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stage presence // RUSTY SCOTT
local musicians, feel free to swoon.
Rusty Scott would be the first person to tell you that his music isn't too complex. But it's the simplicity of his music that makes it so great to listen to.
Scott, a 2007 graduate from Chillicothe, Mo., started playing guitar in second grade, and his instrument-playing repertoire has grown since then. "Pretty much if it has strings, I can play it," he says. He also mixes in piano and harmonica.
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Simple and sweet: Songwriter and 2007 graduate Rusty Scott plays a mix of folk, "old roots stuff" and modern influences. Scott plays tonight at 6 p.m. at the Jackpot Music Hall, 943 Massachusetts St.
But Scott, who is currently planning a tour of the South, focuses more on songwriting when it comes to his music. He honed his songwriting skills in college and wrote all of the songs on his 2009 album Yonder Goes the Light in Lawrence, a place that has had a big influence on him as a person, he says.
Many people describe Scott's music as Americana, though others may call it folk or straight-up country. "It would be awesome if I just transcended all genres," he jokes. His influences range from Woody Guthrie and "old rootsy stuff" to classic rock and modern groups such as Fleet Foxes.
However people categorize Scott's music, one thing is certain: He is not Van Halen. "I'm not going to get up there and shred," he says. Instead, listeners can expect good music from a laid-back guy who loves to play.
Hear Rusty Scott play an early show tonight at the Jackpot Music Hall, 943 Massachusetts St. The free show starts at 6 p.m. Scott invites everyone to have a beer with him after the show.
// SARAH BLUVAS
this weekend // WELLS OVERLOOK
because those CSI marathons are getting old.
Many people who have never visited Kansas may simply think of it as flat and void. But the bulging calves boasted by much of the KU student body prove otherwise. And though the panorama offered from atop Mt. Oread is something to note, there is another view in town that rivals it.
The journey to Wells Overlook County Park begins with a short drive south on Iowa Street. Once a few miles out of town, it's just a left turn down North 1000 road and a half-mile jaunt later you'll reach the weathered wooden sign on the south side of the street.
The park is open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. and is accessed by way of a meandering road that leads up a hill to the park's main feature. The three-story wooden tower can be seen jutting out of the trees off the highway and casts a remarkable silhouette against the sky. The tower is the perfect place to view the changing leaves this fall and catch what is perhaps the best view of not only the KU campus but also the surrounding landscape.
Greg Schleifman, Arlington, Va., senior, says the overlook is one of his favorite spots in town for late-night stargazing. The secluded location
is untouched by most of the city's light pollution and on a clear night it's a great place to count the constellations.
If you're looking for a bit of serenity there's nothing quite like the sound of the wind rushing though the void high above the rest of us.
// JAKE LERMAN
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A fresh perspective: Wells Overlook provides an unobstructed view of campus, Lawrence and the surrounding landscape.
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