FALL 2025
TRACY C // NORTH ADAMS // LAMPLIGHTER // TIPTOP // FILM FEST
I know a lot of people who dread fall, the waning of the light, the approach of the cold, etc. This might make sense on paper, but to me it’s obviously the best and most magic season of the year, and also the most energizing, which is a good thing because there’s a lot going on on all fronts! Performance-wise, I have several fun collaborative productions to tell you about, as well as one top-shelf solo show. As follows:
TRACY CHAPMAN 10/23 // I love these nights celebrating great songwriters hosted by Signature Sounds; they’re always fun and joyful affairs. This one will feature the songs of Tracy Chapman as performed by Pamela Means, Evelyn Harris, Kimaya Diggs, Kaliis Smith, and yours truly, with the house band Deep River Ramblers. All this will go down at the Iron Horse in Northampton, MA on Thursday, October 23.
Tracy’s early records are a part of me on a cellular level, but it’s been a while since I’ve spent any focused time with her songs - and man they are feeling RELEVANT. I can’t wait to hear everyone’s renditions and gather around the flame of this timeless work. At the time of writing it’s sold out, but I’m sure there’s a waiting list?
LAMPLIGHTER 11/2 // Every November my buds Peter Mulvey and Barry Rothman put together a series of shows designed to explore uncharted artistic territory, and it’s always a unique experience for everyone on and off stage. This year I’m on for a show called Terra Incognita, billed as an “experimental evening of new, used, unfinished and improvised songs.” The show is at Club Passim in Cambridge, MA on Sunday, November 2 with me, Mulvey, Barry, Rose Polenzani, and James Rohr, and none of us have any idea what it will end up being, which is exactly the point. Come all ye bold adventurers!
TIPTOP 11/14 // A few months back my spouse yelled from the other room Do you want to play a wine shop with me in November? and I evidently yelled back Sure! Thus Jeffrey Foucault and I will be at TipTop Wine Shop in Easthampton, MA on Friday, November 14, minimally amplified, swapping songs. I’ve never been to the shop but I love it already. Wine tasting at 8, music at 9, like we used to do it, before the lockdown made us all weak people who go to bed early.
NORTH ADAMS 11/16 // My only solo show of the fall is a special one, a civilized Sunday-afternoon deal at the gorgeous Studio 9 at the Porches Inn in North Adams, MA on Sunday, November 16. Studio 9 is a creation of the Freshgrass Foundation, a standalone building used for both recording and performance, built carbon-neutral, with amazing acoustics and glass walls to let the outside in. I’m really looking forward to floating some songs into that space and seeing what happens. Again this show is early at 4:00pm! Don’t snooze on tickets, it’s a cozy space.
DAVE MOORE 12/11 // Last show of 2025 will be an all-star gathering celebrating the songs of the great Dave Moore at the Englert Theater in Iowa City, IA on Thursday, December 11. This kind of lovefest often happens after songwriters pass on, but happily Dave is very much among us, and will be playing all night. The first set will be Dave songs fronted by Greg Brown, Iris Dement, Bo Ramsey, Pieta Brown, Joe and Vicki Price, Jeffrey Foucault, Erik Koskinen, David Huckfelt, Dustin Busch, David Zollo, Kevin Gordon, Phil Heywood, and yours truly - and the second set will be Dave songs fronted by Dave - all of the above backed by JF’s band. Dave is a next-level songwriter and a true peach of a guy, and this show will be one to not miss! This show will sell out so act accordingly.
ASHFIELD FILM FEST // I loved so many things about working on the “Not the Only One” video with Jason Elon Goodman, but one of the sweetest surprises was that, in making a companion piece to the song, we ended up painting an impromptu portrait of my town too. Once it came out, so many folks encouraged me to submit it to our local Ashfield Film Festival that I actually got my shit together and did it! I was out of town for the festival but our video won its category, and my daughter accepted the award on my behalf. We received an amazing & unique award made by local glassblowers, and a cash prize which I’ll be donating back to community orgs as soon as it hits my bank account. I'm so glad to have been able to hold up a loving mirror to my community, and so proud of this video which, literally, took a village to make. I’m sure Grammys are very nice, but for pure warm fuzzies I’m not sure this one can be beat.
That’s it for music news this month. I must say I’m glad I don’t have a show this Saturday so I can participate in my local No Kings demonstration. I like that word better than “protest” for this one - not that there’s not plenty to protest against - but I think the project here is to demonstrate what we’re for, what the vast majority of us believe in and support and want to defend, for instance democracy, the Constitution, freedom of speech/press/assembly, due process, separation of powers, etc. If you’re for those things too, you might consider taking to the streets this Saturday. Cultural alignments aside, political preferences aside, this is a chance to join forces in defense of the fundamental framework of our society. You can find your local event here and no, you don’t have to sign up; just go, committed to non-violence and ready to gather in solidarity with your neighbors.
After that PSA I'll just wish you all a very sweet fall full of music and energy and, ideally, cider donuts. See you out in it! *kd
UPCOMING SHOWS:
10/23 - IRON HORSE - “Songs of Tracy Chapman” show - NORTHAMPTON, MA - TIX
11/2 - CLUB PASSIM - Lamplighter Sessions - CAMBRIDGE, MA - TIX
11/14 - TIPTOP WINE SHOP - cobill w/ Jeffrey Foucault - EASTHAMPTON, MA - TIX
11/16 - STUDIO 9 at THE PORCHES - KD solo - NORTH ADAMS, MA - TIX
12/11 - ENGLERT THEATER - “Songs of Dave Moore” show - IOWA CITY, IA - TIX
info & tickets for all dates at https://krisdelmhorst.com/tour
