When the hard rockin’ Stone Coyotes play The Root Cellar on Saturday, Oct. 29, it will be a rare treat to see the band performing in its hometown of Greenfield — but that is not the only thing that will be special about this show.
The Stone Coyotes are made up of family members Barbara Keith on guitar and vocals, her husband, Doug Tibbles, on drums, and Doug’s sons, John on bass and Doug Jr. on guitar. They recently were not sure if they would ever take the stage together again. Last August, after undergoing routine surgery that went horribly wrong, John Tibbles, who moved from Greenfield to California three years ago, found himself fighting for his life.
“John has been through a hellish medical situation,” Barbara Keith told me in a recent phone interview. “He went in for a routine surgery and there were complications. It was pretty bad for awhile, and he even came close to dying.”
Keith said she and her husband were never far from their phones during this time, while John’s siblings took turns staying with him in his hospital room. It was a difficult time, but one that she said ultimately brought the family closer. The good news is that after enduring two abdominal surgeries and losing 35 pounds, Tibbles is now feeling better and ready to play again.
“John really wants to do this show in our hometown. He said he feels good enough and is ready to go,” said Keith. “Rock is his rehabilitation therapy,” she added, laughing.
The Stone Coyotes have been playing together since the late 1980s, but didn’t release its first album until 1998.
Keith is the primary songwriter of the band, writing the kind of vivid story songs that you don’t expect from a hard-rock band. To date, the band has released 14 albums on its own Red Cat Records label and its music has been used in television shows and movies. The Coyotes served as the inspiration for Leonard Elmore’s book, “Be Cool,” and they have toured throughout the country. Until recently, they made frequent treks to Texas where they have a strong fan base.
And while they have performed numerous times throughout Franklin County, they can count the times they played in their hometown of Greenfield on one hand.
“The very first show we ever did as a band was at the Greenfield Community College cafeteria at noon — this was maybe in 1986 or 1987,” recalled Keith, who is a veteran in the music business and has had her songs covered by artists like Barbara Streisand and Lowell George. “We were nervous, but we made it through.”
It was many years before they would play Greenfield again. There were some shows in the early 2000s, including an appearance at the Green River Festival, a couple of shows at All Souls Church and a rain-drenched set at the Greenfield Energy Park. But these shows were well over 10 years ago, and in settings that weren’t all that conducive for the bands raw, straight-ahead and loud rock sound.
The band hopes that the Root Cellar proves the perfect venue for its no-frills, hard-driving brand of rock and for the fans who love to dance to it.
“We toured the place, and it seems really nice, and it’s our first rock club show in our hometown, which is so cool,” said Keith. “They have a good sound system put in by Dan Richardson, who we have worked with for many years, so it’s kind of coming full circle for us.”
And while Doug Tibbles Jr. appeared on a few tracks on their 2015 release, “Recorded Live at the Iron Horse,” and played the CD release show for that disc at the Iron Horse Music Hall in Northampton last Halloween, this show marks his first show as an official member of the band. Like his brother John, Doug Jr. also resides in Calirfornia.
“Doug is playing lead guitar with us now, and he’s really good,” said Keith. “We are happy to have him, and it’s cool to have that extra voice. He and John each have their own style on lead, but have different sounds, so it works together well.”
While they are in Massachusetts, the Tibbles brothers will be doing some recording for the Stone Coyotes’ next album, which they hope to release in the spring of 2017. At that time, the band will likely celebrate with a CD release show at the Iron Horse Music Hall.
When half your band lives on the West Coast, playing live becomes a bit of a challenge. The Coyotes have naturally had to scale back and usually play one or two local shows a year. They have also stopped their annual visits to Texas, as it just wasn’t making sense financially. So with live gigs a rarity, the band looks forward to the few times they get to rock out together.
“We are so excited about this show,” Keith said. “We get to play in our hometown, and we’ll have John back, as well — and plus we get to have Doug Jr. This night is going to be really fun for us.”
And because they want everyone else to share in the fun, they are keeping ticket prices low — admission is only $5.
The Stone Coyotes will play at 8:30 p.m. and will be followed by Rice: An American Band from Orange. The Root Cellar is located at 10 Fiske Ave. Advance tickets are recommended and can be purchased at: www.rootcellarbar.com or www.stonecoyotes.com
Scarecrow in the Park
The annual Scarecrow in the Park, which will be held at Cushman Park in Bernardston this weekend, Oct. 22 and 23, has become a popular annual event here in Franklin County. People love seeing the incredible handcrafted scarecrows, and also enjoy the good food, crafts, tractor parade and music. That’s right! In addition to hosting lots of scarecrows, this event also hosts lots of great local music.
It all begins on Saturday morning, when singer Kurt Damkoehler gets things started at the music tent at 10. He will be followed by the Celtic Heel Dancers at 11 and then around 12:45 p.m., after the tractor parade, there will be a Halloween dance party with Sarah Devine. The afternoon will also feature Corki and Ken, who will begin at 2. This duo, who accompany themselves on fiddle and acoustic guitar, will play some of your favorite cover tunes. Saturday will wrap up with the Bork-Tinen-Kahn vocal trio at 3 p.m. These three, accompanied by guitar and keyboard, weave their voices together to create a beautiful tapestry of song.
Sunday brings another day of music that begins at 10 a.m. with Squash Blossom, a new acoustic trio that plays their own style of string band music, mixing originals with covers by artists like the Beatles and the Wood Brothers. Local music stalwarts Pat and Tex LaMountain will bring their tight harmonies and melodic folk-country tunes to the music tent at 11 a.m.
At noon, it will be a very special event with the acoustic band Appalachian Still from Northampton playing a full concert. The band will play from noon to 1:45. It is one of the area’s most popular acoustic bands, playing a mix of high-energy, old-time bluegrass, classic rock and folk. The band’s repertoire draws from traditional tunes, original material and covers. Last year, the band released an excellent live CD called “Live from the Parlor Room.”
This weekend of music concludes with a 2 p.m. set by the Falltown String Band, who, like Pat and Tex LaMountain, have been a longtime presence on the local music scene — 30 years, to be exact. The band, which is a regular at the Rendezvous in Turners Falls, plays string music that draws from folk, country, blues, rockabilly and more. Lots of music and it’s all free.
“We are extremely excited to be hosting a full concert-length performance from Appalachian Still,” wrote Karen Stinchfield, one of the event organizers. “All of the performers donate their time to this event, because it is a good cause (the Kiwanis Scholarship Fund). Plus, it’s a fun event! My hope is that music lovers will grab some yummy food and hunker down for some fabulous music. There’s not a dud in the bunch!”
Cushman Park is located at the corner of Routes 5 and 10.
Sheryl Hunter is a music writer who lives in Easthampton. Her work has appeared in various regional and national magazines.