The arrival of Memorial Day weekend marks the unofficial start of summer. And while it hasn’t felt like summer recently (I was wearing a down vest and driving with the car heater on last week), the calendar says it’s the end of May so we are going to move onward and enjoy one of the best things about the season — listening to live music outside.
Ethan Stone, who is a driving force behind the Friendly Town Live concert series in Orange, knows all about the frustration of dealing with crummy weather. Typically, The Friendly Town Live shows are free and held on Friday nights in the month of May from 7 to 9 p.m. at Butterfield Park, 83 East River St. But Mother Nature hasn’t cooperated with the series so far this year, and Stone has moved two-thirds of the shows to the Orange Town Hall, which is one alternative location they use when it rains.
The series is fast coming to an end. The two final shows of this season are Zoe Darrow and Friends, who will play tomorrow night, and the Richard Chase Group, the concluding performance that’s slated for May 31.
Both musicians are frequent performers at Friendly Town Live and its sister series, Tool Town Live, which takes place much later in the summer in Athol.
Fiddle player Zoe Darrow, a native of Blandford, has literally grown up in front of local audiences. She has performed her lively brand of Cape Breton and Celtic music to appreciative crowds since she was a child. Darrow released her first album in 2001 at the age of 12 with her band the Fiddleheads. Now 29 and with a degree in anthropology from Mount Holyoke College, Darrow has more recently collaborated with artists such as banjo player Tony Trischka. For a time, she was a member of Trio De Pumpkintown with Tim Eriksen and Peter Irvine (Cordelia’s Dad).
At tomorrow’s show, she will be joined by her father, Phillip Darrow, who plays the guitar. The performance promises to be a night of thoroughly enjoyable upbeat music.
Like Darrow, Ricard Chase has performed in the area for many years. As a multi-instrumentalist, he’s played on stages throughout the Northeast, performing various genres that include symphonic, jazz, rock, contra and more.
He is, perhaps, best known for his original work. Chase is a masterful guitarist and singer-songwriter whose honest, heartfelt lyrics touch on universal themes of love, loss, and hope. Chase has worked in various configurations over the years and for this show, he will be joined by longtime bandmates Seth Hoffsommer on drums and Johnny Miller on bass. The show will consist of new and old Chase originals and a few covers tossed in for good measure. In the past, Ethan Stone has been known to sit in on keyboards with Chase and his band, so don’t be surprised if he jumps onstage for a few tunes.
Stone is thrilled to have both Darrow and Chase back and explains why they have become favorites of the series.
“It’s a combination of the great reaction they receive and their profound musical talent that makes me and the others who organize the series feel they need to come back on a nearly annual basis,” Stone said.
Let’s hope the sun shines for both of these performances.
If rain is in the forecast, the concert will (once again) be in either the Orange Town Hall at 6 Prospect St. or the Orange Unitarian Church, which is right next to the town hall.
You don’t have to wait for Friendly Town Live to enjoy some music in the great outdoors. Greenfield’s Coop Concerts will launch its 16th season at the Energy Park, 50 Miles St., tonight. The Coop Concerts take place every Thursday night during the summer and run from 6 to 8 p.m. The shows are presented by The Franklin County Musicians Cooperative, which is a non-profit group of over 40 musicians who perform at these concerts, which run until the end of August. Each concert features three different performers and you will hear all types of music — folk, country, Americana, bluegrass, Celtic, comedy, rock and pop. The shows are free and very family friendly. Opening the season tonight will be folk and blues artist Jim Eagan; folk and bluegrass guitar and dobro stylist Charlie Conant; rock and roll songwriter and guitarist Joe Graveline with Nina Gross on viola.
To view the 2019 summer schedule in its entirety visit coopconcerts.com. In the event of rain, show cancelations will be posted on the Coops Facebook page by 4 p.m. on the day of the show.
Nothing says summer like the return of the worms; of course, I’m talking about those fans of musical events sponsored by Wormtown Trading Co. who are the presenters of the 17th annual StrangeCreek Campout, which kicks off tonight at Camp Kee-Wanee in Greenfield.
The music starts with a handful of bands to welcome the early arrival campers tonight. From then on, it’s a full-on festival for the next three days with over 50 bands performing. The festival has some great acts this year including reggae legends The Wailers, progressive bluegrass band the Infamous Stringdusters, Sublime tribute act, Badfish, afrobeat-funky jazz band The Motet and Twiddle, who are one of the fastest rising bands on the jam band scene. And we can’t forget the festival’s namesake, Max Creek, who are the Grandaddies of the jam band scene.
Plenty of your local favorites will also be on hand like Bella’s Bartok, Outer Stylie, The Alchemystics, Rice: An American Band and others. In addition to all the music StrangeCreek offers up all kinds of activities for the kids, workshops, vendors and so much more.
Single day passes are available and can be purchased at the gate. Camp Kee-Wanee is located at 1 Health Camp Road in Greenfield. Tickets are $90 at the gate. Kids 15 and under are admitted for free but must be accompanied by a guardian.
Lucinda Williams joins Green River Festival lineup
A big change in the Friday night lineup of the Green River Festival (July 12 to 14) was announced this past Monday. The Swedish group First Aid Kit, which was scheduled to headline the festival on Friday night, has canceled its U.S. tour. Instead, the festival will now headline singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams, who is touring in celebration of the 20th anniversary of her classic album, “Car Wheels on a Gravel Road.” She will perform the album in its entirety. Having seen this tour when Williams played at the Calvin Theater in Northampton in November, I can attest it’s a fantastic show and she will be a very welcome addition to the 2019 lineup. Tickets can be purchased at greenriverfestival.com or at the Signature Sounds office at 32 Masonic St. in Northampton.
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.