Showcase of the Berkshires and surrounding areas’ local music scene, curated by Jack Criddle
North Adams' Common Folk Collective presents some of the region's finest independent musicians, including Izzy Heltai, Jake Klar, Lady Jane, Forks of Buffalo, Melanie Glenn, Ryan Jackson, Tim Martin, and Cobblestone. To find out more about Common Folk's local arts and music events, and to find out how you can help, go to commonfolk.org
Berkshire favorites The Whiskey Treaty Roadshow is a collaborative band that brings together five Massachusetts singer-songwriters in the vein of Americana, rock and roots-folk music: Tory Hanna, Billy Keane, David Tanklefsky, Greg Smith and Chris Merenda.
Born to a gardener & a journalist who would blast The Beatles, Canned Heat, & Peter, Paul and Mary during car rides to-and-from their rural Massachusetts home, it’s fitting that Eliza Edens is a musician who takes an observational approach to the natural world around her. Combining the adventurous fingerpicking of The Tallest Man on Earth, the calm resolve of Laura Marling, and the aching pulse of Bon Iver, Eliza spins songs with wistful lyrics and winding melodies that belong somewhere between your tumbledown front porch stoop and a hazy bar in the big city — and leave a little space to linger. She is a grantee of Club Passim’s 2017 Iguana Music Fund and is currently crafting a debut record.
The Matchstick Architects are a New England based indie rock/alt-country band coming together from around the Northeast. The band puts forth a soulful blend of indie rock, country, folk, and Americana based music, influenced from an eclectic mix of artists ranging from songstresses such as Lucinda Williams and Aimee Mann to purveyors of the American indie scene such as The Decemberists.
For Upstate (formerly Upstate Rubdown) the last few years have been a time of profound exploration and self-discovery. As the band knocked off milestone after milestone on the road, their sound, their lineup, and even their name all underwent dramatic metamorphoses. Challenging and thrilling all at once, those changes have finally culminated in the band’s dazzling new self-titled album, a collection that showcases both their remarkable growth and their adventurous blend of folk, R&B, jazz, gospel, and rock and roll. Recorded primarily over six days at the Clubhouse studio in Rhinebeck, NY, ‘Healing’ is the band’s first release with new member Allison Olender, their first with four contributing songwriters, and their first since shortening their name from Upstate Rubdown. It’s also their first project to be produced by Wood Brothers percussionist Jano Rix, who helped the group embrace their transformation and lean in to their unique lineup (three female vocalists, upright bass, mandolin, sax, and cajón) without sacrificing any of the gorgeous harmonies, eclectic arrangements, and unforgettable performances that have defined the band since their earliest days. Upstate first emerged from New York’s Hudson Valley in 2015 with their critically acclaimed debut, ‘A Remedy.’ The Poughkeepsie Journal raved that the group “need[s] nothing more than their voices to channel rhythm and stoke your emotions,” while Chronogram hailed their “infectiously sunny organic stew,” and The Alt called them “toe-tapping, contagious, and fun.” The album earned the band festival performances from Mountain Jam to FreshGrass, as well as a slew of national headline dates and support slots with everyone from The Felice Brothers and Phox to Marco Benevento and Cory Henry.
