When the need arises, the folks at the Springfield Business Improvement District (SBID) can break out market projections, Powerpoint presentations and trend analyses with the best of them. In addressing the desires of Springfield restaurateurs and club owners to expand the already successful Stearns Square Cityblock concert series, however, even Executive Director Jeff Keck admits that his organization didn't have to look much farther than a local daycare center during Lego activity time to find their business model. In short, they literally plan to build Cityblock by stacking even more shows atop the already established framework.
"In the previous seven years, we've pretty much been at full capacity (4,000-6,000 attendees) for every show and have people coming in from the five-state area," he explains. "In turn, many local businesses are reporting that Cityblock is making Thursday nights even bigger than their Fridays and Saturdays each summer. That says a lot about the impact of the event, and those same business owners pooled their money together to add more shows."
At present, the Cityblock schedule has swelled from its annual 10 to 14 shows this year.
Country fave John Eddie (June 21) and R&B rockers The Detroit Cobras (June 28) get the early honors; Fat (Sept. 13) and Jay and the Americans (Sept. 20) have recently been confirmed on the tail end.
In between, a diverse crop handpicked by talent buyer extraordinaire Steve Walbridge, including Marshall Crenshaw (July 5), The Charms (July 19) and Keck's personal favorite ("I consider them the fathers of grunge," he says) The Smithereens (July 26), will grace the Stearns Square stage. All Cityblock shows go off rain or shine at 7:30 p.m. For the complete lineup and possibly news of even more shows, check in at www.springfielddowntown.com.
In other news… as chronicled in last week's installment, local talent buyers Scott "Ogre" Lee and Terry Ward have recently embarked on yet another metal migration of sorts for their years-long, locally legendary Sunday hardcore series, setting up shop at Holyoke's Waterfront after a stint at Chicopee's Cabot Street Pub.
During that time, the duo (and a couple of partners) have also opened a club of their own—Finn MacCool's in Westfield. But as the days wound down to yet another noteworthy occurrence in the heavy music set—that of Lee's annual birthday show—Ogre says he thought it only fitting that the multi-band bash be held at the new Holyoke digs.
"It's always been where we have the Sunday shows," he said in a recent interview. "And even though we have Finn's as well this year, I'm not one to break tradition."
In contrast, it appears that no less than two of the acts on his June 24 birthday bill—Chuck Brunswick and Scurvy—will soon be breaking tradition… or at least the habit of playing together again. Both bands are billing this Sunday's show as their "last ever." Rounding out the night's festivities will also be First Blood, Too Pure To Die, Since The Flood and another instant entry into the Nightcrawler Band Name Hall of Fame: Cockpunch.
Lastly, those still pining for more outdoor audio this summer should consider The Pines Theater in Look Park. The Florence venue not only boasts a beautiful, bucolic setting but—thanks in part to its affiliation with Ironhorse Entertainment—has also secured some fairly big names for the '07 season, including Wilco, Bob Dylan, Morrissey, Guster, The Black Crowes and The Saw Doctors. For more info or tickets on those shows or up-to-the-minute notification of new Pines acts, kindly point your browser to www.iheg.com.
And, of course, be sure to catch all your Valley favorites—as determined by you, the readers—at the Pines Sept. 8 for the Valley Advocate's annual Grand Band Slam concert event. In the meantime, be sure to visit our site—www.valleyadvocate.com—to nominate your favorite bands now and cast your official votes for them beginning July 18. "
Send correspondence to Nightcrawler, P.O. Box 427, Somers, CT 06071; fax to (860) 698-9373 or email Garycarra@aol.com.
