Start Here: What's in this issue, why you should read it, etc. Go to town.

Greetings, greetings and more greetings. How the hell are you? We're fine, thanks. Keepin' busy, y'know?

We had a rockin' summer in Burlington, and we hope that you did, too. Burlington Music Conference, Lemonwheel, Discover Jazz, the Vermont Reggae Fest. Lots of great music out there, lots of great times. Great. Okay. What's up?

We put out a free CD this summer called Welcome to Vermont, Now Go Home. The twenty-track compilation features bands from New England, New York and Quebec, and if we do say so ourselves, it rocks. Rock hard. Rock solid. Betty Goo, Shifter, Chin Ho!, Pistola, Sugarhigh, Missing Joe, Construction Joe, Invisible Jet, Moon Boot Lover, Dysfunkshun, Skamaphrodites, Smokin' Grass, Psycho Serious, Kathy Compton, Aaron Flinn's Salad Days, Heaven's to Murgatroid, The Capones, The Rigbys, The Rockett Band and Jamus Breed. Our dear friend Pamela Polston (of the amazing arts weekly Seven Days, of course) couldn't find anything bad to say about it! She did think that the title was a little unneccessary, but I beg to differ! Everyone from out of town loves our music scene, by the way. So, the CD. Oh yeah. We gave it away to everyone who attended the Burlington Music Conference and then we handed them out at clubs throughout the weekend, too. If you got one, you're lucky because they're now out of print. If you didn't get one, check your favorite used record store. There are a thousand of them out there somewhere. Instant collectibles. You're welcome.

What do we have here? Issue #10. That seems monumentous, for some reason. Ten whole issues. Can't say we ever expected to get this far, to be honest, but I think we've done some pretty cool things, so I'm okay with it. A lot of great people have been involved over the years, and a lot of great energy has been put into this crazy project. I remember after the third or fourth issue I counted all the musicians who we had mentioned in Good Citizen, and we were at about 300 back then. Can't even imagine what the number is now. Thousands, for sure.

You helped, you know. You mentioned Good Citizen to our advertisers. and you supported them, too. You talked about us. You talked to us and made us feel good about what we do. You went out to the clubs and saw local music happen, right before your eyes and ears. Thanks! It couldn't have happened without you.

We have come a long way, and so has the music community here in the Burlington area. The incredible success of our hometown heroes Phish notwithstanding, the local band population has seen the careful evolution of groups like the Jazz Mandolin Project, viperHouse, the Gordon Stone Band, and our Issue #10 cover boys, the nice-guy acoustic rockers Strangefolk. These are bands that have grown quietly, without the usual industry hype to propel them onto the national music scene. Strangefolk has set a course not unlike that of their piscean bretheren Phish: build the audience and the rest of the music industry crap will follow. We invited the boys up to the Good Citizen office and talked about the slow, inevitable path of Strangefolk.

Also in this issue, we're pointing out some of the cooler things in Burlington life to the annual newcomers with our "Burlington Student Survival Guide." We think we know what we're talking about. You be the judge. You always are.

Burlington's own hip-hop heroes Dysfunkshun give Tom "Better Late Than Never" Huntington the 411 on their universe. Chris Parizo talks to two local college radio station managers, I talk to former-Vermonter Sean Kelly about Milton, music and his band, the Samples, and Phil Bursky makes a pass at Lola, the Love Counselor, all in this issue. Whew. I'm tired just thinking about it.

Be a good citizen.

Be a Good Citizen,

Andrew Smith

Whatever