Holyoke Media

Masters of Sonic Liberation
2024-08-29 19:30 - 22:00, 2024-09-26 19:30 - 22:00, 2024-10-24 19:00 - 22:00, 2025-03-27 19:30 - 22:00, 2025-04-24 19:30 - 22:00 (America/Halifax) | Holyoke Media, 1 Court Plaza, Holyoke, MA, 01040, United States
A monthly live experimental music performance featuring musicians from across New England.

License Board
2024-09-04 17:15 - 20:30 | Holyoke Media, 1 Court Plaza, Holyoke, MA, 01040, United States
The Regular Meeting of Holyoke’s License Board.
Agenda forthcoming.

Community Creatives
2024-09-05 17:00 - 2024-09-06 20:00 | Holyoke Media, 1 Court Plaza, Holyoke, MA, 01040, United States
Julissa and Ebbie set the stage for the public to share your poems, your music!
COVID safety measures in place.

Building Community Through The Arts
2024-09-05 18:00 - 20:00 | Holyoke Media, 1 Court Plaza, Holyoke, MA, 01040, United States
visual arts + poetry workshop
We hope you’re as well as can be during these Times. As the days get shorter and we move further into the election season, we understand the importance of gathering community to remind each other that “we are each other’s magnitude…we are each other’s harvest” (Gwendolyn Brooks). We are offering two workshops and an open mic on Sept. 5 and 6.

We invite you to show up as you are and bring your grief, your rage, your joy and whatever you might be holding. These offerings are QTBIPOC centered and are all welcome! ✨💜

Thurs. Sept. 5
6-8 pm visual arts + poetry workshop

Fri. Sept. 6
5-6:30 pm workshop
7-8 pm open mic and reading with Ebbie + Julissa
Slots are 5 min. for the open mic.

Holyoke Media
1 Court Plaza
Holyoke, MA

As a practice of community care, we are requiring well-fitted, high filtration masks (KN-95 or higher). Extra masks provided at the door. We will have at least one air filter running in the space.

Space is limited so please RSVP by Tues. Sept. 3 if you can! Very limited spots available for walk-ins. Please share with your networks widely. Thank you!

Building Community Through The Arts
2024-09-06 17:00 - 18:30 | Holyoke Media, 1 Court Plaza, Holyoke, MA, 01040, United States
We hope you’re as well as can be during these Times. As the days get shorter and we move further into the election season, we understand the importance of gathering community to remind each other that “we are each other’s magnitude…we are each other’s harvest” (Gwendolyn Brooks). We are offering two workshops and an open mic on Sept. 5 and 6.

We invite you to show up as you are and bring your grief, your rage, your joy and whatever you might be holding. These offerings are QTBIPOC centered and are all welcome! ✨💜

Fri. Sept. 6
5-6:30 pm workshop
7-8 pm open mic and reading with Ebbie + Julissa
Slots are 5 min. for the open mic.

Holyoke Media
1 Court Plaza
Holyoke, MA

As a practice of community care, we are requiring well-fitted, high filtration masks (KN-95 or higher). Extra masks provided at the door. We will have at least one air filter running in the space.

Space is limited so please RSVP by Tues. Sept. 3 if you can! Very limited spots available for walk-ins. Please share with your networks widely. Thank you!

Open Stage Showcase
2024-09-12 19:00 - 22:00 | Holyoke Media, 1 Court Plaza, Holyoke, MA, 01040, United States
Discover Exciting New & Established Western New England ArtistsSeptember 12th 7:00 pm @Holyoke Media 1 Court Plaza Holyoke, MA Free AdmissionSolo artists, duos, and trios performing their own original music.The New Music Alliance (501c(3) and Holyoke Media have partnered to present this monthly Showcase in the Brand New State-of-the-Art Holyoke Media Facility!Enjoy a great show in a superb acoustically-optimized listening room environment- Unique to this area!
Who’s Appearing? (in order of appearance)
* Zack Danziger Holyoke, MA/Dummerston VT* Sasha K.A. Easthampton, MA* Peregrine Road (Rachel Bell & Karen Axelrod) Brattleboro, VT (Featured)* Erin Ash Sullivan Amherst/Harvard, MA* D. A. Stern New Haven, CT* Derrick O’Kanos Enfield, CT, Brattleboro, VT* Jesse Brody (aka Jesse Lepkoff) Marlboro, VT
–Your Host: Mark SherrySponsored by Downtown Sounds

A Benefit Show for the Sexual Minorities Archives
2024-09-13 19:30 - 22:00 | Holyoke Media, 1 Court Plaza, Holyoke, MA, 01040, United States
Join us for a night of queer short films, drag, music and a RAFFLE with prizes from local artists & businesses to benefit our beloved Holyoke-based queer archives & the Muslim Alliance for Sexual & Gender Diversity (MASGD)!
Flywheel presents
A Benefit for the Sexual Minorities Archives featuring:
JUANA B ONTOP
(https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100069342126907)
PERENNIAL
(https://perennialtheband.bandcamp.com/album/art-history)
FEMININE AGGRESSION
(https://feminineaggression.bandcamp.com/)
Selected video shorts from SMA collection
More acts TBA
Hosted by: Lorelei Erisis
Holyoke Media
1 Court Plaza, Holyoke, MA
Doors at 7:30pm / Show at 8pm
$10-20+ suggested donation
Mask required & free at door to be more accessible to immunocompromised folks
Flyer by Crystal Ford
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Sexual Minorities Archives (SMA), one of the oldest and largest LGBTQI archives in the United States, located in Holyoke, MA. Now occupying most of an historic Victorian house affectionately called “The Pink Lady,” the Archives has been stewarded for most of its five decades by curator Ben Power and many dedicated community volunteers and board directors.
As a community resource with a mission to remain outside of institutional/university ownership, the SMA is currently struggling to make ends meet–to pay monthly utilities and basic operating costs. As a national treasure located right in our backyard, we are hosting this benefit to help the SMA continue its work as a steward of 10,000s of pieces of queer media and a community resources for researchers, students, activists and LGBTQI folks looking to understand more about the people and movements that make up their lineage.
Please visit the:
SMA’s website (https://sexualminoritiesarchives.wordpress.com/) Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/FollowtheSMA) and Instagram @sexualminoritiesarchives
…for more info as well as episodes from the “Out of the Archives” podcast (https://www.buzzsprout.com/1005022).”

Cinema on the Road Presents: Bomba Ancestral, Metamorfosis, Tito Matos: ahora sí
2024-09-20 19:00 - 22:00 | Holyoke Media, 1 Court Plaza, Holyoke, MA, 01040, United States
We present three short films that tell the stories of Puerto Rican communities and their cultural advocacy efforts. Bomba Ancestral, directed by filmmaker Eli Jacobs Fantauzzi, honors the ancestors from whom we inherit this beautiful dance, the Bomba. Metamorfosis, created by youth from the town of Orocovis, narrates the resilience of a community transforming an abandoned school into a community center. Tito Matos: Ahora Sí, directed by Noelia Quintero, tells the life story and legacy of Tito Matos, a prominent plenero and cultural advocate. Following the screenings, we will have a conversation with the audience. Join us for this dialogue and learn more about our Asociación de Documentalista de Puerto Rico.

Loculus Presents - Sideways Door 3
2024-09-22 07:00 - 21:00 | Holyoke Media, 1 Court Plaza, Holyoke, MA, 01040, United States
A weekend of ecstasies & escape routes an annual-ish festival celebrating multi-disciplinary performance, process, and practice
Holyoke Media Performance:
Doors 7pm – Show 7:30pm
$15 – $30 sliding scale
Performances by:
Nat Baldwin LOCULUSArien Wilkerson / GLORYHOLE Bobby LaBitch + Kieran Lally / American Ballet Theatre
For more information on the other Sideways Door 3 events, Please visit www.loculuscollective.com

Valley Jazz Shares - Josh Sinton/Jeb Bishop Duo
2024-09-27 19:30 - 21:30 | Holyoke Media, 1 Court Plaza, Holyoke, MA, 01040, United States
From the Valley Jazz Share’s website:
“Called “varied and exciting,” as well as “one of the most striking baritone saxophonists,” Josh Sinton has been heard with some of the leading voices of Brooklyn’s creative music scene since arriving in 2004. He’s led bands as varied as Predicate, musicianer and Ideal Bread as well as performing in the Nate Wooley Quintet, Anthony Braxton’s Tricentric Orchestra and Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society. He’s studied at the AACM while living in Chicago in the nineties, the New England Conservatory in Boston in the aughts and with friends and colleagues here in NYC. He performs regularly on his chosen instrument the baritone saxophone as well as on bass clarinet and alto flute. He also writes music (and words) when the occasion demands. He is proud to count Ingrid Laubrock, Jonathan Finlayson, Tom Rainey, Jeremiah Cymerman and Guillermo Gregorio among his colleagues and looks forward to making music with many other musicians.
Jeb Bishop was born in Raleigh, North Carolinawhere he began playing the trombone at the age of 10. He majored in classical trombone performance at Northwestern University from 1980-82, studying with Frank Crisafulli. At the same time, he developed an interest in philosophy, eventually majoring in the subject, and spent 1984-85 studying philosophy at the Higher Institute of Philosophy of the Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium. He pursue graduate studies in philosophy, first at the University of Arizona, then at Loyola University of Chicago (where he was awarded the Crown Fellowship in the Humanities). Returning to Chicago in 1992, he completed his M.A. at Loyola in 1993. By this time he had already begun to make connections with improvising musicians in Chicago, having joined the Flying Luttenbachers as bassist (later adding trombone) in late 1992. In late 1995, Bishop joined the Vandermark 5 as one of its founding members, and remained with the band through the end of 2004. During this period he also became associated with many other groups, including the Peter Brötzmann Chicago Tentet, School Days, Ken Vandermark’s Territory Band, Mars Williams’ Ayler XMass and his own Jeb Bishop Trio, In 2012, Bishop relocated to North Carolina, where he made associations with musicians in the area including David Menestres, Dan Ruccia, Carrie Shull, and Eugene Chadbourne, and helped present and organize performances in the NC Triangle region. In 2015, he relocated again to Boston, and is now back in Chicago.”

Open Stage Showcase by New Music Alliance
2024-10-10 19:00 - 22:00 | Holyoke Media, 1 Court Plaza, Holyoke, MA, 01040, United States
A monthly concert by different singer-songwriters and musicians.
This month:

American Elm
Heather McLarney
Sage King
Marvin Jackson
Tobey Sol Laroche
Martha Borne

Omar Sosa’s 88 Well-Tuned Drums film screening
2024-10-22 19:00 - 21:00 | MA
Omar Sosa’s 88 Well-Tuned Drums, the Award-Winning Documentary on the Life and Music of GRAMMY-Nominated Pianist and Composer Omar Sosa,
Trailer here.

The Obituary
2024-11-01 19:00 - 21:30, 2024-11-02 19:00 - 21:00 | Holyoke Media, 1 Court Plaza, Holyoke, MA, 01040, United States
“The Obituary,” the latest creation from playwright Benjamin D. Smith, delves into the poignant tale of a father and son grappling with issues of identity, love, and acceptance in a contemporary world, ultimately leading them to a fateful crossroads.
In a narrative where one lifetime proves insufficient, a son is granted a second chance to communicate the unspoken to the departed, unravelling fifty years of enigmatic family history in the process.
Benjamin Smith, an up-and-coming playwright and student enrolled in Harvard’s esteemed Dramatic Studies Program, weaves an enthralling theatrical narrative that peels back the layers of a family’s hidden triumphs and tribulations.

The Obituary
2024-11-02 15:00 - 16:00 | Holyoke Media, 1 Court Plaza, Holyoke, MA, 01040, United States
“The Obituary,” the latest creation from playwright Benjamin D. Smith, delves into the poignant tale of a father and son grappling with issues of identity, love, and acceptance in a contemporary world, ultimately leading them to a fateful crossroads.
In a narrative where one lifetime proves insufficient, a son is granted a second chance to communicate the unspoken to the departed, unravelling fifty years of enigmatic family history in the process.
Benjamin Smith, an up-and-coming playwright and student enrolled in Harvard’s esteemed Dramatic Studies Program, weaves an enthralling theatrical narrative that peels back the layers of a family’s hidden triumphs and tribulations.
Catch this compelling production on October 9th, 11th, & 13th at The Latea Theater. Keep an eye out for ticket availability!

Open Stage Showcase by New Music Alliance
2024-11-14 19:00 - 22:00 | Holyoke Media, 1 Court Plaza, Holyoke, MA, 01040, United States
Discover Exciting New & Established Western New England Artists
Solo artists, duos, and trios performing their own original music.
The New Music Alliance (501c(3) and Holyoke Media have partnered to present this monthly Showcase in the Brand New State-of-the-Art Holyoke Media Facility!
Enjoy a great show in a superb acoustically-optimized listening room environment- Unique to this area!
Who’s Appearing? (in order of appearance)
* Daring Coyotes, Easthampton, MA
* Dan Zukergood and the Meanies, Holyoke, MA
* Anna May, Waterford, CT
* Martha Bourne, Plainfield, MA
Your Host: Mark Sherry
Sponsored by Downtown Sounds

Open Mic'd
2024-11-17 19:00 - 21:00 | Holyoke Media, 1 Court Plaza, Holyoke, MA, 01040, United States
A monthly open mic for poets organized by Attack Bear Press.
Open Mic’d is free and open to the public.
Share your poems before an audience that welcomes everyone.

Valley Jazz Shares - Brandon Seabrook
2024-11-20 19:30 - 21:00 | Holyoke Media, 1 Court Plaza, Holyoke, MA, 01040, United States
Brandon Seabrook is a guitarist, banjoist, and composer living in New York City where he has established himself as one of the most forward-thinking and versatile and guitarists of his generation. He has also made a name for himself as an influential banjo innovator, described by the New York Times as “a man apparently hellbent on earning the title of World’s Least Rustic Banjo Player.” His work focuses on the juxtaposition of hallucinatory soundscapes, angular composition, and a massive dynamic range that can change in a nanosecond. He has released seven albums as a leader covering everything from pulverizing art-metal to chamber music bridging the realms of extreme rock and the classical avant-garde. Rolling Stone Magazine noted, “The fiercely dexterous musician has lunched a number of bands combining serious chops with manic intensity and a left- field compositional vision.”

Seabrook honed his guitar skills at the New England Conservatory in Boston. He has since performed extensively in North and South America, Mexico and Europe, as a solo artist, bandleader, and collaborator. He has been called upon by titans such as Anthony Braxton, Nels Cline, Cecile McLorin Salvant, So Percussion, and Joey Arias for his idiosyncratic physical performance style , hyperreal technique and impeccable articulation . He has been profiled in the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Premiere Guitar, Downbeat Magazine, Rolling Stone, NPR, The Chicago Reader, and The Wire.
Seabrook Power Plant, the nuclear trio donned “a manic clusterfuck of merciless banjo torture” by the Village Voice, is Brandon’s brainchild, blending the brutal energy of punk-rock with the intricate execution of through-composed avant jazz. The band has released two albums to much critical acclaim. Time Out New York praised the band’s eponymous debut as “not only one of the most baffling experimental releases of the year it’s also one of the best.”
Brandon is an accomplished solo artist, named Best Guitarist in New York City by the Village Voice 2012. In 2014, New Atlantis Records released his first solo album titled “Sylphid Vitalizers.” Noisey called the album a “dissonant guitar army…(with) mind-blowing prog-rock complexities – all at mind-numbing breakneck speed.” Brandon has presented his solo work at Pioneer Works, Sonic Transmissions Festival, Secret Project Robot, NK Berlin, Lima Jazz Festival, Dither Extravaganza, The Smell, Lawrence University, and the Ruidismos Festival in Lima, Peru.
His most recent recording, “BrutalLoveChamp” was released last year on Pyroclastic Records. On October 18, “Object of Unknown Function”, his second solo album will be released on Pyroclastic.

Valley Jazz Shares – Aaron Shragge Whispering Worlds
2025-03-08 19:30 - 21:30 | Holyoke Media, 1 Court Plaza, Holyoke, MA, 01040, United States
Whispering Worlds seamlessly integrates looping/live processing/sampling with the compelling melodic development found in Raga and the music of the shakuhachi. The quartet’s debut performance paid homage to Jon Hassell at Festival of New Trumpet Music in NY drawing praise from artistic director/trumpeter Dave Douglas: “Delving deeply into the sonic and spiritual worlds of Hassell’s work, Aaron Shragge presents a deeply felt homage to the trumpeter and composer. This meditative set demonstrated focus and passion, with beautiful and precise playing. A fantastic vision of what the trumpet can do and be…”
Aaron Shragge has performed with Daniel Carter, Ben Monder, Dave Douglas, William Parker, Jon Gibson, The Sam Roberts Band, Akim Funk Buddha, and Medeski Martin and Wood’s Billy Martin at such venues as Symphony Space, Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center and The Blue Note. Aaron is an active in the NYC improvised/creative music scene serving on the board of Festival of New Trumpet Music NY/Canada. Aaron’s unique instrument the Dragon Mouth Trumpet was designed to expand the trumpet’s melodic capacity and is the result of over a decade of studying both the Shakuhachi (Japanese, Flute) as well as North Indian Vocals. Aaron Shragge’s current projects include a duo with Ben Monder, a Jazz quintet that plays the music of Tom Waits and his continuing solo works for Dragon Mouth Trumpet/Shakuhachi.

Odyssey Defiance Alliance
2025-03-14 18:00 - 20:00 | Holyoke Media, 1 Court Plaza, Holyoke, MA, 01040, United States
Professional wrestling comes to Holyoke Media with Odyssey Defiance Alliance (ODA) – Defiance Unleashed! The debut show is set, and we’re bringing you matchups that have NEVER been seen before! First-time clashes that will leave you on the edge of your seat. But let’s talk about THE match—the one that will probably steal the show—the MAIN EVENT…
🔥 MAIN EVENT 🔥
For the first time ever, Michael Fain goes one-on-one with Fast Forward! This isn’t just a prediction—it’s a GUARANTEE. This match will be an absolute BANGER! You do NOT want to miss it!
Be there to witness history!

The Birds The Birds The Birds
2025-03-20 19:00 - 21:00 | Holyoke Media, 1 Court Plaza, Holyoke, MA, 01040, United States
Silverthorne Theater Company presents a staged reading of playwright Harley Erdman’s new musical, The birds the birds the birds, with music by Gregory Boover. Directed by Gina Kaufmann, with music dramaturgy & direction by Kyle Boatwright, the reading will take place at 7:00pm on Thursday, March 20th, 2025 at Holyoke Media as the first event of Silverthorne’s 2025 Theater Thursdays reading series, with a talkback to follow. Starring Tahmie Der, Hia Ghosh, Aaron Mancaniello, and Sam Samuels.
Tickets are free, and Silverthorne welcomes donations so that we can continue making our work accessible to all.

Marian Pabón ¡Más fuerte que nunca!
2025-03-21 20:00 - 22:00 | Holyoke Media, 1 Court Plaza, Holyoke, MA, 01040, United States
Marian Pabón is what is known as an “all-arounder.” She sings, dances, acts, and writes drama and comedy for both theater and television. Her talent and charismatic personality have made her one of the most beloved artists by Puerto Ricans inside and outside the archipelago. After a 45-year career, the last 10 writing dramatic monologues and comedy, Marian faced a cancer diagnosis. During her recovery, “Más fuerte que nunca” was born, the stand-up with which she successfully returned to the stage and which she will take to the diaspora with the BoriCorridor Tour. In this powerful piece, Marian uses humor to share her recent experiences as a patient and survivor. It is an invitation to laugh and reflect.

Odyssey Defiance Alliance
2025-04-11 19:00 - 21:00 | Holyoke Media, 1 Court Plaza, Holyoke, MA, 01040, United States
ODA Presents: UNSTOPPABLE – April 11! Same time, same place – 1 Court Plaza, Holyoke – with another night of non-stop action and live TV broadcasting! Doors open at 6 PM | Show starts at 7 PM Tickets: • General Admission: $15 • Kids (5-15): $10 • Under 5: FREE This is another banger of a show that CAN’T be missed! Mark your calendars and be there for the action!

FREE JAZZ PROJECT 2025 - 2001-2025 In A Flash @ the Quarter Century Mark
2025-04-25 20:00 - 21:00 | Holyoke Media, 1 Court Plaza, Holyoke, MA, 01040, United States
A 46-minute live music set featuring video content generated with AI, reflecting USA news events from 2001 to 2025.
On the quarter-century day, 4.25.25, join us for a live performance or watch the streaming show at 8 p.m.

School Committee Community Advisory Committee Meeting
2025-04-28 16:30 - 18:00 | Holyoke Media, 1 Court Plaza, Holyoke, MA, 01040, United States
Agenda Forthcoming

Flywheel and Sour City Present - Perennial - Miracle Blood - Videodome - Velveteenfl
2025-05-09 19:00 - 22:00 | Holyoke Media, 1 Court Plaza, Holyoke, MA, 01040, United States
PERENNIAL https://perennialtheband.bandcamp.com/
Modernist punk from New England
MIRACLE BLOOD https://miracleblood.bandcamp.com
Gnarly noise-punk for the weird at heart Boston, MA.
VIDEODOME https://videodome.bandcamp.com/
Noise rock/post-hardcore from New Haven, CT. Est. 2017.
VELVETEEN https://velveteen1.bandcamp.com/
Indie bedroom pop from Pittsfield, MA
A Flywheel/Sour City Co-Production
