Wyman's Pond Music Fest 4

The 4th Annual Wyman's Pond Music Fest is scheduled for Saturday July 27th, and the line up is set! Years 1 & 2 featured sunny dry weather. Last year, the final two acts got rained out. This year our fingers are crossed!

3 pm: Almanac Mountain

4 pm: Flair

5 pm: Elizabeth Lorrey

6 pm: The Rafters

8 pm: "Nights @ Niemi Cove"

Rainy Thursday Cures

Ladies and gentlemen, set your DVRs and get out of the house this fine rainy September evening!

Several amazing local musicians have shows tonight all over Massachusetts:

• 7 pm in Groton (free) - The Rafters will be playing at the Main Street Cafe. Head on over for the sounds of Dave & Miki's original songs & covers while you settle down to the cafe's homemade soups & stews, fresh sandwiches and desserts. And feel free to BYOB.
• 8 pm in Norwood (free) - Kristin Cifelli is performing at Perks Coffeehouse. She will be playing songs form all across her catalog, including many from her new album, "Middle of Nowhere". So come for the coffee and stay for the music. And if you can't make it tonight, catch her at Berklee's Cafe 939 on October 4th (next week)! For a preview of her sound head over to Kristin's Bandcamp page to hear the fantastic songs "Not Supposed To" and "Better".
• 9 pm in Jamaica Plain ($7) - Abbie Barrett and her band, The Last Date, will be part of a triple bill at the Milky Way Lounge. You'll get to enjoy their unique sound, as well as the added bonuses of the quirky & frenetic Lauren DeRose, and the original songs and covers of Vanessa Wheeler.
  

So if you're feeling restless this evening and want to be entertained by high-quality music from some of your talented neighbors, pick one of these places (or another) and support local music. It's always a good thing!

Sunny Seventeenth

If you are looking for a reason to get into the car and go for a sunny drive this Saturday (it's supposed to be a beautiful autumn day), may I suggest two musical options:

1. The Rafters will be performing their particular blend of poppy folk at the Pepperell Farmers Market starting at 10 am. Enjoy fresh New England produce and even fresher music with your coffee. And if you can't make it to their show today, you can catch them at the Main Street Cafe in Groton on the 29th...
2. Christopher Anthony Cote (of Almanac Mountain fame) will be utilizing his decades of guitar skill to bring down the house at Master McGrath's in Seabrook. They will be hosting their annual "Half Way to St. Paddy's Day Celebration", and Christopher will be supplying the traditional Irish music beginning at 7 pm. Why not spend the afternoon at Hampton or Salisbury Beach, and then have an old fashioned Irish evening afterward?
   

And if for some reason you do not have music on the brain 24/7 (as some of us do), then at least go out and visit your local apple orchard, winery or brewpub. Spend local, and take home a bag of apples, a bottle or two of wine, or a growler of ale. Or go to a state park and hike with friends or family. These sunny, dry and cool days won't be around long, and you'll thank yourself for the memories later!

2nd Annual Wyman's Pond Music Fest

What a day! The sun was out, and it was sunny and pretty dry, with temperatures in the 80's. This year we had about 20 more people than last year's 70, but instead of staying all day, there were early departures and late arrivals, which gave the day a busier feel.

Two big changes from last year were: a) power for microphones (and other things, as you will soon discover), and b) I let the musicians announce themselves. Also, since there were so many more in attendance than last year, the children spent more time in the water and playing games in the upper field, and less time glued to the front of the stage area.

• Elizabeth Lorrey began the day, and surprise #1 old high school chum (and local musical wunderkind) Kris Lucander plugged in his bass and accompanied her for her entire set. She ran through songs both old and new, plus a cover or two, and Kris sang Joe Jackson's "Is She Really Going Out With Him?". Also, Pete Rathier (another old friend from high school) sat in on djembe for a few songs.
• Next up, married duo The Rafters cruised through an energetic set of their original material and a few covers (U2 and others). And in addition to their organist Glenn Compagnone, they had Elizabeth, Kris and Pete all come up at various times to fill out their crowd-pleasing sound.
• In between sets by the pros there was a short "Amateur Hour" wherein several of the girls in attendance (and a couple of the youngest boys) took turns singing at the mic for the crowd. One girl covered Taylor Swift's "Love Story", and later she accompanied one of the twins on an original song. In between, the other twin followed with an original of her own, and the crowd cheered all three of them for their efforts.
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Local Music Saturdays

Spring has sprung, and it's time for great local musicians to come out of hibernation (or in some cases continue the year-round touring). If you are itching to be out and about on Saturday evening, why not take a drive and listen to some of our favorite artists, most of whom will be performing at this year's Wyman's Pond Music Fest!

• Shirley, MA - 7 pm: Elizabeth Lorrey and The Rafters will be sharing the bill at Shirley Town Hall (on Seth Chandler Road), also featuring Rhode Island's own Becky Chace. With three bands for ten bucks, and a double dose of music from two of this year's WPMF line-up, attending this show is a no-brainer.
• Portsmouth, NH - 8 pm: Almanac Mountain takes the stage at The Blue Mermaid. Hear cuts from his full-length album "So Many Seas", as well as old favorites and new songs. On an additional note, you can also catch Christopher performing traditional Irish music in two places in Seacoast New Hampshire on St. Patrick's Day (Thursday the 17th): mid-day at The Coat of Arms in Portsmouth, and in the evening at Master McGrath's in Seabrook (call ahead for times).

So do yourself a favor and get out and hear some great musical performances, as you enjoy your springtime Saturday night, supporting fantastic local artists, and making some good memories. And as always, please stop back here and tell us how you felt about the event, and to find future dates from the best & brightest of New England's various local music scenes.