Dear readers,
The Pioneer Valley, and Northampton in particular, has such a vibrant music scene that it can be easy to take it for granted. But it doesn’t have to be that an area of this size has such a dedicated community of musicians performing. A good part of what feeds this artistic group are the open mics and plethora of venues that support and give opportunities to those who make music, and as Chris Goudreau’s cover story this week shows, that has been the case for a long time.
Goudreau writes about an effort to celebrate the old Bay State Hotel, now a memory, but during the 1990s and early 2000s a central point for local musicians. By virtue of the fact that it tended to be open later than almost anywhere else around, many songwriters and music aficionados found themselves at the Bay State at the end of the night. Friends would see each other there long before ubiquitous cell phone use had us plan everything in advance.
As for the many musicians who graced the stage (or the lack thereof) at the Bay State Hotel, a good number have been interviewed for a joint effort by Forbes Library and Northampton Open Media (formerly Northampton Community Television) to document this important venue and what it meant to Northampton and the wider music community. Also, a live show inviting back many of those same artists will take place on February 23.
The Bay State Hotel may not have been the classiest locale or had the best sound system, but it held a special place in the hearts of many of the Valley’s songwriters. It seems fitting that those now keeping the many venues of Northampton and beyond filled would pay tribute to this dynamic place that came before.
— Dave Eisenstadter