Bill Wright and Joe Wilk of Wright and Wilk Studio, assisted by budding photog Christina Biedermann, have been documenting the festival from the jump.

Click on the dates below to see that day’s festival line-up and the description to check out their incredible work:

8/21 Rooftop Party

8-22 Colonial Opening Show

8-23 Downtown Day One

8-24 Downtown Day Two

8-25 Downtown Day Three

8-26 Downtown Day Four

8-27 Downtown Day Five — COMING SOON

8-28 Colonial Theatre Closing Show — COMING SOON

Watch a live stream of the event by clicking below on “read the rest of this entry.” And keep checking back for more “LIVE STREAMS” from Word x Word 2010!

Live Streaming by Ustream.TV
Over the course of the week we will try and broadcast as much as we can online.

All-inclusive Festival Passes**, $100, and single event tickets, $5 – $35, are available at Mission Bar + Tapas, 438 North Street, Pittsfield, MA or e-mail your request – wordxwordfestival (at) gmail.com

Tickets to the closing show at the Colonial Theatre may also be purchased from its box office – 413-997-4444 – or by clicking on the link below.

Closing Show – Aug. 28, $25-$35

(Free events do not require tickets and are seated first-come first-served.)

Check out the schedule for prices to specific events.

“The power of the words and the surreal sight of slam poets performing in a barber shop in downtown Pittsfield — unimaginable even three years ago — swirled together to create a brilliant moment in the swelling local nightlife,” – Scott Stafford, Berkshire Eagle

Read the rest of Scott’s story here.
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“It’s rare to see these sorts of performances in the Berkshires,”  – Seth Rogovoy, Berkshire Living Magazine.

Read Seth’s Blog Post here.

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“Supporting ventures like this helps ensure that Pittsfield and the Berkshires continues on this extraordinary upswing. Be a part of it. Jim Benson, Carrie Saldo and the crew from Mission/The Market have dumped a guaranteed good time in your lap. Don’t muck it up.” – Paul Boulais,  Berkshire Eagle.

Read Paul’s column here.

For more press coverage click below on “read the rest of this entry.”

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Festival Founder Jim Benson’s “got a record of booking a tasteful range of literate, artistically accomplished acts …,” says Jeremy Goodwin of the Berkshire Eagle. “Based on this history and the opening night show, it’s worth checking out the Word X Word schedule and attending something with both an open mind and a dose of eager anticipation.”

Read Jeremy’s review here.

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“That the Word X Word festival organizers sold out their opening night dance party with a diverse group of creative types was proof that Pittsfield’s cultural renaissance is now in high gear.” – Dan Shaw, Rural Intelligence.

Read Dan’s coverage here.

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Christine “Ohlman’s slow take on ["A Piece of My Heart"] emphasized the song’s sultry, melodic beauty and the poigancy of the lyrics much more than Joplin’s overwrought rendition,” – Seth Rogovoy, Berkshire Living Magazine.

Read Seth’s coverage here.

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WAMC Northeast Public Radio’s David Guistina chatted with Jim Benson, WxW Founder and Director, and Carrie Saldo, Communications Director and performer.

Listen to the segment here.

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“Pittsfield’s Word X Word Festival: Not for hipsters only,” says Dan Shaw of Rural Intelligence.

Read the coverage in RI here.

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“Coming soon to this Berkshires city: A nine-day antidote to the texting, verbing, and jargoning that threaten to reduce our language to a series of ungainly and perfunctory twitters,” - David Filipov, The Boston Globe.

Check out David’s entire story here.

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Word x Word was previewed by Albany Times Union Arts and Entertainment Editor Michael Janairo.

Give that a read here.

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“One of the most innovative events Pittsfield has ever seen.” – Paul Boulais, Berkshire Eagle’s Serial Socializer.

Read Paul’s entire piece here.

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“It’s gonna rock,” Jim Benson, Word x Word founder/director, as quoted in Berkshire Business News.

Read the full article here.

The final night of Word x Word features one man tours de mots Rives as he unleashes “what he would do if…”  followed by one of the most acclaimed bands working in the U.S. right now, Langhorne Slim.  Special appearance by John Colvert,  Chris O’Brien and friends from the The New England Americana Festival.

One stage, one night.

Buy Tickets to the Show – $25 & $35,  Showtime 8 PM

Check out the artists:

Rives, on Def Jam Poetry

Langhorne Slim, Sings “Worries”

Chris O’Brien, Driftwood Folk Cafe

PLEASE NOTE: The time for the poetry slam has changed. It will start at 6 P.M.

Don’t miss the verbal sparring during the festival’s first annual poetry slam at Shawn’s Barber Shop. Aug. 28 marks the finals for the event. Only one will walk away the winner of Word x Word 2010′s slam.

Participants are encouraged to sign-up for the event in advance, slots are limited. The preliminaries are being held Aug. 27.

Think you have what it takes? E-mail us, wordxwordfestival (at) gmail.com.

Be a participant or a spectator… just don’t miss it.

Performance artist Douglass Truth, brings Death as a Salesman to Word X Word. It in Truth, playing his twin sister Dorothy, explores how a middle-aged lady helped Death become the world’s greatest salesman…Sort of.

Spoken word poet Matt McFadden, host of the Micro Theater’s “OutSpoken” series, and Brooklyn-based, The Nasty Midnighters open.

Check out the artists:

Sarah Kay, Def Poetry

Matt McFadden, Spoken Word at the Micro Theater

Douglass Truth, Death as a Salesman Trailer

Jason Spooner and his trio take to The Window.  No cover.

“His songs belie a sharp-tooled craftsmanship on the writing side, yet wash over the listener with fluid finesse,” – Wood & Steel Magazine.

Check out the artist:

Jason Spooner Trio, Live

PLEASE NOTE: The time for the poetry slam has changed. It will begin at 6 P.M.

There’s a ton of spectacular talent in the region and the festival’s first annual poetry slam at Shawn’s Barber Shop is an opportunity for them to match words … Aug. 28, at the Poetry Slam Finals, one will walk away the winner of Word x Word 2010′s slam.

Participants are encouraged to sign-up for the event in advance, slots are limited. Think you have what it takes? E-mail us, wordxwordfestival (at) gmail.com.

Be a participant or a spectator… just don’t miss it.