Fellow country stars join Justin Moore at Tulalip casino

Awards are weird.

Take for instance the case of Justin Moore. In 2014, the country star won the New Artist of the Year award from the Academy of Country Music. This “new” artist had already released three albums. The first came out five years prior, in 2009, and the other two had reached No. 1 on the country charts.

Regardless, the award just helped certify that Moore is a big dang deal in country music. Now, locals will get to see why, as the Arkansas-born singer headlines the KMPS Shamrock Show at the Tulalip Resort Casino. The show starts at 7 p.m. Thursday, on St. Patrick’s Day itself.

Moore won’t arrive alone. The bill also includes fellow country stars Canaan Smith, Chris Lane and Drake White.

Nonetheless, Moore will be the big draw. The singer is gearing up to release his much-anticipated fourth album now. That disc is expected to include his latest single, the amusingly titled “You Look Like I Need a Drink.”

Tickets to the 21-and-over show are $35 to $45 at ticketmaster.com or 800-745-3000.

Umphrey’s McGee also is heading to the Northwest, headlining the Moore Theatre in Seattle at 6:45 tonight.

The long-running jam band got its start in South Bend, Indiana, earning a loyal following in the 1990s thanks to its on-stage prowess. The group’s fame grew, as it became a staple at festivals like Bonaroo.

The group will hit Seattle about a month after “From the Hip” saw release. That live disc collected improvisational jams from the band.

Tickets are $27.50 at stgpresents.org or 877-784-4849.

The Showbox, meanwhile, will welcome self-proclaimed gypsy punks Gogol Bordello for a pair of shows at 8 p.m. Sunday and Monday.

Led by charismatic front man Eugene Hutz, the group became a favorite among indie rock club-goers in the early 2000s thanks to its ridiculously high energy rock songs and over-the-top showmanship.

The band is touring now to celebrate the 10th anniversary of “Gypsy Punks: Underdog World Strike,” which actually saw release in 2005 — 11 years ago — on famed punk label Side One Dummy.

Tickets are $28.50 at showboxonline.com or 888-929-7849.

The Neptune Theatre also will stay exceptionally busy in the week ahead, bringing in five different acts.

First up is a stop from the Junior Boys, which plays the Seattle venue at 9 tonight.

The electronica duo got its start in Ontario, releasing its debut album, “Last Exit,” in 2003. New albums followed steadily, with the group reliably producing a new set of 10 or so songs every few years. The group is touring now behind “Big Black Coat,” which saw release earlier this winter.

Tickets are $18.50 at stgpresents.org or 877-784-4849.

Then Ben Rector will hit the Neptune, playing at 8 p.m. Saturday.

Though based out of Nashville, Rector deals in the type of piano based alt-pop that often finds a home on adult contemporary stations. He’s touring now behind “Brand New,” his first album to crack the top 10 on the Billboard 200.

Tickets are $23.50 at stgpresents.org or 877-784-4849.

Then, an Evening with David Crosby will help keep the Neptune stage occupied, as the famed folk-rock singer plays the venue at 8 p.m. Tuesday.

Crosby is among the most famous and influential musicians to come out of the West Coast. Between his part founding the Byrds and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, he sold millions of albums and served as a guiding light for future folk acts like the Fleet Foxes.

Tickets are $53.50 to $73.50 at stgpresents.org or 877-784-4849.

The cheekily named Well-Strung plays the Neptune stage next, for a show at 8 p.m. Wednesday.

The New York City-based string quartet has made a name for itself with its well-humored blend of pop and classical music.

The group is touring now behind its 2015 album, the aptly named “Popssical.” That disc found its four men taking on big hits from female pop stars, including Lorde’s “Royals,” Taylor Swift’s “Blank Space” and Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe.”

Tickets are $28 at stgpresents.org or 877-784-4849.

Fans can continue to get (ahem) strung out with a visit from the Yonder Mountain String Band, which plays the Neptune Theatre.

The bluegrass fusion act is touring now behind “Black Sheep,” its latest take on modern day acoustic music.

Tickets are $26 at stgpresents.org or 877-784-4849.