The Fabulous 413

We’re examining some of our given rights, to certain freedoms But how exactly do those freedoms work online? We sit with Professor Amir Houmansadr of Umass to learn about the nature of the TikTok ban, and American digital censorship, and how game theories might help prevent the possibilities of those same security breaches that everyone is nervous about.  We’ll also head to Great Barrington, where...

The Oscar nominations are due out this week and two of the frontrunners for Best-Picture nominations have connections to the 413.  The Bob Dylan biopic "A Complete Unknown" is making headway in theaters now, and we’ll uncover the connection on the album cover of "The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan" to a prominent business owner here in western Massachusetts. Patrick Pezzati from Turn It Up CDs and More is...

There is an interesting confluence of events happening this Monday where by law we are required to install the new president on Jan 20, and by different laws we celebrate MLK JR Day on the closest Monday on or after his birthday.  This year they’re at the same time, lucky us So we’ll look at the connections between the Rev. Dr. King and the inaugurations of his time, as well as the long activist h...

In space no one can hear you scream, but if you’re looking at footage of earth FROM space, that might be unsettling, so the videos on the ground get a soundtrack We’ll speak with one of the people making the sounds those videos are tracking to. Guitarist, composer and engineer Steve Thomas has had his work paired with videos of earth from the International Space Station, and he’ll be playing some...

We have a dream that is still hoping to be realized after 6 decades and as we continue to create a more equitable world. It's one that you can help celebrate on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Martin Luther King Jr. Family Services is once again helming a grand celebration , “Pursue Justice: Persist in Peace,” in Springfield, and we speak with organizers Shannon Rudder and Rania Kfuri about the many a...

We’re looking into legacies of sound, old and not quite as old. For instance, we’re traveling about 13,000 years in the past with tales by Indigenous people who have been storytelling on this land for millennia. On Jan. 19, the Wendell Meetinghouse will host a presentation of "New Lights in the Dawnland," an audiodocumentary which brings Indigenous voices together to weave the history, story, and...

We’re off to the farm again, but this time we’re looking at an innovative approach to agriculture that is helping folx nationwide, and Western Mass is right at the epicenter of it’s network this week.   Prospect Meadow Farm has been growing rapidly for a little over a decade to now three locations in Hampshire and Berkshire counties, as a department of  Service Net umbrella to build community and...

We’re blissing out and detoxing while we’re at it since January is often a time when people take breaks. For all those people and the folx that love them, a previously online-exclusive non-alcholic beverage shop is getting a brick and mortar location in Easthampton. Dry Humor is here to prove that beverages can totally be tasty without pesky ethanol getting in the way, so we chat with founder CJ M...

We’re in the presence of royalty, because a third generation in Columbia's cumbia legacy is landing in Amherst this evening to spread the sound of the genre. Yeison Landero, the grandson of “King of Cumbia”  Andrés Landero, stops through our studios before Secret Planet brings him to The Drake in Amherst this evening for a little live music Thursday.  But even though Yeison has been playing music...

If we mention Texas Longhorn Cattle, the first thing that comes to mind is probably not Western Massachusetts, but today, we’re going to take you on a tour of a farm in Granby that may change your mind about that.  Cote Cattle Company, (also known in some parts as Double C Ranch) switched its beef herd to being a purely Texas Longhorn dedicated operation and since have become nationally trusted st...

Today the Fabulous 413 is all about growth, large and small and near and far as well.  'Cause it turns out that there’s folx in Beantown that want to know about your business’ meteoric rise. The Boston Globe has partnered with Statista to discover businesses bolstering economic growth across the region. The search is on for New England's Fastest-Growing Companies 2025 and we speak with Michelle Mi...

We’re back at it, and ready to face the new year in the four counties And we’re not the only ones. Greenfield Mayor Ginny DeSorgher is on the verge of completing her first year in office, and we invite her to the studio for a post-mortem of how her inaugural time has fared, The triumphs and trials that have visited the city under her purview, and what’s in store for the city formerly known as a to...

It’s our last show before we take a tiny little winter break, so let's party!  We’re looking straight past Christmas to New Years Eve, where folx will be heading out to welcome the new year. Our last guest of our week showcasing some of the music that you’ll hear at First Night Northampton is Henning Ohlenbusch, who’ll be pulling double duty on the last night of the year performing solo and with t...

Today we're squeezing a LOT of music in, to match our energy for the season.  We bring Slant of Light in to the studios to perform just before you can catch them at The Drake in Amherst. Band members Kris Banks, Trevor Healy, Jay Labbe, Kelly L'Heureux, and Josh Owsley gives us a small glimpse into their origin story ( and that of two of the guitars built by one of their guitarists ) along with ti...

More ways to celebrate this year coming to a close, because it’s good to reflect sometimes and bestow kudos where kudos are due!  We’ll check in with the folx at the Triplex in Great Barrington, who are celebrating the one year anniversary of their revival. Ex. dir. Ben Elliott speaks with us about the triumphs and challenges of their first year as a non-profit community cinema, and how it’s shift...

Today is about togetherness.  Yes, every day is about togetherness, but let's not digress.  We're bringing folx together through one of the newest holidays on the block: Kwanzaa. After learning about the holiday's origins with prof. Ousmane Power-Greene, we're all eager to find places where we might celebrate festivities locally. Luckily for us, the Kwanzaa Collective has a full week of activities...

We’re barrelling headfirst into the year end celebrations, including newer ones built to create bigger, more cohesive communities.  Kwanzaa starts next week and is nearing the 60th anniversary of its incarnation, which means it’s a perfect time to bring in professor Ousmane Power-Greene of Clark University to discuss it’s origin story, and how a non-denominational holiday for and of the people sti...

 Art, art and more art. And holiday spirits all over! It’s live music Friday and we’re getting a holiday visit from a collective bringing ska, dub, and rocksteady to western Mass and beyond. The Valley Moonstompers are celebrating a brand new seasonal single and a show next week at the Marigold Theater, and we’ll get our skank on when they swing through the studio. And once we’re in the spirit, we...

We’re joining in song, and heralding ourselves, sorta. A big project is coming to NEPM TV, on Dec. 12th. A new documentary created to take a deeper look at the black experience within the four counties of western Massachusetts. Legacies: Stories of Black History in the 413 premiers this evening and we’ll talk with the creative team that drove the film Erika Slocomb, Joe Aidonidis, and Evan Goodchi...

Today has a bit of history, a touch of the theatrical, notorious nominees, and a hat to boot.  We’ll share a glimpse into the past interpreted through pedal steel with Myk Freedman . A memoir of one of his ancestors gives a unique glimpse of Jewish life for one woman in Eastern Europe in the early 20th century is being put on it’s feet and through musical lens at Bombyx on Dec. 12th, and we’ll hea...

We’re putting down and picking up roots, because it takes care to maintain both community and forests So we’re checking in with a pillar of the drag scene as they close a chapter. Drag Brunch with Hors and Friends has been a staple of the queer community for over a decade but is brunching its last brunch this Sunday in West Springfield . We chat with founder Hors D'Oeuvres about the event’s run an...

A joyful noise and a measurement of what peaks our interest as a society. Amherst Media is bestowing its 15th Jean Haggerty award, so we sit with the board president, Vira Douangmany, to learn about the award’s namesake, the previous winners of the award and the many ways Amherst Media continues a community-forward legacy. We also hear from the award recipient, Jacqui Wallace, director of the Amhe...

 We’ll start by heading to the Berkshires where the beer you drink or get for the folx in your life who like beer is helping keep our neighbors warm through these colder months. Hot Plate Brewing is hosting an event this weekend in support of their Hearth and Home Campaign. We head to Pittsfield to talk with Co-owner Mike Dell’Aquila about how a pint can help keep the heat up.  Then we’re off to G...

You may have noticed that we’re a bit wry on this show, nay even a bit sarcastic and kitschy. And if you or any of your loved ones are similarly inclined, there’s a business in the Berkshires that make make easy of your gift giving.   Today we head to Pittsfield for a tour of Blue Q , whose myriad of adorkable, often foul mouthed products are not just great conversation pieces, but helping people...

Last week western Mass  came out en masse to show incredible generosity to the Food Bank via the means of a 43 mile walk. But today we’ll hear about yet another quirky event that helps to inspire generosity from the community over a much shorter distance: The Hot Chocolate Run for Safe Passage, happening for the 21st time in Northampton this Sunday. We’ll talk with Safe Passage Executive Director...