Nearly 40 musical acts will appear at the FreshGrass festival at MASS MoCA in North Adams this weekend, beginning Friday night at 5:30 p.m. and continuing with all-day music on Saturday and Sunday starting at 10:30 a.m.
The performers — some internationally known, some local and loved — include Brandi Carlile, The Del McCoury Band with special guest David Grisman, Bill Frisell, The Wood Brothers, Crooked Still, Sarah Jarosz, Alison Brown, Red Baraat, Carrie Rodriguez, The Suitcase Junket, Mamma’s Marmalade and many others.
In addition to the live sets, the festival also includes three “FreshScore” screenings, for which musicians have been asked to create and perform a live score with a silent film. Participants include Dom Flemons (co-founder of the Carolina Chocolate Drops), Sunny Jain (leader of bhangra funk band Red Baraat) and tap-dance master and choreographer Dormeshia Sumbry-Edwards.
Local bassist Max Germer (a member of Winterpills, The Fawns, Gentle Hen, Spanish for Hitchhiking) is a big fan of FreshGrass, having attended in past years. He said the fest is always “full of amazing, talented bands. Similar to Solid Sound, you know that the organizers have put a lot of thought into the lineups. I especially love the venue: spending a weekend camping at a festival isn’t really my thing, but having a really great contemporary arts museum to explore between sets is perfect. FreshGrass is also really family-friendly, and I appreciate being able to discover new bands with my son.”
Germer’s happy discovery last year was singer/songwriter Aoife O’Donovan; this time around he’s excited to see guitarist Bill Frisell with his new ensemble featuring Petra Haden, Hank Roberts & Luke Bergman.
Dawes appears at the Academy of Music in Northampton on Friday, tonight, at 7:30 p.m. It’s the local date on their marathon “An Evening With Dawes” tour, which features two full sets of music each night.
The Valley Music Showcase, a bi-monthly battle of local bands, holds its fifth and final regular show of the year with such contestants as And the Neighbors, Kingdom of Jones, Lisa Palumbo Band, The Original Cowards and One Time Weekend, all competing for prizes. Also appearing are Flathead Rodeo, the winners of the July VMS. At the New City Brewery in Easthampton on Friday, tonight, at 8 p.m.
Ray Mason Band celebrates the 67th birthday of its frontman with a show at the Luthier’s Co-op in Easthampton on Friday, tonight, at 9:30 p.m. Free show, donations appreciated.
Magic Dick, harmonica man from the J. Geils Band, teams up with vocalist/guitarist Shun Ng for a show at The Iron Horse in Northampton on Saturday at 7 p.m. Santina King starts off the night.
It’s a special singer/songwriter show featuring Joshua Crane, Joshua Baumand Rachel Laitman at the Montague Bookmill on Saturday at 8 p.m.
Winterpills, who last month released a surprise single entitled “Colorblind,” play a full-band show at the Glendale Ridge Vineyard in Southampton on Saturday at 5 p.m. The seating is first come, first serve.
Scott Hall, longtime member of the Drunk Stuntmen, goes it alone with three sets of piano and guitar at The Root Cellar in Greenfield on Sunday at 5 p.m.
Dicey Riley, the long-running Northampton Celtic rock band led by vocalist John McLaughlin, plays
their first hometown show with their new member,
fiddler/vocalist Zoe Darrow, at The Iron Horse on Sunday at 7 p.m. It’s a special “Halfway to St. Patrick’s Day” concert.
DeQn Sue, an almost-winner (and producer favorite) of NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert Contest, brings her quirky and socially conscious alternative pop to town, sharing a bill with Crown Larks (from Chicago) and Home Body (from right here in the Valley), playing the latest Reanimate the Bay State show at The Sierra Grille in Northampton on Thursday at 10 p.m.