By JEFF SACKS
Jolie Holland at Ruth Stone House
Jolie Holland (https://joliehollandmusic.com/) blew into Goshen on Friday, January 12 for an intimate event at The Ruth Stone House (RSH), accompanied by Ben Boye on synthesizer. For those unfamiliar with Holland’s stylings, she’s “a warm lo-fi bluesy Norah Jones crossed with Lucinda Williams,” and her smooth, generous tones were a welcome gift against the backdrop of the blustery winds that were only just beginning to howl.
Holland entertained revelers with her rich tapestry of songs interspersed with tales and inspirations for said songs, such as “Old Fashioned Morphine,” which is based on a dream she had of William S. Burroughs, famed morphine addict and author of “Naked Lunch.”
The event was limited to 30 donation-based tickets, with the proceeds going toward supporting the nonprofit national literary landmark RSH as well as the musicians. The happening was recorded and will be posted online, so check back in at RSH’s website (https://ruthstonehouse.org/).
RSH was established in 2013 and serves to fulfill the poet Ruth Stone’s wish that her physical and literary estate be used for the furthering of poetry and the creative arts. The organization was created to both cultivate and celebrate the works and legacy of the poet herself and maintain her historic property in Goshen.
RSH creates and nurtures a community that supports making the literary arts, particularly poetry and bookmaking, a vital and enriching aspect of people’s lives.
Yurtbags at Red Clover
After the overnight windstorm blew through town Saturday night with gusts as strong at 60-70 mph, one of Brandon’s favorite local acts, The Yurtbags, generated its own musical fury for a few hours at Red Clover Ale Co.
The quintet, fronted by Monique Monette and backed by Jim McCuen on bass, Rob McCuen on guitar, Matt Davis on drums, and OVUHS’s own Kenny Cifone playing trumpet and electric piano, were their usual tight selves, making anyone who could appreciate such skill wonder just how much they practice to sound that good.
Playing popular rock tunes from The Police’s “Roxanne” to The Grateful Dead’s “Fire on the Mountain” to Led Zeppelin’s “Ramble On,” as well as some musical interpretations, every rendition earned raucous applause. The highlight of the night had to be their version of AC/DC’s “Shook You All Night Long,” whereby the youths in attendance got their locks a rockin’ to the big, fun-loving beats.
Open Mic Thursday at Red Clover
As if Holland’s and The Yurtbags’ performances weren’t enough to entertain area folks, Red Clover’s Open Mic kicked off all these musical festivities with local talent that would make Seattle’s rock scene in the 1990s jealous.
The night was sponsored by A Sound Space (https://www.asoundspacevt.com/), a full-service practice facility with a full backline and everything needed to rehearse. The studio is co-located with Be Music at 162 Woodstock Ave. in Rutland. They offer a wide variety of supports to artists, including one-on-one mentoring, EPK/content development/promotional supports, workshops and classes and connections to other area musicians. It’s also a place where people can do DIY recording or video or work with house engineer Josh Cote of Aformal Audio.
If you’ve not been to Red Clover on Thursday night for Open Mic, you don’t know what you’ve been missing, but you will be pleasantly surprised at just how much musical talent there is just around the corner if you give it a try. You might even make a new friend, enjoy an award-winning beer, or grab a bite to eat at any number of local purveyors.
