up next at the Café

Use your brain for a change and answer these questions as a team or as an individual. Gain glory and power over everyone else, briefly, with your superior knowledge of useless, obscure, or really random information. No Googling allowed. Suggested Donations.

Banjo Bob hosts this evening of enchanted comedy. CAUTION: Anything goes. Speak your mind and use four letter words. Or six letter words, just BE FUNNY. Slots are 5 minutes long. Ages 18 and up. Sign up at 8pm

"Hopped-up Country Blues" The Heckhounds are a trio. They play the blues. Let's not kid around. this ain't something new, in fact the blues is the basis for most music. Blues, jazz, boogie woogie, rockabilly, swing, country and western, reggae all come back to the blues format. Blues is music that tells a story, if there are vocals. It doesn't need vocals to tell a story but if there are lyrics, there is going to be a story told. The Heckhounds write songs that tell a story.

Merrily James grew up in Seattle where she developed her sound by touring with the Total Experience Gospel Choir. She was picked up by "Showtime at the Apollo" when she was 15 years old and has gone on to perform for Smokey Robinson and Linda Ronstadt, as well as with members of Earth, Wind, & Fire and Tower of Power. She has just put out her debut CD entitled "Words For Everything."

Darlingside is a string-rock quintet recently settled in Northampton, MA. The band formed at Williams College, where they released their first studio EP and shared the stage with such acts as Guster and The Format. Now in its third incarnation, Darlingside's musical influences range from Radiohead to Loudon Wainwright, Mozart to Earl Scruggs. Elegantly crafted cello-violin duets, soaring harmonies, catchy hooks and compelling beats are all part of Darlingside's evolving sound.

Mark LeGrand returns to hold down the Happy Hour slot that he has been made famous for! Mark LeGrand has been playing music in Vermont since 1967. Moving as a youngster from the coast of Connecticut at age fourteen Mark says was "like moving into a Norman Rockwell painting." Maybe it seemed that way because he moved to West Arlington, Vermont, where the famous painter lived and many of the townspeople were the subjects of his paintings. Mark carried around an old acoustic guitar and had a head filled with New York City radio waves and a heart filled with homesickness.. A school friend turned him onto Hank Williams via a 78 rpm crank up Victrola at a deer camp and Mark was never the same again. He already had The Lovesick Blues, and now he knew what they sounded like. Mark was in the first electric band in West Arlington and when they played outside on warm summer nights all the cows must have loved it. More than 40 yrs have passed since that wandering boy roamed the fields, streams, Grange Halls and Honky-Tonks of a very different Vermont. A Vermont that was transcending into a more modern era. Interstate highways and big ski area's were on the way and the small farms that dotted the hillsides were vanishing. Yet many people still value the old ways and work hard to maintain them. New, small organic farms and markets, land set aside for future generations and folks coming together to preserve stronger communities are setting the stage for a new era. This is more than a place, it's a way of life. It's here that Mark chooses to live, write and perform his music. The people and the landscape are the raw material for his songs. Old or new, rich or poor, Vermont is a magical kingdom to dream in.

$5 cover "The Band's Newly Released Second Album, According To The Gospel, Represents Not Only A Proclamation Of Faith But A Peek Into The Philosophical Foundation Of One Of Burlington's Most Artistically Provocative And Sonically Arresting Young Outfits. And The Album Itself Represents A Stunning Artistic Leap, Particularly For A Band That Released Its Impressive Self-Titled Debut Less Than A Year Ago." -Dan Bolles, Seven Days "One Of The Areas Finest Examples Of Underground Rock, The Vacant Lots" -Tick Tick Opening Act: Sweet Hound 9pm

Boston's world rock quartet FULL TANG (with members of SUPERPOWERS) shakes up the Valentines weekend with a dance party that will knock your pink socks off. Dress in pink and enter the pink gates for just $3. Come as you are and pay $5. PINK PINK PINK! Make out booth for all you lovers out there!

“This duo is a force. The music comes from the heart, and bristles with excitement and inventiveness… Much of the country and world hasn’t tuned in yet, but they will. One listen is all it takes.” -Aer Stephen (“Folk & Beyond” WTJU) A sound that's hard to describe, yet impossible to forget. With a cutting edge vibe that explodes with originality and soulful expression, Morwenna & Jay's music redefines the acoustic origins of violin and guitar. Both graduates of Berklee College of Music, the Violin & Guitar duo started playing together in 2004 and have continued to push the boundaries of "acoustic" music. The release of their highly anticipated 2nd CD “Chioggia Beat,” illustrates their ability to reinvent the limits of their instruments and in the process produce a lush range of original work that is sure to move your soul and mind. A worldly mix of 12 brand new tunes, the album showcases Morwenna and Jay's heartfelt composition skills, and their knack for introducing unexpected musical tangents and motifs in a way that keeps you wanting more. The CD features their signature duo sound, their full band, as well as a few special guest musicians such as legendary world artist Pierre Bensusan, soul singer Ezra Hamilton, and Dave Matthews Band trumpeter Rashawn Ross.

Sign up begins promptly at 7pm. Stage opens at 7:30pm. Please make a purchase at the bar before signing up. No pushing or shoving! Slots are now 10 minutes in length. Last slot is 10:20pm. Your host: Uncle Bunky!

Bethel Steele and Sierra Rocks met at a folk festival during the summer of 2009. Huddled with a guitar a piece and a group of friends on a rainy night they found they had a common desire to share stories through music. After running into each other a few months later, they began to collaborate and perform together. When you see Bethel and Sierra play, you enter a different world. Their alt-folk style, soaring harmonies, and noteworthy stage presence will take you adrift and bring you back again. www.bethelsteele.com www.sierrarocks.com

Sandman produces a thoroughly contemporary and unromanticized vision of the itinerant minstrel . . . His songs arise from the same dusty world Woody Guthrie wrote about without being mired in the dust of Guthrie's tradition." [INVALID] Grant Alden, No Depression "Sand sings songs of social subversion, but he gets off on weaving metaphors and spinning rhymes, rather than rhetoric." Willamette Week "Sandman is our troubadour for the 21st century." Punk Planet

Katie Trautz hosts this monthly series showcasing teachers and students from the Summit School of Traditional Music and Culture. Come hear some of Vermont's finest musicians, backed by an all-star band- the House Carpenters

The AS-IS Ensemble is the musical home of composer/keyboardist Michael Bellar. This improvisationally eclectic, alt-jazz group has opened for John Scofield, Medeski, Martin and Wood , JFJO, and Tea Leaf Green. The group has formerly been the house band at the world-famous Blue Note jazz club in New York City and performed at such venues as Avery Fischer Hall at Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center in Washington DC and the JVC and Bell Atlantic Jazz Festivals in NYC. In a review of their first ever performance in New York City, Billboard Magazine hailed them as "Generation Next." The group has also been named Unsigned Artist of the Month in KEYBOARD Magazine. As a sideman, Michael currently tours with Amos Lee and has also toured or recorded with Art Garfunkel, Howie Day, Wheatus, Teddy Geiger, Jump Little Children and Italian pop star Giorgia. His national TV appearances include Late Night with David Letterman, the Late Show with Conan O’Brien Show, the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, the Ellen Degeneres Show, TRL, Good Morning America, Regis and Kelly and the CBS Morning Show. You can find more info at or

Mark LeGrand returns to hold down the Happy Hour slot that he has been made famous for! Mark LeGrand has been playing music in Vermont since 1967. Moving as a youngster from the coast of Connecticut at age fourteen Mark says was "like moving into a Norman Rockwell painting." Maybe it seemed that way because he moved to West Arlington, Vermont, where the famous painter lived and many of the townspeople were the subjects of his paintings. Mark carried around an old acoustic guitar and had a head filled with New York City radio waves and a heart filled with homesickness.. A school friend turned him onto Hank Williams via a 78 rpm crank up Victrola at a deer camp and Mark was never the same again. He already had The Lovesick Blues, and now he knew what they sounded like. Mark was in the first electric band in West Arlington and when they played outside on warm summer nights all the cows must have loved it. More than 40 yrs have passed since that wandering boy roamed the fields, streams, Grange Halls and Honky-Tonks of a very different Vermont. A Vermont that was transcending into a more modern era. Interstate highways and big ski area's were on the way and the small farms that dotted the hillsides were vanishing. Yet many people still value the old ways and work hard to maintain them. New, small organic farms and markets, land set aside for future generations and folks coming together to preserve stronger communities are setting the stage for a new era. This is more than a place, it's a way of life. It's here that Mark chooses to live, write and perform his music. The people and the landscape are the raw material for his songs. Old or new, rich or poor, Vermont is a magical kingdom to dream in.

The Langdon Street Cafe is hosting an evening of music in order to raise money for Bumi Sehat's new permanent Haiti Clinic, which is located in Jacmel, north of Port-au-Prince. http://www.bumisehatbali.org/ Katherine Bramhall of our local Gentle Landing Midwifery is looking to raise $5000 by Feb 21st when Team Two leaves for Haiti to aid in the immediate relief at their clinic. As for events... Our evening kicks off at 5pm with Miriam Bernardo and guests, followed by Friday Night Happy Hour band: Mark Legrand and the Lovesick Band at 6pm. After a short intermission and a few words brought to us by Bumi Sehat organizer, Katherine Bramhall, the Gordon Stone Band will take the stage. (9pm) We are asking for a $10 donation at the door (100% to towards the benefit) and in addition the Cafe will offer 10% of sales to the cause. Tell your friends and neighbors... If you can't stay the evening feel free to drop by a donation. (thanks to all involved in making this happen!)

Greg Klyma was born in Buffalo, NY and has been living on the road performing music full-time since August 1998. Traveling from the rust belt to FEMA villages with guitar and mandolin in hand, capturing the stories of the people he's met and seen for over a decade, Greg has honed his songwriting and storytelling while developing a show that lands somewhere between the worlds of Steve Earle and Steve Martin - it's literate, witty, visual, sometimes comical and forever building on tradition while seeking its own voice.

"...A rare songwriter, bold and emotional without ever coming across overwrought. His songs are infectious, they get in your blood and make their way to the heart before you notice what's happening." Anais Mitchell, Recording Artist, Righteous Babe Records "The title cut is my personal favorite, with mild undertones of Gimme Fiction-era Spoon... he has a similar knack for airtight, minimalist pop hooks... Jay Ekis has taken great strides toward cementing his place among the state’s stoutest songwriters." Dan Bolles, Seven Days "Best Rock Album of 2009" Art Edelstein, The Times Argus

Montpelier Jazz innovator Michael Arnowitt combines forces with Plainfield percussionist Gabe Halberg. Jazz piano combined with the Indian tabla, the tar, a frame drum used in North African and Middle Eastern music, and the cajon, an instrument used in flamenco and Peruvian music. Michael is a jazz and classical pianist of world renown. Gabe is the central Vermont half of the popular duo 35th Parallel. Together, Michael and Gabe will perform free improvisations together, blending styles and the different colors and sounds of world music instruments with the cafe's newly-tuned in house piano.

Sign up begins promptly at 7pm. Stage opens at 7:30pm. Please make a purchase at the bar before signing up. No pushing or shoving! Slots are now 10 minutes in length. Last slot is 10:20pm. Your host: Uncle Bunky!

The third monthly showcasing of electronica artists and new digital collaborations featuring local musicians. Electronica, trance, glitch-pop, minimal, and expirimental. This month: TBA

"You'd be hard-pressed to find a harder working act than Vermont's Eames Brothers Band. The Eames' music is rooted in tradition, from sparse delta blues to stinging electric shuffles." "Their original blues tunes are remarkably soulful... The Eames Brothers album "Open Road" was voted one of Vermont's top ten best by Seven Days! ..."These dudes have passion, chops and an abundance of flavor." ..."their moody, dynamic tunes have a vibe all their own."

Mark LeGrand returns to hold down the Happy Hour slot that he has been made famous for! Mark LeGrand has been playing music in Vermont since 1967. Moving as a youngster from the coast of Connecticut at age fourteen Mark says was "like moving into a Norman Rockwell painting." Maybe it seemed that way because he moved to West Arlington, Vermont, where the famous painter lived and many of the townspeople were the subjects of his paintings. Mark carried around an old acoustic guitar and had a head filled with New York City radio waves and a heart filled with homesickness.. A school friend turned him onto Hank Williams via a 78 rpm crank up Victrola at a deer camp and Mark was never the same again. He already had The Lovesick Blues, and now he knew what they sounded like. Mark was in the first electric band in West Arlington and when they played outside on warm summer nights all the cows must have loved it. More than 40 yrs have passed since that wandering boy roamed the fields, streams, Grange Halls and Honky-Tonks of a very different Vermont. A Vermont that was transcending into a more modern era. Interstate highways and big ski area's were on the way and the small farms that dotted the hillsides were vanishing. Yet many people still value the old ways and work hard to maintain them. New, small organic farms and markets, land set aside for future generations and folks coming together to preserve stronger communities are setting the stage for a new era. This is more than a place, it's a way of life. It's here that Mark chooses to live, write and perform his music. The people and the landscape are the raw material for his songs. Old or new, rich or poor, Vermont is a magical kingdom to dream in.

Burlington soul and roots artist Zach Dupont brings his band "Stacked" for a sampling of Vermont's best up-and-coming musicians.

N.S.I. has been best described as sophisticated spooky grooves by many music supporters. They released their debut album on Aug 22nd 2009 at a sold out show performed at the Stone Church in New Market NH. On September 12th 2009 Shane Watkins took 2nd place out of 60 acts in a singer/songwriter compition in Boston.N.S.I. was the supporting act for Clint Lowery of Sevendust for his N.E.tour in Jan of 2009. Brian Martin of NSI was a drummer for Peter Moore(Blue Man Group) This show is a doozy- do not miss it!

The news is out: Dan Haley is Mr.Casual. 20 years after "Mr. Casual Sings For You" made its debut, the brains and brawn behind the classic record is making a comeback not to be missed. Dan Haley gained cult hero-status in the Northwest in the 80s and 90s as a solo performer and with rock band Ed and the Boats. He spent the first few years of the millennium touring Germany in relative obscurity with folk-rock trio the Rails. Now, joined by Noah Hahn on bass the 2 make up the core of Dan Haley Is Mr.Casual. Now their sound is bigger with Rachel Rice on harmonicas, sax and harmony vocals, Aliza LaPaglia on harmony and Phil Carr (of Mad Dub and Viper House Fame) on drums.

This highly-anticipated show features some of the most energetic and innovative jazz performers in New England! The Wheel Trio performs original compositions and improvisation, mixing jazz, funk, and rock, with rhythms of the southern hemisphere. Featuring Achiri Karl Haas on drums and percussion, Anthony Santor on bass, and Alfred Marra on vibraphone and glockenspiel, The Wheel draws inspiration and influence from The Bad Plus, John Coltrane, Bill Frisell, and Dave Douglas.

"Mia Adams' soulful heart and earthy groove infuse her singing and make everyone who hears her feel a little less lonely each time she takes the stage." - Tom Kimmel In the musical tradition of Emmylou Harris, Bonnie Raitt, Linda Rondstadt or Maura OConnell, Mia Adams has a knack for choosing undiscovered covers written by top-notch songwriters. She'll also pepper in a few of her own when she's feeling brave. A passionate fan of passionate music, she sleuths for songs at picking parties, songwriter circles, folk festivals, jazz clubs and rock concerts and makes them her own with her silky, earnest alto. She submitted her own compositions to the Jim Beam Country Band Search Contest on a whim. With a combination of her own and others tunes, winning the live competition to a packed house at The Wildhorse Saloon was a surprise as her music is more funky folk pop than country, but it does go to show that she can put across a song. Her cover of Dana Cooper's "Standing in My Own Way" was featured in Lifetime Television's "Marriage Material". And recently she was a finalist in the Great Waters Songwriting Competition and a Runner Up in the Luna Guitars "Tell Us Your Story" Contest