In years past, the Green River Festival was always held in mid-July, and I always saw it as the event that marked the beginning of the end of summer. But now that it takes place in June, it serves as the perfect launch into summer and a reminder of all that is happening in the weeks ahead. And there is a lot happening.
If you are looking for new and different music, do check out the summer series presented by Watermelon Wednesdays in Whately. They will offer shows throughout the summer at the Whately Town Hall and the West Whately Chapel.
Next week, Skye Consort and Emma Björling will perform at West Whately Chapel, located at 153 Conway Road, on Wednesday, July 1 at 7:30 p.m. This group brings together accomplished musicians from Sweden and Canada who play traditional music from Scandinavia, Ireland, Britain and French Canada, as well as their own songs. Their music blends the lively feel of dance tunes with the detail and style of chamber music, creating a sound that is uniquely their own.
It is music that has rightly earned the description “symphonic folk.”
Björling’s vocals are at the core of the group. She is a Swedish folksinger known for her clear, expressive voice, and she also plays percussion. She is joined in vocals by banjo and bouzouki player Seán Dagher. Rounding out the group is Simon Alexandre on fiddle and nyckelharpa, and Amanda Keesmaat on cello. Together, they perform polkas, Québécois tunes, love songs, hymns and more.
Björling and Consort first crossed paths in Montreal in 2017 when they were both there for a project with the Québec-based ensemble La Nef. At the end of the project, severe storms delayed Björling’s flight home. As a result, she was stuck in Canada and hung out with Consort, where they did some jamming and song-sharing. They discovered common bonds between their musical traditions and started talking about forming a band — which is exactly what they did.
Since that time, they have performed around the world and released two albums. The group has performed in the area before, including most recently at The Parlor Room in Northampton, but this is their first time playing in the Watermelon Wednesdays series.
Tickets are available at watermelonwednesdays.com.
Terry, Matt and Ann Trio return to Orange Historical Society’s Music on the Porch
The Terry, Matt and Ann Trio are set to once again play on the porch of the Orange Historical Society on Sunday, June 28 at 2 p.m. The show is one of two performances the Historical Society presents each summer as part of its “Music on the Porch” series, which takes place on its beautiful wraparound porch.
The group consists of Terry Reed on banjo and harmonica, and his wife, Ann Reed, on drums and percussion. The couple from Orange are joined by Matt Hickler of Royalston on bass. All three share vocals, and for this show, the Reeds’ daughter, Vivian Eliza Nichols of Worcester, will serve as a guest vocalist for a few numbers. The trio describes its music as rhythmic renditions of American blues and roots music.
The historical society notes that this event comes just days before our country’s 250th birthday.
“The railing encompassing our spacious porch venue has been specially decorated, this national semiquincentennial year, with brand new red, white and blue buntings and flowers, while the Society’s signature array of vintage folding chairs and rocking chairs, too, awaits the concertgoers,” said Ann Reed. “There is something about an old-fashioned porch social, serving live music, cool drinks and baked sweets, that never seems to get old around here.”
The performance is free, but donations are welcome and will directly benefit the Orange Historical Society. The organization relies on contributions to maintain its 18-room mansion and three-story barn, keeping its 131-year-old organization active in the community. Complimentary refreshments will be served, and raffle tickets will be sold.
Willie J. Laws Band to perform at Incandescent Brewing
Incandescent Brewing in Bernardston is continuing its ticketed blues series when it welcomes the Willie J. Laws Band to its taproom stage on Saturday, June 27 at 7 p.m. Led by Texas-born guitarist, vocalist and songwriter Willie J. Laws, the band serves up a sound that is Texas blues at its core, but stretches across funk, soul, R&B, roots rock and Gulf Coast grooves.
Laws brings years of experience to the stage, including past stints performing as the house band for The House of Blues in Las Vegas and Margaritaville in New Orleans. He has also shared the stage and opened for acts like Buddy Guy, B.B. King and Etta James.
Law lives in Massachusetts now and has become popular with music fans throughout New England, who come to check out this bluesman known as “The Last Prophet of the Funky Texas Blues.”
To add to the evening, Incandescent Brewing has teamed up with Bernardston BBQ Company. Attendees can purchase a ticket that includes a meal from the craft smokehouse. The show is open to all ages, and the doors open at 6. Bernardston BBQ will be serving from 6 to 9 p.m. Visit incadescentbrewing.com to purchase a general admission ticket or a dinner-and-show package.
Green River Festival 2027 tickets are on sale
If you attended the Green River Festival this past weekend, you are probably still reeling from all the amazing music you heard. Beautiful weather and a record-breaking attendance on Sunday made the fest’s 40th anniversary even more special.
The powerful set by the War and Treaty, the surprise of Lucius bringing Dawes as their backup band, and the wild bounce party thrown by Big Freedia were just a few of the weekend’s many highlights. The festival took a new direction this year, shifting to a heavier emphasis on younger, up-and-coming bands. This move move paid off, as evidenced by the massive crowds packed into Sunday sets by the bands Wednesday and Geese.
Geese was obviously a huge draw, as evidenced by the sheer number of young people strolling around the fairgrounds wearing Geese T-shirts. The band is currently riding high, and their set did not disappoint. Will they eventually join the ranks of artists like Brandi Carlile and the Avett Brothers — whom we were fortunate enough to catch at the Green River Festival right before they achieved arena-level stardom? Only time will tell.
The weekend was barely over when I already began hearing attendees declare that they couldn’t wait until next year. Well, get your tickets now, as organizers just announced the official festival dates for next summer: June 18-20. They have also launched a limited-time sale on three-day passes and VIP packages at a discounted early-bird rate. This promotional window runs through July 7 at 11:59 p.m. You can purchase these passes at greenriverfestival.com.
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.