What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
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Naturalist Sees 'Roots' For nigh onto 30 years, Kent Bonar traversed the hills and valleys of Northwest Arkansas carrying a tome the size of an Oxford English Dictionary. It wasn't even his book, although it did have its roots at the University of Arkansas, but it became a journal of his experiences in the woods and all the flora and many of the fauna the naturalist saw there. Now, thanks to the University of Arkansas Press, the original "Atlas and Annotated List of the Vascular Plants of Arkansas" by University of Arkansas botanist Edwin B. Smith has been reprinted with some 3,500 of Bonar's drawings, retitled "An Arkansas Florilegium." Bonar will appear at three events at this year's Fayetteville Roots Festival: Aug. 24 — Live KUAF "Ozarks at Large" radio show, noon-2 p.m., Fayetteville Public Library. Free. Aug. 24 — Discussion with Robert Cochran, followed by a book signing, 2 p.m. Fayetteville Public Library. Free. Aug. 25 — Nature walk with Bonar, hosted by Still on the Hill, 10:30 a.m., Pratt Place at 2231 W. Markham Road in Fayetteville. This is a ticketed event. therootsfest.org. "I've been hearing about 'this man in the woods' for years, and we are so excited to have him," says Jerrmy Gawthrop, co-founder of the festival. "Our food and music festival is dedicated to showcas- ing what makes this region of the Ozarks unique, and this person, the way he lives, the way people feel about him, and the nature he knows so much about, are a wonderful example of this uniqueness." 479-248-7866 diamondpetrastone@gmail.com 1947 N Main St Cave Springs, AR 72718 www.diamondpetrastone.com 479-248-7866 diamondpetrastone@g 1947 N Main St Cave Springs, AR 72718 www.diamondpetrast Cave Springs Nelson Hardware & Tire Service 115 S. Main St. Cave Springs AR 72718 479-248-7211 40 WHAT'S UP! AUGUST 12-18, 2018 COVER STORY Roots Continued From Page 39 'them.' If we can all come together for four or five days to celebrate together through music and food, maybe it bridges some gaps." He's almost certain that the Roots Festival continues to help put Northwest Arkansas on the map, because part of the coming together is musicians and chefs who want to come to the area and see why it's so popular. "Our reputation just gets better and better," he says. McCoury is just happy to return to the festival, one of about 150 gigs he plays a year now. "My booking agent and my manager have to put the reins on," he says. "But I feel good yet. I want to play." Also playing: WILD RIVERS Described as Toronto's purveyors of "folk n' roll & country soul," Wild Rivers — Khalid Yassein (vocals, guitar), Devan Glover (vocals), Ben Labenski (drums) and Andrew Oliver (guitar, bass) — have, over three years, accrued more than 30 million streams on Spotify, toured consistently across the U.S. and Canada, and earned a reputation as a band that makes a powerful connection with listeners. Wild Rivers plays during the Farm Jamboree, noon-4 p.m. Aug. 26 at Tri Cycle Farms during this year's Roots Festival. In their own words: Q. How did the band get together? A. Devan and Khalid met at university, where they began singing together as a duo, performing at coffeehouses and open mics. Khalid knew Ben from school, and brought him on board to play drums, who in turn brought in Andrew. The first time we all got together and jammed, it felt very natural and there was a definite musical chemistry between the four of us. We were lucky that it all came together so organically and have been playing as a band ever since! Q. How would you define your music? A. As we've been developing and finding our sound as a band, we have struggled to define our genre, as we like to incorporate elements of many different musical styles. We have always considered ourselves as primarily falling under the folk umbrella, as our songs are crafted on an acoustic guitar, with a heavy focus on lyrics and vocal harmony, a traditional singer/songwriter approach. Additionally, many of our collective influences are classic folk artists such as James Taylor, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, and Fleetwood Mac. However, we definitely do not have a traditional 'folk' sound. Q. What is the future of roots/folk music? A. Nothing beats live music. Live performances have the ability to foster an innate interpersonal connection between the artist and their audience, and build a sense of community within the crowd, which is the best part to me! Q. What excites you about the Roots Festival in Fayetteville? A. We have never been to Arkansas, so we are very excited to make it out there for the first time. We've heard so many amazing things about the festival, and the lineup includes many of our personal heroes, particularly Gillian Welch! Courtesy Photo Wild Rivers is Ben Labenski on drums; Andrew Oliver on guitar and bass; Devan Glover on vocals; and Khalid Yassein on vocals and guitar.