If you head to Greenfield’s Energy Park on Sunday afternoon you will discover a field of red-clad dancers swaying about to the song “Wuthering Heights” by the British musician Kate Bush. The reason for this collective performance is that the dancers are participating in “The Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever,” a global event held in locations around the world where participants recreate the music video for Bush’s 1978 song “Wuthering Heights.”

The day also coincides with the singer-songwriter’s birthday (she’ll be 65 this year) and the birthday of Emily Brontë, the author of the classic novel “Wuthering Heights” that served as the inspiration for the song.

Local Kate Bush fans Abby Rusk and Vanessa Brewster of The Massachusetts Kate Bush Society will present the event at Energy Park with a dance lesson at 5:30 p.m., followed by the dance itself.

“This year, we will practice from 5:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. and then just do the dance,” said Brewster. “We usually have a break in between, but we’re thinking we should just do it right away so the dance is fresh in everyone’s mind.”

Kate Bush began performing in the late 1970s and released her debut single “Wuthering Heights” in 1978 at the age of 18. The song bolted to the top of the U.K. singles charts and remained there for four weeks. Bush became the first female artist in the U.K. to achieve a number-one hit with a self-written song. She released two videos for the song, with the one referred to as the “red dress version” being the most popular one. Dressed all in red, Bush engaged in a flowing interpretive dance that is supposed to suggest her character is a ghost.

Known for her multi-octave voice and unconventional lyrics, Bush would go on to release 10 albums and became a success in her homeland. She has remained something of a cult figure here in the United States but has amassed a devoted fan base.

“The Most Wuthering Heights Day” was inspired by an event held in Brighton (U.K.) in 2013 where 300 participants paid tribute to Bush by reenacting the infamous red dress music video. This tribute was part of the Brighton Fringe Festival and was organized by the performance collective known as Shadbush. They aimed to break the world record for Kate Bush lookalikes gathered together in one spot. I don’t know if the record was set, but their attempt inspired similar reenactments around the world.

When the dance takes place at Energy Park, dancers in locales like Sydney, Paris, Dublin and New York will also be channeling their inner Kate Bush.

The first “Most Wuthering Heights Day” held in Greenfield was in 2019. Like this year’s event, The Massachusetts Kate Bush Society presented it with Brewster and Rusk organizing the dance. The two are longtime Kate Bush fans, and when they first heard about these dances happening around the world, they knew they had to host one here in Greenfield. The first event was a success, and last year’s event drew an even larger crowd (there was no dance in 2020 or 2021 due to COVID). Brewster attributes the growth in the event due to more people knowing about it, but 2022 was also a big year for Kate Bush.

The Duffer Brothers chose her song “Running Up That Hill” as a significant plot device for one of the main characters in the popular Netflix series “Stranger Things.” As a result of its inclusion in the show, the song made its way onto Billboard’s Hot 100, where it landed in the top 5, and the top of the Billboard Global 200 for multiple weeks. Suddenly, Kate Bush was enjoying a new level of popularity in the U.S. and this year promises to be another big year for her as she will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, something her fans have been lobbying for for many years.

“This year, we almost didn’t do this,” said Brewster. “Abby has a new baby, and I’m busy with the ‘Looky Here’ magazine,” said Brewster. “But we decided to do it anyway. It’s a fun way to get people out and hopefully we will have good weather!”

Everyone is welcome! Dance experience is not required and instructors will be on hand to teach participants the dance moves (there are also instructional videos available on YouTube). Most importantly, this is about having fun and celebrating the music of Kate Bush and the only thing that the organizers ask is that you wear red!

An after-party at Four Phantoms Brewing Co. on Wells St. will take place from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. The brewery will be offering a signature hard seltzer in honor of Kate Bush and will have a wide-open dance floor.

There is a $5 suggested donation to cover park rental fees.

Marimbist Steph Davis at Antenna Cloud Farm in Gill

Steph Davis is a virtuoso marimbist, arranger, composer, educator, cultural activist and researcher and will perform two shows on Saturday, July 29, at the intimate indoor stage at the Antenna Cloud Farm at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. An artist talk and special reception will follow the performance.

The Washington Post named Davis one of the top 23 composers and performers to watch in 2023 and has called Davis “a captivating performer who brings bright humanity and expressive depth” to contemporary music. Their music has also been described as “hauntingly beautiful” and “spine-chilling.” Davis’s repertoire spans a wide variety of musical styles, including African American folk, Western classical, post-modern, and contemporary music, with a focus on composers of African descent.

Antenna Cloud Farm is located on a beautiful hilltop farm in Gill. For directions, visit Antennacloudfarm.com

Doors are at 2:15 p.m. and 6:15 p.m., respectively. Tickets are between $10 and $25 and can be purchased on the website.

Jeffrey Foucault and Kris Delmhorst at Black Birch Vineyard

Singer-songwriters Jeffrey Foucault and Kris Delmhorst were supposed to launch the summer music series at Black Birch Vineyards in Hatfield a few weeks ago. Mother Nature, however, did not cooperate and that show was postponed due to rain. It will now take place tomorrow, July 28 at 7 p.m. The married couple, who reside in Shelburne Falls, don’t often perform together, so take advantage of this chance to see them in this beautiful setting. Expect to hear songs from both of their catalogs with the possibility of a couple new songs from each of them.

As we mentioned last week, the Rani Arbo & daisy mayhem show at Black Birch Vineyards with opener Louis Phipps was rescheduled to Wednesday, Aug. 16 at 7 p.m. All previously purchased tickets for these rescheduled shows will be honored.

Also, this weekend at Black Birch, the great Chris Smither will appear on Sunday, July 30, at 6:30 p.m. Zak Trojano will open.

Tickets for these shows are available at signaturesoundspresents.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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