Concerts of the Week

Brilliant Disguise: A Tribute to Bruce Springstreen
Thursday Jan 1o, 7pm
Iron Horse Music Hall, Northampton MA

With, Thane Thomsen (The Figments) and Steve Sanderson (Drunk Stuntmen) and Matthew Loiacono (of Kamikaze Hearts) and Rusty Belle and Kevin O'Rourke of Lofine and Chris Pureka and Philip Price and Henning Ohlenbusch and Mark Mulcahy and Frank Manzi Band and Dave Houghton (Fancy Trash) and Matthew Hebert and Jeffrey Foucault and Dennis Crommett and Jose Ayerve (of Spouse) and Jim Armenti (Lonesome Brothers) and Erik Alan (The Amity Front). This sounds like all sorts of fun.



Lori McKenna Band and Mark Erelli
Saturday Jan 12, 7 & 10 pm
Iron Horse Music Hall, Northampton MA

Lori struggled on the singer-songwriter circuit for years until she was taken under the wing of country star Faith Hill, and was then featured on Oprah. Erelli is her friend and plays in her touring band. He's got a new, and anticipated album, on the horizon.



Brooks Williams and Gail Wade
Saturday Jan 12, 8 pm
Buttonwood Tree, Middletown CT

Brooks is an amazing guitarist, and gifted songwriter, and Gale Wade found her muse a few years back, and has taken to the local stages with a beautiful vengance. The Buttonwood Tree is so intimate, it's like having the musicians in your living room without having to clean up after.



Amy Gallatin and Stillwaters
Saturday Jan 12, 7:30 pm
Connecticut Audobon Center, Glastonbury, CT

With two new albums in the racks (one with Roger Williams and one with Stillwaters), Gallatin has lots of new (and in fact some really old) material to try out on audiences.

Jim Olsen's ears

If you own a title or two from the Signature Sounds label, or you've attended one of the great Green River Festivals in Greenfield MA, or you've tuned in on a Saturday morning to The River (93.9 FM in Northampton, 101.5 in Brattleboro VT), then you know something about the great musical taste of Jim Olsen.

Olsen is co-founder of Signature Sounds, producer of the Green River Festival and a longtime DJ on WRSI, aka, The River, in Western Mass. He has recorded and released albums by some great artists, several of whom, have begun their careers on his label, and gone on to much wider recognition.

It will be a vindication, and probably a bit frustrating, to read two of the main articles in the latest (September) issue of No Depression magazine. Featured are two artists, Lori McKenna and Josh Ritter, who began their careers with Signature Sounds, and have now reached national audiences on bigger labels. For some reason, No Depression did not feature these artists when they were Signature up and comers, but now they're getting the star treatment. I'd suggest to No Depression, and to anyone who is interested in great music, to check some of the other gifted artists on Olsen's label. Without effort I can think of Eilen Jewell, Richard Shindell, Jeffrey Foucault, Mark Erelli, Rani Arbo and daisy mayhem, the Winterpills, Erin McKeown and Kris Delmhorst.

BTW, the "Jimmy Olsen" in Dar Williams tribute to late night indy radio in the song "Are You Out There?" is this Jim Olsen.

If Jim Olsen likes it, chance are I will too.