Community Calendar

Fans of soul, blues, jazz, and funk will want to mark their calendars as Mwalim, the award-winning singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, brings SOUL, BLUES & GROOVES back to the Sandbar Lounge (150 Warren Ave, Plymouth) on Thursday, September 18, 2025 at 7pm.

Touring in support of his critically acclaimed album, Thunderchild, Mwalim has been praised for his powerful storytelling, genre-bending artistry, and captivating live performances. With a sound that moves fluidly from deep blues to smooth soul and groove-driven jazz, his concerts offer something for every music lover.

This show is a return engagement by popular demand, following his previous Sandbar Lounge performance, which drew enthusiastic feedback from audience members, hotel guests, and staff. Audiences can expect another evening filled with rich vocals, masterful musicianship, and grooves that linger long after the final note.

Event Details:
📍 Sandbar Lounge, 150 Warren Ave, Plymouth
📅 Thursday, September 18, 2025
⏰ 7:00 PM

For lovers of live soul, blues, and groove-driven music, SOUL, BLUES & GROOVES with Mwalim promises an unforgettable night of artistry and sound.

Mesmerizing folk duo Ordinary Elephant has spent nearly a decade on an endless tour, earning widespread acclaim and winning fans including legends like Tom Paxton and Mary Gauthier. Married couple Crystal and Pete Damore first captured the spotlight in 2017 when they took home the International Folk Music Award for Artist of the Year, propelled by their breakthrough album Before I Go. Two years later, their follow-up, Honest, garnered even more praise, with the Associated Press calling it "one of the best Americana albums of the year." Their latest release, a stripped-down, self-titled collection, is the purest expression of their sound yet. The album showcases the breathtaking power of the couple’s harmonies and intricate guitar work. Rooted in timeless, character-driven storytelling, the songs are elevated by the delicate interplay of banjo, guitar, and octave mandolin. Though born from a time of deep uncertainty, the record radiates a sense of profound self-assurance. It’s the work of a duo whose personal and professional lives reflect the endless potential of honest, organic collaboration. Press play on Ordinary Elephant and you’ll hear more than just a husband and wife—you’ll hear a sincere and unwavering commitment to music, patience, gratitude, and the simple, transformative beauty of the present moment.

Two southern Vermont natives, Colin McCaffrey and Lizzy Mandell, have been musical collaborators for more than 15 years. Colin is a multi-instrumentalist, singer, award-winning songwriter, recording engineer, and producer. Over the past two decades, he has engineered, produced, or performed on more than 200 Vermont albums, many considered among the state’s finest. The two met at a songwriter’s workshop Colin hosted at the Center for Arts and Learning in Montpelier. Captivated by Lizzy’s voice and songwriting, Colin produced her debut solo album, Made for Flying (2012), which won Best Album and Best Songwriter of the Year. Now, 13 years later, Lizzy and Colin have released To the Moon, a new collection of 13 original songs, eight of them co-written.

Lauded as “exquisite” by The Philadelphia Inquirer and “a pianist of sterling artistry” by Gramophone, GRAMMY® Award winning pianist Michelle Cann is one of the most sought-after artists of her generation. Her honors include the Sphinx Medal of Excellence and the Andrew Wolf Chamber Music Award. In 2024, she was named the inaugural Christel DeHaan Artistic Partner of the American Piano Awards, responsible for artistic oversight of the competition.

PROGRAM: “Women of Chicago’s Black Renaissance”
Nora Holt: Negro Dance Op. 25, No. 1
Betty Jackson King: Four Seasonal Sketches
Florence Price: Fantasie nègre No. 2
Florence Price: Fantasie nègre No. 1
Irene Britton Smith: Variations on a Theme by MacDowell
Margaret Bonds: Spiritual Suite
Part of the M@A Subscription Series sold through amherst.universitytickets.com or please contact concerts at amherst dot edu.

Single tickets are on sale at amherst.universitytickets.com fourteen days before this performance, beginning Friday, September 5 at 12 AM.

Single ticket pricing: General Public: $28; Senior Citizens (65+): $22; Students with valid ID and children: $12

For more information and other MUSIC DEPARTMENT EVENTS, please visit: https://www.amherst.edu/music/events

Created by folk singers Steve Suffet and Pat Lamanna, Pete & Woody: an Unlikely Friendship is a one-hour multimedia presentation that explores the relationship between Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie.

Comprising 15 songs performed live, 21 slides, and a 3,800-word narration, Pete & Woody recounts how, when they first met in 1940, Woody Guthrie became Pete Seeger’s mentor, inspiration, and guide who set him on a journey that continued until Pete passed away in 2014. Over time, however, their relationship changed, and Pete became Woody’s champion, helping to promote Woody’s songs and story as Woody’s mental and physical health began to deteriorate. Pete continued to play this role after Woody passed away in 1967, and much of Woody’s worldwide popularity today is a direct or indirect result of Pete’s efforts.

Pat and Steve originally developed Pete & Woody for the Walthamstow Folk Club in London, England, where it was enthusiastically received in October 2019. The have presented it several times since, and they now look forward to presenting it anew for Mount Toby Concerts, with Richard Mattocks delivering the narration.

Suggested donation: $15 to $25
For reservations: diacrowe@yahoo.com or call 413-835-1695

Listen at: https://youtu.be/ZCxKYluH-t4Suggested donation: $15 to $25

Part concert, part puppet show, part ghost story. This 50-minute multimedia performance reimagines classic literary monsters through queer, musical shadow theater and features a world premiere video. Join ensemble Shadow, Sound, Spectacle for a fresh perspective on the works of Edgar Allen Poe, Mary Shelley, Emily Dickinson, Anne Rice, and others, told through live music, shadow puppetry, video, and narrative. All are welcome, but recommended for adults and teens. Q&A to follow. This program is funded in part by a grant from the Holyoke Local Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.

Every night is Mardi Gras when Crawdaddio is in town! Crawdaddio brings the spirit and rhythm of the bayou to life with their driving Zydeco beat. This high-energy band has performed all over the USA, and for five years has headlined Disney’s Mardi Gras Celebration in Orlando, FL. Featuring accordion and piano, fiddle, steel rub-board, guitar, and a smoking hot rhythm section, this band is tight! Musical selections cover the gamut, from original compositions to New Orleans standards. Three-part vocal harmonies lace the thunder and excitement of each arrangement. Experience a little bit of Louisiana with Crawdaddio!

Step into a fabulous, feel-good hour of music, magic, and unapologetic joy in Belt It Out: A Big Gay Singalong! This one-of-a-kind musical celebration invites audiences to unleash their inner diva as they sing along to beloved showtunes, classic standards, and Disney anthems — all with a glittering queer twist.

Hosted by Tori McClain with Broadway-worthy pipes and Eden Casteel who has sass to spare, this interactive show blends powerhouse performances with crowd-led musical moments, cheeky commentary, and heartwarming stories that honor the LGBTQ+ community’s deep love affair with musical theatre. From Wicked to The Little Mermaid, Somewhere Over the Rainbow to Let It Go, no high note is too high, no harmony too ambitious, and no jazz hand left behind.

Whether you know every word or just want to bask in the sequined glow, this all-inclusive celebration promises laughter, nostalgia, and a whole lotta love — all set to the soundtrack of our shared queer joy. Come for the songs, stay for the soul!
This performance is a benefit for the Stonewall Community Foundation. This organization is a driving force in the fight for LGBTQ+ equity, investing in leaders, nonprofits, and innovative ideas that make a lasting impact. Their mission is to create a world where all queer people -especially those most marginalized- can live openly, freely, and authentically.

NOTAFLOF

Dan Fontaine’s Viva Las Elvis

Dan Fontaine grew up in Massachusetts and was raised listening to the music of Elvis Presley. At 16, he began his music career singing and playing guitar at Hillcrest Church where his father pastors. In 2014, Dan began performing his tribute to Elvis all over New England working at his craft which aims to capture the energy, passion, and vocal prowess of The King. He is a gifted band leader, originally fronting Fellowship of The King and currently performing his regional tribute show, “Viva Las Elvis: From Sun To Vegas” feat. Memphis Sun Mafia Band.

Dan Fontaine is an award-winning Elvis Tribute Artist, and has competed at Images of The King and Ultimate Elvis festivals/competitions nationally and internationally.

Saturday, September 20, 7:30 pm

Tickets are $30-$35 plus fees.

We’re pleased to welcome Hiroya Tsukamoto back to Trinity Church for an intimate concert in the lovely community gallery overlooking Forest Park.

Hiroya is a one-of-a-kind composer, guitarist and singer-songwriter from Kyoto, Japan. He began playing the five-string banjo when he was thirteen, and took up the guitar shortly after. In 2000, he received a scholarship to Berklee College of Music and came to the United States. He formed his own group in Boston “Interoceanico” which consists of unique musicians from different continents including Latin Grammy Colombian singer Marta Gomez. The group released three acclaimed records (“The Other Side of the World”, “Confluencia” and “Where the River Shines”). Hiroya has released five solo albums.

Hiroya has been leading concerts internationally including several appearances at Blue Note(NYC), United Nations and Japanese National Television(NHK). Hiroya is a two time 2nd place winner of International Fingerstyle Guitar Championship in 2018 and 2022.

This concert is presented by Bing Productions in collaboration with Trinity United Methodist Church. Special thanks to our season sponsor Florence Bank.

Heart-Centered Kirtan returns to Unitarian Universalist Society East, 153 Vernon St. West, Manchester CT, at 3 PM Sunday, Sept. 21. Kirtan is a form of chanting meditation rooted in Indian spiritual traditions. $20 suggested donation; no one turned away. Scent-free space. Learn more at heartcenteredkirtan.com