It will be a night of dancing, dancing and more dancing, when Gaslight Tinkers and Bella’s Bartok join forces for a “harvest jam” tomorrow night, Oct. 7, at 8 p.m. at Shea Theater in Turners Falls.
While these two local bands couldn’t be more stylistically different, they are both known for their incredibly high energy shows and their ability to keep audiences on their feet.
Northampton-based Bella’s Bartok spent most of the summer out on the road touring in support of their new album, “Change Yer Life.”
Since returning home, they have played festivals, like Wormtown and the Old 78 Fall Farm Festival, and now are more than ready to take the stage at Shea Theater.
The band, which features Asher Putnam (vocals), Jesse Putnam (accordion, mandolin, guitar, trumpet and vocals), Chris “Fancy” Kerrigan (guitar, clarinet, vocals), Dan Niederhauser (bass and vocals), Amory Drennan (trombone/banjo and vocals) and Crisco on drums, merges klezmear music with the raw energy of punk and the accessibility of pop. The group’s sound is often referred to as, “modern-pop klezmer,” but even that doesn’t fully encompass all the unique sound that these accomplished musicians have come up with.
Bella’s Bartok brings an unparalleled wild energy to the stage as they shout, dance and jump about, while their enthusiasm spills over to the audience so that even the most committed non-dancer finds themselves up and moving.
Of course, the band has been known to get a bit carried away, and in the past has broken a stage or two — so let’s hope the stage at the Shea remains intact.
The Gaslight Tinkers are also a lively band, and I recently connected with Bella Bartok’s lead singer, Asher Putnam, who said that his group can’t wait to share the stage with them.
“We have yet to have shared a stage with the Gaslight Tinkers, but we have attended and performed at many of the same festivals as they have,” wrote Putnam in a recent email exchange. “We are super excited to send out the summer and welcome in the fall with this crew.”
And, they should be excited. The Brattleboro-based Gaslight Tinkers, which features Peter Siegel on guitar, mandolin and banjo, Garrett Sawyer on bass, Audrey Knuth of fiddle and Joe Fitzpatrick on drums, are also an exciting live band.
The group blends Afro-pop, funk and reggae rhythms with traditional New England, old time and Celtic fiddle tunes, creating an irresistible music that is also highly danceable.
The group was formed in 2012, when Sawyer, who has a strong background in world music, and Siegel, who has a lot of experience in traditional folk music, sat down together and came up with the idea of creating a new sound.
From the start, audiences responded to this uplifting music, especially enjoying it when the band stretches out and jams a bit.
I remember seeing the band make its debut at the 2013 Green River Festival. Their fiery fiddle work, combined with deep danceable grooves, had the sweat-drenched crowd twirling and hopping away.
Since then, the band has performed in various locations throughout New England and California, and it even played in Trinidad earlier this year.
Locally, they have played venues like the Parlor Room, the Iron Horse Music Hall and the Wendell Full Moon Coffeehouse.
The Gaslight Tinkers also play contra dances, including at the Grange in Greenfield.
Last year, the band switched up its lineup a bit (Knuth and Fitzpatrick are newcomers) and now that they have settled in, they have begun doing some recording.
According to Siegel, the band plans to have a new album out this winter, and it has already released a couple of new songs via its website. You can expect to hear some of this new material at this show.
The Shea Theater show is the only area appearance this fall for both of these bands. The Gaslight Tinkers will be touring throughout the northeast and putting the finishing touches on the new album, while Bella’s Bartok will once again hit the road.
“We will be spending the remainder of October traveling up and down the East Coast,” Putnam said. “November and December will be spent a-cavorting ’round the Northeast and working on our new tunes. Then, in January, we hit the road for the Gulf Coast. Whew. It is all rather exciting.”
These two great local bands have never shared a bill together, and who knows, they may never again, so see them while you can.
Besides, where else can hear reggae, Celtic, klezmer, rock, Americana, pop and more all in one night?
So dust off your dancing shoes and head to the “harvest jam” at the Shea. And for those of you who prefer not to dance, there is plenty of comfortable seating.
Visit: www.bellasbartok.com and www.thegaslighttinkers.com
Advance tickets are $14 and can be purchased at:
www.sheatheater.org
Tickets purchased at the door are $18. It’s an all-ages show. Shea Theater is located at 71 Ave. A in Turners Falls. Doors open at 7:30 p.m.
Arc Iris at
Ashfield Lake House
The Gaslight Tinkers-Bella’s Bartok show isn’t the only show you’ll want to catch this weekend.
You will want to be in the house when Signature Sounds welcomes Arc Iris and The Hanged Man to Ashfield Lake House on Sunday, Oct. 9, at 8:30 p.m.
This show is the perfect capper to your long weekend, and also a great way to end your day, if you plan to attend the Ashfield Fall Festival, which also has lots of great live music planned.
If you have never seen Arc Iris, you are in for a treat — and if you have, well then this show is likely already on your radar.
Arc Iris is currently on tour in support of its new album and will head to Europe at the end of the month.
The Providence-based trio is led by vocalist-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Jocie Adams, and also features keyboardist Zach Tenorio-Miller and drummer Ray Belli. Adams spent eight years with the Low Anthem before branching out on her own.
Arc Iris released its acclaimed debut in 2014, and the band soon found itself hitting the stage, opening for acts like Jeff Tweedy and St. Vincent, as well as playing major festivals, like Bonnaroo.
The band has a strong following here in the Valley, having played a month-long residency at the Parlor Room in 2015, as well as wowing the crowd at the 2015 Green River Festival.
The band released its second album, “Moon Saloon,” in August, and is already raking in the rave reviews.
The album, which was produced by the band, is a gorgeous, adventurous, genre-blurring collection that finds Arc Iris band moving its sound forward.
“Moon Saloon” takes the listener on a one-of-a-kind sonic journey that encompasses many different styles and sounds, including Americana, electronica, prog-rock and even cabaret.
In lesser hands, all this style shifting could be a bit of train wreck, but the members of Arc Iris are so accomplished and Adams is such a gifted singer and songwriter that they pull it off beautifully.
And, do get there early enough to catch the opening act, The Hanged Man, which is the side project of the aforementioned Asher Putnam of Bella’s Bartok.
“It’s a bit more low key than Bella’s Bartok,” said Putnam. “It has a country lilt, but the lyrics are all rather foreboding.”
Putnam went on to say that he is a huge Arc Iris fan.
“First of all, Arc Iris is a tour de force of chamber pop and fusion. They are amazing,” he said. “It should be a killer time. The Lake House is like the punk rock version of The Dream Away Lodge.”
Visit: www.arcirismusic.com
Advance tickets are $5 and available at www.signaturesoundspresnets.com. The Ashfield Lake House is located at 141 Buckland Road.
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