Zydeco Dance Party Slated at Mass MoCA

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C.J. Chenier and his Red Hot Louisana Band will appear at Mass MoCA.
NORTH ADAMS — C.J. Chenier and the Red Hot Louisiana Band will host a zydeco dance party on Friday, April 11,  at 8  p.m. in the Hunter Center at Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art.

With a solo career dating back to 1987 and six albums under his belt,  Chenier is widely regarded as one of zydeco's best singers, musicians, and live performers.

Zydeco is a popular music of southern Louisiana that combines French dance melodies, elements of Caribbean music, and the blues.

Chenier  and the Red Hot Louisiana Band's bayou beats are mixed with elements of funk, blues, and ballads, as well as traditional zydeco material. Chenier infuses his songs with strong vocals and skillful accordion-playing.

Beverage and bar service, as well as a range of dinner selections from Lickety Split, will be available when the doors open at 7 and throughout the night. Dance instruction, arranged by Jacob's Pillow, will begin at 8. The event is presented as part of the Williamstown Jazz Festival, taking place at venues throughout the region. For more information: www.williamstownjazz.com.

Tickets are $14 in advance/ $18 day of show. Mass MoCA members receive a 10 percent discount. Tickets are available through the box officeoff Marshall Street from 11 to 5, Wednesdays through Mondays; by phone at 413-662-2111 during office hours or at www.massmoca.org.
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Sanford, Maine, Edges SteepleCats in Season Opener

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires.com Sports
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. – The SteepleCats Sunday started their 2026 season the way they ended their 2025 campaign: with a narrow loss to the Sanford Mainers.
 
Sanford, which won a best-of-three playoff series against North Adams last August, scored four runs on 14 hits to earn a 4-2 win at Joe Wolfe Field.
 
The Mainers broke a 1-1 tie with a two-run rally in the third inning, and four Sanford pitchers combined to collect 11 strikeouts as the visitors improved to 2-1 this summer.
 
North Adams, which saw its planned road opener rained out on Saturday, got to open the season in front of its home fans.
 
And those fans saw a strong performance from the North Adams pitching staff, which, despite allowing 14 hits, including five doubles, gave up just three earned runs.
 
“I like the grit,” SteepleCats coach Mike Gladu said of his team’s Game 1 performance. “I thought the pitchers performed pretty well. We had a couple of situations where we definitely should have gotten some runs in and didn’t get that hit.
 
“And there were a couple of plays with a little rust. Certainly, the ball that was hit over [Evan] Meier’s in left field, he just mistracked that one. And the extra run they scored in the eighth, the kid wasn’t going to go [from third on a fly ball], we made a throw and nobody could stop it.
 
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