The Avett Brothers, Natalie Merchant to join Tanglewood this summer

We can wish away the impending February snow by wistfully looking ahead to summer, where nights can be spent in the company of a picnic and a blanket as the Boston Symphony Orchestra serenades us into the night at Tanglewood. Our fantasies get a little more real today with the announcement of two guests heading to the Berkshire Hills this season: foot-stomping folksters the Avett Brothers, and everyone’s favorite wry alt-pop crooner, Natalie Merchant.

Merchant will perform Sun., July 2 at 7 p.m. at the Koussevitzky Music Shed, bringing fans back to the multi-platinum “Tigerlily,” following her 2015 re-recording of the 1995 solo album that brought her Top 40 fame with “Wonder” and “Carnival.” Meanwhile, the Avett Brothers will mosey into town Friday, Sept. 1, with their Grammy-nominated album, “True Sadness.” Both acts will be making their Tanglewood debuts.