As we prepared for our gig at Eastworks, a visiting jazz fan and photographer from Connecticut observed us and took photographs. Days later, after developing his film, Dan Castelli sent this delightful black and white photo. He titled it, “Music should be fun.”  Yes!  Thank you, Dan!

Photo by Dan Castelli, March 4, 2017

The Expandable Brass Band will play in front of First Churches, Main St, Northampton, on Sunday afternoon November 27, starting at 3:00pm. (Weather permitting)  Our purpose is to raise awareness and funds for the Hampshire Interfaith Winter Shelter, a worthy cause.

The Interfaith Winter Shelter is an emergency “overflow” shelter for homeless adults in Hampshire County, offering warm beds and hot meals from November through April. The shelter is a cooperative effort among the City of Northampton, the 400+ volunteers of the Friends of the Hampshire County Homeless Individuals (the Friends) and Soldier On, and ServiceNet, which provides professional staffing.

We will play 10am Friday August 26 in Greenfield, leading a 2-block parade at the beginning of a  festival called “Free as I Want to Be.”  It will take place jointly in Energy Park and Jaume I gallery on Miles Street and will feature a wide variety of musical performances, a visual art exhibition, craft fair, magic show and dancers. The event is organized by Community Enterprises, which serves adults (22-70+) with developmental/intellectual disabilities.

Come join this annual party to celebrate the harvest.  Come parade with us!  Sunday September 18, Noon.  We will start and end at the Hungry Ghost Bakery, 62 State Street, Northampton.  Other musicians and vendors participate in this delightful Hungry Ghost Bread Festival. Don’t miss it!

On Saturday afternoon August 22 we will play in Holyoke Heritage State Park as part of Celebrate Holyoke, a three-day festival in downtown Holyoke, MA.

We will perform near the Merry-Go-Round, at the Appleton Street end of the park. See entire list of bands for the 3-day festival here;  we are listed in the category “Music Beyond the Main Stage!”  We expect to play two sets between 2pm and 4pm.

Don’t miss this FREE festival. Rain or shine.  Note: “Slide the City” will be there Saturday, all day. (Tickets required for that wet wild ride down Dwight Street.)

Celebrate_Holyoke_2015_poster

We will be playing Sunday June 7, 11:30am, at the Annual Health Fair of the Shiloh SDA Church, 797 State Street, Springfield, MA.  The Health Fair is open to the public 11 am to 4pm.  This is a family-friendly event near the Mason Square.   Come for Food, Fitness, Fun.Cheap Jerseys from china  We expect to play for about an hour.  Last year we had fun leading a parade of children around the fair.

See  http://www.shilohsdachurch.org/

On Sunday April 26 we’ll be playing for the Daffodil Fun Run for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampshire County.

We’ll be rehearsing on the other Sundays in April, at our usual time: 12:30-2:30pm.

• April 5  at the Common House, Pathways Co-Housing, 1 Mountain Laurel Place, Florence, MA.
• April 12,  Common House, Pathways Co-Housing, 1 Mountain Laurel Place, Florence, MA.
• April 19, at 41 Cross Path Rd, Northampton. (Deirdre is hosting this one. Now that the weather has warmed up, she says,  “We can play on the front porch and march up and down the driveway if we want to practice our parade playing skills. We will have an audience across the street of chickens and  El Pacas.”)

No more rehearsals ’til May 10, because we have gigs the next 2 weekends. See below.  Future rehearsals (May 10- ) will be at Maines Field, Florence — outdoors in good weather, or under the roof there if raining.

On March 29 we will rehearse at Flywheel, 43 Main St, Easthampton, MA.  12:30-2:30pm

All our rehearsals are open to prospective members.  Come any Sunday 12:30-2:30pm.

Check postings on this website to learn the location of the upcoming rehearsals.  In summer we tend to be outdoors at Maine’s Field in Florence, MA.  In winter we often rehearse in the Common House, Pathways Co-Housing, 1 Mountain Laurel Place, Florence. Sometimes we’re at Flywheel in Easthampton, or at other locations.

We’ll be playing for the Holyoke St. Patrick’s Road Race on Saturday, March 21.

You can find us at the corner of Homestead and Westfield Roads, about mid-way in the course. We’ll start about 1:00pm, playing for the crowd that awaits the runners. Then we play to cheer the runners along. For more about the event, visit the official Holyoke St. Patrick’s Road Race website.  It is the 40th year of this race.