Private show in loft space in downtown Holyoke, Massachusetts.

UPDATE: As a result of generous donations from attendees, a sizable donation was given to The SAMFund.

Matthew Carefully

Matthew Carefully

Matthew Carefully (née Matthew Loiacono) is a musician from upstate New York. Performing original and adapted / rearranged music on mandolin, banjo, acoustic & electric guitars, drums, percussion and much more, he is mildly obsessed with marrying traditional instruments with modern technology and sounds. Known to utilize live on-the-fly looping, octave pedals, thick distortion and heavy reverb, Matthew delivers a unique, constantly evolving musical performance. Author Rick Moody (Garden State, The Ice Storm, Right Livelihoods, etc) recently wrote this passage about Matthew in his music blog on The Rumpus.

Will Stratton

Will Stratton

From NPR’s All Song’s Considered: “Just 22, Stratton is already working on his third album. The summer he graduated from high school in New Jersey, Stratton recorded his first album, What the Night Said. His second, No Wonder, was released in 2009 when he graduated from Bennington College. The albums showcase a colorful imagination, and if the first one leans heavily on influences such as Sufjan Stevens (who played oboe on What the Night Said), the second reveals an artist bringing his unique vision into focus. Since Stratton sometimes plays guitar with intricate finger-picking and sings with an intimate, unpretentious voice, he’s often compared to Nick Drake. But Stratton shouldn’t be pigeonholed — he’s evolving and growing too quickly.”

Matthew Larsen and The Documents

Matthew Larsen

Massachusetts piano-based musician Matthew Larsen underwent a stem cell transplant at Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston in 2005. Much of that experience is is reflected in the songs on Apheresis, Matthew Larsen and The Documents’ forthcoming full-length featuring an incredible cast of musicians: Greg Saulmon (King Radio, The Brass), Steve Biegner (Smokejumpers), David Chalfant (The Nields), Mark Schwaber (Hospital, Lloyd Cole and The Small Ensemble), Aric Bieganek (The Royal Order of Chords and Keys, Oweihops), Rebekah Dutkiewicz (Oweihops), Ethan Tufts (State Shirt), Matthew Loiacano (Matthew Carefully, Kamikaze Hearts), and Philip Price (Winterpills). Apheresis is slated for release in the fall of 2010.