Soundbites: Sarah King Fights for What's Right; James Kochalka Superstar Unleashes the Mummy 

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• Courtesy of Arielle Thomas
• Sarah King

It can be a little weird the first time you try to describe to non-southerners how politics work down in the so-called Bible Belt. The prevailing notion among northerners is that it's basically a bunch of old, white Evangelical racists who love good food, bad music and discrimination. To be fair, that's not really far off from the mark in some spots. But, as with most things in life, the reality is more complex.

Though I was born in the North and have lived in Vermont for decades, I spent my formative years growing up in Rocky Mount, N.C. It's a weird place, full of murder — two serial killers at once, y'all! — history, institutionalized racism and some really good Mexican restaurants. (Also, Thelonious Monk was born there. But even though he moved to New York City when he was 5, I'm pretty sure he hated Rocky Mount.) There are certainly plenty of the kind of white-haired, slow-speaking old dudes who love to gerrymander voting districts to limit Black voters and tell women what to do with their bodies.

For all those unpleasant characters, however, scores of people I know in North Carolina have huge hearts, a love of their fellow humans and a real desire to make things better. More importantly, they are much more directly affected by the actions of less well-intentioned people sitting on courts and in Congress than we are in Vermont.

Singer-songwriter Sarah King knows all about it. The Vermont-based Americana and blues rocker originally hails from Georgia and is keenly aware of how recent political and judicial decisions have rocked her home state, as well as the rest of America.

"In the South, as a girl, you're encouraged to sit down and shut up," King recently told me by phone. "My music is in some ways a reaction to that."

King's most recent release, The Hour, shows a more riled-up side to her songwriting. The 2021 EP, produced by Simone Felice of the Felice Brothers, is a countrified condemnation of the patriarchy, even featuring a few murder ballads that just about edge into the wish-fulfillment zone.

"I know my last EP was a little tough for dudes to hear, and I have so, so many wonderful men in my life," King continued. "But when it comes to old white dude energy in places like the Supreme Court ... yeah, I'm not sitting down and shutting up about that."

King, who was recently awarded a Creation Grant from the Vermont Arts Council for her upcoming record, recalled preparing to shoot some promotional videos when her phone buzzed and she saw the news that Roe v. Wade had been overturned, opening the way for red states to ban or restrict abortion access.

"I was supposed to shoot these videos, but I couldn't because I was just crying," she said. "I alternated between wondering what the fuck was even happening and trying to figure out something I could do to actually help."

So, she reached out to South Burlington nightclub Higher Ground about staging a benefit show. King knew she didn't want to do something small and that she wanted to bring in a collection of female artists who would be similarly motivated to make a difference.

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• Courtesy of Luke Awtry
• Father Figuer

With the help of folks at Higher Ground, King put together a lineup of some of Vermont's best female artists and female-fronted bands for the Reproductive Rights Rally. Featuring soul siren Kat Wright, singer-songwriter-producer Francesca Blanchard, cosmic pop outfit Acquamossa and indie rockers Father Figuer, the show takes place on Friday, September 23, as part of the club's outdoor summer series, Backside 405, in Burlington's South End. The lineup also features guest speakers and community leaders talking between sets.

"I think it's a perfect balance of badass women," King said of the bill.

The show took a few months to put together, during which time King grew increasingly concerned as the news cycle seemed to pivot away from the loss of abortion rights.

"It's still overturned, you know? It hasn't miraculously come back," she said. "So, we have to stay fired up and not care if it pisses some people off, honestly. I want everyone to be able to enjoy my music, but look ... if you still think Roe v. Wade should have been overturned, then I don't really want your money anyway."

Where King does want money going is to the National Network of Abortion Funds, the rally's beneficiary, which strives to help people in need by removing financial and logistical barriers to abortion access. The organization is especially important to King, who knows all too well how much more difficult it is to gain access to reproductive health in the southern states.

"I still remember being in my twenties in Georgia and needing surgery," King said. "It wasn't an abortion, but I needed major reproductive surgery. And, honestly, I don't think I'd be able to get that care in Georgia today."

By linking up with the NNAF, King wants to help those in communities who need it the most, her former home included. It's a fitting goal for the southern expat, who is currently in the middle of a tour through the Southeast.

"When I'm back down south, I'm not going into clubs guns blazing and telling people how to live their life," she said. "At the end of the day, I want to connect with people through my music, not push anyone away. But I've come a long way from the girl who grew up in Georgia and being told to keep my opinions to myself. I'm going to stick up for what's right."

Visit highergroundmusic.com for tickets and details.

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• Brian McCarthy and Ray Vega

Saxophonist and composer Brian McCarthy has formed a new 17-piece orchestra. And what have you done with your day, you lazy bastard? Just kidding. We can't all form massive jazz bands.

McCarthy is using his new, big-ass group — real name: the Brian McCarthy Jazz Orchestra — to feature guest artists on a mini tour of Vermont. It starts on Friday, September 23, with a free show at the McCarthy Arts Center at Saint Michael's College. Local jazz legend Ray Vega and his trumpet will be featured, and the orchestra will showcase both Latin jazz originals and classic standards that McCarthy and Vega have arranged.

The urge to try something on this scale came to McCarthy during the COVID-19 lockdown.

"I have always wanted to write for my own Jazz Orchestra featuring the talent we have here in Vermont, and the pandemic really pushed me to not wait any longer," he wrote in a press release for the event.

After the St. Mike's show, there will be three more chances to catch the Brian McCarthy Jazz Orchestra live: Saturday, September 24, at the Alexander Twilight Theater at Northern Vermont University-Lyndon; Friday, September 30, at the E. Glenn Giltz Auditorium at SUNY Plattsburgh in New York; and Saturday, October 1, at Spruce Peak Performing Arts Center in Stowe. Check out brianmccarthyjazz.com for more info.

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• James Kochalka's The Mummy's On The Loose

Yep, you read that song title correctly. The former Dead Kennedys front person joins Kochalka to warn about a killer mummy tearing his way across the Green Mountains. He takes on a Vincent Price-like monologue in the middle of the song, exhorting everyone to "run, don't stop" from the monster.

Also teaming up with Kochalka for the tune is Burlington punk-rock outfit Rough Francis, who provide a massive backing track of pure power. The song itself is a hard-charging, tongue-in-cheek horror romp, with Kochalka warning of a bloodthirsty creature that "hates things that move" and "killed a farmer and a guy from IBM."

Producer/musician Neil Cleary said the track is the first from a forthcoming project of "exciting collaborations James and I have been working on together," promising more info to come. Keep your eyes here for that and, in the meantime, lean into Halloween with the first scary song of the season.