The buzz is real—Homework House’s 10th Annual Adult Spelling Bee is taking flight on Thursday, May 1st, 2025! This ain’t your elementary school spelling test—this is a high-energy, high-stakes showdown where teams of three will battle it out letter by letter for the coveted title of Spelling Bee Champions! Will your team be the last one bee-standing? We're thrilled to announce that this year's hive is none other than De La Luz Soundstage (formerly Gateway City Arts)—a bee-autiful venue to host our most exciting spelling showdown yet! Mark your calendars & visit homeworkhouseholyoke.org/Spelling-Bee for more info! Think you’ve got what it takes to spell your way to victory?  We’ll see you at the hive!

MOURNING BLKSTAR is a multi-generational, non-gender and non-genre confirming collective from Cleveland, Ohio. They meld live instrumentation with harmonizing vocals and hip-hop production to share stories and experiences of the African Diaspora. Their sets are rooted in communing with the audience — an experience that is solidarizing, heart-warming, and vital for this moment. The group’s seven members include musicians, writers, and multimedia artists. Their intricate arrangements, rooted in jazz, blues, soul, r&b, and hip-hop, are an afrofuturist examination of our cultural paradoxes that at times challenge; at times uplift — and constantly moor themselves in both sincerity and defiance. shapeshifters of the black experience “Because we’re predominantly a Black band, we get pigeonholed into certain spaces,” says singer LaToya Kent. “People […]

Join us for the first-ever Holyoke Paper Festival on Saturday, June 7th, 2025, at the De La Luz Soundstage, 114 Race St, Holyoke, MA. Celebrate Holyoke’s rich history as “The Paper City” with a dynamic day of fine art exhibitions, interactive workshops, guest speakers, historical tours, and more. Discover how contemporary artists are honoring and innovating the craft of papermaking while connecting with the community. Free and open to all! Find more information at www.holyokepaperfestival.com

Join us for a spicy evening of Creole cuisine, Cajun waltzes and high-energy, foot-stomping rhythms with Two-Time GRAMMY Award Winner, Buckwheat Zydeco Jr. Born on June 21, 1970, in Lafayette, Louisiana, Buckwheat Zydeco Jr. was immersed in zydeco and Creole music from a young age, being the son of zydeco legend Stanley “Buckwheat” Dural, Sr. He grew up just doors away from iconic zydeco figure Clifton Chenier, absorbing the region’s vibrant musical traditions. At 17, Buckwheat Jr. began his musical journey by joining his father’s band, initially playing the rubboard. Over time, he became a skilled multi-instrumentalist, mastering the accordion, Hammond B-3 organ, and more, ultimately stepping into the role of frontman for the Ils Sont Partis Band, a group founded […]

Acclaimed guitarist and composer Mary Halvorson brings her groundbreaking Amaryllis project to De la Luz Soundstage for what promises to be an unforgettable evening of avant-garde jazz and chamber music fusion. Halvorson’s exceptional sextet features an all-star lineup of Adam O’Farrill on trumpet, Jacob Garchik on trombone, Patricia Brennan on vibraphone, Nick Dunston on bass, and Tomas Fujiwara on drums. Together, they’ll perform compositions from her newly released album, showcasing Halvorson’s unique approach to composition that seamlessly blends structured arrangements with moments of thrilling improvisation. The guitarist and composer has been described as “a singular talent” (Lloyd Sachs, JazzTimes), ”NYC’s least-predictable improviser” (Howard Mandel, City Arts), “one of the most original jazz guitarists of our time” (Peter Margasak, Bandcamp Daily), […]