THE BEAT
After a quarter century, the music still flows from Max Creek
by Seth Rogovoy(WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass., November 28, 1996 ) -- Founded in 1971 and with the bulk of its current lineup in place since the mid-'70s, Max Creek is undoubtedly one of New England's longest-running performing acts. And like that other, long-running performing act to which it is frequently compared -- the Grateful Dead -- it is Max Creek's live shows, and not its albums, which has made its reputation.
Max Creek brings its San Francisco-style, improvisational rock to The Studio, located in the former England Brothers department store on North Street in downtown Pittsfield, this Saturday, Nov. 30, at 8.
When Max Creek kicks off its show this weekend, it won't be the first time the band has played for Studio promoter Mort Cooperman. In fact, the band's first record deal was inked at Cooperman's famed New York City nightclub, the Lone Star Cafe, in the mid-'80s. Relix Records head Les Kippel came to see the group one night and signed a deal that resulted in the release of its fourth album, "Windows," in 1986.
In 1990, Max Creek released the follow-up, "MCMXC." Max Creek expects to have a new album ready for release in the fall of 1997. The band's current lineup includes John Rider on bass and vocals, Mark Mercier on keyboards and vocals, Scott Murawski on guitar and vocals, Rob Fried on percussion and Scott Allshouse on drums. In addition to original tunes, the group's concert repertoire includes covers of songs by Little Feat, the Beatles, the Grateful Dead, Steppenwolf and Eric Clapton.
Spotlight: Milltown Art Show
Three Pittsfield artists are currently getting their due at Milltown Studios' Chaise Lounge Gallery on Main Street in North Adams, where artworks by Anne Roland, Morris Bennett and Diane Blagdon is on display through Dec. 24. Roland's monochromatic works in colored pencil resemble animal skulls, while Bennett, her husband, favors colorful, puzzle-like abstractions. Blagdon works in various media, including colored pencil, impressionistic oil pastels and wittily sentimental collages that echo classical and religious motifs. The gallery is open Monday-Friday, 9-5, and Saturday, 9-3. Call 662-2725 for more information.
Spotlight : Doc Scanlon's Rhythm Boys
Doc Scanlon's Rhythm Boys,, the Albany-based, jump-blues band, will celebrate the release of the group's new CD, "Doc Live!" (DDE), at Mullany's Mill Road in Latham, N.Y., on Saturday, Nov. 30 at 8. The CD features 14 tunes recorded live at the 1995 "First Night" New Year's Eve celebration at the DeWitt Clinton Hotel in downtown Albany, N.Y. The CD includes classics by Louis Jordan, Benny Goodman, Sinatra and Basie, early '50s rock tunes, a Nick Lowe number and a holiday treat -- Chuck Berry's "Run, Run, Rudolph" -- all performed with Doc Scanlon's trademark verve and brassy wit.
Backstage bits
This Saturday, Nov. 30, is the deadline for reservations to the 10th Anniversary Bil Krauss "Staff Party," at Eastover in Lenox on Dec. 6-8. In addition to former Pittsfielder Krauss -- who now splits his time between Colorado and South Carolina -- performers lined up for this year's version of the annual bash, expected to attract over 500 guests, include the East Creek Band and the Water Street Blues Band from Oneonta, N.Y. For more information call (518) 273-2442 or send E-mail to chris@berkshire.net....Can't wait until November 1997 for the trial of Theodore Kaczynski, the alleged Unabomber, to begin? Two Berkshire nerds have teamed up to create the Virtual Jury Web Site, in which visitors can experience the fictional trial of the Unabomber suspect and render a verdict, which is recorded on the site. The architects of the interactive courtroom in cyberspace are Pittsfield attorney Kenneth Gogel and John Myers, a professor of music and interactive multimedia at Simon's Rock College in Great Barrington....
Is there anything this righteous babe can't do? Amidst news that "Dilate," Ani DiFranco's most recent, do-it-yourself effort, has hit the unprecedented 100,000 mark in sales, the fiery singer/songwriter has released a new music video for the single "Joyful Girl." A hypnotically seductive, David Lynch-ian effort which she directed herself, of course, the video has already aired on MTV and the new M2 music-video channel. DiFranco has also just released a companion, six-song, hip-hop-flavored EP, "More Joy, Less Shame," featuring four haunting, sensual remixes of the single (one performed with the Buffalo Philharmonic conducted by Doc Severinsen) and a couple other remixes and live tracks (to order call 1-800-ON-HER-OWN). The busy bee also graces the cover of the November/December issue of Ms. magazine....
We suppose it's understandable that an article about its 1996 Summer Music Series in the National Music Foundation's autumn newsletter, NMF News, omits the fact that nearly half the concerts in the series were cancelled due to slow ticket sales....
[This column originally appeared in the Berkshire Eagle on Nov. 28, 1996. Copyright Seth Rogovoy 1996. All rights reserved.]
Seth Rogovoy
rogovoy@berkshire.net
music news, interviews, reviews, et al.
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