Laurie MacAllister, Abbie Gardner, and Molly Venter, collectively known as Red Molly, will perform at the Parlor Room in Northampton on March 29 at 8 p.m. You can hear one of their songs at www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mM312YYAlw. Tickets are $30 in advance or $35 at the door.
February 10, 2018
Concert Review: Kirtan
The band Heart Centered Kirtan performed an excellent concert on February 9 in Greenfield. Libby Volckening is the lead singer, harmonium player, and band leader. The music sounded similar to internationally known musician Krishna Das. Kirtan is call-and-response music. With a bigger audience that sung louder, Heart Centered Kirtan would be just as good as Das.
Heart Centered Kirtan has upcoming concerts in Northampton, Amherst and Greenfield. Some of these are listed on their web site, others on their Facebook page:
November 16, 2017
Blues Concert is November 25
Roomful of Blues will play at the Iron Horse Music Hall in Northampton on November 25 at 7 p.m. In a positive review, Down Beat magazine, which has been published every month since 1934, said Roomful of Blues is “in a class by itself.” The band will play concerts next month in Washington, DC and in California in April. You can hear their music at www.roomful.com.
October 04, 2017
Matisyahu Northampton Concert October 11
Tickets are about $35 for Matisyahu's October 11 concert at Pearl Street in Northampton. Globally, his song “One Day” was one of the most popular songs of the past decade. You can hear his song "King Without a Crown" at:
July 26, 2017
Lonesome Brothers Concert is September 3
The Lonesome Brothers will perform public concerts near Brattleboro, in Northampton, and in other towns around the Valley. They have played at the Valley's best live music venue, the Iron Horse Music Hall.
On September 3, they will perform a public concert in Guilford, Vermont, near Brattleboro.
A video of the Lonesome Brothers performing live is at:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFys8S71QRc
The Northampton concert is on December 31 at the World War II Club. Between now and then, the band will play several other concerts around the Valley. Details are at:
March 22, 2017
Fishbone Concert is Free
In its heyday in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Fishbone was among the best bands of all-time. The group will play a free concert near Brattleboro on March 25 at 3 p.m. The concert will be outdoors at Mount Snow. Details are at:
www.mountsnow.com/events/calendar/bud-light-reggaefest
Fishbone's more recent recordings aren't as good as their albums “Truth and Soul” and “The Reality of My Surroundings.” The members of Fishbone live in Los Angeles.
You can hear an excellent Fishbone reggae song at:
December 15, 2016
Simba Concert is December 21
Simba will perform a public concert in Brattleboro, on December 21 at 7 p.m. At a recent Simba concert, at least 100 people danced for hours. The band plays reggae and funk, among other kinds of music.
November 21, 2016
Blues Concert is Nov. 22
Mark Hummel and his band will play blues at the Iron Horse Music Hall in Northampton on November 22 at 7 p.m. Jerry Portnoy was a member of blues legend Muddy Waters' band for eight years. Portnoy said of Hummel, “Mark's terrific.” The San Francisco Chronicle daily newspaper praised Hummel's singing and harmonica playing.
Hummel and his band played last month in Seattle, Washington and San Jose, California. The Iron Horse is the Valley's best live music venue. Tickets for the Northampton concert are about $20, depending on how you get them. Details are at www.iheg.com.
September 07, 2016
Dirty Dozen Brass Band Concert is September 10
The Dirty Dozen Brass Band will play at Gateway City Arts in Holyoke on Saturday, September 10 at 7 p.m. The venue has a dance floor. You can hear the band's music at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSUAk126cUc&list=PL0jJSYejQWTPvz5vz_emGy...
In the next few months, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band will perform in New York City, Chicago, and Hawaii.
Tickets for the Holyoke concert are $25 in advance. They are available at www.signaturesoundspresents.com.
photo by www.vancouverwinejazz.com
June 26, 2016
Concert Review: Sierra Leone All-Stars
The Sierra Leone All-Stars performed an excellent concert near Greenfield on June 25. It was at the Shea Theater in Turner's Falls, Massachusetts. The dance floor was full. The band has recorded several excellent albums. Most of the songs on the albums are Afro-Pop or “high life” style. Some are reggae.
Lead singer Ruben Koroma asked, "Our country, Sierra Leone, is rich in minerals. Why are our people in poverty?"