Sounds Local: A night dedicated to Lucinda Williams: Signature Sounds’ Back Porch Songwriter series comes to Shea Theater
Published: 10-09-2024 12:43 PM |
It promises to be a special night of music when a group of talented local and regional singer-songwriters come together at the Shea Theater in Turners Falls on Sunday, Oct. 13 at 7:30 p.m. to pay tribute to the great Lucinda Williams. The show is part of Signature Sounds’ Back Porch Songwriter series, where singer-songwriters known for their original songs perform the music of a legendary roots musician.
This Lucinda Williams night, the ninth in the series and the first to be held at the Shea Theater, will feature performances by Mark Erelli, Evelyn Harris (StompBox Trio), Lisa Bastoni, Kris Delmhorst, and Ali McGuirk. The backing band will be the Deep River Ramblers who are made up of multi-instrumentalists/guitarists Jim Henry and Chris Brashear, and bassist Paul Kochanski. J.J. O’Connell will be on drums for these shows.
Signature Sounds Presents launched the series in 2017 when they hosted a Doc Watson tribute at the Parlor Room in Northampton as part of their annual Back Porch Festival. That show was a success, and from there the series grew and now they currently host a couple of these shows a year. And while the series continues to be an integral part of the Back Porch Festival, they have also been held at various venues like Hawks & Reed in Greenfield and The Drake in Amherst. Dolly Parton, John Prine and Gillian Welch are just some of the artists whose work has been showcased at these events.
The last show in the series took place this past August when a Paul Simon tribute night was held at the Academy of Music in Northampton as part of the Arcadia Folk Festival.
Lucinda Williams is an accomplished songwriter with a vast catalog to her name, which makes her a perfect choice for this series. You may know her from songs like “Passionate Kisses,” Can’t Let Go,” or “Joy.” The Louisiana native has released 16 albums and is best known for her 1998 breakthrough release “Car Wheels on a Gravel Road,” one of those albums that doesn’t have a mediocre song on it. The list of accolades Williams has received is too long to list, but I will note that she has received three Grammy awards out of 17 nominations.
The Deep River Ramblers are the only act that has played all nine of the shows, and Jim Henry, who plays mandolin, dobro, and guitar in the band, said the shows feel fresh each time.
“It is a ton of work to put these shows together,” Henry wrote in a recent email exchange. “But it’s worth the effort because the material is so damn good. We get to do a deep dive into the song catalogs of the best songwriters, past and present. And we get to work with talented local and regional artists. I think everyone involved with these shows comes away feeling energized and grateful for the chance to be involved. I guess that’s why we keep doing them.”
J.J. O’Connell has played drums at every show since he first participated in a Dolly Parton songwriter night at Hawks & Reed in 2022.
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“They’re so much fun! And also a lot of work learning 20-plus songs to play once,” O’Connell said. “But it is an honor to dive deep into the work of brilliant songwriters and play their songs with a top-notch band of dear friends and a cast of super-talented singers. Every show has been fantastic.”
One of those super-talented singers is Lisa Bastoni of Northampton, who released the excellent album, “On the Water,” earlier this year. Bastoni has participated in four of these songwriter night shows and said she is honored to be part of this Lucinda Williams show.
“Lucinda Williams is among my top favorites, and I can think of few artists who have influenced and inspired me as much as Lucinda,” said Bastoni. “Hearing these songs brought to life with such a wonderful bunch of artists and friends is a dream … There’s something special about preparing for these tribute shows, knowing that they are fleeting and unique. This one especially is not to be missed!”
Tickets are $30 in advance and $35 at the door and available at signaturesoundspresents.com.
A longstanding member of our music community needs your help. Last week, reggae DJ Camilo I-ganic suffered a stroke and is currently in stable condition in Bay State Hospital. His recovery will be lengthy and financially taxing, so the good folks at Hawks & Reed have put together a fundraising show with all proceeds going to a GoFundMe account that has been established to help cover some of the expenses associated with his recovery.
The show will be held on Saturday, Oct. 12, at 7:30 p.m. and will feature DJs Deejay Theory (all-vinyl set) and Digital Ancient (live dub), along with a full lineup of artists. Chris Ball, Cinamon Blair, Dave Noonan, Force, Mandy Pachios, Gershon Rosen, and Melodiholic are just some of the many artists who will be lending their talents to this cause.
I-ganic has been an integral part of the local reggae scene for over 30 years, performing through the valley with his elaborate mobile sound system and sharing his love of reggae by spinning roots, dub, and dancehall music. He has appeared frequently at Hawks & Reed, often spinning tunes and keeping the vibe going between sets of local and nationally known reggae acts. He was most recently the DJ when reggae artist Israel Vibration played the venue in August and was part of the Charlemont Reggae Festival this year. I-ganic also founded the long-running Thursday reggae night at Bishop’s Lounge in Northampton.
Admission is $25, with all proceeds going directly to support I-ganic’s recovery.
If you are heading to the Ashfield Fall Festival this weekend, get there early on Saturday to check out the folk-old timey trio Hilltown Ham Hocks, who will kick off the festival with an 11 a.m. performance. The group consists of Hannah French (banjo/fiddle), Colleen Stanton (fiddle/guitar), and Stevie Jick (guitar). The trio share vocals and also swap off instruments as they play their energetic mix of folk, bluegrass, and old-time music. Hailing from Shelburne Falls, the trio formed in 2023 after meeting at a local open mic. They describe their music as influenced by The Carter Family and early country to ‘60s folk revival and even the indie rock boom of the early 2000s.
The Hilltown Ham Hocks all share the writing and arranging process and have released a three song EP called “The Cabin Demo” which is available on bandcamp.com. Other musical performers at the Ashfield Fall Festival include Lui Collins, Jim Matus, The DiTrani Brothers, and more.
You can also catch the Hilltown Ham Hocks at Floodwater Brewing Company in Shelburne Falls on Friday, Oct. 11, at 7 p.m.
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.