Mark Erelli, Amy Helm and Lori McKenna share one night at Groton Hill, Nov. 21

A one-night-only folk summit in Groton's concert hall puts three New England–connected songwriters on one stage, with Erelli's band backing all of them.

There are shows built around one name, and there are nights built around a stage full of people who have been in each other's songs for years. Groton Hill's newest announcement is the second kind, and it's three weeks away.

Mark Erelli plays Groton Hill Music Center's Concert Hall on Saturday, Nov. 21, at 8 p.m., with Amy Helm and Lori McKenna. The show was announced Oct. 21, and tickets are through Groton Hill. The venue's own event page bills it as Mark Erelli & Friends and calls it a one-night-only concert.

The format is the hook. According to Erelli's newsletter, he and his band will back Helm and McKenna in the first set, and the two will join him for some of his songs in the second. Groton Hill's listing puts it simply: each guest will perform their own songs, and all three will share the stage. In practice that means a single band playing three songwriters' catalogs in one night, which is a rarer thing than it sounds.

The three have real history. Erelli, a fixture of the New England folk scene, has fourteen solo albums to his name, and his work behind the board includes producing for Lori McKenna, per Groton Hill's page. McKenna, from Stoughton, Mass., is the rare songwriter who can fill a folk hall on her own records while writing hits for other people. Amy Helm, the daughter of The Band's Levon Helm, has her own Groton Hill artist page from an earlier visit and brings the gospel-and-roots voice that runs in the family.

One band, three songwriters' catalogs, one night.

Why this room? Groton Hill's 1,000-seat Concert Hall is built for listening, the kind of space where a quiet verse lands as clearly as a full-band chorus. The center has become a regular stop for roots and Americana acts; its calendar this year has included I'm With Her and Molly Tuttle, and it has hosted Session Americana with Kris Delmhorst. For Manchester–Nashua readers, it's a short drive across the state line into north-central Massachusetts, and an 8 p.m. Saturday start leaves time for dinner first.

When to buy: now. Tickets are on sale through Groton Hill, and with three draws on one bill and only one night, this is the type of show that can sell out a seated room before the week of. Check the venue page for seating options and any ticket limits.

The best folk shows feel less like a performance and more like being let into the room where people who trust each other are trading songs. That is what this one is designed to be. If you go, stay for the second set.

Sources: Mark Erelli & Friends (Groton Hill Music Center) (grotonhill.org); Newsletter — Mark Erelli (markerelli.com); Mark Erelli (official site) (markerelli.com); Amy Helm (Groton Hill Music Center) (grotonhill.org); I'm With Her — Sing Me Alive Tour 2026 (Groton Hill Music Center) (grotonhill.org); Molly Tuttle (Groton Hill Music Center) (grotonhill.org); Session Americana with Kris Delmhorst (Groton Hill Music Center) (grotonhill.org); JamBase listing (jambase.com); Lori McKenna - Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org); Levon Helm - Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org); Mark Erelli - Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)