Got your costume ready, but still looking for somewhere to go this Halloween? Don’t worry — here at Sounds Local, we’ve rounded up some spooky celebrations featuring everything from ghoulish grooves to chilling jazz. Read on to discover where to get your scare on this Halloween!
The fun starts Friday night, Oct. 30, when Deja Brew Cafe and Pub at 57 Lockes Village Road in Wendell will host a Halloween Soul Funk Party with Carol Devine and the Mighty Fine, plus special guests Big Blanket. The party runs from 7:30 to 11 p.m. and a $10 donation at the door is suggested.
Carole Devine and the Mighty Fine is a seven-piece horn band playing soul, funk and rock dance tunes. Big Blanket is a jazz-funk quartet that plays a mix of originals and covers. Put these two bands together and you have the makings of a night of bone-shaking, soul-stirring sounds that will keep you moving on the dance floor.
There will be prizes for best costumes. The bar opens at 6 p.m. and there will be a bonfire if weather permits.
Also on Friday, Oct. 30, a Halloween party will take place at Incandescent Brewing, 203 South St. in Bernardston, with Jimmy Just Quit in the house from 7 to 10 p.m. to provide the dance tunes. The band, a perennial party favorite, will play a selection of hits and more from the 1970s to the present. There will be a prize for the best costume and the cover is $5 at the door.
That brings us to Halloween. You might want to consider grabbing your costume and heading to The Brewery at Four Star Farms, 508 Pine Meadow Road in Northfield, for an early Halloween party that goes from 5 to 8 p.m. SpaceBar, a dance band from the North Quabbin, will play a mix of classic rock, R&B and soul.
Oct. 31 will be an extra special day at Four Phantoms Brewing Co., 301 Wells St. in Greenfield, because it’s not only Halloween, but also the brewery’s fifth anniversary. The business will celebrate both occasions beginning at 5 p.m., with Lockjaw’s Jazz Freak-Out providing the music at 8 p.m
However, it’s a bittersweet occasion as owners Drew Phillips and Jennifer Hall recently announced on social media that they can no longer operate the brewery and their last day will be Saturday, Nov. 7. A new team will be taking over the brewery and a detailed announcement is expected soon.
The celebration will feature costumes, candy and the aforementioned music by Jonathan “Lockjaw” Lorentz. Lorentz is a veteran professional jazz saxophonist who recently moved to Greenfield, and this is his first show since becoming a resident. Lorentz has deep roots in the blues and jazz tradition and has shared stages with jazz luminaries Ken Peplowski, Delfeayo Marsalis, Gabe Jarrett and many others.
He will be joined by his band “Scary” Jerry Sabatini on trumpet, Jamie “Mac-Death” MacDonald on upright bass and Tim “Kill-more” Gilmore on drums. The show is for all ages, with a suggested donation of $10.
Scott Shucks will be on hand from 5 to 8 p.m. and will serve fresh oysters from Padanaram Oyster Farm in Dartmouth. The brewery will have five ciders and three lagers on tap to pair with the oysters. Scott Shucks often sells out, so visit scottshucks.com to place your order in advance.
The Victoria Bar, 4 Chapman St. in Greenfield, is also hosting a combined Halloween masquerade ball and anniversary party on Oct. 31. It’s been almost a year since Phil and Angel Simon took over the Victoria Bar (The Vic) and made many improvements to the long-running establishment. DJ Dad of the Year, aka Sean Nolan, one of the regular DJs from a weekly series the new bar owners started over the winter, will spin the tunes starting at 8 p.m., with costume contests, games and more. Free entry.
Music and words coming to All Souls Church
On Sunday, Nov. 8, the Fiery Hope chorus will present its annual fall concert. This year’s show will be a special triple bill as the chorus joins with the musical duo Deux Panie and the writing group FreeWrite to present an afternoon of music and creative readings. The event will take place at All Souls Church at 399 Main St. in Greenfield at 3 p.m.
Fiery Hope is a long-running, Greenfield-based chorus founded and led by Eveline MacDougall that performs throughout the area. Its repertoire includes songs from around the world, as well as some of MacDougall’s compositions.
MacDougall’s other musical project is Deux Panie, a musical partnership that she formed with Malgorzata Lach. MacDougall plays fiddle, viola and accordion, while Lach plays acoustic and classical guitar. The two play music from many genres, including classical, contemporary and traditional.
FreeWrite is a creative writing group for women in recovery facilitated by Amie Hyson and Gretchen Krull. The group encourages participants to explore their voices through writing in a supportive, non-judgmental environment. They had their first big reading last September at the Greenfield Public Library.
After hearing FreeWrite readers sharing their work at that event, MacDougall was inspired and proposed a collaboration. Part of her reasoning was that she discovered that the group could benefit from some financial support but was not set up to do fundraising, while Fiery Hope is a nonprofit, and a joint event like this one could help raise money for FreeWrite’s upcoming programs and publications.
In addition, MacDougall was excited to have her musical projects support the work of the writers.
“Both musical groups have been experimenting with providing background music for readers, which has proven to be a magnificent experience,” she said. “We’re looking forward to sharing our collaborations with the public.”
The show won’t follow a traditional performance structure with one group performing after the other.
“We will be mixed in. We plan to have the three entities (Fiery Hope, FreeWrite and Deux Panie) interweave throughout the event rather than having three distinct slots, and about five of the 10 readers’ work will be paired with live background music,” she explained. “We’re honored to work with courageous women who are willing to share their work.”
This show is appropriate for listeners age 12 and up. Admission is a suggested donation of $5 to $35, though no one will be turned away due to lack of funds.
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.