Musical happenings in and around the Capital City

By ED DUFRESNE Arts Correspondent – Published: November 20, 2009

Wow, I hardly know where to begin this week. There are so many great offerings around the area this weekend, it’s hard to know where to start. Rest assured if you’re looking for quality live performance, there’s something for everyone, so, here we go!

Ah to be young, beautiful and super-talented. … Not many can be all three, but there are those exceptional folks that possess these qualities in spades, and the North Carolina duo The Stereofidelics are just those kind of folks. The virtuosic multi-instrumentalist team of Chris Padgett (guitar, keyboards, loops, vocals) and Melissa McGinley (electric violin, drums, vocals) are truly stunning musicians whose youthfulness makes their immense talent even more impressive. Their high-energy sound combines elements of jazz, folk, classical and rock into a frenetic stew of auditory delight, and you’ll be amazed so much sound can come out of only two people. Prepare to be stunned tonight at Charlie-O’s World Famous on Main Street in Montpelier, starting at 9:30 p.m. It will be some of the most impressive musicianship you’ll ever witness in a dive bar, guaranteed.

Saturday night at O’s, local favorite pickers The Mad Mountain Scramblers come up from the valley with their upbeat bluegrass music in tow. They’ll take the back of the barroom at 10 p.m. And, as always at O’s, it’s all for free – woohoo!

I’ve been able to give the Granite City of Barre some love in this column lately, and that is because of the outstanding programming that has been lined up at the Barre Opera House this fall season. The trend continues this weekend, with great shows that offer a triumvirate of entertainment options: Tonight starts off with comedy featuring three of the finest funny-men the Northeast has to offer. Joey Carroll, Rob Steen and Dave Rattigan have appeared at prestigious comedy festivals in Boston and Montreal as well as on TV, and all three have divergent styles to offer a well rounded evening of laughs. The $20 show starts at 8 p.m.

Saturday night at the Opera House, a very special show of a different kind takes the area’s finest stage when The Sacred Forest features music from accomplished local musician Gordon Stone’s latest “Night Shade,” alongside the West African choreography of Elhadji Mamadou Ba from Senegal. The 7 p.m. show is a mere $10 in advance, and free for kids 6 and under, a price that can’t be beat for what is sure to be an excellent collaboration.

Finally, on Sunday, the world-famous Flying Karamazov Brothers close out the weekend with their “zany combination of theater, comedy, music, and juggling with a bit of philosophy thrown in for good measure.” The 3 p.m. show is $10-$30 and more information can be had at www.barreoperahouse.org. Kudos to BOH director Dan Casey for bringing such excellent and diverse talent to our neck of the woods this fall.

Back over in Montpeculiar, Langdon Street Café helps the town live up to the moniker with the most unique offerings of the weekend in a weekend full of unique offerings. Avant-folk chamber-pop anyone? LSC has it tonight when Portland, Oregon-based Ah Holly Fam’ly rolls into town along with fellow Portlandites Ohioan. I listened to both online, and difficult to describe is an understatement. Picture Peter, Paul and Mary, Donovan and Hank Williams playing in a chamber orchestra in a dark basement while tripping on acid, and you get some idea of the music these acts purvey. If you’re looking for something strange and wonderful, this is a show for you.

And speaking of trippy, one of the most promising new-ish Vermont acts plays LSC Saturday night when electro-acoustic experimental trio Durians takes the diminutive stage at the corner of Elm and Langdon. Can you dance to it? Yes. Would you want to? Maybe. Is it adventurous, interesting, awesomely arranged live electronic music? Definitely. Highly recommended for a $5 suggested donation. Both shows start at 9 p.m.

And, a very special weeknight show takes place at LSC this week when excellent alt-singer-songwriter Robert Sarazin Blake plays on Tuesday. He’s like a punk-rock version of Dylan singing in Leonard Cohen’s vocal key (and yes, I made that up having seen him before, so if you judge it inaccurate, go ahead and sue me). Caitlin Canty and Matt Bryan open the show starting at 7 p.m.

For fans of Gypsy music (an all-encompassing term that I’m using generically here to capture a variety of ethnic folk music), The Black Door is the place to be this weekend when two great bands playing music from different strains of the canon take the third floor lounge stage at 44 Main St. in Montpelier. Tonight, all-female foursome Zora appears. Forming out of a singing-camp trip a few years back with Vermont-based vocal troupe Village Harmony, they perform traditional songs from Bosnia, Serbia and Macedonia. The mostly vocal-harmony based group augments their outstanding voices with accordion and clarinet.

Saturday night, Burlington-based ensemble Lokum plays music of the Balkans, Turkey and Armenia for your dancing pleasure. A very ethnically traditional weekend of tunes at the Door, for sure. Both shows start at 9:30 for the usual honor cover.

As I’ve stated before, we are extremely lucky to be able to have so much quality local and touring talent performing in our little neck of the woods, so, count your blessings and go see live music!

Ed DuFresne is the former talent coordinator at Langdon Street Café, occasionally produces concerts, and books at various venues in the area on a freelance basis. He lives in Montpelier with owners of a local vintage clothing franchise and an annoying bird named Lucy.