With its large gallery spaces, the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art in North Adams has made a name for itself with enormous art displays since its 1999 founding. But it has increasingly been focused on the performing arts of late.American indie rock band The National comes to MASS MoCA on June 11, which the museum’s director of communications Jodi Joseph says could be one of the attraction’s largest concerts. The biggest crowd for a single day performance totaled more than 5,000 for Beck in 2014. Ahead of the summer season’s performance lineup, a new exhibition including paintings, sculptures and video art will open May 28.
“The show is called ‘Explode Every Day: An Inquiry into the Phenomena of Wonder,’” Joseph explained. “It’s about the state of wonder and how it agitates, shocks and pushes us to a place of discomfort but is also lined with pleasure and desire. You’re going to find a lot of that in our performing arts season as well. We’re going to provoke, but we’re going to have a really good time doing it.”
Following up on a similar experience with Beasts of the Southern Wild, MASS MoCA will host a live nine-piece orchestra led by the composer of the score for the animated film The Triplets of Belleville.
“There are no words in this film,” Joseph said. “It’s a fantastic movie. It’s sort of a caper, French film involving the Tour de France and an elaborate robbery. It’s so fun and funny. Even though this has no words to it, kids are riveted by it and adults love it.”
Grammy Award-winning musical ensemble Roomful of Teeth, which makes it creative home at MASS MoCA, will return for a performance August 19th. Later that month the indie-dance band Rubblebucket performs August 27th.
Roughly 165,000 visitors came to MASS MoCA in 2015. As in past seasons, the museum will present a movie projected on the hangar of the airport in North Adams – this year, Around The World In 80 Days. MASS MoCA’s bluegrass festival – known as FreshGrass – draws more than 5,000 people for three days of concerts, and if you’re so inclined, the experience of camping out amongst other concertgoers in nearby fields. More than 50 acts will perform from September 16 to 18 to help close out the season including Rosanne Cash and Old Crow Medicine Show.
“Old Crow Medicine Show, another super fun band this time in the Americana genre,” Joseph said. “They’ve come here and given us just a fantastic concert a couple years ago so we really look forward to welcoming them back.”
