Posted By Jordan Adams on Sat, Aug 8, 2020 at 2:09 PM

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File: Luke Awtry Photography

Ray Vega

More live music is coming to the Burlington area, courtesy of the Flynn. On Friday, the performing arts center announced a new series called Hurly Burly, a string of free, outdoor, socially distant performances co-presented by the University of Vermont's Lane Series and the Burlington Discover Jazz Festival. Beginning on Saturday, August 15, with Latin jazz trumpeter, educator, bandleader and VPR host Ray Vega, the series will continue through September.

"Hurly Burly is an experiment," Flynn artistic director Steve MacQueen wrote in a press release. "If people can't come to the arts, then we'll bring the arts to the people, and we'll do it as safely as possible."

Tags: The Flynn , Ray Vega , Matthew Evan Taylor , Ro Freeman , Vermont Symphony Orchestra , Lyric Theatre Company , KeruBo , Burlington Taiko , Mal Maiz , Dwight & Nicole , Daniel Bernard Roumain , Web Only , Image

Posted By Dan Bolles on Sun, Jul 12, 2020 at 2:58 PM

File Photo ©️ Seven Days

Gordon Stone

Iconic Vermont musician Gordon Stone died early Friday morning, according to his wife, Jennifer Harwood Stone. He was 70.

She announced Stone's death today in a post on his personal Facebook page:

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Posted By Dan Bolles on Thu, Jun 25, 2020 at 2:53 PM

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Margaret Grayson

The Flynn marquee

The Flynn in Burlington announced on Thursday that it will not hold any performances on its Main Stage for the remainder of 2020 due to operating restrictions related to the coronavirus pandemic.

"This was not a decision made lightly, and we explored many possible alternatives before concluding that we cannot safely host performances in the theater for the remainder of this year," said interim executive director Charlie Smith in a press release. "Right now, we are unable to open to normal operations, but we’re eager to resume activity and will do so as soon as possible."

Posted By Jordan Adams on Thu, Jun 18, 2020 at 2:14 PM

Courtesy of Bandcamp

Bandcamp Record Store and Performance Space in downtown Oakland, Calif.

On Friday, June 19, online music store and streaming platform Bandcamp will donate 100 percent of its sales to the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund. June 19, or Juneteenth, is a 155-year-old holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States.

"The current moment is part of a long-standing, widespread, and entrenched system of structural oppression for people of color, and real progress requires a sustained and sincere commitment to political, social, and economic racial justice and change," Bandcamp cofounder Ethan Diamond wrote in a June 15 statement on the website. "We stand with those rightfully demanding justice, equality, and change, and people of color everywhere who live with racism every single day."

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Posted By Jordan Adams on Wed, Jun 17, 2020 at 8:32 PM

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File: Matt Thorsen

Nectar's

Nectar's and Club Metronome will reopen on Friday, June 19.

The downtown Burlington nightclubs have been dark since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. A press release sent out on Wednesday announced a weekend schedule of live bands and DJs, as well as specifics regarding ticket sales and safety precautions the businesses will enact in order to maintain social distancing.

Tags: Nectar's , Club Metronome , Justin Panigutti , Swimmer , Zach Nugent , Jerry Garcia Band , Goose , Burning Spear , Web Only , Image

Posted By Jordan Adams on Thu, Jun 11, 2020 at 8:23 PM

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File: Matthew Thorsen

Kat Wright

On Tuesday, South Burlington nightclub Higher Ground announced that it had partnered with the Champlain Valley Exposition to host a series of drive-in concerts and events. The first major concert announcement in that series came Thursday: Vermont's Kat Wright performing on Friday, June 19.

But June 19 is also Juneteenth, a holiday that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. To honor that day, the soul singer's concert has been rescheduled for Sunday, June 21 .

Wright issued the following statement on the band's Facebook page:

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Posted By Jordan Adams on Tue, Jun 9, 2020 at 12:43 PM

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Courtesy of Mike Nosek

Higher Ground's new stage at the Champlain Valley Exposition

Higher Ground announced a new drive-in events series on Tuesday, dubbed the Higher Ground Drive-In Experience, at the Champlain Valley Exposition in Essex Junction.

According to a press release, a large stage is currently being constructed, and all proceeds from upcoming programming will benefit the Vermont Arts Council. Three local high schools — Champlain Valley Union High School, Essex High School and South Burlington High School — will hold graduation ceremonies at the Expo on Saturday, June 13.

Tags: Higher Ground , Champlain Valley Exposition , Alex Crothers , Web Only , Image

Posted By Jordan Adams on Thu, Jun 4, 2020 at 1:59 PM

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Courtesy of Anna Webber

Christian McBride

The Burlington ReDiscover Jazz Festival has released its full schedule of virtual and televised events. The 11-day series kicks off Thursday, June 4, and replaces the annual Burlington Discover Jazz Festival, which was canceled in April due to the coronavirus pandemic. The festivities run until Sunday, June 14.

Tags: Burlington Discover Jazz Festival , Steve MacQueen , Christian McBride , Marcus Roberts , Melissa Aldana , Web Only , Image

Posted By Jordan Adams on Fri, May 29, 2020 at 5:09 PM

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Courtesy of KeruBo

Video still from "Hakuna Lolote"

Vermonters continue to make art inspired by the coronavirus pandemic. African folk/jazz artist KeruBo recently unveiled a new song and video, "Hakuna Lolote."  The song is specifically aimed at members of Vermont's African and New American communities, particularly those who claim refugee status.

Sung in both Swahili and English, "Hakuna Lolote" has a simple, relatable message:  "Nothing at all … will tear us apart."

Tags: KeruBo , COVID-19 , music video , Peter Krag , Web Only , Image

Posted By Jordan Adams on Sat, May 23, 2020 at 7:30 PM

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Jordan Adams

Barbacoa

You can't stop the music.

That's what Burlington surf-rock band Barbacoa proved on Saturday as they played a pop-up concert in the parking lot of a vacant building in the Old North End. Despite state-mandated restrictions on public gatherings, the long-running Queen City outfit performed to a crowd of about 40.

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