Lots of folks have half a mind to tell their rowdy neighbors to turn the racket down. Gazing across the street at the West Whately Chapel from his home some 11 years ago, however, Paul Newlin realized that things were actually a bit too quiet… or at least that there was some untapped potential to start something special.
Inspired by fellow fiddler Rani Arbo, Newlin quickly went to work constructing a summer concert series that would be awash in breeze-easy audio, thirst-quenching edibles and unabashed alliteration.
The fruits of his labor will arrive once again on Wednesday, June 16, when the Watermelon Wednesdays in West Whately (watermelonwednesdays.com) concert series kicks off its 11th season with swing violinist Tim Kliphuis.
“Tim’s from the Netherlands, and we have other artists from Spain and Scotland… it’s our best year ever, in my opinion,” Newlin notes. Performers include Signature Sounds’ Mark Erelli and Jeff Foucault (July 28) and celebrated cellist Matt Haimovitz (Aug. 18).
Our next tasty tidbit comes courtesy of the Caribbean American Heritage Month Celebration Committee. And, since they went through all the trouble of forming a committee and only have this month to officially celebrate their cause, it’s not surprising that they have cooked up seven hours of savories and sounds for an afternoon they have dubbed the Taste of The Caribbean and Music Festival. The event occurs this Saturday, June 12, on the campus of Springfield Technical Community College (1 Armory Square, Springfield) from noon to 7 p.m., and is scheduled to include a musical appearance by none other than the “Calypso King of the World,” The Mighty Sparrow, among others.
Meanwhile, up in Turners Falls this weekend, more than 40 area artists will wash through a dozen different venues under the umbrella of the 2010 Water Under The Bridge Music Festival (turnersfallsriverculture.org).
Among the immediate highlights the Crawler was able to spot in a cursory glance at the entertainment itinerary are Naia Kete, headlining the 2nd annual Art Jam in Peskeomut Park (Saturday, June 12, 3 p.m.); Greenfield’s Stone Coyotes, celebrating the release of their 10th studio offering, My Turn, at the Burrito Rojo (Saturday, June 12, 9:30 p.m.); and back-to-back-to-back performances by Oweihops, Bella’s Bartok and Rusty Belle at The Rendezvous (Friday, June 11, starting at 8 p.m.).
A similarly impressive cast of characters assembles in Belchertown this Sunday, June 13, in hopes of raising funds for the Institute for Musical Arts’ (IMA’s) Rock ‘n’ Roll Camp for Girls—an annual summer camp held at the Big Barn in Goshen aimed at raising the writing and performance skills of teen girls by giving them access to topnotch musicians, facilities and equipment. The benefit occurs at the Black Moon Music Lounge and features the folk stylings of Sophie Rehmus Group, the rockin’ reggae of Kristen Ford and alt/indie hero Jen Tobey, among others. Tickets are available on a sliding scale basis ($5-$10) and, for this night only, 13- to 17-year-olds will also be allowed in (with a legal guardian) until midnight.
In other news, the well-rehearsed Americana outfit Glenwood Mills performs at the historic Indian Orchard Mills complex on Friday, June 11 for an evening that is aptly scheduled for 7-11 p.m.
According to Mills-man Paul Brown, the core members of the band all worked at the 7-11 on Glenwood Circle in Springfield and would “break out the instruments when things got quiet at the store.”
Members of T.I.M.E. plus Stacey Jacobson and Rick O’Shea round out that bill.
Last up: an overdue homage to the local performer, now passed on, known only as Mikey The Busker. Mikey was a regular fixture on the streets of Northampton, capable of popping off solid renditions of Dead, Dylan, Floyd and Neil Young at a moment’s notice. A makeshift memorial centered on a folding chair he sat on has surfaced, secured to a street sign with a bike lock, just as Mikey used to secure it between shifts.”
Catch the Nightcrawler live every Wednesday morning with Steve Cantara on WRNX 100.9 FM at 8:50 a.m. Send correspondence to Nightcrawler, P.O. Box 427, Somers, CT 06071; fax to (860) 698-9373 or email garycarra@aol.com.