Keep on rocking at the library

AMHERST – There will be a rock concert at the Amherst Town Library on Tuesday, but organizers say the police won’t be needed to field noise complaints about the band.

The High Strung will play a free concert at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.

The High Strung have been lauded by Rolling Stone magazine, the New York Times and The Village Voice as one of the best rock ‘n’ roll bands in America. The band’s videos have been seen on MTV, including full features in Entertainment Weekly, Magnet, Harp and Spin magazines.

The band has teamed up with librarian Bill Harmer, from Chelsea District Library in Michigan, to change to the traditionally strict and stuffy library image by performing in libraries across the country.

The tour is in its fourth year and The High Strung, of Michigan, have played 200 shows in 48 states. So far, they haven’t had any serious problems with noise.

“It’s loud, but it’s not Led Zeppelin,” Harmer said in a phone interview.

“We’ve never been shut down, but been banished to a basement once.”

Amherst librarian Sarah Leonardi doesn’t expect a problem with the concert either. She said the noise wouldn’t travel far because the book stacks and the building’s granite walls will absorb the sound.

Plus, the neighbors have been informed of the concert.

“We did contact all of our neighbors and let them know about the events. We invited them to share any concerns they had, but we only received positive responses,” Leonardi wrote in an e-mail.

In addition to playing an hour-long set of original music, the band spends 30 minutes writing a song from scratch with the audience. They invite people on stage, hand out instruments and compose a tune on the spot, Harmer said.

The High Strung are considered “indie rock,” but with witty, catchy and melodic pop songs, they are in a class by themselves, Harmer wrote.

Leonardi describes their music as “a lot of fun.”