Live Wire: Holyoke’s Summit View ready for outdoor music series
A few weeks ago, I wrote about some of the early outdoor shows coming to Tree House Brewing in Deerfield, most of which feature renowned national acts.
But now that spring has truly sprung, smaller local music series have started blossoming, and one that has been popular for many years is the Summit View Summer Concert Series in Holyoke.
Summit View is mainly a banquet hall and meeting house for multifarious types of events. But once the warm weather rolls around, the venue books a select handful of musical acts to perform at the outdoor pavilion. The mix is eclectic, offering some old favorite acts with some newer voices sprinkled in.
The shows are free, but there is a $5 charge for parking. The concerts, which are all held on Thursdays, kick off with a barbecue from 5-8 p.m., followed by music from 6:30-9:30 p.m. No outside food or drinks are allowed but there is a full bar available. No pets are allowed.
This year's series starts with local favorites Trailer Trash bringing their modern country sound to the stage on May 22. The band has been entertaining crowds for the past 14 years and isn't afraid to color outside the musical lines: they've been known to also play music by alternative groups such as Metallica and Alice In Chains as well as popular radio hits.
On June 12, Floyd Patterson come to Summit View with his acclaimed soul and R&B band. Patterson, the son of the famed boxer of the same name, certainly packs a punch with his music, which usually results in the crowd dancing as nimbly as any prizefighter. Night Moves (which is not a Bob Seger tribute but a rock band) returns for their annual visit to the venue on June 26.
July also features two bands: Brass Attack will jumpstart the month with its high-energy horn-fueled sound on July 10, while Midlife Crisis plays on July 24. Brass Attack plays everything from classic rock to R&B to disco, while Midlife Crisis mines the rich territory of bands such as Steely Dan, Rolling Stones, Chicago and the Allman Brothers Band.
August 7 will see country singer-songwriter Ashley Wineland make a stop on her national tour at Summit View. The Arizona-based artist is currently working with producer Marti Frederiksen, who has created hits for acts such as Carrie Underwood and Ozzie Osborne. She has also opened for artists like John Michael Montgomery and Sawyer Brown.
The series winds down on Sept. 11 with party band General Gist bringing the curtain down in raucous fashion with its set list of danceable favorites.
Summit View is at 555 Northampton St. In Holyoke.
