It promises to be a night of joy, connection and great music when Luke Concannon returns to The Permaculture Place at The Mill, 49 Conway St. in Shelburne Falls, on Saturday, Nov. 14, at 7 p.m.
Concannon, a resident of Guilford, Vermont, who is Irish but grew up in England, is a singer-songwriter and songwriting teacher with a fascinating career. In England, he was a member of a duo called Nizlopi that, in 2005, scored a huge hit with “JCB Song,” which sold a million copies. The pair split in 2008, and Concannon launched a solo career. He later followed his girlfriend, singer Stephanie Hollenberg, to America and they married in 2019. He settled into a yurt in Vermont and started his career anew.
He continues to tour England regularly and also teaches songwriting workshops in-person and via Zoom.
Concannon’s most recent album, “Midnight Bloom,” takes its name from Concannon’s belief that good can come out of even the darkest times. The album grew out of a difficult period in Concannon’s life. Besides the challenges of the current times, he was dealing with some health issues and overall burnout that stemmed from a period of overwork.
On the album, the singer collaborates with Grammy-winning trombonist, producer, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Darius Christian, a go-to guy for bass and trombone arrangements. Christian has worked with Mumford & Sons, Adele, Gwen Stefani and other A-list artists.
“We became friends because he was a fan of Nizlopi,” Concannon explained. “We were on our own independent record label, so it’s not like we had big coverage in America. But Darius and his friends at school in Baltimore were listening to our record and covering our songs.”
The two started collaborating during the pandemic.
“I’d send him a song, and he’d make a brass arrangement or sometimes he’d be singing or playing keys,” Concannon said. “Everything he touches just elevates to another level.”
Concannon, whose sound is hip-hop folk, grew up loving soul music, and that comes through here, especially on tracks like “Shine.” Lyrically, it’s his most politically-charged project to date, taking on the Ukraine War (“Brothers”) and the treatment of women (“A Woman is Sacred”). Overall, the new music delivers a message of hope, renewal and the need to come together during difficult times.
“For me, it has ended up being political because I think when we pay attention and open our hearts, we can’t help but see what is happening, that we are in a tumultuous age,” he said. “I’m also interested in how we can stick together and how can we love each other in spite of our differences.”
“Midnight Bloom” was released in October 2025, and in the months that followed, Ed Sheeran, a huge Nizlopi fan, asked the duo, which was celebrating the 20th anniversary of “JCB Song,” to open some shows on his European tour. Sheeran interned with the band as a teenager and aspiring songwriter, and has long cited Concannon as a huge inspiration.
The tour was a success, and with Sheeran’s encouragement and his offer to pay for the recording, a new Nizlopi album is in the works. Concannon said it will be a musical concept album in the tradition of works like “Hamilton” and “Hadestown.”
Concannon is, of course, aware of the controversy swirling around Sheeran after Macklemore was dropped from the pop singer’s tour after making pro-Palestinian comments during two concerts in September. This all came about when Robert Kraft, the owner of Gillette Stadium, and other stadium owners said they would not host the tour if Macklemore remained on the bill. Sheeran has said the decision was not his, but his critics felt he should have stood with Macklemore.
Concannon posted a video on YouTube (“On Palestine Sheeran”) where he talks at length about the situation. He expresses his thoughts on the horrors going on in Gaza (he hitchhiked in Palestine after the Nizlopi breakup), and how he wished Sheeran, whom he calls his “little bro,” had handled it differently and stood up to Kraft. But he stressed “we need to go hard on the issues, but gentle on the people.”
“All of us have gifts and limitations, and I know Ed has a heart of gold. Like I said in that video, when I was touring with him, he often spent his days with under-served youth, helping them with their music,” Concannon said. “I think as we grow up, we all need to balance that kindness with a tougher approach sometimes, so we don’t get bullied or manipulated by people like Robert Kraft. But I am sure he will learn from this.”
This past October, Concannon made another visit to the U.K., where he performed and held songwriting workshops. This show at The Permaculture Place is his last gig of the year.
Considering that less than a year ago, Concannon was playing for thousands in arenas, it must be an adjustment to play at a smaller venue.
“My last gig of last year was in late November in Brooklyn, and something had gone wrong with the promotion, and there were like five people there. The five people who were there were really up for it,” Concannon noted.
He went on to say the next week, Nizlopi was playing in Paris for 10,000 people, followed by a gig in Munich playing before a crowd of 20,000.
“It was really interesting to notice that I enjoyed the gig of five people in Brooklyn more because I was playing new music I’d poured my heart into,” he said. “The people really wanted to be there — it was meaningful. Playing to 20,000 people who were mainly there to see Ed Sheeran, and playing music I wrote 20 years ago, wasn’t as fun. So there is something about quality over quantity.”
And The Permaculture Place is a favorite venue.
“The community there really cares about connection, respect for Mother Earth, community and truth. The last time I played there, the energy was amazing. People were singing and dancing from the first song. Kay McGrenaghan Cafasso, who organizes those nights, always goes above and beyond to make it special, and the sound was fantastic.
“There’s really something about quality,” he added. “I think small is beautiful, and communities who look after each other and commit to their values are the hope for the future.”
Tickets, which are $22 (plus fees), are available at thepermacultureplace.org. The show is intended for all ages and doors will open at 6:30 p.m. The show is a fundraiser for the nonprofit’s resource center and demonstration gardens in Shelburne Falls.
Wooden Horse at the Shea Theater
If you are a fan of 1970s supergroups Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, and America, head to the Shea Theater Arts Center in Turners Falls on Saturday, Nov. 7, at 8 p.m. for Wooden Horse. Wooden Horse is a six-piece ensemble from Connecticut and the only tribute band performing today that covers both bands.
The group has been together since 2012, yet this show marks its debut at the Shea. Expect a night of multi-part harmonies and lush arrangements as Wooden Horse treats listeners to its versions of hits like “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes,” “Ventura Highway,” “Teach Your Children” and more.
Tickets to the all-ages show are $22.50 in advance at sheatheater.org or $30 at the door.
Sheryl Hunter is a freelance writer who resides in Easthampton. Her work has appeared in various regional and national publications. She can be reached at soundslocal@yahoo.com.