The Convergence Quartet with Vocalist Wanda Houston
CitySpace, Easthampton
Thursday, March 16 at 8 p.m.
The Convergence Quartet with Eugene Uman, Dave Picchi, Jon Fisher and vocalist Wanda Houston play the Blue Room at CitySpace. Houston sustained a bi-coastal career for years. She has performed on stage with the likes of Barbara Streisand, Patti Austin, Joe Cocker, and even a few shows on Broadway. In 2006, she settled in the Berkshires full-time, and has become such a fixture in the local music scene that some people assume she’s been here forever.
Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox: Life in the Past Lane Tour
Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, Great Barrington
Friday, March 17 at 8 p.m.
Times change and trends come and go, but – like a 1961 Jaguar XK-E – the classic sounds of the past only appreciate with age. This is a celebration of the greatest 20th century musical genres, fused with the recognizable hits of our own modern era, brought to life with an exciting cast of vocalists, instrumentalists, and tap dancers.
Nora Krug: Belonging
The Norman Rockwell Museum
Exhibit opens Saturday, March 18
Conversation with Nora Krug at 4:30 p.m.
Award-winning artist Nora Krug’s powerful graphic memoir, Belonging: A German Reckons With History and Home, and her most recent book publication, an illustrated edition of Yale historian Timothy Snyder’s On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century, is the focus of this new exhibit.
Pioneer Valley Symphony
Thomas De Hartmann: Rediscovering A Ukrainian Master
Tillis Hall Performance Hall, UMass
Saturday, March 18 at 7 p.m.
The Pioneer Valley Symphony Orchestra performs two of 20th-century Ukrainian composer Thomas de Hartmann’s most extraordinary orchestral works: Symphonie-poème No. 1 and the U.S. premiere of Concerto for Piano and Orchestra, featuring acclaimed pianist and scholar Elan Sicroff.
Psychedelic Cinema Orchestra Performs South – Ernest Shackleton and the Endurance Expedition
Academy of Music, Northampton,
Saturday, March 18 at 7 p.m.
The next installment of Northampton Art's Councils Four Sundays series is a film classic with a soundtrack performed by a live orchestra. If you’ve been following the news you have probably seen the astounding footage of the newly discovered wreck of Ernest Shackleton’s ship, Endurance. This is the perfect time to revisit the original film shot by the expedition's official photographer and released in 1919.
Chadwick Stokes and the Pintos + Senseless Optimism
Bombyx, Florence
Sunday, March 19 at 7 p.m.
Between seven records with the college rock, folksy jam band Dispatch, four with righteous rock trio State Radio, and a smattering of solo releases under various names, Chadwick Stokes has a long history of singing about important issues while also examining his inner journey; equal parts protest song, romantic poetry, and journal entry. Senseless Optimism, the vessel for international artist Brittany Tsewole, is a fan favorite in her hometown of Lowell.
IT'S THE WEEKEND TO CELEBRATE ST. PATRICK'S DAY
Reverie Road
Gateway City Arts, Holyoke
Thursday, March 16 at 8 p.m.
Reverie Road is a fresh, eclectic celtic combination, featuring fiddler Winifred Horan and accordionist John Williams (founding Solas members) alongside former Gaelic Storm fiddler Katie Grennan and Jazz and Raga pianist Utsav Lal (Young Steinway Artist). Firmly grounded in their collective Irish roots, Reverie Road embraces humor with musical insight and natural abilities. Original textural adventures weave the roots of Irish musical traditions with new departures and curated gems including distilled airs, continental waltzes, and upbeat reels and jigs.
The Young Dubliners
The Colonial, Pittsfield
Friday, March 17 at 7:30 p.m.
Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day at the Colonial with The Young Dubliners, an American rock band who have been recording albums and touring since 1993 and whose style of music has come to be called Celtic Rock for the fusion of Irish traditional music with modern rock ‘n’ roll!
Big Bad Bollocks
The Drake, Amherst
Friday, March 17 at 8 p.m.
Fueled by Guinness and Bushmills, Northampton's own Big Bad Bollocks have been endearing themselves to punks, rockers, mods and pub rockers alike since 1989. An age old St. Patrick’s Day valley tradition makes its debut at The Drake.
Rosemary Caine and the Wilde Irish Shenanigans
Hawks & Reed, Greenfield
Saturday, March 18 at 2 p.m.
Rosemary Caine was born in Ireland, had a traditional Catholic boarding school education, studied law, then opted for a singing career. She was recruited by Tommy Makem to come to the US to perform and tour in 1972, and never went back to Ireland. The Wilde Irish Shenanigans, formed by Rosie, will play an eclectic Celtic mix that will transport you to Ireland even if you’ve never been there.
Gaelic Storm & The High Kings: The Mighty Tour 2023
Academy of Music, Northampton
Sunday, March 19 at 8 p.m.
Gaelic Storm attributes their continued success to their fanatic and diverse-genre audience. The country-music folks adore the storytelling, the bluegrass-heads love the instrumentals, Celtic fans love their devotion to tradition, and the rockers simply relish the passion they play their instruments with.