By WILL ROSS
BRANDON—The Brandon Town Hall was the place to be last Saturday night. Local band, The Grift brought the heat on a frigid February evening with a lively performance featuring a mix of familiar covers along with many originals you won’t soon forget. The Grift’s upbeat selection of songs, tight vocals, and rocking guitar solos brought the audience to their feet and put the dance floor to good use, proving that even the subzero temperatures weren’t enough to quell the spirit of town residents.
The event was put on by the Brandon Recreation Department as one of many events that will be
featured in the coming year. Over 100 local residents were in attendance and the Town Hall provided a great venue with plenty of seating and lots of open space to get up and dance. The show was catered by local chef Nyam Bai who specializes in Cambodian fusion cuisine. Along with her famous Cambodian spring rolls, Bai had prepared plenty of baked goods and other delectable treats for audience members to enjoy. There were also beverages being served by Red Clover Ale Company, a local brewery just around the corner from the Town Hall.
Assistant Recreation Director Colleen Wright noted that the town is trying to hold events like this as often as possible. “Before Covid, we were having one event every other week, and we are trying to get back into the swing of things,” said Wright. The Recreation Department is emphasizing getting local bands to come out to perform. They have a variety of events in store for the coming spring, and with Saturday’s show, it is evident that these events have a lot to offer.
As audience members saw on Saturday, The Grift have a tendency to transcend genres between and even within songs, making their sound difficult to classify. Their style is rooted in rock, with elements of pop, and funk woven throughout, all brought to the surface by the jam-band nature of the performances. The music is upbeat and groovy, with plenty of catchy hooks and vocal harmonies contrasted with skillful improvisation. Bassist Peter Day described the experience on Saturday as “fantastic,” adding that he was pleasantly surprised with the degree of engagement from the audience. “We delivered the goods,” remarked Day, in reference to the positive response from the crowd.
The Grift has been together for over 20 years, originally forming in 1999 with Middlebury College students Clint Bierman and Jeff Vallone on guitar and drums, respectively. Bassist Peter Day joined in 2003, and since then the band has been playing at a variety of clubs, weddings, and events. Recently The Grift gained a new official member with Josh Panda, guitarist and vocalist extraordinaire. Saturday’s show featured Clint Bierman on guitar, Peter Day on bass, Josh Panda on guitar. Drummer Ryan Clausen held down the beat and at one point even snuck in a drum solo.
Despite its rich history, the band members are feeling more excited the future recently. “We are super fired up about it,” said Bierman. Day echoed this sentiment: “I can honestly say I am more excited about it now than ever.” Day attributed this bright outlook to a combination of reasons. “I think that Clint and my songwriting has bloomed,” said Day. “A couple of years ago it started really clicking.” This was evident as the band played as many as five new songs on Saturday each of which had a great response. “And the other reason is Josh Panda,” Day continued. “Having Josh on board as a full-time Grift member has rejuvenated everything… He is on such a level vocally, songwriting, everything.” Panda’s vocals and guitar work certainly brought more depth to Saturday’s show, and really showcased the wide range of ability levels within the group.
When asked how the band’s sound has been evolving over the years, Day said, “It definitely has honed, a lot of it is the songwriting.” Referring to the newfound synchronicity in the songwriting process, he added, “We kind of found our thing, great musicianship, with tight songs.”
The Grift skillfully uses familiar elements of songwriting while still maintaining originality with their tunes. “We do it with deep passion and deep respect,” said Day. This passion shines through and it is clear that all the energy they bring to their shows comes from a love for music, and a desire to share it with people. The band members have many side projects going on including Peter Day’s recently released solo album, A Question of Remembering, featuring seven singles that were released over the course of 2022. There is a new Grift album coming out which Day confidently felt will be the best one yet. Group members have another band called Neon Ramblers, which takes classic 80s pop tunes and reshapes them into a bluegrass style. Upcoming events, new releases, and side projects can all be found on the band’s website.
All in all, Saturday’s performance by The Grift had a great turnout and audience members evidently had a stellar time. Upcoming events at the Brandon Town Hall include the continuation of Brandon Idol, a showing of an indie film called Butterfly Queen from a local Vermont filmmaker, World of Hurt Wrestling, and Wildlife Encounters, along with other local bands and additional events. And if Saturday’s show is any indication of what some of these events have in store, it will certainly be an eventful spring in the little town of Brandon.
