Flywheel News
All the latest and past news.
Rangda (Ben Chasny, Chris Corsano, Sir Richard Bishop) Thurs. Sept. 2nd
Rangda is a new trio comprised of guitarists Sir Richard Bishop (Sun City Girls) and Ben Chasny (Six Organs of Admittance, Comets on Fire), drummer Chris Corsano and named after the child-eating Balinese Demon Queen. Their first LP "False Flag", out now on Drag City, is in someways reminiscent of the Girls at their noise-blasted free-skronk best. Wheras, in the past Bishop's guitar work frequently utilized Eastern motiffs, here the twin guitarists stick to more American sounding Psych Rock and No Wave zones as well as Minimal Feedback Drone. Corsano keeps the fire burning throughout and lends in auxiliary organ and clarinet. The record shoud be a blueprint for an exhilarating live set.
++Major Stars and Unmuzzled Ox (Sunburned w/ Paul Flaherty)++
the show costs $8 and starts promptly at 8:30pm
North American Underground
This Wednesday's show (August 12th) at Flywheel features members of some of the Western Hemisphere's finest experimental musicians. Alexander Moskos from Aids Wolf, John Elliot from Emeralds and Jenny Graf from Metalux. Hope to see you all there...Danny Cruz's Birthday Celebration at Flywheel
Come one, come all!!! Help celebrate Danny Cruz's 18th birthday on Saturday afternoon (starting at 2pm) with this FREE HELLFIRE FEST!!! ((donations will be gathered for out of town band(s))) Expect the unexpected! Expect intrigue!! Expect good wholesome fun, food and games!!!!!!!!
Danny is the lead singer and GURU of Flaming Dragons of Middle Earth and he will be hosting the festivities and guest singing and picking with most, if... not all of the bands, as well as performing with his own group. This is your perfect chance to find out what Flaming Dragons is all about. Bring an instrument and join in on the fun. To get a taste of the FDOME experience click HERE.
This will also be a pre-release party for Danny's first LP coming out in a few weeks. There will be an "auction" for special art editions of the test pressings.
other performers:
The Bunnybrains - schlock rockers in longstanding disarray
Grey Skull - ultimate doom with addition of Danny on gtr/vox
Egg Eggs - mems. of fat worm, frothy shakes, barn owl + j. callahan
Cave Bears - first show of original trio carrie/mary/nick in 2 years!!!
Chris Manz - first music show. collabs with yximallo, n. hamburger
Fat History Month - boston post this and that totally amazing
Ugh God - philly expri-mental ball-kicking jamz
REMEMBER THIS IS A DAYTIME EVENT - COME PREPARED AT 2PM
Join The Parade!
Flywheel will be marching, walking drumming and making music in Easthampton's 225 Birthday Party Parade Saturday June 19th! Please Join Us! All ages are welcome!
What will we do?; We will walk and some of us will drum, play kazoos, etc. Children will blow bubbles, dance, and wave their flags.
Just the Facts: The details for the day of the parade:
Parade Starts at Easthampton High School
Flywheel is number # 55
Be there between 9:30 and 9:45. Parade starts at 10:30
we will walking about one mile to Eastworks
ALSO The organizers are holding a LARGE Puppet building workshop Friday evening June 11 and Saturday June 12 is for adults and for kids over 12. Call if you are interested in joining them: (413) 887-7837. You should go if you can!
More Info about Easthampton's 225: www.easthampton225.com/events.html
How to get involved
Are you creative? Would you like to connect with a wide range of artists, musicians, and people who share your interests?
If you answered "Yes, indeed!", Flywheel could be for you.
Join us for an Introductory open house/New Volunteer Meeting
June 28 at 7 pm 43 Main Street Easthampton, MA
Marshes show date change!
The Marshes show has been rescheduled to THURSDAY MAY 20TH
Saturday May 8, 2010!
30 vendors selling Music You NEED!
Featuring an eclectic selection of vintage vinyl, cds, and tapes. Don't miss it.
At Flywheel,
43 Main Street
Easthampton, MA
Sunday May 9, Mother's Flea!
Vendors Selling Art, Crafts, Clothing, Jewelery, Odd and Ends, Snacks, Anything Goes!
FREE admission!
Grand Re Opening Schedule
See the full Grand Opening schedule at a glance here
Download the awesome poster by Jordan Knecht here
RE-Opening Celebration APRIL 15-APRIL 18 at Easthampton’s Old Town Hall
Three years after closing the doors of its original space at 2 Holyoke Street in Easthampton, Massachusetts, Flywheel, a grassroots community arts center, is reopening in Easthampton's historic Old Town Hall. The opening celebration, featuring local and national performers, is slated to last four days.
The new space is located in the city's former police station. "The renovations took longer than we expected, but the results are worth it," said Jeremy Smith, who was a core member of the collective that opened Flywheel in 1998. "We demoed out the old police station, rewired it, refinished the floors, added bathrooms, and improved accessibility and safety. It’s beautiful." The Old Town Hall location has more than double the previous space's capacity and features an updated sound system. To do this work, the group raised nearly $50,000 and relied heavily on volunteer and pro-bono professional labor.
The new Flywheel, like the old, will feature a performance space, gallery, zine library, and later this year, a cafe. Smith hopes that being located in Easthampton's downtown will make the center attractive to individuals and groups who want to get involved as members, rent the space, or simply attend events, which will include workshops, children's programs, theater, and film and video, as well as Flywheel's mainstay, music shows by a range of local, national, and international artists. As before, the programming will be driven by volunteer community members who produce their own events at the space. "Flywheel is what you make of it," added Smith.
One group that committed early to partnering with Flywheel is the Easthampton Family Center, a drop-in play center for young children and caregivers, which will soon move to the space from its current location near the town line in Northampton. Said Mindy Ramos, the group's coordinator, "We are so excited to be sharing the space with Flywheel. It's a great space that will be easy for local families to get to, and the group shares our creative, do-it-yourself philosophy."
The four-day celebration will begin on Thursday, April 15, and will continue each night through Sunday. On Saturday, the festivities will begin with a morning show for kids by The Royal Order of Chords and Keys (R.O.C.K.), and will continue from 12:00pm-12:00am.
Twenty-five local and national acts will be featured, including Dan Deacon, Jason Anderson, Hnatiw, Parts & Labor, Fat Worm of Error, and Yucky Octopus. Flywheel’s monthly flea market will take place on Sunday, April 17 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. vendors will be selling; Arts, Crafts, Records, Clothing, Collectibles, and more. The full schedule is available here.
Flywheel, a collectively run, not-for-profit space, aims to build community and give artists of all types the opportunity to craft, practice, and perform their work in an environment where creativity is valued over profit. Volunteer-run and governed by consensus, Flywheel believes that art and information should be equally accessible and affordable to all people.
Full event details and information on how to get involved with the Flywheel Arts Collective are available at www.flywheelarts.org/grand-opening
One Mans Rubbish is Another Mans Gold!
The Second Sunday of Most Months--Third Sunday in April*
March 14, April 18*, May 9, June 13 etc. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Vendors Selling Art, Crafts, Records, Cassettes, Clothing, Jewelery, Odd and Ends, Snacks, Anything Goes!
FREE admission!
Live DJs!
*April 18 is part of our Grand Opening Bonanza, You will not want to miss it!
Record Fair!
Come on feel the vinyl
Sunday November 8, 2009 10-3 p.m. in the New Flywheel building--Easthamptons Old Town Hall, 43 Main Street, Easthampton, MA.
30-50 dealers with all styles of music for sale. FREE ADMISSION.
Family Dance Extravaganza Photos
Photos from the Flywheel and Easthampton Family Center Bear Fest Party are now posted on Flickr Enjoy!
MEMBERSHIPS ARE NOW AVAILABLE!!
MEMBERSHIPS ARE:
- Affordable!
- Flexible!
- For individuals and families!
WHY SHOULD YOU BECOME A MEMBER?
- Memberships include perks for individuals and families, like free tickets, discounts on admissions, t-shirts and limited edition artwork.
- Memberships directly support community-based arts programming and economic development in the Pioneer Valley.
- Memberships are the best, most reliable way to provide Flywheel with the support necessary to launch programs and events in our new headquarters in Easthampton's historic Old Town Hall.
Flywheel Benefit at Apollo Grill -- Thank You to everyone that came! You helped raise close to $1,000 and the donations are still coming in.
Mark your calenders! Friday, August 7th: the Apollo Grill will be the site of an Acoustic Night to benefit Flywheel featuring Watcher, Dave Houghton, and Jeremy Boyle. There will be drinks and a silent auction of vintage Flywheel events posters, all to benefit the Flywheel.
Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 at the door, and can be purchased from Jeremy at 413.535.9789.
Help Flywheel with its final fundraising push toward opening the New Space! See you at the Apollo!
When: Friday, August 7th, 10:00PM
Where: Apollo Grill
Eastworks
116 Pleasant St # 119
Easthampton, MA 01027-2739
New Space Update
Flywheel Very Close to Reopening in Easthampton's Old Town Hall at 43 Main Street. Our permits are posted and the professionals are working on bringing the building up to code.
Help Wanted. There will be several work parties in the space and there are things that can be done at other times. Do you have a few hours to help? Below is a list of stuff we need to get done in the next month or so.
Building Stuff/ Tearing Stuff Down, email for a list of prjects.
Painting, lots of painting.
Art and Design: T-shirts, Bumper Stickers, Posters, Art for Show in the New Gallery Space.
Organization: Zine Library, Event Planning
Events: Opening Party and Parade, Fundraising
Donate: Shelving, Cabinets, Storage Benches, Use of tools, Chalkboard Paint, Laptop Computer, Cash
Sewing and Upholstery: Sew some Curtains, Seat Covers.
Etc. . . Help Spread the Word
Email: volunteer@flywheelarts.org.
Ted Leo Show Moved to Easthampton High School
The Ted Leo & the Pharmacists show scheduled for June 18th has been moved to Easthampton High School, just down the street from Flywheel's new location.
Due to construction and other delays, our space, which we had hoped would be ready for this show, will still be under construction.
Instead, Flywheel will be holding the show at the Easthampton High School Gym. Tickets will be sold at the door for $10. See you there!
Directions here
Thursday June 18 2009 $10
doors: 8:00pm
Ted Leo & the Pharmacists
Titus Andronicus
Alottle
Spring Record Fair Fundraiser: May 9th 2009
Hey kids! It's spring and you know what that means, it's time for our twice annual record fair fundraiser. This one is taking place on Saturday May 9th 2009 in the scrappy under-construction confines of our new home at the OLD TOWN HALL in the center of Easthampton. Come by from 10:00am-3:30pm.
17+ dealers will be on hand give you the wax fix you so desire with the usual eclectic selection of vintage vinyl. As we always say, your ATM will hate you, your turntable will love you. Don't miss it.
Also, get a chance to check out the progress on our very-soon-to-be-operational home
Sponsored in part by theValley Advocate
Construction Update 03.04.2009
We are getting close. We swear!
The process of managing a large scale renovation project with volunteers has been a learning experience. Because we chose to take on this project ourselves, the challenges have been much greater than if we had just hired a construction manager/general contractor to sort it all out for us. But enough excuses. You just want to know what up.
We have taken bids and pretty much chosen all of the contractors for the professional work (electrical, plumbing, flooring, drywall). The next step was to get the final layout plan to our architect, who will make final changes to the official blueprint and submit it to the city who will grant us building permits. The architect has our plans and will most likely turn them in next week. After that, all of the professional work can start!
Separately from our work, the city of Easthampton will finally be installing a sprinkler system throughout the building (which you have probably heard us mention before), in April.
Once all of THAT is done, we will depend on volunteer labor to finish up the rest of the work (building a performance area, hanging lights, painting, building storage compartments, installing the sound equipment, building out the cafe area, etc). So if you want to help, stay tuned to our website and we will keep you in the loop.
Our lease officially begins May 1, so we are very motivated to be open by then.
Stay tuned......
Thurston Moore to host book signing to benefit Flywheel
02.13.2009
I know everyone wants to know when we're going to open, but we just can't tell you yet! We are so close to having an opening date, that we have begun booking shows for the summer! A construction update will happen soon. We promise.
In the meantime, please come out to support our renovation efforts by attending this event. Thurston Moore complied a wonderful book of photos of the early New York No Wave scene in the late 70s with Byron Coley. Thurston will regale us with tales from the underground, as well as some rare footage. He will sign copies of the book as well. Here are the deets!
THURSTON MOORE presenting and reading from his collaboration with Byron Coley No Wave:Post-Punk. Underground. New York. 1976-1980
March 3 2009 7:30pm APE Gallery
126 main st northampton.ma
http://www.flywheelarts.org
http://www.apearts.org/
Donations will be accepted to assist Flywheel in the renovation of our new home at Old Town Hall in Easthampton
Flywheel thanks A.P.E. for the generous use of their space.
Work Party: Episode III - Revenge of the Vise Grip!
If you are interested in helping out with the last staple hurrah this weekend, we'll be at the Easthampton Town Hall:
Sunday January 18th from 12:00-5:00pm at the Old Easthampton Town Hall.
Before our floors are sanded we need to remove several hundred staples from the floor of our new space. This is going to save us a huge amount of money. We have been working on it for a while now, but it's time for a final push. That's where YOU come in.
We have some tools, but if possible please bring your own. The staples are long and deep in the wood floor. We have found that the tools that work best are:
vise grips (we only have about 4 of these)
hammer used in conjunction with a small forked cats-paw type thingy (small enough to fit under a staple) and Gloves
Having one of these tools makes things go a lot smoother, so we recommend bringing your own.
Hope you can make it.
We will be having several more work parties in the coming weeks if you can't make this one. Watch this space for details.
Vote for Flywheel!
It's that time of year again. Time to vote for your favorite local non-profit, which is of course us! If you are a customer of Florence Savings Bank, you can click on over to here and vote for Flywheel to recieve a piece of the $50,000 being given away to local non-profit organizations. Help us get a few extra bucks to restore Flywheel! Don't you miss us?
Collegian Article 11.14.2008
Here is an feature article on Flywheel that came out in the Daily Collegian last week.
Despite a few minor factual oversights it's a decent article.
"Flywheel Moves to New Digs: Long Road to Old Town Hall for Easthampton Arts Venue"
Demolition update. 11.8.2008
So, we had a bit of a snag in October when we discovered that there is lead paint in the space. We always suspected there was, but hoped there wasn't. Much of the ceiling paint is flaking and will have to be professionally removed and disposed of. This has set us back about a month. We originally had scheduled to have the floors sanded and finished in October.
For the last few weeks we have been seeking bids on lead paint removal. The job will set us back about $12-$15,000, which is money we originally had planned for renovations to the space. We will be seeking donations from local funding sources to help us pay for it.
Stay tuned for more info and ways you can help.....
Who Tribute Show to Benefit Flywheel
Thanks to the generosity of some local musicians, The Elevens nightclub, & Flywheel volunteer Matt Weston's obsession with The Who, Flywheel will be the recipient of some extra scratch.
Come down to The Elevens on Saturday October 24, 2008 @ 9:00pm
For $5 you will see the likes of Flock & Field, The Novels, Thrillpillow, Los Hijos Unicos & more, reinterpret the best of the world's loudest band.
Spread the word. Download a flyer here
Flywheel interview in the Mount Holyoke News
Check out this interview in the September 19, 2008 issue of the Mount Holyoke Student newspaper with a real live Flywheel Hub member.
Flywheel Where Art Meets Community
Record Fair Earns Flywheel $1,200
The twice-annual Flywheel Record Fair was a great success. Flywheel netted $1,200 that will go towards our renovation of Town Hall. In addition, attendees basked in the scrumptious selection of records, cds and tapes on hand from music dealers from throughout New England. If you missed it, don't worry, we will be having another event next year. Watch this space for the date as soon as it is announced. In the meantime, check a few photos from the fair here.
Thank you to the Marketplace at Eastworks, The Valley Advocate, all of the dealers, and Flywheel volunteers who helped make it happen.
Fall Record Fair Fundraiser: September 27th
Our twice annual record fair fundraiser is taking place Saturday September 27th at the Marketplace at Eastworks in Easthampton from 10:00am-4:00pm.
30+ dealers will be on hand to slap the green out of your hand with their outrageously eclectic selection of vintage vinyl, cds, and tapes. Your ATM will hate you, your turntable will love you. Don't miss it.
Sponsored by the Valley Advocate & Dynamite Records
See Our Demolition Progress; Volunteer To Help
Want to follow our demolition progress? Check back during September and October to see pictures of the various stages of demolition and construction on our photos page here.
Also, we will be looking for volunteers to help out with painting, sheet rocking, construction, cleaning, organizing, moving, and all sorts of stuff. If you want to help out send us an email and check back here for scheduled Weekend Work Parties.
Flywheel Recieves $10,000 Grant from Local Foundation
Flywheel is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a $10,000 grant from the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts. The grant will enable Flywheel to renovate its new location in Easthampton’s Old Town Hall and to continue expanding its community-based programming.
Our friends at New City Scenic & Display, Inc.—an Easthampton based event design and fabrication company—are donating their services in preparing the space that once housed the police station in the Historic Town Hall Building on Main Street in Easthampton. The demolition entails removing many layers of renovations done throughout the 20th century as use changed to accommodate various municipal offices. Once the demolition is complete the space will resemble its original "great room" form from when the building was constructed in 1869. New City Scenic & Display, Inc. is also salvaging the historic molding and tin for the city to reuse. Owners of New City Scenic, Amy Davis and Andrew Stuart, anticipate having the space ready for Flywheel’s renovations by mid-July.
Take a look at our photos page to see the demolition process.
Thanks to the tremendous support of community members, CitySpace, New City Scenic & Display, and the City of Easthampton, Flywheel will reopen later this year in its new, historic home.
When is Flywheel re-opening again?
That is the question that is on everyone's lips. It is on ours as well. BUT that is about to change.
Some history...In the agreement with CitySpace, our non-profit landlord, the City of Easthampton has agreed to install a sprinkler system, which we will need in order to open. We also need to do some demolition and construction in our space at Town Hall. We have raised the funds needed to do the construction and demolition, however, we did not want to start the demolition until we got a sign from the city that the sprinklers would be installed.
SO, we have received word that the city is ready to begin the sprinkler installation, which means we can begin the demolition and construction, ASAP. We are in the process of getting the proper permits, and if all goes according to plan, we should be starting demolition in early June.
Watch this space for further updates. In the meantime, click here for photos of what Town Hall looked like in 2006.
2nd Annual Worm Fest, May 22-24
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - The 2nd Valley Worm Fest - once again a Flywheel benefit - will be held Thursday, Friday and Saturday, May 22nd through the 24th, 2008. The three-day music festival - now a biannual event - will be held at the Sierra Grille, Strong Avenue on Thursday evening; the Elevens, Pleasant St. on Friday and Saturday nights. Both venues are located in Northampton, MA. The "Weekend Of Rock Music" will consist of three separate admission shows: Thursday at 10pm, Friday at 8pm, and Saturday at 8pm. Cost for each show is 5 dollars. Over 20 bands and artists will be participating.
VWF II will include the following acts: Bunnies, Cheater's Club, Cunhaband, Fancy Trash, Figments, Future Punk!, Eric Gaffney (Sebadoh), Haunt, Hospital, King Radio, Ella Longpre, Los Hijos Unicos, Lonesome Brothers, Lowercase Gs, National Carpet, The Others (The Thungs), Owiehops, Party Wolf, Ken Mauri (Ribbon Candy), School for the Dead, So Very Small, Spouse, Tizzy, Trials and Tribulations & more!
Flywheel Fundraiser at Williston School!
Saturday, May 24th at the Williston Theater, Easthampton, MA. Featuring Mark Schwaber and Spouse. Doors at 7:40, $5.00 cover.
Flywheel fundraiser show: April 27th
5:30pm, at the Elevens. Lots of local bands. The show is a CD release show for the Flywheel benefit album, "Building Momentum."
2nd Annual Flywheel Record Fair: April 12th
10am to 4pm at Eastworks in Easthampton.
The Valley Advocate wrote a front page story about us
Read it here: Wheel Reinvented: Kickstarting the Flywheel
28-30 Sept 2007: 1st ANNUAL VALLEY WORM FEST SET!
The 1st Annual Valley Worm Fest will be held Friday, Saturday and Sunday, September 28th through the 30th, 2007. The three-day music festival will be held at the Elevens, Pleasant St. in Northampton, MA. The Weekend Of Rock Music will consist of four separate admission shows: Friday at 8pm, Saturday at 3pm and 8pm, and Sunday at 3pm. Cost for each show is 5 dollars, and weekend passes can be purchased at all Turn It Up! locations for 15 dollars. Over 20 bands and artists will be participating.
The music festival is a benefit for Flywheel. Flywheel Arts Collective recently moved from its former location at 2 Holyoke Street in Easthampton into the historic old Town Hall Building on Main Street. Before we can reopen our doors, there are a series of building upgrades that need to be finished, including a new sprinkler system installation and remodeling of the new space.
For More Information, contact Jill, Jason or Matt: valleywormfest@yahoo.com or visit myspace.com/valleywormfest.
15 Sept 2007: 1st Annual Flywheel Record Fair
A fundraiser for the Flywheel.
Saturday Sept 15th, 9am-4pm, at Eastworks, 116 Pleasant St, Easthampton.
30-50 vendors. FREE Admission.
Thanks to Tom at Standard Design for the flyer design!
We'd also like to thank The Market Place at Eastworks for their sponsorship of this event.
16 July 2007: Flywheel needs your help!
Read our APPEAL LETTER.
5 April 2007: Flywheel is moving.
We have vacated our space at 2 Holyoke Street and will be moving to Easthampton Town Hall sometime late Summer 2007.
In the meantime check back here for:
- Updates
- Shows that some Flywheel people will be doing at other venues
- A new and improved website!
Thanks to everyone who has supported our mission here at 2 Holyoke Street for the last 8 years and to everyone who came out to our last show on March 17th. It was a great event. See some great photos from Seth Kaye.