Highlights- Lucinda Williams, Mulberry Mountain Harvest Festival and more

Big names in town
Fayetteville will see a number of big names coming through town this week beginning with Lucinda Williams tonight at the Walton Arts Center. The performance is a benefit for the Miller Williams Poetry Prize at the University of Arkansas Press. Miller, for those who may not know, is Lucinda’s dad.

Tuesday night Edwin McCain and his band and Kellie Pickler will be in town for the Pretty in Pink fundraiser for the Susan G. Komen affiliate. The event will be outdoors at the Walton Arts Center parking lot on Dickson Street. In addition to the music there’s a fashion show with local musicians MAR and Amanda Scarlett also on the bill.

Our own
Some of the Ozark’s favorites will also be performing this week. Yao Angleo’s Ozakwaaba with Ron Sumner, Sid Simons, Caleb Lindsey, Pat Pathoumthong and Michael Garrett will play George’s Wednesday night.

Wade Ogle, who has just started playing again after leaving the stage for several years will play the Light Bulb Club on Sunday night, while the popular Sarah Hughes—who has just put out a new CD—will play her regular Sunday night gig at George’s.

Next Thursday night, Sept. 27 there’s a not-to-miss super show at George’s with CD release parties by Tulsa’s Ben Rector, who just snared a nomination for best pop act in Tulsa’s Spot awards, and local ambient music master MAR, who’s just come back to the area and is creating a musical buzz that just keeps getting bigger and bigger.

Fayetteville musician and wordsmith, Nick Masullo, will unveil his latest work at 7 p.m. Sept. 27 at Nightbird Books in south Fayetteville.

Local musicians Kelly Mulhollan, Donna Stjerna, Emily Kaitz and Leslie Oelsner, will join Masullo and his wife, Ginny Masullo, for musical and spoken word performances of Masullo’s work.

Nick has been unable to play guitar for a couple years now due to M.S., but he has not stopped writing. He has co-written songs with Mulhollan and Kaitz, and some will be performed for the first time at the show. Nick has also been writing some personal essays over the last year and some of these will read.

This event is also a CD release for what Nick call his ‘Lost
Song’ collection—17 unreleased song plus his popular ‘Support our Troops (Bring ‘em Home)’ recorded for the Omni Peace CD/ Songbook. The production is simple and straightforward—just Nick and his guitar—a must have for fans of Nick’s music.

Mulberry Mountain Harvest Music Festival
The debut of the Mulberry Mountain Harvest Music Festival last year was a promoter’s nightmare. The worst winds and rains of the year found a seat at the festival and stayed for the weekend. Vendor tents were blown down and Dewey Patton, one of the event organizers, had to jump on his tractor and use hay bales and whatever else he could find to keep the whole thing from washing down the mountaintop. But he did it and those who hung in praised Patton and the festival. Despite last year’s foul weather, Patton and crew are ready for festival number two and are all set with a stellar musical lineup and a sponsorship from New Belgium Brewing (and the Free Weekly). A newly completed amphitheater constructed of cedar, native stone and rustic metal is a unique style of modern meets the Ozarks..

The festival will bring together top acoustic, jam band, folk, rock and Americana acts this Friday and Saturday at Mulberry Mountain north of Ozark, on the Pig Trail aka Arkansas Hwy. 23. The camping event will also include a variety of arts and crafts, workshops and food.

Topping out the musical line up are: mad-scientist guitarist Keller Williams; Railroad Earth; Tea Leaf Green; Big Smith; New Monsoon, Big Smith and more. Fresh from last weekend’s Feat Fest, Leftover Salmon’s Vince Herman will be returning again to Mulberry Mountain to serve as festival emcee.

Tickets are $70 advance for the two-days or $85 at the gate and $40 advance for Saturday only and $50 at the gate. Tickets available at George’s and Sound Warehouse in Fayetteville or by calling (866) 667-1919 or at www.mulberrymountainmusic.com.

Friday
Main Stage
Noon – Mountain Gypsies
1:15 p.m. – Runaway Planet
2:45 p.m. – My-Tea Kind
4:15 p.m. – Vince Herman
5:45 p.m. – Blue Turtle Seduction
7:15 p.m. – The Codetalkers
8:45 p.m. – Big Smith
10:30 p.m. – Railroad Earth

Campground Stage
2:30p.m. – Sarah Hughes Band
4 p.m. – Barefoot Brigade
5:30 p.m. – Starroy

Harvest Tent Late Night
1 a.m. – Mountain of Venus

Saturday
Main Stage
Noon – Cindy Woolf Band
1:15 p.m. – Wayword Sons
2:45 p.m. – Ten Mile Tide
4:15 p.m. – South Austin Jug Band
5:45 p.m. – Hot Buttered Rum
7:15 p.m. – New Monsoon
8:45 p.m. – Tea Leaf Green
10:30 p.m. – Keller Williams

Campground Stage
1 p.m. – Payton Brothers Band
2:30 p.m. – Dirtfoot
4 p.m. – Charliehorse
5:30 p.m. – Speakeasy

Harvest Tent Late Night
1 a.m. – Blue Turtle Seduction