new england's live music guide
NORTHAMPTON
THE PARLOR ROOM
ABOUT
The Parlor Room is a nonprofit music venue and community space at 32 Masonic Street in downtown Northampton, Massachusetts. The intimate listening room is closely connected to Signature Sounds Recordings, one of the leading independent record labels for folk, roots, Americana, and indie music. The venue operates as part of the Parlor Room Collective, which also acquired the Iron Horse Music Hall.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Programming focuses on acoustic, folk, roots, Americana, indie, and singer-songwriter performances in an intimate seated setting. The venue also offers music classes, workshops, jam sessions, open mics, and recording/sound engineering courses. The Parlor Room has presented over 1,000 shows since its inception.
HISTORY
The Parlor Room was founded in autumn 2012 when Signature Sounds Recordings, established by Jim Olsen and Mark Thayer in 1995, moved to a new location on Masonic Street. Originally intended to host occasional label-affiliated artist performances, the venue proved popular and quickly expanded to several shows per week. In January 2023, the Parlor Room became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit after being closed for 600 days during the pandemic, shifting to a community music hub model. During COVID, the Parlor Room Home Sessions raised over $100,000 for artists unable to tour.