Blind Boys of Alabama to perform in Pittsfield

12:00AM / Monday, March 01, 2004Print Story | Email Story

Blind Boys

Pittsfield - The beautiful and spacious sanctuary of Pittsfieldâ€™s First Methodist Church will be filled with the Grammy award-winning sounds of the legendary Blind Boys of Alabama on Friday, March 26th at 8 pm. Opening for the Blind Boys will be the new roots/gospel/blues group Ollabelle, featuring Amy Helm, daughter of Levon Helm, an original member of the Band. The concert is Helsinki Productionsâ€™ first Pittsfield presentation and is in cooperation with the Colonial Theatre. Performing both traditional and contemporary songs that shake the rafters and lift hearts wherever they go, the Blind Boys of Alabama just received their third consecutive Grammy Award for Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album for their latest release, â€œGo Tell it on the Mountain,â€ which features an impressive lineup of guest musicians, including John Medeski, George Clinton, Chrissie Hynde, Shelby Lynne, Mavis Staples, and Tom Waits. Vanity Fair magazine called the record "a rousing new album with a staggering guest lineup." The other two Grammy awards were for their two previous albums, "Spirit of the Century," and "Higher Ground, " called "two of the most exciting CDs in blues, soul or gospel in recent years" by Billboard Magazine. The albums includes traditional gospel numbers as well as powerful new â€œgospelizedâ€ versions of songs by Prince, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Curtis Mayfield, Funkadelic, Jimmy Cliff and others. The Blind Boys of Alabama were founded over sixty years ago at the Alabama Institute for the Negro Blind. Recently inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, they have been embraced and celebrated by a whole new generation of performers. A concert film of their headline tour last year will be featured on PBS this fall, and they have toured with Peter Gabriel and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. "I was listening to the Blind Boys back in the Fifties," says Aaron Neville of the Neville Brothers. "My brothers and I used to walk down the street harmonizing, trying to sound like the Blind Boys. Their singing still sends chills down my spine - they've got that old soul!" The opening group Ollabelle was recently signed to Columbia Records by legendary producer T-Bone Burnett, who produced the bestselling â€œO Brother, Where Art Thou?â€ soundtrack album. A bright star of the recent roots music revival coming out of New Yorkâ€™s East Village music scene, Ollabelleâ€™s self-titled debut album is due in stores in March. The concertâ€™s proceeds will help benefit the First Methodist Churchâ€™s role as a home for many community groups in downtown Pittsfield, as well as the free weekly dinners it provides to community members in need. Other concerts in conjunction with Helsinki Productions are being planned as part of the churchâ€™s goal of serving as a performing arts center in downtown Pittsfield. Helsinki Productions is the concert-producing arm of Club Helsinki, a renowned local nightclub and restaurant in downtown Great Barrington, MA. The club and restaurant will be the subject of a full-color book entitled The Helsinki CafÃ© Cookbook, to be published by Storey Publishing this October. To purchase advance tickets to the concert, which are $32 general admission and $42 for premium seats, please call 413-528-3394. Pittsfieldâ€™s historic First Methodist Church is located at 55 Fenn Street between North and First Streets. For more information on the Blind Boys of Alabama, please visit their website at www.blindboys.com .

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Community in Unity Day in Pittsfield

10:28AM / Friday, September 04, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Community in Unity Day: Living with Purpose will be held on the First Street Common from 10 to 4 on Monday, Sept. 7.

Downtown Pittsfield Inc. and the Downtown Pittsfield Cultural Association have partnered with local resident Ricardo Reeves to host this event.

This will be a day dedicated to bringing the community together through music, art, food, and family-friendly activities.

The event will feature live music by Wanda Houston, children's art activities, food trucks, and community resources. The splash pad will be open for kids to enjoy, and water will be provided. Community in Unity Day is open to everyone free of charge and the event is senior friendly and will feature an interpreter.

This is a drug and alcohol-free event. Food trucks will have fare available for purchase.

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