Organizers announce music fest in September

Date: 7/27/2017

SPRINGFIELD - The Springfield Jam Fest, the first in what promoters say will be an annual musical event in the city, will take place Sept. 9 at Court Square.

Mayor Domenic Sarno, local rock legend Peter Newland and Springfield Business Improvement District (BID) Executive Director Chris Russell made the announcement on July 19.

The concert will take place on two stages at Court Square and will raise finds for the National Alliance on Mental Health in Western Massachusetts (NAMI). Russell said the benefit concert has been in the works for the past two years and thanks to sponsors who have already signed on to support the show, the expenses are covered and any additional sponsorship funds will go to NAMI.

Newland, well known as both a solo performer and as the lead singer for Fat, said he wanted to do something help NAMI and support local talent.

He said the event is a “holistic and inclusive vision.” The bill includes music acts ranging from rock, county, blues and reggae.

Appearing on Sept. 9 will be Fat, The Alchemystics, Trailer Trash, Conjuto Barrio, Feel Good Drift, Berkshire Hill Academy, Alex Tuohey, Maxxtone, The Pitts Campaign Experience, Pamela Means, Eric Lee, Nate “Outerstule” Martel, Lisa Martins, Paul Sticca and Sparkey Allison.

The music will start at noon and run until 11 p.m.

Bernice Drumheller, the president of NAMI, said, “We are so grateful, so appreciative of the BID to allowing this to take place.”  She continued, “Our mission is to help all those living with mental illness and their families.”

Newland spoke of the stigma often attached to mental illness and said, “We’re going to rock the stigma.”