Rays of sunshine finally peeked through the clouds onto Energy Park on May 29 as members of the Franklin County Musician’s Cooperative, a non-profit collective of local musicians founded in 2004, worked together to set up the first Coop Concert of the summer.

The Coop Concert Series, an annual collection of weekly summer concerts, is free and open to the public. The performances, which take place on Thursdays from 6 to 8 p.m., feature local Franklin County musicians who are members of the cooperative.

Coop musicians – or “Coopsters,” as they are affectionately called – who are not performing that night help set up the event and host a merchandise table selling CDs of performers’ music.

On this evening, as the live performances approached, around 45 members of the Franklin County community trickled onto the green of Energy Park, setting up their lawn chairs and picnic blankets in front of the stage.

“It’s free, and it’s here, so why not enjoy it,” said resident Rick Clark. “We like the ones that are on tonight,” Jan Clark, seated next to Rick, added. “So why not make an effort?”

The expected lineup for the night included Katie Clarke and Larry LeBlanc, Pat and Tex LaMountain, and the band Small Change. LeBlanc unexpectedly could not make it to the show, and as such Clarke performed solo, and instead of the band Small Change, of which LeBlanc is a member, the trio Orlen, Gabriel, and Avery, composed of musicians Chris Orlen, Michael Orlen and Dennis Avery, performed.

Clarke, who rarely performs by herself, played a 30-minute acoustic set, a mix of covers and originals unified in a bluesy, folksy sound. She closed with her rendition of the Louis Armstrong classic, “What a Wonderful World.”

A member of the cooperative for over 20 years, Clarke’s favorite part of the concert series is “being in the same community of people where, 20 years later, people are still writing songs and contributing to the community … and providing free music.”

“Everyone has something to offer. There’s something for everyone,” she added.

Mike Pattavina, longtime Coopster and member of the band Boys of the Landfill, echoed Clarke’s sentiments about the concerts. A spectator for the night, Pattavina called it “the perfect local event.” He went on to describe a common Coop Concert occurrence: when a train passes by Energy Park during a set, and the performer on stage is on eye-level with the train engineer. To avoid being drowned out by the passing locomotive, “you gotta play a rocker,” according to Pattavina. “I mean, where else [but here] can you get that?”

After Clarke, Pat and Tex LaMountain performed, founding members of the cooperative and favorites among concertgoers. The two harmonized during their acoustic set, playing originals like “Tractor State of Mind” and “Fly Like a Bird.” Coopster Dennis Avery joined the two part-way through their performance to provide dobro – steel acoustic guitar – accompaniment.

Marcia Locke, a Greenfield resident since 2019, watched the LaMountains perform from one of the benches on the perimeter of Energy Park’s circular gravel path. “The atmosphere, the music is lovely, the people are pleasant,” she said of the concert. “It feels very welcoming.”

Closing the concert was Orlen, Gabriel, and Avery. The sun went back into hiding at this point in the evening, with rain coming in its absence. As the concertgoers packed up early to get out of the wet, the folk-rooted trio smiled through it all, playing out the crowd.

More information about the Coop Concert Series can be found on the cooperative’s website: coopconcerts.org.

Luke Macannuco can be reached at lmacannuco@umass.edu.