NEPM presents Jesus Aguaje Ramos & His Buena Vista Orchestra
The Academy of Music
Wednesday, Sept. 18 at 8 p.m.
The Buena Vista Social Orchestra, under the direction of Jesus Aguaje Ramos and featuring key players from throughout the history of The Buena Vista Social Club, continues the legacy of the Buena Vista Social Club with an exciting new stage production featuriing repertoire pulled from the greatest hits (many of which Ramos composed) and deep-dive cuts. Ramos is joined by an all star ensemble including original BVSC members “Betun” Luis Mariano Valiente Marin (Congas, Bongo), Emilio Senon Morales Ruiz (Piano) and Fabían Garcia (Bass).
The Cybertronic Spree
The Drake, Amherst
Thursday, Sept. 12 at 8 p.m.
The Cybertronic Spree are here on Earth with one critical mission: To party like it’s 1986! This band of rockstars in disguise play music from The Transformers: The Movie, hit film and anime songs, video game covers and original tunes, blending their love for the 80’s and 80’s metal into an energon-fueled, unforgettable live show.
Run Rabbit Run!
A.P.E. Gallery, Northampton
Friday, Sept. 13 – Sunday, Oct. 6
Opening reception Friday, Sept. 13 from 5 – 8 p.m.
Run Rabbit Run! brings together the work of Ana Busto, George Simonds and Hilary Kliros. The installation leads gallery visitors through a storybook landscape twisted into abstraction. It is the stage of a fantasia, frozen in flux. Complementing the artworks is King of the Night, a poem written by Ruby Lindsey, the exhibition’s curator, in response to the work in the show.
Kathia St. Hilaire Closing Festival
The Clark, Williamstown
Friday, Sept. 13 from 6 – 10 p.m.
Head to the Clark for a special evening in celebration of the Kathia St. Hilaire: Invisible Empires exhibition a week before it closes. Enjoy exclusive late-night access to the exhibition, live DJ sets by Ashley Venom and DJ Rayvino, custom beer by Hot Plate Brewing, and Haitian cuisine from Bezzle’s BBQ. Ashley Venom, is a Brooklyn-based Haitian-American artist, DJ, writer, and cultural producer. DJ Rayvino, is a Haitian-American DJ from Dorchester.
The Ivy League of Comedy Show
Colonial Theatre, Pittsfield
Friday, Sept. 13 at 7:30 p.m.
Known for their elite brand of clever comedy, the members of The Ivy League of Comedy can be seen on late-night TV, Comedy Central and now on stage at the Colonial. This hilarious comedy show features original, well-written comedy that doesn’t resort to playing on stereotypes or picking on the audience. And who among us couldn’t use a good laugh these days?
Living History Day
Stone House Museum, Belchertown
Saturday, Sept. 14 from 9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.
The Green Valley Homestead Reenactment group is hosting this free event that promises to immerse you in the sights, sounds, and smells of the 18th century. Andy Volpe will be demonstrating and discussing copperplate engravings and printing in the Belchertown Sentinel newspaper’s original print shop. There will be 18th century cooking, cheese making, and agriculture demonstrations and kids can have fun playing games, visiting small farm animals, making a copy book for school, and exploring in a scavenger hunt.
Williamsburg Grange Fair
10 Main Street, Williamsburg
Saturday, Sept. 14 from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Head to “Burgy” for a full day of old-fashioned fun. Check out the agricultural, flower, craft and photography exhibits, peruse the craft fair on the lawn, take part in kid's activities and purchase lunch and baked goodies as well. The fair culminates with an auction at 6:45 p.m.
Renaissance Faire
Springfield City Library, East Forest Park Branch
Saturday, Sept 14 from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Slip back to the Middle Ages with the Barony of Bergental. They’ll be in dashing period attire and will provide a rich experience through demonstration and interaction. Their offerings include heraldry, illumination, calligraphy, embroidery, armored demonstration, music and storytelling, dancing, and games. All ages are welcome and costumes are encouraged!
Taste of Northampton
Main Street, downtown Northampton
Saturday, Sept. 14 from 12 – 8 p.m.
The Taste of Northampton brings together a diverse array of flavors, showcasing both local and international cuisines — from gourmet street food to fine dining creations, all prepared by talented chefs from your favorite and newly discovered restaurants. Listen to live local music all day curated by the Northampton Arts Council. Plus, you’ll find family-friendly activities, including a dedicated play area for children of all ages. It's a wonderful opportunity to experience the vibrant community of Northampton on a beautiful early fall day.
Dr. Marge Bruchac: Talk with the Indian Doctress
Shea Theater, Turners Falls
Saturday, Sept. 14 from 1 – 3 p.m.
In 19th century New England, a number of Indigenous people worked as “Indian Doctors,” treating their Native and non-Native neighbors alike. Indian Doctress Rhoda Rhoades (Mohican), traveled by horseback to treat patients in Springfield and Northampton. Deerfield residents consulted with Indian Doctor Louis Watso (Abenaki), who also advised town physician Steven West Williams on Native plant medicines. These healers practiced what we would recognize today as herbalism, chiropractic, physiotherapy, and even spiritual healing. Dr. Bruchac will discuss her research on Native medicinal plants, practitioners, and the approaches she uses to make these histories visible.
Victory Players: El Puerto Rico
with post-show community event featuring Bomba de Aquí
Frederick C. Tillis Performance Hall, UMass
Saturday, Sept. 14 at 3 p.m.
Victory Players is an ensemble based in Holyoke and led by music director Tianhui Ng. The group was created to celebrate the achievements of extraordinary young professional classical musicians and to combine musical excellence with community engagement, advocacy, and teaching. Bomba de Aquí is a dance and music company that performs and teaches Afro-Puerto Rican traditions throughout western Massachusetts. In El Puerto Rico, Victory Players present music composed for them by ten of the most exciting new voices in Puerto Rican music. In their post-concert event, Bomba de Aquí will invite audience members to participate in a celebration of Puerto Rican heritage through music, dance, and food.
Stephanie Chou Quintet: Comfort Girl
Adams Theater, Adams
Saturday, Sept. 14 at 7:30 p.m.
Sweeney Concert Hall
Sunday, Sept. 22 at 3 p.m.
Comfort Girl is a chamber opera inspired by true stories of Asian "comfort women" abducted into sexual slavery by the Japanese army during WWII. It is not only a groundbreaking fusion of East-West musical traditions but has also sparked public dialogue on a formerly taboo subject that still resonates globally for women today. Composer Stephanie Chou is an American jazz composer/saxophonist/singer who blends influences from her Chinese heritage with Western jazz and pop to create a bracingly original sound.
Senior Symposia
I See the Valley: Stirring the Ashes with Anika Lopes
Greenfield Community College
Tuesday September 17 at 2 p.m.
Senior Symposia is a series of talks and performances sponsored by Greenfield Community College. In its season opener, Anika Lopes, founding president of the Ancestral Bridges Foundation, will unveil the obscured and lesser-known history of Black and Afro-Indigenous residents of the Valley. Archives are brought to life by oral histories of enslavement and genocide, and of individuals who escaped or were freed and took part in military actions that enforced the Emancipation Proclamation of 1865.