Hi all!

First the headline news: Flywheel gathered for a virtual meeting last week, and officially opened up discussions on the possibility of starting to book live shows again!

What?! Where?! When?! Why?! How?!! You probably already know the answers to some of those questions. To the others, all we can say for now is:

• maybe on a lawn, or in a church;
• perhaps in August, earlier, or later;
• and, the same way we do everything, as a volunteer-powered collective supporting local, independent art and self-expression.

Speaking of collectives, we were originally planning to try to get this sucker out in mid-April, but SOMEONE (typing this right now) was all like, “What’s the rush? We’re really just beta-testing this whole thing, right? Plus, wouldn’t it be cool to put it out on May Day, like the revolutionary anarchist, pagan, Wobblie badasses we are adjacent to?”

Anyway, you all know how it is once you get in the rhythm of procrastinating on something. Before you know it, it’s July 4; good old U.S. of A. day.

Back when we were hoping to publish May 1, the next paragraph in this intro spiel said. “What better way to celebrate May Day than by blowing an arbitrary, self-imposed deadline? … When something is stressing you out, it’s important to check in with yourself about WEBER* it’s really that important. ‘Slackers’ was directed by LinkLATER, not LinkEARLIER, amiright?”

This time around, I’ll say this: what better day to get off the couch and recommit your energy to collectively organizing to support grassroots, community-based, independent art than Your Weird Uncle Sam Day? Let’s do this!

Before we get to the Issue 2 rundown, one more somber/happy news item:

Since Issue 1, longtime collective member James Walsh has moved to the midwest for some stupid job or something. BOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!! They have been a wellspring of positive energy over the past 6 years, during which time they probably booked your favorite Flywheel show. James’ tireless effort and steadfast commitment have been instrumental (ha!) in enabling us to manage the tricky navigation and heavy lifting of the past year. Thank you so much James! Have fun storming the midwest!

Ok, here’s the cool stuff in Flypaper #2:

Do they make them like Harvey Sid Fisher anymore? Read longtime local scene chronicler Ken Mauri’s review (originally published in the Daily Hampshire Gazette) of Fisher’s Y2K Flywheel performance of his lounge-act astrology song-cycle. Listen to Fisher’s classic, “Aries.” See pics from the old Cottage Street space. Be transported. “The show was good, it was bad, it was bizarre. Truly a night to remember.”

We are going big on the visual arts this time around. Jeff has an in-depth feature interview with Northampton-based artist Nayana LaFond. It’s primarily about her series of paintings of Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women & Girls, but also touches on her experience of leukemia treatment and the art she has created related to that, as well as other cool stuff that is not directly related to existential struggle and the darkest experiences being human has to offer…I know this intro has a light tone overall, but I am being 100% sincere here: Jeff’s interview does a great job reflecting some of the intensity of Lafond’s work and life-experience, and also presents a very cool sounding person.

I put up some words to try to help broadcast the unveiling of the eye-feast of a public art installation project that is El Corazón de Holyoke. Check out the art, even if the article is overwritten for your tastes, ok?

Stalwart Charlotte once again piloted our returning feature featuring cool stuff, recs from the collec(tive), wherein we briefly describe cool stuff we are interested in/excited about, because it is cool.

Charlotte also demonstrates even more stalwartness by compiling a whole other column, SHAMELESS: a safer space for self-promotion. This one is a place to talk up your new single, promote your art opening, or announce auditions for a timpani player for your prog rock project, that kind of thing. Thanks Charlotte!

Ok! Enjoy! Let’s do this again soon!

*Like Max Weber, the guy who wrote Protestant Work Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism…like because if you say his name out loud, it sounds a little like “whether.”