Marking 17 Years, The Thing in the Spring Returns with Exciting Lineup of Performers

Keene's annual spring celebration of music and art will return next week, and edition 17 of The Thing in the Spring promises to be a three-day slate of varied and engaging performances that are not to be missed. Presented by Nova Arts, which is fiscally sponsored by Arts Alive and supported by the Putnam Foundation and the Osier Fund, this year's The Thing in the Spring will be held May 16 to 18 and will feature 30-plus performances across three stages, as well as collaborative presentations with The Colonial Theatre and Monadnock Music. "Every year there are elements that are different, and we try to do something new," said Nove Arts Program Director Eric Gagne of the festival, which kicks off on Friday, May 16, with jazz, avant-garde, classical and shoegaze (a subgenre of indie and alternative rock) performances. Friday's acts include headliner Josh Johnson, a saxophonist, composer, multi-instrumentalist and Grammy Award-winning producer who has worked with musicians like Miley Cyrus and Meshell Ndegeocello. He's been musical director for Leon Bridges and his contemporary jazz album credits have put him alongside Jeff Parker, Anna Butterss and Makaya McCraven. Accompanying Anna Butterss, Johnson is also a member of the jazz quintet SML. "He's super innovative and really unique," said Gagne of Johnson's sound. "It sounds like he has 20 people playing with him on stage. He's amazing." Also on Friday, co-presented by Monadnock Music, the Argus Quartet will present a program featuring work by New York composer Molly Herron, a Peterborough native. Additional shows include Irish songwriter Maria Somerville, Mission of Burma frontman Roger Clark Miller, Sailor Down and the first night of psych/experimental behemoth Sunburned Hand of the Man as they kick off a three-day residency. Gagne described the group as a decades-old collection of changing artists from all over who combine to present performance art, poetry and more with ever-changing sets. The residency option offered an exciting way for them to perform, he added. On Saturday, May 17, in partnership with Colonial Performing Arts Center, the festival will present indie-rock architect and Pavement frontman Stephen Malkmus in a solo performance at The Colonial Theatre with Mirah opening. "He's one of my favorite musicians of all time and Pavement is my favorite band of all time. Having the show at The Colonial will be very special," Gagne said. Prior to the evening concert by Malkmus will be several other performances by indie and punk bands from around New England: Boston-based acts include Speedy Ortiz, Kal Marks and Rong; Wake in Fright from Maine (featuring Micah Blue Smaldone); Chinese psychedelic sound DakouDakou; Minibeast, another Mission of Burma side project; Manchester's Cozy Throne; and day two of Sunburned Hand of the Man. Additionally, the Undertow Brass Band, a punk-rock marching band from Providence, will lead a parade from the Nova Arts stages to The Colonial. Following the Malkmus show, an afterparty at Kilkenny Pub off Main Street will feature Paper Castles, All Feels and Commemorative Cup. Saturday events also include a literary reading by Liz Pelly, author of "Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist," and six poetry readings at Toadstool Bookshop. A hands-on "Creature Show & Tell Workshop" will be held at Puggy's (across the street from Nova Arts) with BIG NAZO LAB, an artist collective from Rhode Island that will utilize pre-existing prop and costume work samples designed to inspire playful experimentation with alternate identities and creative expression. For the final day of the festival on Sunday, May 18, musical acts will cover experimental pop, jazz and folk music. Chicago's Califone is an electro-acoustic ensemble and songwriting vehicle. Vocalist and activist Amirtha Kidambi will bring her group Elder Ones, blending jazz and devotional music in opposition to oppression and white supremacy. Plus, Kentucky songbird Joan Shelley will perform, along with shows by Aisha Burns, Derek Sensale, Maryse Smith, Sam Moss and the final day of Sunburned Hand of the Man as they wrap up their residency. Gagne said the event has continued to grow and attract larger audiences each year, with hundreds of festivalgoers now coming into Keene from New York and beyond to enjoy the weekend's events. There tends to be a mix of both weekend pass buyers and those who attend single shows. "It's changed the cultural landscape of what we are," he explained of the festival's impact. "It's an example of 'build where you live into how you want it to be all the time.' I really appreciate the luxury and the opportunity to have the freedom to breathe life into this every year." Fundraising and generous underwriters are crucial to the event's success, he added, and ticket sales tend to then support the coming year's activities. Shows are held rain or shine, although intense downpours have been known to relocate performances to the inside stage at Nova Arts. Above all else, Gagne said the festival consistently aims to offer an intimate concert setting that audiences can recognize and enjoy, adding, "We want people to feel that they can experience new sounds and new ideas." Nova Arts is located at 48 Emerald St. in Keene. Tickets, day passes and a limited number of weekend passes are available online at thethinginthespring.com. Tickets are also available at the door. Visit the website for more information, FAQs, performer videos and to learn more about event partners and underwriters.