NEPM's Smart & Funny People presents Ear Hustle Live!
Iron Horse, Northampton
Saturday, May 30 at 7 p.m.
Ear Hustle was the first podcast created and produced in prison — featuring stories of the daily realities of life inside California’s San Quentin State Prison, shared by those living it. Co-hosts Nigel Poor and Earlonne Woods launched the podcast when Woods was incarcerated at San Quentin. In 2018, Wood's sentence was commuted and he was released; he received a pardon in 2024. They’re coming to the Iron Horse to share stories from inside and outside prison, accompanied by musical performances and never-before-seen visuals.
2026 Miller Lecture in Art with Finnegan Shannon
Smith College Alumnae House, 33 Elm Street, Northampton
Thursday, March 26 at 5 p.m.
Finnegan Shannon is an artist whose mischievous works challenge traditional museum practices and etiquette. For “Don’t mind if I do,” currently installed at the Smith College Museum of Art, Shannon brings alive their longtime fantasy for an exhibition that meets their access needs. Their lecture, “Learning How to Desire,” will touch on sensory pleasures, the luxury of options, and more. After the lecture at the Alumnae House, you can go across the street to the SCMA, for a reception and the chance to experience the “Don’t mind if I do” exhibit. All free and open to the public.
Back Porch Festival
Northampton
Friday, March 27 – Sunday March 29
The Back Porch Festival is returning for its 12th year. The “Ramble Pass” gets you access to 60+ artists performing in 12 venues all over downtown Northampton over three days. And there are ticketed evening shows at the Academy of Music: Bertha: Grateful Drag on Friday and the Bluegrass Spectacular on Saturday.
Plus! There’s limited availability to get a sneak peek of the Back Porch Festival at a live broadcast of The Fabulous 413 on Friday, March 27 at 3 p.m. at the Iron Horse in Northampton. Monte Belmonte will welcome special musical guests Sal from Sally Baby’s Silver Dollars, Willi Carlisle, Olive Klug, and local favorites The Faux Paws. If you are one of the first 20 people to RSVP, you and a guest can come kick off the Back Porch Festival for free. Shoot an email to reserve your spot.
Cantabile: Monarchs, Mishaps and Mosquitos
The Arms Library, Shelburne Falls
Friday, March 27 at 12 p.m.
This program is a mélange of legends, vignettes, Bible stories and tall tales. The selections range from a motet found in the Medici Codex of 1518, to works composed last year for the group by local composer Clifton Jerry Noble. There are several pieces about rulers like King David and England's Queen Elizabeth I, as well as musical accounts of unfortunate events, including a shipwreck that turns into a Christmas party, a king bewitched by mermaids, a gullible knight, and a mosquito. It’s part of Mohawk Trail Concert’s “Concerts at the Arms” series.
Book of Wonder, Cover to Cover: A Hands-On Journey with Donna Castellanos
Springfield Museums
On view Saturday, March 28 – Sunday Sept. 6
Donna Castellanos’s art, fashioned from salvaged books, found objects, and personal keepsakes, offers witty, imaginative, and thought-provoking reflections on people, animals, and abstract forms. This interactive exhibition unfolds as a journey through the Book of Wonder, a multi-chapter environment that encourages deep looking and fosters the creative spirit; the Book of Nature, featuring paper poppies assembled from book covers, schools of paper fish, and an immersive schoolhouse; and Read the Room, a cozy living room adorned with bookbinding chair rails and a life-size dog made of recycled materials.
Jimena Sarno: Rhapsody Repair Workshop Ceramics with Nora Normile
MASS MoCA, North Adams
Saturday, March 28 from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Here’s a beautiful, meaningful and practical skill to learn. Try your hand at ceramic repair in a special pop-up workshop led by ceramicist Nora Normile. Its’s related to MASS MoCA’s “Jimena Sarno: Rhapsody” installation which explores the values of collectivity, reconfiguration, and repair. Bring a small broken ceramic object to repair during the workshop.
Amherst Dessert Crawl
Saturday, March 28 from 3 – 6 p.m.
An afternoon of sweet treats and downtown exploration awaits at the Amherst Dessert Crawl. With an event wristband, you can sample desserts from participating locations while discovering the shops and restaurants that make up downtown Amherst. You can also take part in a scavenger hunt with fun challenges and the chance to win prizes donated by local businesses. Could sell out!
Arcadia Players: Consolation in the Shadows
Abbey Chapel, Mount Holyoke College
Saturday March 28 at 5 p.m.
The ceremonies of Holy Week have inspired some of the most profound and moving of all sacred vocal music, works that touch the listener’s emotional core while offering messages of comfort and faith. This concert will feature the Karfreitag Lieder (Good Friday Songs) by 17th-century Czech composer Samuel Capricornus, along with Tenebrae Lessons by Giovanni Paolo Colonna. Sopranos Tess Wakim and Agnes Coakley Cox will sing with Arcadia Viols.
Local Vocal Chord Bowl #15
Northampton High School
Saturday, March 28 at 7 p.m.
Adult a cappella group Green Street Brew is hosting the 15th annual Local Vocal Chord Bowl. The event will feature nine vocal groups, including students from Amherst Regional High School and Northampton High School, along with performers from UMass and Smith College. Proceeds from the concert will support music enrichment programs in the Amherst and Northampton public school systems, helping fund instruments, sheet music, and student opportunities.
Chief Adjuah (formerly Christian Scott)
Tillis Performance Hall, UMass
Saturday, March 28 at 8 p.m.
Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah (formerly Christian Scott) changed his name out of a desire to connect with his family roots in West Africa and clear a stronger path to the future. His music similarly embraces the African roots of jazz while simultaneously embodying the genre’s spirit of innovation. His work as a composer and band leader rejects restrictive ideas of genre, shattering boundaries in pursuit of limitless innovation. Adjuah and his band will bring a vision of music that blends past, present, and future to the Tillis stage following a day spent working with students at UMass’s annual High School Jazz Festival.
North Adams Pride: Northern Lights Ball
Elks Club, 100 Eagle Street, North Adams
Saturday, March 28 at 8 p.m.
North Adams Pride is excited to be presenting their 4th annual 21+ Northern Lights Ball. DJ BFG (aka Gabby Squailia) will be back with incredible music from her vast music library to keep the dancing going all night long. Plus, magical drag performances throughout the evening by local and regional queens, including Vuronika Baked, Jackie Legs, Gemini DaBarbay, Bella Santarella, Fagitty Anne, and Hairy Debbie.
Very Hungry Caterpillar Day
Eric Carle Museum, Amherst
Sunday, March 29 from 12 – 4:30 p.m.
Head to the Carle for a joyful museum-wide celebration inspired by Eric Carle’s timeless classic, that has delighted generations of young readers with its vibrant collage art, playful storytelling, and message of growth and transformation. Meet the Very Hungry Caterpillar and enjoy lots of fun activities.
Polish Musical Treasures for Voice and Piano
Abbey Chapel, Mount Holyoke College
Sunday, March 29, at 3 p.m.
The Kosciuszko Foundation New England Chapter is hosting a special afternoon celebrating Poland’s rich musical heritage. Acclaimed mezzo-soprano Magdalena Wór and pianist Agnieszka Zick will perform a program of works by renowned Polish composers, including Frédéric Chopin, Maria Szymanowska, and Ignacy Jan Paderewski. The concert will highlight the beauty, lyricism, and national spirit that define Poland’s musical tradition.
Moira Smiley
Montague Common Hall
Sunday March 29 at 7 p.m.
Moira Smiley is a Grammy-nominated singer, composer, and educator renowned for her mastery of the voice and ability to inspire singers of all levels. Known for her rich voice and dynamic stage presence, Moira has collaborated with lots of celebrated names in music, including Tune-Yards, Eric Whitacre, Chris Thile, Hilary Hahn, and Morten Lauridsen. The concert will incorporate audience participation and the historic and intimate Montague Common Hall will be the perfect venue for this special event.
American Revolutionaries: Paul Revere, Silversmith and Patriot
The Clark, Williamstown
Wednesday, April 1 at 12 p.m.
American Revolutionaries is a series of gallery talks given by members of the curatorial team in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States. Each talk highlights artworks from the Burrows Gallery of American Decorative Arts. Alexis Goodin, curator of decorative arts, kicks off the series with a discussion of silver crafted by Paul Revere, Jr. and his father.
NAB TICKETS NOW
Jon Stewart
Tanglewood, Lenox
Saturday, June 20 at 7 p.m.
John Stewart will appear with special guest Church and State. A limited number of Lawn tickets are on sale now.
Jerry Garcia Symphonic Celebration with the Boston Pops
Tanglewood, Lenox
Tuesday, June 30 at 7 p.m.
Tickets go on sale Friday, March 27 at 12 p.m.
This was just announced yesterday! Rock out at the Jerry Garcia Symphonic Celebration with the Boston Pops. Conductor Keith Lockhart will lead this special performance commemorating Jerry Garcia's enduring legacy.
Yidstock: The Festival of New Yiddish Music
Yiddish Book Center, Amherst
Thursday, July 9 – Sunday, July 12
This four-day festival will include musicians and performers at the forefront of the Yiddish music scene. In addition to seven concerts, the lineup also includes workshops, talks, and special tours, all in celebration of Yiddish music, language, and culture. Better order tickets now!
COMING SOON
Festival of Flowers
Springfield Museums
Thursday, April 9 – Sunday, April 12
The 13th annual Festival of Flowers will fill the galleries of the fine arts, history, and science museums with stunning floral arrangements. The clever and creative interpretations designed by florists and garden club members will bring paintings, sculptures, vehicles and even dinosaurs to life through color and texture.
Tiny Glass Tavern: On and Ever Onward: Chapter 2
Northampton Center for the Arts at 33 Hawley
Sunday, April 12 at 4 p.m.
Tiny Glass Tavern will cover Mount Wittenberg Orca, the Dirty Projectors and Björk EP, alongside an eclectic selection of vocal music for high voices including works by Bach, Rosa Tu, Bulgarian and American Folk, early music and more. With Sophie Michaux, Erin Hogan, Kimaya Diggs, Fiona Gillespie, Lexi Ugelow, Maisie Dolan, Rosa Tu, Emma Pauline, Mia Bertelli, Sarah Gibson, Nathalie Michaux, Hannah Levy, Sadie Levy, Sam Arthen-Long, and Isobel Arthen-Long.
413 Day
Progression Brewing Company, Northampton
Monday, April 13 from 5:30 – 9:30 p.m.
Join NEPM for the best local hangout of the year. Test your knowledge of local legends, landmarks, and lore in our 413-themed trivia showdown hosted by Monte and Kaliis of The Fabulous 413, enjoy live music from stellar local bands, and meet other public media fans from all over western Mass. NEPM members: your first drink is on us when you RSVP now.
Foraging Walks
The Clark, Williamstown
The third Tuesday of the month from April through October.
Starts Tuesday, April 21 at 5:30 p.m.
Preregister, space limited
You’d better jump on this to get your space. Naturalist and wild edibles enthusiast Arianna Alexsandra Collins from the Hoosic River Watershed Association and Offerings for Community Building leads these popular foraging walks. Collins guides visitors across the Clark’s 140-acre campus in a one-hour talk, identifying wild edibles and medicinal plants found on the grounds. She discusses flora and fungi characteristics for proper identification as well as meal and medicinal preparation. Trailside nibbling during the walkabout is encouraged.
Madeleine Peyroux
HOPE Center for the Arts, Springfield
Wednesday, April 29 at 7 p.m.
Marking the 10th anniversary of her acclaimed Secular Hymns and the 30th anniversary of her breakthrough album Dreamland, this tour brings Peyroux back to the roots of what first made her one of the most distinctive and arresting vocalists of her generation: intimacy, storytelling, and an uncanny ability to make every song feel like it was written just for you.