Enjoying live music outdoors is one of the loveliest things about summer, and this year the experience promises to be better than ever thanks to South Deerfield’s Tree House Brewing Company. The popular brewery hosts a summertime musical series that brings well-known touring acts to Franklin County. The shows take place on the beautiful lawns of their facility at Routes 5 and 10 (in the former Channing L. Bete building).
In April, South Deerfield allowed Tree House to expand its outside capacity to 1500, allowing bigger names to be booked at the venue.
Last week they kicked off the summer stage concert series with a sold-out show featuring alt-folk rockers Deer Tick. Don’t worry if you missed last night’s concert or Yo La Tengo show, as there’s plenty of music planned for the coming months. Let’s take a look at what awaits us at the Tree House.
On Monday, June 19th, Tree House will welcome Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy to a solo show. Wilco is no stranger to western Massachusetts, as they host their biennial Solid Sound Festival at Mass MoCA in North Adams. This is a year off for the festival and Tweedy has been busy touring with Wilco in support of their latest album Cruel Country, as well as a number of solo shows. Tweedy has released three solo albums and two books, with a third book due out in the fall. His solo shows consist of a mix of his solo material and some Wilco tunes mixed into the mix. The opening act will be Le Ren, an emerging Canadian singer-songwriter whose music spans folk, bluegrass and country.
Also in July are alternative rockers They Might Be Giants, who will perform on Thursday 6th July. Always putting on a highly entertaining show, couple John Linnell and John Flansburgh are on tour to celebrate their 40th anniversary as a band.
On Friday, July 7th, it’s Eggy, a Connecticut band with a growing following. They are known for their rousing grooves and extended jams.
The month ends with Aimee Mann on Tuesday 25th July. Mann first made a name for himself in the ’80s with the band Til Tuesday and had a hit with Voices Carry. Since then she has been an acclaimed solo artist. Her first major success as a solo artist was the soundtrack to the film “Magnolia” with the song “Save Me”, which was nominated for an Academy Award and a Grammy. She has released ten albums, most recently Mental Health and Queens of the Summer Hotel, which deal with serious issues such as suicide and depression.
August kicks off with Swedish singer-songwriter Kristian Matsson, better known as the tallest man alive, taking the stage on Thursday 3rd August. In April he did a sold out concert at the Tree House Theater and it was great With success they are bringing him back and giving more people a chance to see him. The Tallest Man Alive, formerly the lead singer of indie band Montezumas, plays indie folk music and is known for his immersive live shows.
Then the Americana pioneers are the Old Crow Medicine Show on Wednesday, August 23rd. This Grammy-winning string band from Nashville has been making music since the late ’90s and is best known for the song “Wagon Wheel.” Their performances are known for having the energy of punk shows.
Summer comes to an end when Trombone Shorty and New Orleans Avenue perform on Monday, August 28th. Trombone Shorty, whose real name is Troy Andrews, started playing the trombone at the age of four, hence his nickname. He will bring the sound and energy of New Orleans to South Deerfield as he and his band present their mix of funk, rock, soul and R&B.
We should mention that Jose James will be playing at the House Theater on Wednesday July 6th. He will sing the music of ErykahBadu. Tree House is hosting fireworks on Saturday, July 1st and local favorites Mind Left Body, interpreting the music of the Grateful Dead, will perform at the ticketed event. Local bands will continue to play in the taproom on weekends throughout the summer. Oh, and Tree House’s fine ales are sold during the shows.
To learn more and to purchase tickets, visit treehousebrew.com. Note that at the Tree House all tickets are non-transferable and photo ID matching the name on the ticket is required to enter a show. That means if you can’t attend for whatever reason, you’re basically out of luck. The taproom is only open to concert ticket holders when a show is on. Parking is available on site or at the nearby Yankee Candle, which offers a shuttle service. If you have on-site parking, this will be noted on your ticket. The venue opens at 5pm on the day of the show and shows start at 7pm. For more information about the concert series, see the FAQs on the Tree House website.
A rooftop concert for the homeless featuring Toad the Wet Sprocket and Gin Blossoms
Fans of 90’s music should head to the Pines Theater in Florence’s Look Park on Saturday 17th June for the One Roof Concert for the Homeless. The all-day festival features ’90s favourites, Toad the Wet Sprocket and Gin Blossoms. Both bands were favorites on MTV; Toad the Wet Sprocket had the hit “Walk on the Water” and Gin Blossoms scored “Hey Jealousy”. The festival also features other ’90s acts such as Marcy Playground, Letters to Cleo’s Kay Hanley, Julianna Hatfield and Amy Rigby.
Originally from Holyoke and best known for the 1992 album What Goes On, The Sighs will reunite for this show. A collection of excellent power-pop songs, ‘What Goes On’ should have been a hit, but record company politics prevented it from gaining the publicity it needed to reach a large audience – so don’t miss the opportunity to catch it great band to see again.
Local groups Eavesdrop and The Glad Machine will also be there. And all for a good cause, because One Roof provides services for the homeless in the area. Visit onerootfestival.org for tickets and more information
Meave Gilchrist and Bruce Molsky at Watermelon Wednesdays
I would like to remind everyone that the Watermelon Wednesdays series taking place at West Whately Chapel is in full swing. Next up are guitarist/fiddler/banjo player Bruce Molsky and Celtic harpist/singer Maeve Gilchrist, who will perform in the chapel on Wednesday 21st June at 7:30pm. The two have performed the Watermelon Wednesdays series in the past, but never as a duo. Together they will create an evening of magical music, mixing their two genres of early music and Celtic music. Visit watermelonwednesdays.com for tickets
Sheryl Hunter is a freelance writer based in Easthampton. Her work has appeared in various regional and national publications. She can be reached at Soundslocal@yahoo.com.
www.recorder.com
https://www.recorder.com/sounds-local-june-15-51306520
