$8 presale, $10 at the door
General Admission (mixed seating / standing) - Doors open at 7PM
The Amherst Block Party is BACK for 2023 with festivities, vendors, performers, live music + more on our block of N. Pleasant St. The Drake is adding to the fun with a slate of established valley veteran rock acts, 8-11PM!
Winterpills
Formed in the alchemy of the timeline around the fall of the Twin Towers, the death of Elliott Smith, the peak influence of Pitchfork and the dawn of the iPod, Winterpills met and began making music in the old-fashioned death-grip winter of 2004 in the heady Northampton, MA music scene.
At first 4 friends – later 5 – who all knew each other’s songs and talents and had all recently suffered a common adult loss of some kind or another, gleefully stumbled upon their sound: Flora Reed and Philip Price’s harmonies and “heartrending “ (No Depression) songwriting, Dennis Crommet’s tender shoe-gaze guitar, Dave Hower’s unique drumming. "Winterpills gradually builds elegant arrangements... While the gathered instruments offer some solace, the songs stay haunted,“ wrote Jon Pareles in the New York Times.
The cinematically-weird pop songs came effortlessly and partly channelled the freshly mourned Smith but also caught a bit of the stardust of Big Star, Low, Joni Mitchell, a little Radiohead – but something else all their own. “I don’t know why Winterpills aren’t one of the most cherished pop bands in the world,” wrote Jonathan Lethem in Rolling Stone: “Their songs are mournful, slow-exploding and lyrically dazzling, and their albums have a coherence that’s rare.”
Over the past 19 years, the band has released 7 albums and numerous singles and EPs, has spent weeks both on the road and in the woodshed, and seems unable to relent. Emerging from the dull achy hiatus of the pandemic has given them a new perspective on their art. Price released 3 solo albums during the unhappy break but is back with a trove of new music for Winterpills to begin again.
Original Cowards
Original Cowards are a three piece band from Western Massachusetts comprised of Leo Hwang on bass, Riley Godleski on Drums, harmony vocals, and keys, and John Crand on guitar and vocals. Their upcoming album, Country Club Creeps, features guest spots from area heavy hitters Phillip Price (The Winterpills and Look Park), Andy Goulet (Lucky Shots, Animal Piss, Opal Canyon, Salvation Alley String Band, etc.), Adam Bosse (Fred Cracklin and 23 Ensemble), and Patrick Garland (BenBen Trio, Oakland Stroke). The album draws on influences such as Neil Young, Dinosaur Jr., Guided By Voices, Mick Ronson, The Beatles, Stones, Wilco,and many more. Dig in.
The album was engineered and recorded by Justin Pizzoferrato (Dinosaur Jr., Kim Gordon, Thurston Moore, Parquet Courts, MV & EE, Speedy Ortiz, etc.), and mastered by Carl Saff (Grails, Thee Oh Sees, etc.).
Album to be released in early fall '23.
Fancy Trash
Fancy Trash has been at the forefront of the thriving music scene in Northampton, MA for over two decades with a unique and powerful indie folk sound.
The band is driven by singer and songwriter Dave Houghton’s dynamic blend of folk and indie rock influences, characterized by his soulful vocals and expressive guitar work, which have earned them critical acclaim and a devoted following. Since their formation in 2002, Fancy Trash has toured extensively and shared the stage with notable acts such as The Jayhawks, Deer Tick, DeVotchKa, Langhorne Slim, and Jesse Malin. However, together with bassist Joshua Thayer and drummer Jason Smith, it’s the band’s electrifying live shows and raw, emotional songwriting that make them stand out in a crowded indie scene. With a dedicated fanbase and a reputation for delivering unforgettable live shows, Fancy Trash continues to push the boundaries of what folk music can be with their unique sound and dynamic performances.
