’Tis the season for big celebrations, so here comes the 3rd annual Hamp Get Down, a multi-stage indoor festival of western Mass. artists, taking place at the Hawks and Reed Performing Arts Center in Greenfield on Saturday, December 28, at 7 p.m.
The Ballroom Stage features live bands The Mary Jane Jones (soul, blues, a horn section, and the vocals of Mandy Pachios), Weege and the Wondertwins (jazzy bluesy pop band led by Lexi Weege with a new album this past spring, “Do I Seem Weird Lately?”), Colin Jalbert (multi-instrumentalist with such groups as Jalbatross and Mammal Dap), Lush Honey (Northampton funk-rockers), Electrio (original instrumental alt/prog/punk-jazz/fusion trio), and the Zack Bartolomei Quartet (jazz explorations).
The Speakeasy Stage will have hip hop and more with Wiki Good, Unknownboys, Eddie Saturn (with live band), and Loopn.
Then there’s the DJ-oriented Flapper Lounge on the 4th floor, starring Houman Beats, IZZI, Burgers, Craig Hop, Mavys, OGEAZ, Bappa Kipsy, Smoochie & Friends and Soggy Noize Bois.
Speakeasy? Flappers? With 2020 just around the corner, the Hamp Get Down is getting inspiration from a century ago for this year’s theme, “The Ragin’ ‘20s.” The event poster is all art deco filigree and fonts, and they highly suggest that attendees show up dressed in 1920s-inspired get-ups.
Longtime local rockers FAT appear with special guest Mitch Chakour at the Iron Horse in Northampton on Friday, December 27, at 7 p.m.
Singer/songwriters Stefan Alexander and Chris Marlon Jennings take the stage at The Parlor Room in Northampton on Friday, December 27, at 7:30 p.m.
Snack Pack, the local trio led by Betsy-Dawn Williams, bring their grab bag of trad-country, jazz standards, hippie pop-rock, and original compositions to the Luthier’s Co-op in Easthampton on Friday, December 27, at 8 p.m.
Northampton band Eavesdrop specializes in harmonies, courtesy of frontwomen Kara Rose Wolf, Laura Marie Picchi, and Kerrie T. Bowden, and they play Progression Brewing Company in Northampton on Friday, December 27, at 8:30 p.m.
Brooklyn double-sax-and-drums juggernauts Moon Hooch bring the heat to Hawks and Reed on Friday, December 27, at 8:30 p.m. Also on the bill is the Jackson Whalan Live Band.
Americana locals The Boxcar Lilies had a reunion show planned with former member Katie Clarke back in October. It was postponed because of the flu, but now everyone’s healthy and it’s finally happening at the Iron Horse on Saturday, December 28, at 7 p.m. Emily Matthew-Muller opens.
Bella’s Bartok were made to throw a yearly heavy-duty party-concert called the Strange Ones Ball. The theatrical Valley ensemble has a sound that mixes together Eastern European, Americana, punk and pop music, and they’re back with their 4th annual Ball, a two-night extravaganza at Gateway City Arts in Holyoke on Monday, December 30 (with The Suitcase Junket opening) and Tuesday, December 31 (with “sci-fi fusion” trio Consider the Source starting off the show), both nights at 9 p.m.
Need to get out of the Northampton First Night craziness, and/or celebrate The Big Calendar Flip with some quirky rock-and-roll legends? NRBQ, led as always by pianist/ composer/ force-of-nature Terry Adams, plays a New Year’s Eve show at Infinity Hall in Norfolk, Connecticut on Tuesday, December 31, at 9 p.m.
The morning of January 1 means one thing (and it’s not a hangover) — pancakes! The annual all-ages Morning Music Party returns, this time with local storyteller Tom McCabe spinning yarns. Pancakes will be served up fresh for everyone, an art activity will be led by the Easthampton Family Center, and then DJ Youthelectronix spins records and fills the dance floor with his famed “best-ever dance party before noon.” It all happens at Flywheel in Easthampton on Wednesday, January 1, at 10 a.m. The event is a fundraiser for Flywheel, which just celebrated its 20th year as a volunteer-run nonprofit community arts space.
Ken Maiuri can be reached at tunedincolumn@gmail.com.