Search Results

By Line search: By SHERYL HUNTER

By SHERYL HUNTER

‘From the first time a musician went beyond his or her home village, or region, or nation,” percussionist Tony Vacca says, “music has been an ever-expanding, multi-culti hybrid of instruments and ways to play them.” According to Vacca, that is the...

By SHERYL HUNTER

St. Patrick’s Day is the day when we love to celebrate everything Irish. We eat corned beef, raise a pint of Guinness, and get all decked out in our best green outfits. Of course, there is music involved in these celebrations, be it traditional Celtic...

By SHERYL HUNTER

We all know that Ed Sheeran is a pop superstar and a bestie of Taylor Swift, but you probably didn’t know that he is a huge fan of of folk singer Luke Concannon, a British folk artist who will perform at The Mill in Shelburne Falls this Saturday,...

By SHERYL HUNTER

After releasing three singles that left us anxious to hear more, Cloudbelly, the Montague-based band led by singer-songwriter Corey Laitman, released its sophomore album, “i know i know i know” (Strange Library Records), last week. Laitman is joined...

By SHERYL HUNTER

Watermelon Wednesdays, the acoustic music series that presents concerts and workshops at the historic West Whately Chapel and the Whately Town Hall, will celebrate its 25th year in 2024. Paul Newlin of Whately, a devout music fan, heads up the series,...

By SHERYL HUNTER

Can you be in a band and not be in the band? That’s the question songwriter Joe O’Rourke asks regarding the album “There is No Right or Wrong” on which he wrote all the songs but didn’t sing or play any of the instruments.O’Rourke, of South Deerfield,...

By SHERYL HUNTER

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, and if there is ever a polarizing holiday, it’s this one. For the romantics, it’s a day of celebration with shiny boxes of chocolates and roses, but for others, especially those who are nursing a broken...

By SHERYL HUNTER

Greenfield will celebrate its 102nd Winter Carnival this weekend. Thanks to our local music venues, the three-day celebration, jam-packed with events, will include plenty of music to further fuel the party atmosphere. The theme of this year’s carnival...

By SHERYL HUNTER

With a new year comes new music, and 2024 looks like it will be an excellent year for both recordings and live music. Now that the holidays are over, some local musicians have dropped new singles in recent weeks as they gear up for full-length...

By SHERYL HUNTER

On Saturday night, Jan. 20, at 7:30 p.m., the Montague Center Common Hall will host a special concert and workshop featuring music from Eastern Europe and the Balkans.Orkestar Banitsa and Myrtle Street Klezmer, local bands who play different styles of...

By SHERYL HUNTER

For local musician Michael Pattavina, hosting a dance festival during Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend has become a tradition that started 20 years ago and continues to this day.This year, he is hosting a mid-winter and Zydeco dance fest at Hawks &...

By SHERYL HUNTER

Singer-songwriter Trae Sheehan is new to performing here in Franklin County, but that’s about to change. After living in Nashville for a few years, Sheehan moved to the Berkshires this past September. A devoted road warrior, he has played hundreds of...

By SHERYL HUNTER

It’s time to say goodbye to 2023 and welcome 2024. Whether your idea of ringing in the New Year involves a fun time with the kids or dancing away into the wee hours of the morning, here are a few suggestions for a New Year’s Eve that will include...

By SHERYL HUNTER

As we enter the final crunch up to the holidays, it’s time to start thinking about those last-minute gifts. I’m guessing that you have music fans on your shopping list, and they are the easiest to shop for because they only need one thing: more...

By SHERYL HUNTER

Matthew King, the leader of the band TapRoots, feels that during this time of year, there are many reasons for people to come together to celebrate — celebrate spirit, celebrate community, celebrate the arts. This is why he is hosting the Winter Ball...

By SHERYL HUNTER

It’s that time of year again, and no matter how you choose to celebrate the holidays, there are plenty of live concerts and music to help you get in the spirit of the season.This weekend, Música Franklin will host its second annual Holiday Cheer...

By SHERYL HUNTER

The local bluegrass band Poor Monroe played its first formal gig together at the Whately Town Hall in 2022 in celebration of the town’s 250th anniversary. At the time, the members didn’t even consider themselves a real band — they were just a group of...

By SHERYL HUNTER

It’s impossible to come up with a simple way to describe the music of Toubab Krewe.Listening to the band’s most recent release, “Stylo,” I wonder is this rock music? Afro-beat? Is it a jam band? There’s no easy answer to these questions. You can’t fit...

By SHERYL HUNTER

Coffeehouses have always been a vital part of our local music scene. We’ve seen quite a few come and go over the years, but one has endured — The Wendell Full Moon Coffeehouse. The monthly coffeehouse held in the Wendell Town Hall opened its doors in...

By SHERYL HUNTER

This past weekend was a busy one, with Halloween-themed shows happening everywhere. While it’s time to pack the costumes away, the music continues with the return of the Hilltown Hoedown at the Shutesbury Athletic Club on Saturday, Nov. 4. The annual...