Name: Alastair Moock’s Pastures of Plenty
Start: 2025-11-08T20:00:00+00:00
End: 2025-11-08
Location: Passim

Alastair Moock’s Pastures of Plenty

Folk
Singer/Songwriter

Tickets will be on sale to the public 6/19 at noon. On sale to all Passim members 6/12 at noon. On sale to All Access Passim members 6/5 at noon.

When Alastair Moock began his Pastures of Plenty series in Boston in 2000, the idea was to bridge some of the gaps he saw in the local music scene — between the folk and roots rock crowds, between the contemporary and traditional scenes, and between younger and older players. But what it really came down to was just bringing together some of the region’s best songwriters and musicians to swap tunes on a stage. More than twenty years later, the series is still “the hippest hootenanny in town” (The Boston Globe).

The list of guests over the years reads like a who’s who of New England (and national) folk and Americana musicians: Bill Morrissey, Lori McKenna, Barrence Whitfield, Ronnie Earl, Lisa Loeb, and The Silver Leaf Gospel Singers, to name just a few.

Past shows have taken place at premier venues throughout the northeast, including the Newport and Boston Folk Festivals. But the home base for the series has always been historic Club Passim in Cambridge, MA where Moock still presents the show annually every November.

Alastair Moock

Folk
Singer/Songwriter

Alastair Moock is an award-winning singer-songwriter; a Grammy-nominated family musician; a social justice and songwriting educator for all ages; and co-founder of The Opening Doors Project, an anti-racist music organization. He has toured throughout the U.S., Europe, and Asia, performing at renowned events like the Newport Folk Festival and Scotland’s Celtic Connections. The Boston Globe called him “one of the town’s best and most adventurous songwriters” and The Washington Post declared “every song a gem.”

Mark Erelli

Folk
Guitar
Singer/Songwriter

Mark Erelli is a critically acclaimed American singer-songwriter and guitarist known for his distinctive blend of rock, folk, and Americana. His music is known for its lyrical depth and intricate instrumentation, drawing influence from classic rock icons.

Highlights from Erelli’s career include 13 solo albums; three records with his bluegrass band Barnstar!; sideman stints accompanying Marc Cohn, Paula Cole, and Josh Ritter; and a pair of records he produced for GRAMMY-winning songwriter Lori McKenna.

In the summer of 2020, he faced a profound personal challenge when he was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa (RP), a degenerative eye disease, after a two decade-long career. This diagnosis raised questions about how his diminishing eyesight might affect his songwriting and creative insight. These concerns and his quest for creative expression are central themes in his newest album, Lay Your Darkness Down.

Lay Your Darkness Down follows his 2020 album Blindsided, which received high praise from Rolling Stone Country, Associated Press, NPR, The Boston Globe, and other notable outlets. Folk Alley encourages people to “listen close; there’s sure to be something in there to break your heart a split second before it leads you straight to grace.” Whether he’s wielding a pen or a Telecaster, Mark Erelli’s music welcomes the casual listener, and richly rewards those who choose to dig deeper.

Merrie Amsterburg

Singer/Songwriter

Merrie Amsterburg is a singer-songwriter born in Ludington, Michigan. Her music has folk, rock, and pop influences. She has been compared to Beth Orton, Tori Amos, Aimee Mann, and others. She has won two Boston Music Awards, a Boston Phoenix Award, and a Jam Magazine Award.
She began her musical career as the singer and guitarist for the late-’80s early-’90s band the Natives, who were nearly signed by KISS’ Gene Simmons, and recorded tracks with Blondie producer Richard Gottehrer.
Her 1996 solo debut Season of Rain came out on Q-Division records, the namesake label of the studio where it was recorded, and where other Boston artists like Aimee Mann and Jennifer Trynin have laid tracks. 1999 saw the album’s re-release on Zoe/Rounder Records, as well as the release of an EP, A World of Our Own Making. Little Steps followed in mid-2000.