NRBQ/FAT: The BIG BANG

Presales begin Wednesday, 5/17 at 10:00am with promo code distributed by the artists. Sales will open to the public on Wednesday, 5/22 at 10:00 AM.

“THE BIG BANG”, a concert featuring two legendary Valley bands NRBQ and FAT has been in the works for the last several years. It was the ultimate no-brainer, but the calendars stubbornly refused to synchronize. This year, in early spring the planets lined up and pointed to a mutual open date. Area producers, promoter, and venues were approached and… no takers. So… we decided to produce it ourselves because…

It is not just the re-collision of two great bands. It is also a celebration of the origins of Valley original rock and roll. It is an essential Western Massachusetts music story that needs to be told… NOW. And you should see and hear it.

NRBQ (New Rhythm and Blues Quintet/Quartet) was started by Terry Adams between Shively, Kentucky and Miami, Florida during the years 1965, 1966, and 1967. From its inception Terry and his bandmates were committed to composing their own music. They didn’t hail from Western MA but, for as much time as they spent here, and the influence they brought to bear on the musical community and the fans, they might as well have.

FAT, a psychedelic blues unit, was formed in the Springfield area in 1968. They too decided to blaze their own trail, bypassing the “cover band” model and writing all their own songs. Led by songwriter/vocalist Peter J. Newland, FAT began creating and performing all original music, becoming the first “Original” band from Western Massachusetts.

By 1969 both bands had major record deals, NRBQ on Columbia and FAT on RCA.

FAT and NRBQ first bumped into each other in New York in 1968 when the Q was recording with Eddie Kramer (Hendrix, Stones, Zeppelin) for Columbia, and Fat was recording at A & R, and RCA studios with Ed Germano (Hit Factory), and Shelly Yakus (Tom Petty, U2, Ramones), for RCA.

In 1970 NRBQ and FAT connected with another “Original” band, the legendary Valley country-rock band Clean Living. For several years the three bands wrote prolifically and performed regularly in the Northampton/Amherst area as well as Springfield and Pittsfield.

In 1968 you couldn’t get a gig in Western Mass if you played original music. By 1972 the paradigm had been turned upside down and there were countless bands writing and performing their own music and dozens of clubs begging them to play.

NRBQ, FAT, (and Clean Living) were “THE BIG BANG” that formed the earliest foundation of the Western Mass “Original” Music Universe.

Throughout the years many great Western Mass bands and writers have risen up, seized their moments and created and delivered superb and unique contributions to the book of Valley music. This was the first chapter.

The late 60s/early 70s was an age of great local concerts. The first ones were acid-drenched, marijuana-hazed, word of mouth gatherings in forest clearings, high meadows and new-mown hayfields… powered by generators and lit by bonfires and full moons. There were others in converted barns and tobacco sheds, college auditoriums, and the dance halls of the 30’s and 40’s tucked back in the hills, fields, and small towns of New England.

The Valley behemoths, NRBQ and FAT joined forces for two legendary spectacles. One in 1972 at Jack Mac’s Crystal Lake Ballroom in Ellington, CT (the roof almost came off the building). And another (along with Clean Living) in 1973, outdoors, in front of a massive crowd at Amherst College. Both shows registered on the Richter Scale. These are the concerts we are re-creating with “The Big Bang”.

On Saturday, August 24th, 2024, at the Academy of Music, the Valley’s versions of Beatles and The Rolling Stones will collide one more time. Join us!! Let’s make a “BIG BANG!!”

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This event is sold out of discounted tickets through the Card to Culture Program! Limit 4 tickets per cardholder per show. Tickets are sold on a first-come-first-serve basis. Find out more at: https://massculturalcouncil.org/organizations/card-to-culture/

Fees always apply to purchase. Tickets can be purchased in person or over the phone Tuesday through Friday 3pm to 6pm. Tickets can also be purchased online at any time for no additional cost/fee. All Sales are final. If you have any questions about accessibility, please contact the box office at [email protected] or (413) 584-9032 X105.

Show Date/Time:
Saturday, August 24, 2024 at 6:30 pm through 10:00 pm
Doors at 6:00 pm

Ticket Prices:
$30.00 - $60.00 ($35.91 - $68.25 after Fees)

Where/ How Tickets Can be Purchased:
Purchase online using the button on the top right (scroll to the bottom of the page if using mobile), or you may visit or call our box office at 413-584-9032 ext.105.
Box Office Hours are 3pm - 6pm, Tuesday - Friday. Service fees always apply with purchase.