West Stockbridge — Against all odds, the embattled Foundry, a 99-seat black-box performance venue, has managed to stay alive through some rocky times, and the principals, in defiance of the gods, will celebrate their survival with “Stayin’ Alive,” a free concert held in the very dead of winter, Friday, February 3, at 7:30 p.m. The event, which has sold out, will include several performers.
Singer-songwriter Aimee Van Dyne returns to The Foundry with a set of distinctive Folk and Americana tunes. Aimee’s songs have appeared on charts of the Folk Alliance, Acousticmusicscene.com, Roots Music Report, the Alt Country Chart, and others. Influences include Neil Young, The Beatles, and Lucinda Williams. New York Music Daily wrote of the “durable beauty and intricate craftsmanship” of Aimee’s songs. The Foundry hosted Aimee’s CD release party almost a year ago for “Broken Love Songs.”
Sample the Cat is a three-piece Soul Rock band from Dalton, Mass. that plays heartfelt, original song material. This is a tight band with strong vocals from Kendrah Bellevue and lyrics that really mean something. Steve Dalton plays lead guitar, with Bryan Brophy on keyboards. Muzikman.net wrote that this band’s music “speaks the truth and lifts your soul … Sample The Cat wants those suffering to know they are not alone. Music like this soothes you and gives you inner peace and a reprieve from the crazy world around us.” Click here for a sample of the band’s music.
The Fremonts, Stephanie Dodd (from Fremont, Neb.) on accordion and vocals with Justin Badger (from Fremont, Calif.) on guitar and vocal, are the authors of a “dysfunctional love story,” “Failure Café,” a live show and digital album that tells the couple’s tale of meeting in New York, performing on Broadway, and subsequently struggling to maintain both their marriage and their sanity. And they tell their story with “good, old-fashioned, sinister, vaudevillian charm.” Rural Intelligence wrote, “Not only have Stephanie Dodd and Justin Badger been airing their ‘failures,’ they’ve been stealing hearts, too. How can they not, when the two engaging actor/musicians present, with devastating honesty and stellar comedic timing, the circumstances that brought them to this time and place?”
Gypsy Layne does burlesque, roughly in the style of a century ago, only with the added impact of contemporary music to make it even funnier (e.g., Randy Newman’s “You Can Leave Your Hat On”).
It is worth noting that a Gypsy Layne performance is not burlesque flavored entertainment of the type you might see in a variety show at the Ed Sullivan Theater. No, this is Burlesque with a capital B—as in bare bottoms and pink pasties. But if you thought Burlesque was little more than a frivolous parade of scantily clad men and women cavorting lasciviously and getting naked by degrees, you are only partly correct. Because the truth is—and this is really no joke—Burlesque can also be a vehicle for empowering women and people of all sizes, shapes, and genders. As such, it can be a form of feminist and body-positive art that does its part to reveal the beauty of diversity. And that’s what it’s all about for the men and women of Gypsy Layne.
In December, the West Stockbridge Planning Board granted a special permit to the Foundry to continue operating as a performance venue despite complaints from Truc Nguyen, co-owner of neighboring restaurant Truc’s Orient Express, about noise levels coming from the Foundry during music performances. The permit was granted on the condition that the Foundry keep its sound levels under 65 decibels at the property line.
See Aimee Van Dyne, Sample the Cat, The Fremonts, and Gypsy Layne perform at the Foundry on Friday, February 3, at 7:30 p.m. (bar opens at 7). Admission is free, but reservations are required. More information here. Although this concert is sold out, The Foundry has other upcoming events. On Saturday, February 4, The Foundry will be the host to a comedy night event featuring Eryca Nolan, Maya Manion, and Onika McLean.
