‘Rocket Shop’ is Big Heavy World’s local music radio hour with host Kelsey Hanrahan. Tonight’s special guests: FREIGHT, and we had the pleasure of speaking with Alex Tabor from Rubblebucket over the phone to talk about their new tour and album.

Freight, “When Creation Falls”

Freight, “Live Like This”

Freight, “Still Life”

*Freight will be participating in a monthly music event on the water front starting May 20th. Be sure to keep your eyes and ears peeled for them!

SUPPORT LOCAL MUSIC!

Catch me, Kelsey Hanrahan, every Wednesday from 8-9pm on 105.9 The Radiator WOMM-LP!

“Hey I’m Maggie and I recently joined the crew at Big Heavy World. I go to Saint Michael’s College and after receiving an email about Big Heavy World and what they’re all about I couldn’t say no. Sitting around listening to music all day and then talking about what it’s all about sounded like what I do on a regular basis anyways so I figured why not help out the musicians of Vermont while I’m at it. Back in New York I was pretty involved in music and I’m pumped that I found a place here where I could do the same.”

“Hello all; I’m Nathaniel Doubleday, and I’ve just recently joined the folks at Big Heavy World as the Artist Outreach coordinator. I’ll be working to make sure that the music library is properly supplemented with a full range of Vermont artists - both contemporary and well into the past. I’ve been living in and around Burlington for the past ten years, and have always found myself to enjoy the place immensely. I’m always quite impressed with the musical scene in particular, having been involved extensively with the Vermont Youth Orchestra, the All State Festival, and a number of local musical ‘gigs.’ Thus, for me, being able to get involved with a group such as this is a most assuredly enjoyable circumstance, and I very much look forward to working with the crew!”

Big Heavy World will be hanging out in the card room of the Vermont state house this Friday, with displays for the Vermont Music Library, Big Heavy World web site and record label, and The Radiator. The card room is a space in-between the house chamber and the cafeteria and it’s an opportunity for us to introduce our work to legislators through the day, showing them what an office full of volunteers who love and support Vermont-made music can accomplish! The statehouse is beautiful and historic and worth a visit. If you’re in Montpelier, stop in to say “Hi!”

‘Thrufters & Throughstones: The Music of Vermont’s First 400 Years” is Big Heavy World’s recent two-cd set of music found in Vermont during the most recent four centuries of history. With 40 original and re-created songs by Vermont artists, Seven Days called it “Akin to a hyper-localized Ken Burns documentary… a veritable treasure trove of discovery…” It was put together by Big Heavy World, The Vermont Folklife Center, and the Vermont Historical Society as a contribution to the statewide 2009 Vermont Quadricentennial event. Music from ‘Thrufters’ has been used in a new interpretive smartphone download created by Barbara Smorgans Marshall for the Ethan Allen Homestead in Burlington. Here’s the info:

ETHAN ALLEN HOMESTEAD AWARDED NATIONAL HERITAGE PARTNERSHIP GRANT
“Smartphones and Storytelling” To Provide a New Interpretive Experience

BURLINGTON, Vermont. - The Ethan Allen Homestead Historic Site and Museum was the recipient of a Champlain Valley National Heritage Partnership Grant by the Lake Champlain Basin Program. Funding was used to create “Ethan & the Boys @ Fort Crown Point” which tells the tale of the Green Mountain Boys and their capture of the New York Forts Ticonderoga and Crown Point. The cannon “liberated” at those forts were delivered to George Washington in Boston to end the British siege.

The videos, in both English (with closed captioning) and Quebecois French, at http://www.ethanallenhomestead.org/ can be downloaded for viewing on an iPhone or iPod. One can see and hear our history as they tour throughout the region, using Google Maps to navigate to the historic sites. By integrating storytelling and navigation, both visitors and locals will enjoy a richer experience as they are guided to discover their own “sense of place”. This was a partnership of The Ethan Allen Homestead Museum in Burlington and the Crown Point Historic Site in New York, with help from friends at the McCord Museum in Montreal, Canada.

Music was courtesy of Vermont musicians Atlantic Crossing, Jesse Bruchac, Renewal Chorus, Va-et-Vient, Hanaford’s Volunteers Fyfe and Drum Corps. and Pete & Karen Sutherland. The music can be found on “Thrufters & Through-Stones, the Music of Vermont’s First 400 Years”, produced by Burlington’s Big Heavy World.

Quebecois translation and narration were performed by staff and students at St. Francis Xavier School in Winooski, Vermont. Program producer Barbara Smorgans Marshall intends this pilot program to be the first of a series of regional “Smartphones & Storytelling” mobile audio/visual interpretive stories.

The Ethan Allen Homestead Historic Site and Museum is a non-profit 501 {c} {3} dedicated to preserving, promoting and educating the public about Ethan Allen and the historic Ethan Allen Homestead in Burlington, Vermont. Contact: Barbara Smorgans Marshall Tel: 802-862-3184 Email: barbara@smorgans.net

Words by John Degnan

Photo by J. Lockridge

Prana is a group of musicians who hold a deep respect for each other and their musical talents. Paul Poltz, Dalton Muzzy, Peter Lafreniere, Josh Glass, and Sam Crawford have been making music in one incarnation or another in the Burlington scene for more than four years. Prana, their most current outfit, is a powerhouse of vocal harmonies, memorable choruses, and soaring electric guitars.

“We wanted to capture our live sound,” explains percussionist Dalton Muzzy about their newly released album. Available at record stores around the Burlington area, ‘Moments’ was released on March 17th to local applause. According to lead vocalist Paul Poltz, Moments represents “evolutionary developments in musicianship” for Prana. That’s hardly hyperbole.

‘Moments’ grows on you. At first listen, it sounds like straight-forward rock and roll. Listen again and it opens up to you like a favorite novel from years past. First and foremost, the songs are tight. This is no piece of sloppy, fuzz driven garage rock, but a carefully constructed, thought-out body of music. The track “I Ain’t Got No Where To Go” has a chorus that is so catchy the listener can’t help but sing along. “Yesterday People” has a great interplay and balance between all five musical voices (shout-out to whoever did their mixing). All of the songs on the album feature noticeable dynamics that accompany professional levels of musicianship. ‘Moments’ is a solid piece of music and really captures what bassist Peter LaFreniere calls a “big stage sound.”

Now that their album is out, Prana is ready to play live (not they ever stopped playing live, really). The band just bought a van and plan of touring this summer to clubs and festivals alike. Prana regularly plays venues in and around Burlington including Manhattan Pizza Pub, ½ Lounge, and Higher Ground. Their next performance is April 13th at the famous rock club Nectars in downtown Burlington. More information about Prana and their new album ‘Moments’ can be found online at:

http://www.myspace.com/pranavermont
http://www.facebook.com/thebandprana
http://www.thebandprana.com

View from the rear of the new BHW stage at Service Rendered's new 'Chill Out Center' at the University Mall.

Photos by J. Lockridge

Big Heavy World is PUMPED to help announce the new “Chill Out Center” in the University Mall! Here’s pics of the YouthBuild crew working hard on Friday, March 13 to build the Chill Out Center’s new Big Heavy World stage. The Chill Out Center is a new youth hang-out space at the University Mall in South Burlington, founded and directed by Bruce Wilson of Service Rendered (with a lot of support from the U-Mall and its businesses!) and created and run by the Chill Out Center’s volunteer teen staff - still under construction! Big Heavy World will help bring live music, poetry, and other fun stage-worthy cultural events to the new stage. BIG thanks to the YouthBuild crew, Bruce, the Chill Out Center kidz, and their supporters for this opportunity!

The YouthBuild crew that built the BHW stage included Corey Bushey, Jeremy Estevez, Johnne DANG, Mike McGrath, Colleen Kent and program director Andrew Jope. It’s an always-free, supervised hangout space for youth 14-20 years old.

Other attractions at the center include computers, Wii Fit, XBox, pool tables, ping pong, sofas, educational projects and tutoring. It’ll be a welcome opportunity for local youth to cross paths with info about tobacco cessation, avoiding alcohol, HIV/AIDS, preparing for jobs, VSAC, and more.

The ‘Chill Out Center’ is located near Spencer Gifts in the mall and will be open Thursday through Saturday, 3-8pm and will expand its hours as staff is added.

The grand opening is April 24th noon-6pm and April 25th, noon-5pm. There will be fun, food and refreshments. Visit the stage in the center court near the center for two afternoons of entertainment by or for youth. For information contact Bruce Wilson, (802) 881-0281 or servicerendered@comcast.net

Left to right: Jeremy, Bruce, Johnny, Mike, Andrew, Corey, Colleen.

The YouthBuild crew in action: Johnny Dang, Mike McGrath, Jeremy Estevez, Andrew Jope.

With your host Kelsey Hanrahan and special guest from Burgundy Thursday’s; Joe Adler. Joe came in to invite listeners to come and enjoy the calm, cool family atmosphere at Parima Thursday evenings starting at 8:30pm. There are about 4 acts that perform and usually intertwine with one another. Search Burgundy Thursdays on Facebook for more info!

Joe Adler, “Stratosphere”

Joe Adler, “Them Spittin’ Fire Blues”

Joe Adler, “My Father’s House” (B. Springsteen)

Joe Adler, “Little Bird”

Joe Adler, “Untitled” (Live)

Joe Adler, “A Thousand Kisses Deep” (L. Cohen)

The Burlington City Council made a resolution on March 22 that we just heard about - an incredibly nice compliment to Big Heavy World: “In the year 2010 resolved by the City Council for the City of Burlington as follows: That WHEREAS, Big Heavy World is a non-profit organization that, for years, has catalogued the work of Burlington’s rich musical community; and WHEREAS, Big Heavy World promotes Burlington’s music throughout the region and beyond, gives younger Burlington residents a healthy place to pursue their musical and organizational talents, and brings together scores of community volunteers in order to ensure that Burlington’s musical heritage will be passed on to future generations; and WHEREAS, Big Heavy World is an independent organization whose activities serve as a good complement to Burlington City Arts’ high quality visual, performance, and applied arts programming; and WHEREAS, Big Heavy World intends to continue to be a non-City affiliated entity and to substantially raise its operating funds from private sources; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council applauds the work and many accomplishments of Big Heavy World and its founder Jim Lockridge.” The resolution was sponsored by City Council members Clarence Davis and Marrisa Caldwell. Yay for us! We knew our volunteer crew rocked it; now Burlington, does too! Thank you Burlington City Council members and Mayor Kiss!

“My name is Adam Elias and I joined the Big Heavy Crew recently to bring in new music. I grew up in New York, and was really into the music scene there.  Living in Burlington has definitely impressed me in the sense that such a small city has such amazing local musicians. I wanted to get more involved in local music and get some experience in this field so I decided volunteering at Big Heavy and helping out with the Radiator would be a good idea… Also, getting volunteer hours for going to shows and scoping local bands seemed like a pretty good deal to me.”