Photo Courtesy of Watcher

The evolution of Easthampton into an ever more art-friendly place has been missing one of its most important progenitors for quite a while now: the Flywheel Arts Collective, a group which began in 1998 and opened the doors to its performance space in early 1999.

Its cramped but cool headquarters on Route 141 saw hundreds of concerts of an exceptionally unfettered variety, and also hosted art exhibitions and multimedia events. It was rather a DIY hipster paradise.

In March of 2007, the Flywheel shut those doors to migrate to a new location in the old Easthampton Town Hall. The move, thanks to the need for lots of cash to enable renovation and deal with building codes and other issues, stalled out Flywheel.

The collective has continued to put on occasional shows in other locations and host fundraising events, but the road to a new Flywheel venue has proven arduous. It's hard to know just how close the group is to inhabiting its new space for real, but it's clear that the dedicated crew is struggling ahead and hopes to make that happen sooner rather than later. Easthampton will no doubt benefit from the infusion of fresh energy the Flywheel will bring.

This week, you can contribute to the worthy effort to put the Flywheel back in business when Watcher, Dave Houghton of Fancy Trash, and Jeremy Boyle take the stage at the Apollo Grill. All proceeds from the show, they report, will go directly to the Flywheel building upgrade effort. The event will also feature a silent auction of vintage Flywheel concert posters.

The event happens Friday, Aug. 7 at 10 p.m. at the Apollo Grill (in the Eastworks building) in Easthampton. Admission is $10 in advance and $12 at the door.