Are you looking for a way to entertain those out-of-town guests who are staying through the Thanksgiving weekend? You are in luck, because some of the area’s favorite musicians will be hosting special shows to help kick off the holiday season.
Roger Salloom may be known as “America’s Best Unknown Songwriter,” but here in the Pioneer Valley, Salloom is very well-known. After coming up in the San Francisco, Calif., music scene of the 1960s, Salloom moved to Nashville and worked as a songwriter, before settling in Northampton in the 1980s to raise his family.
He has released numerous albums, and was the subject of the 2004 award-winning documentary, “So Glad I Made it,” but local audiences best know Salloom from his live performances. His shows blur the lines between folk, country and rock, and showcase his knack for telling thoughtful, often humorous, stories.
But he doesn’t perform live a lot, and when he does, its usually for a special occasion, like the free show that he performs every summer at Look Park in Florence, a New Year’s Eve gig, or one of his annual shows at Hawks & Reed Performing Arts Center in Greenfield.
At least once a year, he performs a show at the venue, and in the past, some of these shows have happened the weekend after Thanksgiving. Salloom will keep that tradition going this year when he plays Hawks & Reed on Saturday at 8 p.m.
One thing that we can count on whenever Salloom takes the stage is that he will be backed by a fantastic band of accomplished musicians. For his Hawks & Reed show, the backing band will feature his longtime bassist Jeff Dostal (Tommy Dorsey Orchestra), Dave Lincoln (Shenandoah) on drums, Pete Grimaldi (Aretha Franklin, The Temptations) on trumpet, Jon Weeks (Viva Quetzal) on saxophone and Jim Armenti (Lonesome Brothers) on guitar.
He’ll also be bringing on stage a special guest — fiddle player Zoe Darrow, who has been entertaining area audiences with her traditional Irish-, Scottish- and Cape Breton-style fiddle tunes for many years. Darrow will play an opening set with her own band and then join Salloom for a few tunes.
Salloom recently released a video for a politically charged song he wrote called, “Don’t Let My Country Wash Away.” He said he was inspired to write the song after, “I became disgusted by what I felt were repugnant political people in my country.” The video, which contrasts our current presidency with some of our leaders from the past, opens with an image of President Jimmy Carter and closes with one of President John F. Kennedy.
“Don’t Let My Country Wash Away” has 107,000 views on Facebook and about 2,000 on YouTube since its release in July. It has sparked some spirited political discussions in the comments sections. Salloom will play this song and more.
Tickets for this show are $15 in advance and available at: www.hawksandreed.com. They are $20 at the door. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. Hawks & Reed is at 289 Main St. in Greenfield.
Really Big Thank You
“Pile Driver” by the Suitcase Junket (aka Matt Lorenz) is easily one of my favorite albums of 2017. This disc, Lorenz’s full-length debut for the Signature Sounds label, really showcases his growth as a songwriter, and finds him taking his one-man band concept to new levels as he dabbles in rock, folk, blues and other genres.
Since the release of “Pile Driver” in April, Lorenz of Amherst has been touring steadily, playing festivals and clubs throughout the United States and Europe. But he’ll be home for Thanksgiving and is throwing a special “thank you” concert on Saturday at the Academy of Music in Northampton at 8 p.m. And this isn’t just any old concert — he’s bringing along a host of friends to share the stage with him: Peter Mulvey, Chris Smither, Kris Delmhorst and his sister Kate Lorenz and her band, the New Constellations. Catch him while you can because after this show The Suitcase Junket will once again hit the road.
You might also want to head to Northampton earlier in the day to take advantage of a special deal that the organizers of the Green River Festival are offering. On Saturday, there will be a pre-sale party at the Parlor Room in Northampton, where you can purchase weekend passes for the 2018 Green River Festival for $89.99. These discounted tickets can only be purchased at the Parlor Room for this one-day-only offer, from noon to 5 p.m. In addition to the festival passes, other festival-related merchandise will be on sale. There will also be performances by Eli Catlin, Appalachian Still and others.
Tickets for the Suitcase Junket are $15 in advance and available at: www.signaturesoundspresents.com. They are $20 at the door. The Academy of Music is at 274 Main St. in Northampton. Doors open at 7:30 p.m.
Henning Ohlenbusch
at Mocha Maya’s
On Friday, Shelburne Falls will kick off the holiday season with its annual Moonlight Magic celebration. The downtown area of the picturesque village really comes alive as it hosts all types of activities, including a light parade, all types of vendors and variety of performances. So, if you are heading to Moonlight Magic, stop into Mocha Maya’s and enjoy some pop music from the always enjoyable Henning Ohlenbusch.
Usually, when Ohlenbusch takes to one of the stages in Franklin County it’s with his band Gentle Hen, or he plays guitar with the Fawns. But, this night he’ll be playing solo at the cozy coffee shop beginning at 6 p.m and going until 9. Ohlenbusch has plenty of material to draw from — in 2017 he released his solo album, “Another Sleepless Nap,” as well as “Sneaking up on the Moon,” the second album from Gentle Hen.
This show is free, but tips are always appreciated. Mocha Maya’s is at 47 Bridge St. in Shelburne Falls.