We head to North Adams to speak with the folx behind the biyearly festival at MASS MoCa, Solid Sound! In this eighth iteration, we hear from Wilco founder Jeff Tweedy, his sons Spencer and Sam, Wilco Drummer Glenn Kotche and his band mate from the freeform Saccato Quartet Darin Gray. 

We also chat with podcaster/musician Hrishikesh Hirway of Song Exploder, listen to the melodies of the amazing Americana harpist Mikaela Davis. All to hear just a little bit of what keeps bringing people back to the Berkshires every other year. 

We speak with Emerson professor Bob Nesson, whose film "Holding Up the Sky", a documentary about the post prison evolutions of two ex-cons in Boston, is showing in Orange this weekend, check in with Rep. Jim McGovern about his visit with the Dalai Lama, tonight's debate, Julian Assange and more. And our favorite itinerant bartender, Sean Billson, swings by the studios for a cocktail thunderdome impromptu. 

GUADALA-PRAGUE DEUX

1.5 oz Slivovitz

1.5 oz Gin

.75 oz Fernet Vallet

1 oz grapefruit juice

juice of 1/2 lime

mix together, add ice, shake, strain. 

Le Pin

2 oz Hennessy

.75 oz Zirbenz

.25 oz Fernet Vallet

.5 oz orange juice

.5 oz lemon juice

Mix together, add ice, shake, strain. 

Local author and illustrator Tony DiTerlizzi stops by to talk about the latest tv adaptation of one of his novels: Apple TV+ series "Wondla", we sit with writer/comedian/podcaster John Hodgman to discuss his New England connections, and the fellow funnymakers that will join him in the Comedy Cabaret at Solid Sound this weekend, and Word Nerd Emily Brewster is a ton of fun, but is she funner or the most fun? And why do we have strong feelings about which sounds more right? 

We speak with singer-songwriter Mon Rovia about their work and past at the Green River Festival, Antenna Cloud Farm director and curator Michi Wiancko walks us through their plans for the 2024 season which opens this weekend, and Benjamin Bland of Mass in Motion Springfield shows us how many groups can come together to make better food and physical activity policy happen in Western Massachusetts. 

Pizza Quest VIII lands at Roberto's Pizza in Sheffield, we share our tiny but mighty pop-up with Philadelphia band Snacktime from this past weekend's Green River Festival, and Mr. Universe, Hampshire College's Salman Hameed breaks down universe contraction and expansion through the furthest galaxy from us that has ever been observed. 

It's our live show from the Green River Festival Roundhouse! We're joined by new festival director, John Sanders, and two of the acts performing Friday sets at the Festival: Twisted Pine, and The Nude Party's Patton Magee. 

We check in with the 5th graders and one of their teachers, Tim Austin, at Fort River School in Amherst to discover their civic engagement class which has them interacting with issues affecting folx in the Bay State and beyond, head to Florence to talk with Clara Li about the downshift from Great Wall restaurant to her family's new restaurant, Little Wall and how local produce impacts her menu, and Representative Jim McGovern, and hear an AI generated song about Northampton. 

We take a tour of the many sustainable and innovative happenings at the Hitchcock Center for the Environment, and learn about a thirst quenching fundraiser they'll have on the 20th, continue our journey at Mumbet Freedom Farm in Sheffield, and check in on the high spirits of NEPM reporter and Celtics Fan Kari Njiiri as team clinched the title this week. 

Mr. Universe returns from Pakistan on Eid to tell us about the difference between novas and super novas, we chat with David Blood and Alex Torres of Fame Lounge and Eatery in Holyoke about their Pride Block Party happening in tandem with Holyoke Pride, and we head up to Memorial Hall Museum to check out an exhibit about the history of the Green River Festival with festival founder Jim Olsen and museum curator Ray Radigan

We head to the hilltowns to hang out in a woodshop with two black woodworkers in Franklin County, Sam French and Charles Thompson, and hear about their experiences in western Mass, sit on the bestest couch ever at Wistariahurst Museum in Holyoke while we chat with executive director Megan Seiler about their Wisty Wednesday series and it's extra special Juneteenth edition coming up, and Mary Daire of Dare Bottleshop & Provisions meets up with us to taste Loire Reds at their new store in Great Barrington.