Valley Voices Story Slam: Elementary
Shea Theater, Turners Falls
Thursday, March 20 at 7:30 p.m.
Valley Voices Story Slams are a production of NEPM and the Academy of Music Theatre. They feature outrageous, funny and heartwarming stories from western New England-based storytellers all told in under five minutes in intimate venues around the region. For our next slam we’re heading to Franklin County to the lovely Shea Theater in Turners Falls. See how our storytellers weave their imagination around this slam’s theme — Elementary.
From Tapioca Pudding to Craft Beer: A Local Story of the Modern Food System
John W. Olver Transfer Center, Greenfield
Thursday, March 20 from 2 – 4 p.m.
The history of Orange, Massachusetts is the starting point for Cathy Stanton’s exploration of how the modern industrial food system came to be and what challenges are faced by those attempting to reshape and rescale it. Based on her recent book “Food Margins: Lessons from an Unlikely Grocer,” this presentation follows the intertwined stories of the Minute Tapioca Company and a small food co-op as it struggles to survive in a grocery sector dominated by giants.
The King of Instruments: A Concert for the Future
Edwards Church, Northampton
Friday, March 21 at 7:30 p.m.
Workshop Saturday, March 22 at 10 a.m.
Randy Steere, concert organist and dean of the Worcester Chapter of the American Guild of Organists presents a free one-hour program including spirituals infused with rock and jazz, a trumpet tune by YouTube phenomenon, Paul Fey, works by Leonardo Ciampa, Josef Rheinberger and Alexander Guilmant, compositions by African American composers, and more. Serious organ nerds can return to Edwards Church Saturday at 10 a.m. for a free interactive workshop where Steere will present strategies on how to keep organ music alive and exciting.
Winter Forest Bathing & Qigong
The Mount, Lenox
Saturday, March 22 from 1:30 – 3 p.m.
Experience the beauty and healing properties of an Eastern Hemlock forest at The Mount. Join experienced outdoor guide and certified Tai Chi instructor, Mary Hannah Parkman, for a short, guided trail walk with a pause to breathe in the richness of the living world with simple-to-follow standing Tai Chi warmups & Qigong movements. By connecting body and breath, these standing movement practices calm and reset the nervous system, help cultivate peace in the present moment, and awaken and enliven our “chi” or life force energy. No prior experience is required.
Uplifting Workshop and Concert with Dr. Kathy Bullock
Montague Common Hall
Saturday, March 22
Workshop 1 – 5:30 p.m.
Community Potluck 5:30 – 7 p.m.
Concert at 7 p.m.
Here's an opportunity to learn and sing African American songs of inspiration, hope and joy with guest presenter Dr. Kathy Bullock, an educator, scholar, and musician who specializes in gospel music, spirituals and classical works by composers from the African diaspora. She’s a Professor Emerita of Music from Berea College, Berea, Kentucky, and leads workshops throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, and Africa. Dr. Bullock shares infectious joy and inspires heartfelt connections as she celebrates the transcending power of love and spirit through music.
The Rose & Briar: A Storytelling Concert of the Ballad of Barbara Allen
Edwards Church, Northampton
Saturday, March 22
Folk Sing and Country Dancing Workshop from 5 – 6.30 p.m.
Show at 7:30 p.m.
From ancient Britain, where mystical songs blended with court compositions, to the hollows of Appalachia where immigrants arrived with their tales and tunes in tow, new instruments picked up old melodies and folktales took on the strange lonesome flavor of their new mountain home. Centered on the famous ballad, Barbara Allen, join "Celtic-Classical" band The Chivalrous Crickets for a voyage of passion, betrayal and redemption through the musical voices of the enchanting Elizabethan court composers, haunting Scottish Child ballads, and rollicking olde time tunes crafted by generations of fiddlers and pipers. With an opening set by Sophie et Adam, of Tiny Glass Tavern fame.
Cine Concert: The Ancient Law
Bombyx, Florence
Saturday, March 22 at 7 p.m.
The Ancient Law, (Das Alte Gesetz) Ewald André Dupont’s 1923 silent masterpiece, is the moving story of the rupture between a rabbi and his son in a Polish shtetl, when the young man abruptly leaves to become an actor in Vienna. With its fascinating attention to cultural detail, and ensemble of some of the great actors of the day, the film still resonates deeply with audiences in its 100th anniversary year. The film has been newly restored with an original score by master silent film pianist Donald Sosin and violinist Alicia Svigals, who will perform live with the film for a unique cine-concert experience.
Springfield Chamber Players: Last Night’s Fun
52 Sumner, Springfield
Saturday, March 22 at 8 p.m.
Last Night’s Fun bring decades worth of songs and tunes to audiences throughout western New England. Seán Burke was born in Ireland and grew up in the Holyoke area. David Clopp, grew up in a house full of music and discovered a passion for traditional Celtic music in his early teens. Ellen Redman, is a classically trained flutist and accomplished traditional Irish flutist and whistle player. She is a flutist with the Springfield Symphony Orchestra and the director of The Wailing Banshees, a traditional Irish group she formed at Smith College.
Paolo Angeli
The Drake, Amherst
Saturday, March 22 at 8 p.m.
A while back, I recommended and attended a show at the Drake that featured guitarists Mike Dawes and Gareth Pearson, known as “The Welsh Tornado.” This week, I’m going all in for Paolo Angeli, the “Sardinian Sorcerer.” Paolo creates multi-layered music from his uniquely prepared guitar: a hybrid instrument with strings going in all directions, foot-pedal-controlled motorized propellers, hammers to create shimmering drones, and bass-lines as he bows, strikes, plucks and strums while producing rhythmic atmospherics. Check out his NPR Tiny Desk concert.
Angélica Garcia
MASS MoCA, North Adams
Saturday, March 22 at 8 p.m.
Gemelo, the new record from the beguiling Mexican-Salvadoran American sonic experimentalist Angélica Garcia, is a vibrant, prismatic hybrid-pop masterpiece. It follows her 2020 breakthrough Cha Cha Palace, which included the hit “Jícama” and launched her into opening for tastemakers like Mitski and Nilüfer Yanya. Here’s our chance to hear her while she’s still playing intimate rooms like MASS MoCA’s B10.
Las Guaracheras
De La Luz Soundstage, Holyoke
Sunday, March 23
Café serving Oaxaca-inspired menu opens at 6 p.m.
Show at 7 p.m.
Treat yourself to salsa dancing, delectable food, and inspiring voices. Since its formation in 2017, Las Guaracheras, the Colombian all-women salsa ensemble, has pursued its mission to elevate the female voice in Afro-Latin music and to build a more inclusive, diverse, and respectful space in which we all fit. The electrifying rhythms and explosive performances by these six world-class musical artists have captivated audiences across the globe. Performed on vibraphone, percussion, bass, piano, and vocals, the music of Las Guaracheras communicates joy, memory, and transformation while encouraging listeners to dance, sing, and reflect on the feelings that music inspires.
Ted Leo and the Pharmacists: Shake The Sheets 20th Anniversary
Iron Horse, Northampton
Sunday, March 23 at 7 p.m.
Ted Leo is a unique artist for these times. He provides a near perfect combination of politics, art, punk values and humor in his songwriting and the combination is resonating with people all over the world. Having toiled for years in the punk underground, he’s an artist who is well poised for a career with no limits. He will continue to write pop rock gems and work hard on the road to connect with his fans who continue to grow with him as he connects with more and more people.
Voyage to the Underworld: Selected Latino Poetry from 1523 to the Present
Jones Library, Amherst
Tuesday, March 25 at 7 p.m.
Latino Poetry: Places We Call Home is a national public humanities initiative directed by Library of America with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities and Emerson Collective. This week, Dr. Ilan Stavans, Professor of Humanities and Latin American and Latino Culture at Amherst College, leads a reading and discussion of selected poems from “Latino Poetry: The Library of America Anthology” and “Lamentations of Nezahualcóyotl, retold from the Nahuatl.” A second event is happening on Tuesday, April 15. Plus! You can check out Dr. Stavan’s Monday conversation with The Fabulous 413.
The Oxbow since Thomas Cole: Two Crossings and a Community
Forbes Library, Northampton
Wednesday, March 26 6:30 p.m.
Jonathan Moldover, author of “The Oxbow Since Thomas Cole: The Story of a Landscape, a Painting, and a Community,” presents an illustrated talk about the community which has developed on the Oxbow since the late nineteenth century, accompanied by video clips from the oral history project which was the basis of the book. Uncover how nature as well as political and business interests have changed the island and discover why the island crossed the river and why the highway crossed the island.
Gaelic Storm: Roll Out the Barrel Tour
Academy of Music, Northampton
Wednesday, March 26 at 8 p.m.
Gaelic Storm, a multi-national, Celtic juggernaut grows stronger with each live performance, and after two decades and over 2000 shows, they are a true force to be reckoned with. Gaelic Storm takes a true blue-collar, hard-nose approach to touring, consistently traveling the US and internationally forging a unique path in the Celtic music world. “You have to see us live. We are the true working-man’s’ band,” says longtime member Ryan Lacey. “We still, and most likely always will, tour most of the year, and that’s how we constantly hone our craft.” With special guests Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band.
Leonora, la maga y la maestra
Double Edge Theater, Ashfield
Wednesday, March – Friday March 28 at 7 p.m.
Sunday, March 30 at 2 p.m.
Leonora, la maga y la maestra” explores the imaginative response to political violence by British-born Mexican refugee artist Leonora Carrington. Inspired by the magic, mystery, and humanity of her visual art, writings, and life, this surreal performance unfolds through an encounter between Leonora and Adán (an everyman) and her mentorship of a long line of male artists.