Berkshire Soul

RBIT at the Spectrum.
Courtesy Spectrum Playhouse. All rights reserved.

Happy summer solstice! It's a beautiful, sunny day here in the Berkshires, and I thought I would take some time out to share another update.

There's a lot happening here in the Berkshires this weekend— most notably, Wilco's Solid Sound Festival at MASS MoCA. I had the good fortune of attending and covering the event a couple years ago, and it was a blast—great fusion of music, art, good vibes... I won't be attending this year, but I'll try and post some more of my experiences working on the 2011 festival in the coming weeks.

I will, however, be performing again tonight with the Royal Berkshire Improv Troupe. It is our last gig of the season and honestly, I think we could use the break... get refocused and audition for some new members (contact me or the group if interested). If you're in the area, tonight's show is 7:30 p.m. at the Spectrum Playhouse in Lee, Massachusetts (can't thank these guys enough for their hospitality over the last couple years). 

Also worth checking out in the Berkshires, of course, is Norman Rockwell Museum. Our exhibition, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: The Creation of a Classic is a real treat, as is seeing our permanent collection of Norman Rockwell artwork. Below is an interview I gave a couple weeks ago to WGGB, the ABC station in Springfield, Massachusetts, to help promote the Museum. Turned out pretty good, even though the audio sync appears off and you see me swatting some flies at the beginning of the piece (the fact that I was being interviewed by a former Miss Connecticut made it slightly more bearable). Fast forward to about 12:27 to view the segment:

Speaking of interviews, if you're in Boston this Saturday, you can hear me on WBZ Radio's  New England Weekend, talking up the Snow White exhibit. The segment should air around 7 a.m.

Well, that's about it... just got back from lunch at Baba Louie's Pizza in Great Barrington (another Berkshire favorite), so before I fall into a food coma I better get back to work. Happy Summer, everyone.

The State of Independence Shall Be...

Happy 4th of July! It's my last as a free man... just kidding!


We spent the day working on preparations for our wedding- tying up loose ends for the ceremony and designing the program. It was hot and muggy today, and I seem to have come down with some kind of cold... ugh... but we soldiered on... got a lot done.


Last night I was feeling energetic and kicking up a storm in our dance class. We started learning the lindy hop, which was a lot of fun. It may have been our last class for the session, because time is running out... time for us crazy kids to face the music!

Photo ©John Whipple. All rights reserved.

Not The Same Old Song...

We really enjoyed the Old Songs Festival last night--the weather was pleasant up there in Altamont, the food was delicious (Moroccan cuisine!), and the bands were quite lively... there was actually a strong French bent to them (perfect preparation for our upcoming trip to Quebec). One of the acts, in fact, was from Canada:

The band's name is Galant, tu perds ton temps, and is comprised of five women (and a male percussionist) who sing a cappella. We don't speak French, but it was hard not to love their infectious renditions of traditional folk songs.

The band Comas play the 32nd Annual Old Songs
Folk Festival. Photo ©Jeremy Clowe. All rights reserved.

There were plenty of other highlights, including a Celtic-infused group called Comas, the Creole sounds of Dennis Stroughmatt, and the Scottish singer/songwriter Archie Fisher. I admit that to have had sort of a preconception about what folk is all about, but this festival really opens my eyes (and ears) to the bigger concept of folk music, and I must say that I appreciate hearing bands from other regions (and countries) sing traditional songs that have been passed down through the ages.

My gal (in my shirt) revisiting old memories at
Old Songs. Photo ©Jeremy Clowe. All rights reserved.

This was the 32nd anniversary of Old Songs, and Sarah's family has been going since the beginning. In fact, we came across a photo display, which included an old photo of Sarah and her mother listening to a performer from back in 1987 (Sarah was only five)! It had a note attached to it saying that this cute little girl went on to become an Old Songs intern in later years... Having taken part in this summer family tradition for the past few years, I can see the appeal.

Related Link:

http://www.oldsongs.org/festival

Hot and Bloggered

Man, it's too hot to blog today... too hot to do much of anything. It's been hazy, hot and humid right from the time I left for work this morning. I think I saw that the temps had reached about 90 degrees... feels like we have jumped into the dog days of August! 

JC chillin' in the HV (from the "Hayride Series").
Photo ©Jeremy Clowe. All rights reserved.

My recent tuxedo search has me hoping that it will be a little cooler come mid-July. Hmm... following my recent trip to the farm, maybe it's time to consult The Old Farmer's Almanac (I bought a copy when we were trying to figure out wedding dates). Let's see... July... uh oh. Here's the forecast: "T-storms, humid." But really... how accurate can this stuff be? May 25-31: "Sunny, very warm." Ulp... 

Well it was like this until my drive home... the sky opened up and, thankfully, refreshed the scene (although I don't think the guy who hydroplaned a few feet back on the freeway would share my sentiment). For some reason, hearing the summer rain come down tonight reminds me of my time in Rochester in the mid-90s, where I used to record the audio of rainstorms to use in video and audio projects. Occasionally, I would even replay my "rain" to fall asleep. Not a bad idea now... after a trip to the gym, we are both exhausted--time to hit the hay (with apologies to the almanac)...


Related Links:


www.almanac.com

Sunny Side Up

There's a lot going on... I had trouble sleeping last night, thinking about all there is yet to do. Anyway, although exhausted, today turned out just fine. I worked on some materials for the Spoken Word Almanac Project in the morning, listened to the rebroadcast of my WEXT My Exit show (how could I object to hearing myself on the car stereo?), and stopped over at the wedding venue for a food tasting. I think we're in good hands-- I hadn't been to the venue since last winter, so haven't really seen it during spring/summer, when it is a lot more lush.

The Egg, man... goo goog a joog!
Photo ©Jeremy Clowe. All rights reserved.

From there, we drove to downtown Albany to attend our friend's graduation from nursing school. It was held at The Egg (pictured in the photo), a unique events/performance space located in Empire State Plaza, near the state house and other governmental buildings. 

The Egg was designed by Wallace Harrison and built in 1978--I once dated a girl who says that her father fell off The Egg while working on its construction (instead, she was born!). The building certain adds some character to the Albany skyline. Even the band They Might Be Giants were so inspired that they wrote a song about the building--I actually attended their 2004 concert (in The Egg) where they debuted the quirky tune:

The egg seems as much a sculpture as a building. Inside, the acoustics are actually quite good, and the venue has played host to some interesting acts, including They Might Be Giants and Ray Davies of the Kinks (both of which I have seen). On tap is a farewell concert by Glen Campbell, which is probably worth seeing... Also on tap: Psychedelic Furs, Alejandro Escovedo, and Matthew Sweet, who I had met ages ago when I used to DJ at WBER-FM.

But back to the purpose of scrambling to the Egg this afternoon: our friend's graduation. It was a beautiful day out... we went back to her place for dinner, a bonfire, and good company. The summer season really has begun... sunny side up!

Related links:

www.theymightbegiants.com