Singer/Songwriter Aimee Mann Comes to the Berkshires

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NORTH ADAMS, Mass. - Singer/songwriter Aimee Mann is known for her clever, literate, and dryly witty lyrical takes on emotional sabotage and self-destruction, combined with her exceptional talent for beautiful melodies.

For over 20 years she has distinguished herself as one of pop music's most distinctive songwriters, and she is constantly proving she's nowhere near ready to give up that title. Aimee Mann will be in concert at MASS MoCA on Saturday, July 11, 2009, at 8 PM outside in Courtyard C or in MASS MoCA's Hunter Center in case of rain. Rolling Stone praises Mann's sound as "...intelligent, tuneful, and loaded with attitude." The galleries will be open until 7:30 PM before the event. The Aimee Mann concert is sponsored in part by Blue Q.

Aimee Mann's most recent album, @#%&* Smilers, is her seventh solo release. Loaded with exquisitely crafted songs about the inner life of people living far from the bright lights of success or fame, @#%&*  Smilers reaffirms Mann as a songwriter who's unparalleled in the craft of song creation.

Mann made her grand entrance into the music world with '80s alt-pop band Til Tuesday. Quickly gaining heavy MTV rotation, the group basked in the immense success of its 1985 rock anthem Voices Carry until 1989 when they disbanded. Mann launched her solo career in 1990, releasing three albums that dealt directly with the dissolution of Til Tuesday, including Whatever (1993) and I'm with Stupid ( 1995), which garnered overwhelmingly positive critics' reviews. Rolling Stone described Whatever as "a veritable encyclopedia of regret, bitterness, and defeat set to glorious, Beatles-worthy music."

Although Mann was receiving praise from inside the music world, her success failed to register on the sales radar, and she spent the next several years shuttling from one major label to another. With a strong fan base behind her Mann carried on, becoming a college radio darling and contributing to television's 90210 and several blockbuster movies including Jerry Maguire and Sliding Doors. In 1999 Mann was commissioned by director Paul Thomas Anderson to write the soundtrack to his wrenching epic film Magnolia. Anderson wove Mann's lush and stirring lyrics into the film using seven of her original compositions and one remake, which ultimately earned her nominations for an Oscar, a Golden Globe, and a Grammy.

Tickets for Aimee Mann are $29 in advance/ $34 day of show. MASS MoCA members receive a 10% discount. Tickets are available through the MASS MoCA Box Office located off Marshall Street in North Adams, open from 10 AM until 6 PM, every day. Tickets can also be charged by phone by calling 413-662-2111 during Box Office hours or purchased on line at www.massmoca.org.
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Berkshire County Homes Celebrating Holiday Cheer

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff

There's holiday cheer throughout the Berkshires this winter.

Many homeowners are showing their holiday spirit by decorating their houses. We asked for submissions so those in the community can check out these fanciful lights and decor when they're out.

We asked the homeowners questions on their decorations and why they like to light up their houses.

In Great Barrington, Matt Pevzner has decorated his house with many lights and even has a Facebook page dedicated to making sure others can see the holiday joy.

Located at 93 Brush Hill Road, there's more than 61,000 lights strewn across the yard decorating trees and reindeer and even a polar bear. 

The Pevzner family started decorating in September by testing their hundreds of boxes of lights. He builds all of his own decorations like the star 10-foot star that shines done from 80-feet up, 10 10-foot trees, nine 5-foot trees, and even the sleigh, and more that he also uses a lift to make sure are perfect each year.

"I always decorated but I went big during COVID. I felt that people needed something positive and to bring joy and happiness to everyone," he wrote. "I strive to bring as much joy and happiness as I can during the holidays. I love it when I get a message about how much people enjoy it. I've received cards thanking me how much they enjoyed it and made them smile. That means a lot."

Pevzner starts thinking about next year's display immediately after they take it down after New Year's. He gets his ideas by asking on his Facebook page for people's favorite decorations. The Pevzner family encourages you to take a drive and see their decorations, which are lighted every night from 5 to 10.

In North Adams, the Wilson family decorates their house with fun inflatables and even a big Santa waving to those who pass by.

The Wilsons start decorating before Thanksgiving and started decorating once their daughter was born and have grown their decorations each year as she has grown. They love to decorate as they used to drive around to look at decorations when they were younger and hope to spread the same joy.

"I have always loved driving around looking at Christmas lights and decorations. It's incredible what people can achieve these days with their displays," they wrote.

They are hoping their display carries on the tradition of the Arnold Family Christmas Lights Display that retired in 2022.

The Wilsons' invite you to come and look at their display at 432 Church St. that's lit from 4:30 to 10:30 every night, though if it's really windy, the inflatables might not be up as the weather will be too harsh.

In Pittsfield, Travis and Shannon Dozier decorated their house for the first time this Christmas as they recently purchased their home on Faucett Lane. The two started decorating in November, and hope to bring joy to the community.

"If we put a smile on one child's face driving by, then our mission was accomplished," they said. 

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