The city certainly wasn't built on rock and roll. In fact, its biggest claims to fame remain the Basketball Hall of Fame and a Wikipedia entry for being the birthplace of the sport. But in recent years, it's hard to imagine a steamy, summer Thursday night in downtown Springfield without the sounds of a national recording artist permeating the air—courtesy of the annual, free Cityblock concerts at Stearns Square.
"It's become like the 'Bright Nights' of summer," concludes Sarah Fitzgerald, marketing manager for the Springfield Business Improvement District (SBID), which produces the event, "something everyone expects and plans on visiting at least once a year."
This, the ninth season of Cityblock sounds, kicks off Thursday, June 26 with Jay and The Americans and continues out into September with the likes of FAT (July 31), L.A. Guns (Aug. 7) and The Georgia Satellites (Aug. 14) in between. For a complete roster of performances, directions and other info, kindly point your browser to springfielddowntown.com.
In other news–while the national notables hit the block, Alex Byrne, promotions and marketing director for two Valley radio outfits known for pumping out some serious rock (namely, Rock 102 and Lazer 99.3 FM), checked in to report that a special event his stations have been brewing for months will finally come to fruition this Saturday, June 28.
"There's been talk of hosting a Brewer's Fest in the hallways for some time," he says, "but this winter, we finally approached Paper City about putting one together."
The Holyoke brewery agreed, he continues, on the sole condition that the event occur at a worthwhile location—a condition Byrne feels was more than adequately met when the Eastern States Exposition Food Court was secured.
Infusing some classic rock sounds into the sudsy affair in this, the Brewer's Fest inaugural run is Whiskey Junction, a four-piece outfit from Westfield.
Meanwhile, local plays by reggae-rock faves The Alchemystics, Danny Pease & The Regulators and The Fear Nuttin' Band are proof positive that the Bodog days of summer are upon us. All three of the aforementioned acts have participated in the Bodog Battle of the Bands in the last two years.
The Alchemystics, who'll perform at Pearl Street on Thursday, June 26 on a bill that features Granola Funk Express, advanced to the Eastern Regional Finals of the sonic struggle before being eliminated last March.
Danny Pease & The Regulators—who celebrate singer Phaze's birthday this Friday, June 27 at Maximum Capacity opening for the Fear-mongers—bowed out of the Bodog Battle slightly sooner, in the semis.
Max Cap headliners FNB, of course, made it into the series' reality television show phase the year before. And although they didn't win, overwhelming viewer response prompted the brass to sign the genre-melding maestros to the Bodog imprint.
The band's label debut, Yardcore, was released to critical acclaim—and national distribution—earlier this year. And although the band's guitarist, Chris Regan, revealed that he is equal parts proud of all FNB has accomplished and pleased at the direction their career is heading, he is quick to douse any premature implications of Cristal-sipping and limo-hopping.
"You know, everyone thinks when you get signed you've made it," he says. "And while it is nice to have larger groups of people familiar with your work or see yourself in a magazine, the truth is, you've only 'made it' to a point where you have to work even harder."
And cover more ground than ever, it appears. Less than one month after the June 27 stop, Regan and the boys hook up with the Vans Warped Tour for a string of 20 shows in 24 days that starts East, heads clear up to Canada and concludes in sunny Cali.
Send correspondence to Nightcrawler, P.O. Box 427, Somers, CT 06071; fax to (860) 698-9373 or email Garycarra@aol.com.
