Transperformance 28: AmperBands! Benefit Music Festival for Arts

Come celebrate 28 years of bringing our community members together to support music and the arts!

Once again, on Tuesday, August 21st, 2018 it’s time to celebrate our community and the arts with Transperformance 28: AmperBands!, THE summer music festival at Pines Theater-Look Park. This year we will celebrate connection, collaboration and the power of performing together with Transperformance 28: Amperbands! Your favorite local acts will take the Pines Theater stage to perform material from dynamic duos to famous families to superstars and their trusty backing bands.

When: Tuesday, August 21, 2018 4:00-9:30pm

Where: Pines Theater-Look Park, 300 N Main Street Florence, MA 01062

How Much: 
Pre-sale - Adults $10; Senior 65+/Student/Vet $8; Kids 12 & under $5;

Day of at Pines Theater Box Office  - Adults $12; Senior 65+/Student/Vet $10; Kids 12 & under $7

Tickets: 
Day of at Pines Theater Box Office starting at 3:00pm, or in advance: ONLINE-transperformance.brownpapertickets.com, State Street Fruit Store-Northampton, Cooper's Corner-Florence, AJ Hastings-Amherst; Day of at Pines Theater Box Office starting at 3:30pm.

Downtown Northampton Summer Concert Series: Signature Sounds Presents - JigJam

WHAT: Summer Concert Series: Signature Sounds Presents - JigJam
WHEN: Friday, August 17th, 5:30pm-7:30pm
WHERE: Pulaski Park, 240 Main St, Northampton, MA
How Much? FREE

About JigJam:
JigJam are a multi-award winning quartet from the heart of the midlands in Ireland. Blending the best of traditional Irish music with Bluegrass and Americana in a new genre which has been branded as 'I-Grass' or "CeltGrass", their onstage energy along with their virtuosic musical ability has captivated audiences throughout the world.

"Here's an Irish band that's going to impact the world as hard as Clancy Brothers or U2 if they get only half a chance." MIDWEST RECORDS

Jamie McKeogh, Cathal Guinan and Daithi Melia all hail from Tullamore, Co.Offaly with Co. Tipperary born Gavin Strappe completing the quartet. All four members grew up immersed in Irish traditional music and culture which is reflected by the band collectively achieving over twenty All-Ireland titles at Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann competitions. They have now developed their own unique style of music influenced by American Folk music whilst staying true to their Irish roots. Described as 'The best Irish group so far in bluegrass' this sharply dressed outfit deliver an energy-fuelled, foot-stomping live performance. All multi-instrumentalists, JigJam interchange between banjos, guitars, fiddles, mandolins and double bass onstage which creates an experience which is pleasing to both the eye and the ear.

JigJam have recorded two studio albums (OH BOY! 2014 & HELLO WORLD 2016) to critical acclaim as well as a live album (LIVE IN TULLAMORE 2017). They have made a huge impact on the Irish American circuit performing as a headline act at all the major festivals including the world-renowned Milwaukee Irish Fest as well as touring various parts of the UK and Europe.

"The words sparkling, innovative and infectious come first to mind, beyond that you get into an unadulterated display of accomplished musicianship, skill and talent'." FOLKWORDS

Lead Vocals, Guitar, Tenor Banjo / Jamie McKeogh
Vocals, 5-String Banjo, Guitar / Daithi Melia
Vocals, Double Bass, Fiddle / Cathal Guinan

Vocals, Mandolin, Tenor Banjo / Gavin Strappe

About Signature Sounds:
Signature Sounds was formed by Jim Olsen and Mark Thayer in 1995 to promote the burgeoning acoustic music scene in and around Northampton, MA. Since our inception, we've released over 150 albums of singer-songwriter, Americana, modern folk and rock music. Signature Sounds Recordings are distributed exclusively worldwide by Redeye Worldwide. The label has worked with artists including Josh Ritter, Erin McKeown, Chris Smither, and Lori McKenna.

Signature Sounds moved into new offices in downtown Northampton in 2012 and opened The Parlor Room, an intimate 95 seat live performance venue presenting concerts several nights per week. In 2015 Signature started an artist development and management wing to work with talented new artists.

The Signature Sounds Recording Studio (now located in Pomfrey, CT) was founded in 1982 by Mark Thayer. It has become the studio of choice for many performers in the acoustic and jazz music worlds.

Salsa in Pulaski Park

WHAT: Salsa Dancing in Pulaski Park
WHERE: Pulaski Park, Main St. Northampton, MA
WHEN: Summer Saturdays June 9th - July 14th - August 18th. 6:00-9:00pm

Bringing People together through Latin Dance!

-Beginner Dance Lessons
-Performances
-Dancing outside Downtown Northampton

3 Saturdays this Summer!
June 9th - July 14th - August 18th
6-9pm

Come celebrate the Beauty and Positivity of Latin Dance!!
RSVP: https://www.facebook.com/events/222153841953217/

RETROFAIRE: Open Air Market 2018

The Northampton Arts Council presents the 5th annual RETROFAIRE, an open-air market featuring a bounty of vintage fashion, unique reclaimed and re-purposed jewelry & design, as well as hard-to find music gear and vinyl records to be held on Saturday September 8th.

RETROFAIRE will be held in the space between Thorne’s Market and the Northampton Parking garage. All proceeds benefit the Northampton Arts Council’s BJ Goodwin Fund. A grant designed to provide direct assistance to a Northampton-based artist, writer or arts organization in recognition of exceptional work and to support the further development of artistic talents.

Our vendors include Vintage Steele, Studebaker Hawk, Baby J Thrift & Art, Spin That! Records, Trash American Style, Vapour City Vintage and more! Why not spend a day supporting art, buying art and wearing art, all while listening to vinyl DJs spin great music? Come to RETROFAIRE and enjoy the search for quality items that will impress your friends of every generation.

When: Saturday September 8, 2018. 10:30am-6:00pm
Where: Armory Street Parking Lot, 1 Kirkland Avenue. Behind Thorne’s Market and the Northampton Parking garage.
How Much: Free & Open to the Public. (Bring Cash for Vendors)

DJ Lineup Coming Soon!

RSVP HERE

Forbes Library Hosts Picnic And Community Sing-Along

WHAT: PICNIC AND COMMUNITY SING-ALONG ON THE LIBRARY LAWN
WHEN: SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2018, AT 6:00PM.
WHERE: FORBES LIBRARY 20 WEST ST NORTHAMPTON

Forbes Library and Northampton Senior Services invite the greater Northampton community to gather on the Library’s West lawn for an old-fashioned picnic to be followed by a large community sing-along led by local musicians and singers Jim Armenti, Joe Blumenthal, Alex Johnson, Tom Mahnken, Jodi Nicholas, and Mary Witt. This is a participatory event, not a “performance.” Groups have been meeting over the summer to learn 4 songs: the Tin Pan Alley popular tune of 1908 SHINE ON HARVEST MOON, THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND (Woody Guthrie, 1940/1944). HARVEST MOON (Neil Young, 1992), and CITY OF IMMIGRANTS (Steve Earle, 2007). You don’t need to know the songs in order to participate. Lyrics to the 4 songs will be handed out during the picnic, and the singers leading the sing-along will refresh everyone’s musical memories before we all sing together.

Autumn officially begins on Saturday, September 22. The gathering will be at 6:00pm, Sunday, September 23, on the eve of the Harvest Moon’s full moon. We will sing beneath the light of the rising moon. Family and individuals are encouraged to bring blankets or tablecloths to spread out on the West lawn and to pack a picnic basket, or bring take-out, sandwiches and/or beverages from local restaurants and stores.

During Arts Night Out, Friday, September 14, at 5:00PM, at Memorial Hall, 240 Main Street, Northampton, a group sing will be led by Tom Mahnken and Mary Witt, giving newcomers a chance to learn the 4 songs, and for others to rehearse the songs again before the large community sing on the 23rd.

http://www.historic-northampton.org/virtual_tours/architecture/q3memorialhall.html

Screening of "The Gilded Cage" by Stan Sherer

WHAT: Film screening: The Gilded Cage: Northampton’s Last Water-Powered Elevator, a film by Stan Sherer
WHEN: Wednesday, August 22, 7 pm
WHERE: Forbes Library, Calvin Coolidge Presidential Library

Running time: 52 minutes
Color and black & white

In the late 1800s, Northampton's Freemasons borrowed $110,000 to construct the Masonic Block (25 Main Street) on Lower Main Street. This four-story building, which opened in 1898, featured an elevator powered by Northampton city water pressure. Although hydraulic elevators were not unusual at the time, this was no ordinary elevator. The walls and ceiling were made of oak and featured ornately carved panels, with stained glass windows at the top. The stairway wound its way around the open hoistway, which was framed by mesh wire. Until it was decommissioned in 2017, the operator-run elevator was in service Monday–Friday, 9–5 pm.

The elevator operators were an important part of the social fabric of the building from the start. In his new documentary film The Gilded Cage: Northampton’s Last Water Powered-Elevator, Stan Sherer interviewed former operators and the repair service person who maintained it from the mid-1980s until the end. Through these interviews, and interviews with building tenants, we see what this historic elevator, and its operators, meant to the people in the building, and to the City of Northampton.

In the 21st century, we take elevators for granted. Yet they have literally transformed our world. If not for Elisha Otis’s invention of elevator safety brakes in 1852, the cities of the world would not have developed vertically. Before Otis, five stories were the limit; by the early 1900s, buildings were rising 20, 30, 40 stories and more. The 47-story Singer Building in New York City, completed in 1908, was the tallest building in the world at the time. The Gilded Cage brings this lost history to life, showing how the safety brake works, how a hydraulic system pushes an elevator, how the elevator counter-weight works, and much more.

Instigating Hope and Change Through Theater: Workshop with Real Live Theatre

WHAT: Instigating Hope and Change Through Theater: Workshop with Ezekiel Baskin and Trenda Loftin
WHEN: Saturday August 25th 1-4 PM
WHERE: North Star Building, 45 Amherst Road (Route 116), Sunderland, MA 01375

A mirror and a window. This workshop will take participants through a range of exercises to explore not only their own personal truths (mirror), but envision all that could be (window). Employing storytelling, social change, and Theatre of the Oppressed techniques, participants will create together and develop their understanding of how to use theatre techniques to bring about personal and social growth.

AWESOME! HOW DO I REGISTER?
Email reallivetheatre@gmail.com with your name, phone number, and which workshops you would like to attend. We'll respond with instructions for your nonrefundable deposit and remaining payment, and send you more information from your instructor!
How Much?
$100 for 1 workshop
A $25 nonrefundable deposit (per workshop) is required to register. Payment plans available. Scholarship may be available, please email reallivetheatre@gmail.com for more information.

EDUCATOR BIOS:
Ezekiel Baskin is an interdisciplinary artist and theatre educator, whose work includes direction, lighting and sound design, poetry, dramaturgy, stage management, box office and house management, and theatrical administration. Ezekiel has been a Governing Member of Real Live Theatre since November 2016, and has also worked with a variety of theatre ensembles and companies, including Serious Play! Theatre Ensemble, PaintBox Theatre, and Silverthorne Theater Company. Recent projects include stage management and lighting design for RLT’s The Life & Death of Queen Margaret, dramaturgy and lighting design for Hampshire College’s Next to Normal, and stage management for Silverthorne’s Stupid Fucking Bird.

Trenda M. Loftin is a social justice educator, actor, playwright, and governing member of Real Live Theatre. Trenda M. Loftin has been committed to using theatre and storytelling techniques to explore political and social issues for more than a decade. Some of her storytelling based work includes acting in The Media Education Foundation Film Flirting With Danger, and the plays Legal Tender: Women and the Secret Life of Money, and The Lonely Soldier Project. In addition, she has led collaborative performance pieces with folks experiencing incarceration utilizing her play When the System Swallows You. With her B.A. from Smith College in Political and Social Theatre, Trenda continues to explore theater's ability to raise awareness, inspire action, question patterns, and build community.