Home About Archives RSS Feed

Helsinki on the Hudson

Staff Reports

Devotees of the late, eclectic Club Helsinki in Great Barrington will be cheered to learn its doors will open once again. But they'll have to trek a bit farther — the new club's in Hudson, N.Y.

A press release received Friday night said the new Club Helsinki Hudson will open this spring. Restoration of the 19th-century mill it selected as its permanent home is nearly complete and its begun hiring staff. According to the release, the new club "reflects the same spirit and vision that had such a profound impact on the Berkshires."

The combined business of Club Helsinki and Helsinki Cafe & Tea Co. closed up its Great Barrington location last August, with promises of a Hudson return.

The club brought a wide range of musicians from well-known rock bands such as Phish and Blood, Sweat and Tears,  artists in jazz, blues, folk, poets, vocalists and more. The cafe offered food with a Finnish flare and music, too.

Deborah McDowell founded the cafe in 1995, inspired by her grandfather's time operating the Hotel Helsinki in Finland. Marc Shafler joined her in 1997 and the club opened two years later in space next to the cafe.

The relocation to Hudson had been planned for some time but still caught Berkshire County off-guard. A press release in August announced the closure and a "Last Waltz Farewell" was held at the end of the month.

According to the new Club Helsinki Hudson Web site, California producer Cameron Melville has joined the partnership with McDowell and Shafler. The club's located at 405 Columbia St.; for more information, info@clubhelsinkiweb.com.

Tags: music, Helsinki      

Support Local News

We show up at hurricanes, budget meetings, high school games, accidents, fires and community events. We show up at celebrations and tragedies and everything in between. We show up so our readers can learn about pivotal events that affect their communities and their lives.

How important is local news to you? You can support independent, unbiased journalism and help iBerkshires grow for as a little as the cost of a cup of coffee a week.

News Headlines
Scoil Rince Bréifne Ó Ruairc Participated in North American Open Championships
Pittsfield Police Participating in US 20 Speed Enforcement Project
MassDOT Project Will Affect Traffic Near BMC
Dalton ADA Committee Explores Expanding
Milne Public Library Trustees Announce New Library Director
Clark Art Presents Free Thematic Tour on Music in Art
BCC, Mill Town Partner to Support Philanthropy Through 40 Under Forty
SVMC' Wellness Connection: March 15
Pittsfield Community Meeting On Rest of the River Project
Slavic Easter Egg Decorating At Ventfort Hall


Categories:
Animals (8)
Arts (25)
Community (59)
Daily Beat (4)
Fun stuff (106)
Fundraiser (2)
Green (10)
Health (2)
North Adams (11)
People (14)
Pittsfield (7)
politics (1)
Richmond (2)
Sports (2)
State (4)
Technology (3)
Williamstown (12)
Archives:
Tags:
Adams Bcc Williams iBerkshires Scholarship Downing Baseball Children & Families Halloween Wilco Country Fair Food Drive iBerkshires Richmond Funeral Auditions Fall Foliage Concerts Family Event Holiday Morning Report Music Fundraiser Pittsfield Election Volunteer Latin Library Reading Program News Kalker Mass Moca Family Champion Elm
Popular Entries:
ABC News Features Cheshire's Madigan
Williams Student Dies in Avalanche
Adios, Karen
Prof's Fraud Past Cancels Caucus
Little Red Schoolhouse to Hold Craft Fair, Tag Sale
Will the Boys of Summer Return?
Williams Tops With Forbes, Unigo
ABC Broadcasts Travel Video on Berkshire Winter
Scholarship Available for Mt Greylock Seniors
Pittsfield Wins Arts Video Challenge
Recent Entries:
Are We There Yet?: Take A Moment to Breathe This Weekend
Are We There Yet?: Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas
Are We There Yet?: Warm Up On a Cold Weekend
Are We There Yet?: Halloween Times Two
Are We There Yet?: Halloween Is Just Beginning
Are We There Yet?: Enjoy a Quiet Fall Weekend
Are We There Yet?: Help Find a Cure for Type One Diabetes
Are We There Yet?: It's All About the Foliage
Are We There Yet?: Fall Into A Beautiful Autumn Weekend
Are We There Yet?: Curiosity, By George!