The circus is coming to town, and not the kind with elephants and clowns. I’m talking about the Slambovian Circus of Dreams, a rock group from the Hudson Valley in New York that makes music as unique as its name. The band, which has frequently performed here in the Valley over the years, will take the stage at the Shea Theater Arts Center on Friday, April 26, at 8 p.m.

They will return to the area on Memorial Day weekend to play the StrangeCreekCampout at Camp Kee-wanee in Greenfield from May 24 to 27.

This show at the Shea is special for the band as they celebrate the 25th anniversary of their first album, “A Good Thief Tips His Hat.” The album brought the band critical acclaim and helped launch their career.

It’s the band’s third time playing the Shea Theater and one of their final U.S. dates before heading to the U.K. in June.

The Slambovian Circus of Dreams consists of core members: Joziah Longo on vocals and guitar, his wife Tink Lloyd on accordion, cello, mandolin and flute, and Sharkey McEwen on guitar. Over the years, a revolving cast of musicians has fleshed out the band.

These three core members started in the late ’90s as a prog rock band called the Ancestors, which eventually evolved into Gandalf Murphy and the Slambovian Circus of Dreams. (They ultimately dropped the Gandalf part.)

The band got off to a strong start when they worked with Eddie Kramer (recording engineer for Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin) for their first record. His name brought attention to the band, and record labels were clamoring to sign them. This was the late ’90s when a major label deal was the brass ring that most musicians were chasing. But the Slambovian Circus of Dreams said no.

“People thought we were nuts back then and that I was being really arrogant,” said Longo in a recent phone interview. “Presidents of labels were taking us out to dinner, and we were saying we appreciated the dinner, but no, we won’t sign.”

This proved the right move for the band as they could play the music they wanted, which is heavily influenced by classic rock, psychedelia and Americana. Pulling from such influences as Syd Barrett, Bob Dylan and David Bowie, their music has been called everything from Hillbilly Pink Floyd to their term “surreal Americana.”

The Slambovians found their devoted audience for this trippy eccentric music on the strength of their live shows. With Longo donning his trademark top hat and singing songs like “The Trans-Slambovian BiPolar Express” in a voice that resembles Tom Petty, and Tink Lloyd dressed in eccentric outfits, they create a surreal musical world that draws listeners in.

They had the good fortune to have people like Garth Hudson of The Band become fans and help open some doors. Another such person was a promoter from England who fell in love with the band after seeing them online, and he booked them to play at a major festival in the U.K.

“They had this big classic rock festival, and he had us open and close the show that had all these big stars from the ’60s like the Animals and Big Star, just because he had flipped out over us,” recalled Longo.

That was the start of the Slambovians’ strong following in Britain, where they have played at numerous festivals and won all types of accolades.

They will tour there in June and play eight shows in 11 days.

“The fans over there are hardcore. They are classic rock fans, and they recognized that in our music because I absorbed all that stuff,” said Longo.

“The more chaos in the world, the more desire to make sense of it all,” he said about his writing inspiration. “There is so much confusion and depression going around that people don’t know what end is up. So you end up writing out of compassion for others and compassion for yourself.”

He stressed that he avoids politics and that his songs are whimsical. “Like Frank Zappa said, ‘Politics is the entertainment division of the military industrial complex,’” he added with a laugh.

The Slambovian Circus also creates an apolitical landscape at its shows, striving to make a positive, supportive environment that celebrates creativity.

“I think our shows are very uplifting; they check on the positive,” said Longo. “They help people get a little power to face the week ahead.”

“It’s very communal,” added Tink Lloyd. “Worry less and create more.”

She mentioned how much the band loves the Shea Theater and considers it their new home in western Massachusetts.

“It feels really comfortable when we play there, and the people are cool, too,” she said. “We are happy to have a new home in Turners Falls and are happy with the people who run it.”

“Everybody that works there is trying to make something cooler and better,” added Longo.

And since this show is celebrating the anniversary of “A Good Thief Tips His Hat,” they will be playing material from that album, songs that they haven’t played in years but that have proven to hold up.

“Tink is the brave one in the band. Just a couple of weeks ago, she said, ‘let’s do the Good Thief album,’ and it’s been 25 years, but we did it, and Sharkey said this is the most fun he’s had had in years!” exclaimed Longo.

So head to the Shea on Friday night, and you, too, can have the most fun you’ve had in years.

Tickets are $24 in advance and $30 day of show, and are available at sheatheater.org. Doors open at 7 p.m. This is an all-ages show.

On Saturday, April 27, head to the Four Phantoms Brewing Company in Greenfield for a launch party for the RPM Fest, a heavy metal festival that will be held on Labor Day Weekend (Aug. 30-Sept. 1) in Montague. The Launch party will begin at noon and go until 6 p.m. Attendees can purchase discounted ticket deals and enjoy food from Patch Burger and beverages from Four Phantoms. Plus, some of the festival’s lineup will be announced at this event.

In addition, a limited number of early bird weekend tickets will go on sale at noon on the website at RPMFest.org. These tickets will still be discounted from the regular price, but not nearly as much as those you can purchase at the Launch Party.

Following the Launch Party, there will be an after-party show at 10 Forward in Greenfield that will feature Bellower, Viqueen and Hauzu. This show is at at 7 p.m., is 18+, and there is a $10 suggested price with a sliding scale.

Hawks & Reed Performing Arts Center in Greenfield announced that after taking last year off, they will host the Charlemont Reggae Festival in 2024. The big news is that the festival is expanding to be a two-day event, held Aug 16-17 at the Charlemont Fairgrounds. The lineup will be announced soon.

Sheryl Hunter is a freelance writer who resides in Easthampton. Her work has appeared in various regional and national publications. She can be reached at Soundslocal@yahoo.com.