Before long, we will be packing up a picnic basket and heading down to the Energy Park to soak up the sounds of the Coop Concerts. But until then, we have All Coop’ed Up, the annual spring concert presented by members of the Franklin County Musicians Cooperative. This year’s show, the first to be held in three years due to the pandemic, will take place on Saturday, March 25, at 7 p.m. at the Great Falls Discovery Center in Turners Falls.

The goal of this concert is twofold. First, it will provide an evening of good music and give people a reason to leave their homes after being cooped up all winter. This is especially true for those living in areas hit hard by last week’s big storm that may have left them stuck at home for days.

The other goal is to give listeners a preview of the Coop Concerts, which are free weekly concerts presented by members of the Franklin County Musicians Cooperative. The shows are held every Thursday from 6 to 9 p.m. at Energy Park in Greenfield. Each concert features three different musical acts, each performing for an hour.

The Coop Concerts is a not-for-profit collective of musicians and music lovers who share creativity through live performances, music education, peer networking and promoting Franklin County as a live music hub. Some members, including some playing at this show, have been involved in the cooperative since it was founded in 2004.

One of these is banjo player/guitarist Michael Nix who will perform at Saturday’s show.

“I was a founding member all these years ago. I came up with the coop pronunciation based on what the folks in Cambridge call the Harvard co-op, and we all immediately jumped on the chicken theme, since we are a rather rural county,” Nix said. “We all had great fun and enthusiasm for putting the Coop Concerts together.”

All types of music can be heard at the Coop Concerts, which will also be the case at All Coop’ed Up. For example, you’ll hear some indie folk rock from Austin and Elliot, some country folk from Pat & Tex LaMountain, and the blues, folk and finger-picking guitar of Jim Eagan. There’s something for everyone at All Coop’ed Up and you can expect to hear a mix of folk, rock, country and blues at this show as the acts play original tunes mixed in with some selected covers.

Rounding out the lineup will be Small Change; Cyn Fritz; Joe Graveline; Sue Franz; Sheryl Stanton; Orlen, Gabriel & Avery; Stephanie Marshall; and Katie Clarke & Larry LeBlanc.

According to Nix, who has been a Coop member since the beginning, the group is working on the schedule for the 2023 summer season. Expect it to be released later this spring with weekly concerts starting the last week of May and running until the end of August. For updates, visit coopconcerts.org or visit the Coop’s Facebook page. Suggested donation at the door is on a sliding scale from $5 to $15.

Bella’s Bartok at Hawks & Reed

Now that we are officially in spring, a number of announcements for upcoming summer concerts have been made. The folks at Wormtown Trading Co. announced that the StrangeCreek Campout will be held on the weekend of May 26 to 29 at Camp Kee-wanee in Greenfield. Tickets are $180 for a weekend pass with camping and are available at campstrangecreek.com.

Some of the scheduled performers include The Infamous Stringdusters, Max Creek, The Machine, the Ryan Montbleau Band, Pink Talking Fish, the James Montgomery Band and local band Bella’s Bartok, who will play two sets. Tickets are on sale now at strangecreekcampout.com.

The good news is that you don’t have to wait for StrangeCreek to see this popular local band (that has described its music as “foot-stomping freak folk”). Bella’s Bartok will take the stage at Hawks & Reed Performing Arts Center in Greenfield on Friday, March 24, at 8 p.m.

The band has been doing some serious touring these days with stops throughout the East Coast while also venturing down to New Orleans and playing gigs in Detroit and Little Rock, Arkansas.

Led by guitarist, vocalist and songwriter Asher Putnam of Amherst, the band has experienced various lineup changes over the years, but has always retained the frenetic energy its members bring to the stage. Their close connection with their audience is undeniable. The band took a break during COVID, spending time working on new music. They plan to release an album this spring.

Bella’s Bartok released the single “Sticks and Stones” in December. Much of the song was written during the middle of the pandemic, so the song is about dealing with COVID. According to the band’s website, the song focused on the government’s inept response in controlling the disease.

“Woah, it’s over now/The world keeps spinning/I’m still tearing up/ Yeah, only time will tell but/You’re still kicking/While I’m just stuck in hell,” sings Putnam.

Musically, the song features the klezmer punk sound that Bella’s Bartok is known for with its blaring horns, shifting tempos and Putnam’s shouting singing style. The song is available on most streaming services.

Dr. Bacon, an Appalachian funk rock band based in Asheville, North Carolina, will open the show at Hawks & Reed.

If you are looking for something a bit more on the quiet side, Tracy Grammer and Jim Henry will perform at The Perch at Hawks & Reed on the same night. Their show is at 8 p.m.

Grammer, who resides in Greenfield, got her start singing with the late Dave Carter. After his death, she pursued a solo career and her last album was “Low Tide.” Henry, who resides in Shutesbury, is an accomplished multi-instrumentalist who is also an in-demand sideman. He and Grammar have worked together for many years and their performances are marked by their strong harmonies and musicianship, memorable songs and some humorous between-song banter.

Tickets for Tracy Grammer and Jim Henry are $20 in advance and $25 day of show.

Tickets for Bella’s Bartok are $20 in advance and $25 day of show. Tickets can be purchased at the box office, at hawksandreed.com or by calling 413-774-0150.

Ticket announcements

Since we’ve been talking a lot about show announcements, remember that early bird prices for the Green River Festival end on Sunday, March 26, at midnight. They can be purchased at greenriverfestival.com.

Also it was recently announced that Travis LeDoyt will bring his “Sun and the Stars” show to Greenfield High School on Saturday, April 29, at 7 p.m. This show marks LeDoyt’s return to his alma mater and, like his past shows, it is a benefit for the Greenfield High School music program. Tickets are on sale now at LeDoyt.com.

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.

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