Coming Up

A late addition to the calendar, but a big one - the legendary Luther “Guitar Junior” Johnson with the Magic Rockers is coming to the Muse on Saturday night, October 6th, from 8:00 to 11:00 pm. Luther is one of the best blues musicians to emerge from Chicago’s music scene, where he started playing in the 50’s. Johnson played and sang with Muddy Waters’ band from 1973-79, when his front and center solos for that band got the world’s attention. This is the real thing folks. Don’t miss it. Admission only $15.

Summer resident and MSNBC’s Hardball moderator Chris Matthews returns to the island to talk about his new memoir ‘Life’s a Campaign: What Politics Has Taught Me About Friendship, Rivalry, Reputation and Success’. Saturday, October 6th, 5:00 pm, Unitarian Church. Book signing at Mitchell’s Book Corner follows.

live&local, just one facet of the Nantucket Arts Festival, presents Dave Provost, Mike Kopko, Andy Bullington, Cary Hazlegrove and Chris Westerlund, Friday, October 5th, beginning at 7:00 pm, at the Preservation Institute, Upstairs at 11 Centre Street. Al Louderer and Ben Briere will open the evening. Saturday night it’s Amy England and Susan Berman, same time, same place.

One of the centerpieces of the Nantucket Arts Festival is the Organ Crawl, this year the 15th annual, on Saturday (6th), from 9:15 am to noon. See the complete schedule here.

The traditional Arts Fest wrap is the Artists Association Wet Paint Live Auction, this year on Sunday, October 7th. Preview at 4, auction at 5, at the AAN Gallery. Click here for a complete list of participating artists.

Coming Up This Week

Founded in 1997, the Walden Chamber Players, comprised of 12 artists in various combinations of string, piano, and wind ensembles, showcase rarely heard works by past composers as well as music by contemporary composers. Friday, October 5th, 7:00 pm at the Whaling Museum. Then on Saturday, October 6, at 1:00 P.M., thirteen-year-old NCMC Nantucket School of Music student Nick Davies will join the Walden Chamber Players to perform a Mozart piece. Whaling Museum, 13 Broad Street.

One of my favorite small and low key events, especially after a summer of dressy galas, is the Cranberry Harvest, presented by the Nantucket Conservation Foundation. Watch berries being harvested, listen to the history of the bogs, take a hay ride, eat some grilled burgers and dogs, and just generally enjoy the beautiful pastel vista of an Eastman Johnson painting. Saturday, October 6th, 11:00 am to 4:00 pm at the Milestone Bog. Raindate: Sunday, Oct. 7.

This is the last Nantucket Farmers and Artisans Market for the season, with locally grown vegetables, berries, herbs, plants and cut flowers, eggs, baked goods and locally, hand-crafted pottery, jewelry, crafts and more. Let’s hope they did well enough to come back next year. If you haven’t gone by, make it there on Saturday to show your support. Saturday, October 6th, 9:00 am to noon, at the Nantucket New School, 15 Nobadeer Farm Road.

Saturday, October 6th, from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm, is the opening day celebration of the 7th Annual South Wharf Gallery Invitational Exhibition, running October 5th through 18th, wherein artists of the gallery will give talks and demonstrations. South Wharf Gallery, 3 India Street.

For additional details on these events and many more events, click to the Arts and Social Calendar, and the online Nantucket Arts Festival Program.