Now you see it; now you don’t. Rincon Pizzeria and Tapas Bar, which opened in October in the space formerly occupied by Manhattan Pizza & Pub, is already gone. The nascent restaurant and bar, which featured Puerto Rican-inspired tapas as well as pizza, has been closed since early November.
Co-owner Nathan MacAlpine did not respond to Seven Days‘ requests for comment, but one look in the former restaurant’s windows indicates that no one will be eating arepas there anytime soon. Much of the space has been ripped up, suggesting a construction project in progress.
Rincon had an uphill fight on its hands, considering that Manhattan’s former owner, David Quintana, remained as one of Rincon’s investors. After Quintana fired several long-serving bartenders via text message in July, much of the staff walked out, which led to social media calls for a boycott.
MacAlpine and the other investors hoped to start a new chapter. The former told Seven Days food writer Jordan Barry in October that he and Quintana, who both have Puerto Rican heritage, were “trying to provide foods that are cultural, delicious and vibe with our communities.”
Some locals hoped the new owners would turn Rincon into a regular music venue, which is badly needed in Burlington right now. While early signs were encouraging, such as collaborations with reggae outfit Satta Sound, open mics and Hip-Hop Thursdays, the stage currently sits as empty as the restaurant.
As of this writing, I have seen nary a snowflake in the November sky, but I have it on good authority that World Cup ski racing returns to Vermont this weekend. Killington Resort plays host to the 2024 Stifel Killington Cup, featuring U.S. Olympians Mikaela Shiffrin, AJ Hurt and Nina O’Brien.
This isn’t a sports column, so why am I going on about ski racing? Because the fine folks at Killington have booked quite a weekend of music to celebrate the race. Los Angeles indie-pop act Fitz and the Tantrums headline the event, joined by Matt Quinn of Mt. Joy, ’90s alt-rockers Eve 6, and New York City DJ and author Ross One. Throw in the opening parade on Saturday morning and an après-ski party hosted by World Cup Rebels to benefit the World Cup Dreams Foundation, and it doesn’t sound like they even need to bother making snow!
I’m kidding! Don’t throw your poles at me, you cold weather-loving oddballs. Head over to killington.com for tickets and more info.
Burlington indie singer-songwriter Greg Freeman announced last week that he’s rereleasing his 2023 LP, I Looked Out, via Transgressive and Canvasback Records. The album will also be available on vinyl for the first time, dropping on January 17 in a record store near you. To celebrate, Freeman has released two bonus tracks. The digital rerelease will include an acoustic version of his song “Long Distance Driver” featuring Pittsburgh indie-folk singer Merce Lemon, while the vinyl release will feature a sound collage called “Sound Tests, Scraps, Lists.”
Burlington native and current NYC-based rapper rivan has a new track out: “deep blue,” with production from Grammy-nominated Stoic. The track reflects rivan’s indie-R&B influences, such as Blood Orange, Jean Dawson and King Krule. A slow-burning, washed-out jam, it mixes rivan’s singing with his rapping, effortlessly moving from melody to flow. It’s available now on all streaming services.
Ruminations, the project of Winooski indie and experimental artist Greg Bonsignore, also released a new single this week, “Carnival in Town.” A sort of spoken-word, indie-folk freak-out, it features Bonsignore uttering lines such as “Who invited you to my movie?” and “You’ve been banned from the dumpster of my mind.” The track has a wonderfully twisted charm. Ruminations are set to play a single-release show on Saturday, December 21, at Radio Bean in Burlington, along with local indie-rock outfit Kitbash.
Also getting in on the new-release action is Burlington synth-pop band Night Protocol. Their new single, “Mindkiller,” is a hard-charging slice of neon-coated synth-rock just begging to be used for a cinematic training montage. As the title hints, the song is heavily influenced by the Frank Herbert science fiction classic Dune. Worm rock? Spice-core? Arrakis and roll? So many possibilities! The bandmates also shot and released a video for the track, which is streaming now on YouTube.
Eye on the Scene
Last week’s live music highlights from photographer Luke Awtry
Hug Your Farmer: A Night at the Opry at the Flynn Main Stage in Burlington, Friday, November 22: After the devastating 2011 fire at Pete’s Greens in Craftsbury, the creative thinkers at marketing agency Select Design launched the Hug Your Farmer benefit concert series. The goal was to support Vermont farm recovery efforts by pledging all proceeds from shows to the selected beneficiaries. Last Friday at the Flynn in Burlington, local guitarist Bob Wagner led the Hug Your Farmer house band on a 26-song journey, inspired by the music of the Grand Ole Opry, to benefit the VT Flood Response & Recovery Fund. The night featured a large cast of Vermont musicians, including Grace Potter, Phish bassist Mike Gordon and his daughter Tessa, and Guster’s Ryan Miller. To conclude the evening, every performer came back onstage for a rendition of the Carter Family’s “Can the Circle Be Unbroken (By and By).” The sold-out crowd rose to its feet to join in, and if old buildings could smile, the Flynn would’ve been ear to ear. Amid the chaos onstage, I found my moment of zen: There stood U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) arm in arm with banjoist Pappy Biondo, swaying and singing as if they had been friends for life. Based on what I saw that night, Mr. and Mrs. Carter, the answer is a resounding yes.
Listening In
Playlist of Vermont jams
This article appears in Nov 27 – Dec 3, 2024.
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