What better way to spend a cold winter night than indulging in some hot soup and even hotter music. If this is your idea of a perfect evening, consider heading to the Warwick Town Hall on Saturday night, Jan. 11, when Wooden Fender and the Warwick Arts Council host a ”Souper Supper” at 6 p.m. This is not just a meal, but a community gathering where you can enjoy a variety of soups and chili, great company and homemade dishes. The evening will be followed by a night of music with string band Moon Hollow at 7 p.m.

Moon Hollow is the Easthampton-based quartet of Tim Cardiello on guitar and vocals, Charlie Peckar on violin and vocals, Calvin Doiron on upright bass and vocals and Nick Paar on mandolin. They are originally from Brattleboro, Vermont, where they formed the band in 2019.

A quick glance at their instrumentation might lead you to conclude that Moon Hollow is a bluegrass band, but this is a band whose music goes beyond a single categorization. This quartet creates music that is a unique blend of folk, Americana, alt-country, early jazz, and bluegrass and that promises a night of diverse and captivating sounds.

The band has played throughout the Valley including at various breweries, clubs and theaters. They have shared the stage with notable acts such as Ryan Montbleau, DiTrani Brothers, Bella’s Bartok, Matt Heckler, Hilltown Ham Hocks, Folkfaces, Chris Pureka, Blind Owl Band, and others.

This past year was a big one for the band. For starters, they grew their audience by playing 106 shows in 2024 – the most shows they have ever played in a single year.

Also, Moon Hollow expanded from a trio to a quartet last year.

“We added Nick Paar on mandolin at some point in 2024,” wrote Cardiello in a recent email. “He was actually an original member of the band back in 2019. He is not with us at every show, but by far the majority of the shows. His mandolin fits in perfectly with our mix of instruments and covers the frequency range we lacked. He’s also an exceptional soloist, so we get to jam a bit more when he’s with us. His extra rhythm also makes it easier for the guitar to take a solo and pass around solos in general.”

Then, to wrap up the year, they released their debut EP, “Leave the Light On.” The five tracks on this recording highlight the band’s versatility, incorporating all their varying influences and showcasing their strong musicianship and tight harmonies.

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The disc opens with “Around To It,” a song with a ‘70s folk-rock feel and an infectious chorus. “Seeing Signs” is a high-energy boost of a tune that sounds like gypsy jazz meets bluegrass and benefits from some fiery fiddle work from Peckar. “Poor Richard’s Almanac,” with its slinky bass line and emphasis on the band’s harmonies, is the kind of song that will have you tapping your toes, as will the disc closer, “Vanish,” that has a country vibe to it.

And as proof that this band plays about everything, they’ve even included a waltz called ”Oswego Waltz.” If you are a fan of genre-blurring acoustic music, Moon Hollow is the band for you,

“Leave the Light On” is the perfect introduction to Moon Hollow and is available at bandcamp.com and other streaming platforms. Better yet, go see them live – and you will have plenty of chances to do that in 2025.

This upcoming year promises to be another exciting one for the band. They plan to head back into the studio and record a full-length album, and they already have many shows booked, including local ones. If you can’t make it to Warwick, consider catching the band at Tree House Brewing Company in South Deerfield on Jan. 18 at 5 p.m. or at the Shutesbury Athletic Club on Jan. 31 at 8 p.m.

If you are heading to Warwick, here are a couple of things to know: the meal presented by the Warwick Arts Council is a separate event that starts at 6 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for children.

The music by Moon Hollow will begin at 7 p.m. with a suggested donation of at least $5.

This upcoming weekend, Tree House Brewing Company in South Deerfield will celebrate the third anniversary of its taproom with celebrations on Friday, Jan. 10, and Saturday, Jan. 11, with music provided by the jam band Eggy.

Eggy is a band out of New Haven, Connecticut, who tour constantly and have performed at Tree House in the past. The quartet’s sharp musicianship and their penchant for improvising have made them rising stars on the jam band scene.

The band released their sophomore album, “Waiting Game,” in September. It finds them stretching out in new directions and proving they can write tight pop/rock songs. On this album they recorded a collection of songs that they had never performed live before, and it was the first time drummer Alex Bailey handled vocals.

While “Waiting Game” showed that Eggy, unlike many jam bands, can make a good studio album, they remain a band best experienced live where they can stretch out and show off their jamming skills.

This is a ticketed event, and tickets are $11 (free for kids 6 and under) and can be purchased at treehousebrew.com. The music starts at 5 p.m. both nights.

In November, we told you about a Grunge Brunch that the group Recent History was hosting at the Iron Horse in Northampton. At the time, Glen Fant, who, along with his partner Ryan Guillan make up the acoustic duo of Recent History, was hoping that the event would be successful enough that the Iron Horse would welcome them back. Well, guess what? Fant got his wish, and the Grunge Brunch will return on Sunday, Jan. 12, at 10:30 a.m.

For those who missed it the first time, the Grunge Brunch is a Sunday brunch with live music provided by Recent History. The duo will perform songs from the soundtrack to the 1992 movie “Singles” featuring hits and deep cuts by the bands that defined that era in music: Smashing Pumpkins, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Stone Temple Pilots, and more. So if ‘90s music is your groove, you will want to be at this show.

“Bringing the show to the Iron Horse in our hometown of Northampton has been a dream come true,” wrote Fant in a statement about the show. “It was very challenging to find a restaurant that could host a brunch service and handle live entertainment. The Iron Horse is a world-class venue, and we’re really lucky to get the opportunity to perform there.”

Fant added that he sees the show an ongoing series of shows exploring the deep catalog of ‘90s alternative and grunge artists in an acoustic format.

As an added bonus, the ticket price includes brunch (drinks not included) and are $24.40 for adults and $11.60 for kids and are available at ironhorse.org.

Correction: Please note that in last week’s column (Jan. 2) Leah Kunkel’s name was misspelled.

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.