Sounds Local: More holiday merriment on tap this week: And Quiet Riot gets noisy at the Shea this weekend

The Falltown String Band is one of the many bands participating in the “Holiday Spectacular” show at the Rendezvous tonight (Thursday, Dec. 19) in Turners Falls. The event organizers say the evening will include alternate versions of “Twas the Night Before Christmas,” plenty of singing along, and a few surprises.

The Falltown String Band is one of the many bands participating in the “Holiday Spectacular” show at the Rendezvous tonight (Thursday, Dec. 19) in Turners Falls. The event organizers say the evening will include alternate versions of “Twas the Night Before Christmas,” plenty of singing along, and a few surprises. CONTRIBUTED

Zara Bode, one half of the Sweetback Sisters, will host “The Country Christmas Singalong Spectacular” on Friday, Dec. 20, at 7 p.m., at the Stone Church in Brattleboro, Vermont, and on Sunday, Dec. 22, at 4 p.m. at the Academy of Music in Northampton.

Zara Bode, one half of the Sweetback Sisters, will host “The Country Christmas Singalong Spectacular” on Friday, Dec. 20, at 7 p.m., at the Stone Church in Brattleboro, Vermont, and on Sunday, Dec. 22, at 4 p.m. at the Academy of Music in Northampton. CONTRIBUTED

String band Pre-Emption Road, which was formed about a year ago by a couple of the members of Appalachian Still, will perform at The Brewery at Four Star Farms in Northfield’s 4th anniversary party on Saturday, Dec. 21.

String band Pre-Emption Road, which was formed about a year ago by a couple of the members of Appalachian Still, will perform at The Brewery at Four Star Farms in Northfield’s 4th anniversary party on Saturday, Dec. 21. CONTRIBUTED

Famed ’80s hair metal band Quiet Riot will perform at Shea Theater in Turners Falls on Saturday, Dec. 21.

Famed ’80s hair metal band Quiet Riot will perform at Shea Theater in Turners Falls on Saturday, Dec. 21. CONTRIBUTED

By SHERYL HUNTER

For the Recorder

Published: 12-18-2024 2:03 PM

The countdown is on! Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah or Kwanza, your big day will be here soon.

Most holiday parties have passed, but if you are still looking to hear some seasonal sounds, there are a few chances left.

Tonight (Thursday, Dec. 19) at 7:30 p.m, the Rendezvous (“the Voo”) in Turners Falls will host its “Holiday Spectacular.” The event organizers say the evening will include alternate versions of “Twas the Night Before Christmas,” plenty of singing along, and a few surprises. And of course, you can enjoy all the Voo’s food and libations.

Justin Lawrence will serve as the evening’s emcee. The list of participating musicians reflects a wide range of genres. It includes Jerri Higgins, Juli Grybko Moreno, Karen Stinchfield, Andrew Vernon, Andrew Woodland, Chris Boucher, Noah Diamond, Drew Paton, Corki and Ken, Fern Bork and Bruce Kahn, Laurie Wheeler, Falltown String Band, Carolyn Walker, and more. Admission is free.

Because there are so many performers, you probably can catch a bit of this show either before or after seeing singer-songwriter Stephen Kellogg, who will perform at the Shea Theater at 8 p.m. Tickets are available at sheatheater.org or the door.

The Pioneer Valley Brewery, also in Turners Falls, will host an ugly sweater party on Saturday, Dec. 21, at 7 p.m. These ugly sweater events have become a new holiday tradition, and it’s amazing how hilariously ugly some sweaters can be. In addition to the fine brewery beer, there will be music by the local cover band Hyfy. The Greenfield based group is known for its diverse repertoire, including everything from Blink 182 to the Who. On Friday, Dec. 20, at 7 p.m., the Brewery will host a holiday edition of their monthly open mic.

The Sweetback Sisters’ Country Christmas Singalong Spectacular has become an annual holiday tradition. This family favorite show started as a casual performance at the Voo in Turners Falls, which eventually evolved into a full-on polished show that the Sweetback Sisters have performed throughout the Northeast every December.

This year, there are some changes; Emily Miller, who is one-half of the Sweetback Sisters, cannot join Sweetback sister Zara Bode, so Bode will go it alone (with the band, of course). Bode, who resides in Brattleboro, Vermont, is a powerhouse vocalist and brings her great sense of humor to the stage, and she will easily continue to spread the yuletide cheer. The show has been rebranded as the “The Country Christmas Singalong Spectacular with Zara Bode.”

Another change is that there are only four Country Christmas Singalong Spectacular shows this year, and we are very fortunate that two of them are located near us. On Friday, Dec. 20, at 7 p.m., Bode will bring the show to the Stone Church in Brattleboro, and on Sunday, Dec. 22, at 4 p.m. at the Academy of Music in Northampton. Tickets for these shows are moving fast, so I would recommend to get yours now. Tickets for the Brattleboro show are available at stonechurchvt.com and for the Northampton show at amotheatre.com.

The Brewery at Four Star Farms to celebrate 4th anniversary

Last weekend, The Brewery at Four Star Farms in Northfield hosted its annual holiday party, and now it is gearing up for another celebration this weekend. On Saturday, Dec. 21, the Brewery will celebrate its 4th anniversary with a party from 5 to 9 p.m., providing a perfect opportunity for the local community to come together and celebrate.

While there will be plenty of the Brewery’s fine craft beer on tap, there will also be some equally fine music when the string band Pre-Emption Road plays at 6 p.m. Pre-Emption Road formed about a year ago by a couple of the members of Appalachian Still. The lineup features Andrew Woodland on banjo, Derrick Bovve on bass, Rick Mauran on drums and Andrew Vernon on guitar. They play rock and folk, and you can expect to hear some Appalachian Still tunes and some new songs.

ElCapancito will be on hand to provide food.

Quiet Riot at the Shea

If you are of a certain age, chances are you spent more time watching MTV than you care to admit. And if you count yourself a fan of the hair bands of that era, you won’t want to miss ‘80s metal band Quiet Riot when they take the stage at the Shea Theater on Saturday, Dec. 21, at 8 p.m.

If you need a refresher, the band is best known for their monster 1983 smash album “Metal Health,” which was the first heavy metal album to make it on the Billboard charts. The album gave us the mega hit song “Cum on Feel the Noize,” a song that is surely ingrained in the brain of all MTV fans. The band’s other big hit was 1984’s “Mama Weer All Crazee Now.” Quiet Riot is credited with paving the way for a handful of other metal bands like Ratt, Twisted Sister and more.

An interesting piece of trivia about those two hit songs is that they are cover tunes taken from the British glam band Slade. Another interesting fact about Quiet Riot is that it was co-founded by guitarist Randy Rhodes, who split from the band in 1979, and went on to achieve fame for his work with Ozzy Osborne.

The band has experienced various lineup changes over the years, including the loss of lead vocalist Kevin Dubrow, who died of a cocaine overdose in 2007.

The lineup that will be playing at the Shea on Saturday night is the legendary bassist and “Metal Health” founding member Rudy Sarzo, Quiet Riot guitarist Alex Grossi, vocalist Jizzy Pearl, and Type O Negative drummer Johnny Kelly.

There will be an After Party at the Voo, beginning at 10 p.m., with DJ Metal Drift spinning metal and hard rock tunes.

VIP and regular-price tickets are available at sheatheater.org

Happy Holidays!

Sheryl Hunter is a freelance writer who resides in Easthampton. Her work has appeared in various regional and national publications. She can be reached at Soundslocal@yahoo.com.