Presidential Debate Watch Party
White Lion Brewing, Amherst
Tuesday, Sept. 10 at 8 p.m.
Watch along with NEPM News! The first debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump is Tuesday, Sept. 10 at 9 p.m. Take it all in with us at White Lion Brewing in Amherst. Come early for a bite and brew as UMass Amherst polling expert Tatishe Nteta and Jill Kaufman and Adam Frenier from NEPM News get us up to speed on the latest national polls ahead of the main event.
Soul Magnets
Bands on Brewster, Northampton
Thursday, August 29 at 6 p.m.
It’s been a fabulous summer with a great lineup of bands, and you could say they left the best for last. The Bands on Brewster summer music festival finishes this week with Soul Magnets. This horn-heavy 9-piece ensemble, plays a mix of old-school, funk and neo-soul originals, deep covers, and dancefloor favorites. NEPM Fabulous 413 co-host Kaliis Smith is the lead vocalist!
Off The Common – A Free Community Concert
Hawks & Reed, Greenfield
Fri, Aug 30 from 5:30 – 11 p.m.
Here’s the August edition of the popular summer concert series that offers music, food, games, and fun for the entire community on the last Friday of every month from June – September. Smif-N-Wessun, STL GLD, Tem Blessed and Blessed Energy will be rapping inside Hawks & Reed while food trucks, artists, and games will be going strong on the common.
Jim Lauderdale
The Drake, Amherst
Friday, Aug. 30 at 8 p.m.
Jim Lauderdale has been a vital part of the country music ecosystem since 1991, when he released his debut album and began penning songs for an impressively long roster of country music greats. Many years later, at any given time, you’re likely to find him making music, whether he’s laying down a new track in the studio or working through a spontaneous melody at his home in Nashville.
The Three County Fair
3 County Fairgrounds, Northampton
Friday, Aug. 30 – Monday, Sept. 2
With agricultural exhibits, demos, rides and a big midway, and the Wee Wee Wee Racing Pigs, there’s always tons to do, see and eat at the Three County Fair. Music includes Sweet Daddy Cool Breeze at 7 p.m. on Friday, the Tom Ingram Band at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Moose & The High Tops at 7 p.m. on Sunday, and much more.
RPM Fest
Millers Falls Rod and Gun Club, Montague
Friday, Aug. 30 – Sunday, Sept 1
RPM Fest is New England's biggest heavy music, culture, and camping festival with over 35 bands, entertainment, activities, vendors, food trucks, craft brews, and more. Truth be told, I don’t know much about metal, but having listened to Monte and Kaliis’ Fabulous 413 interview with RPM Fest organizer Brian Westbrook, I am intrigued. Monte thinks that classical music lovers will appreciate the virtuosity of the players.
Muster Day
Old Sturbridge Village
Saturday, Aug. 31 from 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Head to Old Sturbridge Village to experience the vibrant history of early 19th-century militia musters. Witness the spectacle as local militia companies, dressed in their finest uniforms, gather for a day of demonstrations and activities. The event will feature musket and cannon firing displays, a “Sham Fight” between rival companies, and early 19th-century martial music. This year’s muster day also commemorates the Bicentennial of Lafayette’s Farewell Tour.
Outdoor Concert: The Knights
The Clarke, Williamstown
Saturday, Aug. 31 at 4 p.m.
Based in New York City, The Knights are a collective of musicians dedicated to transforming the orchestral experience and eliminating barriers between audience and music. In honor of the Clarke’s Guillaume Lethière exhibition, the orchestra plays a double violin concerto by the artist’s contemporary, the Chevalier de Saint-George, plus a new composition by Kyle Sanna featuring renowned Syrian clarinetist Kinan Azmeh as guest soloist. The performance speaks to the layered influence of art and artists.
Uplifting Queer Voices Kickoff Party!
Iron Horse, Northampton
Saturday, August 31 at 7 p.m.
Uplifting Queer Voices is a community program made possible by the Live Music Society’s Music In Action Grant, dedicated to empowering and amplifying voices of local LGBTQIA+ musicians and industry professionals with an emphasis on QTBIPOC led affinity spaces. This free party celebrates the announcement of our their fall season of programming and features performances from Pamela Means (shown above), Lexi Weege, and Silvie's Okay!
Mohawk Trail Concerts: A Joyous Celebration of Alice Parker in Words and Music
Federated Church, Charlemont
Sunday, Sept. 1, at 3 p.m.
Mohawk Trail Concerts honors the late Alice Parker, who December 2023 at the age of 98 at her home in Hawley. She was a groundbreaking composer, conductor, and teacher who wrote more than 500 pieces in a life dedicated to singing and song. She cherished her community and radiated charm and competence. The concert will include pieces Parker wrote and pieces she enjoyed, performed by musicians who knew and loved her. Parker’s children and friends will share touching anecdotes.
Teddy Sandoval and the Butch Gardens School of Art
Williams College Museum of Art, Williamstown
Open through Sunday, Dec. 22
This is the first museum retrospective dedicated to the inventive though overlooked artist Teddy Sandoval (1949–1995). A central figure in Los Angeles’s queer and Chicanx artistic circles, Sandoval was an active participant in both U.S. and international avant-garde movements. For twenty-five years, he produced subversive, yet playful artworks that explored the codes of gender and sexuality and continuously mined archetypes of masculinity in his work through his signature icon of a faceless man, often sporting a mustache.
Springfield Symphony 2024-25 Season
As we transition to the fall, now’s a good time to get some fabulous events on your calendar. The theme for The Springfield Symphony Orchestra’s 2024-25 season is “A Tapestry of Music.” with which the SSO will highlight the universal language of music that transcends cultural, linguistic and geographical barriers and connects people across the globe, invoking the world themes of the season’s nine performances. Newly-named SSO Artistic Advisor Mei-Ann Chen will conduct the first performance on Saturday, Oct. 19. Check out her interview with The Fabulous 413.