Musical happenings in and around the Capital City
Toolbox
Published: November 6, 2009
Ah, stick season, that wonderful time of year when the ground is as bare as the trees, the temperature begins to drop precipitously, and the only excited people around these parts are anxious hunters champing at the bit. Don't let the seasonal affective disorder set in just yet though, folks. Capital Sounds is here to help with all you need to know about traversing the funk via live music. Here's the scoop.
The Granite City is deserving of some love, so, we'll start there with the Celebration Series at the Barre Opera House, which hosts Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Shawn Colvin tonight. A super-accomplished performer who has played worldwide and produced numerous albums over her 19 year career, she is widely hailed as one of the best in her genre. She's also recognized as a warm-hearted storyteller who gets her songs across with a remarkable amount of tenderness and empathy. In an age where "singer-songwriters are as ubiquitous as ever," she really stands out. Tickets are $10-$34 (call (802) 476-8188, or go online to www.barreoperahouse.org) and the show starts at 8 p.m. Rock on, Barre!
And speaking of rockin', there's lots of music of the rock 'n' roll variety going on in the Capital this weekend. Tonight at Charlie O's on Main Street, those rollicking hooligans from Portland, Maine, The Pubcrawlers return to town. They play punk-infused Celtic and seafaring-themed tunes that really get your pint glass swaying, as well as inspiring quite a rowdy time on the dance floor. Fans of The Pogues, Dropkick Murphys, Flogging Molly and the like will not want to miss this one.
Saturday night at O's, the question of "who bought the fun?" is answered when resident fun-bringers Rusty Romance return to the back of the barroom. The local award-winning honky-tonk/rock act, featuring city manager Bill "Rusty" Frazier, will be playing long past their bedtimes, as 'O's generally rolls to around last call. Both shows start at 10 p.m. for no cover.
The rock vibe continues around the corner at Langdon Street Café tonight when local surf, spy and sagebrush impresarios Concrete Rivals return to the corner of Elm and Langdon. Jay Ekis and company play an impressive array of instrumental rock tunes (think James Bond movies, Dick Dale surf rock, TV themes) from the golden age of the '60s and beyond, and do it accurately and with great feel (if you dig rockabilly, you'll love this show too). Get your retro vibe on starting at 9 p.m. For those that can make it earlier, Rivals drummer Ben Roy has his sonic-sampler show for happy hour at 6 p.m. You never know what to expect from the prodigiously eccentric bandmeister, who has a variety of projects to pull material from. So come on down and dig on the smorgasbord!
Saturday night at LSC, Burlington-based Lokum plays Turkish and Armenian-inspired Gypsy fare on traditional instruments for your listening and/or dancing pleasure starting at 7 p.m. Later on, NYC-based improvisational alt-jazz group AS-IS Ensemble take the coffee house stage. These guys have some serious cred, as you generally must to play in the big apple, and I would expect a grooving, musically impressive show kicking off at 10 p.m. No word on any cover charges via the LSC website, but you can call ahead to check at (802) 223-8667.
Back to tonight, The Black Door has only one show of the weekend, and it's quite a rocker as well, though in more of a jazzy sense. Progressive foursome Gravel, featuring local boy Tom Morse on trumpet and flugelhorn, will rip it up on the third floor lounge starting at 9:30 tonight for the usual honor cover.
We aren't done rockin' yet, as Saturday night brings another show to Positive Pie II on State Street when local alt-group Kufui takes the big downtown stage. With music composed by bassist Jesse Gile, the heavy-hitting group appeals to metalheads and progressive fans (among others), and has found a wide range of eager ears in the area. They'll reportedly be joined by Sara Grace and the Suits opening, though that is not listed on the Pie's website. Expect a nominal cover charge at the door for this 10 p.m. show.
And speaking of Sara Grace, she'll be busy this weekend as she's also appearing at a benefit for Montpelier's Summit School of Traditional Culture along with a number of prominent local artists including Sarah Blair, Susannah Blachly and Jeremiah McLane. The show also benefits The Bridge, the Montpelier local bi-weekly. It all takes place in the T.W. Wood Gallery at Vermont College at the top of East State Street from 5 to 9:30 or so Saturday night. For more information, including ticket pricing and exact performance times, visit www.summit-school.org.
Another benefit show, this one with a whopper of a lineup, takes place on Sunday at the Unitarian Church on the corner of Main and School streets in Montpeculiar. The Concert for Gaza, a benefit for resistance and aid starts at 6 p.m. and features Anaïs Mitchell, Atlantic Crossing, The Black Sea Quartet, Inner Fire District, Pariah Beat and a number of others, in an acoustically excellent room. That's a heckuva' great lineup for a seriously notable cause; the $10-$25 sliding scale cover should be more than worth it. For more info, visit www.gazafreedommarch.com, or just show up.
Finally, a mid-week show at Charlie O's features the debut of a promising new talent in the local scene when Kenna Donovan throws down her brand of dance music. I'm not sure what to expect, but I do know the lady is quite a performer and has a pretty sweet voice. If you provide a good crowd, that's usually a trifecta that works out pretty well. Check it out starting at 9:30-ish, Wednesday – for free, of course.
Until next week, don't be S.A.D. – go see live music!
Ed DuFresne is disappointed that the Phillies lost the World Series but understands the Yankees were the better team, in spite of it all … congrats' NY Yankers' fans!
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