The Next Stage Bandwagon Summer Series presents Orchestre Tout Puissant Marcel Duchamp (OTPMD) on Saturday, Sept. 16, at 5 p.m., at the Putney Inn, 57 Putney Landing Rd.
OTPMD's sound integrates free jazz, post-punk, highlife, brass band, symphonic mixtures and kraut rock.
"Of all the concerts we're hosting this summer for the Bandwagon Series, Orchestre Tout Puissant Marcel Duchamp's music is easily the most adventurous, daring, and worth listening to. We hope this is the beginning of being able to host them when they tour the U.S.," Keith Marks, executive director of Next Stage Arts, said in a news release.
Founded in 2006 by Vincent Bertholet (also of Hyperculte), OTPMD is a large-scale project. Designed as a real orchestra, the size of the ensemble has varied over time and now has 12 members.
Annual Westminster West Community Fair to be held on Sept. 9WESTMINSTER WEST - The Westminster West Community Fair will be held on Saturday, Sept. 9, and includes the popular adults 5K road race, a grilled chicken lunch, an online silent auction, and Golden Elephant sale. The fair, which started...
Join the Vermont Center for Photography (VCP), 10 Green St., for an artist talk and book signing with Sarah Malakoff on Friday, Sept. 22, at 6 p.m. Malakoff's large-scale color photographs "are examinations of the home and its psychologically charged, uncanny spaces and objects. Her long-term photographic projects explore...
For the month of September, Nancy Calicchio returns to the Crowell Gallery, 23 West St., with her new collection of 24 paintings appropriately titled "Reflection." "This timely body of work seeks to evoke introspection and appreciation for the delicate balance between Vermont's changing landscapes and the timeless beauty of nature's reflections," say organizers. While there are paintings of hills, and fields, Vermont rivers dominate the canvas. Calicchio says she starts her paintings plein air; "I'm drawn to the illusive quality...
Robert Kuhn and Jaded Ravins will co-headline at Stage 33 Live, 33 Bridge St., on Sunday, Sept. 17, at 7 p.m. Kuhn was born in Houston, Texas, then bounced around from North America to Australia and Central and South America for a dozen years before returning home. He's been everything from an Academic All-American linebacker to a vagabond fisherman-farmer writing critically acclaimed songs. He finished his latest album, Persevere, after a near-fatal van wreck in Colorado while on tour. His...
Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy recently characterized U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley as being like a modern-day grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan. Of course, she took offense to this, but it's more offensive to the American people. Ramaswamy's message was confusing. The KKK is still very much with us and has been joined by many other hate groups which have a strong influence in today's Republican Party. The KKK is dedicated to maintaining the supremacy of white people who...
The Brattleboro Museum & Art Center (BMAC) presents percussionist Ayano Kataoka on Thursday, September 14, at 7 p.m. in a performance of "Eternity," a work for solo vibraphone by Vermont composer Stuart Saunders Smith. Kataoka is a professor of percussion at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a performer with Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. She gave the world premiere of Smith's "Eternity" in 2022. She is known for infusing her performances with remarkable physical energy. "Her dynamic yet...
The local high school football season began on Sept. 1 with a 34-0 rout by Bellows Falls over the Springfield Cosmos at Hadley Field in the 110th meeting between those two teams, and a 35-6 loss by Brattleboro to the Middlebury Tigers in the Bears' home opener at Natowich Field. • Springfield hasn't won a game over their rivals in Bellows Falls since 2009. The Terriers retained "The Trophy" and upped their all-time record against the Cosmos in this gridiron...
The Erin Harpe Country Blues Duo with Jim Countryman will perform at Springs Farm, 49 Carpenter Hill Rd., on Friday, Sept. 8, at 6:30 p.m. In case of rain, the concert will be moved inside to the Broad Brook Community Center, 3940 Guilford Center Road. Harpe has been called "one of the most dynamic, talented and exciting roots rocking blues women on the scene," by Living Blues magazine. The singer, songwriter, guitarist, and band leader was recently named New England's...
Sandglass Theater, founded in 1982 by Eric Bass and Ines Zeller Bass, has a mission that's clearly manifest in all they offer. The nonprofit is "dedicated to the arts of theater and puppetry as a means of exploring contemporary issues, inspiring dialogue, and sparking wonder - by creating original ensemble performances and collaborations, presenting diverse theater artists, producing events that serve our communities, and teaching our art." Living up to it all, this venerable player on the area's lively arts...
St. Michael's Episcopal Church, 16 Bradley Ave., begins a new program year this month with the start of Sunday School, teen groups, and weekly choir participation in the 10:15 service. "Back to school means back to formation programs for children and youth," says St. Michael's rector, the Rev. Mary Lindquist. "On Sunday, Sept. 10, please come at 9:30 a.m. for games and food, to register for Sunday School, and to get inspired for this new year in the life of...
What began as a group of volunteers organizing to remove trash from local rivers nearly three decades ago has become an annual event that brings communities together in support of clean water and healthy habitats throughout the Connecticut River Watershed in New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. Connecticut River Conservancy's (CRC) 27th annual Source to Sea Cleanup is back on Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 22 and 23, with opportunities for individual groups to set their own specific cleanup days around...
American acoustic blues artist Chris Smither burst onto the singer-songwriter scene in the late 1960s with a distinctive finger-picking style and voice. Originally from New Orleans but now a Bay State resident as well, Smither "amassed major fans, folks like Lowell George, the late founder of Little Feat; Townes Van Zandt, who always credited Smither with saving his life in a Florida swimming pool one hazy night; and Bonnie Raitt, whose recording of Smither's 'Love You Like A Man' entered...
Dancers of all levels are invited to pivot into autumn with swing and tango dance lessons with Matt Peake and Friends at Main Street Arts. The lessons will be held on Thursday evenings from Sept. 7 to Oct. 12, starting at 6:30 p.m. "Because the interest continues to be high for swing dancing and tango dancing," says Peake in a news release, "(we) will be offering another series of back-to-back lessons." They will use a format of a short lesson...
The Brattleboro Women's Chorus (BWC) welcomes new singers in four opportunities to try out the Chorus before committing to the semester: morning or evening on both Sept. 7 and 14. Thursday morning rehearsals will be at the Brattleboro Music Center from 10 a.m. to noon. Thursday evening sessions are at All Souls Church from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Masks are optional for singers at these sessions. Zoom rehearsals will take place weekly on Fridays only in October from 10:30 a.m.
The Bellows Falls Rotary Club is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, having been chartered on Nov. 9, 1923. The community service organization has included many of the community's leading business people during its century-long history and has been involved with numerous projects to benefit the local region. Rotary's motto is "Service Above Self." Its main focus has been to fight disease, provide clean water and sanitation, support women and children, promote local economies, and support environmental protection. The organization...
Kimberly Carmody became the new executive director of the River Gallery School on Sept. 1, carrying on a nearly half-century legacy of community art and creativity. Board President Judith Darrow Freed called Carmody "a grand choice for our school. We count ourselves lucky to include her. Her thoughtful and caring energies are indeed inspirational and valuable for the school's vision and mission." Nearly 48 years ago, teaching artists Ric Campman and Barbara Merfeld Campman founded the school, offering after-school classes...
Master dry stone waller Jared Flynn, founder of The Stone Trust, will lead a tour of notable stone walls and other dry-stone structures in Stone Wall Park at historic Scott Farm in Dummerston on Sunday, Sept. 10, at 3 p.m. Established as a venue for dry stone walling training and certification testing, Stone Wall Park includes features built by wallers testing for Level III Dry Stone Waller and Master Craftsman certification, such as sloped walls, arches, and pillars. It also...
After touring internationally and attracting an enthusiastic following on social media, Windborne performs at the Brattleboro Music Center Saturday, Sept. 23 at 7 p.m. Old songs and bold harmony combine for a profound vocal experience. This captivating show will draw on the singers' deep roots in traditions of vocal harmony, while the absolute uniqueness of the group's artistic approach brings old songs into the present. Known for the innovation of their arrangements, Windborne's harmonies are anything but predictable. With deep...
The Greenfield Garden Cinema has penned a deal with Variance Films to bring Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour to Greenfield. The recorded concert will play with limited shows starting Friday, Oct. 13, through Sunday, Nov. 5. Except for Halloween, all shows will be Thursday through Sunday nights. "You will have a better view than you would from the nosebleeds at Gillette [Stadium],'' said Garden co-owner Angela Mass in a news release. The concert film includes music spanning a 17-year award-winning...
Scott Farm, a source for more than 130 varieties of heirloom apples and other fruit, recently opened their Farm Market and Pippin's Café for the season and is hosting a number of events this fall. Following a devastating freeze in May, 90% of the farm's apple crop was lost. The surviving 10%, however, are being offered for sale exclusively at the Scott Farm Market and for use in the farm's handmade baked goods, French-style hard cider, and sweet cider. "They...
Obituaries • Irma U. Bartlett, 86, of Winchester, New Hampshire. Died Aug. 29, 2023 at Applewood Nursing Home in Winchester. Irma was born in Warwick, Massachusetts on Sept. 12, 1936, the daughter of the late Warren and Edith (Hescock) Underwood. She attended local schools, graduating from Wilmington High School. Irma worked as a postal clerk for the U.S. Postal Service for 30 years. She enjoyed gardening, knitting, reading, bowling, church activities, baking, and the 1955 Group. She cherished times spent...
Southeast Vermont is a place full of well-intentioned, compassionate people. The officially sanctioned infrastructure here for helping vulnerable individuals and families is impressive. But outside of the accepted conduits for helping - like volunteering and donating to government recognized nonprofits - how are we each empowered (or not) to make the change we want to see in our community? It can be easy to let the government and nonprofits be in control and set the tone of the conversation, but...
I ask our new town manager to carefully investigate our EMS situation and, after making an informed decision, to speak with all Selectboard members, encouraging them to vote yes to bringing back Rescue Inc. I encourage the Selectboard to make amends for the secret decision of the previous town manager to sack Rescue Inc. by signing a new contract with Rescue Inc. The cost of enhancing our fire department to include EMS services is irresponsibly expensive. Admit you made a...
Nancy Braus seeks to blame Ronald Reagan for the current housing situation, from unaffordability to lack of options. Haven't we had some Democratic party presidents since Reagan? Haven't Democrats had control of the House and Senate at times since Reagan was president? Don't Democrats run any states, or cities, where, presumably, they have "fixed" the housing problem? In Vermont, the Democratic Party has complete control of the Legislature, yet Vermont has the second-highest homeless population per capita, second only to...
About 2,000 tailgaters ago, I wrote a commentary about tailgating. I was open to thinking that tailgaters' ideas about tailgating could be something altogether different from mine. After all, they're looking at my rear end while I'm looking for their front end. I likened tailgaters to flocks of birds dancing in three-dimensional high-speed harmony and warned that all it takes is one tailgater - bird or human, with a sprained wing or cardiac arrest - to throw an entire system...
No filters, no makeup, no pink, no costumes - just an impromptu trip to see the Barbie movie. It almost felt like we were breaking some unspoken rule based on all the fanfare I've seen, but we both needed to know what the hubbub was and had a rare evening of no scheduled work or meetings. So my son James and I made a last-minute decision to ditch all the have-tos on our lists and trek to Brattleboro's historic Latchis...
Sometimes it feels like Brattleboro is under siege, but it's a siege that is hard to define. Is it drug addiction? Is it homelessness? Is it panhandling? Is it theft? Is it a mental health issue? Is it all of the above? Just one or two of the above? No one can say exactly what is happening, but it's a conundrum that exists all over the United States. "Homelessness and other signs of disorder, like public drug use and disturbing...
You published a statement from the Aug. 23 Putney Selectboard meeting by Chair Aileen Chute. I can't think of a better example of a highly competent leader in local government explaining to people that their behavior cannot change the way town policies work. By simply reading her statement, I learned a lot about how good town planning protects people. While strong housing trusts and land trusts are far from perfect, I am grateful that we have them providing alternatives to...
Thank you to Kira Storm for taking the time to share her perspective. I had heard passing reference to the policy change of FIDE (the International Chess Federation), but knowing nothing about that world, I didn't have any context. I especially appreciate her raising the double standard in the decision around trans women versus trans men - stripping prizes won by trans men when they were living as girls or women does seem punitive indeed (just cruelty for its own...
The resolution that we passed at Representative Town Meeting this year directed the Selectboard to "set up a process to determine the future of emergency medical services in Brattleboro that is transparent and takes into account the opinions of town residents." The process should be fair and unbiased. The genesis of this resolution was the town's abrupt announcement on April 11, 2022 of its intent to sever a five-decade relationship with Rescue Inc. This strategy was made in secret, with...
When the Brattleboro Union High School Bears football team took the field in the season opener against Middlebury on Sept. 1 at Natowich Field, and voices singing the national anthem rose to the line "and the rockets' red glare," in the sky appeared a small Cessna 182. Perfectly poised, the plane, piloted by 17-year-old BUHS senior Ben Berg, saluted the team and celebrated the first varsity sports event at the school with its new mascot, the Bears. "It was awesome,"
It might seem crazy to buy land with the hope that it will flood, but that's exactly what the Vermont River Conservancy (VRC) has done through its purchase of 12 acres along the Whetstone Brook. With permits in place, VRC and the town of Brattleboro are jointly cleaning up and restoring the land to its former flood plain status in an effort to reduce future flood damage downtown. VRC, whose mission is to permanently protect special lands along Vermont's rivers,
Brattleboro Food Co-op General Manager Lee Bradford is leaving after 15 months. Bradford came here to the job from Fresno, California with 26 years of business management expertise in a variety of industries. He previously served as general manager for FreshKO Produce Services, Inc., a $100 million produce sales and distribution company with more than 150 employees. Co-op Board President Jerlyn Wilson addressed Bradford’s leaving, which was not explained in any press release, other than his saying it was not...
Sandglass Theater, founded in 1982 by Eric Bass and Ines Zeller Bass, has a mission that's clearly manifest in all they offer. The nonprofit is "dedicated to the arts of theater and puppetry as a means of exploring contemporary issues, inspiring dialogue, and sparking wonder - by creating original ensemble performances and collaborations, presenting diverse theater artists, producing events that serve our communities, and teaching our art." Living up to it all, this venerable player on the area's lively arts...
There is immense prejudice in Brattleboro regarding the growing homeless population here. I have experienced it firsthand, and so have many others. This town likes to bill itself as an all-welcoming community, but those of us who have lived and worked in this town (as I have) rather than merely recreating here know better. There is a dark side to Brattleboro. The moneyed interests in this town would rather see the homeless and working class population disappear. Why? It's gentrification,