Please note: THIS THURSDAY’S (August 14) WOW CONCERT POSTPONED UNTIL SEPTEMBER

Westfield, MA – Westfield On Weekends (WOW) has postponed this week’s Up Close and Musical concert, scheduled for Thursday, August 14th at the WOW Center, 105 Elm Street, due to the unforeseen illness of one of the musicians.

The concert, “Summer Sounds: Hidden Gems for the Clarinet, Flute and Piano,” spotlighting the musicianship of professional musicians Liz Blais-Bennet on clarinet; Olivia Tabb on flute; and Scott Bailey on piano will be rescheduled for a September date .

The free “Up Close” series will continue on Thursday, August 21 at 7pm with “The Summer of ’25,” feature retro-folk artist/songwriter Erin Morse.

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Westfield on Weekend's Up Close and Musical program is a series of large and small recitals with students and faculty performers from Westfield State University. The music spans the ages from Beethoven to Broadway!

Join us for WOW's inaugural "Up Close and Musical's" FREE Summer Music Series!

The free Up Close and Musical series, produced by Westfield on Weekends and local musicians will resume for its inaugural summer season on Thursday, July 24 and continue through September 13, 2025. According to WOW, the summer series has been designed to augment the Downtown Live series of ArtWorks Westfield that is taking place at the Elm Street Plaza and other concerts by the Westfield Athenaeum and other producing organizations and businesses.

“We chose early Thursday evenings and Saturday afternoons, to enhance what already exists within the Cultural District and to offer alternative programming in an intimate, air-conditioned setting.” explained Kathi Bradford, director of the WOW Center.

“Working with WOW board member/music promoter Jacob Fleron and professional musician and WSU graduate, Liz Blais-Bennett, we are proud to feature some of the popular musicians from past Up Close and Musical seasons and to introduce audiences to musical acts from the vibrant DIY musical community in the Pioneer Valley,” Bradford continued.

This year’s series will kick off on Thursday, July 24 at 7pm, and continue every Thursday night at 7pm through August 28, with special Saturday concerts on August 2 and September 13 at 2pm.

Upcoming concerts:

• Saturday, August 2 at 2pm: “Good Summer Vibes” with Braden Collins on vibraphone
• Thursday, August 7 at 7pm: “Cool August Night” with pop artist Caleigh Hope
• Thursday, August 14 at 7pm: “Summer Sounds: Hidden Gems for the Clarinet, Flute & Piano with Liz Blais-Bennett (clarinet), Olivia Tabb (flute), and Scott Bailey (piano) (POSTPONED UNTIL SEPTEMBER)
• Thursday, August 21 at 7pm: “The Summer of ’25” with Retro folk and Pop artists Erin Morse and Moonset Sunrise
• Thursday, August 28 at 7pm: “Rock the Breeze” with Spiralhead (acoustic rock)
• Saturday, September 13 at 2pm: “Chillin’ with Oloukun & Brophy” with Priscilla Oloukun (jazz vocals) and Bryan Brophy (jazz piano)

The summer series is made possible through the financial support of the Massachusetts Cultural Council, the Westfield Cultural Council, the Westfield Downtown Cultural District, the City of Westfield, and donations from the public and audience members. In-kind assistance has been provided by Reminder Publications.

Westfield on Weekends is a program of Westfield on Weekends, a 501(c)(3) volunteer nonprofit that seeks to increase the creative vitality of Westfield through accessible, affordable and educational programming that celebrates the diversity of life in Westfield.