Taking place October 31st to November 4th.
The Lamplighter Sessions return to Club Passim from October 31 to November 4th, where various musicians will share improvisational music, spoken word, visual art, and theater. Presented by acclaimed singer-songwriter Peter Mulvey, the Lamplighter Sessions is a one-room festival of performances that has been a staple on the Club Passim calendar for over ten years. This year's series will include an eclectic mix of genres, a costume party, and the annual performance of Tom Waits's classic record “Rain Dogs.” Tickets are on sale now at passim.org.
A veteran singer and songwriter from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Mulvey began his career on the streets of Dublin, Ireland, as a busker and moved on to performing in the subways and streets of Boston. He received his first record deal in Boston in 1994 and has made seventeen records since, spanning rock and roll, folk, jazz, spoken word, and Americana.
“The Lamplighter Sessions is an annual festival/carnival that puts creators Peter Mulvey and Barry Rothman in a myriad of musical situations and contexts,” says Matt Smith, Managing Director of Passim. “Some familiar, some new, and all brilliantly original and artistic.”
The Lamplighter Sessions begin Thursday, October 31 at 8 pm with Mulvey playing with musicians Kevin Barry and Jenna Nichols as they spin the wheel of the American Songbook. It's a Halloween Party; the artists will be dressed up in costumes and the attendees are also invited to as well.
On Friday, November 1 at 8 pm, Mulvey & The Crumbling Beauties will perform Tom Waits' 1985 album "Rain Dogs" Noted as Waits' most critically acclaimed work, the album is full of various songs and genres, such as cabaret numbers, country songs, gospel, polkas, and ballads.
For More Fun in the New World on Saturday, November 2, at 8 pm, Mulvey is joined by artists James Rohr, Rose Polenzani, Barry Rothman, and Tim Gearan for a full night of musical improvisations.
On Sunday, November 3, at 7 pm for Meet Your Maker, Mulvey, Stash Wyslouch, and Raymond Gonzalez play an assortment of brand new guitars, handmade for the occasion by members of the New England Luthier's Association. The evening will also include a Q&A session with the builders.
Monday, November 4, at 8 pm, Mulvey will be joined by fellow Folk Collective members Alastair Moock, Kim Moberg, Stephanie McKay, Lydia Harrell, Almira Ara, and Gabriella Simpkins for Songs For The Day After Tomorrow, talking and singing on what they hope to see after the outcome of the election, in terms of social justice, environmental justice, and human kindness. Members of RadioSwan, Barry Rothman and Dinty Child will join.
"If we are going to survive as a species we will need to learn to collaborate,” says Mulvey. “This yearly festival is a tiny breath, blowing on the flame of collaboration."
Mulvey is part of Passim's Folk Collective, a cohort of artists, musicians, and cultural thought leaders from the greater Boston area dedicated to exchanging ideas and developing projects to expand and diversify the musical and cultural offerings.
Peter Mulvey Presents the Lamplighter Sessions on October 31st to November 4th. Tickets are $28 and can be found at passim.org. Passim is located at 47 Palmer Street in the basement of an historic brick delivery and carriage house. It is on the corner of Church and Palmer Streets.
Videos