What is so Phishy???

I can't stand it! I really can't! Ok, I will start with reposting a little ditty I wrote on my My Space Blog:

Just when I thought I was over you
Just when I thought I would love only moe.
Oh Pagey you have to go and write to me
And I just can't
Go on spending my dough on shows!

Here I am
Thinking of that four piece band
Who broke my heart and tore me from my fun
And made live music my only one
No I can't live without it
But how will I survive with it?

Just when I thought I was over you
Just when I thought I would love only moe.
Oh Pagey you have to go and write to me
And I just can't
Go on spending my dough on shows!

I wrote this in response to reading Page's letter (for those who don't know, he is the keyboardist of Phish - you know, that band that is probably the reason behind my moving to Burlington in the first place). You can read the letter here.

After I read the letter on Thursday I poked over to Phantasy Tour - skipped the moe. page and went straight to the Phish page to my own personal horror. I mean, I am the girl who when getting my Vibe in 2006 (reasoning behind the popular Vermont Vibes Blog) ended my ten year stint of Phish stickers on my car and switched to moe. stickers.

At this point I can't even learn more about comments Mike Gordon (Phish bassist) has made about a possible reunion - which can be seen here. But, I do go and read the JamBands article on Phish's potential return and do agree with a great deal of it - especially the touring Europe part - stay away from me!!

So, the following night is Michael Franti and Spearhead at the Shelburne Museum through my Higher Ground faves. While driving back from town to have some dinner and drinks at the farmhouse with Mitch before the show, and probably the first time in about 24 hours I am not thinking about my love/hate dilemma with Phish, I am forced to listen to the radio as recent car cleaning has left all CDs and the Ipod back at the farmhouse. So, I flip through the stations, always annoyed at the large amount of crap out there, I come across a Phish tune. Of course that figures. So I grumpily listen and slowly turn it up and start groovin'. The song ends and this chick's voice in a whisper says, "93.7 Addison, Something phishy's coming Tuesday at noon." At this point I am like, "what the &%@#?" And then another Phish song comes on. And then the chick. Then another song, and so forth until about a five song rotation concludes and they do it all over again.

I am all sorts of fired up when getting home and tune directly to 93.7 when driving to the show, and sure enough - there's the phishy rotation again. Mitch and I try to forget about Phish for a while and focus on the power of Michael Franti and our backstage passes (thanks HG friends!). And of course while drinking Magic Hats backstage, there is Mike Gordon. Now, if you recall from other posts, or are familiar with the scene around Burlington, Mike Gordon (or MG as I call him) is always out and about and sort of fits into the large circle of friends we bounce around with like your friend's brother's buddy who you say hi to but rarely chat one-on-one (the big one-on-one was when Mitch got to play Honky Tonk with MG last fall). But, of all nights of running into MG, this is the time when Mitch is checking out the portolets and MG and I end up being one-on-one. Of course, I refuse to ask him about Phish, 93.7 or anything else. Not because you shouldn't bother rock stars with such talk but because I am in absolute denial and instead ask about his tour and congratulate him on his recent wedding.

I hide the rest of the weekend gardening, going to the beach, and playing with my cats, and yeah - grumbling about Phish and making Mitch laugh hysterically. Then today, back at work, I poke around for the 93.7 nonsense and see there's already a Phantasy Tour news post as well as a mention on the blog, Hodska on the Web.

I am doomed. My bank account is doomed. My moe. love is doomed. Phish is worse than the worst ex-boyfriend creeping around and wanting to hang out. One that you still actually like that is. I know Phish will be back. I know this because nothing I want comes easily - ever. And as I do not want this, it will happen. And I will scrape and crawl like the rest of them for tickets. Or maybe I can just ask MG.














Prepare yourselves Phish heads. And may the Lizards pray for our souls.

Guagua

In Cuban guagua means a percussion instrument made of bamboo and played with sticks. In Vermont Guagua means psychotropical jazz band. Based out of Burlington, Vermont, Guagua plays a mix of traditional Cuban and Brazilian music with a very layered and courtyard party sound. As they have a residency at Radio Bean every other Tuesday from 6:30 to 8:00 pm, I ave seen them from time to time, but never actually watched and listened, always enjoyed as colorful background music.

Recently I had the opportunity to thoroughly enjoy this multi-instrumented group at Metronome for the Healthy Hippie Magazine Launch Party. What fun! I had a chance to get some good shots of Guagua and want to share them with you today:




Be sure to check out their website at www.guaguavt.com as well as their My Space for some tunes. And tune into Radio Bean or watch for them play somewhere near you!

The Old Lantern

The owners of Roland's Place in New Haven and the publisher and editor of the Charlotte newspaper, Rural Route Today, have teamed up to bring the live music back to The Old Lantern - a historic dance hall which opened in Charlotte in 1964 after being moved from Jericho in 1962. The Old Lantern is also known as having the largest laminated maple dance floor in the State of Vermont. Someplace I should definitely be playing my blow-up guitar at.

The new Live Music Series at The Old Lantern kicks off tomorrow night with Plutonic Fever who will open with a short set... this is a group of Vergennes and Essex high school students. Great chance to support young musicians as they start to embark on music careers.

Ragged Glory follows playing the authentic music of Neil Young and Crazy Horse. This fantastic opportunity for Father's Day entertainment features the talent of father-son team - Ken and Jesse French, with Mick Petrie on bass and Coop Cooper on drums.

Bringing in the night and giving that laminated dance floor a run for its legacy is FunkenBluze. Jammy award winning video producer Johnny Reid (responsible for the footage in the PHISH IT video and nominated this year for "Keep on Marchin,'" North Mississippi Allstars) takes the stage with his boombox voice and a harmonica... which he has wielded since the days when his age was in the single digits! FunkenBluze includes the fabulous Eames Bros (Seth and Ralph), All-state high school phenom drummer Greg Sallerson and the alluring Colleen Mays who can belt it out with the best of them.

The second installment (and one I will be attending in force!) is Saturday, July 19th featuring the Honky Tonk Hoedown I so terribly miss from it's humble weekly home at Radio Bean now that I actually live in Charlotte. Brett Hughes, Gordon Stone, Marie Claire, Lowell Thompson...you know, all the Honky Tonk Faves!

The Old Lantern is located on Greenbush Road in Charlotte and doors open at 6 - tickets can be purchased at the door.

North Star No-No

If ever I heard negative music in my ears it would be the band playing the soundtrack of my life as I exited the North Star Lodge/Inn in Killington, Vermont this past Sunday after encountering the worst case of discrimination I have ever experienced. It was even worse than the time I was followed around JC Penney for potential shoplifting as I was dressed in my hippie patchwork with messy hair. Of course for kicks I went back the next day dressed in a business suit and hair in a bun and was asked if I could be helped four different times.

I could do that because I lived very close to the mall at that time. Killington, however, is a good two hours away from Charlotte - as I learned loud and clear Sunday to the sounds of rudeness, sarcasm, and disrespect. I am not sure what combination of instruments makes those sounds - perhaps an out-of-tune bassoon, piercing trumpet, and an organ stuck up the wrong pipe?

I drove down the the North Star Lodge with gas at $4 a gallon because I "won" a weekend getaway, dinner for two, and a $1000 online shopping spree at the Essex Craft & Fine Art Show a few weeks ago. Of course being called out of all the entrants seemed fishy to me since I never win anything. It made sense when they asked my income, marital status, and age and said I could only redeem my winnings after taking a 90 minute tour of the North Star Lodge in Killington. Ah-ha - a timeshare scam! I knew what it was and was willing to go as having just moved, I am in need of lots of stuff and I figured the hotel would come in handy on moe. tour. I also couldn't imagine a Vermont lodging property would stoop so low to engage in something that horrible.

I was wrong. I fully admit it.
1.) I believed in the good of marketing as I operate on the ethical, fair, and honest side of marketing with my Vermont public relations firm, Rachel Carter PR. Guess it's too much to ask that of others.
2.) I was also running late as I don't usually trek down to Killington and I was courteous and called when I was close to the intersection of 100 and 4 - where the Killington Access Road is to let them know I would be there shortly.
3.) I believe that people are generally nice and that those in customer service after all the horror stories out there are now a bit more trained to not judge a book by its cover and to be polite and courteous. Not at the North Star Lodge in Killington. The staff and service are of the worst kind.

When my sweet drummer lover Mitch and I walked in we were given the once over (it is not my fault we are Vermont rock stars), told we were too late for the tour and rudely asked to leave - that nothing could be done.
They did not care that we drove miles and miles.
They did not care that gas costs $4 a gallon.
They did not care that we are human beings.
I tell you my friends, they did not give a damn!

Had we looked like we just stepped out of a Jersey SUV you can bet your tail feathers we would have got our tour. And, from what I hear, the crappy gimic prizes. The worst part of the whole North Star Lodge experience was how completely nasty they were to us - I honestly can't remember the last time I was spoken to in such a fashion.

So, instead of driving down to Killington, reporting on the North Star Lodge as a potential place to stay to see Vermont music (never mind skiing in the winter), and sharing Killington area music events, I come back disheartened, saddened, and just plain mad that this nonsense still goes on. To the North Star Lodge I say - knock it off you jerks - Vermonters need all the tourism dollars we can get!

And, not to let Killington area music suffer from their neighbor's lack of respect, class, and ability to understand that ex-Phish heads now own their own businesses, I will share two interesting Killington area music events I did find out about - after stopping at some nice country stores on the way home where we were welcomed like the good folk we are.

The 26th Anniversary Killington Music Festival - www.killingtonmusicfestival.org
Presents summer contemporary and classical concerts by the Vermont Festival Players, the Young Artist Concert Series at Rams Head Lodge in Killington and at Trinity Church in Rutland, and the Music in the Mountains Concert Series at Killington Resort's Rams Head Base Lodge. Performances are Saturdays at 7pm, June 28 through August 9.

Killington Wine Festival - July 17, 2008
7th Annual Killington Wine Festival: Sample hundreds of wines from around the world. Events include wine tasting, educational seminars, live music and a gala wine dinner.

Opera in Vermont

Now in it's third magnificent year, the Green Mountain Opera Festival is just days away from it's June 1st curtain rising. And this year the festival features dozens of Vermont musicians, both in the orchestra and the chorus of this year's chosen complete production of La Traviata. If you have never experienced an opera, this is your chance! The lead roles are played by internationally renowned opera singers, the supporting roles by Emerging Artists in the festival's program funded by Sheila Johnson (founder of BET), and the chorus by Vermonters. And, the two productions of La Traviata are performed at the beautifully restored Barre Opera House to a full orchestra with dramatic staging and gorgeous costumes.

Bah pain-in-the-bum if you say you don't like opera but have never seen one. Hearing a song sung in vibrato is NOT like seeing a live opera just like hearing a song on a studio album by Phish is NOT like having gone to a live show.

If you still can't be convinced, have no fear, this is a festival with a whole bunch of events leading up to the final shows. Several are free including open rehearsals and master classes with opera stars. For a complete listing, visit www.greenmountainoperafestival.com. A few of the highlights include:

Opening Opera Concert, Joslyn Round Barn
Stars of the Green Mountain Opera Festival’s 2008 production of La Traviata perform opera classics and favorites.
Friday, June 6th, 7:30 pm ($20 per person)

Broadway Picnic, Lareau Farm Inn
Singers from the 2008 Green Mountain Opera Festival will perform Broadway favorites at this casual festival favorite, open air event.
Wednesday, June 11th, Picnicking – 6:00 pm, Concert – 7:00 pm ($10 per person)

Emerging Artist Showcase, Joslyn Round Barn
Talented budding opera stars of tomorrow, chosen by audition to be included in the Green Mountain Opera Festival’s Emerging Artist Program perform their showcase concert.
Friday, June 13th, 7:30 pm ($20 per person)

Opera Chat & Lunch with Tim Tavcar, Joslyn Round Barn
Thursday, June 19th, 12:00 noon ($25, reservations required)

And, of course...

Opening Night Performance of La Traviata, Barre Opera House
World renowned performers, emerging artists, and Vermont musicians come together for this fully staged and costumed production accompanied by the Green Mountain Opera Festival Orchestra.
Friday, June 20th, 7:30 pm ($27-$45 per person)
Matinee Performance of La Traviata, Barre Opera House
Sunday, June 22nd, 3:00 pm ($27-$45 per person)

Painting by Bill Brauer

Open Studio Weekend in Vermont

Every Memorial Day weekend Vermont holds one if its truly most ingenious events - Vermont Open Studio Weekend. This is a time to visit artisan studios, usually never open to the public and see artisans at work as well as buy directly from the source.

Just as I encourage you all to support your local music scene, supporting your local artisan scene is just as important. It is also a great opportunity to visit some more offbeat places and listen to the music. Many studios will have musicians playing throughout the weekend. Don't just rush in and rush out - listen to the music! Stop for a minute and just enjoy instead of stress and squabble about prices. The music is free.

And instead of racing back to the homestead, check out your surroundings and go see some live music while you are out experiencing Vermont finest!

My top pics for Open House Weekend include a weekend full of fantastic local music at The Bees Knees in Morrisville, a variety at Langdon Street Cafe in Montpelier, three nights of The Benders at Middle Earth Music Hall in Bradford (with dinner!), and a run of groovy shows at The Hub in Johnson.

For a list of locations that have Open Studio Maps so you can plan your route, click here.

Enjoy!

North Branch Bluegrass Festival

Yay!! A new bluegrass event in Vermont! And one that is traditional bluegrass, not just a bunch of kids experimenting with bluegrass sounds. I am not saying I don't appreciate that as well, but there is something about watching more seasoned folks play from tradition in the back of a local farmer's barn that just twangs at your soul and makes you want to dance without your shoes and keep an eye out for moonshine.

Promising "nine hours of quality music," Bridgewater Corner couple, Randy and Heather Kennedy, are holding the First Annual North Branch Bluegrass Festival on Bud Jenne's Fields in Bridgewater Corners. How can you not love how that sounds??? The festival is happening, rain or shine, on Saturday, June 21st. No camping this year, but maybe in years to come, no dogs either which is good because it can be a pain in the arse when everyone brings their dogs. The event is family friendly and workshops will be offered throughout the festival. People are encouraged to bring chairs.

Four bands will be featured, New England Bluegrass and Crossing North are the out-of-staters and Vermont bands Big Spike and Gopher Broke. Big Spike is a five-piece band featuring the twin fiddle sound highlighted with a big double bass. Gopher Broke is a Northeast Kingdom four-piece gem that promoters claim will make your kids want to sign up for music lessons (note: The Mitch is for hire for drum lessons).

Admission is $10 for kids under 12, $18 for 65+, and $19 for the rest of us. More info is on the website at www.nbbluegrass.com and there's a ton of sponsors so make sure you support those who support local events!

photos: Top - Big Spike, Bottom - Gopher Broke