Beck Photo credit: Peter HapakThe Newport Folk Festival is the hottest ticket in town this weekend; it’s clearly the concert event of the year. If you don’t have tickets (the Festival sold out months ago), we’ve a got a few other musical suggestions. Read all about them in “5 Live Music Musts.”
The Milk Carton Kids host their own after-party at the Jane Pickens Theatre in Newport tonight and the Columbus Theatre in Providence gets into the act with John C. Reilly and Friends tomorrow night. At last check, tickets were still available for the Columbus show. Newport this weekend – Music all day, music all night, what more can you ask!
Tomorrow night, Beck is playing at the Providence Performing Arts Center. His latest album, Morning Phase, was released to shining reviews in February, with a 4.5 star rating from Rolling Stone magazine who called it “an instant folk-rock classic.” Tickets start at $45 and the show starts at 8PM. The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger, featuring Sean Lennon, opens.
Also on Sunday, The Met is holding a special benefit to honor the late Dennis McCarthy, who passed away unexpectedly in June. The Dennis McCarthy Soul Memorial welcomes several well-known local bands including The GrooveMasters, the Nick-a-Nees Band, The Ubiquitones, and The Last Call Band. Len Cabral, Marc Tabor and Rudy Cheeks host the event. The music starts at 4:30PM, suggested donation to benefit Jefferson McCarthy is $10.
Boston Calling Music Festival is a three-day, two-stage festival featuring some of the biggest and best acts in live music. The event will be one big party with easy access to both stages, food, services and more. All ages are welcome and children under 10 are free.
Presented by the Wormtown Trading Company, the Strange Creek Campout features live music, on-site camping, disc golf, yoga, a holistic village, and the Strangers Helping Strangers Food Drive.
For a free music festival in Central Massachusetts, check out Leominster’s Starburst, hosted by the Leominster Cultural Council. Everyone in your family will enjoy this day of music and fun, topped off with a firework show in the evening.
Now entering its seventh year, the mission of Paulie's New Orleans Jazz & Blues Festival is to provide quality New Orleans & Louisiana jazz, blues, country, funk & zydeco music & food within an urban setting.
The New Bedford Folk Festival brings together over 70 renowned and emerging folk performers and 90 juried arts and crafts vendors in New Bedford's authentic historic district during the first weekend in July.
The Green River Festival is a premier Pioneer Valley Music event that takes place every July. The event attracts national talent, the great local food and fine crafts, and even hot air balloons.
The North Atlantic Blues Festival is an annual two-day blues music festival featuring national blues performers and considered one of the most prestigious on the East Coast.
One of the largest free folk festivals in the country, the Lowell Folk Festival attracts thousands of people over three days. The event features traditional music, food, crafts and good vibes.
The Pine Leaf Boys – Cajun
Bud Hundenski & the Corsairs – Polka
James Kelly, Donna Long, & Sean Keane – Irish
Kevin Doyle – Irish Step Dance
Marquise Knox – Blues
Seichi Tanaka & the San Francisco Taiko Dojo – Taiko Dojo Drums
Nikki D & the Browns – Sacred Steel Gospel
Sonny Burgess & the Legendary Pacers – Rockabilly
Joe Mullins & the Radio Ramblers – Bluegrass
Samba Mapangala & Orchestre Virunga – East African Rumba
E.U. – Go Go
Hassan Hakmoun – Moroccan Gnawa
Seizmos Band – Greek
Thomas Maupin, Daniel Rothwell, & Overall Creek with Kory Posey – Appalchian Buck
Gathering of the Vibes is an annual music, arts and camping festival now in its 19th year. Vibes has grown into a four-day festival that has featured such world-class talent as Crosby, Stills and Nash; all original members of the Grateful Dead; the Allman Brothers Band; Jane's Addiction; James Brown; the Black Crowes; Buddy Guy; Elvis Costello; George Clinton and P-Funk; Bruce Hornsby; Les Claypool; and many, many more big names, while continuing to showcase extraordinarily talented, young, up-and-coming bands to the 20 thousand people who attend each year.
Folk music has been a presence in Newport since 1959, when the Newport Folk Festival was founded by George Wein. Backed by board members Pete Seeger, Theodore Bikel, Oscar Brand, and Albert Grossman, the Festival became renowned for introducing a number of performers who went on to become major stars, most notably Joan Baez (who appeared as an unannounced guest of Bob Gibson in 1959), and Bob Dylan, whose first Newport appearance, as a guest of Joan Baez in 1963, is generally regarded as his premiere national performance.
Established in 1954, the Newport Jazz Festival begins its 60th year this August, one week after its sister event, the Newport Folk Festival, takes place. The first event was originally billed as "First Annual American Jazz Festival" and featured many notable jazz musicians, including Billie Holiday.
Lineup Features:
Bobby McFerrin
Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis
The Peacham Acoustic Music Festival is also a blend of the old and the new - roots music from the Celtic traditions, old time fiddle tunes, and a touch of blues and bluegrass - not to mention The Dance. Smoke and alcohol free.
Entering it's 18th year, the Boogie and Blues Festival features award-winning blues artists, food vendors, craft vendors, a climbing wall, and many fun activities for children --including Saturday night fireworks.
The 17th Annual Rythym&Roots Festival features award-winning roots music artists on the Main Stage and at two big tented dance floors, plus intimate one-of-a-kind workshops and kids activities.