Ray Wylie Hubbard photo by Todd Wolfson

Ray Wylie Hubbard speaks in story form.

That’s the type of talent one (especially with Hubbard’s keen observational skills) develops after 40 plus years on the road.

He shares those stories in many ways, such as on the new tracks that will be released on “The Grifter’s Hymnal,” an album that will be released March 27.

He’s also working on a memoir that’s 70-80 percent complete, he says.

Hubbard chatted with me recently to share a few other stories from the road, like one about former Beatles drummer Ringo Starr and one about a guitar he found stuffed in a planter. Read more in a story I wrote for Northwest Arkansas Newspapers [Note: Subscriber content].

Hubbard visits Northwest Arkansas for two shows. He plays at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday (2/8) at Second Street Live in Fort Smith and at 9 p.m. Thursday (2/9) at George’s Majestic Lounge.

Tickets are $20 for the Fort Smith show or $15 for the Fayetteville event. Get tickets through the venue’s respective websites.

Americana/folk/jam act Railroad Earth, whose frontman, Todd Sheaffer, left, is pictured live last October at the nearby Yonder Mountain String Band’s Harvest Music Festival, return to the area this week for a more intimate gig. The sextet from New Jersey, which released their sixth studio album in 2010, will perform during a rare Monday-night show at George’s Majestic Lounge. The show starts at 9 p.m.; tickets are $20 and available at the club or through the club’s website.

Perpetual Groove plays a “Sweet Oblivious Antidote.” What kind of poison/malady they are saving people from, I’m not sure.

If you’re looking to preview one of the artists performing at this summer’s Wakarusa festival, tonight (Feb. 2) is a good opportunity. Georgia jam act/electronica group Perpetual Groove will perform at George’s Majestic Lounge.

The group has released several studio albums and hosts their own summer music festival, Amberland, each Memorial Day weekend.

Admission to the 10 p.m. show is $15. Tickets can be reserved online.

In addition to being a really good percussionist, Mickey Hart is a drum scholar who has studied rhythms all over the world. Above is one of those stories.

Wakarusa created a little bit of a buzz when it announced that Bob Weir, formerly of the band The Grateful Dead, was among the many performers playing at the early summer festival.

That gig will take place sometime between May 31 and June 3.

So, what if I told you there’s no need to wait that long to see a Dead member live in concert?

George’s Majestic Lounge announce late last week that Mickey Hart, percussionist for the Dead, will come to the venue on April 23, a Monday evening. He will be joined by Dave Schools, a Widespread Panic member.

Tickets (no price announced) will go on sale on Feb. 7.

Take a whiff. A good deep one… What’s that wafting in? Hopefully, breakfast, with coffee… but there’s something else, too…. it’s…. the weekend.

Which means you should enjoy it, which further means you should watch some live music. Where, you ask?

One of the top-selling electronic acts of all time, the Las Vegas duo The Crystal Method will visit George’s Majestic Lounge for a show tonight (Jan. 27). The Crystal Method’s music has been featured on the radio, in television and in many films. Admission to the 10 p.m. show is $20. Tickets are available at the club or through its ticketing website.

George’s has another show worth checking out this weekend, too.

The only constant of The Lemonheads, which formed in the early 1990s, is one man, Evan Dando, once named one of People magazine’s most beautiful people. After a self-imposed musical exile, Dando and The Lemonheads have returned with new members and a new album “Varshons,” a collection of mostly obscure cover tunes. Currently on tour, the group will perform Sunday (Jan. 29) evening at George’s. Admission is $15; the show begins at 9 p.m.

Elsewhere this weekend, Glory Bones have a show tonight at The Lightbulb Club. Well, Well, Well will join them.

Also, Art Amiss will release a new compilation of Arkansas-made metal tonight at Smoke & Barrel Tavern. Our suggestion is to visit back later today for more about that vinyl album. (That’s a hint: We’ll be posting about it later this afternoon.)

Something we’re missing? Let us know.

Fitz and the Tantrums are coming to Wakarusa. The name of the song, “Moneygrabber,” is not a commentary on the band or the festival.

In my rush to get the full Wakarusa lineup online last last week, I didn’t take the time to make sweeping, rash judgments about the quality and quantity of the artists coming this way.

And what’s a blog for if not for making generalizations?

Actually, I did some of that in print edition recently.

Here’s a brief rundown of my thoughts: The festival is very electronica friendly this year, a lot of the bands will be passing through Fayetteville in the months before the festival and the Avetts Brothers are great, because, well, they’re the Avetts, and I’m a big fan.

Read more of my thoughts courtesy of the Listen Here! column, an occasional feature in What’s Up! [Note: Subscriber content].

Some of you have already commented, and I appreciate that. For those who haven’t, what’s your take on this year’s lineup?

Daymoths

Ah, yes, the weekend. I can think of about 30 ways to celebrate. I don’t have time to get into all of the ways here, but just know you should enjoy yourself if you aren’t working. It’s unseasonably warm, the Razorbacks play a ranked basketball team at home and there are plenty of concerts to see.

Let’s get to the latter, shall we?

Indie rockers Daymoths is the husband and wife pair of Emily Dantuma and Ollie Dodge. They first started performing together in the band Vox Vermillion, then forged ahead as a duo. Daymoths recently released the album “Back in Time.” The group performs Saturday (Jan. 21) at Paradygm Shyft in Fort Smith. The 18-and-up show begins at 8 p.m. The cover charge is $5.

The same evening in Fayetteville, Stoney LaRue returns to a town he’s performed at many times.

The Red Dirt country musician has placed his emphasis on the road, playing about 200 live dates per year and releasing two live albums in the past decade. In August, however, he released just his second studio recording in the past six years, “Velvet,” a Top 15 country album. LaRue will return to the area for a show Saturday at George’s Majestic Lounge. Admission to the 9 p.m show is $15.

Elsewhere, Walter Savage plays jazz tonight (Jan. 20) at Hjem Restaurant and Boom! Kinetic takes over George’s Majestic Lounge the same evening.

We’ll see you around, and have an awesome weekend.

The Dickson Street venue is the home for the Waka Winter Classic, a battle of the bands competition that will send the winner to Wakarusa for a performance there.

Competing in the local version of the event are: The 1 Oz. Jig, Groovement, Candy Lee, Jon Shorter and the Gateway Band and Cadillac Jackson.

A vote by the crowd will determine the winner.

It’s ‘Rain’ing down shows! Two of note have been recently announced: A two-date run by Umphrey’s McGee at George’s and a show by Beatles tribute act Rain, who perform “Got To Get You Into My Life” above.

Tickets go on sale Friday (Jan. 20) for two shows coming to Fayetteville later this spring.

Announced late last week is a show by Rain, a touring production that offers a faithful tribute to The Beatles. The stage show includes video boards, costume changes, historical footage and more. Tickets for the group’s May 7 show at the Walton Arts Center go on sale at 9 a.m. Friday.

Tickets will be $38-$54 and can be purchased by calling 443-5600 or through the venue’s website.

Also, it appears that less than six weeks before their show at the nearby Wakarusa festival, jam rockers Umphrey’s McGee will perform at George’s Majestic Lounge on two consecutive nights. The shows, listed on the venue’s website, will be 8 p.m. April 17-18.

Tickets, according to the venue’s ticket website, will go onsale at 1 a.m. Friday. No price is listed.

Nathan Aronowitz

By day, Nathan Aronowitz is a skinny, Rogers High School student with floppy hair, a 4.0 GPA and aspirations of getting a business degree when he graduates high school in 2013.

By night, Aronowitz is a blues rocker with chops on the guitar, drums, harmonica and keyboards.

He began taking piano lessons when he was in third grade, inspired by his grandmother’s organ playing and his growing love for the blues. Aronowitz, now 16, has developed into a bright talent in Northwest Arkansas’ blues scene.

Alongside his mentor, fellow musician Dan Robinson, Aronowitz, after several years of competing, broke through this year with a win at the Ozark Blues Society‘s annual Blues Challenge. As a prize for winning the competition, Aronowitz and his backing band, Max RPM, earned the right to compete at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tenn.

Aronowitz, after a day at school, stopped his advanced placement course studies long enough to chat about his career in the blues, the influence of Robinson and his expectations for the competition in Memphis. You can read the story that resulted from the interview in today (Jan. 6)’s What’s Up! section, if you are a subscriber to any of the Northwest Arkansas Media newspapers or its digital products.

Nathan A. and Max RPM will perform tonight (Jan. 6) at George’s Majestic Lounge as a fundraiser for the Memphis trip. Joining them will be Ray Bonneville (winner of the OBS blues challenge’s solo/duo division), Mississippi Fever and Ocie Fisher.

Admission is $5, and the event runs from 6-10 p.m.

Here’s a sample. The song is “Back in Memphis,” which Aronowitz recorded for his debut album “Few More Steps.” The video was filmed in Rogers High School.

Click here to view the embedded video.