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Date: 7/27/2022
EASTHAMPTON – Sunset Mission, an eight-piece progressive rock band that hails from New England, is set to perform in the Blue Room at Old Town Hall on Aug. 7 at 7:30 p.m.
The performance is being conducted as part of CitySpace’s Pay It Forward campaign, a new initiative that provides complimentary venue access to CitySpace’s Blue Room at Old Town Hall. The Blue Room is a performance and incubator space and offers a place for Western Massachusetts artists from all over to “incubate, create, presen and perform,” according to a relase from CityStage.
“It’s an introductory program that is applied to the Blue Room space that we restored in 2020 and opened in the beginning of 2022,” said Burns Maxey, the president of CitySpace, the nonprofit that takes care of the Old Town Hall. “We realized that we have this space available, and we could really give [artists] an opportunity to test out new ideas, take some time to really process their work and then connect with the public for a public performance.”
CitySpace asked for applications from artists specifically living in the region who were interested in finding a space to create and perform, and they were able to put together a lineup for Pay it Forward through the many applications they received.
“It’s been a great program because it’s not just an opportunity for artists to connect and experiment, but it’s also a chance for them to connect with other community members and artists who are in the Pay it Forward program,” said Maxey.
As a result, the artists involved in the program have been able to collaborate on each other’s work.
“They’ve actually done things like respond to each other’s work through writing, through photography, through documentation,” Maxey added. “It’s almost become an ecosystem. It’s been fun to work with the artists and getting to know what will help them to take their work to the next level.”
Maxey emphasized, however, that the Blue Room is not a traditional performance venue, but rather a place where artists and community members can hone their skills and work on their craft. “The Blue Room is an opportunity for entertainment, but the way that we see it is it’s a booking venue,” said Maxey. “Artists and community members can book the space at affordable rates, and we also offer programming in the space.”
Sunset Mission
Sunset Mission is the fourth of a series of artists to take part in the Pay It Forward pilot program.
The band incorporates a modern blend of progressive, funk, metal, folk, as well as some classical and electronic music. The band originally included Dana Goodwin, Jan Schwartz, Jessica Gray, and Cam Roux, formed out of the remains of the local Boston band Conundrum Nine in 2016 and released their debut full-length album, “Journey to Lunar Castellum,” in December 2019.
Because their sound required more instruments for a live performance, the original Conundrum Nine expanded their live lineup which now includes Goodwin on drums, keyboard and vocals; Schwartz on guitar, Colin Stevens on guitar, Jesse Mattison also on keybaord, Kim Chin-Gibbons on guitar and vocals, Douglas Appleman on keyboard and vocals, Lilah Asbornsen on vocals, and Nate Porter on bass.
Chin-Gibbons, who joined the band a couple of years ago, told Reminder Publishing that COVID-19 halted promotional and touring efforts, so the band instead just continued recording through 2021 and released a couple of songs including the 16-minute track, “Eternal Flight.”
“I was kind of feeling out of luck in the grant world, but then I happened upon an Instagram post about Pay It Forward,” said Chin-Gibbons, when talking about the pilot program. “I was like, ‘This is exactly what we are looking for.’ I’m just so grateful to have this opportunity.’”
The upcoming Aug. 7 performance is extra special for Sunset Mission since they have only been able to perform once so far as a full live band back in January. Following a three-day practice intensive at CitySpace, the band will share their journey with complex counterparts, five singers, and up to three keyboards and guitars playing simultaneously. Afterwards, the band will share more about themselves and their music in a talkback session,
With the music taking months to learn due to the sheer intricacy of it all, Chin-Gibbons – who is also a photographer from Western Massachusetts – said the coronavirus pandemic was a difficult time, but the band is excited to get back on the road for a tour after CitySpace.
“The goal is to tour and really explore this super niche genre of progressive music,” said Chin-Gibbons, regarding the future. “We know that there is a market out there, so the goal is just to tour and share the music.”
People can buy tickets for the show on the CitySpace website, https://www.cityspaceeasthampton.org/. People can also learn more about the Pay It Forward lineup on there, as well. Doors open at 7 p.m. on Aug. 7 for Sunset Mission.