Last week we saw some of the Christmas festivities up and down the area. This means that this week (and next) we have to recap the upcoming New Year’s festivities, which are only about two weeks away.
This first week, we’ll be focusing on the area’s biggest and best-known party, Northampton’s Celebration of the first night. While there will be other stories about what’s happening in Northampton, Live Wire will focus on some of the wide range of musical acts you can see throughout the day and night.
Although several family entertainment acts start at noon, the music doesn’t start until 2:00 p.m. That’s when some of the acts will have multiple stages downtown, including the AEIOUkes playing American folk songs while singing and playing ukulele and Pamela Means shows off. critically acclaimed jazz guitar and vocals. Meanwhile, New Leaf offers a new take on traditional music, and Dick Moulding’s ragtime piano act resurrects songs by legends like Scott Joplin, Eubie Blake, Fats Waller and WC Handy, among others.
The 3pm slot expands the musical horizon even further, with Roger Salloom, Stompbox Trio, Mark Nomad, Lisa Bastoni and Wildcat O’Halloran among the many options. Families may want to check out the Juice and Jelly Funtime Band, a three-piece combo that plays original music written for kids and their families. The Expandable Brass Band and Original Cowards also fill the 3pm slot.
Tracy Grammar and Jim Henry are at the top of the 4 o’clock frame, with other notable acts like The Valley Guitar Orchestra, Henning Ohlenbusch and the Valley Light Opera (among others) appearing in various spots. At 5 p.m., long-time local favorite Ray Mason performs a solo show, and Katherine First & Kitchen Party provide a Cape Breton-style party atmosphere with their combination of fiddle, banjo, guitar and percussion
After the pyrotechnics at 18.00, you can taste Klezamir, Masala Jazz, Kalliope Jones, Rhubarb Duo, Valley Jazz Voices, the Lucia Dostal Band or Tommy Twilite, among others at 19.00.
Spouse, Lonesome Brothers and Cloudbelly showcase the local area’s diverse depth of talent in the 8pm time slot, with artists such as ReBelle, Stefan Weiner and Chris Goodreau expanding the panoply of regional art.
The night ends with some fantastic musical fireworks, with acts like The Fawns, Ciarra Fragale, Shubalananda Kirtan, Russell Brooks and Thrasher Wheat playing at 9.15pm, and Folk Implosion, The Mitchells and Pangeans closing things down at 10. : 3 p.m
For full event descriptions and a detailed schedule of events and venues, go online to www.firstnightnorthampton.org.