Posted By Dan Bolles on Mon, Nov 13, 2017 at 12:20 PM

It's Monday, which means it's time for your weekly dose of locavore levity: the Joke of the Week! This week's joke comes from Burlington's Sky Sandoval. Take it away, Sky…

Tags: Sky Sandoval , humor , standup , Vermont comedy , Image , Web Only

Posted By Amelia Devoid on Fri, Nov 10, 2017 at 11:05 AM

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Taylor Kracher

Lean.Tee, 'Cerulean Spin'

When the temperature drops and my broke self feel nervous about cranking the thermostat, my bed becomes a down blanket oasis. Maybe that explains why I deeply enjoy seeing the tag "bedroom" as a musical genre. The concept of an artist escaping into their imagination, safely within their sleep nook speaks to my sun in Pisces. There's often an audible intimacy in the softness that the bedroom environment inspires.

Taylor Kracher recorded his debut EP, Cerulean Spin, as Lean.Tee in his bedroom, during the first summer he spent in Vermont. Kracher is a self-declared "trial and error" producer; he plays to his own loops and filters layers of rain and birdsong. And, yeah, it all sounds kinda dreamy.

Tags: Burlington , Lean.Tee , R&B , piano , pop , DIY , indie , electronic , Image , Web Only

Posted By Sadie Williams on Fri, Nov 10, 2017 at 9:41 AM

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Institute for Local Self-Reliance

Stacey Mitchell (left) and Olivia LaVecchia

It should come as no surprise that independent bookstores are more than a little miffed at online monolith Amazon. But mom-and-pop book shops aren't the only businesses affected by the retail giant's ever-expanding reach and dominance. The massive corporation captures one of every two American dollars spent online. That's according to a 2016 report published by Stacy Mitchell and Olivia LaVecchia of the nonprofit advocacy group Institute for Local Self-Reliance.

But two Vermont bookstores are fighting back — or at least, talking about fighting back. Phoenix Books, Northshire Bookstore and local news website VTDigger present a pair of public discussions this week with Mitchell as the featured speaker. The idea: Present listeners with enough info to arm them for the coming retail war — or, more likely (and less dramatically), the long, slow, uphill trudge.

Tags: Bookstores , retail , Amazon , online business , Image , Web Only

Posted By Rachel Elizabeth Jones on Fri, Nov 10, 2017 at 8:42 AM

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Rachel Jones

Drying posters

Do you remember where you were a year ago, when the polls closed, the votes were tallied, and Donald J. Trump was elected 45th president of the United States? In commemoration of this momentous anniversary, community members gathered Thursday night in Burlington for an original and colorful protest: For a $5-10 donation, guests could create their very own poster art by throwing paint-filled balloons at images of Trump and members of his administration.

Tags: Donald Trump , Iskra Print Collective , Burlington , Image , Web Only

Posted By Amy Lilly on Thu, Nov 9, 2017 at 3:18 PM

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Courtesy Glenn Moody Studios

Robert De Cormier

When choral conductor and arranger Robert De Cormier passed away on Sunday at the age of 95, the remembrances were swift and heartfelt. A resident of Belmont with his wife, Louise, since 1956, he was beloved by all, in part because he worked with musicians across all spectrums — musical and otherwise.

Trained at the Juilliard School, De Cormier directed the New York Choral Society for 17 years; he also served as musical director and arranger for the folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary for 30 years. He performed and recorded with such classical-music greats as Jessye Norman, Kathleen Battle and James Levine, while also arranging music for the likes of Harry Belafonte and Pete Seeger.

Tags: Robert De Cormier , choral music , Counterpoint , Vermont , Image , Web Only

Posted By Jordan Adams on Wed, Nov 8, 2017 at 4:41 PM

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Courtesy of Reuben Jackson

Reuben Jackson

Reuben Jackson, host of "Friday Night Jazz" on Vermont Public Radio, announced Tuesday via Facebook that he is leaving the show in April. He has helmed the popular weekly jazz program since 2012 when he replaced George Thomas. Thomas had hosted "Jazz with George Thomas" on VPR for over a decade.

Tags: Reuben Jackson , Vermont Public Radio , jazz , music , Taylor Dobbs , Annie Russell , Robin Turnau , Image , Web Only

Posted By Dan Bolles on Mon, Nov 6, 2017 at 11:59 AM

It's Monday, which means it's time for your weekly dose of locavore levity: the Joke of the Week! This week's joke comes from Burlington's Omega Jade. Take it away, Omega…

Tags: Omega Jade , humor , standup , Vermont comedy , Image , Web Only

Posted By Dan Bolles on Mon, Oct 30, 2017 at 1:49 PM

It's Monday, which means it's time for your weekly dose of locavore levity: the Joke of the Week! This week's joke comes from Burlington's Michael Robinette. Take it away, Michael…

Tags: Michael Robinette , humor , standup , Vermont comedy , Image , Web Only

Posted By Sadie Williams on Tue, Oct 24, 2017 at 4:25 PM

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Viktoria Strecker

Viktoria Strecker taking in the Salt Flats on her roadtrip.

Viktoria Strecker came to Burlington for the first time last year, when she exhibited works in the Moran Plant with two other Germany-based artists in Modes of Conduction, curated by Overnight Projects. Now, the Dusseldorf, Germany-based artist is back. Her month-long residency in the Champlain College Art Gallery began on October 11 and culminates in an exhibition at the campus gallery that opens on Thursday evening.

The show, titled "Inversion," is guest curated by Abbey Meaker, the founding director of Overnight Projects. (Curator Chris Thompson stepped down from his role as the gallery's curator in August when he became the Burlington Generator's new executive director.) "Inversion" will feature sculptural installations created with a 3D pen alongside drawings inspired, in part, by iconic American vistas. All of the work in the gallery has been created on US soil, much of it during a cross-country road trip Strecker took before coming to Vermont.

Strecker, 30, was born in Hannover, Germany, and is in her last year at the prestigious arts academy Kunstakademie Dusseldorf. 

Tags: Viktoria Strecker , Champlain College Art Gallery , installation art , Burlington , Image , Web Only

Posted By Dan Bolles on Mon, Oct 23, 2017 at 2:33 PM

It's Monday, which means it's time for your weekly dose of locavore levity: the Joke of the Week! This week's joke comes from New Haven's Katie Gillespie. Take it away, Katie…

Tags: Katie Gillespie , humor , standup , Vermont comedy , Image , Web Only