If you are in the #westernMA area (Western Massachusetts, USA) this coming Friday and are interested, my band -- Duke Rushmore -- is playing at the Elks Club in Florence, MA, from 6:30 - 9:30 pm. We play rock and soul and try to get folks up to dance and find joy in music.

The second snowy owl perched in a tree for a long time, with a crowd of onlookers taking pictures from the road nearby. #birds #birdwatching #owl #SnowyOwl #WesternMA #WesternMassachusetts #wildlife

Snowy owl in Northampton, Massachusetts. There are two individuals that have been hanging out in the fields near the municipal airport for a couple weeks, and I saw both of them today. #birds #birdwatching #owl #SnowyOwl #WesternMA #WesternMassachusetts #wildlife

Just discovered the NPR program 'The Fabulous 413' and I'm pleased to report that it is a heartening dose of local goodness

Not that I listen to every episode, but when I do, it's interesting, lively, and reaffirming that there are cool cultural things happening with good people near where I live. And that is valuable

If you live near Western Massachusetts, definitely check out the podcast. Support public media while you're at it

https://www.npr.org/podcasts/1155727495/the-fabulous-413

#WesternMass #WesternMA #Fabulous413

🦖 New song: Granby DinoFest! 🎶
A joyful anthem for Granby’s dino-filled festival — full of stomps, roars & small-town charm.
🎧 https://adamsweet.bandcamp.com/track/granby-dinofest

#GranbyDinoFest #GranbyMA #WesternMA #NewMusic

Great show, fantastic venue, #WesternMA #NoHo

RE: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:gvjflbkefqjbjzwz3fusaxqj/post/3ly6ymnhmnk2j

Who's coming to Springfield? #WesternMA #thehobby https://x.com/413cardshow/st…

New Freak Scene! This week, New Haven-area music veteran Knox Chandler evokes feel of the #Connecticut shore on his LP "The Sound," plus #WesternMA band All Feels go country-ish on their new single "Mess."
#Music
https://buttondown.com/freakscene/archive/freak-scene-70-knox-chandler-the-sound/

People in western MA, keep this in mind:

ICE *has* been active in our area.

You can support LUCE at this link (and at the website you can see the local orgs who are part of the LUCE coalition): https://www.lucemass.org/?link_id=2&can_id=85ed4c74011fe4bc2f549de26d805384&email_referrer=email_2760905&email_subject=meeting-the-moment-plus-were-hiring

#MApolitics #WesternMA #ICE #Immigration #HumanRights

This week in Freak Scene, Ned King and Jake Manzi, both of LuxDeluxe, also have a duo project, King Manzi, with a laid-back new LP:
#WesternMA #music #indiemusic
https://buttondown.com/freakscene/archive/freak-scene-68-king-manzi-bolder-than-before/

New Freak Scene, earlier than usual: Ciarra Fragale locks in an '80s synth-pop vibe on her new album, which includes the amazing song "Jazzercise is on TV," plus the latest from Wishbone Zoë:
#music #westernMA
https://buttondown.com/freakscene/archive/freak-scene-67-ciarra-fragale-get-what-you-want/

Went to see Gold Dust play last night at the Drake in Amherst, and though there was no bouzouki, or mandolin, or banjo, or electric sitar, they still sounded great. Also, the Croaks from Boston are a trip. More on Gold Dust:
#WesternMA #music
https://buttondown.com/freakscene/archive/freak-scene-66-gold-dust-in-the-shade-of-the-living-light/

This week in Freak Scene: the latest from Gold Dust, which is a beautiful, heartbreaking, deeply thoughtful piece of work. Stephen Pierce was so generous with his time, and his emphasis on regionalism in his music mirrors what I'm trying to do with this newsletter. Check it out:
#music #WesternMa
https://buttondown.com/freakscene/archive/freak-scene-66-gold-dust-in-the-shade-of-the-living-light/

New in Freak Scene: the #WesternMA bluegrass-ish band Splendid Torch picks up where Mamma's Marmalade left off, largely because it's most of the same people. Plus, Tune-Yards' latest LP is much better than I had expected.
#music
https://buttondown.com/freakscene/archive/freak-scene-65-splendid-torch-icon/

It's Freak Scene time: this week, a new EP from Easthampton band the Giant's Harp, plus the latest from Hartford-area singer Mitch Linker, who makes pop music for grownups. Check it:
#WesternMa #Connecticut #music
https://buttondown.com/freakscene/archive/freak-scene-64-the-giants-harp-ep/

This week in Freak Scene, #WesternMA band Bunnies are back with the scuzz-prog album "Horror Spectrum," and oh so much more. Won't you join us? Maybe subscribe? Tell all your friends and neighbors?
#music
https://buttondown.com/freakscene/archive/freak-scene-63-bunnies-horror-spectrum/

Such a fun Freak Scene this week. We hear about the cassette-only label Sour City Tapes, and Amherst musician Scott Hsu explains why he sings in English and Mandarin on his new single:
#WesternMA #music #bilingual
https://buttondown.com/freakscene/archive/freak-scene-62-sour-city-tapes/

I got the Voice Nodulator fixed and working better than ever! All 8 params(grain frequency & size, attack, decay, feedback, lopass to pitchcompressor, high cut) to be safely voltage controllable and I can’t even blow it up with juice from the ARP!

Turned out part of the problem was a couple of potentiometers that had been resoldered too many times and crushed in too many bags.

Looking forward to getting together with the #synthdiy and #modularsynth nerds in a couple weeks here in #westernma!

We're getting our signs ready for the resistance protest today at US National Parks. We've organized people (a handful have committed but we hope for many more) at our own local National Park Historic Site. Read more: https://dogtraxwrites.com/write-out/national-park-resistance-day/ If you are in #WesternMa in US, consider yourself invited! Noon at the Springfield Armory National Historic Site!

Looking out my window today, icy rain on snow, I saw one of the Pedal People, not young, riding his bike om Rt 9 pulling a long line of trailers with trash for the dump behind him. Hard core. #WesternMA