Good music for a good cause. Simply put, that is what the Upper Valley Music Festival is all about.
The festival, UVMF, will be held in downtown Greenfield on Saturday starting at noon. Tommy Byrnes, of Sovereignty Music Services in Bernardston, is the brains behind this festival, now in its sixth year. His wife, Jessica, is his partner in planning the event, handling much of the behind-the-scenes organizing while he focuses on the music. The one-day festival will feature 33 acts playing on five stages with the all proceeds to benefit the American Cancer Society and the Franklin County Relay for Life.
Since its inception, the festival has rotated its location between Greenfield and Turners Falls, and this year will return to Greenfield. Performances will take place at the The Root Cellar, the Second Congregational Church and on all three floors of the Arts Block.
The majority of the musicians performing are local; some are returning favorites while others are making their debut at the festival. There will be music from a variety of genres, including John Sheldon, The frost heaves and hales., Shokazoba, The Diamondstones, Carinae, Holly May, Chris Scanlon, Tawdry, Span of Sunshine, Zak Trojano, Lexi Weege, Sheez Late, Community Smokes, Katie Clarke, and more.
UVMF is comprised of volunteers, from the organizers to the performers. Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door. Children 12 and under are admitted free.
“This festival is a big party,” said Tommy Byrne, speaking from his home in Bernardston, where he and Jessica were busy fine tuning the details of the festival. “It started out as a birthday party and we never lost that vibe.”
The first UVMF was held in 2011 when Tommy Byrnes was celebrating his 50th birthday. So many of his musician friends were interested in playing at his party that Byrnes got to thinking — they could turn the party into a music festival and raise some money for a good cause at the same time.
“We chose the American Cancer Society because cancer is something that has touched everybody’s life,” said Jessica.
The first festival was held in March but eventually shifted to take place in the summer. But that shift in scheduling became problematic over time.
“With subsequent years, we found more and more events were happening every weekend in the summer,” Tommy said. “All of a sudden, we were competing against 10 or more events. We found that people were having to make a choice and our attendance went down a bit.”
So after the 2015 festival, they took a year off and decided to move UVMF to spring. They felt that the end of April would be the perfect time of year for the festival, in that people are getting out of their winter hibernation mode and there aren’t a lot of competing events.
The last time the UVMF was in Greenfield was in 2014 and since that time, the Arts Block has undergone new ownership and The Root Cellar has opened.
“We have got nothing but totally positive vibes from the club owners. They are extremely enthusiastic ” said Tommy. “These are people that want their businesses to work and from the start, they wanted to be involved with this.”
The Byrnes feel that the close proximity of the venues will make it easier for festival-goers to take in many of the acts performing.
“We have found that people like to settle in, and it will be especially nice that we can use all three floors at The Arts Block,” said Jessica.
As with past years, the festival will be split between an acoustic side and an electric side. All bands will play a 45-minute set, and while one of the goals is to showcase the great talent here in Pioneer Valley, there are some bands from outside the area, like Blackstone Cuil from Worcester, who are participating.
“I just pick the best acts” said Tommy who started reviewing submissions back in October. “Any submissions that come through that are good, I want them to play.”
The music will kick off at noon with country-rock singer Rosie Porter on the Main Stage of the Arts Block. Among the other acts performing on the Main Stage will be UVMF veteran Sandy Bailey, who will be returning with her soulful new band Sister Jawbone. Guitar great John Sheldon and Blind Revision, a hard rock act from Rhode Island, will also be on the Main Stage.
The Perch, which is the fourth floor of the Arts Block, will feature the most eclectic lineup, including the indie rock sounds of frost heaves and hales, the Celtic Heels Irish dancers and local blues jazz singer Lexi Weege.
And since the Wheelhouse, which is located in the basement, is such a great rock club, the Byrnes have booked it with the more rock-infused acts like Carinae and Sheez Late.
“I think that the coolest venue in the entire Pioneer Valley is the Wheelhouse,” said Tommy. “The very first time that room was used was for the first UVMF.”
The Second Congregational Church will showcase acoustic acts. Some of the performers include country favorite Holly May, Katie Clarke and the Green River Band. This show will be Clarke’s first local appearance with her old band since her 2015 departure from the Boxcar Lilies. While Emma June Ayres, who has played the festival in the past with her band June and the Bee, will be appearing with her new band, Old Flame.
“This festival exemplifies the fruitful potential of collaboration — employing music as a vehicle for organizing, bringing audiences and musicians together around an important cause,” said Ayres. “The Byrne’s generosity, profound heart and commitment to fighting cancer, is a gift to this community. I am honored that my band, Old Flame, is able to contribute our time and passion to this beautiful festival that is for the people, for the community and for the musicians.”
The Root Cellar will open its doors at 4:30 p.m. to host an Irish music session followed by a night of dancing as bands like the reggae rockers Community Smokes and the funky Afrobeat band Shokazoba take the stage. A full schedule for the festival is available at: www.uppervalleymusicfest.com.
The UVMF provides great exposure for our local musicians, but they are not the only ones to benefit. The Byrnes chose to hold the event in downtown Greenfield because they want the town to gain from the event as well. They strongly encourage festival-goers to eat at downtown restaurants, do some shopping and visit the art gallery on Main Street.
“It’s going to be a great day,” said Tommy. “If people are motivated by their altruism, then come because it’s a benefit. But the real reason to come is that we throw a thirteen-hour party.”
“It’s all music, all day. We have 33 acts for 20 dollars,” said Jessica. “We try and keep it affordable so everyone can come, and you don’t have to stay for the whole day. You can pick and choose who you want to see.”
“Come out to listen to some good music and discover some new music,” added Tommy. “Come and party for the day, because what we really want is for people to have fun.”
Advance tickets can be purchased at the festival’s website at www.uppervalleymusicfest.com. They can also be purchased at Ryan & Casey Liquors on 55 Main St. in Greenfield. Day of tickets will be available at participating venues.
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