FEST: Mass Gathering @ Ski Butternut on Memorial Day Weekend

Mass Gathering is a combination of races and music fest that takes place in the Berkshires during Memorial Day weekend. The races include a marathon, half marathon, 10K, 5K, trail race and more in the morning on Saturday & Sunday (May 28 & 29).

The races on both days are followed by an afternoon festival of music featuring such bands as Deer Tick, Matisyahu, Gin Blossoms and more at Ski Butternut in Great Barrington.

GO HERE for more info on the races.

Tickets for the music fest are available for $35 per day; $60 for both days. VIP tickets and overnight camping tix are also available. Kids age 10 and under are FREE.

And here’s the complete schedule of bands for the 2016 Mass Gathering:

SATURDAY, MAY 28
MAIN STAGE
12noon: Strange Machines
1:30pm: Madalia
3:15pm: Deer Tick
5:15pm: Matisyahu
SIDE STAGE
all day: Whiskey Treaty Roadshow

SUNDAY, MAY 29
MAIN STAGE
12noon: West End Blend
1:30pm: Parsonsfield
3pm: Wild Adriatic
4:45pm: Gin Blossoms
SIDE STAGE
all day: DJ BFG

SATURDAY, MAY 28
MATISYAHU
Matisyahu first made a name for himself with his album Live at Stubbs, and Youth quickly followed. Both albums subsequently went Gold, and Youth was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album. 2009’s Light reached No. 1 on the Reggae Albums chart and stayed in the top spot for 34 weeks. His fourth studio album, Spark Seeker, also debuted at No. 1 on the Reggae chart, marked his relocation from Brooklyn to Los Angeles. Akeda, Matisyahu’s fifth studio album, was written both in Matisyahu’s Los Angeles home and while on tour. Matisyahu states, “This record and period of my life deal with madness, listening for and following the inner intuitive voice, a small still sound. This record deals with love, with feelings of brokenness and humility, with humanity, struggle, and sacrifice.”

DEER TICK
John McCauley and Deer Tick have long walked a tightwire between total despair and fractured resilience, but Negativity represents a heroic leap forward on virtually all fronts for the Providence, Rhode Island-based band. Recorded in Portland, Oregon with legendary producer/musician Steve Berlin (the Blasters, Los Lobos and McCauley’s side project, Diamond Rugs), the album – Deer Tick’s fifth full-length studio release, and follow-up to 2011’s acclaimed Divine Providence – is McCauley’s most personal work thus far as well as the band’s most undeniable and universal, their famously freewheeling musical approach refined here into a gloriously cohesive whole.

MADAILA
Pop juggernaut Madaila’s debut record, “The Dance”, is upbeat, synth-heavy, and catchy. Vocal skill and range are immediately apparent. But in the tradition of Prince and more recently Frank Ocean, there is an ornateness and occasional darkness to this pop music that exposes Madaila’s complexity and musicianship. Tight arrangements and multi-instrumental performances showcase musical minds at work.
Tight spandex and technicolor attire showcase a different side. When playing live, both powerful and playful elements of Madaila are present as the five-piece finds the deeper possibilities within their concise recorded material. On stage, spontaneous expression and contagious melody coexist.

STRANGE MACHINES
Fusing genres such as rock, funk, livetronica, reggae, metal and jazz, Strange Machines have set high standards for their musical aspirations. Combining soulful melodies and harmonies with intricate instrumentation and upbeat improvisation, they have created a unique and progressive sound that radiates with listeners and keeps audiences captivated from beginning to end. The band recently released their sophomore studio EP, Turn the Tide.

WHISKEY TREATY ROADSHOW
The Whiskey Treaty Roadshow is a collaborative band that brings together five Massachusetts singer-songwriters in the vein of Americana, rock and roots-folk music.

SUNDAY, MAY 29
GIN BLOSSOMS
For more than two decades, Gin Blossoms have defined the sound of jangle pop. From their late ’80s start as Arizona’s top indie rock outfit, the Tempe-based combo has drawn critical applause and massive popular success for their trademark brand of chiming guitars, introspective lyricism and irresistible melodies. Gin Blossoms soon unfurled a chain of crossover favorites spanning five different formats, from “Hey Jealousy” and “Until I Fall Away” to “Follow You Down” and the Grammy-nominated “As Long As It Matters,” earning the band sales in excess of 10 million in the U.S. alone.

WILD ADRIATIC
Calling to mind the soulful, dynamic sounds of ’70s giants such as Led Zeppelin, Humble Pie and Free’s early years, Wild Adriatic has won early acclaim from places such as Rolling Stone, USA Today, Relix, American Songwriter and Guitar World. The debut album Big Suspicious was released in January 2014, and the band has since stayed on the road in support of the effort, logging an impressive 175 live shows in 2014 alone. From headlining blues festivals in Connecticut for a crowd of 10,000 people to a five-week European headlining tour to serving as direct support for an impressive list of rock and roll royalty including Grand Funk Railroad, Robert Randolph, Blues Traveler and many more… Wild Adriatic is a high energy, riffy power trio to rival any you’ve seen before. The Saratoga Springs-based band has built a strong following off of a relentless tour schedule and a powerhouse live show, spending 225+ days on the road and making noteworthy appearances at festivals like SXSW, moe.down, Gathering of the Vibes and CMJ.

PARSONSFIELD
Parsonsfield (formerly Poor Old Shine) is a five-piece Americana band from Connecticut that infuses a rowdy, rock-‘n’-roll spirit into its bluegrass and folk influences, blowing away any preconception of what you think banjos and mandolins should sound like. David Vescey of The New York Times noted, “I fully expect to hear more from this band as the years go on.”

WEST END BLEND
Since their conception, the ten-piece band West End Blend has been playing their version of pop, funk and soul in venues all over the Northeast. Fronted by vocalist Erica Bryan, the band pays homage to classic throwback sounds while adding their own distinct vibe and flair. West End Blend boasts a four­-piece horn section, two guitars, bass, keyboards and drums packing the group onto stages every night. From humble beginnings in an epic basement funk dance party, The Blend’s goal has always been to bring a party atmosphere to every show and venue ever since. The Blend just released their debut full length album, Rewind, in September.

ADDITIONAL UPCOMING FESTIVALS FOR 2016:
MOUNTAIN JAM @ Hunter Mountain, Hunter, June 2-5
WILDWOODSTOCK @ the Parting Glass, Saratoga Springs, June 5
A TASTE OF COUNTRY MUSIC FESTIVAL @ Hunter Mountain, Hunter, June 10-12
CLEARWATER’S GREAT HUDSON RIVER REVIVAL @ Croton Point Park, Croton-On-Hudson, June 18-19 UPDATE: This festival has been cancelled.
DAD FEST @ Washington Park, Albany, June 19, FREE
OLD SONGS FESTIVAL @ Altamont Fairgrounds, Altamont, June 24-26
BEACON JAZZ FESTIVAL @ Pete & Toshi Seeger Riverfront Park, June 25
FREIHOFER’S SARATOGA JAZZ FESTIVAL @ Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, June 25 & 26
GREEN RIVER FESTIVAL @ Greenfield Community College, Greenfield, July 8-10
COUNTRYFEST @ Schaghticoke Fairgrounds, Schaghticoke, July 9
GREY FOX BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL @ Walsh Farm, Oak Hill, July 14-17
SCHENECTADY COUNTY SUMMERNIGHT @ State & Jay streets, Schenectady, July 15, FREE
FRESHGRASS @ MASS MoCA, North Adams, September 16-18
JAZZ AT THE LAKE @ Shepard Park, Lake George, September 17 & 18, FREE
AMERICAN MUSIC FESTIVAL FOR THE LAKE @ Charles Wood Park, Lake George, September 24 & 25