open for brunch, Sundays 12n

Farm To Table

brunch menu

• House Made Biscuits and Sausage Gravy - $10
• Ham Steak with Apple Bacon Glaze and a Shredded Potato Pancake - $11
• Chicken Fried Steak with Sausage Gravy and Braised Greens - $10

All of the above served with two local farm raised eggs cooked to your liking.
We recommend poached or sunny.

• House Made Breakfast Sausage on top of Braised Greens with a Poached Egg - $9
• Local Cheese and Seasonal Fruit Sampling - $8
• Pancakes served with Ioka Farms Maple Syrup - $8
• Berkshire Benny – Shredded Zucchini and Squash Pancake with your choice of Ham or House Cured Salmon - $10

All of our sausage, ham, bacon, steak is sourced locally.

Download/Print Farm-To-Table Brunch Menu

8 Foot River
May 16, 9P

The inventive sound of Housatonic-based alternative indie rock group 8 Foot River features richly textured instrumentation and complex compositions reveal the vulnerability and emotion of the human experience

Olinde
May 20, 9P

Olinde’s (pronounced Oh-lind) delicate folk songs recall the 60s folk revival with a relaxed intensity and purity of voice that is striking. The daughter of a painter and a ballet teacher, Olinde’s songs have an otherworldly way about them; elegant melodies floating above her lightly picked guitar.

olindemusic.com

Next Week

Matthew Carefully
May 23, 9P

Sarah Blacker
May 27, 9P

Mother’s Day Farm-To-Table Brunch at Mission

8 Foot River
May 9, 9P

The inventive sound of Housatonic-based alternative indie rock group 8 Foot River features richly textured instrumentation and complex compositions reveal the vulnerability and emotion of the human experience

Emily Mure
May 13, 9P

“a smoky-voiced successor to Emmylou Harris and John Wesley Harding-era Dylan” — James Rickman (Unveiled Arts), BeaconPass

Next Week

Eamonn Barry
May 6, 9P

Next Week

Emily Mure
May 9

Woodford Way
April 25, 8P

Woodford Way is an original Folk/Jazz duo from Western MA. Guitarist/Singer Songwriter Kyle Mangini, and Guitarist/ Vocalist Jeff Lynch are both exceptionally skilled live musicians and recording artists that perform with a wonderfully refined new sound.

woodfordway.com

Heather Maloney
April 29, 9P

“Heather Maloney plays a literate, weirdly legit blend of folk, blues, Irish, and rock styles and takes a lot of captivating chances while doing it.” – Portland Phoenix

heathermaloney.com

Next Week

Glenn Geiger
May 2

Eamonn Barry
May 6

Chris Merenda
April 18, 9P

“Merenda’s knowledge of how to write effective hooks, and his play on simple Words – turning them into genius phrases – are his refreshing contributions to The music world.” -The Portsmouth Herald

chrismerenda.net

Chris Carey
April 22, 9P

“‘Americana” is a genre often donned by singer-songwriters with an affinity for classic country music but whose respect for artistry resists any association with CMT and all that country has become. However you choose to classify it, Sunset Moon, the debut solo effort by Railbird drummer Chris Carey, makes no apologies for the honky-tonk bloodline in its Americana. At the heart of Carey’s songwriting, and in his rootsy arrangements of guitar, pedal steel, harmonica and mandolin, there’s the ethos of the everyman just doing the best he can, a well-worn sentiment common to much of American music, whether, for you, it connotes Willie Nelson or Jeff Buckley.” - Josh Potter, Metroland

chriscareymusic.com

Next week -

Woodford Way
April 25

Heather Maloney
April 29

Tom Gizzi
April 15, 9P

Mission favorite Justin Allen takes the spotlight to open the WXW Songwriters Room.

Justin Allen
April 4, 9P
no cover

The WordXWord Festival and Mission Bar + Tapas have teamed up to create an ongoing showcase for songwriters – a twice-weekly songwriters showcase at Mission. The Songwriters Room is similar to the weekly Writers Room at yBar, in that it is an opportunity for songwriters to tryout new material in front of a welcoming audience, in an informal setting.

Songwriters Room
Sundays and Wednesdays, 9P
Mission Bar + Tapas
438 North Street
Pittsfield, MA
no cover

WXW Songwriters Room Schedule

HuDost @ Mission
April 1, 9P rescheduled to June 3, 9P

The WXW Songwriters Room series kicks off April 1 with HuDost.

“HuDost is living proof that the whole really is greater than the sum of its parts, pulling together musical styles as diverse as the jellies in Marco Polo’s kitchen cupboard, they weave a seamless tapestry that renders tears and laughter in listeners and cultivates that nameless longing that abides somewhere in all our hearts.”

www.hudost.com

The Songwriters Room continues on Sundays and Wednesdays through the spring. A up-to-date schedule can be found at WXWswr.org.

The WordXWord Festival and Mission Bar + Tapas have teamed up to create an ongoing showcase for songwriters – a twice-weekly songwriters showcase at Mission. The Songwriters Room is similar to the weekly Writers Room at yBar, in that it is an opportunity for songwriters to tryout new material in front of a welcoming audience, in an informal setting.

Songwriters Room
Sundays and Wednesdays, 9P
Mission Bar + Tapas
438 North Street
Pittsfield, MA
no cover

Info and complete schedule at www.wxwswr.org

Andy Wrba. Local+Musician= Love. On Mondays. EVERY Monday.

Andy Wrba keeps busy with his full time job as bassist in the group Barefoot Truth but wanted to stay connected to his local musicians and, of course, his favorite watering hole, le Mish.

Wrba features a rotating cast of musicians on a weekly basis including members of Barefoot Truth as well as local and regional friends. Playing anything from jazz to rock, blues to funk, this group is sure to entertain.

Click on the following links to learn/hear more about Andy and his band, Barefoot Truth.

Valentines Day at Mission

Announcement [pdf]

Menu [pdf]

10X10 On North, the Berkshires’ first ever winter contemporary arts festival in Downtown Pittsfield from February 16-26, 2012, will feature new art, dance, music, theatre, and more.

The line-up of singer-songwriters at Mission includes outstanding performers from the WordXWord Festival and represents the best of the young talent from the Berkshires and beyond.

No cover. Performances start at 9pm.

Check out the complete schedule here

For the Early Birds Chef Shane Adams has put together a fabulous 6 course menu with the option of adding wine pairings chosen by Wine Maiden Meghan Harrison. Dinnner is $50 with optional wine pairing for $20. Seatings at 5:30 and 7:30. If you’re feeling sassy we have the option of dinner and music provided by Billy Keane and the Misdemeanor Outlaws from 9 -12. Dinner is $65 (includes half price ticket for music) and $80 for optional wine pairing. For the party animals we are offering $30 for Billy Keane and the Misdemeanor Outlaws 9 -12, cava toast and passed tapas all night! So whatever you need we have got you covered!!

Fine Print (boo) Reservations for dinner are held with a credit card. Cancellations after 12pm 12/31 will result in 50% charge to the card. Make your reservation today!!! missionbarandtapas@gmail.com

Gallery opening at y bar! A showing of studies on scape and form. Paintings by Haywood, Charles, Rossi, Bastow & Boroniec. Free paintings, paintings & prints priced to sell. Dec 22 – Jan 31. Reception Dec 22 6pm-12. Stop by and have a glass of wine and enjoy the work of local artists. y bar 391 North St Pittsfield, MA.

Join us for the 3rd Annual Very Wrba Christmas this Monday! We’ll playing a schmorgesborg of tunes and featuring some very special guests.

Andy Wrba – bass
Noah Weiss – sax
Wayno – piano/vocals
Holmbre – drums

*Special Guests*
Ed “Chief” Wrba (Andy’s dad) – squeezebox
Marissa Massery – vocals

Hotels & Highways
It was September 2010 and Erin “Syd” Sidney, Lisa Piccirillo and Patrick Thomas were getting to be well-versed in letting their temporary home in the woods be a part of the creative process. They’d come to a lakeside cabin in New York to fulfill a mutual, career-long dream of living together while recording an album. A week-long tour of the Northeast had been booked immediately following the 10-day writing and recording retreat. The material was largely unwritten. The sound had not been clearly defined. But with each day’s new songs and each night’s recording sessions, what began as a joyful experiment in creativity and trust evolved quickly into an emerging full-length album and a well-received tour. Hotels & Highways, originally a nom de plume for songs a group of friends wrote together, had quietly and gracefully transformed into a band.
Mia Dyson
Her brilliant musicianship, “gritty, yet gorgeously haunting voice,” and reputation for inspired and exposed live performances caught the attention of some of the most iconic musicians of the last 50 years. In addition to Raitt, both Eric Clapton and Joe Cocker invited her to be the opening act for their national tours.

Post party at y bar!
Find us on facebook and twitter

A lot can happen in five years, and for the husband-and-wife duo Sara Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion , the time between Exploration, their first album together in 2005, and Bright Examples, their new, full-length collaborative project featuring producers Andy Cabic (lead singer/songwriter in the band Vetiver) and Thom Monahan (Devendra Banhart, Vetiver), has been one nonstop whirlwind of activity. Not only has the couple toured extensively both as a duo and as part of the “Guthrie Family Rides Again” tour (with Sarah Lee’s dad, Arlo Guthrie ), they’ve also released the children’s album Go Waggaloo , a live DVD entitled Folk Song, a solo album by Johnny (Ex Tempore), parented their two young daughters and moved from South Carolina to the Berkshires in western Massachusetts, near where Sarah Lee was raised.

“We’ve been working really hard,” confirms Guthrie. “We even built a house. We felt very creative in South Carolina but we’re in a totally different space now. We had started another album together before we moved but it just wasn’t right. This one is.”

They are, the quintessential hometown sound. We love them, very much! Join us for this awesome preview for the WordxWord Festival Friday, August 12th at 8pm, ONLY AT MISSION!

Aaron Woody Wood may be a legend.

The skinny white boy from the mountains of Western North Carolina carries around more soul in his restless bones and battered guitar than most of us ever dream of.  With a background as diverse as his music, Woody converges elements from all walks of life to present music that contains a sense of familiarity like no other.

One look at the long list of artists he has shared the stage with exemplifies his diversity, not to mention respect from his musical peers. From Jimmy Martin to Leon Russel, R.L. Burnside to Warren Haynes, country music superstar Sara Evans to Carlos Santana, Woody has played and learned from some of those who have helped shape music into what it is today.

Growing up, Woody was steeped in the knowledge, legacy, and traditions of Bluegrass music. His father, A.L. Wood, and his band, The Smokey Ridge Boys, toured the traditional bluegrass circuit extensively alongside legends like Bill Monroe, The Stanley Brothers and The Seldom Scene. Tagging along with his father to various festivals, Woody experienced first hand the power of music and the etiquette that goes into it.

As a professional musician, Woody was a pivotal member of the Blue Rags, with whom he had success with National media coverage (MTV) and international tours. Woody was also recorded and performed with a slew of New Orleans and WNCs finest musicians in what was a blending of musical styles, combining New Orleans Jazz and Bluegrass. The Blue Brass Sessions featured members of Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Rebirth Brass Band, Larry Keel,Troy Trombone Shorty Andrews, and many others.

“Wood sets the stage and then proceeds to burn it down with  original material that breathes a new fire of of passion and honesty.”

Join us at Mission on Sunday, August 7th, at 8pm in welcoming such a talent!

Join us at Mission on Saturday, July 30th to welcome Sky Smeed with Jack Waldheim, starting at 8pm, NO COVER!

Sky Smeed was born and raised outside of Chanute, Kansas in an old, one-room schoolhouse his parents bought and turned into a home in the early seventies.

Hearing the roots style of music playing on an old record player has stayed with Sky and is evident when he takes the stage to share his country tinged tunes of working hard, dogs, love, money, beer drinking and good times.

He has self-released three full length albums, and his most recent, “Mill River” was recorded with his band at Signature Sounds in Pomfret, Connecticut.
“Mill River is a rollicking bunch of songs, with Smeed stretching emotionally, compositionally and hitting every mark full stride.” Metroland
His music has been compared to Gram Parsons, and early Neil Young.

You can learn more about Sky Smeed at his website.

You can learn more about Jack Walheim at his website.

“Tor Krautter is a singer and musician who knows where he’s been, as well as where he’s going. On In Search of Ecstasy, he travels to a place where the listener learns what churns within the musician’s soul. Inclusions like Never Cry When the Wolf Comes and Stumble are powerful and haunting glimpses into the eye of the artist. Hear this new voice.”

- Gary Kiffel, CBS TV

Mission will be closed for a private event on Sunday, June 26 from 11-3pm and will re-open for service at 4pm. Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause you!

Cheers,
The Mish

Join the crew at Mission in welcoming Gunther Brown on Saturday, June 18th at 8pm. The Portland, Maine-based group boasts an undeniably Americana sound that is sure to appeal to all! A show not to be missed!

“Gunther Brown’s music is earthy, eloquent and entirely honest. The four-piece band from Portland reminds one of early Jayhawks, with maybe a touch of Wilco. It’s Americana music, with roots that spread to folk, rock and old-time country.” – Bob Keyes, Portland Press Herald

Join us at Mission on Friday, July 8th, at 8pm to welcome back Rod Picott. This Maine native has spent the last 15 years finding his sound in Colorado, Boston and Nashville and is sure to not disappoint. His powerful delivery and knack for humorous onstage storytelling will surely have you entranced, wanting more, or at least a copy of his new CD, Welding Burns.

“Rod Picott’s world weary songs glow with both self awareness and humility. The truth of who we are is slippery, hard to contain, and most people have very little interest in it. Nonetheless, it is the work of an artist to find that truth and show it to us in ways that will see it. Welding Burns, Rod’s new collection of songs, is a fine example of an artist doing just that.  The songs on this record reflect the realities of the time we live in, and they contain hard truths. The songs are both beautiful and disturbing, and are the work of an artist who deserves to be heard.” -Mary Gauthier

“Let’s not give away what all the songs are about,” requests Amanda Shires via email — shortly after an hour-long interview discussing exactly that. “I think I prefer for the listener to decide for themselves what stuff means, because I always hate it when I think a song is about a horse, and then it turns out to be about a damn trip to France …”

And so, by artist request, there will be no handy track-by-track cheat sheet for Shires’ new Carrying Lightning. But if you really can’t deduce what the songs are all about on your own, then consider yourself equally blessed and cursed, because odds are you’ve never been knocked on your ass by the wrecking ball of human desire…

Shires’  Texas twang and fetching vibrato (“less goat, more note!” she teases herself with a laugh) can dance playfully around a melody or haunt a line like a mournful ghost, and she deftly employs her fiddle/violin, ukulele and even whistling skills to similar effect. The resulting sound is a beautiful but woozily surrealistic swoon — as well befits an artist who cites Leonard Cohen and alt-country dark horse Richard Buckner as two of her biggest musical influences. Or, as a review in Americana UK once observed: “At times, her energetic, jittery vocals and eccentric lyrical subjects mark her out as a young female heir to the godfather of strange, Tom Waits. In her more conventional moments, Shires sounds like the weird young niece of Dolly Parton.”

“If you don’t like Amanda Shires…then you don’t like America.”

-DeVotchKa

Starts at 8pm, NO COVER! You don’t want to miss this!

You. Do. Not. Want. To. Miss. This. At all.

Join us in welcoming back Jocie Adams on Sunday May 22nd starting at 8pm in the Window at Mission, NO COVER! As you may know, us Mission kids are superfans of The Low Anthem and Jocie Adams herself. We are telling all our friends, and so should you. Reservation requests are recommended and can be sent to: missionbarandtapas@gmail.com

Jocie Adams of The Low Anthem, will perform at Mission in support of her new record, Bed of Notions. Accompanied by pianist/vocalist, Martha Guenther, trumpeter, Michael Irwin and bassist, Charlie Rose, she proffers her plaintive songs as fragmentary glimpses of people and places both lost and found. Gaining her start in the world of folk music on a bourbon-fueled whim, she’s spent the better part of the last three years as the clarinet-weilding, crotales-slinging, guitar-howling, bass-thumping, and harmonizing leg of The Low Anthem tripod, occasionally venturing homeward to release her hands once more into their compositional home-turf. The songs she’s touring on now come from the trenches that stretch between these two worlds.

Here is what WBUR Boston had to say about Jocie.

Other fans have this to say.

We know you love your mother, we are mother lovers too…

Happy Mother’s Day!

Deafened By Love is an indie rock band from Western Massachusetts, playing all original music. Their sound is defined by the sultry vocals of lead singer/guitarist Judy Eddy along with the lush, rich sounds of lead guitarist John Prusinski, held together by the creative bass playing of Scott Marks and the brilliant, inventive drumming of Brian Chebatoris.
The band performs with obvious passion, and it’s clear they’re having fun at the same time. The level of appreciation the audience has for this musical emotion is always infectious, and engenders intense loyalty amongst their fans.

The Housatonic-based alternative indie rock group 8 Foot River features the talents of Glenn Geiger on guitar, bass and lead vocals, Stephen Dietemann on guitar and bass, artist/activist Gabrielle Senza playing cello and keyboard, and drummer extraordinaire Steve Praus.

The inventive sound of 8 Foot River’s richly textured instrumentation and complex compositions reveal the vulnerability and emotion of the human experience and has quickly drawn a widely diverse following, The group started performing in the summer of 2010.

We will be closed Sunday, April 24th to spend time with our families on the holiday.

Also, a reminder: we will be closed Sunday, May 1st, the Dia Del Trabajador (Spain’s Labor Day) in accordance with our proper celebration of the Spanish.

Sorry for any inconvienence this may cause to your next two Sunday plans.

Lovin you longest of times,

The Mission Staff

xoxoxo

Mia Dyson is BACK. We missed her so.

Mia will be joined by Billy Beard and Lonesome Val for this special night in downtown Pittsfield.

ADVANCED RESERVATIONS ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED FOR THIS SHOW. Email for your spot (remember capacity is a tiny 49 people!) at missionbarandtapas@gmail.com

We were among the first rooms she played in the United States after rocking for crowds like this in Australia.

Mia Dyson is an Australian singer, songwriter, and guitarist.

Following her first release, Cold Water , in 2003, Mia went into a continuous touring schedule both in Australia and overseas. Taking in major festivals such as the East Coast Blues & Roots Music Festival, West Coast Blues & Roots Festival,Falls Festival, Womadelaide, NXNE in Canada and The Edinburgh Festival in Scotland.

2005 saw the release of her second album Parking Lots which resulted in Mia being nominated for “Best Female Artist” and “Best Blues & Roots album” at that year’s ARIA Awards, for which she won the “Best Blues & Roots album” award.

The following year, 2006 Mia toured the USA and Canada, joined Frank Zappa’s band The Mothers of Invention on stage at the Winnipeg Folk Festival, and supported Ani Di Franco in New York’s Central Park.

In 2007, Mia supported Eric Clapton during his Australian tour in February to sellout crowds. She also had a guest appearance on Australian hip hop artist Urthboy’s second album The Signal.

This past year, Mia had the great opportunity to open for Stevie Nicks. You can watch a her journey to the stage with Stevie (no pun intended) on her  website . Trust us, you’ll regret not being here for this event.

Come to Mission the weekend of May 20-22 to enjoy a prix fixe menu designed by Chef James Burden that showcases hyper-locally purveyed produce and meat. Click on the link to find out more about  Berkshire Grown.

Click here to find out more about Farmed and Foraged in the Berkshires!

Justin Allen takes to the Window on Saturday, April 23rd with a superband! He has Benny Kohn on the keys, Kali Baba on the pots and pans, Dan Esko will be shlapin the bass, and Dave Brown will be holdin it down as the ax man. Justin will be frontin this ridiculous ensemble of talent starting at 8pm, NO COVER! See you there!

That’s right kids! It’s Troeg’s Night here at Mission! Come by with ALL of your friends, for we have a full firkin of Java Head Stout on cask to kick! What the #!?& is a firkin you say? Click here to find out. Also, we will feature another one of their brewskis on draft and try to get some offerings in the bottle as well. Chef James Burden will whip up munchies, Caitlin, Billy and Laura will be here, pumped to pump the cask, our Troeg’s rep, Jason, will be here, shaking hands and kissing babies (well, maybe not the babies part, but he’ll be here to host a good time with us!). Tell your friends. And your friend’s friends. Troeg’s Night 7-? at Mission, Thursday, April, 28th.

Born in Australia, raised in Connecticut, jaded in Brooklyn, schooled in Seattle and weathered in Louisiana, Billy Keane came to Pittsfield, Massachusetts in the summer of 2009 to record his debut solo album, The Pine Street Sessions.
Throughout the course of that year, writing, recording, and performing almost weekly, Billy credits his inspiration to the overflow of friendship, artistry and support that greeted him so suddenly and tenaciously the moment he stumbled upon his new Berkshires home.

The Misdemeanor Outlaws:
Noah Weiss (Sax/flute/keys)
Dave Brown (lead guitar/bass)
Jason Schultheis (drums)

Catch our house band each Third Thursday of the month. 8 PM. No cover.

Abbie Barrett & The Last Date play regularly in the New England area. In 2008, Barrett released her debut album, Dying Day, which “Performing Songwriter” magazine declared “a stellar first release.” The Noise calls Barrett “a bright light among others of her genre…evident through compelling vocals, ever-changing chord progressions, and spontaneous melodies.” With no formal musical education, Barrett has been able to craft unique, unconventional arrangements that highlight her smoky voice. The band does a wonderful job bringing her vision to the live stage, offering everything from honky-tonk country rock to ambient, brooding anthems. She credits Neil Young, Radiohead, and Aimee Mann as her main influences.

Check her out!

Catch it all at Mission on Saturday, April 9th, starting at 8pm, NO COVER.

“A living, breathing catalog of rock ‘n’ roll history, Rob Sanzone combines the effortless timing and wit of a comedian, the chops of a virtuoso, and seemingly the ego of a Buddhist – there’s nothing self-indulgent about him at all. Pure and simple, he is a terrific performer and entertainer.”
- Seth Rogovoy Critic-at-Large, Editor -in- Chief, Berkshire Living Magazine

Rob Sanzone’s live show is a one-man-band eclectic mix of multi-instrumental, guitar-driven, live looping, musical transmissions covering sounds as varied as rock, funk, reggae, 80’s pop, electronic, disco, metal, punk, surf, folk, even T.V. and movie themes.

He is also known to perform the infamous “Rob Sanzone’s Juke-Box-Hero-Guitar-Medley-Extrava-ganja” in which the audience picks a list of songs that are then performed spontaneously on the spot.

In the Window with Diode opening. No cover.  8 PM start. (And judging by Seth Rogovoy’s assessment, you better get here early.)

Andrea is a new breed of songwriter. He successfully combines the traditional Italian songwriter with the classic American troubadour. Now, with new songs and a new CD on the way, as well as collaborations with Bocephus King continuing, the artistic journey of Andrea Parodi has only just begun. Click here to give him a listen. In the Window at Mission on Saturday, February 26th, 8pm, NO COVER!

Bell Engine’s songs have an undeniable momentum. Fueled by strong acoustic rhythms, funky basslines, and gorgeous harmonies, the tunes are well crafted, driving and energized. Musical comparisons range from Tom Petty to The Plastic Ono Band, Elliot Smith to Nirvana. Catagorizing Bell Engine’s music is challenging… labeling them as acoustic rock severly limits the variety and depth of their songs and arrangements. Songwriters John Clarke and Lisa Anderson each bring their distinct signatures to their songs… the combined result rolls like a train, bringing the audience along for the ride while they sit back and dig the view. March 5th, 8pm, NO COVER! Click here to sample their music.

Johnny Irion, just days after the release of Bright Examples, will take to the Window as well on Saturday, March 5th. Bright Examples finds Sara Lee Guthrie (Irion’s wife and creative counterpart) and Irion taking their patented country-rock sound and tilting it in a direction Guthrie describes as “more atmospheric or psychedelic, sort of dreamy but colorful.”

The songwriting on Bright Examples reflects many of the experiences and emotions that Sarah Lee and Johnny have encountered over the past half-decade, and the production is crisp, consistently imaginative and captures the spontaneity of the tracks being recorded live with a full ensemble. Vibrant instrumental accents arrive via pedal steel guitar, accordion, piano, Hammond organ and a wall of guitars, and rich vocal harmonies abound, influenced by great duo acts like the Louvin Brothers and the Everly Brothers. One track, “Seven Sisters,” features a reunion of sorts between original Jayhawks Louris and Mark Olson. The grooves range from funky New Orleans soul to ’60s-esque power pop to honky-tonk country, a feel-good vibe coursing throughout the tracks. “That’s our job,” says Guthrie. “There are definitely some dark moments but we still have to be positive. It’s hard for us not to be. We’ve tried.”

No excuses, play like a champion.

Barrington Stage teams up with Mission to offer a 3 course Prix Fixe Dinner before the show, Fri. 2/11 and Sat. 2/12

Special Saturday Brunch for lovers who want to treat themselves all weekend long, Sat. 2/12

Cabaret Brunch featuring Pam Rich and Laurie Schiff, Sun. 2/13 SOLD OUT!

Love/Haters Ball, something for everyone of us, Mon. 2/14

Wine Dinner Wednesday featuring Classical Wines of Spain portfolio, Wed. 2/16 SOLD OUT!

Billy Keane and the Misdemeanor Outlaws are BACK in their comfy 3rd Thursday spot starting on 2/17, 8pm.

Hudost takes to the Window with their unique sound on Saturday, 2/19, 8pm.

RSVP: missionbarandtapas@gmail.com

Due to the busy schedule the summer naturally brings to restaurants in the Berkshires, Wine Enthusiast Caitlin Harrison will gladly accept individual reservations for Wine School for your group of 8-12 people. Six courses of tapas paired impeccably with six wines for $35. Caitlin will be sporting packets of information as well as ancedotes about the wine, wineries or her experiences living and working in the wine scene of San Francisco and Boston. She is excited to spread the love that is wine!

HuDost’s sound is a rich, eclectic blending of Pop and Rock with traditional Sufi music, Bulgarian, Croatian, Macedonian and Balkan folk music, Farsi, Turkish, Arabic and Folk. Their sound crosses all borders and barriers, taking the listener on a journey they will not soon forget.

As a commanding Neo Folk World Rock group, HuDost is best known for letting the music speak for itself. Their forthcoming release, entitled Waking the Skeleton Key, contains the first songs written by lead singer Moksha Sommer since she underwent brain surgery to have a tumor removed which impacted her language abilities. Music was her primary tool in fully regaining all that was lost and continuing to grow as a musician and a lyricist. Both her resilience and the fragility of life come through in these songs.

Make a night of it with a Dinner + Theatre package to Mission Bar + Tapas. Packages are $50-$60. Call the Box Office at 413-236-8888 for more information or to book your Valentine’s night out in Downtown Pittsfield today!

Here is an idea of what Chef James Burden has in store for you:

St. Valentines Day Weekend 2/11-2/12

Barrington Stage Company

“Prix-Show Fixe”

Appetizer

Lobster Spring Roll

Carrot Daikon Snow Pea Salad

Housemade Teriyaki

Salad

Local Field Greens

Beet Root Carpaccio

Blue Cheese Mousse

Apple Vinaigrette

Main

Bordelaise Glazed Beef Short Rib

Horseradish Popover

Glazed Root Vegetable Medley

Dessert

Molten Chocolate Cake

Chef James Burden and Corkdork Caitlin Harrison couldn’t agree on what to do for Valentine’s Day.

James enjoys taking a break from the regular and mixing it up stylistically. Prix Fixe menus are a way he can really show his range and creativity. And believe me, he nailed this menu.

Caitlin enjoyed working in the past for a place that celebrated “Anti-Valentine’s Day”, a night of pure silliness where themes range from Chinese food and movies in a typically upscale space (pajamas were encouraged), to “Anti-Anti-Valentine’s Day Bash” where love was sickeningly all around. (She may have sold tickets for a kissing booth…)

So, the two thought, why choose? Lovers can have their early, deliciously put together evening, accompanied by the smooth sounds of the Wrba/Weiss 4tet. The rest of us? Well, crazy large format beers to share with a friend or future Valentine (just saying..) will be available, comfort food will be served, Wrba/Weiss will come back playing anti-love tunes and a possible showing of a “&%@! off love” movie. No cover, ’cause we love you.

Valentines Day “Lovers Companion Dinner”
2/14/11

Amuse

Sliced Beef Tenderloin
Red Onion Marmalade
Crostini
Or
Hoisen Glazed Vegetable Spring Roll

Salad

Frisse aux Lardon
W/ Poached Egg
Haricot Vert
Or
Spinach
W Strawberries
Candied Pistachios
Crispy Bleu Cheese

Entrée
Seared Spice Glazed Lamb Porterhouse
W Artichoke Barigoule
Fennel & Potato Puree
Or
Crispy Mushroom Raviolis
W White Beans
Tamarind Jus
Onion Tumble Weed

Dessert
Chai PannaCotta
Candied Raspberries
Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Come to Mission Sunday, January 30th at 8pm to enjoy this unique sound! No cover! This show should not be missed!

Take a listen to “For Gibby”

In August 2008, Baby(former firetruck converted into a lifestyle rig powered by nature and waste oil) and the crew set out to follow the complete life cycle of water through the seasons. Stretching from Baja, Mexico to the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia, the tour stopped in 30 cities along the way to give presentations to more than 200,000 people demonstrating the connection between the elements, renewable energy, nature-born sports, and practical ways that individuals can use these elements to power their lifestyles.

Narrated by Sir Patrick Stewart.

Music by our hometown sound, Barefoot Truth!

Come enjoy an organic beer or glass of wine, a light tapa and a great movie!

http://www.elementstour.com/

http://vimeo.com/10583552

Session Americana has gone from a rag tag jam at a Cambridge pub to a regional institution, playing gigs from coffee houses to urban nightclubs, regional festival tents to theaters and in front of audiences in New York City and beyond.

Check out their sound in advance of their no cover gig in The Window.

THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT!

An afternoon of love songs sung by Pam Rich and Laurie Schiff and featuring the smooth sounds of Benny “fingers” Kohn and Dave Cristopolis.

Click here to preview what Chef James has in store for you lucky people that got a reservation:

Valentine’s Cabaret Brunch

2/13

Fresh Fruit & Cheese Plate

Breakfast Parfait

Granola w/Yogurt and Fresh Fruit

Housemade Cinnamon Buns w/ Orange Marmalade

Paisley Coffee Cake

Ricotta Pancakes w/Lemon Whipped Cream

French Toast w/ Banana Walnut Compote

Shirred Eggs in Vol-u-Vent

Eggs Benedict

Crab Cake Benedict

Brunch Cocktails:

Lychee Bellini

White Peach Bellini

Pomegranate Bellini

Mimosa

Cava con Fresas (Sparkling Wine with Floating Candied Strawberries)

“Jason Myles Goss is the type of songwriter that finds the shadows and vapors that underlie the fine details of our existence, and puts them into lyrics that sound as natural as a dinner conversation between friends. ”
- Bob McKillop, MaineFolkMusic.com.

We’re pumped Jason Myles Goss is headed back to The Window. Our rocking house band, Billy Keane and the Misdemeanor Outlaws, get things started at 8 PM. There’s no cover for this amazing double-bill. Don’t miss it!

Settling back in to New England after their tour of the East Coast, the Americana sounds of David Wax Museum is back in The Window!

Give a listen here to David, on guitar and jarana, and Suz Slezak on fiddle and Quijada. What the heck are jaranas and quijadas? (Click to find out.)

Things get going in The Window at 8 PM. No cover.

BUT, you should absolutely come early for Caitlin Harrison’s first Wine School of the New Year. 6 PM start.

New Year’s Eve 2010 Prix Fix

Choose one from each course

Reserve your space by e-mailing missionbarandtapas (at) gmail.com

Select the party that fits your pants:

“Home to watch the ball drop” Five-course tasting dinner, glass o’ bubbly – $50. Seatings at 5 and 6 PM

“Home in time for breakfast” Five-course tasting menu, BKMO dance party, bubbly at midnight. $60. 8 PM seating

Let our Maven-of-the-vine Caitlin Harrison accompany your meal with perfectly paired wines for an additional $25.

“Ringin’ it in w/ the BKMOutlaws” – Live music from Billy Keane and the Misdemeanor Outlaws, light tapas spread, bubbly at midnight. – $15

Reserve your space by e-mailing missionbarandtapas (at) gmail.com

]]> http://www.missionbarandtapas.com/2010/12/new-years-eve-extravaganza/feed/ 0 http://www.missionbarandtapas.com/2010/12/wine-dinner-wednesdays-3rd-wednesday-of-each-month/ http://www.missionbarandtapas.com/2010/12/wine-dinner-wednesdays-3rd-wednesday-of-each-month/#comments Fri, 10 Dec 2010 19:19:34 +0000 admin http://www.missionbarandtapas.com/?p=1894 ]]>

(Photo: Joe Wilk)

Wine Dinner Wednesday will resume regularly after Labor Day. Caitlin will, however, be hosting a special mid-summer wine dinner and some beer events as well. Keep yourself up-to-date here at missionbarandtapas.com/sevents.

Join wine enthusiast and manager Caitlin Harrison as she hosts a 4 course meal paired with 4 extremely special wines for the affordable price of $50. Come enjoy a traditional coursed meal (no tapas here, folks) created by Chef James Burden and watch in amazement as Caitlin can not stop gushing about the particulars of the unique wines being poured.

What’s even better is that Caitlin will share the spotlight with a very special guest each month, whether it is an expert wine distributor or winemaker(!!), and will happy take a back seat to listen and absorb the talent that she humbly hosts. She hopes you’ll enjoy this as much as she!

Space is limited! Reserve at missionbarandtapas@gmail.com, where you will receive information on the featured wine and food for the requested dinner and be informed of the cancellation policy.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Spread good cheer all the year through — Give Mission gift certificates!

Our gift certificates are available for purchase at Mission OR via e-mail.

Get in touch with us -  missionbarandtapas@gmail.com – and we will give you the details.

(Photo Credit – Bill Wright. Wright & Wilk Studio.)

For seventy years, Berkshire Music School has been educating students of all ages. The school’s mission is to provide quality education in music, and musical opportunities to people in the greater Berkshire community, regardless of race, sex, religion, ethnic origin, age, or disability.

Inability to pay does not render a student ineligible to enroll in classes at BMS. To that end, lead by Berkshire Music School Executive Director Tracy Wilson, the school’s adult cabaret class will perform a fundraiser.

A $5 donation is suggested.

ADVANCED RESERVATIONS ARE STRONGLY SUGGESTED FOR THIS SHOW – email missionbarandtapas (at) gmail.com to reserve your space.

If you meet Michelle Lewis before you hear her music, you might be surprised to find out she plays folk. She doesn’t fit the profile. She quotes Homer Simpson before Paul Simon. She prefers Mardi Gras to Earth Day. She drives fast. She throws snowballs. She talks loud, she eats meat, and if you leave the mayonnaise off her sandwich she might try to fight you.
If you hear Michelle’s music before you meet her, you might be surprised at her exuberance. Her songs throw you against a wall. They kick you out of the house and walk around naked. They call up to heaven. They crumble at your feet.

John Colvert’s song lyrics are sparse but the stories speak a truth that is impossible to ignore. The core of his songs are derived from his own personal loves and tragedies; combined with his spirited imagination, the sum equals unforgettable story songs that bring the listener along on Colvert’s musical journey.
If you missed John during Word X Word 2010 do not miss him now!

Justin Allen, front man of the Justin Allen Trio, returns as our open mic host.

Don’t be shy, come and try out your new material or your new-found talent.

Meanwhile, you can glean some inspiration by listening to Justin here.

Colwell consists of Jeb and Clayton Colwell – formerly of Hector on Stilts and Freakwent Flyers. They will be in The Window for a CD release party.

Come on out and hear the latest from the cousins Colwell. No cover.

Nite Atak from Colwell on Vimeo.

“… A sound that’s part blues, part old-school country and part bluegrass — I guess that makes them Americana, but for some reason that label just doesn’t seem to fit.”

Taking their love of the old time mountain music, bluegrass, and the Texas singer/songwriters of the 1970′s, the Ashville, North Carolina four-some puts its own stamp on the Americana genre.

They’re back in the Mission Window. No cover.

Give a listen here.

And making his debut in The Window, Pittsfield native Brian Barber will open. Brian is a singer/songwriter from Northampton, MA whose primary focus is on melody and harmony. He spent his teenage and early adulthood years in Pittsfield playing in various bands. Now, fifteen years later – after living in Boston and Brooklyn – Brian has found his way back to Western Massachusetts and his style of original, melodic, acoustic songwriting.

Check out Brian’s sound here.

Caitlin’s latest album Neon Streets (2010), co-produced by the string-rock band Darlingside, is a rich and expansive follow-up to her debut album. Warm and vibrant arrangements featuring Darlingside’s cello, mandolin, guitars, drums, and harmonies bloom around Caitlin’s vocally driven songs.

She’s back in The Window – no cover – starting at 8 PM.

Learn more about Caitlin’s music here.

You may know Noah Weiss from his regular appearances in The Window as one of the “outlaws” who perform with Billy Keane or his standing Monday night gig with pal Andy Wrba, on this occassion Noah’s gettin jazzy. He’ll bring with him some surprise guests!

Here’s a little solo Noah rocked at one of his performances. He’ll bring this and more to The Window.  No cover.

“The nimble singer-guitarist Devon Sproule chronicles her ongoing love affairs with humanity, nature, and the state of Virginia,” says The New Yorker magazine. She performs with a sweet, round diction that shines through even her most ornate imagery and rambunctious melodies.”

And according to the Eugene Weekly, Datri Bean’s “songs ring with the authentic tone of an artist who was raised on the rootsy rumblings of early jazz and Americana. Bean’s ability to fuse jazz piano, horns and folk music and her incredibly talented band should not be underestimated, but it is her ‘sepia toned vocals’ that move her work beyond simply an enjoyable experiment in making the old new again and classify her as both a talent and a visionary.”

These two extraordinary women will take The Window. No cover.

Learn more about Devon and Datri by clicking on their names.

(RESERVATIONS ARE STRONGLY RECOMMENDED FOR THIS EVENT: email us: missionbarandtapas@gmail.com)

Lush five-part vocal harmonies, classical cello-violin duets, and compelling break-beats characterize the band’s sound. Darlingside keeps audiences on their toes with exuberant stage presence, spontaneous acappella, frequent instrument switches, mind-boggling covers, and a widely eclectic, cross-genre blend of original material.
Together about a year, Mission has been happy to nurture this band’s evolution and is happy to welcome them and their fans back.

Darlingside is:
Auyon Mukharji: vocals, violin, mandolin, saz
Don Mitchell: vocals, guitar
Sam Kapala: vocals, drums, pennywhistle
David Senft: vocals, bass guitar, guitar
Harris Paseltiner: vocals, cello, guitar

Check out their sound here.

Local singer-songwriter Tom Gizzi will play tunes off of his latest album, Mother Earth. No cover.

Come raise a glass to the environment the third Tuesday of the month.

“Overall, it was a bit of a treat to find intelligent
conversations at a bar. So if you like a bit of brainy banter with your beverage, then Green Drinks might be a worthwhile occasion for you,” – Jenn Smith, The Berkshire Eagle

The Center for Ecological Technology invites anyone and everyone to come out at learn a little something about what you can do to “green” your lifestyle. This is not a lecture, this is an informal gathering where people munch on tapas, enjoy a glass or wine or a beer and make a new acquaintance or two.

Things get started about 5 PM, the third Tuesday of the month. You can contact Jaime Cahillane,  jamiec (at) cetonline.org, at CET for additional information.

Richmond native Benny “Fingers” Kohn appeared in The Window in February with Pam Rich and Laurie Schiff for our Valentine’s Day Cabaret, which sold out! Now, each Wednesday Benny returns for a series of solo sets. No cover.

The New England Americana Festival brings the area’s best in deep rooted American folk music and, thanks to Narragansett Beer, it is coming to The Window. The summer dates of NEAF were born out of a widely successful 3 day happening back in February and thanks to our friends at ‘gansett there is NO COVER for this special concert!

Advance reservations are recommended. Email us – missionbarandtapas (at) gmail.com

Russ Barnett, of the Boomerangs, and his pal Lewis Weeks take The Window for this rare double bill.  Their tunes are Americana to the core.

No Cover. Show starts at 8 PM

WAMC Northeast Public Radio took its Rountable program on the road to the Berkshire Museum and we were there with food, wine and lively conversation!!

Owner Jim Benson, chef James Burden, and Caitlin Harrison, our woman of the wines, were guests of the Roundtable’s Joe Donahue, Sarah LaDuke and Alan Chartock.  The group chatted about traditional Spanish food, wine and … well heck, give a listen for yourself. And take a look at Caitlin teaching Joe how to use a Porron to taste a bit of our Cava Brut.

Everyone deals with nervous excitement in their own way. Here’s James and Caitlin just minutes before the LIVE broadcast on WAMC.

Beginning Sunday, May 13 – Mother’s Day
Mission introduces a new Farm-To-Table Brunch Menu.

open for brunch, Sundays 12n

Farm To Table

brunch menu

• House Made Biscuits and Sausage Gravy - $10
• Ham Steak with Apple Bacon Glaze and a Shredded Potato Pancake - $11
• Chicken Fried Steak with Sausage Gravy and Braised Greens - $10

All of the above served with two local farm raised eggs cooked to your liking.
We recommend poached or sunny.

• House Made Breakfast Sausage on top of Braised Greens with a Poached Egg - $9
• Local Cheese and Seasonal Fruit Sampling - $8
• Pancakes served with Ioka Farms Maple Syrup - $8
• Berkshire Benny – Shredded Zucchini and Squash Pancake with your choice of Ham or House Cured Salmon - $10

All of our sausage, ham, bacon, steak is sourced locally.

(Photo by Amanda Rae Busch)

Whether you are hungry for lunch or looking for a late-night bite, indoors or outdoors, Mission Bar is the place to be seven days a week.

In addition to our tasty tapas,  Chef James Burden consistently prepares fantastic specials for both lunch and dinner. And for those of you still hungry for a bit more, Mission now also serves entrees.

Find us on FB to learn more details about the specials Chef James is cooking up.

(Oh, by the way, you can click on either menu to make it larger)

The BFG is bringing his booty focused groove to The Window. No cover.

BTW, BFG got his name at Fatty’s Cafe in Astoria, Queens, where the sandwich board announcing his first gig read “Big Fat Gabriel spinning tonight!” An alum of NYC’s Scratch Academy, BFG combines an old-school aesthetic with new-jack beats for a seamless, genre-hopping approach to dance music.

At the opening of her latest single – “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” Michelle Lewis coos, “An Irish Pub in January…”. This time the setting will be a Spanish Tapas Bar in June.
Join us June 12 when our favorite ‘Gansett Girl returns to The Window.

Local favorite Chris Vecchia, of Mission Open Mic fame, opens.  He’ll start tickling the ivories at 8. $5 cover.

The neighborhood that plays together stays together, which is why Mission is a proud sponsor of the 2nd Annual Green Mile Road Race. The race steps off in front of Berkshire Bank at 6 P.M. One lucky runner will win $100 just for participating in the race. Check-out the details.

Proceeds from the event benefit the Morningside and West Side Initiatives.

And Each 3rd THURSDAY from May to October 2010 in downtown Pittsfield the streets come alive with musicians, artists, activities, sidewalk dining, after hours shopping and much more. The City of Pittsfield’s monthly celebration of arts, culture, and food kicks-off once again in May.

Mission will mark the occasion by hosting Billy Keane and (those feisty) Misdemeanor Outlaws. This is a picture of Billy and his partner in crime Noah Weiss:

The whole crew, which includes Dave Brown and Jay Schulteis get things started in The Window at 8 PM. No cover. Oh, you can give a listen here, first if you’d like.

Jason returns to The Window with tunes off of his new album, The Flame You Follow. It’s gonna be a rockin’ time, as always!

Take a look:

With the official start of summer just around the corner, who isn’t ready for a little fun? Jason Myles Goss is a great way to gear up for a super summer season.

Jason was last in The Window in December. The show was one of our favorite holiday gifts. If you missed that show, or you need a little reminder of his the Goss sound, you can give a listen here.

Local singer-songwriter Chris Vecchia, also known as Mission’s Open Mic host extraordinaire, will open for Jason.

Show starts at 8 P.M. $5 at the door.

Can one be both Americana and Outlaw at the same time, asks Bold Life Magazine of Johnson’s Crossroad.

Taking their love of the old time mountain music, bluegrass, and the Texas singer/songwriters of the 1970′s, the Ashville, North Carolina four-some puts its own stamp on the Americana genre.

“… A sound that’s part blues, part old-school country and part bluegrass — I guess that makes them Americana, but for some reason that label just doesn’t seem to fit. If this album was a few decades old, I’d swear these guys came up with Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson and Waylon Jennings.” – Bold Life Magazine.

Now, to that question about Americana and Outlaw… Be sure to catch their debut in The Window so you can answer it for yourself.

Meanwhile, give a listen here.

Chef James is preparing an amazing menu for this event, which shines a spotlight on local growers. Come to Mission to enjoy food from Farm Girl Farms, Equinox Farms and other Berkshire-based locales.

Available May 20-22. Three courses. Thirty-five dollars. (Tax and gratuity extra.)

Jenne Halstead is fresh off of her tour of the Netherlands. And the Mission crew is pumped to welcome her back to The Window.

If you haven’t heard her yet, Halstead draws from the haunting melodies of the Depression Era, patiently distilling folk, americana and bluegrass. The EP Hollow Bones is Boston-based Halstead’s sophomore release, following her debut full-length The River Grace.

Read more about the new EP. Then put May 8 on your calendar. It’s going to be a fantastic show!

We’re taking 50 percent off of the price of our awesome Tapas on Wednesday’s. What’s the catch? Weeeell you have to be a card-carrying member of the Berkshire Young Professionals to qualify. So, gather a group of friends, make sure your BYP card is in your wallet, and get to Mission early.

Two full sets from two fantastic artists in one evening! $5 cover.

Eric Schmider of The One Smith will make his debut in The Window playing tunes from his new EP.
Formerly known as Mollycoddle, The One Smith plays original songs rooted in the classic pop songwriting traditions of The Beatles and The Brill Building Sound and have been compared to George Harrison, Michael Penn, and Matthew Sweet. Give a listen to here.

Heather Maloney kicks off the double bill evening and we’re happy to have this vocally and musically diverse singer/songwriter back in The Window.

In case you missed her performance we’ll let you nab a preview:

Vermont-born singer/songwriter, Caitlin Canty lives in NYC, dreams in green, escaped the cubicle, and sounds like maple sugar on snow.
…If you can’t quite wrap your ears around what that may sound like check out this video in which she is playing with Darlingside:

Elegantly crafted cello-violin duets, soaring harmonies, catchy hooks and compelling beats are all part of Darlingside’s evolving sound. After spending their first few months as a band writing tunes holed up in their house, these five are amped to begin touring Western MA and New England.

Here’s what our friend and veteran singer/songwriter Bernice Lewis says about them, “As individuals, each member of Darlingside could easily be a top notch solo artist. Together, they are a powerhouse of vocal, instrumental, songwriting, and performing talent. Their energy is contagious, their sound is unpredictable, and their songs are unforgettable. They are definitely one of today’s bands to watch out for.”

Whether you’re a fan of great songwriting or power-house live performance, Jason Spooner is an emerging songwriter you won’t want to miss. For his latest performance at Mission he will share The Window with Rose Cousins, of whom the Boston Globe has called, “an object of audience affection.” $5 cover.

Check out Jason and Rose performing (separately) below:

Baltimore-based Paul Masson is an American singer songwriter who is country at his core and carries with him hints of soul, blues, and folk as well. With a voice older then his years, Masson is a man who has been to the edge and fought his way back to share his tribulations.  Come hear his debut in The Window. If you want to check him out before, you can do that here.

“Masson’s debut and independently financed and produced EP is a fine slice of alt.country that captures the colours of life’s dreamy moments and applies them to a canvas of hurt and regret.The performances here have been recorded live with few overdubs, making an intimate listening experience. Masson’s vocals are full of heartfelt warmth, a little whiskey-soaked around the edges, and a sincerity that major-label financing often kills.”
~ High Noon Saloon

Raina has been called, “a shining light in the up and coming folk scene.” She’ll sparkle in The Window along with AJ Roach.

AJ Roach’s dry and cutting wit between songs has become nearly as celebrated as his performance of the songs themselves.  Lend your ear here.

This is Mieka, as photographed by Ogden Gigli, during last years’ WxW.

Oh, and here’s her latest music video:

But you should come check out her live show – $5 at the door.

Billy Keane on vocals and guitar, Dave Brown on guitar and bass, Jay Schulteis on drums, and Noah Weiss on saxophones and keyboards.

We aren’t privy to the lesser criminal acts that the “outlaws” behind this rock-reggae-folk quartet may or may not have committed.
They keep their noses clean and play some great tunes when in The Window and that’s all we need to know.

Give em’ a listen now

“Southern charm and gypsy blood. Wistful musings and joie de vivre. Poise and self-effacement. A live performance not to be missed. Come a stranger, leave a disciple,” says Last.FM of Rebecca Loebe.

RocknReel Magazine won’t be surprised when Abi Tapia gets snapped up by a major record label:
“(Tapia’s) new album, The Beauty in The Ruin, a mature collection exploring themes of sadness and frustration, is full of planes, trains, automobiles and Greyhound buses – travellin’ light, travellin’ hard. Difficult to believe she hasn’t been picked up by on of Nashville’s majors.”

Rebecca Loebe and Abi Tapia will take The Window starting at 8 PM.

Catch them while you can at our quaint venue.
Five bucks at the door.

Wid-Minter Ding Winner Dish & Dine
(Also known as the Mid-Winter Wing Dinner)
February 1, beginning at 6:30 PM, $50, plus tax and gratuity.

Who will be dishing? Mission Chef James Burden and Patrick Paulick of Brooklyn Brewery.

What’s that you say, you want the dining details as well? Ok… It is a wing dinner so we’ll have chicken wings, but it wouldn’t be a Mission event without there being something a little tweaked about it.

Now your mission is two-fold:
1 – Check out Chef James’ adventurous menu (which Patrick has been so kind as to pair with some killer brews.)
2 – E-mail us your reservation, missionbarandtapas(at)gmail.com, so we can save you a seat at this special event.

Amuse –
Crispy traditional buffalo Chicken Wing
Gorgonzola Dipping Sauce

Wash it down with: Brooklyn Pilsner

1st Course –
Grilled Sesame Glazed Chicken Wings
Served w/Daikon Salad dressed in Ginger Vinaigrette

Wash it down with: Brooklyn EIPA

2nd Course -
Celery Flatbread, De-boned Chicken Wing
Served w/ Molten Bleu Cheese over Arugula salad.

Wash it down with: Brooklyn Lager

3rd Course –
Brooklyn Battered, Panfried Fried Skate Wing
Served w/ Sweet Potato Chips and Horseradish Cocktail & Celeriac Tartar sauces.

Wash it down with: Brooklyn Local 1

4th Course –
Sausage stuffed Chicken Wings
Served w/ Celery Farce, Blue Cheese Croquette and Truffle Demi Glace.

Wash it down with: Brooklyn Brown Ale

Dessert –
Churros and Spicy Chipotle Chocolate
Wash it down with: Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout

Come on out!

7 – Camping it Up with Berkshire Creative

The Mission, Inc. team drew a standing-room-only crowd during Berkshire Creative’s November Bar Camp at the Berkshire Museum. The topic: “Dr. Minc Love OR How We Learned To Stop Sucking and Love the Berkshires.” The presentation centered on how nurturing creativity has grown our four businesses and could do the same for other businesses.

6 – James Burden becomes chef of Mission

While he can’t lay claim to the recipe for those sex-on-a-stick bacon wrapped dates, he has cooked up some seriously seductive soups, stews, and other Spanish surprises since he joined the team in October. Plus, he looks pretty darn saucy in this picture, don’t you think?

5 – Transom window revealed at The Market

Early in the renovation of our soon-to-be open corner store Jazu Stine decided to pry off the plywood atop the spaces’ façade. He discovered a few hundred pieces of individually framed corrugated glass, covered in multiple layers of paint. Now, instead of tapping the plywood back into place and running for the hills, Jazu, and Bart Dery, removed, cleaned and re-framed each piece of glass. To say the process was tedious may be the understatement of the year but the end result is the striking, sparkling transom on the corner of Bradford and North — 391 North to be exact. We hope to see you there often in the New Year.

4 – Minc House is Born

Minc House hit the Upper North scene in January and has cranked out stupendous designs – be it apparel, products for the home, or strictly graphic. Mission buddies and Word X Word headliner The Low Anthem didn’t waste any time tapping Jay Hallstein to design T-shirts for its Oh My God, Charlie Darwin album. The house of Minc has since printed more than 1,000 tees for the band, which are being sold at its U.S. and European tour venues as well as online.

3 – Mia Dyson send-off show

The start of the coming decade will see the Aussie native relocating from eastern Massachusetts to Southern California. In December, Mia played the Mission Window to a sell-out crowd. We wish her all the best, and suggest you properly archive the Mia merch you scored at Mission NOW.

2 – WordXWord Roof Top Rager

(Photo By Ogden Gigli)

In August, Jim Benson and crew launched the first annual Word X Word Festival in downtown Pittsfield. More than 40 poets, playwrights, and spoken word artists flocked to the heart of the Berkshires for six days that were devoted to words written, spoken, and sung. It all began with a steamy party on the roof of the Greystone Building.

1 – Getting to Know Our Neighbors

As much as we dig our 6 Maplewood Avenue office we’ve really enjoyed getting out of it to interact in the community, visiting our friends at Blue Q, selling products at the Live and Let’s Give, the Handmade Holiday Festival, and the Holiday Farmers Market or meeting with Downtown Inc. to name a few instances. In 2010, we’re looking forward to forging more partnerships, so don’t be surprised if we show up at your doorstep and feel free to knock on ours. We’re open to ideas – let’s collaborate.

Snap, Crackle, but they don’t play Pop. The thing is, even the members of the band aren’t keen ascribing a “sound” to themselves.  But you can come up with your own assessment … Give a Listen.

Nominated for  “Best Folk Act” at the 2009 Boston Music Awards, Audrey Ryan, perhaps tongue-in-cheek, describes her sound as “baby-making music.”

Among the instruments she’ll have in the Mission Window to create this  — an electric Japanese axe or a vintage Gibson acoustic, a retro 80’s era Casio keyboard, and an accordion.

Go ahead, you can put yourself in the mood in advance of the show.

Also appearing with Audrey is Richard Julian who Entertainment Weekly describes as a New Yorker who “tosses off self-addressed put-downs with the ease of the young Springsteen during his acoustic Jersey-boy period.”

Seth Rogovoy, author of “Bob Dylan: Prophet, Mystic, Poet” and editor of Berkshire Living magazine, will be the first to divulge details.

Spoken word, video, digital photography, as well as recorded music and live music are all a part of Rogovoy’s multi-media presentation that explores the correspondences between the torah of Bob Dylan
and the Torah of Moses, and reveals how from his earliest days as a Greenwich Village folksinger to his most recent albums, Dylan has walked in the footsteps of the ancient Prophets.

Mission Chef, James Burden has prepared quite a tasty menu:

First: Wild Boar Belly served over braised swiss chard with golden raisins & pine nuts served on a bed of roasted tomato salad.

Second: Arugula Salad with roast beets and shaved carrots, crispy fried blue cheese & sherry vinaigrette.

Third: Horseradish crusted beef tenderloin with parsnip gratin & red wine Jus.

Dessert: Mission Fig Compote topped Flan. Served with almond cookie & Ginger Whipped Cream.

Tickets are $35 and advanced reservations are required for this special event.

Questions? Want reservations? E-mail missionbarandtapas(at)gmail.com.

“Bob Dylan: Prophet, Mystic, Poet,” will be available for purchase that evening courtesy of Chapters Bookstore.

You can give a listen to him here.

Come catch him, $5 at the door.

As always, there will wine, many fine beers, and lots and lots of good cheer.

$5 cover.

Jay and Jordan are crashing The Emporium, 431 North Street in Pittsfield, where they will be selling the very latest from the House of Minc.

Ask the Mincettes about screen printing, where they get their design inspiration, and how to get to the North Pole. (Ok, so they will definitely have the answers to two out of three of those questions.)

The sale is on from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. There will be complimentary sweets and treats to help you power through your shopping…just in case you’ve put it off ’til the last minute like we have.

Oh, and many of our neighbors on Upper North will be open late that evening too.

(Berkshire Museum members mention your affiliation and we’ll donate 10 percent of our sales that day to the museum.)

Join us for Dinner and music from Justin Allen.

We’ll have music and a $50 four course meal – seatings at 6:30 PM and 8:30 PM – which includes a glass of our sparkling Cava Brut.

We are also serving our regular menu — until midnight, as usual!!

(Seating is limited, so advanced reservations are strongly suggested. E-mail missionbarandtapas (at) gmail.com for reservations. )

Join us after dinner –  say around 10:30 –  if you are looking for a cool place to hang and to ring in the next decade.

Be sure to join us, there’s no cover for this special Thursday evening debut.

In the meantime, let them make sweet music to your ears.

Latin rhythms, call-and-response hollering, and donkey jawbone rattling will likely have you on your feet when the David Wax Museum makes its debut in The Mission Window.

The quartet brings with it a lively fusion of traditional Mexican and American folk music as well as heart-wrenching harmonies, poignant lyrics, and a rooted Americana sound.

Bring your dancing shoes and $5.

Give a look-see or a listen.

Heather Maloney warms things up for the Museum crew.

On Cozy Razor’s Edge, her latest release, Heather integrates music and awareness, creativity and presence; the intention to dance along the line between sound and silence.
She’ll be in The Window beginning at 8 PM.

Jake Hill starts things off @ 8 p.m. http://www.myspace.com/jakehillsings

$5 cover.

The Marketplace is two full days of locally produced goods, you’re sure to find something for everyone on your shopping list. There are special discounts at HARDWARE all weekend too!

For those unfamiliar “the meatballs,” — officially known as Albondigas — consist of spicy balls of meat served in a peppercorn cream sauce.

As if that weren’t scrumptious enough, we then top the dish with fried onions.

(When I say fried onions I don’t mean the kind that some folks serve from a vacuum-sealed can and place atop green bean casserole. … Don’t ask me how I am privy to this information about certain fried onions. Let’s just say I am and leave it at that, OK?)

Our fried onions are so good patrons have asked we give them their own slot on the menu and at least one has said we should charge a buck an O.

FYI – Craig, we are taking that into consideration.

Now then, when we posted the query seeking your top tapas those of us here at Mission Inc. guessed the answer would be our bacon-wrapped dates. After all, the sweet and savory wonders have been referred to as “sex on a stick.”

Believe me our dates taste even hotter than that phrase sounds. But I digress … Meatballs. We are talking about our spicy meat-a-balls.

I’ll have you know we appreciate that you took the time to share your thoughts. So, we thought it would be nice to share with you too.

Sharing is good. Everyone likes sharing.

Ok, maybe not everyone as I did need to wrassle the recipe away from chef James Burden. Being that I’m not much of a wrassler I surmised catching him off guard was a better bet for scoring the step-by-step instructions for the Albondigas.

Let me set the scene:

I waited until James was engrossed in pan-smoking croutons for our mushroom stew. You see, there is a fine line between smoked and scorched and I knew he wouldn’t be able to abandon his post at the stove.

I tapped his left shoulder. He reflexively responded to the tap, gazing back in that direction. I dodged right. (Uh-huh, I used the classic tap-and-dodge. A bit predictable but it works.) Then I nabbed the nearby recipe book …

Wait, that is a total lie.

James likes sharing, too. He forked the recipe over willingly.

Here it is:

—

Meatballs

5 lbs ground beef

3 lbs ground pork

1 onion finely chopped

1/4 cup chopped garlic

1/2 cup chopped parsley

1 tbsp smoked paprika

1 tbsp cumin

1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs

2 tbsp ground pepper

2 eggs

Combine beef, pork and all seasonings in large bowl

Cover breadcrumb with milk and allow to absorb completely

Add eggs and breadcrumbs/milk to meat

Mix until uniform

Add salt to taste, about 3 tbsp

Form into 3/4 oz balls on sheet pan with wax paper

Bake for 15 minutes

Peppercorn Cream Sauce

1 small beef tenderloin chopped

1 tsp oil

2 tbsp butter

1 1/4 cup white wine

1 cup shallots

3 cups beef stock

1 cup of cream

1 cup Blue cheese

Brown pan and deglaze with butter and 1/4 cup white wine

Add one cup of shallots and a cup of white wine

Reduce and add beef stock

Reduce again slowly and add cream while stirring

Simmer

Put ingredients in food processor and add 1 blue cheese.

Top meatballs with cream sauce and savor the smoke and spice of the dish.

—

Invite cute friends over. Serve our Albondigas. See what happens.Maybe you’ll get so good at making them friends will want to wrassle you for the recipe.

Post on our FB page and fill us in, won’t you?

Get your green on, with Barefoot Truth as the one-time dorm room acoustic duo brings its now five-piece rock band into the Mission Window.

The BFT rocks with the help of a Weissenborn lap guitar, upright bass, lead harmonica and didgeridoo, keyboards, plus a drummer who sings lead vocals for its environmentally themed songs.

BFT is releasing its new EP “Threads” in February. Hear some of their new tracks waaaay before that –

November, 25 at 8 p.m., to be exact. $8 at the door.
And, as a primer, you can give a listen here.

Bella’s like to describe themselves this way: With the subtle rage of a caged beast, cruel Bartok made most with what was least, decided upon two quarter swirls, he haunted the tripping scenster girls, so light in movement, yet heavy at heart, his baven soul would but gleam in dark, by the grotto of Scandanavian name, unto the world, primeval Bartok came. Too Obsure?

Check this out:

The picture atop this blog is the view from my desk at Mission Inc. Go ahead, blink twice; you’re seeing just what it appears to be — an oversized, dirty, sweat sock. It’s a work by local artist Brent Whitney. (More on that in a bit.)

I updated the Facebook community on Monday that I was embarking on a new endeavor as Director of Communications at Mission Inc.
It’s a great feeling to have been wished well and congratulated by so many people. My sincerest thanks!
At the same time, some folks commented with questions:
“What or who is Mission Inc.?”
“Where is it? Is it a catering company?”
“Details!?!”

Having spent the majority of my career asking the questions – first as a newspaper journalist and then a bureau chief for WAMC – a local NPR affiliate – it’s odd answering questions. I’ll also admit up until this point I have balked at the concept of blogging. It seemed to me the equivalent of offering up my diary for the world to read.
By the way, “the world” herein is defined as the handful of people I intend to bribe to follow this blog.
Anyway, I used to keep my diary locked and tucked between my mattress and box spring. (I’ve since relocated it. And no, I’m not telling you to where.)
Given my highly guarded nature, why the heck would I willingly disclose my innermost, deep, meaningful and top-secret thoughts to the masses?
Completely absurd!
And yet here I am, two days on the job, willingly – yup WILLINGLY – blogging.

Those disclosures made, I believe I can commence:

I’m writing from high atop what we like to call The Tower of Minc, formally known as the Greystone Building – 6 Maplewood Avenue, Pittsfield, Massachusetts, Suite 46.
Mission Inc. – Minc – is a working title for four businesses. And in my humble opinion they are really cool business. But the reason I signed on to this gig was the creative team attached to those businesses.

It began just over a year ago with Mission Bar and Tapas. Incidentally, the tapas part of the name occasionally prompts scuttlebutt about a “topless” bar on North Street. Let me dispel that rumor by saying our bar most certainly has a top.

Now then, owner Jim Benson’s hip nightspot – one of just a handful of places in the Berkshires that serves food until midnight – has quickly become home-away-from-home for a number of up-and-coming musicians.

Enter designer extraordinaire Jocelyn “Jay” Hallstein. She created a logo for Mission followed by hand silk-screened t-shirts. And before she knew it she was heading up Minc House Designs.

Next, lemme tell you about Jazu Stine. The former Mission Bar and Topless, er, I mean Tapas chef is hard at work on The Market. The Market is a soon-to-be open corner store that will specialize in high quality food and convenience goods that won’t break the bank.

And then there is the WordXWord Festival, which is Jim’s brainchild and the result of the summer’s hottest roof party. Seriously. It was 90-plus degrees the day the festival opened and we danced and made merry on the top of the Greystone building ushering in a week of events in August devoted to words written, spoken and sung.
The festival is how I first came into the picture, as Jim asked me to program the theater portion.

That’s our story – seriously over-simplified – but it’s merely an introduction.
There are a few more folks on our team. I’m eager to tell you about them and more from here on out.

In the meantime, back to the view from my desk. Let’s talk about that glorious sweat sock, shall we? Sure, it looks stinky, however, this joint — Mission Inc. is anything but.

- Dir Com
a.k.a Carrie Saldo

Jay and Jordan of MincHouse have designed, printed, stitched, and stuffed loads of speciality items for the upcoming Live and Let’s Give charity event, which benefits Charley’s Fund.

The sale will feature top artists selling quality hand-knits, jewelry, ceramics, paintings, photographs, candles, clothing, pillows, throws, furniture, linens, leather, cosmetics and more.

Just in time for the holidays, the boutique-style artisan fair will be an eclectic shopping experience for the community with the added goal of giving back. A portion of the proceeds from the sale, and all of the opening night ticket sales, will be donated to Charley’s Fund.
Charley’s Fund is a non-profit organization located in the Berkshires that supports finding a cure for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

Who: You and all your civic-minded friends!
What: Live and Let’s Give
Where: Lichtenstein Center for the Arts
28 Renne Avenue
Pittsfield, MA
When: Nov. 6 Opening Reception & Boutique-style Sale
Nov. 7-8 Boutique-style Sale
Cost: Friday Night, $25 opening night reception, with specialty cocktails and yummies.
Saturday and Sunday, free
Tickets: Point and Click Here

Brown Bird is a five piece Country, Blues and Eastern European folk influenced Americana group. The group has developed into a miniature orchestra of harmonized voices and instruments carrying founder David Lamb’

s haunting lyrics on surging waves of Appalachian, gypsy, and shanty music. The group hails from Rhode Island and Maine and pulls from the talents of each member to create a diverse folk music that swells into high-spirited, foot-stomping madness.
Be among the first to hear tunes from its upcoming album – “The Devil Dancing.”

South China was born in 2002 as a marriage, musically and literally, of Jeremy and Jerusha Robinson. Their individual backgrounds in experimental rock and classical music produce a sound that feels sparse and improvised, evoking a slightly dark and dream-like state, like trying to recall something that is just beyond the edges of memory. They draw listeners into their intimate world of Maine winters, bittersweet moments, subtle humor, and the bizarre dream imagery.
Listen here

Michael’s music has appeared on numerous radio stations throughout the country as well as on Fox sports. His songs have also taken top prizes in many of the top songwriting contests in the country. Michael is currently writing with some of Nashville’s top songwriters such as Del Gray of Little Texas, Zak Turner (“Watermelon Crawl” –Tracy Byrd), Tommy Sims (“Change the World” –Eric Clapton) and continues to play regularly across the northeast and south, more tour dates will be announced shortly. Michael has had success with all types of listeners, young to old, coast to coast. His music has brought people together to raise money for cancer, during his relay for life tour in 2004, as well as his show in Central Park in New York City for Children with Disabilities in 2005. Michael Joseph is a musician that truly loves music and most importantly loves performing for people. Michael’s song “She Will Never Know” was recently recognized in Billboard Magazines Songwriting Contest as one of the top songs from around the world. “We as musicians have a lot of power to make a change in this world, we perform to thousands of people and our messages combined can lead to great change and great possibility for a better future. Thank you for believing –MJ”

Saturday November 28 8PM

Surprise secret announcement gig- Jocie Adams of The Low Anthem, jumps out of the van, and runs to Pittsfield to play a gig at Mission, before Ben and Jeff notice she’s gone. 8pm, no cover, oath of secrecy required.

They say a good writer writes what he knows. Some people spend years on the road collecting tales and trading licks enough to give their words weight and their music depth, but Luke need not look further than to his own family for inspiration and for all the notes to tell the tales. He is a master of stories because he knows all the good ones like the back of his hand. His palm is his family tree, and his fingers, spread wide as a web, are the means for his storytelling. Nothing gets past this hand. Between pen and paper, nylon or steel strings, it will be written, remembered, repeated. And it will sound better than anything you’ve ever heard.

Check out Luke’s Video for “Free”

Monday November 9, Music Starts 8pm Full Menu Available

Bring your appetites this third thusday down to mission for our second annual slider eating contest! 

Independent singer songwriter Tony Lee Thomas from Berkshire County, MA blending folk, rock, funk, blues, jam and jazz.Tony began guitar at seven years old with acoustic folk under Alice Spatz and was soon learning American Appalachian traditionals, and the music of popular artists from the 60’s including the Beatles, Joni Mitchell, and James Taylor. He took up the double bass at age 12 hauling the sizeable upright to the third floor of the Pittsfield music school for weekly lessons, also with Alice. As an adult, he has spent the last ten years getting his chops together on the electric guitar.

Third Thursday October 15 music starts at 6pm

Mission will be closed on Sundays and Mondays starting September 14. Tuesday through Saturday tapas from 5 till midnight, last call at 12:30! Open Mic will continue on Tuesday nights with host Justin Allen at 8pm.

Original photo uploaded by skyobserver

The Accident That Led Me To The World is an all-acoustic, non-percussive chamber folk trio from Massachusetts. The name was derived from a song that band member Mark Mandeville (guitar, banjo, vocals) wrote called “The Accident That Led Me To The World,” which he then elaborated into the concept of an allegorical narrative involving a boy who sails away to an island to be alone. From this concept sprung an entire album’s worth of songs, and Mandeville incorporated Raianne Richards (guitar, clarinet, vocals) and Zack Ciras (upright bass) to flesh out the material.

The result was the eponymous 2006 debut released on Nobody’s Favorite Records, an angular, concise mixture of bluegrass picking, sea chantey sing-a-longs, and folk singer-songwriting. This release was followed by 2008′s The Island Gospel, more expansive, more focused, and more lyrical than its predecessor, and which also travels a more country-driven direction. The Island Gospel also continues the allegorical narrative concept that was begun on the first album, and both albums feature artwork which illustrates the narrative.

Saturday September 26/8pm

Check out the new Mission t.shirts on sale now at the restaurant! ($15) They are hand-printed and hand-dyed right here in Pittsfield by a small company called minchouse. You can check out their website www.minchouse.com and see other tees there too!

EVERY TUESDAY – NO COVER

2009 Word X Word Festival performer Chris Vecchia hosts Mission’s weekly showing of local musicians and poets. Don’t be shy, come and try out your new material or your new-found talent. Vec invites you to “Rock out with your socks out.” No cover.