Rev Tor Band Celebrating 30 Years

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Theatre Group presents Rev Tor's 30th anniversary Jam on Friday, Sept. 25, at 7:30 p.m. at The Colonial Theatre. 
 
Featuring current and former band members, longtime collaborators, musical friends and special guests, the concert will celebrate three decades of music, friendship and community.
 
General admission tickets are $30 in advance; $40 on the day of the show. A portion of the proceeds from the concert will benefit The Jake Galliher Foundation.
 
Since 1996, guitarist and bandleader Tor Krautter, known throughout the Northeast as Rev Tor, has been a consistent presence on the East Coast club and festival circuit, performing from Maine to Key West. Over the course of three decades, he has evolved from performer and bandleader to producer, collaborator and community builder, creating concerts and events that have connected generations of musicians, artists, venues and audiences.
 
Tor and his band have shared stages with members of The Grateful Dead, Dead & Company, Phish and The Allman Brothers. Throughout his career, he has become known not only for his soulful playing, but also for his collaborative spirit and commitment to creating opportunities for musicians and audiences to come together.
 
When considering whom to invite to participate in the anniversary concert, Krautter looked to the relationships that have shaped his career: "I wanted to extend an invitation to friends and colleagues with whom I've shared long-standing, mutual collaborations, as well as former members of the band who have performed with me throughout the years."
 
The Rev Tor Band will be joined by special guests Mark Mercier of Max Creek; Jen Durkin and Fuzz of Deep Banana Blackout; Gary Backstrom of Jiggle the Handle; Brett Connors and Glen Nelson of Flipper Dave; Dan Broad of Moondance and the Rev Tor Band; and Mike Wartella of BTG's productions "Pink Floyd's The Wall: A
Theatrical Experience" and "Rhapsody: The Music of Queen."
 
Additional guest artists include Tom Doherty, Dan Esko, Tistrya Houghtling, Ben Kohn, Dave Lincoln Jr., Conor Meehan, Parker McQueeney, Brian O'Connell, Jeff Prescott, Derrick Rodgers, Dan Teichert and Jason Webster, with more artists to be announced.
 
More than a retrospective, the evening will celebrate the interconnected music community that has grown around Krautter's work. Across countless bands, venues, towns, festivals and productions, music has remained the common thread, creating lasting relationships among musicians and the audiences who support them.
 
A portion of the concert's proceeds will benefit the Jake Galliher Foundation, established to commemorate the life of Krautter's stepson, Air Force Staff Sgt. Jacob "Jake" M. Galliher, 24, who died when his Osprey crashed during a training drill off the coast of Japan along with seven other crew members.
 
The foundation provides scholarships and awards to individuals who exemplify Galliher's bravery, dedication, kindness and generous spirit, ensuring that his legacy continues through the lives of others.
 
The production gives special thanks to lead sponsor Unistress for its generosity and support.

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Free Vaccinations Available Throughout Berkshire County

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Fall season is also the flu season, which means vaccine clinics are now available.

The Berkshire Vaccine Collaborative will provide public vaccination clinics in Berkshire communities this fall, including the influenza and COVID-19 vaccines. There are about 49 clinics. 

The collaborative began during COVID-19 to help vaccinate people across Berkshire County. Berkshire Health Systems started the Get Vaccinated Berkshires website and still manages it. The group works with the Pittsfield Public Health Department, Community Health Programs, and the Southern Berkshire Public Health Collaborative.

"The majority of people will always get the flu [vaccine] because, as I said, if you've ever gotten the flu, you will always get a flu vaccine because it's so bad. And just so you know, the flu is already in Berkshire County. It's an early season this year," said Leslie Drager, who is the senior public health nurse at Berkshire Regional Planning Commission.

Drager said last year they issued 2,705 vaccines, with more than 1,100 of them being for COVID-19 and more than 1,500 being flu. In total, they were able to vaccinate 1,669 people in Central and North County, in addition to Pittsfield.

Drager also said she will be carrying three types of COVID vaccines this year, which is in high demand.

"We have a high demand of COVID vaccine, which is awesome," she said. "So we're doing a lot of COVID vaccines. Also, I provide Pfizer, and this year I have Moderna and the Novavax, which I think is real important to get out there because the Novavax, a lot of people want, people with long COVID. So I'm carrying all three vaccines this year, which I normally only carry the Pfizer."

Public health departments also can help people access other vaccines such as for measles or meningitis when they cannot get them through a pediatrician, she added.

Using the website, people are able to get vaccines even if they are homebound by filling out a form.

All public Berkshire Vaccine Collaborative clinics are free of charge, but registrants are asked to provide insurance information, when available, in order to defray costs. The clinics are open to anyone 6 months of age or older, the age group recommended to receive an annual flu vaccine and the latest COVID-19 vaccine.

"I always encourage everybody to wear a short sleeve shirt because it makes it a heck of a lot easier to get at," Drager said. "And children, we do carry the nasal flu, the live virus of nasal flu for kids that are afraid to get needles."

Registration is highly recommended for the clinics. Walk-ins may be accepted depending on the number of vaccine doses available at each clinic, with preference given to those who are registered.

"It's really important. I'm really encouraging vaccinations for the schools, because not only you know if the kids are vaccinated and the teachers are vaccinated, the schools won't have the flu go wild right through it," Drager said. "And of course, the best way to prevent infections: washing your hands. So don't touch your face, and wash your hands."

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