Acoustic Expectations:

Five music events to get excited about

  1. Patty Griffi n Feb. 7 at George’s Majestic Lounge

The Fayetteville Roots Festival takes place in August, but every year, event organizers bring in similar artists for public consumption at various times of the year.

They’ve snagged a stop by Griffin on her limited college city tour. Griffin released the well-received album “American Kid” in May 2013.

She’ll bring along songwriter Anais Mitchell for the event.

And perhaps Griffin will also bring along dear friend and recent musical collaborator Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin fame.

  1. JJ Grey and Mofro Feb. 19 at George’s

Nobody does soulful swamp boogie quite like JJ Grey and Mofro - perhaps because no one else plays it. Grey and his band, who dazzled recently at Yonder Mountain String Band’s Harvest Music Festival, will be performing in a more intimate venue than they normally do.

  1. Shovels & Rope Feb. 23 at George’s

The roots music movement that places an emphasis on songwriting while combining folk, country and bluegrass sounds is making headway.

And among those groups, Shovels & Rope from South Carolina is among the stars.

The group landed its debut album inside the Billboard 200 albums chart and made its national television debut in January 2013. You’ll like Shovels & Rope if you like bluegrass songs infused with humor and a little sass.

  1. Wakarusa June 5-8 on Mulberry Mountain

About a third of Wakarusa’s lineup was released Jan. 2.

The rest will be announced Thursday and Jan. 16. It doesn’t matter who else gets named.

Wakarusa, with bands from around the globe and 20,000-plus fans to match, will be a major musical event no matter who is on the lineup.

  1. The first show at the AMP June-ish in Rogers

Steel beams are already going up at the site of the future Arkansas Music Pavilion in Rogers. Scheduled for a mid-June opening, the new facility will provide a home to touring bands and music-going fans. The schedule isn’t likely to be released until late spring. But there should certainly be some excitement and anticipation for the new venue.

Whats Up, Pages 14 on 01/03/2014

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