They’ve got barbecue, an “open fiddle” contest and some of the best bluegrass performers the region has to offer, including Seven Mile Line and Jen Hamel. And if that’s not enough to separate this May 7 event from the field, Gail Paddock has thrown in a lil’ horsepower, too.
“I decided to tie in to the Kentucky Derby because the whole Bluegrass barbecue is, first and foremost, a benefit for a Memorial Fund I set up for my mother through Cancer Connection,” Paddock explains of the festivities that will occur at Walking Bear Farm in Haydenville starting at 2 p.m. “We lost mom three years ago, nearly a week after the Kentucky Derby… and she just had the best time watching it then that I thought it fitting—and fun—to incorporate it.”
For tickets and more information, kindly point your browser to kentuckyderbybbq.com.
*
In other news, Matthew Kim checked in to report that, after a somewhat lengthy hiatus, he and his wife Kristy Kim will once again enjoy the rush of playing live with their Rush cover project, Milton Gabor, slated to perform at Greenfield’s Winterland Country Club May 7.
“Yeah, Kristy and I goofed up everything by starting a family—bringing the band to a screeching halt there for a while,” Kim chuckles. “Our wonderful, now 3-year-old son, Rex, however, is now old enough to let us out of the house and have a little bit of the old life back!”
As with many a Greenfield-area music event, the locally owned PDP Productions will man the boards for the Milton Gabor gig. According to PDP founder David Westbrook, the working relationship with the venue is as steeped in a shared philosophy as in sheer geographics.
“The folks at Winterland feel the same way we do—we both want to support the local music scene,” Westbrook elaborates. “And since we are at a price point [where] bands can afford to have us bring in some nice gear, a good set of ears and beef things [up], and the club itself is such a comfortable space with great acoustics, everybody wins.”
In addition to providing sound, audio, management and recording services, PDP also puts on quite a few shows each year. The largest of which, Rockfest—which celebrates its sixth incarnation from July 8-10 at Energy Park—is apparently getting even larger.
“The big news is that we added the third day,” Westbrook explains, “and we did it because we had so many bands submitting and it was just killing us, having to turn a bunch down.”
While more than 50 bands have already been confirmed for Rockfest 2011 (including the Fear Nuttin’ Band, Danny Pease and The Regulators and Endcount, to name a choice few), there are reportedly a couple of spots opening for potential performers/alternates for cancellations. For more info on the event and how to get your band considered, kindly point your browser to http://massrockfest.com.
*
Last up, an unfortunate all points bulletin. Local musician Alan Lucas—best known for his work with Domino Theory and the Mark Mercier Band—recently had his house in Dalton broken into. The culprits absconded with, in addition to a priceless notebook that contains every song he has ever written in the past 15 years, all of his gear, including—but not limited to—an Ampeg SVT Pro Bass amp, a Fender stage monitor, a custom Carvin guitar, a 1974 Fender Champ amplifier, Yamaha and Korg keyboards and a Mac laptop.
“Basically, everything I own,” Lucas said. “And if it were not for the great friends I have, I wouldn’t be able to even play any gigs at this point until I get the time and money to build back up. But they are letting me borrow things as needed, and I truly appreciate that so much.”
Lucas would be equally appreciative if anyone with any knowledge about his aforementioned pilfered products gives him a call. His direct cell is (413) 347-6327.
Send correspondence to Nightcrawler, P.O. Box 427, Somers, CT 06071; fax to: (860) 394-4262 or email: garycarra@aol.com.
