Musical happenings in and around the Capital City
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Toolbox
Published: July 30, 2010
Word has it that the InVite section may be moving to Thursday soon. Besides the fact that I’ll have an earlier deadline, this would be good for you, too, dear reader, as you’ll have an extra day’s notice to plan your weekend.
Charlie O’s on Main Street in Montpelier once again has a great lineup of music this weekend. Tonight, straight outta Brooklyn, comes accomplished DJ, producer, rapper and beat-boxer Rabbi Darkside. He’ll be rockin’ the wheels of steel in the back of the barroom starting at 10 p.m. The dude has been blowin’ up lately, with his conscious flow appearing on various television shows and on MTV’s “Made.” This should be a real treat of a show with this seasoned veteran performer, so get ready to get your dance on (and watch out for those pool cues!).
On Saturday night, the powerhouse acoustic foursome known as Hot Flannel returns to our favorite dive for nice people. Featuring some of central Vermont’s hottest acoustic players in guitarist Doug Perkins and fiddler Patrick Ross, these guys flat-out smoke. Enjoy material ranging from traditional bluegrass to forays into jazz, funk and world fusion beginning at 10 p.m. Rockin’!
Around the corner at Langdon Street Café, Happy Arrgghh! continues tonight with the final installment of pirate drinking song purveyors The Shanty Rats. Captain Robert Morgan and company will entertain you with salty sing-alongs complete with lyric sheets starting at 6 p.m. Later on at 9:30, Burlington’s Osage Orange returns to LSC with their fiddle and accordion-driven blend of indie folk/rock. The Orange is a newish band, but they seem to improve with each show they do, and are worth checking out each time to enjoy their increasingly polished product.
On Saturday night, local Jessie Gile opens the show with a solo bass set. He’ll be followed by New Hampshire-based act NSI, who play what has been described as “sophisticated spooky grooves.” I checked out their MySpace and indeed their stuff is unique, with a singer who ranges from ’50s style do-wop sounds to a Tom Waits-esque growl, and arrangements that sound like a cross between Mr. Waits’ stuff and more modern indie-ish grooves. This looks to be a real treat of a show starting at 9:30 p.m. Finally, at 11, DJ Two-Tone brings danceable beats, once again from that bastion of all things hip, Brooklyn. Get down! No covers are listed on the website, which usually means all shows are for donations.
The Black Door’s website has not been updated at press time, but I do happen to know that Saturday night brings a great act back to the Door when Miss Tess and the Bon Ton Parade return to the swanky yet rustic third floor lounge. This band plays speakeasy era jazz consummately, and with the silky smooth, honey sweet voice of Miss Tess leading the way, you can’t go wrong with this group. Take a step back in time starting at 9:30 p.m. for the usual honor cover.
Still haven’t gotten enough dancing? Well, the last Friday of every month, Positive Pie II on State Street in the capital hosts a dance party with DJ Haitian and the 2K Deep Crew. Expect hip hop and other styles to be spinning for your dancing pleasure starting at 10:30 p.m. for a $3 cover. Oh, and the events are 21+ – sorry kids!
There’s good stuff going on outside of town this weekend as well. Down in the valley of the Mad River, in Waitsfield to be exact, the Big Picture Theater off Route 100 has a great one going down tonight when American blues roots duo Bill Simms Jr. and Mark Lavoie play a very special show. These guys sound like the real deal, playing an authentic version of American country blues a la Olu Dara. If you’re looking for a real, authentic blues show, this is the one for you starting at 7 p.m. for $18. For $30, you can add a three-course barbecue dinner to your evening. Yum!
On Sunday, The Big Pic is rolling with music once again when Indra, “an accomplished, adventurous jazz trio from Arhus, Denmark,” is joined by fiddler Rani Arbo of Daisy Mayhem fame. Expect “sparsely-arranged songs from American jazz standards, to American folk songs and Mexican boleros, to newly composed pieces” starting at 7 p.m. for a $10 suggested cover. Kudos to the Big Picture for hosting some great live music this weekend! Until next week, when I will be rolling at The Chilly Ranch for the N.E.K. Music Festival (and you be too!) – go see live music. Peace!
Ed DuFresne is the former talent coordinator at Langdon Street Café, occasionally produces concerts, and books at various venues in the area on a freelance basis. He lives in Montpelier with owners of a local vintage clothing franchise and an annoying bird named Lucy.
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