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Creating a Culture

Music and worship have been intertwined topics for Chris Quilala, one of the primary vocalists and leaders of the band Jesus Culture, for most of his life.

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Choose Your Own Lit-venture

Mississippi is known as one of the nation’s literary capitals, so it should come as no surprise that the Mississippi Book Festival brings such a big stable of literary talent …

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R&B Back in Action

In its fourth year, 2016, the Jackson Rhythm & Blues Festival moved from its former home at the Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum to the Jackson Convention Complex downtown. As …

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Sam Mooney: Finding His Way

Like many performers, pop and soul artist Sam Mooney was infatuated with music from a young age. However, the connection wasn't instant.

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Corabel Shofner

In many ways, "Almost Paradise" carries the hallmarks of a classic southern adventure tale, even though its author, Corabel Shofner, spent a large part of her life outside of the …

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Marcel P. Black: Building Bridges

Bryan Marcel Williams, known to fans as hip-hop artist Marcel P. Black, says that he always had music on his mind growing up in the small town of Ardmore, Okla.

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Jimmy Herring: Cracking the Whip

Audiences all over the world have gotten to know guitarist Jimmy Herring pretty well after his nearly three decades on the scene.

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Alex Thiel

It was a Saturday afternoon in March 2016, and Alex Thiel was bored. During that time, the Jackson-native musician's longtime progressive-metal trio, Carlos Danger, was going through a slow breakup, …

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Carly Pearce: Star-Crossed Country

For some people, singer-songwriter Carly Pearce will seem like an artist who is just jumping into the country scene—even if it's far from the truth.

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Devour the Day

Less than two years after Egypt Central's breakup, Blake Allison and Joey Walser released "Time & Pressure," their debut album as Memphis-based rock act Devour the Day.