Widespread Panic, The Avett Brothers Schedule Dates in Alpharetta

The circus is coming to town, and so are Widespread Panic and the Avett Brothers. Performances are scheduled at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre in Alpharetta.

The Big Apple Circus, Widespread Panic and The Avett Brothers – with Old Crow Medicine Show – are scheduled in 2013.

Big Apple Circus

The Big Apple Circus won't be under the roof of the amphitheater, but that's good, because the circus is bringing its Big Top Tent to Parking Lot A for a true circus experience. The show will be Legendarium: A Journey Into Circus Past, and it marks the Big Apple Circus's first time back in Georgia for three seasons.

Performances: Feb. 1-18 (Presidents Day)

1775 Founders Pkwy., Alpharetta

Tickets: $20-$60

Parking: $10 cash only at the gate.

Widespread Panic

After a yearlong hiatus, Widespread Panic announced dates for their 2013 Spring Tour. The tour marks the first time the legendary sextet will tour featuring their full electric set up since 2011.

The tour arrives in Alpharetta on April 26 for two concerts in two days.

Fans recently had a taste of what they have been missing when Widespread Panic played a rousing sold-out New Year’s Eve show at the Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, NC. The prior evening, the band wowed the crowd during their annual Tunes For Tots benefit. To date, Tunes for Tots has raised more than $900,000 for music programs in Georgia public schools.

In early 2012, Widespread Panic embarked on their first-ever fully acoustic “Wood Tour”. The tour featured select, small venue performances in four cities over 11-dates. In October 2012, the band released "Wood," a special edition 3LP boxed set and double live CD, featuring selections from the special tour.

After 27 years, Widespread Panic (John Bell, Dave Schools, Todd Nance, John “Jojo” Hermann, Domingo “Sunny” Ortiz and Jimmy Herring) is as strong as ever as they continue to break attendance records at major venues throughout the U.S.

This is a food drive event.

Performances: Friday, April 26 & Saturday, April 27 at 7:30 p.m. (Doors open at 6:30 p.m.)

Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre

Tickets: Special two-day tickets will be available for $89 until Feb. 1 at 10 p.m.

$47 reserved & lawn

The Avett Brothers w/Old Crow Medicine Show

The Avett Brothers begin another new era of folk with their seventh full-length album, and first for American Recordings/Republic Records, "The Carpenter." In 2001, banjoist Scott Avett and guitarist Seth Avett formed The Avett Brothers with standup bass player Bob Crawford. Growing up in Concord, NC, the boys immersed themselves in their musician dad’s record collection, falling in love with Bob Dylan, Neil Young, and Crosby, Stills & Nash. Since then, they’ve become genre stalwarts over the course of six albums, including 2007′s acclaimed Emotionalism. Old Crow Medicine Show will be the opening act.

Performance: Friday, May 17 at 7:30 p.m. (Doors open at 6:30 p.m.)

Tickets: $38.50-$49.50