Arkansauce books a pre-Christmas Saturday at The Regency Live

The Fayetteville bluegrass-and-jam four-piece plays Springfield on Saturday, Dec. 19, with Buster Clifton Davis opening.

The Saturday before Christmas is usually spoken for — office parties, family in town, a last run to the store. Arkansauce is making a case for spending it at The Regency Live instead, with a Saturday, Dec. 19 show that was announced Oct. 23.

The basics: Arkansauce plays The Regency Live in Springfield on Saturday, Dec. 19, at 8 p.m., with Buster Clifton Davis opening. The room holds about 850. Tickets are through OpenDate.

If you haven't caught them yet, Arkansauce is a four-piece out of Fayetteville, Arkansas, and the shortest way to describe them is a bluegrass band that knows when to let go of the rope. One venue description puts it neatly: they lean hard into traditional bluegrass but don't hesitate to dive deeply into improvisations. That's the sweet spot for a room like The Regency Live, where the crowd tends to want both — the picking and the stretch.

The band's roots go back further than its name. Founders Zac and Ethan grew up across the street from one another in Johnson County, Arkansas, and started the band in 2011 after both landed in Fayetteville, according to Only in Arkansas. More than a decade on, they've built the kind of following that comes from relentless touring rather than a single breakout moment.

Their most recent full-length is *OK to Wonder*, their fifth album, released independently on April 21, 2023, with 11 original tracks. It drew reviews in the bluegrass press, and songs from it landed on Spotify's "Indie Bluegrass" and "Fast Grass" playlists and picked up airplay on SiriusXM's Bluegrass Junction. Glide Magazine premiered "Up on the Shelf" with a headline about letting strong bluegrass chops shine, and Grateful Web has reviewed the band's work as well.

A bluegrass band that knows when to let go of the rope

The Regency Live is a good size for this. At 850, it's big enough that a full room feels like an event, but small enough that the details — a mandolin break, a quiet harmony — don't get swallowed. For a band whose shows can swing from tight traditional numbers to long improvised passages, that kind of room lets both ends land.

The band's been busy on the road this year; JamBase has them at spots including Appleton Beer Factory in Wisconsin in September and Scout Hall in Cape Girardeau, so the December date caps a full calendar.

Opening the night is Buster Clifton Davis, and with an 8 p.m. start, it's worth getting there on time.

There are worse ways to kick off the holidays than a few hundred people stomping along to a banjo in a warm room. Grab tickets through OpenDate, and maybe leave the ugly sweater on.

Sources: Arkansauce celebrates release of new album – Only in Arkansas (onlyinark.com); Arkansauce – First Avenue (first-avenue.com); SONG PREMIERE: Arkansauce Let Strong Bluegrass Chops Shine on “Up on the Shelf” – Glide Magazine (glidemagazine.com); Arkansauce | "If I Were You" | Review – Grateful Web (gratefulweb.com); Arkansauce, Dig Deep – Isthmus (isthmus.com); Arkansauce at Appleton Beer Factory – JamBase (jambase.com); Arkansauce at Scout Hall – JamBase (jambase.com); Arkansauce at The Regency Live – JamBase (jambase.com)