Arts Night Out.

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Some great things you can’t plan for.  You make your plans, go on your way, and are completely blown away by the amazing things that come across your path.  This past friday was one of those nights.  I planned on participating in Northampton’s Arts Night Out– an evening where all of the galleries seem to have something going on, along with free admission to the Smith College Art Museum.  To be honest, the words free admission were enough to get me to go.

I made my way to the Smith Art Museum, but never actually got to see any art (I had seen it all before, at least).  Upon my arrival, I immediately discovered that the Northamptones were singing in one of the upstairs galleries.  The Northamptones are the much revered A Capella group of the Northampton High School.  They are good.  I mean good!  They rock out songs like Bohemian Rhapsody and I Am the Walrus.

And the music wasn’t over.  I wandered downstairs to hear the sounds of Unit 7, who call their style “Speakeasy music for the 21st century.”  Anyone that knows me can tell you how much I LOVE this kind of music.  It runs through my veins.  The music came complete with flappers, who came out with black bobbed wigs, fringed dresses, and graced us with the Charleston.

The A.P.E. Gallery was next.  I had an idea that something was going on here, but had no idea that it would be this.  This installation/performance art was put on by the Royal Frog Ballet.  In addition to the people in period costume, there was also a real Victrola playing records (they had to wind it up every once and a while), and a projector playing old time movies (the ones where everyone looks like they’re moving really, really fast.  There are just no words to describe how visually beautiful this was.

A.P.E.’s description of the event.

The night finally ended up with a soy hot cocoa from Haymarket, and listening to people sing kareoke at the WWII club.  Because no night is complete without hearing some poor guy belt out Sweet Caroline at the top of his lungs.  Good times never felt so good.

No Responses to “Arts Night Out.”