Jason Newsted & The Chophouse Band to perform at The Iron Horse
Six-time Grammy Award winner and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Jason Newsted will bring his acoustic-driven Americana project, The Chophouse Band, to The Iron Horse in Northampton on Wednesday, July 1 at 8 p.m. Fronted by the former Metallica bassist on vocals and guitar, the five-piece collective explores the American musical lexicon by weaving together rock, country, bluegrass and folk with a heavy edge. The performance comes as part of the band’s first-ever official North American tour, supporting Blackberry Smoke. Tickets for the all-ages Northampton show start at $42, including all fees, are available at bit.ly/4fQtspW.
Self-Evident Education to present screening of ‘Get a Mule, Forty Acres or So…’
Self-Evident Education will host a special evening of film, history and hip-hop on Saturday, June 20, from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Northampton Center for the Arts at 33 Hawley St. Hosted by Michael Lawrence-Riddell, the event features the premiere of the documentary short “Get a Mule, Forty Acres or So…,” which explores the history of Black land ownership and the promise of Reconstruction. Concurrently, a live taping of the podcast Remind My Soul will take place, featuring acclaimed hip-hop artist and educator Akrobatik, who will listen to an untold historical narrative and compose and perform an original verse in just thirty minutes. The evening concludes with a panel discussion featuring co-producer Ibrahim Ali and historian Ousmane Power-Greene discussing the legacy of Juneteenth. Tickets are available on a sliding scale from $10 to $50 at selfevidenteducation.com.
The Iron Horse to celebrate Juneteenth
The Iron Horse in Northampton will host its first Juneteenth celebration on Friday, June 19 at 7 p.m. featuring local multi-instrumentalist Indë, opener PARRIS and The Ujima Singers. Managed by the nonprofit Parlor Room Collective, the event also doubles as the album release show for Indë’s upcoming record “Role Model” and serves as their debut performance leading The Ujima Singers, an activism-focused Afrocentric music collective. In line with the venue’s community mission, all ticket proceeds from the concert will go directly to the performing musicians that are Black Indigenous and people of color. Tickets can be purchased at bit.ly/4upBucQ.
A tribute to resilience, freedom will take place at Bombyx
Songs of Slavery & Emancipation, a living musical tribute to resilience and freedom led by Kathy Bullock, Ph.D., and The Berea Jubilo Singers, will take place at the Bombyx Center for Arts & Equity in Florence on Sunday, June 21. The event features a hands-on historical singing workshop from 1 to 2:15 p.m., followed by a concert at 4 p.m. The concert brings songs composed and sung by slaves either preparing for, or commemorating revolt. To this collection is added the songs of the abolitionist movement, dedicated to the eradication of the slave system, composed by fugitive slaves or free Black people.
Tickets are available at Bombyx.live on a sliding scale starting at $25 for the workshop and $35 for the concert. Community donations are highly encouraged to help support this tour due to recent federal grant cuts.
Holyoke Pride announces Joslyn Fox as 2026 PrideFest headliner
Massachusetts drag performer and RuPaul’s Drag Race star Joslyn Fox will headline Holyoke PrideFest 2026 on Saturday, June 27, at Veterans Park. The event will take place from noon to 6 p.m.
What began as a grassroots gathering has expanded into a month-long celebration of LGBTQIA+ visibility across western Massachusetts. The June calendar also includes a Drag Story Hour on June 25 and an evening After Party at The Wauregan, from 6 to 11 p.m. For full schedules and updates, visit www.holyokepride.org.
Barn Door Gallery calls for art submissions
Submissions are now open for the 2027 gallery season for the Northampton Center for the Arts’ Barn Door Gallery. The Barn Door Gallery supports NCFA’s mission to foster community connections through the arts, and is a dedicated venue for evolving, transformative dialogue between artists and audiences. Artists are encouraged to apply for a solo show, a small group show or to be part of our emerging artist showcase. Applications are due by midnight on June 30. Those with questions should email gallery@nohoarts.org.
Masters of Sonic Liberation brings avant-garde lineup to Holyoke Media
The monthly live music series Masters of Sonic Liberation returns for its 31st installment on Thursday, June 25 at Holyoke Media, located at 23 Suffolk St. in Holyoke. Now in its third year of elevating experimental and adventurous music in western Massachusetts, this performance features a lineup of visionary, boundary-pushing improvisers. According to a press release, the evening’s showcase includes ambient and intense electronics-infused avant-guitar work by The Chestnut People, featuring Federico Balducci and Aron Namenwirth; a burning free-jazz trio led by master drummer Marc Edwards with Tor Snyder and Dylan Delgiudice; dazzling vocals and electronics from artist Dei Xhrist; and an exploration of form, abstraction, and acoustic mutation by KaneLoggiaHYPOTHESIS, a hybrid project featuring electronic woodwind pioneer Bonnie Kane and drummer John Loggia.
Doors for this night of improvisation open at 7 p.m. with music beginning at 7:30 p.m., and a $15 donation is suggested for entry. For those unable to attend the live venue, the event will be streamed online via the youtube.com/@mastersofsonicliberation.