Fayetteville no doubt slows down to a leisurely pace in the summertime, but July and August are jam-packed with some stellar shows coming up. We thought we’d pick out some of the best concerts and bands worth checking out and spending your time and dollars on.
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The Too’s
The Too’s and Lost John
Friday, July 8 @ Smoke and Barrel, 324 W Dickson St.
Quintessential alt-country from Joplin, Mo., The Too’s are slowly but surely becoming a Fayetteville staple. The group fosters an intimate mix of sweet harmonies, moody lyrics and slightly dirty electric guitars not unlike early Wilco. Fayetteville locals Lost John will serve as a perfect compliment to The Too’s, who operate in a bit more of a 60s Southern folk/rock vibe.
Cosmic-American Farewell Show with Vintage Pistol
Friday, July 15 @ Smoke and Barrel, 324 W Dickson St.
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Cosmic-American
Cosmic-American, a psych-pop rock project led by Jeh-Sea Wells, are sadly going to be playing their final show this month. The group hammers out some seriously smooth psych rock riffs, grooves and hooks and Wells’ Kurt Cobain-esque vocals add a grunge flavor to the music. It’s too bad to see such a promising band end things so soon, but it comes with good news, as Wells was recently signed to a Nashville record label for a new solo project.
Fellow local rockers Vintage Pistol will be opening the night up with their interstellar jams and searing guitar solos.
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Calliope Musicals
Calliope Musicals and Take The Space
Saturday, July 16 @ Ryleigh’s, 313 W Dickson St. #105
Tickets: $5 pre-sale/$7 day of show available @ ryleighsondickson.com
A serious grab for Ryleigh’s, Calliope Musicals encapsulate everything about the sunshine psychedelic music festival vibe in their sound. The Austin, Texas band’s live shows are nothing short of electric, powerful and a helluva lot of fun. Fans of Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros or The Flaming Lips will definitely find themselves an enjoyable evening with the Calliope Musicals.
Local jazz-rock-blues group Take The Space and their jammin’ gypsy grooves will be opening up the show.
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Comfortable Brother
Comfortable Brother and Dylan Earl
Saturday, July 16 @ Smoke and Barrel, 324 W Dickson St.
Comfortable Brother are a group of talented Fayetteville dudes who’ve been playing their psychedelic/slacker rock in local venues since the likes of 2014. If you haven’t seen the band live before, then you blew it, because they rarely play as that outfit anymore — except Saturday, July 16. The band kills it on the regular, and they play fun covers from bands like Pavement, Neil Young and Father John Misty. Little Rock country crooner Dylan Earl (who certainly operates in that Strugil Simpson realm) opens the show.
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Leftover Salmon
Homegrown Music Festival (Leftover Salmon, The Wood Brothers, Arkansauce, Squarshers, + more)
July 21-23, Byrd’s Adventure Center, 7037 Cass Oark Rd, Ozark, AR 72949
Tickets: $90-$125, camping included. Available at homegrownfestival-ar.com.
Produced by the same people who put on Block Street Block Party (if that’s any indication, it’ll be rad) this first-ever folksy jamgrass festival will be host to some fantastic artists set by the Mulberry river. Leftover Salmon and The Wood Brothers are some seriously great gets for the festival worth going and grooving to, but several awesome bluegrass/folk acts from Northwest Arkansas will be performing such as Arkansauce and The Squarshers. The festival also prides itself in developing and planning for a sustainable event with the aid of NWA small businesses.
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Amasa Hines
Fayetteville Roots Festival Late Night Stage with Samantha Fish, Amasa Hines, Drunken Hearts
Friday, Aug. 26 @ George’s Majestic Lounge, 519 W Dickson St.
Tickets: $15 available @ fayettevilleroots.com.
If you haven’t heard yet, this year’s Roots Fest is already sold out. That’s probably because the line up for this year is its best yet. However, if you’re among the crowd that didn’t get tickets in time for the main stage shows, you’re in luck.
At George’s Majestic Lounge the Friday night of the festival, there’s going to be a mammoth show lined up. Samantha Fish, who’s a rock ‘n’ roll/blues queen, will no-doubt straight kill it. Little Rock psychedelic neo-soul rockers Amasa Hines play beforehand, and the band is blowing up right now after their Bonnaroo debut in June. Colorado natives The Drunken Hearts are going to bring the low-down southern foot-stompin’ jams as well.
