Thanksgiving is right around the corner, with Christmas following right behind … but let’s skip all that and talk about summer. In particular, let’s discuss the 40th annual Green River Festival, which announced its partial lineup last week — and what a lineup it is! The festival will take place during the weekend of June 19-21 at the Franklin County Fairgrounds.
The headliners are Charley Crockett on Friday, June 19, Spoon on Saturday, June 20, and the festival will wrap up on Sunday, June 21, with Geese. The music will take place on four stages throughout the three-day festival, with the headliners closing out the Main Stage each night.
Some of the other acts that have been booked are The Beths, Kurt Vile & the Violators, Wednesday, Lucius, The War and Treaty, Big Freedia, Hurray For the Riff Raff, Kashus Culpepper, PawPaw Rod, Folk Bitch Trio, Ratboys, Etran De L’Aïr, Frente Cumbiero, Sonido Gallo Negro, Southern Avenue, Esther Rose, Derya Yildirim & Grup Şimşek, Swamp Dogg, Greg Freeman, Ken Pomeroy, Sunny War, Angela Autumn, Tré Burt, Tyler Ballgame, Luke Tyler Shelton, Fust, Kam Franklin, Lily Seabirt, and Deloyd Elze.
The lineup, as announced so far (with more to come), is a varied one, although, like last year, it leans more toward indie rock than in previous years. The festival obviously needs to grow and change to appeal to the broadest audience possible and attract new young people.
People looking for the Americana music that dominated previous years need look no further than acts like The War and Treaty, Hurray For the Riff Raff, Sunny War, and others. There’s also plenty of world music in this lineup, such as cumbia bands Frente Cumbiero and the psychedelic tropical music of Snide Gallo Negro.
But let’s take a closer look at the three headlining acts.
Being a fan of Charley Crockett is an exhausting job, considering that he released 15 albums between 2015 and 2024. Speaking in broad terms he is primarily a country artist, but he incorporates different styles in each of his numerous releases. Crockett is an outsider in Nashville and has been outspoken about what he feels currently passes for country music. He has especially targeted “Bro-country,” which is associated with popular country artists like Morgan Wallen, who has taken great offense at Crockett’s comments.
The Austin-based band Spoon is a rock group that western Massachusetts fans have been waiting to see perform in the area. Their music merges elements of post-punk and art rock with funk and pop, marked by hypnotic beats and the raspy vocals of Britt Daniel.
Having released 10 albums, they are best known for songs like “Underdog” and “Inside Out.”
Their set should be one of the festival’s highlights.
That brings us to Geese, who will close out Sunday. First off, don’t confuse them with the Connecticut-based jam band Goose. Geese are a completely different bird (sorry, bad pun) as they are a young band from New York that has a hard-to-define indie rock sound that draws from prog rock and psychedelia. Their most recent release, “Getting Killed,” is attracting plenty of attention, making their up-and-coming status a must-see act at this year’s festival.
After giving you a preview of what is to come, there is more information that is forthcoming. The complete lineup, which will include all the local acts, will be announced in January.
Now you need to purchase tickets, which will increase in price as the festival approaches. They are currently being sold at what’s called the “Plan Ahead” tier, and you can now grab a weekend pass for $191.48. Move fast because prices go up on Dec. 1.
To purchase tickets and learn more, visit greenriverfestival.com.
The Snapdragons at the Iron Horse
When Erin McKeown takes the stage at the Iron Horse on Friday, Nov. 21 at 7 p.m., opening for her will be The Snapdragons, a band featuring five young women who are all students at the Academy at Charlemont. The quintet formed about three years ago, drawn together by their shared love of music, and they have since gone on to perform a number of shows in the area.
The band features Sofia Mason, Charlotte Williams, Katje Gibb-Buursma, and Nola Grignaffini, all juniors at the school, as well as Bela Boehmer, who is a sophomore. They come from Heath, Shelburne Falls and Jacksonville, Vermont.
All five are multi-instrumentalists and talented vocalists who create magical harmonies when they join their voices together. The band performs a mix of indie, pop, rock and alternative music, featuring both covers and original songs. And in the short period that they have been together, they have they have performed at Floodwater (opening for Kalliope Jones), the Heath Fair, Shelburne Springs, the Shelburne Porch Fest, Pothole Pictures and at Mass MoCA where they performed as part of the Teen Invitational, a showcase of students’ art and music from across Western Massachusetts.
The Snapdragons credits the Academy at Charlemont with providing tremendous support that allowed the band to continue to hone their craft. One of their past teachers was Erin McKeown, who taught a variety of classes at the Academy, including one on women in rock. McKeown was so impressed with the Snapdragons that they invited the band to open this show at the Iron Horse.
“Opening for Erin Mckeown at the Iron Horse means the world to us!,” wrote band member Sophia Mason in a recent email. “It is one of our biggest gigs yet and we are incredibly thankful for the opportunity! It feels like a dream come true for us to play at a place where so many awesome bands have played and we feel so honored to share the stage with Erin! “
Doors open at 5 p.m. Tickets available at ironhorse.org
Thanksgiving Eve party with Chuck & Biscuits
The night before Thanksgiving is traditionally a time that people like to go out and connect with old friends and family members. Incandescent Brewing in Bernardston is aware of this, so they are opening up on Wednesday evening, Nov. 26, to provide the perfect spot for these get-togethers. And what’s a party without music? They will have Chuck & Biscuits on hand to perform some of your favorite tunes. If you are wondering who Chuck and Biscuits are, they are Chuck and Danny from the popular local outfit Jimmy Just Quit.
Incandescent will be open at 4 p.m. and the music will begin at 6 p.m. No cover charge.
Sheryl Hunter is a freelance writer who resides in Easthampton. Her work has appeared in various regional and national publications. She can be reached at Soundslocal@yahoo.com.