Sounds Local: Who says January is a slow month for music? Lots of free local music happening this weekend and beyond
Published: 01-15-2025 1:54 PM |
There’s no denying that January is a slow time for live music, especially shows by more prominent musicians who choose not to tour this time of year. But all is not lost. You need not look further than our local breweries to find and enjoy some excellent local music. As a bonus, these shows are often free and in an intimate setting.
Let’s look at the upcoming weekend to give you an idea of what I’m talking about.
For the following four Thursdays, Silverback Swing, a quartet that plays acoustic jazz of the 1920s to 1940s in the style of Django Reinhardt, will be on hand at the Brewery at Four Star Farms in Northfield. The band has been a favorite at the brewery, and their residency starts on Thursday, Jan 16. The show on Jan. 23 will be a special birthday tribute for Reinhardt, so come out to one of these shows and soak up the infectious energy of this music. All of these shows are free and start at 6 p.m.
Last year, Trae Sheehan, a singer-songwriter who lives in the Berkshires but was raised in the Appalachian Mountains, held a residency at Element Brewing in Millers Falls. Sheehan launched a new series of shows last week and will continue the series on Saturday, Jan. 18. He will also perform at Element on Feb. 15 and his final show there will be on Feb 22. These performances all begin at 7 p.m. and are free.
Since he was out here last year, Sheehan has released a new album, “Strange New Place,” a collection of his folk tunes.
The upcoming weekend is a packed one at Floodwater Brewing Company in Shelburne Falls, starting Friday, Jan. 17 at 7 p.m. with cellist Matthew Thornton. The next night, Saturday, Jan. 18, it’s Briezy Jane and the Hurricane, the side project of Brie Green of the Green Sisters who play a zesty brand of Americana, folk, blues, and plenty of fiddle tunes.
Then, on Sunday, it’s singer-songwriter Jeffrey Foucault of Shelburne Falls. Foucault is currently on a break from his U.S. tour in support of his album “The Universal Fire,” and has been playing at Floodwater Brewery in Shelburne Falls every Sunday at 6 p.m. These are informal jam sessions where Foucault gets together with friends and play whatever they feel like playing. This past week friends included his wife, singer-songwriter Kris Delmhorst, Zak Trojano, and Matt Lorenz (The Suitcase Junket) as well as his touring bandmates, drummer Don McAulay and bassist Jeremy Moses Curtis. That’s a great group of friends! You have two more chances to check this special session out.
Some other options this weekend include The Dan Belmont/Steve Kurtz jazz quartet, who will play at Four Phantoms Brewing in Greenfield Saturday, Jan. 18 from 6:30 to 8 p.m., and Gravestone, who will bring some hard rocking sounds to the Pioneer Valley Brewery in Turners Falls on Saturday, Jan. 18 from 7 to 10 p.m.
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When you think of Roundabout Books in Greenfield you might think of lots of new and used books and CDs. You may not realize that the book store at 85 Pierce St. also occasionally presents live music on its second floor and one such show will take place on Friday, Jan. 17 at 7 p.m. when Roundabout Books hosts a performance by the psych-folk band Stella Kola.
At the core of Stella Kola is lyricist/vocalist Beverly Ketch of Turners Falls and guitarist Rob Thomas of Boston. Thomas was one of the founding members of the experimental rock band Sunburned Hands of Man, a group with a revolving lineup up and an extensive catalog.
In addition to being a musician, Ketch is a poet who recently released the book “Nickel Coin Queen.” She is also one of the co-founders of the Looky Here art space in Greenfield and is the writer of the various Lovelight fairy projects in Turners Falls.
Ketch and Thomas knew each other from being part of the same musical community and decided to start writing songs together. They were working on a collection of songs before COVID struck, and during lockdown they started sending their songs to various musician friends to add their own parts. From there, Stella Kola became a band.
The band will be appearing in full for the Roundabout Books performance, which includes Jeremy Pisani on guitar, Jen Gelineau on viola, and Wednesday Knudsen on flute and saxophone.
In February 2023, they released their self-titled debut, “Stella Kola,” a beautiful album full of delicate melodies and rich textures that benefit from Ketch’s soft, fragile vocals and poetic lyrics. Vashti Bunyan meets Fairport Convention might be a fair description of this music. It’s magical music that is boosted by Ketch’s vivid lyrics, which are rich in imagery. This is music that transports listeners to a different time and place, making it the ideal soundtrack for a winter evening.
There is a suggested donation of $20. This show is on the second floor, and there is an elevator. Cosmic Ray will open.
The devastating fires in Los Angeles are on everyone’s minds. Sadly, one of our former local musicians, jazz pianist Miro Sprague, lost the Altadena, California, home he shares with his wife and four-year-old son. Rolling Stone magazine ran a recent story about the destruction in Altadena, and they referred to it as a “magical community of creatives.” Sprague, who was born in Shelburne Falls and grew up in the Valley, is certainly one of those creatives.
Sprague was born into a musical family. His mother, Morning Star Chenven of Erving, is part of the singing duo Moonlight and Morning Star. His father, John Sprague of Amherst, is also a popular teacher and musician.
Sprague is a highly talented musician who started playing the piano and composing at age 13 and performing locally soon after. He later studied at the Manhattan School of Music, where he graduated in 2008. In 2012, he attended the prestigious Thelonious Monk Institute at UCLA, where he studied with jazz greats including Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter.
He’s performed throughout the U.S. and oversees with various jazz luminaries; locally, he’s worked with Sonya Kitchell, Samirah Evans, and Charles Neville and was a longtime accompaniment for vocalist Karrin Allyson.
Sprague regularly returns home to the Valley to perform, appearing as recently as September at the Drake in Amherst with his trio, Tone Forest, a group that also includes bassist Marty Jaffe from Conway and guitarist Jason Ennis of Pittsfield.
Like so many others, Sprague lost everything in the fire. His brother, Tibet, who also resides in California, has set up a GoFundMe account to help out, which has already received an incredible response. If you want to contribute, visit gofundme.com/f/help-miro-and-family-rebuild-after-fire.
The Green River Festival has announced their full lineup for the 2025 Festival to be held June 20 to 22 at the Franklin County Fairgrounds. Joining already announced headliners Courtney Barnett, Mt. Joy, and Waxahatchee are an assortment of talent including local acts Winterpills, Thus Love, Mark Mulcahy, Matt Hebert and the Lonesome Brothers, KimayaDiggs and many more. To view the entire lineup, visit Greenriverfestival.com. Single day and two-day passes go on sale Friday, Jan. 17 at 10 a.m.
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.