The Joint Chiefs: three decades of folk, harmony and community

Local folk heroes the Joint Chiefs will visit the Center on Main in Falls Village on Saturday, Nov. 29, for a special concert. The band has been a linchpin of the Berkshire music scene for more than three decades, and founding member Eliot Osborn feels a special kinship with next week’s venue. “It’s a community space, and the Joint Chiefs are really a community band.”

It all started in northwest Connecticut. The group began playing together regularly in the mid-1990s and steadily amassed a devoted following in the area’s folk and country music circles. With a handful of studio and live albums at their disposal, this week’s audience can expect a little of everything. “People have been listening to us for so long now that we’re part of their nostalgia,” said Louise Lindenmeyr, the band’s mandolinist. “It’s almost like we’re part of their scrapbook — everybody’s just chiming right in.”

Lindenmeyr also plays the button-box accordion and sings. But she’s not the only one. Rich, complex harmonies have always been one of the Joint Chiefs’ calling cards, but lead vocals are a shared responsibility. Their instruments are always changing hands. “Music is always evolving in a healthy environment,” said Osborn. “It has to change and grow. What has stayed the same is that nobody’s really in charge. That’s why we chose the name the Joint Chiefs. There isn’t one person who dictates the musical direction.”

Guitarist George Potts and percussionist Diana Harold round out the group. The Center on Main show promises songs old and new, a welcoming holiday spirit and some of the region’s best local musicians.

The Center on Main is at 103 Main St., Falls Village. Admission is $15 at the door and doors open at 6:30 p.m.

Graham Corrigan is a writer and musician from Philadelphia currently living in Lakeville.