Rogovoy Report For December 4, 2015

This weekend our region boasts orchestral indie-rock, blissful folk, gothic folk, art openings, literary readings, country-pop, holiday funk and original roots-rock.

San Fermin, one of the coolest contemporary outfits, brings its enchanting orchestral indie-rock to the Hunter Center at MASS MoCA in North Adams on Saturday  at 8pm. Folk revivalist and MASS MoCA favorite Sam Amidon, a singer and multi-instrumentalist, warms up the crowd for San Fermin. Sounding something like a blend of Arcade Fire, the National, Bang on a Can, and Polyphonic Spree, San Fermin is the brainchild of Brooklyn composer-songwriter Ellis Ludwig-Leone. His songs are rendered by a veritable fleet of horns, strings, and singers, in what NPR calls a “feast of gorgeous chamber-pop.”

Also in North Adams, folk singer-songwriter Anaïs Mitchell will perform at the MCLA Church Street Center tonight at 7:30pm as part of the MCLA Presents! series. Mitchell, who is based in Vermont, recorded for AniDiFranco's Righteous Babe Records for several years before starting her own Wilderland label in 2012. Duo Bridget Kearney and Benjamin Lazar Davis will warm up the crowd for Mitchell, whose music has been described as blissful, epic folk.

Over in Williamstown, one of my favorite writers of all time, Jim Shepard, who teaches English at Williams College, will read from  his work in Griffin Hall, room 3, on Monday at 7pm. Shepard is the author of six previous novels and four story collections. His most recent novel, “The Book of Aron”, tells the story of a young boy in the Warsaw Ghetto during the Holocaust. The novel was a finalist for the Kirkus Award and is a finalist for the Carnegie Medal in Fiction. This event is free and open to the public.

Tonight in Pittsfield, artist and musician Ryder Cooley debuts a new installation of multimedia work and performs with her band, Dust Bowl Faeries, at the Whitney Center for the Arts. Cooley’s installation,  “The Collected Works of Lady Ramshackle,” is part of the Whitney’s “Third Annual Whimsy” art show, for which there will be a reception from 5 to 8pm, immediately followed at 8pm by a free performance by Dust Bowl Faeries, an ethereal gothic-folk chamber ensemble based in Hudson and featuring bittersweet songs with echoes of gypsy-folk, pop, cabaret and dark circus music.

Roots-rock singer-songwriter Jackie Greene, perhaps best known for his work as guitarist for Black Crowes and Phil Lesh & Friends, helps Club Helsinki Hudson celebrate its 20th anniversary with a two-night stint tonight and Saturday night at 9pm. Greene synthesizes his deep affinity for American roots styles into timeless, personally charged music.

Country-pop singer Brandi Carlile's 2005 self-titled debut landed her on Rolling Stone's Top 10 list of artists to watch. Since then she has steadily built a loyal fan base, won over by her critically acclaimed albums and her band’s non-stop touring, which brings Carlile’s “Winter Acoustic Tour” to the Bardavon Opera House in Poughkeepsie on Saturday at 8pm.  

And in Albany, retro-soul stars Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings stir up a funky holiday party at the Egg on Saturday at 7:30pm, with festive numbers from their brand-new album of seasonal favorites, “It's A Holiday Soul Party,” along with explosive funk from their latest Grammy Award-nominated recording, “Give the People What They Want.”

Eternally devoted to giving you what you want …..