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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Pittsfield Wants People to Know Where Free Public Wifi Is

By Brittany PolitoiBerkhshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The city wants it to be clear where people can connect to free public wifi— which expands beyond downtown. 

On Tuesday, the Parks Commission approved "Free Wifi" signage at The Common, Riverway Park, and Durant Park.  Community members can access the internet without charge in these locations, as well as in downtown areas. 

Two years ago, Pittsfield received a $99,972 Digital Equity Implementation Grant from the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative.  This allowed the city to take a comprehensive look at digital equity and determine where to focus attention. 

"That was a lengthy process that we worked on, and there was a lot of public input. We did some surveying. We met with a lot of focus groups; [Berkshire Regional Planning Commission] was the group that spearheaded that for us, and one of the things that came up was the lack of accessible wifi," Director of Community Development Justine Dodds reported. "Particularly in the westside." 

Throughout this process, residents also wanted to see connectivity at the nearby Westside Riverway Park.

In 2023, Pittsfield was selected to participate in the Municipal Digital Equity Planning Program launched by the state and MBI, focused on ensuring residents can use the internet to conduct day-to-day activities.  A digital equity plan also qualifies Pittsfield for additional grant funding. 

Around 16,000 city households qualified for the Federal Communications Commission's affordable internet program that ended in 2024.

Dodds said adding Wi-FI and signage to Durant and Riverway Parks is a small piece of the larger digital equity project.  Signage is already downtown, and the city plans to hire the same designer for the expanded wayfinding so it is cohesive. 

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