LIVE REVIEW: Kris Delmhorst in Groton, MA (05.10.25)

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A folk music show at the Groton Hill Music Center in picturesque Groton, Massachusetts, is a delightful way to spend a Friday night. With locally brewed beer and hard cider from nearby Carlson Hill Orchards, the atmosphere is inviting. I enjoyed a Raspberry Shandy during my visit. I’ve been to Groton Hill for shows many times, and there’s always a mix of attendees, with some people experiencing it for the first time. The venue is highly praised by musicians, performers, and audience members alike. This was my first time in the Meadow Hall portion of the venue. This cozy 300-seat theater features a massive window behind the stage, allowing for beautiful natural light, and it offered stunning moonlight on this particular evening.

Last Friday, New England singer-songwriter Kris Delmhorst performed a magnificent set at Groton Hill, wrapping up her 10-week North American tour. She opened the show with the bluesy, jangly song “Wolves.” Many of her songs blend elements of blues, roots, and Americana, clearly inspired by nature. Her beautiful guitar has a green leafy design. Delmhorst was accompanied by a barefoot drummer, a bass player in a trucker hat, and a guitarist in a cowboy hat. The bass player, Jeremy Moses Curtis, recently moved to Shelburne Falls; the guitarist, Erik Koskinen, is from Minnesota; and drummer, Ray Rizzo, hails from Brooklyn.

The band played a significant role in supporting Delmhorst’s recording of her tenth studio album, Ghosts in the Garden, at Great North Sound Society studio in rural Maine. The album addresses themes of grief, death, and ghosts. “There are different ways of looking at loss and being companions for us,” Delmhorst shared before performing the title track.

Delmhorst collaborates with various artists on the album. “I’m happy to be at the last show with so many friends in the audience,” she said. She invited musician and producer Sam Kassirer, from Great North Sound Society, to accompany her on piano for a couple of songs, along with opener Rose Cousins and folk singer Rose Polenzani, who provided backup vocals on several tracks. “Won’t Be Long” had a sound reminiscent of Waxahatchee, particularly in its twangy, yearning chorus. “Something to Show” is a soft and gentle love song that she recorded with Rose Cousins.

Overall, the set was relaxed, providing a comforting evening among music fans, which feels essential in these challenging times. This is why music and the arts matter—they are important. “We need to stay mad, but we also need to stay connected to our humanity, and this is what this is all about,” Delmhorst emphasized. Groton Hill has numerous community partnerships with public schools and after-school programs in Fitchburg, Leominster, Lawrence, Lowell, and Clinton, aimed at providing weekly lessons to students who might not have the means to learn to play instruments.

Canadian singer-songwriter Rose Cousins opened the show with her darker songs, many of which are also influenced by nature. She noted that Kris Delmhorst’s music “has had and continues to have an impact on my music.” Cousins invited Delmhorst onstage for her final song, a heart-wrenching rendition of Coldplay’s “Fix You,” which brought multiple audience members to tears. She expressed to Delmhorst, “Your friendship is an important ingredient in my music.” By the way, it seems the dress code for folk singers is brown boots and rolled-up jeans, as Delmhorst, Cousins, and Polenzani were all wearing them.