The Flyer rollercoaster and Dinosaur Den may remain extinct, but thanks to the recent purchase/renovation by the Iron Horse Entertainment Group (IHEG), the hills of Holyoke will once again be filled with the sounds of music.
As oldies DJ Phil D recalls, in addition to boasting some of the area's most beloved amusements, the city's Mountain Park played host to a who's who of music notables prior to its closing in 1987.
"Jerry Lee Lewis… the Everly Brothers… Lesley Gore," he said. "If it was a hit attraction, from big band to the earlier days of rock, Mountain Park had them."
And, as evidenced by the free concert slated for this Saturday, Aug. 15 in celebration of its grand reopening, they will have "them" all once again.
"The show Saturday is an open house with a variety of bands, from Sonny Landreth and Naomi Shelton to Johnny A and Rubblebucket Orchestra," explains IHEG Marketing Director Jim Neill. "We want people to come look around, and the show and parking are free. The next day, we do a ticketed event—with The Decemberists and Heartless Bastards. And while we probably will do other free shows from time to time, we will of course also be taking advantage of the size of this venue and the opportunity to bring in artists with a larger audience than even the Calvin could accommodate."
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In other IHEG-related news, the evening may kick off with a decidedly funky feel when Michigan's Nomo takes the Iron Stage stage Aug. 15, but things should head south quickly when DJ Bongohead takes to the tables. The celebrated emcee will be on hand to mark the ninth anniversary of the venue's popular "Latin Night" series.
Lastly, changing genres and genders, the annual Berkshire Women's Muse Fest—occurring Aug. 15 at Wahconah Park in Pittsfield this year—is shaping up to be a high-profile affair.
"I know," exclaims Lynn Holdsworth, the event's artistic director. "Suzanne Vega, Melissa Ferrick& Gretchen Peters performing& it's been so exciting to plan."
In addition to the female-friendly line-up, Holdsworth adds that this year's festival will also include unique clothing and jewelry vendors, free henna tattoos and a build-a-drum workshop.
Tickets are $35 and available at the gate.
The fest comes at a particularly interesting time in the career of yet another of its featured performers, Cheryl Wheeler, in that after some two decades with major labels, the folk icon recently released her 10th studio effort, Pointing At the Sun, on her own DIAS Records imprint.
"My partner Cathleen and I wanted to try the indie route and see what it would be like," she explains. "And I must say, Rounder Records was very gracious about it, and I want to thank them for that. But really, I feel like I just came up with a name at the behest of my manager, and DIAS is an acronym for 'daylight is also starlight'—a manifestation of my general obsession with the big ball of light and energy in the sky."
As for the disc itself, Wheeler reveals that with the notable exception of the track "Summer Fly," which she wrote a solid 30 years ago, the latest batch of tunes were all penned in the last year or so. Still others, however, seemed to benefit from some feline inspiration.
"I don't know why my cat Penrod inspired me so," she says of tunes "White Cat," "Cat Accountant" and "My Cat's Birthday," "but he did, and I guess I should thank him for that."
Send correspondence to Nightcrawler, P.O . Box 427, Somers, CT 06071; fax to (860) 698-9373 or email Garycarra@aol.com.
