The Berkshires Live On Giving Stage

Samantha Wondoloski (Intern, Guest Columnist)- I’m so excited about the online concert with The Berkshires this Saturday, July 19th! I was lucky enough to see The Berkshires in person last Halloween when they opened for Chad on the second night of the Northampton 5K.  We’ve teamed up with them again, along with Giving Stage, to raise money to aid Syria’s nearly 3 million refugees.  For those of you who don’t know, Giving Stage is a virtual venu that raises money for social and environmental change.  

Now I know that not all of you were able to see the band play before, so I did a quick Q&A with the guys so you can get to know them better.

Q: How did you all meet and form a band?

A: At first, two current band members, Cal and Matt, played in a garage band together in 2008. The two knew each other through jazz band, and experimented with rock music. By 2009, the band was equipped with four current members, Cal, Matt, Rob, and Phil, and called themselves Muster Station. Our sound began to progress from harder rock to softer, funkier, and silkier genres, thanks to Rob’s stellar saxophone as the latest edition. It took many tries to get the right singer, but finally we found Phil and have never looked back. Last but certainly not least, we gained Tim in the spring of 2013, and finally gained a sound we were happy with. With the new found sound, we changed our name to The Berkshires.

Q: Why did you decide on “The Berkshires” for your band name?

A: Once we had our 5 current band members, we sat down and tried to think of a name. We tossed around many options, such as “Flapjack Stack”, “West Bound Wealth”, and many other names. However, once "The Berkshires" was suggested we all agreed it fit our bands personality very well based on our New England origin and our connection to the area. We liked the sound of it and thought it would be a good name.

Q: Where do you get your musical inspiration from?

A: We are big fans of State Radio, Chad’s solo career, and Dispatch. However, we have many influences, including jazz artists such as George Benson, Gordon Goodwin, Charlie Parker, etc. Also, songwriters such as David Grey and Woodie Guthrie have played a role. Not to mention artists such as Dave Matthews, The Band, and even Earth Wind and Fire have helped influence our sound. Really, a sprinkle of everything here and there.

Q: Why are you holding this online concert?

A:We are thrilled to aid Calling all Crows in their efforts in providing relief for Syrian refugees. We partnered with Calling all Crows last October and had great success, so when we were asked to partner again we immediately thought we should. Also, we are very excited to be able to play our music in the process, and this online show is the perfect start for our summer tour.

Q: How did you first hear about Calling All Crows and how did you get involved?

A: We have known about Calling all Crows for a few years now. We first heard about them by attending State Radio concerts, and decided to initially get involved in 2011 when we played a show at the Webster Theatre in Hartford and raised a lot of change for the Bringing Change To Women campaign. Ever since, we have been looking for ways to get involved with the organization. We are very happy that we are able to do this with music, as it is how we were first connected to the program listening to State Radio and Chad’s solo career.

Q: Why are you inspired by Calling All Crows?

A: The positive social change that the organization creates using music as a medium is fantastic. To be able to release passion for the help of others as well as through music seems like a dream come true. If we could ever do anything close to what Calling all Crows has done, it is safe to say we would be quite happy.

So there you have it!   If you want to give The Berkshires a listen before the show on Saturday, check out their soundcloud, then go and get your tickets here!