Outintheberkshires.com is a new resource for art, music, nightlife, and commerce for the LGBT community in the Berkshires. For more information please email us at outintheberkshires at gmail.com
On Saturday, September 26th at 2pm, don’t miss a very unique matinee at Rebel Sound Records! The Trans Fusions National Tourcomes to Pittsfield, featuring performances by Modern Day Pinnochio, Geppetta, Jamez Terry and Kian Xie.
Fueled by the belief that the power of Performance, Art, and Music can surpass the boundaries of language and culture, Modern Day Pinnochio (a.k.a. A.J. Bryce) looks forward to hitting the road with the Trans-Genre Project and sharing the beautiful stories, struggles, and dreams that the Transgender Community brings to the surface with their powerful works of art.
Veteran acoustic performer Catie Curtis has toured extensively in North America, including playing at several festivals, such as the Newport Folk Festival. She has also supported, among others, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Dar Williams, Girlyman and Bonnie Raitt. She also played on the final Lilith Fair tour. This Saturday see her right here in the Berkshires at the Colonial Theaterin Pittsfieldsupported by Jonatha Brooke. Continue reading »
Showing at Beacon Cinema July 30th – August 5th at 12:10, 2:35, 5:00, 7:20 and 9:45 pm.
Lisa Cholodenko’s latest film and winner of the Teddy Award for Best Feature Film at the 2010 Berlin International Film Festival, The Kids Are All Right makes its debut in Pittsfield this weekend. Directed by Cholodenko (High Art, Laurel Canyon), The Kids Are All Right is based on an original screen play written by her in part with Stuart Blumberg.
The film captures the dynamic of Nic and Jules (three-time Academy Award nominee Annette Bening and four-time Academy Award nominee Julianne Moore) and their family. They are married and share a cozy suburban Southern California home with their teenage children, Joni and Laser (Mia Wasikowska and Josh Hutcherson). Nic and Jules – sometimes referred to as the “Momses” – gave birth to and raised their children, and built a family life for the four of them. As Joni prepares to leave for college, 15-year-old Laser presses her for a big favor. He wants Joni, now 18, to help him find their biological father; the two teenagers were conceived by donor insemination. Joni makes the call and as their donor father, Paul (Mark Ruffalo), comes into the lives of the forthright four, an unexpected new chapter begins for them as family ties are defined, re-defined, and then re-re-defined. Continue reading »
This Sunday, August 1st, don’t miss a free performance of Diana Yanez one-woman show, Viva La Evolucion,at 7pm at Williams’ College ’62 Center. The performance is one night only and then moves on to SoHo Playhouse where it will run from August 19th-29th.
Viva La Evolucion,written and performed by Diana Yanez and directed by Marjorie Duffield, is Yanez story of growing up Queer and Cuban in America, more specifically, Miami Beach. Continue reading »
The Kolok Gallery, cordially invites you to attend their opening reception with the artist this Saturday, July 31st, from 5:30 – 8 pm. Kolok Gallery is the only gay-owned gallery in Berkshire County and would like encourage more participation from the queer community here in the hills.
The gallery represents and exhibits artwork by emerging and mid-career, nationally and internationally-based artists. The current exhibition on view at Kolok, titled “home•less•bound•ness; (hom´lis´bound´nis´) –noun, 1. and other transient ideas”, is composed of new sculpture and installation work by artist Robert Mateo Diago. Continue reading »
OUT@BSC returns for its second installment of the summer on July 29 at 8pm with a performance of ART and a post-show party at One West Restaurant and Lounge at the Crowne Plaza, where both drinks and appetizers are just $5.
Barrington Stage Company describes Yasmina Reza’s Art as “A thought provoking, deliciously witty, Tony Award-winning comedy” about the extraordinary and hilarious tests on three men’s friendships when one of them buys a white on white painting for a colossal amount of money.
Showtime is at 8pm. Those who call for tickets at 413-236-8888 can get 10% discount by mentioning OUT@BSC.
Join Berkshire Stonewall Community Coalition as they kick off their Spring Membership Drive.
Berkshire Stonewall will be hosting a spring dance at the Elk’s Club in Pittsfield on Saturday, April 17th, from 8:30pm – 12:30am!
$5 members/$10 non-members
FREE ADMISSION if you Join/Renew your membership at the door!The event will have a cash bar (with cheap drinks!) , DJ, and appetizers, and a 50/50 raffle to benefit the Live Out Loud Youth Project: youth dance on May 14th at Jae’s Spice Upstairs.
LIVE OUT LOUD’s mission is to empower, energize and enable Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Youth to live the life of their dreams through the celebration of the richness and diversity of our shared experience, the visibility of role models and the dissemination of information. For more information visit the group’s FACEBOOK page here.
This Saturday night, February 13th, the upstairs of Jae’s Spice will host the second Quite Queer event titled “Heart On”. The party has a high fashion theme and prizes will be given out to the top three most interesting and unique outfits. There also will be a “prom-style” photo booth with on-site printing, wild Valentine-inspired decorations, and specialty cocktails served.
The event is $5 for ages 21+ and $8 for 18+ with a full cash bar for legal drinkers. This event follows the first successful Quite Queer event that took place October 10th, 2009 at the Elks Club in Pittsfield. Continue reading »
The Berkshire Visitors Bureau hosted an LGBT Tourism Forum on January 27th in Adams which gathered community members, local business owners, consultants on the LGBT market at the State level.
Here is a synopsis developed by the BVB of the LGBT Tourism Forum that was held last week in Adams. Below is a list of links that can serve as resources for local businesses to that are interested in targeting the LGBT market.
I would like to see a targeted and collaborative effort come out of this region to focus on the LGBT population, both locally and for tourists and second home owners.
Many ideas came up about how to encourage local businesses to become more pro-active on hosting events/entertainment that appeals to this niche market (ex. Gay Ski Weekend at one of our fabulous local resorts, etc.)
Last October, Pittsfield hosted the first Out in the Berkshires Weekend, which had a very positive response and strong attendance to each event in the collaboration.
The City will once again serve as a lead collaborator on this event, which will occur over Columbus Day Weekend, which coincides with National Coming Out Day. We would like to make this year’s event larger and more dynamic.
The Lichtenstein Center for the Arts will be hosting the Out in the Berkshires Invitational Art Show, which will feature local LGBT artists, as one of our many events. If you are interested in joining the effort for this year’s event, please contact outintheberkshires@gmail.com
Club Groove in downtown Pittsfield will host its first LGBT club night on Thursday, December 3rd. The cover will be $5 and the event is 21+. Dj Phanatik will be throwing down the beats starting at 9pm and the party will run until 2am.
This is the first LGBT night hosted at this venue since the days of Club Red and its “alternative nights.”
If you have not had the chance to discover the Berkshires newest, hottest, wildest, and (only) club, come to downtown Pittsfield and check out this great new establishment!
Berkshire County is joining in on a phenomenon that is sweeping the nation. The Berkshire Gay Guerrilla Group is planning a series of “takeovers” of bars within the county to create a strong LGBT presence for the evening and create an accepting and fun environment for all within the community. Continue reading »
State Senator Benjamin B. Downing will attend and speak at the event. Senator Downing is the sponsor of the bill “An Act Relative to Gender-Based Discrimination and Hate Crimes” (H. 1728/S. 1687), in the Massachusetts State Senate now. Community members will also speak briefly.
Rebel Sound Records in downtown Pittsfield is hosting two nationally-touring queer acts in November, 8 Inch Betsy and The Shondes.
At 7pm on Saturday, November 7th, all-girl lesbian power punk trio 8 Inch Betsy from Chicago will take the stage alongside The Soundtrack from Atlanta, andThe Furiousity from Boston.
The show is open to all ages and is $8 for general admission and $7 for students.
Check out this live video from 8 Inch Betsy, a “rock/pop/punk trio that focuses intensely on lyric driven rock that gets your irish up, can bring you down to earth and get stuck in your head for days.”
Out in the Berkshires joined Barrington Stage Company and Jae’s Spice Restaurant at the 10th International Conference on Gay and Lesbian Tourism’s Travel Expo on Tuesday November 3rd at the Park Plaza Hotel in Boston. The annual expo is put on by Community Marketing, Inc. and takes place in a different city across North America each year. This year’s expo drew in hundreds of attendees and exhibitors came from as far as Los Angeles, New Orleans, Alaska, and Spain.
Barrington Stage Company will be releasing its 2010 line-up and visitors to Tuesday’s expo got a sneak preview of the amazing line-up beginning next summer. Keep an eye out for the public release!
BSC and Jae’s Spice have partnered on a number of events and offer an excellent package deal for dinner and a show during the run of Main Stage productions. Jae’s Spice also has a gorgeous banquet space upstairs that has been used for a number of gay-weddings recently.
Halloween night is going to be busy across the county, so make sure to plan your night accordingly.
For last minute costumes, head to downtown Pittsfield and visit Berkshire Masquerade, or if you prefer a vintage look, check out the great deals at Greystone Gardens.
If you have your costume, but haven’t found that perfect party yet, here are a couple suggestions.
Rumpy’s Tavern in Lenox, the Berkshires most LGBT-friendly bar, has a reputation for throwing some of the best Halloween bashes in the Berkshires. Check out some of the photos from last year. Continue reading »
