Word X Word Kicks off with a Rooftop Party
Text and photos by Seth Rogovoy
(PITTSFIELD, Mass., August 22, 2010) – It was a view that few rarely get to enjoy, and it’s too bad, because it really changes one whole perspective (literally) on the city of Pittsfield. Last night, the annual Word X Word Festival kickoff party took place on the rooftop of the Greystone building, housing Mission Bar + Tapas and Dottie’s among other storefronts. Partygoers enjoyed stunning views of the hillsides off in the distance that surround Pittsfield, and that view created quite a tableau against which singer/guitarist Christine Ohlman of the Saturday Night Live band performed an hour-long set of classic rock ‘n’ roll and R&B.
To Ohlman’s credit, she kept with the theme of the evening by crediting those who wrote the classic tunes she sang – in other words, “A Piece of My Heart” wasn’t introduced as a Janis Joplin tune (which it isn’t), but rather, as a song by classic R&B songwriter Jerry Ragovoy. Besides which, Ohlman’s slow take on this overcooked classic emphasized the song’s sultry, melodic beauty and the poigancy of the lyrics much more than Joplin’s overwrought rendition.When Ohlman and her band were done with their set, festival spokesperson Carrie Saldo welcomed the crowd and introduced DJ Ryan Brown, who had partygoers rocking to a mix of late 1970s and 1980s dance hits.
A mixture of poets, musicians, downtown retailers, Mission regulars, artists, friends, and music-and-word lovers attended the party, which has become a highlight of the Pittsfield arts/social season.The complete schedule for this year’s Word X Word festival is available here.
Visit our extensive photo gallery from the party on our Facebook page here.
Seth Rogovoy is Berkshire Living’s award-wining editor-in-chief and cultural critic. He is a musician and the author of Bob Dylan: Prophet Mystic Poet and The Essential Klezmer: A Music Lover’s Guide to Jewish Roots and Soul Music.
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