January may bring cold temperatures and snow, but local music venues' 2019 lineups are heating things up.
At the Narrows Center for the Arts, Executive Director Patrick Norton said he’s excited about 2019.
A couple weeks shy of the new year, Troy City Brewing opened on the first floor of the Narrows Center for the Arts building and over the past couple months, seven of 11 artist studios have been filled on the second floor with a diverse mix of artists, he said.
Looking to diversify the studios beyond painters, Norton said they sought artists and artisans working in various media including two photographers, a handbag designer, a jeweler and a guitar maker.
To showcase the studios and brewery, the Narrows has decided to end its annual Festival of the Arts (held in September) and will instead hold four seasonal mini festivals that will weave a thread of connectivity throughout the building.
Though plans are still being worked out, he said the first of the four mini festivals on March 9 will feature kids’ activities, a Made in Fall River pop-up boutique featuring products crafted in the Spindle City along with booths of artists and artisans selling their wares. On the second floor, the artists’ studios will be open to the public and on the third floor, the focus will likely be kids’ music and family-oriented activities during the one-day festival. The brewery on the ground floor will be open and depending on the weather, there may be a few food trucks in the courtyard adjacent to the brewery, said Norton.
As for the Narrows’ music lineup over the next few months, Norton said he’s also excited about the array of acts from big names to local talent such as longtime favorites Neal and the Vipers on Feb. 8 and the quirky up-and-coming band Zoink Zulag and the Galactic Shag on Feb. 7.
A few other performers that Norton expects to be big draws include Jim Messina (of Loggins and Messina, Poco and Buffalo Springfield fame) on March 19 and American guitar great Bill Frisell on Jan. 17.
On Jan. 24, Alejandro Escovedo rolls into the city with Don Antonio’s band on tour with The Crossing, a new album that tells the story of two boys, one from Mexico and one from Italy who meet in Texas to chase their dreams of American rock and roll, according to the press release for the recently released album.
At the end of February, another unique act is in the offering: Bonarama. A New Orleans-based horns band, the group plays about a half set of Led Zeppelin tunes and the other half New Orleans style funk, said Norton.
Heading into her second year as program coordinator at Sandywoods Arts Center in Tiverton, Verna Castro said one of the most popular events she’s noticed over the past year combines music and wellness. The monthly gong sound baths with Deb Stevens draws a hefty crowd every month with most of the audience chilling out on yoga mats or zero gravity chairs to the primordial sounds.
In 2019, Castro is looking forward to another successful year that will include Sunday afternoon dances/concerts, a Winter Songfest, a couple performers who are making their way to Sandywoods for the first time and some “semi-famous” regional acts.
On Feb., 8, a Winter Songfest will feature a lineup of well-known area singer/songwriters (Chuck Williams, Lara Herscovitch and Louie Leeman) performing solo sets and in-the-round. Swansea resident Leeman is best known for his band Cheap Sneakers and as a member of the Funky White Honkies. Herscovitch is known for her original folk music drawing on influences from blues, pop and jazz and Williams’ latest album, “Stories I’ve Told” hit the top of the folk charts.
Other acts coming up this winter and early spring include the James Taylor tribute band October Road and Annie Guthrie, daughter of folk great Arlo Guthrie in April, and folk act Carolyn Doctorow in March. The daughter of the late renowned “Ragtime” author E.L. Doctorow, Doctorow is making her mark in the folk music realm.
At the low-key coffeehouse-style venue, concert attendees are invited to bring a picnic and enjoy the show. The relaxed atmosphere appeals to some, said Castro, while others like to kick up their heels at Sunday afternoon country western concerts and the Magnolia Cajun Dance concerts (slated for this season on Feb. 2 and April 6).
Email Linda Murphy at lmurphy@heraldnews.com.