New Summer Concerts at MASS MoCA

There’s a whole lot more to MASS MoCA in North Adams than just the artworks that adorn the walls. MASS MoCA is also an epicenter of adventurous performing arts. And while several of the museum’s top performance events have already been announced – including the summer kick-off concert by Aaron Neville, the eagerly anticipated return of Wilco’s Solid Sound Festival and the autumn’s FreshGrass bluegrass festival – quite a number of new events for the summer calendar were announced earlier this morning.

Here’s a round-up of some of MASS MoCA’s newly announced performances:

WILLIAMSBURG SALSA ORCHESTRA
Saturday, June 1, 8pm
@ Club B-10
$12 in advance; $16 at the door; $10 students
This hard-hitting 11-piece band will make you think about salsa in a whole new way as they pump out dynamic salsa-fied arrangements of tunes by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, TV on the Radio, LCD Soundsystem, the Black Keys, Spoon and other indie favorites.

BETTYE LaVETTE
Saturday, July 6, 8pm
Courtyard C or Hunter Center
$55 priority; $32 in advance; $39 at the door
It’s taken a long, long time, but the Detroit singer is finally being recognized as one of the all-time greatest soul singers.

THE ALLOY ORCHESTRA’S “THE BLACK PIRATE”
Saturday, July 13, 8:30pm
Courtyard C or Hunter Center
$15 in advance; $19 at the door
Perennial MASS MoCA favorites and pre-eminent silent film accompanists, Alloy Orchestra performs a live score to the classic Douglas Fairbanks film, the first movie ever shot in two-tone Technicolor.

GABRIEL KAHANE
Saturday, July 20, 8pm
Pavilion or Club B-10
$12 in advance; $16 at the door; $10 students
A bright light of the rapidly growing progressive-indie genre, Gabriel Kahane is joined by Rob Moose of Bon Iver for a set of airy pop that also hints at Kahane’s classical roots.

BANG ON A CAN ALL-STARS
Saturday, July 27, 8pm
Hunter Center Mezzanine
$24 concert only; $35 day pass (concert + museum admission); $15 students
The All-Stars perform Julia Wolfe’s Pulitzer Prize-nominated “Steel Hammer,” inspired by more than 200 different versions of the John Henry ballad.

BANG ON A CAN MARATHON
Saturday, August 3, 4-10pm
Hunter Center
$24 concert only; $35 day pass (concert + admission); $15 students
The annual six-hour marathon of boundary-busting, genre-bending, innovative and improvisational music in a performance that closes their festival/residency with a riveting celebration of new music.

MUCCA PAZZA
Friday-Sunday, August 16-18
Call for performance times: 413.MoCA.111
$14; $8 kids
You’ve never seen or heard a band like these 30 ex-band geeks, who come armed with rainbow-colored pom-poms, mutant bicycles and hockey helmet-amplifiers. It’s marching band meets punk rock meets fireman’s parade.

A TRIBE CALLED RED
Saturday, August 31, 8pm
Courtyard C or Hunter Center
$15; $10 students
Dub-step beats, hip-hop mixes, and reggae rhythms come together with the blazing drums and haunting vocals of Native Canadian roots music for this end-of-summer dance party.

For complete list of this summer’s events at MASS MoCA, just go here.