History of Music in The Berkshires Shared Interest Group

The Road House Era




    UNCOVER THE RICH HISTORY OF MUSIC IN THE BERKSHIRES: THE ROAD HOUSE ERA

    Aspects of the rich history of music in the Berkshires are well known in our area and well beyond:  Tanglewood, the Music Barn/Inn, The Jazz School of Lenox, the Guthrie’s and James Taylor. 

    But other important aspects of Berkshires music history deserve to be much better known: such as the colorful history of roadhouses like Woody’s Roadhouse of Washington, which flourished in the 70’s and 80’s and were important sources of entertainment, community and social life - drawing to this area nationally prominent touring bands like Bonnie Raitt and Orleans.

    The goal of this SIG is to bring this colorful history to life and create a widely distributed podcast that documents it.

    Our SIG will explore the history of the local road houses and their music and musicians—and related topics such as:    

    • Country blues in the nearby Berkshires hill towns
    • The dance halls that were the forerunner of the road houses and were important early 20th century social institutions
    • The profusion of local brass and jazz bands that played in parks, at church socials and other venues that were forerunners of the road houses  

Our SIG will do hands-on research such as:

    • Searching for collectors who have recordings of Berkshires folk and rock music from the road house era
    • Research in local libraries, the Berkshire Eagle archives etc.—to provide historical context
    • Contacting representatives of artists like Bonnie Raitt and John Hall (of Orleans) to set up interviews about their memories of playing local venues and what attracted them to the Berkshires
    • “Field trips” to local venues like Pappa Bob’s and Listons that have survived from the road house era.

Please contact Mark Rosenman for more information about this SIG.



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