It was October 2007 when the folk-rock band The Mammals first performed at the Unitarian Meetinghouse in Bernardston. It’s taken a while, but they will return to the historic venue on Saturday, May 16 at 7 p.m. They’re touring now to promote their latest release, a pair of discs called, “Touch Grass Vol. 1 & 2.”
Annette Mackin, program coordinator for the Unitarian Meetinghouse, is responsible for bringing the Mammals back to Bernardston. “It was a great show then and we are hoping for a full house on the 16th,” she wrote in a recent email. “The Congregational Unitarian Society is committed to the arts, visual arts and live music and we are so excited for the Mammals’ return engagement!”
“It’s our 19-year return!” said Ruth Ungar, who, with her husband Mike Merenda, is the nucleus of the band.
In a recent phone conversation, both Ungar and Merenda admitted that having played hundreds of shows over the years, they don’t actually remember playing in Bernardston. “We play all over that region, but when I see the building, I’ll remember it,” Ungar said. “There may even be some photos and recordings of that show in our basement. It would be fun to dig those up.”
Returning to western Massachusetts is always special for the pair because they have strong ties to the area. Merenda was born in Northampton and after growing up in southern New Hampshire, moved back as an adult to play in local bands like Spouse, where he was the group’s original drummer. Ungar, daughter of fiddle virtuoso Jay Ungar and singer-songwriter Lyn Hardy, spent time in Hampshire County as a child because her mother lived there.
The couple, who live in the Hudson Valley, was living in Cummington when they met Tao Rodriguez-Seeger, the grandson of Pete Seeger. Together, they formed The Mammals in 2001 as a vehicle to blend their traditional folk roots with a modern sound and politically charged lyrics. They signed with Signature Sounds and released two albums on the local label.
The Mammals’ 2007 show in Bernardston was one of their last with Rodriguez-Seeger as he left the band soon after. In 2008 the couple took a break, had their first child, and started their duo project, Mike and Ruthy. They played as a duo for eight years, later performing with other musicians calling themselves The Mike and Ruthy Band.
“Then we thought ‘we are kind of the Mammals,’ and we re-upped the name,” said Ungar about the return of The Mammals in 2017. Now, the pair works with various musicians and will have three backing musicians at this show.
On the new albums, “Touch Grass Vol. 1 & 2,” The Mammals’ penchant for seamlessly blending pop, rock and traditional folk is firmly intact. They use the usual rock setup of drums, guitar, and bass, but also add traditional instruments like fiddle and banjo. Merenda and Ungar swap off on vocals and various instruments.
The new discs feature a total of 17 tracks written over a four-year period and were recorded at their own Humble Abode studio.
“We just had that much material that we had accrued basically between 2020, when our previous album came out, and 2025. Five years is a long time to write songs,” Merenda said. “And these two albums just sort of fell into two nice categories — one a more sunny, upbeat album, and then a more contemplative, nighttime album. We just went with it.”
He added that it’s great for the band to have so much material because they don’t stick to just one genre, and it means they can choose songs that fit the venue and vibe of each show.
“The Woody/Pete spirit of the 1940s-1950s can be found more vibrantly in their music than anywhere else in 2025,” wrote No Depression Magazine of the albums.
“That’s awesome,” Ungar said responding to the praise.
“That means a lot to us,” added Merenda. “Pete always talked about the links in the chain and carrying on this musical ethos, so it’s nice that someone else notices that. There are many connections between our work and what Pete and Woody did.”
While The Mammals always address the topics that matter to them, Merenda said they try to shy away from what Seeger called finger-pointy songs, those that directly attack political or social issues.
“We focus on unity instead of picking apart specific talking points, since those can become divisive,” he said. “Our goal has been to sing more about what we support rather than what we oppose. That’s kind of what we shifted to in the last decade or so.”
This belief, along with their commitment to community building, has grown even stronger, having gone through the COVID-19 lockdown era.
“We realized that mental and cultural health depend on people gathering,” said Ungar. “Music brings people together, and songs help make those gatherings feel meaningful. They connect people to us, to themselves, to history, and to those around them. That’s our biggest mission, more than focusing on whatever issue is in the news today. It is important to us to keep doing that.”
The show is a benefit for the 1739 Meetinghouse’s steeple restoration fund and a portion of the profits will also go to the Franklin County Dog Shelter. Tickets are available at bernardstonunitarian.org or at the door. The meetinghouse is located at 49 Church St.
StrangeCreek Campout returns, Green River Festival Tickets selling fast
Summer is quickly approaching, which means it’s time to get ready for music festivals. The season kicks off Memorial Day weekend (May 22-25) with the arrival of the StrangeCreek Campout at Camp Kee-Wanee in Greenfield.
The annual festival hosts over 50 bands across three stages and offers a wide range of music, with a heavy emphasis on jam bands, tribute acts and psychedelic rock.
As in past years, Max Creek, the veteran jam band from Connecticut, is one of the headliners. Some of the bands joining them include Dirtwire, The Machine, Reprise, Pink Talking Fish, Neighbor and Badfish. There are also plenty of local bands playing, like the Gaslight Tinkers, the Valley Moonstompers Society, Rebelle and the Alchemystics. There will be fun activities for the kids, late-night jam sessions, an artists’ village and more.
The StrangeCreek Campout is the kind of festival people return to year after year, which is why some describe it as being like a family reunion. Camping is included with the ticket price and tickets are available at strangecreekcampout.com.
We can’t talk about festivals without mentioning the Green River Festival, which will be held at the Franklin County Fairgrounds the weekend of June 19-21. DSP Shows, who stage the festival, issued a low-ticket alert for 2-Day Saturday/Sunday passes and Single-Day Sunday passes.
This year there is especially strong interest in Sunday’s lineup, as indie rock band Geese is headlining – and they are taking off fast riding on the popularity of their 2025 album, “Getting Killed.” Parking passes, both single-day and weekend, are also moving fast, and camping add-ons are sold out.
There will be a pre-Green River Fest J Mascis show at the Iron Horse in Northampton to kick off the weekend on Thursday, June 18 at 7 p.m. Tickets are available at Ironhorse.org. The Dinosaur jr. frontman will also play the festival on Sunday, June 21.
The full schedule of playing times is now up at Greenriverfestival.com, tickets can also be purchased at the site.
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.