Khaki Onion | Courtesy photo.
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The sound of ringing cymbals and lingering guitar riffs fills the air at George’s Majestic Lounge in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The music on stage fulfills the promises of a forgotten youth. This is The Khaki Onion, a band of six local rock stars, not chasing fame, but the feeling of a revived Friday night.
The group is a collection of six guys based out of Fayetteville and Little Rock, Arkansas. It includes three brothers and three more best friends. They were formed by a proposal from one of the brothers, Jason Roberts, on a family vacation back in 1996.
Roberts simply said, “We really need to start a band together.”
They discussed everything it would take to pursue the band. All the members have somewhat of a musical background, so the squad was dedicated to getting the band started. Entertainer, backup vocalist and lead keyboard player, Scotty Roberts said “Everybody’s got a lot of ideas. You know, everyone sits around and talks about starting a band, but it’s all about executing it.”
The group was inspired by the three brothers’ father, Johnny Roberts, who was “a great rock and roll legend in the state of Arkansas,” Scotty Roberts said. They realized it was possible to put this together due to their expertise in the family.
Thanks to the connections from the father, the band started playing at an old Little Rock joint called Smitty’s. This place sprouted the passion that is still present among the guys, and they’ve never looked back.
The band was active from 1996 to 1999, up until some members got different jobs that required a move. The crew dispersed and started focusing on their careers.
They ended up going on a hiatus for around 20 years, only until a return for a special night. They realized that they want to play one show in Little Rock at the Rev Room, and one more show in Fayetteville at George’s Majestic Lounge, each year. With four of the band members living in Little Rock and two in Northwest Arkansas, it was the only efficient option. They also didn’t want to oversaturate the appeal. The idea of just two shows per year makes the group very sought after.
The band has been doing two shows a year ever since their return, and they plan to continue the tradition for years to come. “Part of the mythology is just not ruining your legacy,” Scotty Roberts said.
With George’s Majestic Lounge being so iconic to Fayetteville, the group thought it was crucial for that to be their spot. For George’s to be one of, if not the best premier music vanues in all of Arkansas, what would be a better place?
They began to strategically select gameday weekends, specifically Friday nights.
“What do the people want to do on a Friday? They want to go to Dickson Street, they want to go have dinner, they want to feel like they are in college again.” Scotty Roberts said.
The band aims to pick a competitive football weekend for the Hogs. For example, a few years ago they chose to play the weekend of the game against Texas, and at their most recent show, in September, they selected the matchup against Notre Dame.
The choice to do Friday nights is purely based off of how Fayettevillians will be feeling before a big game, they said. Everybody is fired up for the weekend, and overall, they have a great time.
Due to George’s being the oldest and longest running club in Arkansas, it strikes a special feeling about Fayetteville. “When people think about Fayetteville, they think about George’s, when they think about George’s, they think about live music. It brings people together. It’s about a network,” Scotty Roberts said.
The group does not have any more shows planned this year. However, fans should be prepared to look for tickets around this time next year; they tend to go quickly. Khaki Onion has nearly sold out of every show they have had in Fayetteville.
Don’t be fooled if you ever hear them say this is the last show. It has become a running joke across the group; they don’t plan on stopping anytime soon. And if you ever get the chance to take the trip to George’s one weekend, for this “old guy” rock band, you might just find your new favorite thing to do.