Words by John Powell. Photo by Kendra Merrill.

The crew of Girls Rock Vermont joined guest host Johnny Powell on Rocket Shop tonight:

I was stoked to guest host Rocket Shop again, this time with co-host Wylla Skye. We talked about our upcoming fundraiser in City Hall Park for the Solar Sister Project. We’re opening a nonprofit, solar-powered music venue and community space. The event is 2pm-8pm on Saturday, May 26th in the park. Music. Yoga. Food. Face painting. Massage. We got it all. More info is at www.solarsistervt.com

Then we met up with Christine Mathias and Naomi Gallmidi to talk about Girls Rock Vermont, a summer camp open to 8-18 year-old girls that want to learn music. It’s not just for rockers. Hip Hop, Country, and any other genre is part of this wonderful camp that helps break down stereotypes and the affects of media. It’s July 30th-August 4th and more info is at www.girlsrockvt.org.

Thanks to Christine, Naomi, Wylla, and Big Heavy World for another great Rocket Shop.

Photos by Kendra Merrill.

Bombardier to Pilot and Justin Remillard and Chris Pattison from Nexus Artist Management joined host Kelsey Hanrahan for ‘Rocket Shop’ last night

Chris Pattison & Justin Remillard from Nexus.

Other Cities. Photo by Sophia St. John-Lockridge

Interview by Andy Bruhns.

Last week on Rocket Shop we had a great time talking to Duane Carleton about topics spanning from vinyl and album art, to The Band and locally grown Vermont music.  Duane, who hales from the Killington area, came in to talk about his new album ‘Rust’, which he dedicates to Vermont family farms. He says ‘Rust’ can be looked at two different ways; first as a collection of songs, each strong enough to stand alone, and second as a complete and cohesive “full album experience.”

Talking about old record styles and techniques led to the topic of vinyl records, something everyone in the studio could chip in on and get excited about. “I miss vinyl, I miss album art” said Duane, “there’s a lot of cool things about vinyl.  Like you got stuff that came inside the album, and it was also piece of artwork. It’s hard to get the same effect on a CD cover”.

It was clear that Duane was full of great stories from the road and accounts with famous music heroes. Before we knew what happened out time was up, but we hope he returns soon (and brings his 1963 Fender Stratocaster).

Duane Carleton. Photo by Michael O'Brien.

Until then you can go see Duane and his band The Backwoods Messiahs play an acoustic show at South Station in Rutland, Vermont, on May 5th.
Also on his website at www.duanecarleton.com

The Rocket Shop playlist:
Duane Carleton, “In a Nowhere Town”
Duane Carleton, “Leaving Despair” featuring Laura Molinelli
Duane Carleton, “Take Me to Chelsea” featuring Garth Hudson (of The Band)

Spit Jack.

Words by Skyler Lendway. Photos by Kendra Merrill.

Spitjack members Mike Tuhey and George Eget appeared in the BHW studio again last night to join Samantha for ‘Rocket Shop.’ When asked about their intentions showing up, Tuhey just laughed. “I don’t know, man. We were just getting some food when [Mike] Forester told us we should head up here.”

As the only two members of the group in town, Tuhey and Eget had come to showcase their latest EP, ‘Whisky Eyes,’ which was released at Club Metronome on March 28. The guys had had a great reception – over 150 people at the show, which we hope to have footage of available soon. When asked to describe the show in three words, Tuhey gave me five: “sexy, crazy, out-of-control.” They were excited about the amount of airtime the album has been receiving, both here on the Radiator and at WMRM 95.1, an independent station in Warren, Vermont.

The guys are looking forward to a small slew of private shows they have booked for May. They also wanted fans to know that their website has been improved, and is now located under a .net address. For more on Spitjack, check the new site out here: http://www.spitjackband.net

Quiet Lion.

Rik Palieri.

Words by Andy Bruhns. Photo by Kendra Merrill.

Rik was no stranger to our studio as he hosted a show called ‘The Lonesome Traveler’ on the Radiator about six years ago. Rik brought some music to play, but what he really brought to the show was some great storytelling. Over Rik’s 40-year musical career he’s played with the likes of Utah Phillips, Pete Seeger, Ramblin’ Jack Elliot, and many more. He’s played in all 50 states, Canada, Mexico, South America, and Europe, and he talked about his recent trip to Israel.

Rik’s stories were endless, and he kept everyone captivated with descriptions of playing “Blinded by the Light” with Bruce Springsteen, performing at the Jacob’s Ladder festival on the Sea of Galilee, and having his VCAM show ‘The Songwriters Notebook’ archived by the Library of Congress.

Rik also talked about the importance of the traveling musician, and how artists need to take risks and try new things in order to get their music heard. He stressed how music can help bring people together by providing an avenue to share one’s experiences with new communities and audiences. Rik leads by example, and as long as he keep playing, the world of folk music will be a better place.

More information about Rik can be found at: http://www.banjo.net/

The Rocket Shop playlist:
Rik Palieri, “The Road is My Mistress”
Rik Palieri, “Wolfsong”