O Brothers
Semicircled around a single microphone, the three musicians lean in close. “Ain’t got no use,” intones guitarist John Cleary, all earnest and forlorn, on the old-time Appalachian melody “Sugar Babe.” “Ain’t got no use for that red rocking chair,” mandolinist Beau Stapleton and banjo player Abby Washburn chime in with bittersweet, spine-tingling, three-part harmony. “Got…
Global Watching: Montreal’s international film festival takes on the world
The most poignant moment of last summer’s Montréal World Film Festival came on a sultry Friday night, when thousands of people squeezed behind barricades on a section of Ste-Catherine closed to traffic. As Yugoslavian actor-director-bassist Emir Kusturica’s No Smoking Orchestra cranked out its trademark “gypsy techno-rock,” the lead singer invited about a dozen young women…
Speaker Bernie?
The U.S. House of Representatives is currently composed of 223 Republicans, 211 Democrats and one Independent. That’s our Bernie Sanders. Sanders’ reelection isn’t in doubt. What is in doubt is which political party will control the House come January. Since Ol’ Bernardo enjoys a special relationship with the Democrat Party in Congress, a relationship that…
Crabby Cabbie
I was in a foul mood, but somehow Id made it nearly all the way through the night without incident. Thats no small thing on a Saturday. On any given shift and this is doubly true on weekend nights a few aggressively obnoxious people can be expected to pass through your taxi. Years…
Back Talk
Low note: Working for the National Symphony Orchestra gives Daryl Donley access to plenty of performances. But the former technical director of the Vermont Symphony Orchestra never expected to find himself with a front-row seat for the grisly spectacle he saw, and photographed, on September 11, 2001. Donley was waiting in traffic, a stone’s throw…
Flick Chick
acting up north Wanted: Anglo man and woman who can pass for 65 or older in low-budget short film. Previous acting experience required. Must be available for one week in early October and willing to travel to Lacolle, Québec. Accommodations provided. No pay, but small honorarium possible. Philippe Spurrell of Montréal hopes this casting call…
Shore Thing: A North Beach Portrait
North Beach is located in one of America’s whitest states — the slice of Vermont’s “west coast” even has a white-bread name. So diversity among the beachgoers might be your last expectation. Yet Burlington’s sandy playground has become a multicultural parade. Just listen and you’ll hear languages and accents from Europe, Africa and Asia. Young…
Best of Show? Why the Champlain Valley Fair Won’t Bag the Ag
Now that Williston’s been malled and McMansions are increasingly encroaching on the farms of Shelburne and Charlotte, Chittenden County’s long-standing harvest-time institution is starting to feel like an anachronism. With its rural values and suburban surroundings, what does the Champlain Valley Fair want to be: an end-of-summer carnival or a showcase of agricultural traditions? Both,…
That Sinking Feeling: A scuba-newbie learns what lies beneath
Ever dream of swimming alongside manta rays? Communing with the wonders of the deep? Underwater exploration has appealed to me ever since I was old enough to stay up for “National Geographic Explorer.” As a kid I loved snorkeling, though most of what I saw around the Great Lakes was sand, weeds and tiny rock…
