Saturday brings Holy Ghost Tent Revival, Widespread Panic

Saturday at Mulberry Mountain delivers musical diversity that ranges between the Holy Ghost and Widespread Panic.

The 10th annual Wakarusa Music Festival boasts about 130 confirmed acts appearing on five stages over four days at Mulberry Mountain, north of Ozark.

Programming note: In assembling these daily lists, attention was paid to performance times, though a quick-turnaround might be required to travel between stages.

72C on SATURDAY (June 1)
• Lazy Locomotive (George’s Majestic Lounge Stage – noon to 1 p.m.)
Start your Saturday off with the grooves of Lazy Locomotive. Members of several bands in the Athens, Ga., area came together to form this group. These five guys play a unique blend of funk and rock, clearly influenced by Latin and Afro-Cuban rhythms. They love to improvise and obviously enjoy being on stage. This is a great intro to a day of music.

• The Bright Light Social Hour (Main Stage – 1 to 2 p.m.)
Continue the day with the energy of Bright Light Social Hour, a rock band that hails from Austin. They have a sound that melds Southern rock, psychedelic blues and soul. They received six awards at the 2011 Austin Music Awards, co-sponsored by SXSW, including band, album and song of the year.

• Los Amigos Invisibles (Main Stage – 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.)
Stay put but switch gears for some fantastic grooves by Los Amigos Invisibles, a Venezuelan dance band formed in 1991. The music is often playful, blending the sounds of disco, pop and funk. The band has entertained crowds around the world, visiting more than 60 countries in the past two decades. Along the way, they’ve recorded seven studio albums, made one live DVD, and received a Latin Grammy award for Best Alternative Music Album for “Commercial.” They recently released their latest album, “Repeat After Me.”

• Langhorne Slim (George’s Majestic Lounge Stage – 6 to 7:15 p.m.)
Take your time and wander the festival grounds, checking out the many merchandise and food vendors, plus the water slide, Ferris wheel and other activities. Eventually, make your way back to George’s Majestic Lounge Stage to catch Langhorne Slim. He’s a great songwriter who’s clearly inspired by the travels that come with the life of a musician. He taught himself to play guitar, and his sound is a blend of folk and rock and something else.

• Holy Ghost Tent Revival (George’s Majestic Lounge Stage – 7:45 to 8:45 p.m.)
Yes, it’s still Saturday, but make plans to stop by this tent revival. Holy Ghost Tent Revival is a group that hails from Greensboro, N.C. They’ve evolved from a ragtime-inspired sound to an electrified sound fueled by rock and horns. They have a great energy and fresh sound, and are a perfect fit for this festival.

• Henry + The Invisibles (George’s Majestic Lounge Stage – 9:15 to 10:15 p.m.)
Hang out for a bit to catch the funk and blues sound brought by Henry + The Invisibles. That’s “Invisibles” because Henry Roland is his own one-man funk band. He layers the vocals, keyboards, bass, percussion and guitar. And he’s fantastic on guitar, by the way. Just a taste of this performance will make you groove. But, you’ll want to wrap it up pretty quick and head over to the Main Stage for the next must-see act.

• Widespread Panic (Main Stage – 9:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.)
After filling up on a day’s worth of music, make sure to leave some room for Widespread Panic. You might arrive a little late, but they’ll do a full, three-hour show here — unusual for the festival. You can explore with this truly amazing jam band, which has been around for 27 years. Their experience and overall longevity as a band show in everything they do. They’re comfortable on stage and you never know where a song is going to lead, often a winding path that features soaring guitar solos. Dance your heart out or just settle down into a comfy spot — or both — and enjoy this musical treat.