Louis Erlanger
Belting it out
Next Stage Arts Project presents Naomi Shelton & The Gospel Queens on Saturday, Sept. 14, at 7:30 p.m., returning to Putney after rocking the house for sold-out crowds at their two previous appearances.
Formed in 1999, Naomi Shelton & The Gospel Queens' music is hardcore soul and R&B, with deep roots in gospel.
Bigoted letter had no place here
I am puzzled that The Commons decided to print this bigoted letter. “I am exploring with great fascination Vermont culture, specifically that of the white Anglo-Saxon protestant, or WASP. Your actions fit my cultural stereotypes too well. I was stung by a WASP again.” If these three sentences do...
Months after flood, businesses caught in the middle
Black Mountain Square tenants forced to absorb costs of recovery while waiting for town, two subcontractors to take responsibility
Though more than two months have passed since sewage-tainted water overflowing from a gravity pipe being installed by the town flooded the 10 businesses in Black Mountain Square, none of the parties involved in the construction has assumed responsibility. Total damages to the businesses and the building that houses...
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Influenza is not a ‘benign illness’
I was disturbed by Jacqueline Brook's piece, which refers to influenza as a “benign illness” that should be looked at as “a guilt-free excuse to read a stack of good books.” It is clear Ms. Brook has never contracted a severe case of influenza. I have, and reading a stack of books was not an option as I staggered into my doctor's office, collapsed in his arms, and had to lie on a bed being fed fluids intravenously for the...
School of Rock
Ten-year-old Oak Grove School student Rei Kimura has been musical since her early childhood. When she was 8, her grandfather, who played blues guitar, bought her a guitar, and she's been working to master it ever since. She plays in bands around Brattleboro, attends open mics at the Loft in Cotton Mill Hill, and takes private lessons from her neighbor Kevin Parry, who runs the open mics on Thursdays at The Marina restaurant. This summer, Kimura joins a small group...
Regional label rides a wave of success
On a Sunday afternoon this past January, singer Rachael Price watched a group of young girls perform a Martha and the Vandellas song on a stage inside a large barn in northwestern Massachusetts. The barn was part of the Institute for the Musical Arts, a music school for girls, and Price was in residency for the weekend. When the group finished their song, Price enthusiastically complimented them and then gave them tips on how to improve. She appeared as excited...
In Muscle Shoals, Ala., the rhythmic groove was the thing
The film Muscle Shoals chronicles the life of Rick Hall, a poverty-stricken Alabama native with a number of personal tragedies under his belt. In the 1960s, Hall assembled a group of white teenage musicians as the house band at Fame Studios, a new recording studio he had built in the small town of Muscle Shoals, Ala. Incredibly, “You Better Move On,” the first tune they recorded, was an instant hit. Sung by Arthur Alexander, a young black bellhop at a...
Marcel a gain
It was great to read Joyce Marcel's new column in The Commons. She is a world-class writer who consistently presents her thoughts like a fine piece of music, and this town is very lucky to have her. The Reformer's loss is The Commons' gain. Thank you.