The Mammals, Hancock Shaker Village
Their website says the Mammals are “too folk for the rock show” and “too rock for the folk show,” which indicates admirable musical range. But don’t be surprised if their show includes a detour into another genre entirely, one that will remind audience members of a certain age of the PBS landmark series “The Civil War.” A core member of the group, Ruth Ungar, is the daughter of Jay Ungar, who wrote “Ashokan Farewell,” the haunting bit of music that became the series’ signature. A video of The Mammals performing the piece is on Youtube and they have been known to slip it into their live sets. The Hudson Valley-based band was formed in 2001 by a group of four musicians that included Ungar and Mike Merenda, who remain the songwriting core of the group (and are married). The band toured and recorded intensely for several years, releasing albums and EPS, then went on hiatus in 2008. The Mammals re-emerged in 2017 with two new songs, “On My Way Home” and “Culture War,” and last year released their newest album, “Sunshiner.” The album title refers to solar energy, one of many issues the band has used its music to talk about over the years. Their website describes their concerts as “healing and inspirational” but also “propelled forward by just the right amount of guitar grit, soothing harmony, barn-burning fiddle, retro grooves, and storytelling savvy.” Like they said, a little bit folk, a little bit rock and roll. Not a bad balance.
■ 7:30 p.m. Saturday. $18/$25. Hancock Shaker Village, 1843 W. Housatonic St., Pittsfield, Mass. 413-443-0188.