Schedule

Boston\'s Parents\' Choice Award-winning band, Vanessa Trien and the Jumping Monkeys, joins this year\'s New Years Needham celebration for an interactive, lively family song and dance party, the perfect way to ring in the New Year! Vanessa\'s original songs and audience-participatory approach to her shows, mixed with infectious folk-pop-world sounds by some of Boston\'s best musicians and her warmth and humor on stage are a recipe for a perfect musical morning out with the family. Come sing, dance, jump, tickle, spin and imagine with the Jumping Monkeys. The show is perfect for kids ages 2-8. Website

Boston\'s Parents\' Choice Award-winning band, Vanessa Trien and the Jumping Monkeys, joins this year\'s New Years Needham celebration for an interactive, lively family song and dance party, the perfect way to ring in the New Year! Vanessa\'s original songs and audience-participatory approach to her shows, mixed with infectious folk-pop-world sounds by some of Boston\'s best musicians and her warmth and humor on stage are a recipe for a perfect musical morning out with the family. Come sing, dance, jump, tickle, spin and imagine with the Jumping Monkeys. The show is perfect for kids ages 2-8. Website

The Painting Place - owned by Needham’s own Samara Helfman - will offer face painting from 11-4 in the Town Hall. $5 Button required She will also bring mugs for kids/adults to have the option to paint at a charge of $20 per mug - plus a free packet of hot cocoa for each mug paint! The price is inclusive of all supplies and firing to ensure the mug will be dishwasher, food and microwave safe! The Mugs will be ready about a week after New Year’s Needham to be picked up at the Wellesley location just 3 miles up the road. The Painting Place 380 WASHINGTON ST. WELLESLEY MA. 02481 781-235-0400 Website

The Tom Nutile Big Band, based in Needham, is one of New England’s first-call bands for dances, black-tie galas, outdoor concerts and parties. This 17-piece ensemble, with a male and female vocalist, has performed at the DCU Center, Hanover Theatre, Museum of Fine Arts, the Ritz-Carlton and Scullers Jazz Club. With a repertoire that includes hits from the golden era of swing as well as modern pop, soul and rock favorites, this band has delighted audiences of all sizes, from intimate dinner parties to a total of more than two million people at the opening events for the Big Dig in Boston.. Website

A terrible drought has overtaken the land, and all the world has turned brown and lifeless. The Dragon King is ruler over all things water, and the people are beginning to wonder why he has not brought the life-giving rains in such a very long time. An underwater fantasy based on Chinese folklore, The Dragon King tells the tale of an intrepid Grandmother who journeys to the bottom of the sea in search of the elusive Dragon King, and the answers to why he has forsaken the land above. Colorful sea creatures, an exciting adventure, and a Dragon King that will knock your socks off! All this and more can be found in this award-winning production. Website

FOLKTALE SUPERHEROES! Celebrate our common love of story with these exciting and engaging multi-cultural tales and songs. From Anansi the African Spider God who has web-spinning adventures like Spiderman to the Lord of the Cranes from China who gives to the poor like Robin Hood, cultures around the world delight in stories about right triumphing over wrong. Ninja Turtles stand back! Jabuti the flute-playing tortoise from the Amazon has dramatic adventures too. He saves all the rainforest animals from a one-eyed, four-armed monster all the while teaching the audience how to dance and sing a joyful song. The Superheroes of today are based on folkloric characters from long ago. Enjoy world folktales about our earliest Super Heroes who use their extraordinary powers for the good of all. Website

Face Painting and Henna temporary body art. $5 Button required FACE PAINTING -- The Painting Place - owned by Needham’s own Samara Helfman - will offer free face painting from 11-4 HENNA -- The art of henna has been practiced for over 5000 years in Pakistan, India, Africa and the Middle East. People all over the world have adopted the ancient traditions of adorning their bodies with the beautiful temporary natural artwork created from the henna plant. From 1-3pm Free Henna by Deepa’s Beauty Salon of Norwood, courtesy of New Year’s Needham.

FOLKTALE SUPERHEROES! Celebrate our common love of story with these exciting and engaging multi-cultural tales and songs. From Anansi the African Spider God who has web-spinning adventures like Spiderman to the Lord of the Cranes from China who gives to the poor like Robin Hood, cultures around the world delight in stories about right triumphing over wrong. Ninja Turtles stand back! Jabuti the flute-playing tortoise from the Amazon has dramatic adventures too. He saves all the rainforest animals from a one-eyed, four-armed monster all the while teaching the audience how to dance and sing a joyful song. The Superheroes of today are based on folkloric characters from long ago. Enjoy world folktales about our earliest Super Heroes who use their extraordinary powers for the good of all. Website

This will be an Open Mic for ALL, adults as well as Plugged-In-Teens.
Plugged-In is based in Needham, MA. Its dual focus is to give young people a venue through which they can channel their creativity, learn to work in a group, and improve their music skills while learning about the value and importance of social activism. In addition to the Plugged In benefit concert series, you╒ll see Plugged In performing at Needham Business Association functions, the Needham Fourth of July Parade, the Pollard Middle School, and many other local events. Website

A terrible drought has overtaken the land, and all the world has turned brown and lifeless. The Dragon King is ruler over all things water, and the people are beginning to wonder why he has not brought the life-giving rains in such a very long time. An underwater fantasy based on Chinese folklore, The Dragon King tells the tale of an intrepid Grandmother who journeys to the bottom of the sea in search of the elusive Dragon King, and the answers to why he has forsaken the land above. Colorful sea creatures, an exciting adventure, and a Dragon King that will knock your socks off! All this and more can be found in this award-winning production. Website

Come see Needham’s classical ballet school, Charles River Ballet Academy, perform classical dances from Sleeping Beauty, Graduation Ball, and Giselle, as well as original choreography to the music of Pachelbel, the Annie soundtrack, and Paul Simon. Forty-five local students of CRBA age 8-18 will perform in our 11th annual New Years Needham show. With beautiful costumes, classical music, and impressive dancing, come be inspired by the dedication, artistry, and talent of ballet students from our community. Website

See the show audiences are calling “Superb!”, “A blast!”, and “Heartwarming fun for the whole family.” Join magician and juggler Scott Jameson {on (date/time) at (venue)} for an extraordinary performance that will have you laughing out loud and perched on the very edge of your seat. Umbrellas will be plucked from thin air, a drawing will come to life, basketballs will be spun and juggled, and a member of the audience will unlock telekinetic abilities. Website

The Painting Place - owned by Needham’s own Samara Helfman - will offer face painting from 11-4 in the Town Hall. $5 Button required. She will also bring mugs for kids/adults to have the option to paint at a charge of $20 per mug - plus a free packet of hot cocoa for each mug paint! The price is inclusive of all supplies and firing to ensure the mug will be dishwasher, food and microwave safe! The Mugs will be ready about a week after New Year’s Needham to be picked up at the Wellesley location just 3 miles up the road. The Painting Place 380 WASHINGTON ST. WELLESLEY MA. 02481 781-235-0400 Website

This is NOT your gym class square dancing anymore! Square dance with today’s modern music. Stay fit with this proven mind and body workout. No experience needed for this New Year’s event. Meet people in the square dancing social network. Website

See the show audiences are calling “Superb!”, “A blast!”, and “Heartwarming fun for the whole family.” Join magician and juggler Scott Jameson {on (date/time) at (venue)} for an extraordinary performance that will have you laughing out loud and perched on the very edge of your seat. Umbrellas will be plucked from thin air, a drawing will come to life, basketballs will be spun and juggled, and a member of the audience will unlock telekinetic abilities. Website

Kemp Harris defies categorization. He is a singer and songwriter, a master weaver of American musical styles. He’s an actor, activist, author, and storyteller. “It’s all about communication,” Kemp says. “Everything I do.” Kemp honed his powerful, intimate performance style in Cambridge’s coffeehouses, developing into a magnetic frontman who has shared stages with artists such as Koko Taylor, Gil Scott-Heron, and Taj Mahal. He has composed original music for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Complexions Contemporary Ballet, established a songwriting residency at Boston’s Wang Theater, and recently delivered a series of master classes at Berklee College of Music on the subject of Artists as Activists, alongside Chad Stokes of the band Dispatch and members of the dance troupe Urban Bush Women. Kemp’s most recent album, Edenton, featuring vocals from the legendary Holmes Brothers, is a modern blues journey that fuses the personal and the political, the sacred and the profane, to haunting effect. Edenton’s title track, a bittersweet valentine to his birthplace, explores a simpler time in a racially-divided town with the clear-eyed grace that is a hallmark of Kemp’s work. Everything he makes is built on a foundation of social awareness and the desire to reflect the world as he sees and experiences it. Whether he’s performing a rousing soul tune backed by a 14-piece orchestra in a grand concert hall or a hushed meditation alone at his piano, Kemp speaks truth the only way he knows how: by baring his soul. Considering the state of the world, it is no wonder Kemp is back on the road playing to the biggest audiences of his life - selling out rooms from Northern New England to New York City and enjoying a wave of new fans who have discovered this seasoned Renaissance man via word of mouth. “Nobody tries to pigeonhole me,” says a delighted Kemp, clearly thrilled to be taking his career to the next level. “My audience allows me to be myself and do it all.” Kemp’s powers of observation, his unique gift for shining a light on the modern world and what it means to be alive, have only deepened over a lifetime devoted to the most basic and profound of pursuits: human connection. Whether he’s in the classroom, on a film set, leading a workshop, or performing on the concert stage, “at the end of the day,” Kemp says, “I’m an old black man telling stories and spreading the love.” Website

The Jazz Punishers quirky name is representative of the band members\' sense of humor and lightheartedness about the music they love, playing a blend of classic jazz standards, many with a fresh twist, contemporary jazz, and even some R&B. We\'re a versatile and lively jazz quartet with our special guest vocalist. Jason Macres, Saxophones Jim Zaroulis, Keyboards and Piano Ed Spargo, Bass Steve Bankuti, Drums Marcia Macres, Vocals Website

Conceived about a year ago in the shadows of North Hill on the western end of Needham, The North Hill Band was originally formed as a neighborhood band to play at a block party. So much groove and fun was had that they decided to keep it going while adding a few more musical brothers to the stew. Expect a mix of tight grooved originals plus funk-jazz classics peppered with gritty vocals. Dave Adams-alto saxophone KG Hashimoto-trumpet Dan Fiori-keyboards Scott Wilson-drums Michael Opton-guitar and vocals Erik Neldner-bass and vocals

Needham Community Theatre (NCT) has been performing shows in the community continuously for 60 years. Throughout our history, hundreds of residents of Needham and surrounding towns have been a part of our productions. We look forward to many more years of high quality community theater productions, and we welcome your support!. Website

Brad Faucher is a musician, music teacher, short film producer, and live music producer living in Waltham, MA. Faucher has long been a first-call guitarist and vocalist on the Boston blues, jazz, and R&B scenes. You may have seen him playing his blues-drenched guitar with Boston’s best including: Chicago Bob Nelson, Bird Taylor, Sweet Willie D, Nicole Nelson and Diane Blue. Notable local performances include the Regent Theatre in Arlington, Boston’s Symphony Hall, Tanglewood. Brad effortlessly blends blues, jazz, gospel, and R&B in the tradition of Big Bill Broonzy, Reverend Gary Davis, Johnny Guitar Watson, Grant Green, Snooks Eaglin, Cornell Dupree, and O’Donnell Levy. You can currently see him perform with Session450, Lowdown and Dirty, KONG, Grant AME Male Gospel Chorus, or SOLO.

The Joy Reo Trio is a cabaret jazz band in metro Boston that features soulful, sassy and classy songs that range from 1920s show tunes to 1940s jazz standards and 2010s pop hits. Vocalist Joy Reo is accompanied by the marvelous Molly Flannery on piano, and the divine Diane Heffner on clarinet and saxophone. Flannery has a distinctive fluidity on the piano, with her melodic improvisations, and an ability to groove in jazz, Latin, and Brazilian idioms. Heffner’s versatile and sensitive touch on tenor sax and clarinet is founded on a lifelong career in classical and jazz performance. Reo delivers lyrics with range and resonance to make audiences laugh, dance and smile. Tune in to their repertoire of torch songs, tender ballads, and comedic show tunes!

Jon steps inside people’s heads. He knows what you’re thinking. Don’t believe it? Well, he already knew that. Jon has performed for three U.S. Presidents, The King of Sweden, The Royal Family of Monaco, and has appeared on several major Television Networks. Interjecting uproarious comedy into each program, Jon creates a hilarious and unique presentation that never fails to blow the audience away. Stetson blends the art of Mystery with the study of Psychology, the predictability of human nature and the power of intuition, with a disarming sense of humor. The result is slack jawed amazement, where the most skeptical of audience members begin to feel a renewed sense of wonder as impossibilities become realities. (Ages 18+) Website

A collection of folk and rock favorites from the 60s to today. Tom is a Needham native with deep roots in the UU and also the co-founder of the Plugged In Band program. Included is a tribute to local songwriter Bob Fitzgerald. Tom has performed with numerous bands, including Frankie Lee,the Doowopp Hall of Fame Rock and Roll All Stars, Southern Revelation, SloBurn and Lois Lane and the Daily Planets. He has played at Boston’s Symphony Hall and the Montreal Jazz Festival as well as many other prestigious venues. Website

Exploring gospel and American roots music from the 1850s to the present, including black gospel street tunes from the mid-1900s and post-World War II music, along with band members\' original folk and gospel tunes. The band\'s music springs from the band \'s deeply-held belief that African-American and white spiritual traditions can inspire and connect with each other. MATW concerts are joyful , uplifting, audience-involving celebrations and explorations of the human condition.

Come celebrate New Year’s Eve with the Needham Concert Society in a program of exciting and joyous chamber music by Vivaldi, Mozart, Grieg and Dvorak and Bach. Performers to include Bayla Keyes, violin; Peter Zazofsky, violin; Ronald Lowry, cello; Paul Glenn, bass; Soomi Lee, piano; David Tierney, harpsichord. Website Website

Grammy Nominated Singer Songwriter Seth Glier averages over 200 shows a year, and shared stages with artists such as James Taylor, Mark Knopfler, The Verve Pipe, Edwin McCain and Ani DiFranco. He has appeared as a mainstage artist at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival (NY) and the Kerrville Folk Festival (TX). USA Today compared Seth to Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel. Website

Jam Sandwich is a classic rock and roll band based out of Needham, Massachusetts. The band has been playing the hits of the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s and 80’s for 10 years. Come on out on New Years eve to hear the songs of Van Morrison, the Beatles, CCR, the Eagles, Tom Petty, the Rolling Stones and more. Website

This is a flute led jazz/funk band out of Boston metro. The Lance Martin Band has been together in Boston since 1982. Always with an awesome personnel, this band has performed with the intent to whip an audience into a frenzy. The combination of jazz, funk & R&B is called Physical Jazz, which is the title of lance\'s latest CD. The music and the flute performances will hopefully dispel any preconceived notion on how a jazz flute should sound. The repertoire is not heavy jazz, but consists of standards, and some recognizable R&B or pop tunes played in the style of Physical Jazz; visually aggressive and musically entertaining. In one set, you may hear music by: Miles, Stevie Wonder, Kirk Franklin, and B2K. Jazz, funk & gospel are at a crossroad when you listen to or experience this band, and it is all led by flute. Website

Zoe Lewis is described as a \"Band in a body!\" Originally from the UK she now resides in Provincetown and plays vintage jazz, jump jive, Latin grooves, swing, international folk and funk originals on anything from the piano to the spoons! Singer-songwriter extraordinaire, she’s released 10 cds of original music, penned 2 musicals, toured with Judy Collins, Richie Havens, The Indigo Girls, her songs have won numerous accolades and have appeared in films, on Broadway and in commercials. World traveler, story teller, multi-instrumentalist, her boundless energy is hard to ignore! Website

Together we have many years of experience playing Boston and surrounding burbs in bands such Memphis Rockabilly, The Charms, Calaboose, X-Ray Tango, BRMC, The Vinyl Frontier​ and many more. Billy is a founding member of ​Memphis Rockabilly​ , still going strong at 40+ years. Jim actually played harp on stage with Muddy Waters years ago, when Muddy’s harp player was too loaded to go on. True story! Website

Ring in the New Year with Soul City Soul City aims to bring the best of classic and modern Soul, along with Top 40, funk, and other dance music, to events across New England. Soul City is long-established New England institution, keeping dance floors across the region packed for almost 31 years. Soul City boasts an impressive line up, with four-part vocals and an impressive four-piece horn section in the area. Expect Classic Soul and R&B hits of the Motown Era, right up to choice selections from today’s Top 40 playlist. You and your friends and family will welcome 2020 happily movin’ and groovin’! Don’t miss it!
The party is 9:30-12:30 (AGE 21+ ONLY)

$35 through Dec. 28th.
$40 after Dec. 28th.
Tickets available at Town Hall, online and at the door.
Cash bar and light refreshments provided.
Website

Chris Pahud is a singer, guitarist and songwriter with a CD titled “Red Sky in Morning”. www.reverbnation.com/chrispahud “Chris Pahud sings with all his heart and his heart is huge. His voice and songs come from such a beautiful place, I smile every time I hear him sing... and witness him doing what comes so natural to him.” - Mary Gauthier – In the Black Recording Artist Steve Rapson is a solo guitarist (5 CD\'s: one man, one guitar, no singing), song writer (4 CD\'s: lots of singing), and author (1 book: The Art of the SoloPerformer: A Field Guide to Stage & Podium). All at www.steverapson.com. Tom Smith is a performing songwriter with guitar, banjo, and harmonica among other instruments – www.tomsmithmusic.com “Contrary to what a lot of people think, folk music is still a living tradition. It’s a living tradition that feeds on new songs that speak of people’s wants, people’s needs, people’s struggles and people’s triumphs. Tom Smith is a man who writes songs that seem like they’ve always been there - a true folksinger. – Dave Palmeter, WUMB-FM Boston Cheryl Perreault is a spoken-word artist who performs poetry and stories with guitarist/ composer Steve Rapson. They have recorded two CDs of original collaborations. She also offers programs of uplift for communities as part of Milestones duo with Carolyn Waters. Perreault is founder and host of HCAM-TV \"Wake up and Smell the Poetry\" and Bittersweet Co. True Storytelling and offers classes at Roots and Wings Yoga and Healing Arts Center in Natick Ma and at Body n\' Beyond in Hopkinton Ma. She loves to perform in the round and dance in the new year as part of the Rounders on New Year\'s Eve! Website