Eric R. Danton

Eric R. Danton

@erdanton.bsky.social

Writer of Freak Scene, about music in #WesternMass and CT. Bylines in the Boston Globe, Wall Street Journal, Rolling Stone, Paste and more. IWWFJU. Ex-Hartford Courant. Knows it's only rock 'n' roll, but likes it. https://buttondown.email/freakscene

1.6K followers265 following3.6K posts

Eric R. Danton
@erdanton.bsky.social

Nephew, 22, who makes music got connected with another college-age guy who wants to "manage" him, by which he means "do social media." "That's what managing is these days anyway," nephew said ...

Eric R. Danton
@erdanton.bsky.social

New in Freak Scene, Rick Murnane is back with his first new music in five years, CT's Made Up Saints take inspiration from a new-age classic and the surviving Scud Mountain Boys will play in honor of Bruce K. Tull: buttondown.com/freakscene/a...

buttondown.com#141: Rick Murnane Is Right at Home on 'Over the Water'This week in Freak Scene, we hear the latest from Valley veteran Rick Murnane, while a single from Connecticut’s Made up Saints takes inspiration from a new-...
Eric R. Danton
@erdanton.bsky.social

Union busting is a bad look for Smith College as it closes its daycare. Providing “new childcare benefits” sounds like a generous alternative except that other daycares have crazy waiting lists. Good luck attracting faculty with young families gazettenet.com/2026/10/20/s...

gazettenet.comSmith College to close Fort Hill childcare center, leaving families reeling - Daily Hampshire GazetteSmith College announced that it would soon be closing its Center for Early Childhood Education at Fort Hill, one of the region's few remaining low-cost child and infant centers, sparking anger and dis...
Eric R. Danton
@erdanton.bsky.social

Why are these stories not bigger than they are?

ProPublica@propublica.org

We’re back with our second story about how Trump’s purge of the FBI killed a sweeping bribery probe in D.C. This time, we take you to South Carolina, where two powerful politicians escaped scrutiny: Sen. Lindsey Graham and Rep. James Clyburn. THREAD 👇

Eric R. Danton reposted

Jonathan Gerhardson
@jongerhardson.bsky.social

In case you missed it, my latest reporting got into a bunch of emails Hampden County Sheriff's Office sent me in response to a public records request. I'm grateful to @theshoestring.bsky.social for sticking with this after Cocchi's office asked that the name of their police captain not be printed.

The Shoestring@theshoestring.bsky.social

Emails @jongerhardson.bsky.social obtained show that for more than two years, Sheriff Nick Cocchi’s office routinely sent ICE agents the personal information of people held in its custody. It has discontinued the practice after the PROTECT Act took effect, but it's continuing a partnership with HSI:

theshoestring.orgRecords: Hampden sheriff’s office regularly shared data with ICEAn attorney for the department said it has discontinued the practice after the PROTECT Act took effect last month, but that it will continue its partnership with Homeland Security Investigations.

Eric R. Danton reposted

Jonathan Bernstein
@jonbern.bsky.social

Great review from @erdanton.bsky.social, and one that couldn't have been easy or fun to write. Something about this posthumous T.S. release has just felt off. www.pastemagazine.com/music/todd-s...

pastemagazine.comReview: Todd Snider’s first posthumous album feels unfinishedPaste Magazine is your source for the best music, movies, TV, comedy, videogames, books, comics, craft beer, politics and more. Discover your favorite albums and films.

Eric R. Danton reposted

Eric R. Danton
@erdanton.bsky.social

J.H. Walsh was born on this day in 1869. One of the most effective organizers in the early Industrial Workers of the World, Walsh played a huge role in creating the Little Red Songbook. Far less known than Joe Hill or Big Bill Haywood, Walsh was no less colorful. (That's him with the bass drum.)

Eric R. Danton
@erdanton.bsky.social

J.H. Walsh was born on this day in 1869. One of the most effective organizers in the early Industrial Workers of the World, Walsh played a huge role in creating the Little Red Songbook. Far less known than Joe Hill or Big Bill Haywood, Walsh was no less colorful. (That's him with the bass drum.)

Eric R. Danton
@erdanton.bsky.social

Before (and after) the IWW, he was a newspaper editor. He also ran traveling shows based in Nebraska, learned hypnotism and eloped with his first cousin. He was later president of the Old Age Pensioners movement in CA, a precursor to Social Security. Total hero. The IWW booted him out in 1910.

Eric R. Danton
@erdanton.bsky.social

Unclear exactly why, but another Wobbly organizer, Joseph Ettor, had some unspecified beef with him that must have originated when both worked on the West Coast. Ettor is well remembered now; Walsh is not (even Wikipedia calls him James, not John). But he should be, especially on his birthday. /fin

Eric R. Danton
@erdanton.bsky.social

Snagged a copy of Underworld by Don DeLillo from a neighbor's little free library and was struck by how many pages there were of blurbs from reviews. Every worthwhile mid-sized newspaper used to have a book critic, and now?

Eric R. Danton
@erdanton.bsky.social

Had an assignment to review Ed Sheeran tonight at Gillette Stadium. Guessing the decision to cancel wasn't a particularly tough one, given the context, but am OK not having to drive home in the torrential rain that's predicted

Eric R. Danton
@erdanton.bsky.social

Also, there's a link to a fundraiser for Norma Jean Haynes, aka Norma Dream, who recently woke up from a coma after sustaining brain injuries in a car crash in June

Eric R. Danton
@erdanton.bsky.social

While I feel for the people stranded at a hotel in Reykjavik without luggage after their flight got diverted, who packs their toiletries — like toothpaste and a toothbrush — in their checked bags? This is a subskeet

Eric R. Danton
@erdanton.bsky.social

This just keeps going and going

Caroleeena@caroleeena.bsky.social

🧵Lauren Boebert had sex with three of her staffers. Two of them were women. Her sex partners were Clarisse Navarro, Jeffrey Small and Raven Finnegan. Navarro's husband Jace Ratzlaff: "I assumed this would eventually surface. I’ll have no further comment on this topic.”