Musician and artist Wendell Rheinheimer, the owner of Moonlight Designs screenprinting in Easthampton, has been doing a little moonlighting of his own in recent months. The fruits of a new collaborative effort with his partner, organic vegetable farmer Shana Totino, will be unearthed for public consumption this Thursday, July 21 when Greenfield’s newest music venue — The Root Cellar — sprouts up on Fiske Avenue.
Nestled beneath the burrito bar Mesa Verde, the Root Cellar seeks to showcase the best “local, regional and national music scene to the community while celebrating everything local: from musicians to artists, brewers to distillers, farmers to artists.”
This Thursday’s inaugural event is billed as “Funk Night” with Sam French and friends. Future plans call for everything from a “sweaty dance party” one night, a mellow acoustic another, and residencies by area acts like Bella’s Bartok (hosting jazz-heavy Tuesdays) and Word Reggae Wednesdays, hosted by DJ Anduhar.
Vermont’s Shakedown with Tuff Riddim International (July 22) and a twin bill pitting Animal Mother with Rebel Alliance (July 23) round out the weekend.
For more info on the venue, upcoming events and more, root around their homepage at rootcellar.com.
In other news, songwriter and saxman Jon Berman may have titled his latest sonic labor of love Hidden Road, but based on the early results, he sure doesn’t seem hard to find. His lead single, “Corona In My Coffee Cup,” quietly ascended to number four on the iTunes easy listening chart. This Thursday, July 21, he’ll be performing at Westfield On The Weekends with the KIX 100.9 FM-sponsored Granger Smith. On Friday, Aug. 12, find him with Aaron Lewis and Friends at the Pines Theatre at Look Park in Northampton.
“I’m so happy we were able to wrap the album with literally no budget,” the Blanford-based Berman says. “And to share the stage with Aaron Lewis again and have the opportunity to showcase in front of Granger Smith, Clare Dunn and Drew Baldridge — all well-respected Nashville performers — well, let’s just say it’s shaping up to be an unbelievable summer.”
Send correspondence to Nightcrawler, P.O. Box 427, Somers, CT 06071, or email garycarra@aol.com.
