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BREAKING NEWS!!! Pastures returns this fall to it's original home at Club Passim
in Harvard Sq. The first show is Saturday, October 18 with guests TBA.
History
“... the hippest hootenannies in town” -The Boston GlobePastures of Plenty is a big 'ol hootenanny which Alastair Moock started putting together in Boston
almost ten years ago. The idea was to bridge some of the gaps Moock saw in the Boston music scene —
between the folk and roots rock crowds, between the contemporary and traditional scenes, and between younger
and older players. But what it really came down to was bringing together some of the region's best songwriters and
musicians to swap tunes on a stage.
From the start, the response from audiences and musicians alike was overwhelmingly enthusiastic. Something about the
particular mix of talent, familiar material, and loose format struck a chord.
Past shows have taken place at venues and events throughout the northeast, including the Newport and Boston Folk
Festivals, The Cambridge Central Square World's Fair, Worcester First Night, The Regent
and Coolidge Corner Theaters, and many of the Boston area coffeehouses. Shows have also been performed
for a number of children's events and as a member concert for WUMB, Boston's folk station.
The list of guests over the years reads like a who's who of New England folk and roots
musicians: Bill Morrissey, Lori McKenna, Ronnie Earl, Kris Delmhorst, Mark Erelli,
The Resophonics, Jennifer Kimball, Dennis Brennan, Merrie Amsterburg,
Rachael Davis and The Silver Leaf Gospel Singers, to name just a few.
Praise and Press
The Boston Globe:
“Together as Pastures of Plenty, road buddies The Resophonics and Alastair Moock turn shows into jam-happy hootenannies with
swashbuckling doses of impromptu adventure and sly reinventions of old folk chestnuts. The Resophonics are rollicking urban
bluegrassers who smartly meld pick ‘n grin mischief with the probing intimacy of the modern songwriter. Moock is cut from the
same neo-folksy cloth; his songs range from real-life revelation to earthy satire and are reminiscent of his hero, Woody Guthrie”
The Boston Herald:
“A wonderful concert that proves how well folk-popsters can mine the inexhaustibly valuable vein of American songs...”
Beth Harrington, Producer/Director, The Winding Stream: A Musical Journey with the Original Carter Family:
“I have had the distinct pleasure of hearing Pastures of Plenty at a concert connected to my latest film project about the
Original Carter Family. While this fantastic group of musicians played, I couldn't help thinking how ol' A.P. Carter himself
would have been so pleased to know that young people like this still understood the essence of great songs, great arrangements
and great playing. They are the living embodiment of a very old tradition, but one that still clearly speaks to us in the
present day. I love ‘em.”
Marilyn Rea Beyer, WUMB:
“Moock and his gang of American roots-loving pals honor the tradition and give it a good swift kick into the 21st century.
Better yet, the players are so good, they make it look easy — so the virtuosity looks like plain old back porch fun. Grab a
three-legged stool and plunk yerself down for some great music worth telling the neighbors about.”
Betsy Siggins, Executive Director, Club Passim:
“The heart of a Pastures show, is the sweet echo of the past intertwined with a world weary knowing of today. Magical,
rootsy and wise.”
Mark Erelli, Singer-Songwriter and Prize-Winner for Most Frequent Pastures of Plenty Guest:
“Woody Guthrie once wrote that he wanted to write songs which made people feel that they were ‘bound to win.’ Alastair
Moock's Pastures of Plenty is a rollicking celebration of music and community that would make Guthrie proud. Moock's
respect for tradition never gets in the way of his irreverence for the lines between past and present, performer and
audience. By the end of the show, everyone is singing and stomping their feet to the music, and everyone is a winner.”
- Read a Boston Globe article about Pastures
- Read an interview with Moock about Pastures in The Club Passim Listening Room
Selected Appearances
- 2006 First Night Celebration (Worcester, MA)
- 2005 Boston Folk Festival (Boston, MA)
- 2004 Central Square World's Fair (Cambridge, MA)
- 2002 Newport Folk Festival (Newport, RI)
- Club Passim (Cambridge, MA)
- The Coolidge Corner Theater (Brookline, MA)
- Johnny D's Uptown (Somerville, MA)
- The Linden Tree Coffeehouse (Wakefield, MA)
- The Lizard Lounge (Cambridge, MA)
- The Me and Thee Coffeehouse (Marblehead, MA)
- The Mozaic Room Coffeehouse (Avon, MA)
- A New Song Coffeehouse (Bedford, MA)
- The Regent Theater (Arlington, MA)
- The Uncommon Coffeehouse (Framingham, MA)
- WUMB Member Concert Series (Boston, MA)
Guests: 1999 - 2007
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