5 best surprises at the Minnesota Zoo's 2019 Music in the Zoo series

Once again, this year's Music in the Zoo lineup is loaded with usual suspects. How many more gigs before Marc Cohn and Dave Koz get mammals named after them? Having local twangers the Cactus Blossoms as Saturday's season opener was a pleasant surprise, though. Here are five other less-obvious shows on the Minnesota Zoo schedule.

I'm With Her: You might call this a supergroup if you were a super-fan of the music on "A Prairie Home Companion." Sara Watkins of Nickel Creek, Boston folkie Aoife O'Donovan and vintage Texas picker Sarah Jarosz were all regulars on Garrison Keillor's old show and make for easy, like-minded companions in this all-acoustic, semi-feminist new trio. (July 10, $40)

Rosanne Cash: The "Seven Year Ache" hitmaker and country music scion is touring for the latest in her series of strong, nostalgic records, "She Remembers Everything," coproduced with Decemberists cohort Tucker Martine. She hasn't performed outside locally since the 2010 State Fair, so this should be a fun changeup. (July 19, $46)

Belle & Sebastian: Their Rock the Garden co-headlining set in 2015 showed just how festive and spry these Scottish indie-pop mainstays can be on a nice summer night. Anyone looking for danceable grooves, catchy hooks and witty, literary songwriting should dig this one, even if they're not up on the cultishly adored band. (July 23, $56)

Psychedelic Furs and James: Brothers Richard and Tim Butler and their John Hughes-endorsed, pioneering alt-pop band have been playing nearly the same 15-song set for three decades now, including "Pretty in Pink," "Heartbreak Beat" and "Ghost in You." But they do it very very well. Lovers of '80s Britpop have extra incentive with the rarely seen opening band of "Come Home" fame. (July 24, $45)

Conor Oberst: Already in town once this year with Phoebe Bridgers and their new group Better Oblivion Community Center, the Omaha indie-folk hero has been a regular here since his 400 Bar days, but he has never played the zoo. The amphitheater's starry-night intimacy could add a little twinkle to classic Bright Eyes material in this solo appearance. (July 28, $46)

The rest: Taj Mahal Quartet (June 15); Suburbs (June 19); Big Head Todd and Toad The Wet Sprocket (June 21); Mason Jennings (June 22); Keb' Mo' (June 23); Bela Fleck & the Flecktones (June 26); Dark Star Orchestra (July 2); Jonny Lang (July 3); Pop 2000 Tour with O-Town, Aaron Carter, Ryan Cabrera and host Lance Bass (July 14); Robert Earl Keen (July 17); Tower of Power (July 20); Guster (July 22); Steve Earle & the Dukes (Aug. 2); Gaelic Storm (Aug. 7); Mat Kearney (Aug. 9); Marc Cohn (Aug. 10); Josh Ritter (Aug. 24); Dave Koz (Aug. 25); Robert Cray (Aug. 28).

All shows start at 7:30 p.m. Tickets at suemclean.com/zoo, 1-800-514-3849 or Bunker's, 761 Washington Av. N., Mpls.