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The Yellowhouse Blues Band will perform at the Spire at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 23, for a good cause. Most of the proceeds will go to the Plymouth Taskforce to End Homelessness. Taskforce president Connie Melahoures, who is also one of the group’s founders,said the funds are much needed to support the work of getting people into permanent housing, identifying support services, and providing emergency shelter when all else fails.
Matthew Becker, Yellowhouse’s leader, said the nine-piece band gives to charity through fundraising concerts several times a year, usually to benefit children and music education. Most of the band members are from New Hampshire and Maine, and they reached out to the Spire for this gig.
“Our mission is to play, but also to raise money for nonprofits,” Becker said. “The taskforce is something the Spire had been involved with before, so we got Connie involved.”
Yellowhouse is a “high energy” blues rock band featuring horns. It puts its own take on material from blues legends like Howlin’ Wolf, Motown stars like Aretha Franklin, and more modern artists like the Tedeschi Trucks Band.
Funds raised from the concert will help not only with placing individuals in permanent housing, but also to support the taskforce’s day-to-day costs of staff, supplies, paper goods, utensils, and more, according to Melahoures. Her group works with Plymouth Coalition for the Homeless, which addresses family issues, and when the taskforce started, Melahoures was looking to address a need that wasn’t being met.
More than 80 individuals – who must agree to be overseen by a case manager – have been placed in permanent housing by the taskforce. “We don’t expect people to be perfect,” Melahoures said. Anyone can request emergency shelter as well. Area churches and volunteers have provided beds and meals when possible, but permanent housing is the taskforce’s goal.
“To have people housed is cost-effective because there is less interaction with the emergency room and police,” Melahoures said. The number of those needing housing have increased in the past year, and Melahoures suspects recent benefit cuts will translate to even more unhoused people.
The members of Yellowhouse will barely make any money for themselves, but they are performing for a different kind of reward. Tickets are $49 and $54, and you can buy them here.
Monday, August 18
“East of Wall,” starring Tabatha Zimiga, Porshia Zimiga, Scoot McNairy and Jennifer Ehle, is showing at Plimoth Cinema at Plimoth Patuxet Museums, 137 Warren Ave. In the film, Tabatha (Tabatha Zimiga) is a widowed horse trainer in South Dakota who’s struggling with finances while hosting a group of teenagers on her ranch. Show times are 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. Also showing at 4:30 p.m. is “My Mother’s Wedding,” a comedy about three sisters (and some colorful guests) who gather to celebrate their mother’s third wedding. “It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley,” a documentary that paints a portrait of the young musician who died suddenly in 1997 as his star was ascending, will screen at 7 p.m. All three films will continue at least through Thursday, Aug. 21. Tickets are $12.50, $11 with a club card, $10 for seniors or members, and $8.50 for seniors with a club card.
Tuesday, August 19
Juliette Fay, a Massachusetts author whose latest novel, “The Harvey Girls,” was just released, will give a talk at Book Love, 7 Village Green South, in the Pinehills, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. The historical fiction is based on a story about the young women who worked in a chain of restaurants owned by Fred Harvey along the Santa Fe railroad in the early 1900s. Tickets are $6.76, and you can register for the talk here.
The Forever Young Book Club, at Plymouth Public Library, 132 South St., takes place from6 to 7:15 p.m. Led by Youth Services Librarian Madde Mahony, the club welcomes adults who know that YA books aren’t just for teens. This month, the group will discuss the mystery novel “Needy Little Things” by Chantelle Desamour. The author will be joining the meeting via Zoom. Contact Mahony with questions at 508-830-4250 ext. 225, or by email mmahony@plymouth.ocln.org. Registration is required, and you can do so here.
The Summer of Music series continues from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Craft Center Pavilion at Plimoth Patuxet Museums, 137 Warren Ave., with music by Jessi Kenney. Bring lawn chairs, picnics, games, or purchase pizza or beverages from Plentiful Café, and enjoy the music and ocean views. Tickets are $5 at the door, free for museum members, and free for children under age 5.
Wednesday, August 20
The Spire will be the scene of a free exhibition titled “We Need More Art!” featuring the work of local artist Scotty Hokanson, from 4 to 8 p.m. Hokanson’s paintings, signed by him, will be available for purchase. There will be appetizers and a cash bar, too.
The Project Arts free concerts series tonight will feature Chicago Total Access, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at Pilgrim Memorial State Park on the waterfront.
Thursday, August 21
Nashville singer/songwriter and recording artist Sarah Martin returns to the Spire Lobby Series for a 7:30 p.m. show. She’ll be performing on the main stage after her lobby show was sold out earlier this year. Martin was nominated for Country Artist of the Year by the New England Music Awards in 2022. Tickets are $24, and you can buy them here.
Friday, August 22
Folk legend Judy Collins returns to Memorial Hall for a 7:30 p.m. performance. At 85, Collins continues to write and tour extensively. Her versions of “Both Sides Now,” “Bird on a Wire,” and “Open the Door” are just a few favorite songs that exemplify her range and talent. Tickets are $55 to $89 and can be purchased here.
“Relay,” a thriller written and directed by David Mackenzie and starring Riz Ahmed, Lily James, and Sam Worthington, will screen at Plimoth Cinema at Plimoth Patuxet Museums, 137 Warren Ave. Ahmed plays an innovative “fixer” who brokers payoffs for corrupt corporations, and James plays a client who needs his protection. Show times are 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $12.50, $11 with a club card, $10 for seniors or members, and $8.50 for seniors with a club card.
Sugar Ray and the Bluetones will play at the Spire at 8 p.m., with doors opening at 7 p.m. The band has been around since 1979 and is well-known in the New England region. Singer and harpist Sugar Ray Norcia was inducted into Rhode Island’s Music Hall of Fame in 2012. Along with Ray, the band features drummer Neil Gouvin and bassist “Mudcat” Ward, both from the original lineup. Tickets are $32.80 and $36, and you can buy them here.
Pilgrim Progress steps off at 6 p.m. from the Mayflower Society House, 4 Winslow St., for the final reenactment this month of the group’s August weekly procession past Plymouth Rock, up First Street (now Leyden Street) to the top of Burial Hill, where a short Pilgrim worship service will take place on the site of the original fort/meetinghouse. The costumed participants represent the 51 survivors of the Pilgrim’s first harsh winter of 1620 and 1621, when half their number died. For more information or to participate, visit the group’s Facebook page or contact pilgrimprogress1620@gmail.com.
Saturday, August 23
The Yellowhouse Blues Band will perform at a fundraiser for the Plymouth Taskforce to End Homelessness at the Spire at 8 p.m. See the lead story in this column for more information.
The Plymouth Antiquarian Society invites the public to attend its Antiquarian Summer Fair, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., on the Hedge House lawn, 126 Water St. The event will be held rain or shine, and feature vendors selling classic vintage clothing, antique furniture and decorative items, curated vintage and second-hand books, vintage-inspired jewelry and accessories, classic vinyl records, and more. You can take a chance on a raffle, with lots of great prizes. There will also be tour of Hedge House – admission is $10 per adult, $5 for Plymouth residents, $5 per child, $2 for Plymouth residents’ children, and free for members of the Antiquarian Society. Enjoy the Mayflower Beer Garden and live entertainment. You can buy raffle tickets ($5 for a book of six) in advance by calling 508-746-0012 or emailing info@plymouthantiquarian.org, or on the day of the fair.
The Plymouth Chamber of Commerce will hold its annual Waterfront Festival from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. It will feature more than 200 regional artisans and crafters offering handmade wares in the marketplace, as well as more than 30 food vendors. Sign up for a Ducky Dash race in Brewster Gardens at 4 p.m., view the Rebels and Rods Cruise-In Car Show from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and enjoy musical entertainment and a kids discovery zone all day. Information on parking and getting around, along with more details on the festival, can be found here.
Sunday, August 24
Howie Day, a New England-based singer, songwriter, and guitarist, will perform at the Spire at 7 p.m., with doors opening at 6 p.m. Starting young, Day played coffeehouses after graduating from high school and honed his craft, eventually releasing “Australia,” which was named the best debut album by the 2001 Boston Music Awards. Tickets are $38.20 and $42, and you can buy them here.
Tuesday, August 26
Chess players of all ages and abilities are welcome to attend the Chess Club at Plymouth Public Library, 132 South St., from 6 to 8 p.m. Matches take place in the Nook Road study areas, and chess sets are provided, although you can bring your own. Experienced chess instructor Bill Petrillo and volunteer Jim Pritchard will be on hand to provide guidance.
Wednesday, August 27
The last of the Project Arts free concerts series for 2025 will feature 1989 (a Taylor Swift tribute band), from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at Pilgrim Memorial State Park on the waterfront. (Probably no reveals from Taylor’s upcoming album, though.)
Thursday, August 28
In needs of some laughs to offset the daily doom and gloom? The Comedy Coop will present Stand Up Comedy at Untold Brewing, 2 Loring Blvd., from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Comedians from Boston and beyond will perform. Tickets are $20, and you can get them here.
The Plymouth Public Library, 132 South St., offers an online event from 2 to 3 p.m. with author Dr. Tasha Eurich, who will discuss her latest book, “How to Thrive in a World of Constant Chaos (And why resilience alone isn’t enough).” Eurich, an organizational psychologist, will explain how resilience is not an unlimited resource, and offers tools to navigate the pressures and chaos of everyday life. Register for the event here.
Saturday, August 30
The second annual “We Remember, We Recover” event will be held on the front lawn at the Plymouth Public Library, 132 South St., from 12 noon to 4 p.m. This event honors those lost to substance-use disorder, and celebrates those who are in recovery. Speakers will share their stories to help promote awareness and inspire others. Resource tables manned by community organizations will be available to spread awareness and connect people to support services. This family-friendly event will include food, drinks, live music, and crafts.
Candlelight Concerts by the Listeso String Quartet at Memorial Hall will include the strains of Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons,” among other famous works – by candlelight. Doors open at 6 p.m., and close five minutes before the show begins at 7 p.m., so don’t be late. Attendees must be older than age 8, and those under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Tickets are $28, $41, and $59, and you can buy them here.