DSP SHOWS TO PRODUCE 2024 FESTIVAL AT THE FRANKLIN COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS JUNE 21-23
October 12, 2023- Northampton, MA- Signature Sounds Presents has announced the sale of The Green River Festival to leading Western Massachusetts concert promoter, DSP Shows. DSP has signed a 5-year lease to keep the beloved genre-spanning festival at the Franklin County Fairgrounds. 2024 will mark the festival’s 37th year.
“It’s been my pleasure to be involved with the festival since its inception in 1986,” says Jim Olsen. “In 2013 I took over as festival director when we took ownership of the festival under the Signature Sounds Presents umbrella. The past 10 years have been a time of tremendous growth for the event including expanding to a three- day festival in 2015, adding camping in 2016 and moving to the Franklin County Fairgrounds in 2021 with additional audience capacity.”
“I think John Sanders and the DSP Shows team are the perfect choice to lead the Green River Festival into the future. John has attended the festival many times over the years and understands our unique culture and important place in the Valley community. I look forward to working with the DSP team on a smooth transition. Signature Sounds will remain involved as a major sponsor of the festival and our staff and volunteer community will have an opportunity to be involved in the future.”
“The Green River Festival is the premier live music event in Western Mass and we are honored to be entrusted with ensuring it continues for many years to come, ” says John Sanders. I’ve known Jim for over 20 years and have great respect for what he has done for live music in the Pioneer Valley with Green River, The Parlor Room, Arcadia and Back Porch Festivals. Not to mention his pioneering work in radio and his label Signature Sounds! I’m excited to now get to work with him as we plan for the next Green River Festival in 2024.”
Festival sponsors Greenfield Savings Bank and Dean’s Beans applauded the sale. Greenfield Savings Bank President & CEO Tom Meshako wrote, “Greenfield Savings Bank is proud to support the 2024 Green River Festival—our fifth year as the Presenting Sponsor! It is always great to see so many people enjoying the amazing music, food, and crafts locally. As a community bank we are committed to supporting regional events like the Green River Festival.”
“I would like to applaud Jim Olsen and his team for the 36 incredible years and John Sanders for continuing to make this festival such a great event.”
Beth Spong from Dean’s Beans wrote, “For several decades, The Green River Festival has been a joyous celebration of our community. Supporting the festival as a major sponsor shows the entire region that Dean’s Beans believes in the power of community and the power of music to unite us. It also gives us a chance to connect directly every year with thousands of Dean’s Beans Coffee fans – sharing our values and our coffee – while they get their groove on! What could be better?”
About The Green River Festival:
Named one of “fifty essential summer music festivals” by The New York Times, Green River Festival is Western Massachusetts’ signature summer event. The festival is a spectacular celebration of music and community: a world-class lineup of over 30 acts on four stages, the best in local food, beer and wine, handmade juried crafts at The Makers Market, a wide array of kid’s activities, and camping. NPR recently wrote, “The Green River Festival lineup gets more legendary by the year.”
Past Green River performers include Emmylou Harris, Buddy Guy, Lucinda Williams, Mavis Staples, Arlo Guthrie, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Taj Mahal, Jon Batiste, Brandi Carlisle, Gillian Welch & David Rawlings, Steve Earle, The Avett Brothers, Deer Tick, Neko Case, Calexico, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, CAKE, Fountains Of Wayne, Old Crow Medicine Show, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Tedeschi-Trucks Band, Tyler Childers, Waxahatchee, Rhiannon Giddens, Lucy Dacus, Shakey Graves, Trombone Shorty, Father John Misty, Lake Street Dive and many more.
About DSP Shows:
DSP Shows, based in Ithaca, NY and Northampton, MA, is a one of the leading independent concert promoters in America and has been recognized as one of the top 100 promoters in the world by trade magazine Pollstar. The company produces over 600 shows a year in venues throughout Upstate New York and New England including the Academy of Music Theatre (Northampton, MA), the Pines Theater at Look Park (Northampton, MA), Tree House Brewing Company (South Deerfield and Charlton, MA), The Drake (Amherst, MA), Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards (Lafayette, NY), Brewery Ommegang (Cooperstown, NY), the State Theatre of Ithaca (Ithaca, NY), Asbury Hall at Babeville (Buffalo, NY), Levon Helm Studios (Woodstock, NY), 3S Artspace (Portsmouth, NH), and Center for the Arts of Homer (Homer, NY), among many others.
The company was founded in 2008 as Dan Smalls Presents and became DSP Shows in 2015 with the addition of Partner and Talent Buyer John Sanders. Prior to DSP, Sanders spent 15 years with Iron Horse Entertainment Group where he booked and promoted thousands of shows at Iron Horse Music Hall, Calvin Theatre, Pearl Street Nightclub and Mountain Park.
# # #
