It’s time to dust off your dancing shoes because the second annual Hilltown Hoedown is heading to the Shutesbury Athletic Club at 282 Wendell Road in Shutesbury this Saturday. The Hoedown, which kicks off at 4 p.m., will feature an incredible musical lineup including Josh LeVangie and the Pistoleros, Caylin Lee, The Green Sisters, Eric Lee & Co. and the Buddy McEarns Band. As Halloween is right around the corner, the Hoedown will double as a Halloween party; costumes are strongly encouraged.
The show is being presented by the Valley Twang Cooperative, a group of local musicians with a mission to keep American roots music alive and thriving in the local scene. The group was formed a little less than a year ago by Peter Sikowitz, of Amherst, a musician who was a major player in the Pioneer Valley music scene back in the 1970s, beginning when he was a student at Hampshire College.
His new wave band, the Paper Dolls, which included his future wife, Lisa, achieved some national attention, but the couple chose to walk away from music and instead moved to New York where he enjoyed a lengthy, successful career in publishing. Thirty-five years later, feeling that something was missing in his life, Sikowitz moved back to the area in 2016 and picked up a guitar again.
His re-entry into music included forming the rockabilly band Flathead Rodeo (which disbanded last month so its members could focus on other musical ventures) and joining together with musicians like Josh LeVangie, of Wendell, to form the Valley Twang Cooperative.
“The whole idea (was) to put roots music under one roof because a lot of the time if we played at a club there’d be a folk singer alongside a fusion band and a roots-type band,” explained Sikowitz in a recent phone conversation. “We thought we could give the audience a better experience by putting similar bands under the same bill.”
They put the concept to work by hosting Hoedown shows, the first of which was held last November at the Shutesbury Athletic Club. Subsequent Hoedowns were held at the Iron Horse Music Hall in Northampton and New City Brewery in Easthampton. Sikowitz says he is looking forward to bringing the Hoedown back to Shutesbury, where it all began.
“The Shutesbury Athletic Club is an unusual and fun place and the people are great,” he said about the venue. “It’s a warm and friendly place.”
“There are so many people in the are that play this music and love this music, it’s one more reason such a great area to live,” he added.
In addition to helping present this event, both LeVangie and Sikowitz will be performing as well. Josh LeVangie and his outlaw country band, the Pistoleros, are a returning act to the Hoedown. Sikowitz also played previous Hoedowns with Flathead Rodeo; this time out he’ll be playing bass with the Buddy McEearns Band.
“Buddy is a remarkable soul-styled singer, vaguely like Van Morrison or a lot like the Stax-Volt guys,” said Sikowitz, who also plays with Stuart James and the Memphis Flyers and the Jazz Mesmerizers. “This Hoedown is focussed on country; (however), under the stature of the Twang Cooperative, blues bands are accepted, so we are going to be doing a heavy blues-influenced show.”
Also on the lineup are rising local bands such as singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Eric Lee and Company and the Green Sisters, whose roots-style music is marked by tight sibling harmonies. Then there’s Caylin Lee. a country singer/songwriter who spent years in Nashville before returning to the area.
“We try to keep it fresh as we are cognizant of the fact that people don’t want to see the same acts over and over,” said Sikowitz. “Our goal is to host a few Hoedowns a year.”
The five bands will each perform an hour set and there will be an all-star jam at the end of the night. “The jam will be band members and we’ve also invited some other folks, even if they aren’t playing in the regular show. It’s going to be a lot of music that starts early and ends late,” he said.
Sikowitz feels the impressive lineup, along with the fact that this Hoedown doubles as a Halloween party, will make it a strong draw for music fans.
Additionally, there is also what he calls “the Ken Burns effect.” Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns did an excellent eight-part series on country music that aired on PBS last month. The success of the series has had a positive impact on country music, resulting in a spike in sales for artists like Hank Williams and Johnny Cash, he explained. Sikowitz feels there will be a spillover effect here in the Pioneer Valley.
“There’s been a lot of interest in Burns’ documentary, and it’s been great for us,” he said. The film is “Kind of a shot in the arm for an already beloved form of music here.”
In addition to the great music, there will be raffles, barbecue from North Village Smokehouse and Halloween costumes.
“It should be an lot of fun for anybody who is into the music or has a knowledge of the music,” said Sikowitz. “We are really looking forward to it and looking forward to future shows as well.”
Advance tickets are $15 and can be purchased at the Shutesbury Athletic Club. Admission is $18 at the door on the day of the show. Children 12 and under are free.
The Hilltown Hoedown is getting an early start on celebrating Halloween, but you can get your costume out again on Halloween night and hit a number of great, music-filled Halloween parties.
Hawks & Reed Performing Arts Center in Greenfield will host a Halloween bash on Halloween night with music provided by the New Hampshire electronic, reggae and ska band Roots of Creation. Also on the lineup, reggae rock band Treehouse! from South Carolina and local folk-rockers, No Lens. Music begins at 8:30 p.m. Be sure and check out their website at hawksandreed.com for other Halloween Happenings.
Progressive bluegrass band Mamma’s Marmalade and The Gaslight Tinkers team up for a Halloween party at the Shea Theater in Turners Falls on Halloween Night at 7 p.m. This promises to a night of uplifting high energy fiddle infused music that is made for dancing. All ages are encouraged to attend. Visit sheatheater.org for more information.
Lovelights Media, and Goulfriend Productions present Mozzaleum: Night of 1,000 Clowns on Halloween night at 10 Forward in Greenfield. This party features Gloria Gardenburger, Nemesister, Minivan, Owl House, and Dj Ephraim Asili! There will be a costume contest! The fun begins at 8 p.m.
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.