I had a great time seeing music last Saturday near the corner of North Street and North Avenue. Their had been parties all day long as people Rambled through the Old North End of Burlington.
I got out of work at 5:30, did a quick turnaround and was at the show about 20 minutes after the 6pm start. I wandered to the front as Julia Caesar were set and ready to go. They opened with the last song on their new EP Heavy Flow. Hear Me Now is just gorgeous and let the vocal work shine. The song rocked nice and hard and the mood was set. They skipped the album for the middle part of the set and began the second song with a vocal round. Katy Hellman‘s voice led the way while Liz and Meg filled the song with beauty. It was a cheery song about dying alone and featured some sweet harmony guitars. Liz moved to the drums for the next song which was about being washed up on your shore again. Steven returned the guitar to Liz and went back to the drums for a song about swirling and twirling and being in the sound. Towards the end of the song Meg let loose and intense guitar barrage. They wrapped up the set with the first song on the album, Falter, and the crowd was in a happy place.
I misjudged how long it would take for the next band to set up and got some food from one of the several trucks parked nearby. I took the first bite as Barbacoa hit the stage. I should have known better. Either way, I had fun rocking out to their dark surf songs. They began with a slower song that had a western flavor. Kirk Flanagan was rock solid on the bass, Bobby Hackney Jr. hit the drums fast and hard and Bill Mullins is one of the most incredible guitar players you will ever see. The next song had a bit of a Ghost Riders In The Sky vibe then they rocked out Strawberry Fields Forever. The songs were all instrumental, give or take a few whoas. They followed with a fast one and followed that with a faster one, that had a nice breakdown in the middle before ramping back up. The lit up the crowd with the closing Paint It Black then called it a night.
Barbacoa
Heloise took the stage next and was joined by James Belizia. Her rich voice powered through the songs that were mostly prerecorded. The live bass added a bit to the mix. They began with a song song song about light and shadow then followed with one about how it’s hard to be a lady in today’s society. Her voice sounded great and carried the songs. Since dance music isn’t my favorite, I headed over to the beer garden that was to the right of the stage. Without a speaker pointed towards it, the sound was a bit muted. As they plowed through the set they finally caught the crowd and got all of the kids and moms and neighbors dancing. It was fun to watch and it’s always nice to hear her sing.
Heloise and James
As the next band set up A2VT entered the crowd. Singing to prerecorded music, the five men rapped and sang and got the crowd dancing. Their voices sounded great and the audience loved the dance moves. They played three songs, I think one was about how everything I do, I do it for my lady, and were lots of fun.
A2VT
Father Figuer opened their set with a slow heavy song that perked up my ears. They let it run its course then started slow on the next one. They built it hard and shredded it to pieces. They followed suit on the next two and wrapped up the too short set with a blistering guitar scream. I’ve got to get to know their music better.
Father Figuer
A2VT came back for another trio of songs that made the street dance. The last song of the set had a little extra to it and I enjoyed the sound. I think they sang Alima but I have no idea how to spell it.
Up next, T-Rextasy took the stage and lit in with some super tight quadruple vocals. The music was just as tight as they played rocking dance pop or nu wave or punk rock and whatever else they had in the mix. They opened with a song about new love then sang about a yellow jacket boy. They pondered the idea of a friendship or a relationship in Girl, Friend then sang about dinosaurs. They sang about punk rock and waking up screaming. The stage banter was really fun and they closed the set with a song about getting coffee. They had that mix of being delightful and impressive that made me happy.
T-Textasy
Fin
Nico Suave and the Bodacious Supreme took the stage next and closed the night with some fun covers. Emcee Fin had been entertaining the crowd all night long between sets and did some furious juggling until the band were ready to play. They opened with Ramble On and we were off. They played a funky version of a Dead song about one way or another then returned to Zep for The Ocean. Nicole’s voice was powerful and sounded great. They sang a song about not wanting to love you and possessing your body as the band began to shine. They played a slow bluesy song about not wanting to see you walk away from me then brought back the funk as they rocked steady. They dropped that into Immigrant song and the dwindled crowd rocked hard. They closed the night with Me And Bobby McGee and Nicole’s voice made it sound amazing.
Nico Suave and the Bodacious Supreme
I was tired at that point but had another idea in mind. I wandered around a little and ran into one of The Tsunamibots who had a similar notion. We went across the street to Olde Northender Pub and chatted as the band got set to play. They mixed some old songs, classic songs and original songs and were lots of fun. They opened with a song about how you’ve gotta live for yourself that had a funky rock groove. They sang oh mama then played a song from the ’30’s that was remade in the ’50’s called Hot Dog. They sang about how men shouldn’t tell women to smile then rocked out Baby Please Don’t Go. They sang about the man in me then played an original about seeing the light. The band sounded great with serious drumming and a blistering lead guitar when needed. They asked Who Do You Love, then played an original about having the winter blues. I really liked that one and need to track it down. They played a song about how it ain’t murder then played a song about about not taking advice and writing a song to remind them to take advice, The next song rocked nicely, but I was done. I headed out and took the lovely walk home. I need to check out the Newts again soon.
I had a great time seeing music Friday night at Maglianero. I thought my timing was pretty good but the walk to lower Maple street took a bit longer than expected and Heloise was on stage singing Take My Breath Away when I walked in. She sang over prerecorded music and was joined by an enthusiastic dancer and James Bellizia on bass. She has a lovely voice and lots of stage presence and while I did not know most of the music she had the mostly full room dancing. The second song I caught was something about blood money. For the last song of the set James switched to electric guitar for a song about how they keep pumping it out for us. James had a nice solo at the end and got some nice feedback going as he pushed the guitar into the amp. It was a pretty fun show.
Heloise and James and their dancer pic by Tim Lewis
SWALE came on next and played a bunch of new songs. They opened with the one about one good fella to love and it has been stuck in my head ever since. A new song called Elevator sounded great and I’m not sure I had heard it before. The one about cause and effect and it being a matter of time followed. They have been playing that one for a while and it always makes me happy to hear it. They turned up the rock intensity with Tyler Bolles singing Lawn Fire which is a classic Burlington rock song originally performed by The Pants. Everyone Likes To kept the place rocking at full steam. They played a fun version of Camper Van Beethoven’s Take The Skinheads Bowling and dedicated it to the victims of the Bowling Green Massacre. They ended the set with a couple of rocking songs I did not know. Jeremy Frederick and Amanda Gustafson co-sang one of them, and it sounded great as Eric Olsen played some beautifully intense guitar. The closing song was heavy and almost sounded like a Sabbath song and I was in a great place.
Swale pic by Tim Lewis
Villanelles came on next and played a set similar to the one they had played the previous night at ArtsRiot. They opened with Grey Goo then make a comment about the boys being back in town that caught some attention from the audience. They played a great version of Parking Lot then surprises people by actually playing the Thin Lizzy song. Smiles abounded. Shy Spiders was next and I just loved the sweep of the song. They switched up the set a little by tossing in a rocking version of Heartbreak Baby then played a few more and ended with Jenny. It was such a treat to see them two nights in a row.
Villanelles pic by Tim Lewis
I headed out shortly after the set but had a thought that I could get a taste of a band who has been playing around lately that I was curious about. I headed over to SideBar to check out Shawn Connolly‘s other band Phantom Airwave. I really had no idea what to expect, except great guitar playing, so I made my way to the front and the band were on and rocking. With a singer/guitar player (who switched to keys for the next song), Shawn on guitar, bass, drums and sax they had a big rock/jazz/blues/soul/reggae sound. They had a bit of a jam feel too but there was a lot of muscle in Shawn’s guitar so it kept it fun. I only caught three songs, one of which the sax player sang, then they took a break. I opted to call it a night but may have to check them out for real sometime soon.
I had a great time seeing music on December 30th. When I originally saw the show listed it sounded like DJ Disco Phantom (Brian Nagle) was going to spin some records featuring artists who died in 2016 (Two Thousand Sucksteen). I thought I might wander in and check it out then realized Arc Iris were playing at Higher Ground and got a ticket. Shortly after that I realized the Sucksteen show was going to be filled with 20+ local artists performing songs. It was too good to pass up so I ignored my purchased ticket and headed to Radio Bean to commiserate on the staggering loss of artists last year.
I arrived a little early and caught a couple of songs by Hailey Ward. She sang a sweet song about Tic Tac Toe and the appropriate cover of What Are You Doing On New Year’s Eve. She sounded pretty nice then it was time for the show.
Hailey Ward at Radio Bean pic by Tim Lewis
Sarah Stickle began the night singing and playing an acoustic guitar. She did a great version of Guy Clark’s LA Freeway.
Sarah Stickle at Radio Bean pic by Tim Lewis
Jonah Salzman at Radio Bean pic by Tim Lewis
Jonah Salzman took the stage next and played some Leonard Cohen songs on acoustic guitar. If It Be Your Will was strong and cool and I’m Your Man jammed for a long time.
Brett Hughes at Radio Bean pic by Tim Lewis
The mighty Brett Hughes took the stage next to play some Merle Haggard Songs. White Line Fever and You Don’t Have Very Far To Go were both strong songs and superbly played.
Most of Swale at Radio Bean pic by Tim Lewis
SWALE took the stage next, or at least most of them did. Eric Olsen, Tyler Bolles, and Jeremy Frederick rocked out a blisteringly loud and completely overdriven Ace Of Spades and it was glorious.
Nate and Bones at Radio Bean pic by Tim Lewis
Nate (Benet?) sat down at the piano by the soundboard and was joined by Bones Blankenship on fiddle. They played Leon Russell’s Masquerade and it was beautiful and powerful. Bones left but Nate played another Russell song, A Song For You, and beauty filled the air.
Nate at Radio Bean pic by Tim Lewis
Samara Lark Brown took the stage and played and sang some Bowie songs. Magic Dance from the movie Labyrinth was unexpected and fun. Under Pressure was very powerful and her singing was wonderful, both on the David and Freddie parts.
Samara Lark Brown at Radio Bean pic by Tim Lewis
Tim Lang and the gang filled the stage and he sat at the keys as they played a song I did not know. I think it went something like honey didn’t mind it yesterday, honey don’t mind it tonight. Whatever it was, it sounded nice.
Tim Land and the gang at Radio Bean pic by Tim Lewis
Lily Sickles took the stage next and played acoustic guitar and sang some Merle Haggard songs. The Bottle Let Me Down and Mama Tried were fun and I greatly enjoyed her singing and playing and sense of humor in between.
Lily Sickles at Radio Bean pic by Tim Lewis
Devin Robinson took the stage next and played a cool and mellow acoustic Moonage Daydream. Even without the lead guitar firepower the song is one of my favorites. His version of Leonard Cohen’s So Long Marianne sounded great too.
Devin Robinson at Radio Bean pic by Tim Lewis
Eastern Mountain Time brought the whole band and played another Merle Haggard song. Sing Me Back Home sounded powerful and beautiful.
Eastern Mountain Time at Radio Bean pic by Tim Lewis
Heloise and Disco Phantom at Radio Bean pic by Tim Lewis
Up to this point everyone had been singing and playing instruments but there was a karaoke part of the night too. Disco Phantom played the records while Heloise was joined by Lilly Sickles for a fun version of Careless Whisper. Heloise followed with George Michael’s Everything She Wants then closed the set with Prince’s I Would Die 4 U. She has a great voice and all of her songs were very well sang.
Heloise and Lily at Radio Bean pic by Tim Lewis
Mellow Yellow played as a quartet with bass, drums, keys/vocals, and Linda Bassick on vocals and guitar. They played a fantastic version of Space Oddity and it filled my heart with joy. The keyboard player did a great job on the lift off section of the song.
Mellow Yellow at Radio Bean pic by Tim Lewis
Sarah Griffin took the stage with an acoustic guitar and sang some Leonard Cohen songs. Dance Me To The End Of Love is another of my favorite songs and she made it sound great. Her version of Bird On The Wire was pretty cool too.
Sarah Griffin at Radio Bean pic by Tim Lewis
The duo AM Radio played acoustic guitars and sang with sweet harmonies. Lyin’ Eyes was just gorgeous and their version of Sharon Jones 100 Days, 100 Nights was lovely.
AM Radio at Radio Bean pic by Tim Lewis
Kat Wright and Bob Wagner played a great version of Cohens Why Don’t You Try. A Mose Allison song with a lyric about everyone’s gone missing was poignant. His playing and her singing were as out of this world as always.
Kat Wright and Bob Wagner at Radio Bean pic by Tim Lewis
Ryan Miller at Radio Bean pic by Tim Lewis
Disco Phantom returned and spun some records as Ryan Miller jammed out a super fun Suffragette City. Lee Anderson took the stage to do Gene Wilder’s Crazed Boat Ride from Willy Wonka and it was as over the top and joyously fun as you would expect. Ryan wrestled the stage back for a version of George Michael’s Faith that had the full house dancing.
Lee Anderson at Radio Bean pic by Tim Lewis
Hannah Fair at Radio Bean pic by Tim Lewis
Hannah Fair took the stage next and was joined by a sax player. They played Pure Imagination from Willy Wonka. They followed with Careless Whisper, and even though it was the second time it was played that night, it sounded so different with her singing and playing acoustic guitar and that super familiar sax line filling out the sound.
Hannah Fair at Radio Bean pic by Tim Lewis
Disco Phantom queued up another record and Ryan Ober launched into The Jean Genie. He sang in the crowd and he sang out the door on the street and sang a bit of the song on the stage. It was nothing but fun.
Ryan Ober at Radio Bean pic by Tim Lewis
Amanda Gustafson sat down at the keys and let loose a staggeringly beautiful song in the way that only she can. I did not catch the song but the lyric about when your time is up you’re going to see all your friends was equally as poignant as the Mose Allison song earlier in the night. (Per Amanda “It was a song by Richard Thompson that he wrote for Fairport Convention called, “Meet on the Ledge”. It was to honor Dave Swarbrick, the longtime fiddler and one of the founders of Fairport Convention. They would close every show with that song – it was sort of their anthem.”)
Amanda Gustafson at Radio Bean pic by Tim Lewis
Jacob, who is one of the bartenders at Light Club Lamp Shop took the stage with Disco Phantom playing a record. He had a great voice and did an epic version of Let’s Dance. His voice was so deep and perfect for the song.
Jacob at Radio Bean pic by Tim Lewis
Addie Hebert at Radio Bean pic by Tim Lewis
Addie Herbert sat at the keys and played a super cool version of Bowie’s Oh You Pretty Things. Nicole D’Elisa joined her for a fun version of Life On Mars and I was in a happy place.
Addie and Nicole at Radio Bean pic by Tim Lewis
The horn section for Nico Suave and the Bodacious Supreme at Radio Bean pic by Tim Lewis
Addie left and Nicole was joined by the rest of Nico Suave and the Bodacious Supreme. With two guitars, bass, drums, singer, and a three piece horn section they had a huge sound and jammed out a powerhouse version of Earth Wind & Fire’s Shining Star. They followed with a super long version of Prince’s Kiss where everyone got a solo. The room danced with joy.
Nico Suave and the Bodacious Supreme at Radio Bean pic by Tim Lewis
They left the stage to make way for the last band of the night. Barbacoa opened with a song Leon Russell wrote and the Carpenters made famous. Superstar sounded great. The pulled out the second repeat of the night and played another blistering version of Motorhead’s Ace Of Spades. It was great to hear again. They got to stretch out a little since they were the last ones on and played both Ziggy Stardust and Starman. They lit up the crowd with Little Red Corvette and called it a night.
I didn’t stay long, since I had to work in the morning, but I’m certain Disco Phantom made sure every legendary musician who passed away in 2016 was represented. It was a wonderful night of music and a joyous walk home.
I had a great time seeing music last night at Radio Bean. After Davie Bowie died I has hoping some local musicians would get together and play some of his music. Last night, Barbacoa teamed up with Lowell Thompson and a few others to honor some great songs. There were no keys or horns, it was just two guitars, bass and drums, so all of the songs had a surging blues rock feel. Lowell and Bill Mullins played mostly rhythm guitar, with Bill taking some serious leads now and then. Kirk Flanagan;s bass drove the songs and Jeremy Frederick‘s drumming kept the pace fast and rocking. They opened hard with a killer Suffragette City and then followed with a gorgeous Starman. Bill sang both of those nicely. For the third song they brought up Heloise and she sang a freaky version of Moonage Daydream. As the song wound towards it’s conclusion Bill played a wicked lead part. Instead of the Mick Ronson effects laden original, Bill played the solo pretty clean and it sounded amazing. Kirk stepped to the microphone next to sing a lovely Space Oddity and Lowell did the countdown part. Bill took the vocals for a rocking Ziggy Stardust and a mellow but cool Lady Stardust. Amanda Gustafson came to the stage next and they played a fun version of Jean Genie. Dressed in a tux, she had a great Bowie attitude in her look and the way she sang the song. Lowell followed by singing The Man Who Sold The World and Bill had another stunning solo. Really, I was transfixed. They kept on rocking as Bill sang Hang On To Yourself. Amanda came back to the stage to sing Changes and Heloise joined with backing vocals. The full audience helped sing along too. For the rest of the night Amanda and Heloise sang backing vocals from the side of the stage. Up next Bobby Hackney Jr. belted out a rocking Rebel Rebel. James Kochalka came to the stage for a fun version of Let’s Dance and performed an obscene Major Tom poem before he left. Heloise came back to center stage for a rocking John, I’m Only Dancing. Bobby returned to sing Heroes and gave it the full ROUGH FRANCIS treatment as he screamed out the lyrics at the end. The night wrapped up with everyone in the club singing along to All The Young Dudes.
What a great night of music and a fitting send off to a great man who inspired a lot of people.
I woke up nice and early and worked an 8:30 to 5 shift then walked home and waited. Swale were due to go on at 8:30, and not knowing how crowded it would be, I wanted to get there a bit on the early side. I had mentioned the show to my friends, and Chris decided to go. He arrived around quarter of 8 and downtown we went. There were several people at Radio Bean, but it was nowhere near full. This made getting in and getting a beer super easy. We chatted a bit, as Swale slowly and steadily set up for the show. Just about 9pm they opened with a slow, steady Soft Fireworks, featuring Johnnie Day on the saw. It’s such a beautiful and smoldering song, and they played it to appropriate perfection. They brought the pace up a little with Dimedrop, then eased back with Middlesex. Again, Johnnie added some gorgeous shading to the song with her saw. Next they were going to bring up Tyler Bolles for a song, but things took a bit of time for him to get set up. They filled the space with a fast rocker, maybe called Jack Shaw. When Tyler was set up on bass, they rocked hard on Cancer, then followed with an elegant rendition of If you get Lost. Things kept rocking as they let loose a fun version of Edible. Next up, they slowed it down for Good Medicine, but the middle section rose and rose and Eric let loose an arena rock solo, before the song slowed for it’s ending. What more can you want in a rock and roll band? Another rocker followed, it was either called Gymnast, or Golden Crutch, with the audience voicing support for the latter. They wrapped the set with a hard fast rocker that I’ve heard them play several times, but don’t know the name of. The chorus was something about hanging out with the popular people, and had a killer Amanda keyboard riff.
When done, they said they were going to take the often mentioned karaoke sign up list and “another’ band would be back to play. Chris took off and Swale came back dressed in flannel, tukes, and super-fake black beards and mustaches. They were still joined by Tyler, who wore a white beard and mustache.
They opened hard and heavy with the mighty Joe Adler singing a super deep and rich version of I Wanna Be Sedated. Next up and older woman, named the Mighty Zook (?) belted out a stunning gospel tinged I’ve Got A Feeling. I always love discovering how much talent there is in our town. James Bellizia followed with a fun rendition of Ghostbusters. Next up, Lee Anderson did a weird and creepy and completely compelling version of I Put A Spell On You. It was tons of fun and had lots of maniacal laughter. Linda Bassick let loose her wonderful voice on a killer version of the Cure’s Just Like Heaven. Lily Sickles followed with a ferocious We’re Not Gonna Take it. She really had the hair for the song, and the voice. After, Amanda joked that they spent a little time learning the song, only to realize there really wasn’t much to learn. Heloise took the stage next for a pretty faithful Working For the Weekend, and Rufus T Superfly (?) followed by hanging out, looking cool, and dropping the one word lyric for Tequila, whenever needed. There was no guest for the next song, so Swale just unleashed Sabotage by themselves. In the only real karaoke song of the night, three girls got up to sing Closer to Fine. Eric prompted them throughout it, and it was pretty fun.
From there, my notes and memories started to get a bit blurry. Jason Cooley stepped in as clean-up man to sing for much of the rest of the evening. They did a bit of a fast, hard, Closer To Fine, then let loose Sweet Jane. If my poorly written notes are correct, Cooley followed with Roxanne, joined by Rufus. Next up, a couple of guys sang Where is My Mind, from the Pixies. Cooley returned to the stage with Bellizia for a brutal (You Gotta) Fight for your Right (To Party). The night wrapped with Abby Abby singing Fairytale Of New York, and that was it.
By the end, the crowd was pretty solid, and danced through most of the cover set. Everyone seemed to be having a great time. Once the music stopped, my energy dropped. I wandered to the back, found my coat, and took the short snowy walk home. It was definitely one of the best New Year’s Eves ever.
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