The countdown is on — we are just a couple of weeks away from one of the most anticipated events of the summer: the Green River Festival.
Now in its 35th year, the festival will be held the weekend of June 24-26 at its new home, the Franklin County Fairgrounds in Greenfield. This year, some of the acts performing include Lake Street Dive, Father John Misty, Guster, Ripe, Waxahatchee, Galactic, the Dip, Allison Russell, Molly Tuttle and Golden Highway.
In addition, as with previous years, there are plenty of local acts including the Young at Heart Chorus, Parsonsfield, Gaslight Tinkers, Love Crumbs, StompBoxTrio and more. And we can’t forget all the fine local food and beer, the handmade crafts at the Makers Market, and all the fun activities for the kids.
What do you need to get ready for the big event? The most obvious answer is that you need tickets. Hopefully, you have purchased them or will soon, as last year’s festival sold out. If you haven’t already bought your tickets, I would move fast on this one. You can purchase single day and weekend passes at greenriverfestival.com.
Meanwhile, parking passes and on-site camping passes have already been snapped up. It also makes sense to check and make sure you have a good water bottle, sunscreen, a folding chair, and any other necessities you will need come festival time.
There is a lot of music at the Green River Festival, over 30 bands on three stages, so to get a taste of what you’ll hear, check out the festival’s playlist, available on Spotify. The schedule of who is playing when and on what stage has been posted at greenriverfestival.com. There will not be an app this year; instead, text the word GREEN to 855-660-2468 to get festival updates straight to your phone. These updates will include notifications of surprise sets at the Green House Stage.
There are a couple of pre-festival shows coming up that will help get you in the mood for the coming weekend. Lulu and the Broadsides will be at Hawks and Reed Performing Arts Center in Greenfield on Friday, June 10, at 7 p.m.
This free show, which will mark two weeks to the festival, is all about getting pumped for the big event. You may have never heard of Lulu and the Broadsides, but there is a good chance you know “Lulu,” as she is the alter ego of singer-songwriter Dayna Kurtz.
Kurtz has performed in the Valley for many years, her music a blend of jazz, folk, pop and blues. She sings in a rich, expressive voice that cuts to the core of emotion in every song she performs.
A few years back, Kurtz moved to New Orleans and became involved with the city’s blues dance scene. This inspired her to pull together some top-notch musicians from the city’s vibrant music scene and form Lulu and the Broadsides. The band plays plenty of vintage R&B, soul, blues and even some swing. It’s passionate, gritty music that is very danceable.
The band already has played big festivals including the French Quarter Festival and the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, and they are now coming to Greenfield to host this pre-festival dance party that is guaranteed to get everyone primed for the Green River Festival.
And remember, the show is free.
On June 23, the night before the official start of the festival, Hawks and Reed will host an official kickoff party with Jamaican dance hall DJ and singer Sister Nancy. She is known to the world as the first female dance hall DJ and was described as a “dominating female voice for over two decades” on the dance hall scene. She is best known for the song “Bam Bam.”
Advance tickets are available at hawksandreed.com.
We’ve been talking a lot about summer concert series as we’ve welcomed the opening of the 1794 Meetinghouse in New Salem and the Coop Concerts in Greenfield. Both series are up and running and going strong.
Another popular summer concert spot is the West Whately Chapel, the home of the Watermelon Wednesday summer concerts. Each summer, series organizer Paul Newlin brings in amazing artists from all over who play all types of music in the tiny church that is so intimate that it’s almost like hearing music in your living room.
But, of course, the best part about the Watermelon Wednesday series, besides the excellent musical offerings, has to be that the ticket price includes watermelon during intermission. Shows are at 7:30 p.m. — and double-check the schedule, because not every show falls on a Wednesday.
The series launches its 23rd summer season on Wednesday, June 15, with a show featuring gypsy jazz violinist Tim Kilphuis with Lon Angeles guitarist Jimmy Grant. According to organizers, when these two team up they will turn the West Whately Chapel into a little hot club of Paris.
A couple of notes on this year’s Watermelon Wednesdays: They are hosting a couple of shows that are special celebrations for the town of Whately’s 250th anniversary, and these will be held at the Whately Town Hall. The first of these features Zara Bode (the Sweetback Sisters) and her Little Big Band on June 22. The next one is the bluegrass band Poor Monroe, featuring fiddler/guitarist Eric Lee, on June 23. Both shows begin at 7:30 p.m. Tickets will go on sale for these two shows on June 15 at watermelonwednesdays.com.
Tickets for the shows scheduled, including a July 6 show with Celtic sounds of House of Hamill on July 6, are available at watermelonwednesdays.com. You’ll find the full schedule and information, including directions to the West Whately Chapel on the website.
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.