up next at the Café

On fourth outing, “Cover Thy Neighbor,” the ethereal, old-soul rock group’s missive goes beyond engaging the masses. Saint Bernadette is also intent on embracing the local artistic community: to plug and plug-in as many brethren as it can muster. Led by femme fatale vocalist Meredith DiMenna, the quintet offers a boozy, erotically charged aural accord that meshes a disparate template of psychedelic-meets-arena rock, with a peppering of jazz, all candy-coated with sing-along choruses.

THE ANYWHERE CELEBRATION CONGREGATION, features two travelling bands SAINT BERNADETTE and POVERTY HASH. Armed with call and response chants, hand claps, stomps, slide guitar and the divinely inspired but devil-charged energy of lead singers Meredith DiMenna and Joe Roberto, the ANYWHERE CELEBRATION CONGREGATION tour puts on a show that’s guaranteed to have the whole crowd speaking in tongues.

Girls, Guns & Glory formed in Scituate, Massachusetts in the winter of 2005 when former band-mates and high school friends, Ward Hayden (lead vocals/acoustic guitar) and Bruce Beagley (bass), teamed up to record Ward’s original compositions. They entered Noise in the Attic Studio and began work on the GG&G debut CD “Fireworks and Alcohol.” The success of that release fueled the formation of a 5-piece lineup that began to work the New England club scene in earnest. Their sophomore release, “Pretty Little Wrecking Ball”, in February of 2007, proved to be the catalyst in a break-out year for the band as they collected 2 Boston Phoenix awards, numerous articles in the press, and lots of radio play - culminating in a Boston Music Award for “Outstanding Americana Act of the Year”. The band solidified it’s lineup as a strong 4-piece featuring John Graham on drums and Colt Thompson on guitar.

"A soon-to-be legend" - TeaParty Boston "A soulful gem"- The Groove "Stuck in amidst the guitarists trying to outshred each other is the jewel in the rough Merrily James" - Boston Band Crush "I can recognize when a singer has natural talent, and Merrily James definitely has it."-Boston Survival Guide

Local fiddler Katie Trautz gets backed up by some local Tall Boys for a big rockin sound heard for the first time anywhere, on our stage! The five-piece band features fiddle, guitar, banjo, pedal steel and bass, performing music from the album ëRememberingí, which won best traditional album of the year by the Times-Argus of Central Vermont. The group is composed of some of Vermontís finest musicians including: Michael Roberts (guitar) of Wooden Dinosaur, Asa Brosious (Pedal Steel) of Sara Grace and the Suits, Noah Hahn (Bass) of Mr. Casual and Mark Legrand and the Lovesick Bandits, and Nate Gusakov (Banjo) of Knotty Pine.

Soul, roots, blues and gritty rock from the heart with a killer band made up of the best local talent. Make it a point to shake it on our dance floor.

They’ve been playing for a few years and have a new record entitled Onward. Definitely of the experimental indie persuasion, Joy Toujours’ new record would please fans of bands like Morphine, Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers and Talking Heads. - cindy howes

take a day off, you've earned it.

Andy Doherty, Pete Michelinie, David Tanklefsky and Lyle Brewer are Grimis. They are four elementary and middle school friends who grew up playing music together in Massachusetts and have been touring, making records and making friends since circa 2001. The band has released three records, the most recent being their eponymous 2008 offering. Currently, Doherty lives in Portland, Oregon and plays bass in folk/rock band Quiet Life. Michelinie is a Portland-based furniture maker whose exact wheabouts at the present time are unknown as he is in the western wilderness hiking the Pacific Coast Trail (he walked the entire Appalachian Trail in 2008 and once worked on organic farms in New Zealand). Tanklefsky, a freelance writer and journalist most recently living in Brooklyn, is spending the summer as a baseball play-by-play broadcaster in Wilmington, North Carolina. The group finds themselves back east this September for the wedding of founding member, guitarist Lyle Brewer, now a full-time touring member of acclaimed Boston country rockers Sarah Borges and the Broken Singles, and touring as a celebration of the band's enduring presence in their lives.

A Langdon Street open mic-er brings a full set to the cafe stage for the first time. More info to come.

Originally from Eau Claire, WI, Miller now resides in Minneapolis, MN where he attended college. At the age of 24, Miller has spent the majority of the last six years immersed in the Minneapolis music scene, actively recording and performing in bands throughout his college years. Since graduating, while working his former full-time job as a preschool teacher, Miller has concentrated fully on music. We Are The Willows is one of two current projects; Miller also lends his songwriting, guitar playing and vocals to well accomplished Minneapolis-based indie rock band, Red Fox Grey Fox. We Are The Willows started as a side project - a place to write songs outside of the structure of a full-band, but has slowly become a main focus for the singer/songwriter.

Dan Liptak – Saxophones and Bass Clarinet Greg Sallerson – Percussion Cory Beard – Bass Additional horn players. Casimir's Effect plays new music influenced by traditions of jazz, funk, fusion, and rock. Original music, mixed with standards, creates an ever expanding landscape for exploration.

info to come

Plainfield's own home grown rockers once again break out of the pen to squeal into your psyche and heart. Bringing together a schmorgesborg of influences from metal to ska and reggae, early punk to classic funk, and blues to pop, Pig Whistle serves up a multiple course meal of varied tastes and textures that will satisfy your hunger...but you'll still want more. Come on down, get your groove on, and be a fun glutton with us! Dan, Gary, Joe, and Rich can't wait to serve you! genre Rock - punk - ska - funk -groove

The word “villanelle” is derived from a 15th-century Italian term that loosely translates to “rural ballad.” Also, any lit major will tell you that it’s a very specific, relatively obscure style of French poetry. In Burlington, Villanelles has come to take on a new but oddly appropriate meaning: [vil-uh-nels] n. a kick-ass local indie rock band, notable for dynamic arrangements and thought-provoking lyricism laced with vividly poetic imagery. - Seven Days

Gillian Grassie is an award-winning Swiss and American harpist/singer-songwriter whose signature brand of jazz-inflected indie-folk showcases a “knack for turning seemingly insignificant events into songs worthy of everyone’s attention,” (Origivation Magazine). A dynamic act, Gillian often weaves humorous banter into her sets and songs, delighting audiences throughout the United States and as far abroad as France, Germany, India, China, and Russia. Of her live performance, Grammy-winner Marc Cohn has said: “After hearing only one song, I became an instant Gillian Grassie fan. It's rare to hear a young singer with such control and understated soulfulness, and even more rare to hear a harp provide such a deep percussive groove. I was immediately captivated by her sound.” After graduating Bryn Mawr College with a degree in Comparative Literature, Gillian received a coveted Thomas J. Watson Fellowship, which funded her and her harp on a year-long adventure abroad studying emerging music scenes. She has been profiled in The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Times of India, and on NBC 10, but perhaps more telling are the glowing fan reviews on iTunes, Pandora, and CDBaby, whose praise is often as articulate and sensitive as the music it describes. One listener wrote: “Serpentine is really impressive, in the traditional sense of the term; it’s left an imprint on me. Her music is completely unique; you take her music on her terms; she isn’t derivative at all. Gillian knows what she wants to say and knows exactly how to say it. At an age (and in an age) when younger performers are either finding their style or – mostly – copying others’, Gillian Grassie has already clearly established her sound and her voice.” She is recently returned to the United States, with stories and songs to share.

“Come down now Grace. You've done all the work that was cut out for you. Come down now slowly, before you fall flat on your face. So come down now Grace. Isn't this easier...” sings Bill Burrell on his latest 2009 CD release, “Live at KTR.” Such pertinacious observations about people and events combined with his strong, percussive and upbeat piano playing, indicate the underlying subtexts for the songs penned by this singer-songwriter from Burlington, Vermont. Bill Burrell and The Sodbusters' “Live at KTR” overflows with upbeat, piano-driven and straightforward “Steely Dan-meets-meets-Ben Folds” melodies, progressions and impressionistic lyrics. By adding a Wurlitzer Vintage stage piano into the mix of originals and occasional covers, Burrell evokes a sense of classic 70s and 90s styles. One also hears influences from Bright Eyes, Iron and Wine, Wilco, and Golden Smog. With Burrell comfortably at the helm of his Wurlitzer 200A and Roland fp4, his talented and energetic trio consisting of bass and drums ends up sounding more like a full rock band than a trio from tiny college town Burlington, Vermont.

Leaf Peeper Music Series featuring Cambridge songwriter Brendan Hogan. "A distinctive new musical voice." - The Boston Phoenix "Long Night Coming impressively forms a consistent literary landscape." - The Killing Floor Blog "Hogan's music is a transporting experience." - Deli Magazine New England

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, or two songs. Last slot is 10:20pm. Your host: Sage Mayhew

Live Trivia with local information hoarder Jen Dole! "Right thinking will be rewarded. Wrong thinking will be punished. I think you will find this an effective combination." --Alien with big head from Star Trek

Banjo Bob hosts this evening of enchanted comedy. CAUTION: Anything goes. Be funny, and get laughs. You'll feel better. Slots are 5 minutes long. Ages 18 and up. Sign up at 8pm

Connor Garvey's songs are like placing folk-funk guitar & ukulele, soulful vocals, and paradoxical metaphors in a juicer- you've never tasted it before, but it's intriguing and delectable so you have to keep drinking. His clever rhythmic guitar and ukulele foundations provide a medium for his most prominent instrument, his voice. His songs draw the attention of the whole room with humor, daring honesty, and grace.

Andrew Stearns and Mike Wheeler are two members of the bluegrass group Gold Town. They will perform original folk and old time compositions on banjo and guitar.

Sara Grace, Miriam Bernardo, and Denitia Odigie form a perfect union of soul, from friendships forged at the cafe. Put them together, and you have a triumvirate of the most powerful young women in the music scene today.

FESTIVAL TO TAKE PLACE IN THE SHERIFF'S PARKING LOT ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE LANGDON STREET CAFE! UNCONFIRMED SCHEDULE AS OF 8/28: FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 17TH: 6pm Bucktail (Mark LeGrand's new Honky Tonk Band) cafe stage 7:30pm Beer Garden Opens with a street show from the Dolly Wagglers: "Old Reliable Amusements ($10-$15 admit, 21+) 8pm Underscore Orchestra 9pm ANAIS MITCHELL AND THE HADESTOWN ORCHESTRA 11:30pm JP Harris and the Tough Choices : cafe stage

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 18th1-5 pm Street Party with Mary Go Round (hoops), the Dolly Wagglers, Modern Times Theater, the Shanty Rats and more ... 5pm Beer Garden Performers include: Matt Lorenz's Suitcase Junket, Anna Perdenik and the Holy Smoke-Off, Manifest Nexto Me, Underscore Orchestra, also, belly dancing, flaming hoops, chili dogs, tacos, tamales, and cans of PBR! 11:30-2am DJ Two Tone

Leaf Peepers music series presents Free Advice from Brooklyn. Bailey, Travis and Ben sing, along with Travis on the Banjo, and Ben on a Mandolin. We like to play music. It's all we can think of. Music is all we can think of to do. You know what I'm sayin'? The best we can do, is the songs you hear. -from the band's myspace

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, or two songs. Last slot is 10:20pm. Your host: Sage Mayhew

The Trans Fusions National Tour will be coming to the Langdon Street Cafe on September 21st 8pm to celebrate the release of the Trans Fusions II CD compilation, boasting 19 tracks and visual art work from the transgender communities most creative minds. Bringing Trans Fusions to the stage are FTM rocker/ activist Modern Day Pinnochio and queer puppeteer & uke princess Geppetta. The performance includes unique and poignant work that spans original music, spoken word, dance, puppet theater, and visual art. There is a $5 suggested donation. No one turned away for lack of funds.

The “mini-tour” kicks off at home at The Langdon Street Café in Montpelier on Wednesday 09/22 at 8PM. Town Wide Yard opens with Ben on guitar and vocals, Jen Silverwood on Hurdy-Gurdy, Christopher Ponzio on horns and Emily Warner on stand up bass. Then Dan and Noah take the stage augmented by Ben on drums, Rachael Rice on vocals and harmonica and Kate Sprout on fiddle, mandolin and vocals. it will be a party!

Vorcza is explosive; a musical evolution at high speed. Their sound marries jazz, funk and world-influenced rhythms into a layered, sultry, and at times lusty sound. The band features Ray Paczkowski of Trey Anastasio's 70 VOLT PARADE on vocals and keys, Robinson Morse on acoustic and electric bass and Gabriel Jarrett (formerly of Jazz Mandolin Project) on drums.

Vermont singer, songwriter & guitarist Josh Brooks has been called “a storyteller and message-bearer whose word-smithery and hints of darkness keep you listening to the end” (Seven Days), and ’Vermont’s Johnny Cash’ (Northeast Performer). Brooks effortlessly traverses the American roots spectrum, from touching folk ballad, to foot-stomping honky-tonk, country blues and roots rock. Brooks is “a storyteller on stage” and “a man with a great sense of humor” (Lisa Sammett, The Music Box), with “a voice that runs the gamut from boisterous to soulful to sweet” (Monadnock Ledger). Fans of John Prine, Guy Clark and Steve Earle will want to catch the local songwriter widely considered “one of the handful of Vermont artists with the sound, the original songs, and the voice to make the leap from local to national” (Vermont Public Radio).

Fundraiser for the Golden Dome Musicians Collective featuring Pluto Brontosaurus 9pm Sick Feelings 10:15 Scott Baker 10:45 SWEET HOUND 11:30

8pm Lake Superior 8:30 Bedeviled Eggs 9:15 Boom Slang 10:45 That's What She Said

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, or two songs. Last slot is 10:20pm. Your host: Sage Mayhew

info to come

Old-timey fiddle tunes, gambling songs, bad guy songs, railroad songs, songs of sin and sadness, real music for real folks, good-timey and bad-timey music. This IS your grandfather's music, and your grandma's grandma's music! Fiddle, guitar, banjo, real old-timey music the old-timey way! HIGH-LOW-JACK is an old-time Mom & Pop duo consisting of Sarah Hotchkiss and John Mowad. John and Sarah have been teaching and performing in the Montpelier area for many years and are well known and respected for the intelligence and sincerity they bring to their music. Too old to produce much high-testostrogen hyper-intensity, their music nonetheless is rhythmically driving and full of the the old home-made Saturday Night good-timey spirit. Their plain, simple genuineness conveys the deep love they have for their music, each other and the people they share their gifts with.

Where Folk(s) meet World: Round Mountain is a band of two brothers, Char and Robby Rothschild, who have been writing songs and singing together since they were kids harmonizing in the back of the family car. They live in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where they grew up, now with families of their own, yet their musical horizons are as broad as the world. They weave elements of world music into their original songs, providing both the comfort of the familiar with the excitement of the new. They themselves are family men as well as travelers, whose performances bridge folk and world genres. They play their original songs on a multitude of instruments from around the world, often playing several of those instruments at once. Their lyrics evoke the emotion of family, giving listeners a path to access the universal and rugged beauty conveyed by global traditional music. Round Mountain is named after a mountain peak at the apex of the Pecos Valley, on whose grassy slopes the brothers played as children. The mountain is a gentle place of rest at the threshold of the high country of the Truchas peaks. Round Mountain, the group, is a lively mixture of ceremony and irreverence, of exuberance and reflection. In a time when most music has become so brightly polished that no one can see inside, Round Mountain is a rare authentic gem of music that glows from within.

Open mic host Sage Mayhew and his brothers take the stage for one night of original music.