Blues Artist Eli Cook Appears at 42 Maple in Bethlehem: 11.19.16 @ 7pm

Eli Cook from Virginia

 “AMONG THE TOP 3 SOLO BLUES ARTISTS WORLDWIDE" - Blues Matters Magazine

"The best blues singer of his generation..." - All Music Guide

Eli Cook’s blues expresses raw honesty in a unique blend of contemporary and old-school styles, creating an original sound.

WHO: Eli Cook
WHAT: solo performance
WHEN: Saturday, November 19, 2016 from 7-10pm
WHERE: 42 Maple Street, Bethlehem, New Hampshire 03574
HOW: tix $30

Open Mic at Phoenix Books in Burlington

For the second time in as many years I crossed the state for the opportunity to share some of my poetry with Burlington appreciators—and my fellow Poetry Society of Vermont (PSOV) members—at an open mic held at Phoenix Books on Saturday, April 23.

The energy, size of the crowd, and number of poets rhyming (like Sam Hewitt, Geoff's nephew) were all good last year, so I thought I'd give it another try.

In the first round, I read from my recent poems (all searchable at this blog):

• "That Green Roof" life (4.17.16)
• "Life's a Country Song" life (3.11.16)
• "Impossible Dreams" life (3.11.16)
• "A Little Elf" life (3.11.16)
• "Fasten Your Belt" love (2.5.16)
• "You Beat Beatrice and Laura" love (2.1.16)
• "Greatest Unsolved Mystery" love (1.23.16)

For the second round, I read:

• "It Goes On" life (9.30.14)
• "This Third Thing" love (2004)
• "Did You Know" love (2003)

The first poem in the second round I read: 1) because we had a poetess with the last name Frost reciting with us; 2) I'd forgotten to read it at the Northeast Storytellers Robert Frost memorial event the week before; and, 3) I'd submitted the poem to PSOV's The Mountain Troubadour last year (without luck). 

The last two I read as examples of my sentence poems.

Amazing Open Mic Experience: 19th Annual Bear Pond Books

Reciting poetry at an open mic can be an amazing experience. Or it can be one of intense agony waiting for the crickets to quiet down, pursed-lipped audience members to depart, and the wound-licking post-catastrophe nobody-liked-my-stuff period to begin.

Thankfully, reading recent poems this past Tuesday at the 19th annual Bear Pond Books open mic—part of the 2016 PoemCity Montpelier—was of the amazing variety. The crowd was fun, ready to laugh, and full of "atta boys" afterwards.

Just my kind of event, indeed.

I read a set of newer stuff (all searchable at this blog), from last Fall up to this April—oldest to newest. Poem titles were:

• "As You Are Now" love (9.12.15)
• "My Ardent Plea" life (10.15.15)
• "Like a Flame" love (11.1.15)
• "Nothing Much" life (11.12.15)
• "Cookies" lifestyle (11.12.15)
• "When Your Dreams All Scatter" life (11.12.15)
• "Love So Baffling" love (11.14.15)
• "In the Way" love (12.19.15)
• "Listen to the Babbling Brook" life (1.17.16)
• "For All Eternity" life (1.21.16)
• "Harvest Fire Ants" love (1.22.16)
• "That Green Roof" life (4.17.16)

Any aspersions I might have cast on the town of Glover, Vermont, career possibilities one might find there—or any possible future Puerto Rican lover—were completely unintended.

I spent much of the night gazing upward—toward the pink-painted roof with the shiny metal heating ducts—admiring the green dragon hanging down. Apparently it's flown there for many years, and may have come from a Montpelier store (Planet Something?) that's now closed. 

Geof Hewitt Poetry Slam | Kingdom Taproom | April 21, 2016

 St. Johnsbury, Vermont – Geof Hewitt will host a Poetry Slam as part of the PoemTown St. Johnsbury celebration on Thursday April 21 at 7:00 PM. at the Kingdom Taproom. For further information, please contact the Athenaeum at 802-748-8291 or the Catamount Arts blog.

A slam is a fun, often raucous poetry competition in which poets perform original work alone or in teams before an audience and judges. It began in 1986 at a reading series in a Chicago jazz club. Judging is not on content or style of the poem alone, but more for the manner and enthusiasm of the performance.

As Hewitt, a master of the game, reminds us: "the point is not the points, the point is the poetry.”

Since 2004 Hewitt has held the title of Vermont’s poetry-slam champion. He has competed in and hosted several events and has written Hewitt's Guide to Slam Poetry and Poetry Slam with DVD to inspire others to host and participate in this poetry venue. He visits schools and libraries throughout New England to conduct workshops for all ages above 7, sometimes just writing workshops, sometimes connected to or involving a slam.

Those who wish to compete on April 21 should bring two original poems to perform (they need not be memorized, but it often helps the performance if they are). Judges will be selected from among the audience members.

They Got Religion?

Never miss a chance to catch Walker's Run with Danny Knicely on mandolin and Will Lee on banjo. These two were founding members of the Telluride-winning phenom known as Magraw Gap — along with Larry Keel and John Flower — and each is a legend in his own right.

Hitting the big time . .

If these legends — plus Walker's Run founder Brennan Gilmore on guitar and original member Zach Blatter on bass (not to mention Nate Leaf on fiddle) — could possibly be outclassed by the venue itself, The Hamilton certainly made a bid.

Brennan Gilmore

What a place. Beautiful, formal, fun. Like something out of Vegas. You can't sit there without thinking: "These guys have really hit the big time!"

Next Big Thing?

If you needed any more reason to go to the March 10, 2016 show in D.C., that reason was The Rondo Rigs — with Eric Robertson* on mandolin, Duncan Wickel on fiddle, and Nicholas Falk on drums. If my predictor still works, this group is going places. Super-smart lyrics, excellent musicianship. Great stage presence.

Where's the booze?

But the most remarkable thing about the show to me — having seen a few Walker's Run performances, and those of other bluegrass groups — is that not a single performer was drinking alcohol on stage. Each had a water bottle prominently displayed instead. None of those ubiquitous beer bottles.

What the heck happened!?! So many bluegrass songs are about booze, being drunk, or hiding the still from the revenuer. How can you possible perform real bluegrass music without being half-soused? 

Could the venue forbid performers from drinking on stage? Could the group have decided to go alcohol-free? Maybe their last number provides a clue. Mr. Gilmore invited members of the opening act to come back out and they did a really fun Jesus song ("if you want something, just ask Jesus").

Did they get religion?

SEE ALSO: "Knicely Done"

---

*with this surname and The Band-like sounds, one wonders if he might descend from Robbie.

The Rondo Rigs & Walker's Run @ The Southern in C-ville March 11, 2016

June Pichel Cook's "Cabin Fever Follies" Review: Hardwick Gazette (2.18.15)

READ: "The Day God Invented Bluegrass"

WATCH: Roger Waible sing "I'm My Own Grandpa" at the show.

BONUS: to first person who can define "multi-varietal".

Geof Hewitt's Guide to Poetry Slam

Celebrate Valentine's Day! Athenaeum Gallery, February 14, 2015 1-3pm

Cabin Fever Follies in Greensboro: February 14, 2015

Mark your calendars . . Time for CABIN FEVER FOLLIES!!!! Saturday, February 14 at Greensboro United Church of Christ.

There will be the usual pot luck supper at 6:00 p.m. in Fellowship Hall, and the Follies begin at 7:00 p.m. in the Sanctuary. Come for one or both.

If you would like to participate in the program or know someone who might be interested, please contact the church office or Anthony.

Where? Greensboro United Church of Christ
165 Wilson Street
Greensboro, VT 05841
Who? Reverend Anthony E. Acheson
How? 802-533-2223 or greensborochurch@gmail.com
When? by February 5 to express interest, with "program information" by February 11
Why? Because you have cabin fever!

Student Instruments Go Pro

Jiggs pBone is a featherweight, mostly plastic trombone designed for kids but hitting high notes with top brass players for sound quality and durability. Ashley Shabankareh, trombonist in New Orleans ska band The Local Skank, says with a standard metal mouthpiece attached, it sounds much like her brass instruments. $179

Vibrato A1 was company's first alto saxophone. The main tube, bell and neck are made of a blend of polycarbonate and ABS, the former providing "the required resonance", the former "elasticity and flexibility". The Vibrato A1 "has a vintage character that is a dark and warm sound that is hard to find in modern saxophones nowadays." Suitable for young children and ideal as their first saxophone--it's super lightweight at 850 grams--making it the lightest fully-functional alto saxophone available in the world today. The big deal are the self-leveling silicone pads that are non-toxic and soft
"to ensure the perfect seal on every tone hole." With DIY replacement, these pads are highly reliable and user friendly. “It plays like a dream and weighs only 2 pounds. I’m not sure how they did it, but it feels a bit like magic,” Clint Maedgen said. $575

Casio Mini Keyboard SA-76 is a 44-key digital piano that runs on six AA-batteries and sells at Toys “R” Us. Beck named a single after it. Mark Ramos Nishita, keyboardist and longtime Beastie Boys collaborator currently in David Byrne’s Atomic Bomb Band says: “Plug it into a wah-wah pedal and a stack of Marshalls, and it would sound amazing.” $70

Suzuki Q Chord is an electronic take on the autoharp that "produces enough distinct—and just plain ethereal—sounds to fill in for an entire band." Fans include David Bowie and Jim James of rock band My Morning Jacket. Some strap it on their bodies and play it like a stand-up keyboard or “keytar.” Beautifully-orchestrated song cartridges contain favorite
song titles in diverse genres (with lyrics). Plug in and strum.$300

SEE: "Too Cool for Music School" by Steve Garbarino.

The LA Bluegrass Situation 2014 with Willie Watson and Carolina Chocolate Drops

Readings in the Gallery Series 2014 - George Mathon and William Graham - Wednesday, September 17 @ 7:00p

The St. Johnsbury Athenaeum continues its 21st annual Readings in the Gallery Series with a night with Vermont poets George Mathon and William Graham.

George Mathon retired to his writing in 2005. He was born in Vermont and now summers at Joe's Pond in West Danville; wintering mostly in Florida. A graduate of the University of Vermont, he’s traveled extensively, exploring many of the natural wonders and ancient native ruins in the U.S. His travels through the northeast, southwest, Hawaii, and Florida often provide material for his poems. Much of his poetry is concerned with finding human and natural world relationships. He has been published in the Green Mountains Review and has self-published three books of poetry: Entering the Forest (2005), Chickadees (2010), and now Killers (which should be available). He will read poems primarily from this new work and Chickadees.

Poet, novelist, and travel writer William Graham has a BA and MA in English, as well as an MS in Communications, from Northwestern. He now lives in Stowe. He has authored over 20 books of poetry and fiction together with numerous travel articles. His work has been described as a "controlled explosion of insight and emotion that combines contemporary themes and issues with classic styles such as sonnets and verse narratives." His poems utilize a characteristic lyrical style to celebrate Vermont's pastoral beauty. He will be reading from his most recent books of poetry: The Storm Subsides: 50 Poems and Passion and Protest, The Love Poet of Vermont, and A Good Place to Wake Up: Vermont Poems.

This program sponsored by the Fund for Poetry. Free, open to the public, 

and handicap-accessible. Book signing and reception to follow.

171 Main Street ● St. Johnsbury, VT 05819 ● 748-8291 ● www.stjathenaeum.org

Open Mic in Lunenburg, Vermont: Saturday, September 13 @ 6pm

Bring your instruments, voices, and dancing feet or plan to sit and enjoy the outstanding local talent in a beautiful historic setting. Please bring a finger food to share, if you can. Beverages will be provided. The building is handicap accessible.

Admission $3. Family special: kids FREE when accompanied by an adult.

No need to preregister to perform. A sign-up sheet will be available at the ticket sales table.

WHERE: at the historic Old Congregational Church building, at the top of Lunenburg’s Town Common on Route 2.

WHEN: 6:00 p.m. Saturday, September 13, 2014.

MORE INFO: questions@topofthecommon.org or 802/892-5914.

All the Shows I Regrettably Missed

Why Did Willie Watson Leave Old Crow?

Willie Watson

Creative differences.

That's the usual reason given when somebody exits a band: The individual and the group were headed in different directions, so they had to break up.

Though fans of Old Crow Medicine Show have yet to receive a fully satisfactory explanation for why founder Willie Watson left the Appalachian string band in Fall of 2011, new releases from each — combined with dedicated tours (both coming through Vermont within days of each other) — have finally provided the artistic reason they had to split.


Judging by the stated intention of his solo debut album Folk Singer Vol. I, and recent appearing at Higher Grounds in South Burlington, Willie has redefined himself as a classic American folk singer. By all indications, he's establishing himself as one of the greats, and in very short order (yes, he's that good).

Even though this development reconnects him with his own musical roots grown in the Finger Lakes region of Upstate New York, it all came about like a happy accident. When he first popped loose of Old Crow he didn't know which path to take. Start a new band? Go solo? He'd never pictured himself as a solo act. When friends coaxed him on stage, and things started to develop, he was trying to perform new songs he'd written himself. But the audience reacted better to the older, traditional songs — and he enjoyed performing them better.

The rest is history.

For its part, Old Crow itself was facing a bit of a two-part identity crisis: How to define itself without Willie Watson, and how to make itself bigger than its monster hit "Wagon Wheel". That's what their new album Remedy remedies. As Sam Pfeifle of The Portland Phoenix puts it in his review of the new release: "Such is Old Crow’s magic. They make brand-new songs sound like traditionals and traditionals sound like songs you’ve never heard before."

This musical philosophy, combined with an outrageously fun — and hugely popular — roadshow that stopped at the Shelburne Museum— suggest the direction the band is increasingly going. And thus the divergence: Willie reverting to authentic relayer of traditional folk music, Old Crow recreating traditionals, or the traditional style, in a contemporary way.

Willie is all about rooting himself in traditional authenticity; Old Crow is all about reinterpreting tradition for modern audiences, even the popular mainstream.

These separate appearances in Vermont within days of each other, by the now-separate acts, indicate solutions have been found to their dilemmas. The solutions suggest that the break was necessary and good for each musical act — as well as for the rest of us who appreciate their music.

So what was the real reason Willie Watson had to leave Old Crow Medicine Show?

Creative differences.

Willie Watson Plays Newport Folk Festival

Willie Watson, plays Thursday, July 24, at 8 p.m. at Higher Ground, S. Burlington

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monkeybird

Willie Watson, formerly of the band Old Crow Medicine Show.

http://www.highergroundmusic.com/event/617523-willie-watson-south-burlington/

Reading at Catamount Arts: July 12, 2014 @ 12pm

Where It's At . .

Poets and other storytellers . .

Our regular first-Saturday-of-the-month reading at Catamount Arts will take place this Saturday, July 12th instead, starting at noon.* Usually it's held in the cabaret space downstairs, but sometimes upstairs in the gallery.

July was named for Julius Ceasar, the "Green Giant" Great Big Tender Peas was trademark registered July 12 in 1927, and the first manned flight by gas balloon happened in the Netherlands on the same day in 1785. Even more importantly, a major league baseball record for doubles was set when the St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs combined for a total of 23 on this day back in 1931, and a minimum wage of 40 cents an hour was established in the U.S. on July 12, 1933.

Poetry or stories that touch on these themes will earn extra donuts or cookies. Or you can just bring whatever you want to read . .

We'll discuss the August reading tomorrow as the Poetry Society of Vermont annual gathering occurs that day, and we'd like to encourage attendance there.

Please invite a friend. We hope to see you there . .

What:
Northeast Storytellers this Saturday, July 12th from 11:30am to 1:30pm, another of our first Saturday readings** at Catamount Arts Center located 115 Eastern Avenue in St. Johnsbury, Vermont.

*11:30am being a good show-up/set-up/sign-up/catch-up time.
**second Saturday in July due to Independence Day weekend.

When:
Jul 12, 11:30AM—
Jul 12, 1:30PM

Where:
​Catamount Arts Center
115 Eastern Avenue,
St. Johnsbury, VT

Category: Reading (free)

Willie Watson on Prairie Home Companion

SEE: A Prairie Home Companion MARCH 29, 2014 // SHOW #1439 "KEEP IT CLEAN".