Many of us are looking forward to the Arcadia Folk Festival on Saturday, Aug. 29, which will be held at Mass Audubon’s Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary in Easthampton from 10:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. But the Hilltown Ham Hocks, a folk band with old-time roots from Shelburne Falls, might be the most excited of all.
“We’re super excited to play the festival,” said Colleen Stanton, who plays fiddle and guitar with the group. The band also features Hannah French on banjo and fiddle, Stevie Jick on guitar and Calvin Doiron on upright bass. All four sing, and the group is known for their strong harmonies.
This festival is an excellent one, and the Hilltown Ham Hocks are joining an impressive lineup that includes Allison Russell, the Milk Carton Kids, John Craigie, Fantastic Cat, Caitlin Canty and the Hubby Jenkins Trio. Local acts like Little Roots, Lisa Bastoni and Lexi Weege will also be performing.
Music will be performed on three stages, including one that is set up in the woods. The way in which this festival combines experiencing nature with music is one of the aspects of this event that makes it so special. The Hilltown Ham Hocks are scheduled to play on the Pavilion stage at 12:15 p.m.
The Arcadia Folk Festival is presented by Mass Audubon and Signature Sounds, the latter of whom until 2023 ran the Green River Festival. In many ways, Arcadia brings back the feel of the early Green River Festival, when it was a smaller event and centered more on Americana and folk music.
Another unique aspect of this festival is that it strives to show that a music festival can be environmentally friendly. They do this by utilizing solar power, requiring that vendors use compostable materials and offer plant-based foods and encouraging concert-goers to bike to the event.
It is easy to understand why artists like the Hilltown Ham Hocks want to be part of this festival. The band started in 2021 when Stanton and French met at an open mic. They started playing together as a duo, then quickly added Jick to the group. They later brought in Doiron to flesh out their sound.
On occasion, French and Stanton will continue to perform as a Ham Hocks duo, and they also will do trio shows, but for Arcadia, it will be a full group show.
They play a mix of covers and originals, creating music with a very old-time feel that still sounds fresh and new.
In 2023, when they were still just a trio, the group put out a three-song demo called “In the Cabin.” Earlier this year, they received an $1,800 Iguana Grant to help pay for the making of their first full-length album. The Iguana Grants are funded in part by Club Passim in Cambridge and are considered an honor to receive. Past recipients include bands such as Della Mae and Lake Street Dive.
The band is in the process of putting the finishing touches on the album, which will be a collection of 12 original songs.
“We’ve finished recording the album and are doing final mixes before sending it out to be mastered,” said Stanton. “We’re aiming for a late 2026 release date.”
Despite spending much of the past year immersed in making the record, the Hilltown Ham Hocks have continued to maintain a solid performing schedule. Since forming, they have played throughout Franklin County, especially performing quite frequently at local breweries. They have also played smaller festivals like the Ashfield Fall Festival and the Shelburne Falls Porch Festival, and with the release of the album, they are looking forward to booking more festivals in the future.
“We definitely hope to play more festivals in summer 2027,” said Stanton. “We played at the Ossipee Valley Music Festival in Hiram, Maine, this July and really enjoyed ourselves.”
In addition to all the music at the Arcadia Folk Fest, you can enjoy local food trucks, shop juried art vendors and explore nature with an Arcadia naturalist while at the festival. Kids’ activities will be available throughout the day as well.
Tickets are available at arcadiafolkfest.com. Children ages 10 and under are admitted for free.
Coop Concerts to host final show
We know that summer is coming to an end when the Coop Concerts wrap up their weekly summer series at Energy Park in Greenfield. Sadly, that day comes this Thursday, Aug. 27 at 5:30 p.m., for the final show of the season. As always, three acts will perform: 133 Skeele, Little Wild Bouquet and Chris Elliott.
Sheryl Stanton and Bobby D make up the duo 133 Skeele. Their sets are always full of surprises, with songs ranging from country and bluegrass to folk.
The vocal trio Little Wild Bouquet features Gordon Kramer, Ruth Critcher and Jody Spitz, whom you may know from their work in the Leonard Cohen tribute band, The Secret Chord. They took their name, Little Wild Bouquet, from the Cohen song, “Democracy.” So you can expect to hear some Leonard Cohen tunes at this show, but not all; they’ll draw on other musical sources in their set.
Chris Elliott, usually part of the duo Austin & Elliott with Lisa Austin, will be performing solo for this show. He is an incredibly sharp songwriter who is not afraid to get a bit dark at times. Do check out his music. Elliott also has a side project called Buzzard, where he creates doom folk music. He plans to release a new Buzzard album in October.
So grab those lawn chairs and take advantage of this last chance to enjoy the final Coop concert of the year.
The Marcia Gamache Band to take the stage at Incandescent Brewing
Incandescent Brewing, located at 203 South St. in Bernardston, is keeping up its tradition of great blues music. On Saturday, Aug. 29 at 7 p.m., they’ll host the Marcia Gamache Band from Springfield. Fronted by vocalist and guitarist Marcia Gamache, the ace backing band will deliver a mix of originals and classics that blend blues, soul and rock into an energetic, expressive performance.
The Marcia Gamache Band can usually be found playing places like Black-Eyed Sally’s in Hartford or Theodore’s Blues, Booze, and BBQ in Springfield, but this time they are making the trip to Bernardston to make their debut at Incandescent. Don’t miss it!
The blues series at Incandescent Brewing continues with Misty Blues on Sept. 24. Admission is $10 at the door.
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.