A variety of music happens at Club Helsinki

12:00AM / Wednesday, August 21, 2002Print Story | Email Story

One of the many gems in quaint Great Barrington is Club Helsinki. Club Helsinki is a live music club where a â€œvery eclecticâ€ mix of bands and artists perform, said Deborah McDowell who, along with her boyfriend Marc Schafler, owns the club and the adjacent Helsinki CafÃ© at 284 Main St. The 10-year-old Helsinki CafÃ©, she said, always had live music, including jazz every week, and that led to the creation of the club, a â€œnatural evolutionâ€ she called it. Club Helsinki, which opened in 2000, mostly showcases folk, jazz, bluegrass and blues, although they also have rock, jam bands, rhythm and blues, reggae, hip-hop and classical acts, she said. McDowell books acts that she and her staff like, she said, adding that she loves working with and getting to know musicians. The week of August 18 sees the first classical show at the club and three jazz acts, each with their own twist on the music, McDowell said. Cellist Matt Haimovitz will be performing classical music on Wednesday. Jen Chapin, Harry Chapinâ€™s daughter, will be playing with her jazz/pop band on Thursday night. Dr. Tim, a funky jazz band led by drummer Tim Ward â€” â€œa jazz guy from New Orleansâ€ â€” will be performing on Friday, McDowell said. Classic jazz brought up on rock-n-roll, performed by The Josh Roseman Unit, will fill the club on Saturday night. The smoke-free club has two cover charge-free nights each week: an open-mic night on Sunday and a â€œMojo Deluxe Jazzâ€ night on Monday. Called â€œSunday Mix,â€ the open-mic night starts at 8:30 p.m. â€” signup occurs around 7 p.m., McDowell said â€” and is hosted by Peter Lindstrom, the sound technician at the club since its [the] first show. Festivities on Monday night start at 9 p.m. Named after the Hotel Helsinki in Helsinki, Finland that her grandfather used to run, Club Helsinki is a very small, upside-down-L-shaped club with a small bar on the right side of the room. The stage is against the rear wall, decorated with interesting, abstract paintings. The walls are lined with photographs of some of the performers and bands that have played Helsinki over the years. A greenroom for performers is downstairs from the club. Blues guitar legend and Grammy Award winner, John Hammond, played his second sold-out show at the club in the last nine months, on Saturday, Aug. 17. Everyone in the crowd had their eyes fixed intently on Hammond as he performed his intense, solo-acoustic blues, including powerful singing and harmonica-playing. The smallness of the room makes for an intimate experience for both the performer and the audience. The sound was great. Seated at the bar, Ken Kupperman, of Great Barrington, was among the crowd of people enjoying the blues of John Hammond that night. Kupperman, who attends shows there when he can, said he likes Helsinki because they bring in manyâ€big namesâ€ and new artists. â€œThe music they bring in here is awesome,â€ he said. He also praised the club for its smoke-free environment, which is a requirement of all places in Great Barrington. â€œThey [the performers] donâ€™t choke, and we can see them,â€ he said. McDowell said the clubâ€™s acoustics and sound system are great. The powerful, vibrant sounds of Hammond that filled the room attested to that. A great deal of the performers who play at Helsinki often play bigger venues and, as a result, enjoy playing at the club for its intimacy, she said. Occasionally McDowell arranges big-name shows at the nearby Mahaiwe Theater, which seats 700, she said. Pete Seeger, Maceo Parker and Doc Watson are among the five Helsinki performances at the theater, she said. Two of the shows at the Mahaiwe were part of a concert series paying tribute to W.E. Du Bois, who McDowell said was an African-American leader and historian and a native of Great Barrington who started the civil rights movement. She said she would like to continue that concert series. Although the club opens at 5 p.m., there are people in it throughout the day, McDowell said. Managed by her brother, Craig McDowell, the club serves as a space for locals, most of whom have become friends of the McDowells over the years, to rehearse, record and take music lessons, as well as a place for people to congregate, talk and play games, she said. â€œPeople use it [the club] as a refuge,â€ she said. Who goes to see shows at Club Helsinki? People of all ages attend shows, McDowell said. Many local residents attend shows, but some performers bring in people McDowell does not recognize, as was the case with the Hammond show. Many people on dates attend shows, she said. Some people from New York City and Boston come to shows, she said, coupled with a point about the devotion of fans of some performers. The audience at Club Helsinki on any given night really depends on the performer, said McDowell, who lives in Hillsdale, N.Y. Regarding her long-term goals for the club, McDowell said expanding it is a possibility. She also said she and her staff â€œwant to keep on doing what weâ€™re doing.â€ Show prices range from free to $40, McDowell said. The average Helsinki show ranges from $10 to $15, she said. Prices for tickets purchased in advance are usually lower than the prices of tickets purchased the day of shows. The Helsinki CafÃ©, adjacent to the club, specializes in Finnish, Russian and northern European dishes, including a number of vegetarian ones, McDowell said. It is open daily for lunch and dinner, 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., and a Mexican brunch on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Occupying the same space as the cafÃ© is the Helsinki Tea Company, which sells wholesale teas, she said. Tickets are sold at the club or by phone at 528-3394. Visa and Mastercard are accepted. For more information about the club or its schedule, call 528-6308 or check out www.clubhelsinkiweb.com.

iBerkshires.com Text Ads

rk MILES Blding Materials

Are You Ready to Update Your Home? Start With rk MILES. 4 Locations (800)670-7433

www.rkmiles.com

RIBCO Supply

Check out our great lineup of Boss Plows, and spreaders. 2 Locations Clarksburg & Pittsfield!

ribcosupply.com

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Berkshire County Homes Celebrating Holiday Cheer

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
12:37PM / Wednesday, December 24, 2025

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.

View Full Story