(NORTH ADAMS, Mass.) – San Fermin brings its enchanting orchestral indie-rock to the Hunter Center at MASS MoCA on Saturday, December 5, at 8pm. Folk revivalist and MASS MoCA favorite Sam Amidon, a singer and multi-instrumentalist, warms up the crowd for San Fermin.

Sounding something like a blend of Arcade Fire, the National, Bang on a Can, and Polyphonic Spree, San Fermin is the brainchild of Brooklyn composer-songwriter Ellis Ludwig-Leone. His songs are rendered by a veritable fleet of horns, strings, and singers, in what NPR calls a “feast of gorgeous chamber-pop.”
Though San Fermin was first conceived as a solo musical exploration for Ludwig-Leone, the project blossomed into an octet of equals. After graduating from Yale as a classically trained musician, he set off for the Canadian Rockies to spend his time in the natural world composing what would become his debut album.

San Fermin now features male and female vocals, trumpet, baritone sax, drums, keyboard, guitar, and violin, which together create the band’s richly layered baroque-pop sound. The Village Voice deemed San Fermin the new “it” band, comparing the group to Arcade Fire in 2004 with “lots of musicians onstage, just the right amount of media buzz, and a fresh spin on pop-rock.”

 

Opening the show is MASS MoCA regular Sam Amidon. Vermont-born Amidon made a name for himself covering hits across genres in his own tapestry of banjo, fiddle, and earnest vocals. While his music often stems from unexpected places — think Mariah Carey and Tim McGraw covers — it maintains a classic folk sound that has charmed MASS MoCA audiences at FreshGrass and Solid Sound Festivals, as well as in a previous turn on the Club B10 stage.

 

San Fermin and Sam Amidon bring indie sensibility to MASS MoCA’s Hunter Center on Saturday, December 5, at 8pm. Tickets are $12 in advance and for students, $18 day of, and $24 preferred. Tickets for all events are available through the MASS MoCA box office located on Marshall Street in North Adams, open 11am to 5pm every day except Tuesdays through spring 2016. Tickets can also be charged by phone by calling 413.662.2111 during box office hours or purchased online at massmoca.org. All events are held rain or shine.