First Night Northampton Performers
AEIOUkes
AEIOUkes is a group of amateur ukulele players who sing and strum popular American tunes.
All Feels
Scrambling around somewhere between lo-fi pop, indie rock and dreamy basement jams you'll find All Feels. Fueled by introspection, longing and somewhat sarcastic assessments on modern life, the band can be found most often at DIY shows across their western Massachusetts home. Led by longtime western Massachusetts DIY obsessive, Candace Clement (Footings, Bunny's A Swine) and joined by bassist Will Meyer (Stoner Will & the Narks, Bucket), guitarist Noah Dowd (True Jackie), guitarist and vocalist Kate Dowd (True Jackie, Ex-Temper) and drummer Jon Shina (Jon Shina, ICICL), All Feels casts a wide sonic net, playing with the genres and influences that capture their attention. Ignoring conventional musical pairings in favor of indulging personal obsessions All Feels creates a melange of dazzling, surprising stunner vocals and dreamy rock adjacent, delightfully nostalgic melodies.
Ardaigh
Traditional Irish reels, jigs, slides, polkas, waltzes, airs and songs, featuring Tim Donoghue (concertina), Kira Jewett (fiddle), T.J. Ezold (accordion, flute), Adam Braunschweig (banjo, mandolin) and Dave Meuser (guitar).
Reynaldo Baez
Once lost to the streets and the grip of heroin, Reynaldo found salvation in words. Homeless and hollowed by addiction, he scribbled poems on scraps of cardboard and napkins, each line a lifeline. Through rehab and relentless self-reflection, he rewrote his story, one day at a time. Today, he's in the process of publishing two books. His journey proves that healing is possible, and that even the most broken voices can sing with power and grace. Once roamed the street of Northampton and now house in Holyoke.
Peter Blanchette: Archguitar & Friends
This year I propose to extend the time my Irish colleague Éilís Kennedy will be here on tour with me, to join me in a concert of traditional Irish language song accompaniments I've composed, along with excerpts from our ongoing project of Emily Dickinson poems, set to music. Additionally, music by Bach and Renaissance masters.
Russell Brooks (fka Lord Russ) as Elvis
Russell puts on a full 1970s style Elvis Presley show, complete with bejeweled jumpsuit and cape...and Russell's famous sense of humor...and audience participation!
BUNNIES
With Horror Spectrum, BUNNIES 4th LP in 20 years, these Northeast weirdo lifelongers plunge headfirst into the shadowy abyss of their art-rock multiverse, unearthing sounds that slither, shimmer, and scream.
Equal parts psychedelic hallucination, krautrock ritual, and noise rock exorcism, this record feels like the sonic aftermath of mad scientists summoning ghosts through an analog synthesizer they excavated from a cursed tomb. It's less an album and more an experiment gone deliciously wrong—a séance that channels the chaotic energies of dimensions better left untouched.
Couchboy
Indie rock band formed by singer-songwriter David Macdonald from Amherst. the music is a blend of 90's college rock, 60's pop, and alternative--song driven melodic alternative pop. The band performs in the Western MA area and releases music on the SUBJANGLE label, with 2 records out and a 3rd in the making. The music is song oriented and we can play acoustic sets of the same songs we play electric--comparisons to The Lemonheads, Buffalo Tom, Wilco, The Replacements...
Diana Daniels
Dave Dersham
The music of Massachusetts-based Dave Dersham ranges from the fanciful to the melancholy. With the soulful intricacy of Van Morrison and Paul Simon, he showcases original songs accompanied by acoustic guitar and harmonica.
On his upcoming CD *Farce*, Dersham critiques the imposition of hierarchy, re-invigorating folk music's historical alliance with social justice. “Abuse of power insinuates in multitudes, often justified as 'natural,' 'morally pure,' or 'inevitable,' when the exact opposite is often the case.”
On his records and onstage, Dersham’s thought-provoking, innovative, and quirky angle on Americana compels his audience to imagine beyond the apathetic, whether reverberating from a listening room, through a home stereo, or during a meandering drive.
*Farce* will be released and streamed everywhere in 2026.
Lucia Dostal
An energetic set of original music and popular covers that excels in all areas of production. The Lucia Dostal Band is comprised of drums, bass, guitar, keys with layered harmonies, color coordination and flashy outfits. We encourage everyone to come with their best “groove pants”(released dec 16th) for a visual and audibly aesthetic experience. We are a great group of friends who love what they do, and our ultimate goal is to create an atmosphere where everyone attending feels our love of the music we create and perform.
Echo Royale
We are a electro-pop band with a dance-friendly sound. We just released our first album - Thanks, Man - it's streaming everywhere. Our music has been played on The River and reviewed in multiple places:
https://buttondown.com/freakscene/archive/freak-scene-78-echo-royale-thanks-man/
Live, we are high energy and fun!
Eleanor Levine Trio
Levine has been writing music for almost two decades, performing on MA stages including MASS MoCA, The Drake, Hawks and Reed Performing Arts Center as well as New York City venues, The Bowery Electric and Arlene’s Grocery. Her original music centers around alternative tunings, rhythmic plucking patterns, coded lyrics, and bright vocal melodies. She mostly takes inspiration from ‘60s and ‘70s songwriters like Paul Simon, Nick Drake, Laura Nyro, John Sebastian, and Joni Mitchell, as well as Elliott Smith, Belle & Sebastian, The Shins, and R.E.M. She recently released a full-band EP of original songs to all music streaming platforms, THE LONG NIGHT.
Eyrie House Ruins
Eyrie House Ruins is a Gothic Folk band. What is Gothic Folk? We are not sure either, but it’s the only way to describe the band. It consists of tenor guitar, banjo, violin, bass and drums. A mix of rock, country, gospel and folk.
The Fawns
Sunny and sweet and simple, dark and heavy and psychedelic, sometimes somber, sometimes powerful, the melodies and stories of singer/songwriter Lesa Bezo both touch your heart and brighten your day. The Fawns is a dream-rock-indie band. They skip through styles and moods. From atmospheric pieces in the vein of Kurt Vile or the Cocteau Twins, to straight up pop of Courtney Barnett, The Cars, The Beths, and Fountains of Wayne, to country twangle in the vein of Kasey Chambers or Neko Case, to jagged rockers a la the Throwing Muses or Illuminati Hotties. The Fawns and the delicate yet powerful voice of Lesa Bezo have an honest pure sound of their own that is filled with hooks and grooves and nooks and crannies.
Katherine First & Kitchen Party
Katherine First & Kitchen Party create a Cape Breton, festive atmosphere just like the good old times up north in your favorite family kitchen. The instrumentation is fiddle, banjo, guitar and percussion. All band members sing and audience participation is encouraged. In fact, Katherine frequently brings a young fiddler or two on stage to join in the musical festivities. This band brings to you a blending of traditional music from Ireland, Scotland, Nova Scotia, Brittany France and beyond. They also play old timey, bluegrass, Americana and band originals. Special musical guests are often seen on stage to offer musical surprises. Come Celebrate First Night with Katherine First & Kitchen Party!
It's a 4Gong Confusius
Improvisation based on Indian Ragas, Jazz, and other influences. Instruments played are sitar, guitar, bass, oboe, saxophone, harmonica, bottles, and drums.
Free Range Cats
Free Range Cats is not an easy nor breezy band to describe. This (mostly) instrumental band moves in many disciplined yet wayward, free-flowing yet well-anchored directions; usually funky and always seething with gorgeous and cacophonic saxophone. The band (10 years in) has cultivated an ever-evolving garden/schoolyard of playful sonic mayhem all their own. New Orleans, progressive rock, bass and drums groove and post-bop horn are just a small sample of the encyclopedic innovative incentives embedded in their arse-kicking arsenal. oh and a few quiet ballads mixed in.
The Frost Heaves & Hales
The Frost Heaves & Hales have been dispensing adventurous, inventive rock’n’roll up and down the Pioneer Valley since 2005. Their sound is an eclectic mix of energetic indie, dreamy psychedelia, and fuzzed-out Americana. Their lyrics are often singled out for praise: “Lines pop out as though in 3-D,” writes Ken Maiuri in the Daily Hampshire Gazette. They’ve released four full-length albums and several EPs, with much more on the way.
Funktionlust-NHS's Improv Troupe
Funktionlust, Northampton High School's improv troupe going into its 20th year has been entertaining audiences with their spontaneity, humor and comedic skills. The troupe uses ideas from their audience to create skits and scenes that bring great laughter.
Chris Goudreau
Chris Goudreau (The Leafies You Gave Me) is known for his distinct powerhouse vocals paired with a 12-string guitar. He'll be performing a collection of new grunge folk songs for draws on influences such as 80s and 90s alt rock icons such as Elliott Smith, Nirvana, R.E.M. and The Replacements. The songs exist between memories and dreams with confessional lyrics paired with surrealist imagery.
Tracy Grammer & Jim Henry
Multi-instrumental contemporary folk/Americana/acoustic duo playing a variety of originals, covers, and instrumentals.
The Greys
The Greys are a 4-piece indie soul art rock band from Western Massachusetts.
The band’s debut album SIXTEEN EYES was released in December 2024. SIXTEEN EYES weaves together unexpected influences and sounds—psychedelic textures, sophisticated grooves, and haunting, emotive melodies. Lyrically, the album explores the paradox of being seen, the tension between how we perceive reality and how we see ourselves, and the catharsis that comes with being vulnerable. Throughout, the band delves into themes of loneliness, loss, aging, and the radical joy of letting oneself be known.
The Greys have performed at festivals such as Green River Festival, Wormtown Music Festival, Strangecreek Music Festival, Rubblebucket’s Dream Picnic, and numerous venues across New England.
Caity Simpson (Vocals)
Chris Merritt (Bass)
Kevin Mason (Drums)
Tim Zuccco (Guitar)
Green Street Brew
The Green Street Brew has been part of the Pioneer Valley’s vibrant a cappella scene for almost thirty years! Its members comprise a wide array of vocal and instrumental backgrounds which lends vibrancy and versatility to the ensemble’s sound. Under the leadership of Todd Fruth, the Brew’s repertoire encompasses a contemporary mix of jazz, swing, pop, folk and blues. GSB has performed at a wide variety of venues including First Night Northampton, weddings, fundraisers, retirement communities and social events, and the Brew created and host the popular, annual Local Vocal Chord Bowl.
Singing together is their bliss!
The Grumpytime Club Band
The Grumpytime Club Band is a red and gold family music party band including teen musicians and costumed dancers. Playing original music from Carrie Ferguson’s award-winning album, “The Grumpytime Club” plus a handful of surprising covers, they regularly rock fairs, festivals, schools, and libraries with their high-energy funky folk-pop. Featuring a shifting pallet of horns, violin, guitar, ukulele, keys, bass and drums, their music is highly danceable and truly fun for all ages, highlighting themes of inclusivity, social justice, Earth stewardship and JOY!
The Happier Family Comedy Show
The Happier Family Comedy Show is a high energy, interactive, big and silly comedy show for all ages! Experienced improvisers from Happier Valley Comedy make up stories, scenes, and games on the spot using your suggestions and participation. Let's make your Happy Family HAPPIER!
Happy Valley Guitar Orchestra
The Happy Valley Guitar Orchestra is an avant-garde community music ensemble led by guitarist and Artistic Director Joseph Ricker. Comprised of some 22 electric, acoustic, classical and bass guitarists from a variety of musical backgrounds performs an eclectic repertoire including arrangements of classical compositions, rock and pop songs, video game music and more all selected and arranged by Ricker. Guided by an experimental spirit and the joy of exploration, the HVGO has been delighting and surprising audiences in the Pioneer Valley since 2009.
Dave Houghton
Henry The Juggler
Henry the Juggler (AKA Henry Lappen) is wanted! He is wanted by audiences everywhere for his zany attempts to defy the laws of gravity. He juggles any number of balls, clubs, rings, members of the audience . . . He balances strange items on the tip of his nose. Everything is accomplished wordlessly as Henry uses body language (and road signs!) to express himself. Caution: Henry is known to use innocent bystanders in his act.
Henry the Juggler is a professional. He has been seen by tens of thousands up and down the East Coast - at theaters, schools, libraries and festivals. He has been performing for over 40 years. He studied physical comedy at California's Dell'Arte School and continues his development with classes in tango and yoga. His website is www.HenryLappen.com.
Heron's Bridge / Valley Women's Martial Arts
PEACE BEGINS IN THE GROUND: Instructors, students, and guest artists of Heron's Bridge/ Valley Women's Martial Arts, a non-profit community school since 1977, will share martial arts dance and poetry in this performance that promotes peace through arts activism. Janet Aalfs, former poet laureate of Northampton (2003-2005), Lotus Peace Arts founder and director, and co-director of HB/VWMA since 1982, will host the event as well as perform original weavings of spoken word and interpretive movement that she calls Poemotion.
High Definition
High Definition is a hardy and welcoming 16 voice women’s choir who perform a cappella music and have been in existence for over 20 years. We work to create a rich community through song, using our talents and love of choral singing. We are affiliated with the Northampton Community Music Center and our members are from the greater Northampton and Springfield area. We sing a variety of classical, contemporary, jazz and holiday songs. We have appeared at First Night Northampton, area concert venues, retirement communities and collaborative performances with local choirs including Novi Cantori, Hampshire Young People’s Chorus, Green Street Brew and Pride Chorus.
The Hendersons Blues Band
Together over 40 years, Bo and Janny Henderson pour their hearts into old blues. Harmonica firebrand Nighttime Will blows like a hurricane. Joey beats the 100-year-old drum kit.
Colin Jalbert
Colin Jalbert is a drummer and electronic musician from Western Massachusetts who crafts immersive audio-visual experiences through his innovative solo performances. Blending live drumming with meticulously sampled and reworked found footage, Jalbert creates cinematic collages that weave together jazz, trip hop, breakbeat, and dub into something entirely his own.
McCoy Jamison - Latin Dance Made Easy
Internationally trained teacher, dancer and choreographer McCoy Jamison is the passionate founder of Latin Dance Made Easy. After discovering dance in Rio de Janeiro Brazil, where he trained intensively at the prestigious Jaime Aroxa Academy, he continued his studies in the U.S. and Cuba, covering numerous styles of Latin and African social dance. In addition to creating online dance lessons, McCoy runs weekly Latin dance events featuring salsa, bachata, merengue, and kizomba. He also offers DJ services and dance lessons for parties, weddings, festivals and community events.
Myles Jéh
Myles Jeh is a dynamic New England-based music act that combines heartfelt lyrics, captivating vocals, and authentic stage presence to create powerful performances that resonate with diverse audiences. Originating from Springfield, Massachusetts, Myles began his journey writing songs and recording in a closet, eventually evolving into a standout performer in the regional music scene.
From starting in open mics and local venues, he's since taken the stage at high-profile events like The Big E, Six Flags New England PrideFest, and the I Am Awards in Washington, D.C., hosted by Vivica A. Fox. He's also opened for celebrated artists such as Kirstin Maldonado of Pentatonix and Avery Wilson.
Known for his consistency, relatability, and ability to connect with listeners, Myles continues to inspire and pave the way for emerging talent. His music is a true reflection of personal growth, community pride, and the transformative power of self-expression.
The Juice and Jelly Funtime Band
We are the Juice and Jelly Funtime Band, a three-piece band (guitar, upright bass, and drums) that plays original music written for kids and their families. Our music is a bit folky, a little rock’n’roll, and even sorta educational! We bring joy and silliness to our performances and love to have kids and families dancing, swaying, and laughing to our songs and skits.
Klezamir
Klezamir, New England's dynamic roots rockin' klezmer band extraordinaire, serves up Jewish barnburners as well as soulful originals. Come dance your socks off!
Tom Knight - Musical Puppet Show
Tom Knight is a musician, puppeteer, and multimedia artist from Western Massachusetts who has been entertaining children and families since 1988. His interactive musical puppet shows blend catchy songs, colorful handmade puppets, and timeless stories. Tom has performed thousands of joyful, high-energy shows at elementary schools, libraries, preschools, and community festivals across the country.
His performances feature crowd favorites like “The Library Boogie,” “Alligator Jump / ¡Salta Caimán!” and “The Garbage Monster,” mixing music, movement, and laughter into every show.
Tom has released seven albums of original music for children and families, available on Spotify, iTunes, and Amazon Music. His “Elephant’s Lullaby” video has been viewed over 2.7 million times on YouTube. With a style that channels the warmth of Mister Rogers and the creativity of Jim Henson, Tom brings kids (and their grown-ups) stories that entertain, inspire, and get everyone moving.
The Leafies You Gave Me
For well over a decade The Leafies You Gave Me 9-piece have established themselves firmly as the local eccentric "theatrical band" of western MA. Leafies play a disparate and rapidly shifting deluge of genres, from pop, to free jazz, to hardcore- all while telling obtuse stories through abstract theatrics, pantomime, and singing, with little to no dialogue or breaks. A blend of chaos and order, composition and improvisation, sorrow and joy, Leafies continue to leave audiences delightfully dumbfounded.
Zoe Lemos
I'm a indie pop folk rock NYC/Pioneer Valley based singer songwriter. Zoe Lemos is a-singer-songwriter-guitarist who has played in bands since she was ten years old is now branching out as a solo artist. Her music is an original blend of Americana and indie pop. Her lyrics tell stories of political oppression and hope, the love and struggles through the eyes of a young queer Tibetan Greek.
Rona Leventhal Storyteller
Theatre of the Imagination: Stories For a Cold Winter Day!
Join Storyteller Rona Leventhal for a journey around the world and back with her back pocketful of multi-cultural stories! Through her, you will meet a cornucopia of characters and conflicts that will put laughter in your belly and smiles in your heart. Rona is known for her engaging and dynamic style that often makes YOU part of the storytelling experience! She has enthralled audiences from the National Storytelling Network to Morocco and Australia, to libraries and schools…..and Northampton’s First Night. So get sit back and have a listen!
Lonesome Brothers
Forty years of original roots rock with an upward slide on the songwriting scale!
Love Crumbs
Love Crumbs is a folk-rock and indie group revered for their poignant lyrics and smashing female vocals. Having already garnered critical acclaim from the likes of American Songwriter, Glide Magazine and Spotify Editorial, the group continues to make waves and they’re only just getting started.
Mad Science of Western New England
For over 15 years, Mad Science has been bringing its unique brand of “edu-tainment” to children of Western New England through spectacular stage shows, after-school programs, in-school workshops, parties, activity booths and summer programs. Now you can ring in the New Year with some new, some perennial favorites of Mad Science "Holidaze." Come see a one-of-a-kind exploration of the science of the season and more, featuring dazzling demonstrations and interactive fun. Kids of all ages will be entertained by amazing scientific antics...but watch out - if they are not VERY CAREFUL - they just might learn something!
Eva Markham
From Plainfield Massachusetts, Eva Markham is a relentlessly clever poet, a masterful vocalist, and a spell-caster. Sowing unassuming guitar parts beneath her soaring and soulful vocals, Eva weaves the metaphysical into what is seemingly mundane–coffee grounds and ants and trains and rivers, and rivers, and rivers, always rivers.
“I was in a trance, [Eva] could have played for five hours, [she] could have played for years and I would have withered away without noticing.”
Pamela Means
Pamela Means is an Easthampton MA-based, multiple award-winning, singer-songwriter and jazz musician. Protest anthem writing, Biracial, Queer, Artist-Activist and, “one of the fiercest guitar players and politically-rooted musicians in the industry today," (Curve Magazine) - who's worn a hole in two of her guitars - with her "insanely brilliant" (Press Herald, Portland ME) and “stark, defiant songs.” (New York Times)
Laura Mustard
Laura Mustard channels her love of nature and her fierce belief in body positivity and self acceptance into music that will help you make friends with yourself. She uses storytelling learned as a helpful distraction from a childhood of medical adventures blended with influences from Motown to bluegrass to weave together a fresh sound in her acoustic act with just a keyboard and her voice that uplifts and gets you moving!
Mountain River Taiko
Mountain River Taiko is a community Japanese drumming group that has brought taiko to
western MA for over 10 years. Taiko is a full-body performance art that blends physicality and musicality, movement and rhythm. Originating in Japan but molded by a globalized world, taiko performances pay homage to ancient rhythms as well as innovate contemporary beats. Mountain River Taiko performers are from all walks of life, and the engagement of the body and thunderous sounds are empowering and inspiring to both performers and spectators.
Victoria Narvaez
Victoria will perform 3 vocal acts. Each song will be about 4 and a half minutes long. She plans on singing “Rise Up”, “If I ain’t got you baby” and her own song called “I’m a Star”.
New Leaf Irish Band
New Leaf Irish Band plays toe-tapping, joyful traditional Irish music! We are Kira Jewett on fiddle and Jim Bunting on guitar, vocals and bouzouki, often with a third melody player steeped in the Irish tradition. Together we play traditional tunes with tight, driving rhythm, interspersed with Jim's unique take on Ireland's song repertoire.
Norma Dream
Mark Nomad
Acoustic solo: guitar, vocal and harmonica. Performing a mix of Delta blues and originals.
Northampton Woodwind Quintet
The Northampton Woodwind Quintet is an ensemble dedicated to the literature, voice, and multiple personalities of the woodwind quintet. We play works composed for the quintet and transcriptions of works composed for other ensembles. Two pieces have been written for us and we have made our own arrangements of works by composers from J.S. Bach to Elvis Costello.
The Northamptones
Northampton High School’s A Cappella group, The Northamptones, have a rich history and connection to the Pioneer Valley community that reaches back over two decades. Each year this group of dedicated students comes together to sing a variety of pop, rock, and jazz repertoire. And while the group members change from year to year, the music-making stays at the center of the group’s passion. Keep an eye out for them across the Valley and thank you for supporting music in our schools! Check out our instagram (@thenorthamptones) for upcoming performances!
Northampton Karate
Northampton Karate, which has been sharing traditional Okinawan Shorin-ryu karate with the community since 1988, comes to First Night with a high-energy introduction to our martial art that also gives the audience a chance to try for themselves.
Offbeat Womyn Drummers with Aimee Gelinas
Offbeat Womyn’s Drumming Ensemble have been performing together on hand and stick drums for more than a decade. Our sound is influenced by a variety of drumming traditions, but predominantly African.We honor the origin stories and cultural roots of the rhythms we play, and receive them indirectly from African drum masters who support our sharing of them. We love bringing vibrant, high energy performances to community events and non-profit fundraisers. We will be joined in this performance by guest leader Aimee Gelinas of Gaia Roots.
Henning Ohlenbusch
If instead of Garfunkel it was Robyn Hitchcock. So, Simon and Hitchcock, but one guy. Henning is a singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and performer. He has been a part of the Northampton music scene for years with his bands, Gentle Hen, The Fawns, School for the Dead, The Aloha Steamtrain, and Humbert (to name a few). Here's how Ray Mason sums him up: "Henning has his own unique way of looking at and commenting on the human condition. And in doing so he makes us think."
Solo performer with a voice, an acoustic guitar, and a long catalog of thoughtful and memorable songs.
Opal Canyon
https://www.opalcanyon.net
Orange & Amber
Orange & Amber is an alt-rock/indie rock project blending narrative lyrics with rocking jams. O&A explores protest music along with reflective art of the world. With some love songs thrown in for good measure.
The Pangeans
World Music Dance Party with The Pangeans! 7-piece band (with horn section) performs Latin Jazz, Samba, Calypso, Afrobeat, Funk, Reggae, and other forms of upbeat dance music.
Peace & Rhythm DJs Dance Party
Peace & Rhythm, founded in the Valley in 2014, is both a record label and a DJ collective. The label concentrates on releasing contemporary indie global grooves on limited edition vinyl with quality packaging in partnership with musical artists who are also friends. The DJ team plays an eclectic mix of music in both digital and vinyl formats. For First Night, the Peace & Rhythm DJ team consists of Bongohead and Studebaker Hawk.
Peacock's Nest
Glitter tattoos! Waterproof, dry and touchable immediately, quick to apply in your choice of colors, and can last 7-10 days, or you can scrub them off whenever.
We can make First Night themed designs, plus general interest, like flowers, lizards, hearts, etc.
Joey Pesce
Alt rock singer songs fashioned with care in the vibe of greats like Bowie Radiohead and Nick Drake played by a drum bass guitar trio for heightened deliciousness.
Pioneer Valley Food Writers
Four local food writers share a 45 minute block to read their work.
Playful Engineers Traveling Maker Space
A hands-on, play-based workshop! Participants of all ages design and build sections of a giant chain reaction machine. We provide blocks, balls, ramps, dominoes, and other everyday objects, so that each visitor can help each piece connect to the next. Creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving as builders test, adjust, and cheer on each successful link. The room is alive with energy, laughter, and the excitement of seeing imagination set in motion, through our successes, AND our failures!
Playful Engineers is a small arts-in-ed company led by teaching artist Jay Mankita. We bring creative, hands-on STEAM learning to schools, libraries, festivals, and community events like this one, helping kids and families explore problem-solving, teamwork, and design, through collaborative play.
At First Night Northampton, our workshop invites the community to create, connect, and celebrate—one playful invention at a time—as we turn curiosity and collaboration into joyful learning and fun.
John Porcino Storyteller/Musician
A Heck of a Way to Stay Warm
Stories and Songs that Celebrate Winter’s Hidden Light
Come in from the cold and join storyteller and musician John Porcino for an evening of warmth, laughter, and storytelling—a hearty wintertime stew for those from 2 to 102 (and beyond!).
Step into a world where woolen mittens burst into laughter, snowbanks melt to reveal blooming hearts: joyful stories and songs inviting you to warm up right down to your toes.
For over 40 years, John has shared his unique blend of humor, heart, and music with audiences across the Northeast and beyond.
Ed Popielarczyk's Comedy Magic
My name is Ed Popielarczyk. I am a professional magician, balloon sculptor, flea circus ringmaster, and storyteller. I have been entertaining children and family audiences for over 40 years. I was interviewed in the November 2008 issue of Wondertime Magazine (a Disney Publication) on what makes children laugh.
My magic show is a comedy show that uses a lot of audience participation. The kids are the stars because they make the magic happen. I usually have lots of trouble! I don’t just “do a trick” I tell a story that revolves around each trick. It may be a short story or a longer one, but each story helps to bring the trick together.
The show is appropriate for ages three and up.
I hope to see you there!!!
Queer Joy Chorus
The Queer Joy Chorus is a 100+ member group of people with identities that span the LGBTQIA+ community. There’s no audition requirement to get in - the only requirement is that you be a member or ally of the LGBTQIA+ community and that you find joy in singing.
We center music by Queer artists, we sing music with messages of hope and belonging, and we spend a lot of time laughing on stage and off. Our chief mission is to build community within the choir, and to connect with the community outside of our choir.
The chorus is conducted by Mara Levi, a teacher, performer, designer, and arranger who leads the group with a largely democratic style that centers consensus and community.
RADiO
"RADiO is raw authentic music. Powerhouse vocalist and songwriter, Mackie Gene Spear, fronts the band with energy and panache. Holding it down when the group goes live, is a crushing rhythm section featuring Kevin Mason on drums and Bassist Joey Sicard tearing up 6 strings. Our newest member Ben Rutledge adds a new flare to the sound you all know and love.
RADiO is alive, so tune in!
The Raging Grannies
In the tradition of wise women elders, The Western Mass. Raging Grannies seek to promote global peace, social, economic justice and democratic processes. They perform satirical song parodies and slightly irreverent ditties to raise public awareness of many issues facing us today.
Ragtime Piano with Dick Moulding
Explore ragtime music's vibrant legacy with Northampton’s own Dick Moulding at the piano. Experience the classical brilliance of Scott Joplin, the bluesy elegance of Jimmy Yancy, the ebullient showmanship of Eubie Blake, plus a few surprises. Though the ragtime era is in the past, the charm of its enduring, transformative syncopation will bring joy to your First Night 2026 experience.
ReBelle
A musical revolution rooted in love, forged in fire, ReBelle is guided by devotion. Co-founded by Manou Africa and Kalpana Devi, ReBelle weaves African liberation, Rastafari consciousness, and visionary feminine power into a soul-stirring sonic force that transcends borders, languages, and genres.
Singing in Wolof, Creole, French and English, ReBelle’s music is ceremony, protest, and celebration in one breath. Their lyrics are invocations for justice. Their harmonies are weapons of beauty. Their rhythms are rooted in the ancestral drum, and their message is unwavering: Love for Humanity and Gaia.
From village festivals in West Africa to sold-out U.S. venues and global cultural convenings, ReBelle has shared stages with reggae legends and spiritual giants. But their true power lives in frequency.
This is sound as medicine. Music as activism. Art as liberation.
ReBelle features Kalpana and Manou’s powerful voices and instrumentalists propelling roots, reggae soul. Their dynamic presence is internationally acclaimed.
Red Loves Blue
We are an indie soul-rock duo that is currently performing primarily as a duo act, creating an intimate yet powerful vibe focused on vocal harmony and thoughtful, emotional songwriting.
Roger Salloom
Original Americana Topical Music that will get your toes tapping as well as to keep your Heart & Mind motivating in a Good Way. “...The writing talent of Dylan or Guthrie... musical genius...hilarious and tragic, kindhearted and careless, all the complexities of a real human being.” IMDb
Shiprock & Anchordog
A multimedia storytelling project following the adventures of two kind dogs as they move across enchanted landscapes and make many friends as they go. With Clara on bass, Lucy on drums, and Evan on guitar, the stories are shared through songs in a whimsical, energetic live performance.
SHOW Circus Studio
At this dark time of the year, join SHOW Circus Studio's professional and student circus artists as we explore and celebrate the many facets of light. Come along on a fun and fantastic escape - journey with us among shadows, waves, and colors as our acrobats and aerialists fly through the air. Let there be light! (All acts conducted under strict safety procedures.)
Shubalananda Kirtan
Shubalananda is an American sadhu, traveling across the Northeast since 1995 and sharing his unique, bluesy style of kirtan, which is the meditative call and response gospel music of India. The first stage of inner discipline and yogic attainment is emptying the mind of thoughts, and as Shubal says, “You can’t think when you sing. Therefore, kirtan is the shortcut to no-thought.”
Shubal is a Tantric devotee of Shree Maa of Kamakya. He has studied with many of the gurus of India, including Sathya Sai Baba, Baba Ram Dass, Karunamayi, Baba Hari Ji, and the greatest kirtan singer of them all, Ma Chetan Jyoti. These studies, along with his voice of deep bhava and experience, and his masterful musical skill, allow Shubal to offer his kirtan as a gift to his Guru, to his highest self, and to the community around him.
When Shubal leads kirtan, the flow of his Gurus’ Shakti fills everyone in the room. Shubal’s kirtan is unique: his power, his love of God, his amazing experiences and wisdom, and the grace of his Guru, create an environment which can be experienced nowhere else. Come and feel the uplift with Shubalananda Kirtan.
Tony Silva Spanish Guitar
Tony Silva has been playing acoustic guitar for over 40 years. Early influences range from Stephen Stills to Andrés Segovia. His father Pedro Silva was from Chile, and passed on the love of the music of the Andes Mountains. As a solo performer, Silva specializes in Rumba Flamenca (the style of the Gipsy Kings). He also plays a wide range of music from Latin America, and transcribes flute and harp music from the Andes for guitar. His repertoire includes rumbas, waltzes, boleros, and huapangos with songs from Spain, Mexico, Cuba, Colombia, Brazil, Venezuela, Argentina, Paraguay, Peru, Chile and lots of Gipsy Kings!
Spirit of The Heart
Spirit of the Heart is a local martial arts school that practices a rare Indonesian style. We are happy to have all age of our students share what we do!
The Secret Chord
The Secret Chord pays tribute to the timeless music of the late Leonard Cohen, author of 'Hallelujah' and many other songs that inspire, uplift, and open the heart and mind. In these times, when so many understandably worry about the future, Cohen's music celebrates what is beautiful, resilient and wise in the human spirit, reassuring us that goodness will prevail.
Based in western Massachusetts, The Secret Chord is a six-person rock ensemble featuring three singers, and the only active Leonard Cohen tribute band in the U.S. Our repertoire samples from the full sweep of Cohen’s illustrious career, from tender love ballads to biting social satire to soaring spiritual anthems.
Viv St John
Viv St John is an up and coming songwriter and performer born in Southampton, Massachusetts. She is a continuing student at Berklee College of Music in Boston who finds her love for the craft of music to be ever growing. Her voice is hard-hitting and evocative, it's violin-like timbre beautifully capturing her open vulnerability. She takes influence from folk and alternative rock artists, such as Joni Mitchell, Stevie Nicks, Fiona Apple, and The Cranberries. Her debut album is currently in the works and will feature a full 5-person band. When at home in Western Massachusetts, Viv enjoys performing solo acoustic sets, including covers and original songs, to anyone who has the ears to listen.
StompBoxTrio
StompBoxTrio (spelled StompBoxTrio) blends 20th-century American blues, rock, and soul with 21st-century mojo. Featuring Evelyn Harris - vocals & percussion, John Cabán - dobro, vocals & stompbox, and Paul Kochanski - upright & electric bass, vocals and foot percussion.
Teen Driver
Teen Driver is a four-piece post-punk/indie band based in Florence. Playing out in the Valley since 2023, they're composed of Mark Gurarie (Galapagos Now!/MG & the TV) on guitar and vocals, Riley Hernandez (Watersports) on synths and vocals, Brendan Robinson (Silver Digits) on bass, and drummer, Jugo (Ricky Passport). The band released an EP in 2024, Learners Permit, followed by NO AC! in Feb of 2025. According to critic Rosy Overdrive, the band's latest "is full of synth-bursting art-punk anti-anthems, haphazardly led by a band that sounds plenty furious but rarely overly serious." Around the Valley, they participated in Easthampton Porchfest last year and gigged at the Marigold Theater, The Rendezvous, JJ's, as well as a host of house shows and others. They span styles as mechanistic jamming a la Neu! crashes into punk/post-punk in the vein of Gang of Four, Minutemen, and Lost Sounds.
Tony Vacca and World Rhythms
The music of TONY VACCA'S WORLD RHYTHMS ENSEMBLE is a free-flowing earthy fusion of Jazz, World Music, and Spoken Word. Combining elements of traditional African, Middle Eastern and Afro-Cuban rhythms with the American-born tradition of jazz innovation, they create a sound that is simultaneously elegant and wild. They effortlessly blend the hypnotic and powerful sound of giant West-African balafons with the urban bite of tenor saxophone, the dreamy lyricism of electric violin, the fiery rhythms of Senegalese talking drum and the funky magic of electric bass like you've never heard. All mixed well with a touch of Spoken Word and some blow-your-mind spectacular percussion.
The Understudies: An Improvised Musical
It's the opening night of a brand new musical! Unfortunately, the show was never written or rehearsed. This is the moment we've been training for! Be part of the fun as the determined Understudies create an entire musical from scratch, with a little help from the audience.
Valley Arabic Music Ensemble
VAME plays Arabic/Turkish/Middle Eastern music on both traditional Middle Eastern instruments (oud, nay, qanun, riq, darbuka, frame drum) and Western instruments (violin, clarinet, bass, accordion). We play both instrumental and vocal pieces as some members of our group speak/sing in Arabic/Greek or Turkish. Most of us have been students at the annual Arabic Music Retreat held at Mt. Holyoke College each summer and several of our members play with other area groups. Over the past decade various configurations of VAME (formerly Pioneer Valley Arabic Music Ensemble &/or The Middle E's &/or The Zaytunes) have have played for community events, halflas (parties) rallies, and local and college performances. Audience members will want to dance which we welcome and encourage.
Valley FLOW & Juggle Jam
FLOW is a fun activity where people learn together to express their personal creativity through movement. Not a performance to watch, but something to actually do. Instructors and props provided for all levels, beginners especially welcome. Poi, Hoops, rings, scarves, balls and much much more.
Valley Jazz Voices
Directed by Jeff Olmsted, VJV performs a rich and diverse repertoire in four part harmony, drawing from swing, bebop, cool, Brazilian and pop-inspired jazz arrangements. Based in Northampton, Massachusetts, Valley Jazz Voices is the longest-running community jazz vocal ensemble in Western Mass, starting in 2014. Valley Jazz Voices welcomes singers of all genders, ages and abilities, including seasoned professionals, aspiring students and dedicated amateurs.
Vimana
Vimana is a "heavy jazz" trio (Brian Rodrigues, bass; Bruce Todd, drums; Leo Hwang, guitar) based in Montague and mix equal parts rock, funk, and jazz into a stone cauldron.
"The tunes on Space Triangle of Love have more structure, and feel more intentional: these guys know where they want to go, and have a notion of how they want to get there. Plus, they have chops. Guitarist Leo Hwang dials in a variety of tones and textures, bassist Brian Rodrigues is equally at home on big, splatty basslines [...]and subtle accents, [...]while drummer Bruce Todd steers the tune [...]. Hwang, Rodrigues and Todd are each capable of playing with flash, but their prime directive is serving the song." Eric R. Danton, Freak Scene
Vimana creates all original jazz fusion compositions that have a sound that is contemporary but reflects in our influences from the 1960s and 1970s and weaves together cultural roots from Korea, to Portugal, to America.
Lexi Weege
Lexi Weege is no stranger to the road. The Western Mass-based powerhouse singer/songwriter grew up in a traveling Cabaret troupe, and she’s been on the move ever since. Combining the best of jazz, Motown, and soul, Weege’s original songs are full of spirit.
The Whodunnits
warm, melancholic, dark, country-tinged, folky and funky americana
Wise Guys
These guys have been seeking wisdom for over 500 years, and now they know better. Unpredictable a cappella, sometimes inspiring, occasionally hilarious, directed by Jeff Olmsted.
Winterpills
Formed in the fog 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, the members of Winterpills met and began making music in the old-fashioned winter of 2003 in the shambolic Northampton, MA music scene. At first 4 friends who all knew each other’s songs and talents and parents and had all recently suffered a common adult loss of some kind or another (a dead parent, some breakups, a custody battle, etc), they gleefully stumbled upon their sound: Flora Reed and Philip Price’s harmonies and “heartrending” songwriting (so says No Depression), Dennis Crommett’s tender shoegaze guitar, Dave Hower’s unclassifiable drumming, and later on Max Germer’s moonlit bass feel. "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 cinematic pop songs came effortlessly and partly channelled the freshly mourned Smith, a bit of the dust of Big Star, Low, Innocence Mission – and 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.”
2025 marks the 20th anniversary of their eponymous first album, and the band is celebrating with a remastered reissue with bonus tracks. Over the past 20 years, the band has released 7 albums and numerous singles and EPs, has spent weeks both on the road and in the woodshed, and won’t relent. Emerging from the forced hiatus of the pandemic has given them a new perspective on their art. The restless Price released 3 solo albums during the unhappy break, but the full band has just finished recording their 8th full length, titled THIS IS HOW WE DANCE, set for release on November 14, 2025.
"An ice-filigreeing-the-bare-trees sound, cold and achingly beautiful -- is what sets this group apart... downright glorious when the harmonies start, as crisp and shining as crystal." - The Washington Post
Wishbone Zoe
Wishbone Zoe is the ongoing creative project of Zosia Kochanski, with albums and live performances spanning indie folk, rock, animation, and exploratory songwriting. She returns to rock these days, accompanied by a band of valley luminaries.
YO-YO GUY
John Higby is the Yo-Yo Guy! He has performed his unique high-energy comedy yo-yo show in 26 countries from New Zealand to Japan, holds the world yo-yo champion title and 4 Guinness World Records.
Zikina
Traditional East African instruments and singing enveloped in a totally unique cross-cultural blend of dance beats, rock, funk, and jazz.