Judging from some of the press releases I’ve received, October is shaping up to be a month packed with incredible shows. From the Bella’s Bartok/Gaslight Tinkers double bill that will be at Shea Theater next weekend, to Geoff Bartley opening the fall season at the Wendell Full Moon Coffeehouse, to Charles and Khalif Neville performing together at the Arts Block at the end of the month. These are just some of the shows that music fans will be lining up to see.
But let’s start by talking about the Old 78 Farm Fall Festival in Warwick, which will be held on Saturday, Oct. 1, from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. This festival, hosted by Phil Simon and his family on their farm located at 823 Orange Road, is a laid-back, family-friendly event with a heavy emphasis on local. What that means is there will be plenty of local food, local crafts and of course, local music. Now in its seventh year, this festival will present eight musical acts all for the reasonable price of $10 for advance tickets.
Phil Simon is not only the owner of a farm, but heads up Simon Says Booking, which books shows for both locally and nationally touring acts, so it’s no surprise that he has assembled a first-rate lineup of talent.
Rebel Alliance, who played the Old 78 Farm Fall Festival last year, will be back to treat the crowd to some of their rock-reggae sounds. You can also look forward to the return of klezmer punk band Bella’s Bartok, who can be counted on to deliver a wild, exuberant set. And when he’s not playing the role of host, look for Phil Simon to pick up a guitar and play a set with his band Rice: An American Band.
And you’ll want to check out the soulful sounds of Mary Jane Jones, the musical collective led by Mandy Pachios. The group, which actually started out as jazz band (they continue to perform as a jazz group on Sunday nights at Sam’s Pizzeria in Northampton), has a revolving cast of players, and at times can feature as many as nine backing musicians. These musicians all work with other bands like The Alchemysitcs, The Primate Fiasco, Outer Stylie and many more.
Also on hand will be Secret Sage, an acoustic band who play everything from reggae to traditional folk, and Good Lord the Liftin’, a rock band that mixes it up with originals and covers. You will also be treated to Shiprock and Anchordog, which is a series of songs written and performed by Evan Curran about two adventurous dogs named Shiprock and Anchordog. While these songs are a big hit with kids, they can be enjoyed by listeners of all ages. And finally, something new for this year is saxophone player Lee Ross (formerly of the Hornitz), who will be on hand to sit in with some of the bands and see what kind of magic he can create.
The festival will close with a set from the quartet Outer Stylie. Outer Stylie has been around for a while now, but it took a few lineup changes before they really settled into their current sound. This group, from Northampton, is a rock band, but one with a wide-ranging sound that includes traces of 1960s psychedelia and 1990s grunge — plus they like to stretch out and jam. Since releasing it’s excellent album “Puzzles” in April, the band has further secured its reputation as one the strongest rock bands in the area. Outer Style is fast becoming a festival favorite — you may have caught one their sets at Strangecreek/Wormtown. But if you didn’t, no need to worry, because you can catch them and lots of other excellent music at the Old 78 Farm Fall Festival on Saturday.
For more information, visit:
www.oldfarm78.com
Advanced tickets are available at Simon Says Booking, 131 West Main St. #208 in Orange or at The Old 78 Property, 823 Orange Road in Warwick. Tickets at the gate are $15 general and $10 Warwick residents. Children 12 and under are free. No pets allowed.
Lexi Weege and The Fools
at Montague Bookmill
If you prefer to hear music somewhere warm and cozy, head to Montague Bookmill on Saturday, Oct. 1, at 8 p.m. to hear singer-songwriter Lexi Weege and her new band The Fools.
The Fools are AJ Del Negro on bass and Tom Del Negro on guitar — they will be joining Weege for an evening of her jazzy-bluesy original tunes. Weege, who is also a member of the Women Songwriter Collective, started working with this new band about three months ago. Prior to that, she always performed solo, accompanying herself on keyboards.
Opening the show will be Arvella and Friends, a bluegrass band that features Vanessa Chatwood Derby, formerly of the Dire Honeys. Derby will be joined by some special guests.
The cost of the show is $10. The Montague Bookmill is at 440 Greenfield Road in Montague.
Red Baraat at the Iron Horse and Dar Williams at
The Academy of Music
There are also a couple of must-see shows happening in Northampton this week.
The first is Red Baraat, which will take the stage at the Iron Horse Music Hall on Wednesday, Oct. 5, at 7 p.m. The eight-piece band from Brooklyn, led by dhol player Sunny Jain, play a lively brand of music that merges Bhangra with elements of go-go, rock and jazz. The band won over local fans with its high-energy performance at the 2015 Green River Festival, then proceeded to blow the roof off the Shea Theater when it performed at the “Light up the Shea!” celebration in March. The band has said its goal is to manifest joy and unity in people and, having experienced them live, I would say it accomplishes just that. And since it’s impossible not to dance to Red Baraat’s music, the Iron Horse will clear the tables out in front of the stage to make room for a dance floor.
Advance tickets are $15 and are available at the Northampton Box Office, by calling 413-586-8686 or online at: www.iheg.com
Another local favorite, Dar Williams, returns to Northampton to perform at the Academy of Music on Friday, Sept. 30, at 8 p.m. This show is a special celebration of the 20th anniversary of her album, “Mortal City.” Williams, who lives in upstate New York, launched her career while living in the area — she has been a longtime local favorite.
“In 1995, I was living in Chesterfield, watching old brick buildings fill up with new businesses, rails turn into trails and flailing farms organize and transform into Our Family Farms. People were ‘making sense of history and drawing warmth out of the cold,’ and that became the inspiration for ‘Mortal City,’” wrote Williams in a press release.
The album features fan favorites like “As Cool As I Am” and “Christians and Pagans.” Spoken word artist-activist Alix Olson will open the show.
Advance tickets are $25 to $35 and are available at: www.aomtheatre.com
Sheryl Hunter is a music writer who lives in Easthampton. Her work has appeared in various regional and national magazines. You can contact her at: soundslocal@yahoo.com