The Fabulous 413

We’re on the road, exploring a festival bringing performing arts of all sorts to the southern Berkshires all summer long. Starting as we were beginning to head outside again just after lockdown in order to bring more life and engagement downtown, Berkshire Busk has been placing performers on the streets and corners of downtown Great Barrington since 2021, and in the intervening years in addition t...

'Tis the time of the season for festivals, and we’ve got two headed to Hampden and Hampshire counties for folx to get out in the sun and get some music along with their Vitamin D We’ll hear about this year’s Yidstock bringing the newest, innovative yiddish music to Amherst. Starting today and going through July 12th, the four-day festival features seven concerts, workshops, talks, and special tour...

Nearly 100 years ago, 4 Massachusetts towns were dis-incorporated, their populations moved, and the area filled with water to appease the needs of people on the eastern half of the state. In the intervening years, the towns surrounding the Quabbin Reservoir have struggled to get their  needs updated and addressed by the state. This Thursday, folx from those 8 towns have a chance to speak with the...

Right here in Springfield, we’re returning to our rudie dreams for the Pioneer Valley Ska Festival. 30 bands from all over the nation will venture to 52 Sumner in Springfield for 2 days of skanking, ska, and ska-punk goodness. We’ll hear from one of those 30 bands, Futon Lasagna from eastern and central Mass, as well as organizer Eric Coles of 413Ska about picking up the beat in this corner of the...

In the northern Berkshires, Many Forks Farm changed hands a few years ago, but that’s provided them with the opportunity to get themselves even more involved in the local community, and other organizations. We head to Clarksburg where there are no trains, but farmer Molly Comstock tells us of her journey through photography to get to agriculture and the innovative way the land is being preserved f...

We conclude our trio of 250th focused Power of History talks with Clark University Professor Ousmane Power-Greene by looking at the years just after our official separation from England, our baby steps as a nation seeking to establish federal criteria, and the circumstances that led to Elizabeth "Mumbet" Freeman’s court case that would officially end slavery in the Bay State.  On our nation’s birt...

In Williamstown, Images Cinema is about to emerge from a year of construction chrysalis with double the theaters and a wealth of other improvements. We head to the northern Berkshires to see the changes first hand and get a tour of the details from a member of their board who helped to design the upgrade, Matt Brogan, better known as the cider maker of Berkshire Cider Project.   Now that July is f...

We eke out a Mayor of the Month for June with Jennifer Macksey of North Adams, amidst the chaos of Solid Sound. We hear how this year is going, the effect that the festival has on the businesses and more in their downtown area, and some of the ways the city might see traffic change in the years ahead Mount Holyoke College maintained a robust summer stock theater program for decades. After a 25yr d...

 Mark Greenberg is the studio manager and part of the production team at The Loft, Wilco’s Chicago recording studio and HQ. He composes and produces music for film, television, and video games through his own studio, the Mayfair Recordings Workshop.  A long-time contributor and advocate of art and music in Chicago, Mark was the assistant talent booker at Lounge Ax, headed the team that built the p...

In a brand new collection from Restless Books , it’s made apparent that we as a country have been trying to figure out our relationship with the divine for centuries. A Nation Wrestles with God: American Prophets, Philosophers and Firebrands is a collection of writings from before this was a western recognized nation to to present day and we speak with editor Ilan Stavans and contributor Reza Asla...

It’s that time again.  The time every other year that fans of a very specific Chicago band head east to North Adams Solid Sound 9 is happening this weekend in the Berkshires, and today we’re at Mass MoCA to capture it. So as we ready to hear Mermaid Avenue for the first time ever live in concert with both Wilco and Billy Bragg , we’ll talk to some of the multi-hyphenate members of that band about...

A rewind to last weekend at the Green River Festival where we’ll hear the warm bass tones of the Amherst based bassist Deja Carr better known to the world as Mal Devisa . We’ll get a glimpse into Deja’s creative process and revel in her performance under the Grandstands at the Franklin County Fairgrounds And US Congressman Jim McGovern gives us his take on what went on with Trump’s alleged temper-...

We are getting people together for artistic endeavors no matter how harrowing it may be.  Off to Westhampton, where one of the many studios that is part of the pottery collective the Hilltown 6 lays nestled by a waterfall. The artists who make up the group are hosting a workshop at Easthampton Clay this weekend and opening up their respective workplaces for a tour later in July. Potters Sam Taylor...

We head north, to Northfield where a farm segued into beer-making, while supplying a much needed crop for the northeast. Four Star Farm has been growing hops of various varieties well before they conjured up their own brewery and we chat with brewer Chris Sellers about his journey from Poli-Sci to agricultural and local product advocate among the hop bines.  Speaking of growing things, young artis...

We head to a new exhibit in Holyoke that’s helping newer artists explore their craft, and the anniversary of this nation with more experienced artists in the area. Valley Arts Mentors branched out of Piti Theater, but has grown to encompass many ways that we all tell stories including visual arts. This year’s cohort of mentors and mentees have recently opened an exhibit Revolutionary Artstories: L...

Today is a day to celebrate freedom and music, because it’s Juneteenth, but it’s also the first day of the Green River Festival So we’re combining those two things for a live broadcast straight from the mainstage at the Franklin County Fairgrounds In addition to a celebration of freedom for all, we’ll hear insights and music from some of the amazing artists performing as part of the this year’s li...

,We're looking at freedom and our relationship with it, because freedom’s legacy in this country has had a fraught relationship with the black community. Clark University Professor Ousmane Power-Greene in continuing to examine the nation's 250th birthday brings forward the case of Crispus Attucks, one of the victims of the Boston Massacre, now intrinsically tied to the story of this nation’s indep...

Today is all about circles of life. For instance in East Longmeadow, which used to contain more agricultural enterprises, a third generation farmer is still growing vegetables for the area, while looking at ways to make sure that land is available for future generations to grow on. Neil Pomeroy shows us around Pomeroy’s Vegetable Farm , and gives us insight to its history and what’s coming up righ...

We are getting the bands together, because it’s the 25th anniversary for the Florence Community Band, which has grown from the idea of one woman seeking musical community, to having over 50 members or more finding their instruments, dusting them off, and joining in the sound. We speak with director Priscilla Ross and members Linda Davis-Delano and Yop Molenaar  about their upcoming concert on June...

We love new books, and the first in a brand new series from Jedidiah Berry comes out tomorrow. Kill All Wizards is a blend of 19th century gentility and classic sword and sorcery fiction of the early 20th century with homage to Roy Thomas and Robert E Howard and we chat with the author about the new novella and the release party at Vision Video in Northampton on June 16th where he’ll be in convers...

Today has a lotta music, and a little international flair Tanglewood is getting a visit from folx who play some of the smoothest music around. The Yacht Rock Revue started in Georgia on a whim, but now brings the sounds of the late 70s and early eighties to stages worldwide, even to their original tunes. We speak with Nicholas Niespodziani frontman and multi instrumentalist for the band about the...

It’s 413 Gives Day So of course the fabulous 413 is going to double down on the goodwill of our neighbors coming together to support other organizations who also lost their federal funding just like we did by speaking with one more non-profit from the Berkshires who you may help.  So we speak with the executive director of the Elizabeth Freeman Center , Divya Chaturvedi. The organization have been...

We celebrate freedom for all with a Juneteenth event that brings all of the community together. Arise for Social Justice has been honoring the holiday with a free celebration connecting folx of all walks of Springfield life with music food and services they may need and more. Executive Director Tanisha Arena joins us to talk about the party they’re throwing, and her journey to this work.  We’re al...

Festivities are coming to downtown Greenfield for Franklin County Pride this weekend. This ninth iteration is bringing even more folx, music, and organizations together to celebrate the rainbow of identities present. We speak with Heather, Fritz, and Tolja about this year’s festivities and the impact that political climate has on their efforts to make sure the community stays safe and seen.  We co...

Today is all about communication and immigration, which, let’s not forget, does include the founding fathers. And the founding itself might not have happened if an intrepid young bookseller hadn’t taken some initiative to bring a veritable pile of weapons to Boston from a conquered fort in New York to chase away the British.  Local historians have gathered together to map out more of Henry Knox’s...