NEPM presents Criminal Live
Academy of Music, Northampton
Tuesday, Nov. 19 at 8 p.m.
"Criminal" is an award-winning and highly addictive podcast about true crime that shares stories of people who’ve done wrong, been wronged, or gotten caught somewhere in the middle. It launched in 2014, and new episodes come out twice a month, always on Fridays. "Criminal" is one of the most popular podcasts in the world, and has been featured in best of lists in Time, The Atlantic, Rolling Stone, Cosmopolitan, USA Today, and Wired. Host Phoebe Judge and the "Criminal" team travel around the country to interview people, and sometimes take the show on the road to tell stories live. This week, they are at the Academy in Northampton.
Valley Voices Story Slam: Toasted
NEPM Studio A, 44 Hampden Street, Springfield
Thursday, Nov. 21 at 7:30 p.m.
Academy Of Music Theatre and New England Public Radio present the premiere of Season 10 of our Valley Voices Story Slam series! Dive in for true stories told live without notes by your friends and neighbors. The audience picks the winner, and a storytelling star is born!
Double Edge Theater: Leonora, la maga y la maestra
The Farm, 948 Conway Road, Ashfield
Wednesday, Nov. 13 – Saturday, Nov. 17
Inspired by the visual art, writings, and life of British-born Mexican artist Leonora Carrington and her mentorship of a long line of male artists, this surreal performance unfolds an encounter between Leonora and Adán (everyman) and portrays the magic, mystery, and humanity found in Carrington’s work.
Angélique Kidjo
Frederick C. Tillis Performance Hall, UMass
Thursday, Nov. 14 at 8 p.m.
Angélique Kidjo’s magnetic stage presence, crystalline vocals, and infectious songs have kept music fans across the globe rapt for more than 35 years. The Beninois-French singer-songwriter burst out of Paris and onto the international stage via her 1989 album Parakou, and rose to world music superstardom two years later with the Billboard World Albums chart-topping Logozo. She has continued over the decades that followed to stand among the most revered artists in world music.
The Kaleidoscope Vocal Ensemble
Mount Holyoke Concert
Friday, Nov. 15, 5 p.m. at McCulloch Auditorium
Smith College Concert
Saturday, Nov. 16, 7:30 p.m. at Sweeney Auditorium
Amherst College Concert
Sunday, Nov. 17, 3 p.m., Buckley Hall
The Kaleidoscope Vocal Ensemble presents vocal music with artistic excellence, while celebrating racial, ethnic, and gender diversity. Led by Artistic Director Arianne Abela, this group of professional singers from around the United States and Canada have thriving national and international solo careers as well as a love for vocal chamber music. They focus primarily on presenting early and new music. Their Five College residency culminates in three concerts this weekend with three distinctly different programs. All are free and open to the public. Go!
Nolembeka Project: Full Beaver Moon Gathering
Great Falls Discovery Center, Turners Falls
Saturday, Nov. 16 at 1 p.m.
Spend the afternoon with Angela C. Marcellino, author of the cookbook and memoir “The True Natives of Cape Cod Massachusetts and their Food Ways.” The recipes tell the story of America from the beginning, when the author’s ancestors, the People of the First Light, who walked the land now known as Cape Cod and its islands over 10,000 years ago, encountered the English settlers. The recipes are a map of historical events that formulated the beginning of this nation from the Native American perspective.
Signs of Solastalgia
Jannotta Gallery in Brown Fine Arts Center, Smith College
Opening reception on Saturday, Nov. 16 from 2–4 p.m.
Mondays – Fridays from 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. though Nov. 22
This exhibition features 12 student artists from across the Five College Consortium whose work addresses solastalgia, the feelings of distress and anxiety caused by our globalized climate crisis. Each student artist has one work on display, along with select examples of nature journals from their homework assignments. Additionally, this exhibition will feature handmade paper and anthotype photographs that were produced during in-class workshops held in collaboration with The Botanic Garden of Smith College.
Pioneer Valley Symphony: Jubilant Caprices
Belchertown High School
Saturday, Nov. 16 at 3 p.m.
Long admired for her fiery precision and her easy lyricism, violin virtuoso and beloved artist, Elly Toyoda will join the PVSO performing Saint-Saens’s acclaimed Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso. Setting the stage is Mexican composer Silvestre Revueltas’s iconic symphonic poem Janitzio, which describes Janitzio Island in Lake Pátzcuaro. The concert closes with Mozart’s ever-jubilant Jupiter Symphony. Arrive early at 2 p.m. for a pre-concert talk with musicologist Samantha Tripp.
Mount Toby Concerts: Claudia Schmidt
194 Long Plain Rd., Leverett
Saturday, Nov. 16 at 7 p.m.
Claudia describes her repertoire as a quirky and wonderful "hodge-podge" of music, poetry, story, laughter, and drama. Schmidt weaves her way through her concert in much the same manner as a jester with interwoven anecdotes that reveal her past and present.
Springfield Symphony Orchestra: Echoes of the Americas
Springfield Symphony Hall
Saturday, Nov. 16 at 7:30 p.m.
Experience a vibrant journey through contemporary Latin American classical music. The concert opens with Puerto Rican composer Ernesto Cordero’s violin concerto “Insula Tropical,” featuring Guillermo Figueroa as both soloist and conductor. Next, revel in Gabriela Lena Frank’s “Three Latin American Dances,” followed by Astor Piazzolla’s renowned “Libertango.” The suite from Manuel de Falla’s “The Three-Cornered Hat” offers a nostalgic nod to Spain. The evening culminates with Miguel del Aguila’s exhilarating “Conga,” featuring the composer on piano.
Kasambwe Brothers
MASS MoCA
Saturday, Nov. 16 at 8 p.m.
Grounded in the rich musical heritage of Malawi, Africa, the Kasambwe Brothers have been making music together for almost 40 years. Using homemade instruments — a bass guitar crafted from a tree branch, and a suitcase drum set made with animal skin — this dynamic trio creates infectious grooves using traditional rhythm and soulful harmony. This is their first visit to the United States.
413Ska Sunday Matinée
Hawks & Reed, Greenfield
Sunday, Nov. 17 from 3 – 9 p.m.
Normally, we don’t think of an event that lasts until 9 p.m. as a matinée, but you get the point. There will be a huge line-up of Ska bands Sunday at Hawks & Reed packed with energy and rocking-riffs. Mephiskapheles is a NYC-based band Known for their dark, innovative sound and legendary performances. Sgt. Scag will perform tunes, with snark and high-energy. Mega Infinity is a genre-bending, NYC-based band. Pink Slip is a powerhouse 8-piece ska punk band from Boston with big hooks and a massive horn section.
Jesse Cook
Bombyx, Florence
Tuesday, Nov. 19 at 7 p.m.
Jesse Cooke is a “nuevo flamenco guitar virtuoso.” As a child he was introduced to flamenco while spending summers at his father’s house in the Camargue region of southern France. Nico Reyes, guitarist for The Gypsy Kings, was a neighbor. Form there, a career spanning almost thirty years has brought this Canadian guitarist multiple accolades including ten platinum and gold studio albums. He’s also a lovely, kind-hearted person. The intimate setting of Bombyx will be perfect!
Back Porch Songwriter Night: The Songs of Carole King
Iron Horse, Northampton
Tuesday, Nov. 19 at 7 p.m.
You probably don’t need me to tell you that Carole King is one of the most celebrated, prolific, and iconic singer/songwriters of all time. Signature Sound’s Back Porch Songwriter Series continues with their first show at the newly updated Iron Horse. Songs of the legendary Carole King will be performed by a super talented crew of local talent including Sandy Bailey, Zara Bode, Kimaya Diggs, Tracy Grammer, and Erin McKeown. It’s sure to be a feel-good evening.