Opening Reception: Middlebury College Study Abroad Photo Exhibition, Friday, March 5, 5:00 – 7:00 pm

Over 250 photos were submitted from students who studied in Argentina, Australia, Austria, Chile, Chine, Costa Rica, Ecuador, England, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Tanzania and Tibet.  This exhibition features the top 25 images that were taken during the Middlebury College students’ year or semester abroad in 2008 – 2009. We would invite you to stop by and see the eclectic group of photos on display in 51 Main at the Bridge during the month of March 2010.

David Bain, Friday, March 5, 9:00 pm – 12:00 am

David Bain, English and American Literature lecturer at Middlebury College is our own piano man – playing the keyboard in a way that makes your toes tap and your spirits rise.

Robert Wuagnuex, Saturday, March 6, 9:00 pm – 12:00 am

Dr. Robert Wuagnuex is an amazing local musician.   Wuagnuex has traveled around the world performing around Europe and the Balkans.  This singer song writer has a soulful jazz, blues, and pop style leaving nothing to be desired.

Ed Thorndike & Earle Provin, Thursday, February 25, 8:00 – 10:00 pm

Born in 1959 in Boston, Edward Duncan Thorndike grew up in Dedham, MA and the coast of Maine.  He ran away to the Florida Keys and lived on Martha’s Vineyard until finally moving to Benson, Vermont twenty years ago. He is now  a carpenter, painter and gardener.  He is currently finishing his own solar powered home.

Thorndike recently reunited with Earle Provin to perform blues and ballads on guitar and mandolin.

Earle Provin was born in 1970.  His mother a seamstress and father a motorcycle mechanic.  The youngest of nine children, he began taking guitar lessons at the age of 10.  His interest in guitar lead to playing in alternate tunings and finally playing mandolin as well. Earle is co-owner of Graph-X Inc. located on Exchange Street in Middlebury, where he produces teeshirts, signs and vehicle graphics among other things.

Verbal Onslaught ft. Philip Hamilton ‘82, Friday, February 26, 8:00 – 11:00 pm

Verbal Onslaught presents a special Black History Month edition featuring Philip Hamilton ‘82. His solo performances challenge audiences to redefine the voice and celebrate its limitless potential. The Village Voice noted of a recent Hamilton performance, “Hamilton’s masterful voice…presented a tapestry of vocal and musical wonders.” His larger ensembles also cross musical boundaries as they take listeners on journeys inspired by the blues, rock, jazz, classical, as well as sounds from around the world. His ensembles, both live and in the studio, have featured some of the music world’s best and brightest performers including Greg Osby, Chieli Minucci, John Medeski, Matt Garrison, Bill Evans, Mike Manieri, Richard Bona, Gil Goldstein, Ottmar Liebert and Vernon Reid.

They Might Be Gypsies, Saturday, February 27, 9:00 pm – 12:00 am

They Might Be Gypsies is the high energy Gypsy swing guitars of father & son Greg & Aidan Ryan. These two have to be seen to be believed…  A gypsy at heart, Greg grew up traveling the country and playing music with his family. He draws from influences including Folk, Jazz, Bluegrass, & World Music. Young Aidan has been performing since he was six and has recorded two CD’s of original music.

Temporarily Closed, Thursday, February 18, 6:00 – 9:00 pm

For three hours this evening, 51 Main will be closed for a private event. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. 51 Main will reopen at 9:00 pm tonight.

Scrambled Legs, Thursday, February 18, 9:00 pm – 12:00 am

51 Main will reopen at 9:00 pm this evening with student jazz band Scrambled Legs!

Anthony Santor Group, Friday, February 19, 9:00 pm – 12:00 am

Considered by many to be the hottest and freshest jazz in town The Anthony Santor Jazz Group has become very popular at 51 Main at the Bridge.  With a line up of Anthony Santor (double bass), Nicholas Cassarino (guitar), Gaza Carr (drums) and Brian MacNamera (alto sax) playing bass-driven free jazz.

Opening Reception: Madagascar’s Antandroy by Nicolas Sohl, Thursday, February 11, 7:30 – 10:00 pm

Middlebury College student Nicolas Sohl presents his photography exhibit, “Madagascar’s Antandroy: People of the Thorns. Food Security, Family, and Climate Change in Southern Madgascar.” Music by Scrambled Legs Jazz Band. You can read all about Nicolas and his spectacular exhibit here.

Bearquarium, Friday, February 12, 9:00 pm – 12:00 am

Bearquarium is an 8-piece afro-rock groove spectacular that is rapidly garnering attention for its high-powered performances and fresh sound. With their unique blend of afro-percussive rhythms, fiery horn lines, funky dance grooves and soulful vocals, this eight-piece ensemble puts on a live performance unlike any other. Called “up-and-comers” by Vermont’s Seven Days and nominated as a top finalist for Magic Hat’s Sponsor Your Tour Contest (2009), Bearquarium stands out as a breath of fresh air amongst your run-of-the-mill funk bands. The group released their debut self-titled album in July 2009, and is currently touring the northeast banging on drums in a town near you.

Morgan Heringer, Saturday, February 13, 9:00 pm – 12:00 am

Morgan Heringer is a New York City based folk singer-songwriter and ukulele player who is influenced by a wide variety of musical styles, having grown up in rural northern California and studied both jazz and classical music at Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, New York. Having graduated in the spring of 2009, she is now based in NYC’s Harlem and plays regularly around Manhattan and Brooklyn. She is joined by avant-garde jazz guitarist Dustin Carlson, who brings an added layer of harmonic and rhythmic depth to the poetic minimalism of her songs.

This month, photographer Nicolas Sohl ‘10 will present, “Madagascar’s Antandroy: People of the Thorns: Food Security, Family, and Climate Change in Southern Madagascar.”

The Antandroy of southern Madagascar embody the meaning of their name– “people of the thorns”.  They have inhabited Madagascar’s austere landscape of thorn trees, spiny underbrush, and dry soils since the 16th century.  They are a tough, fiercely passionate, and resilient people; shaped by their harsh surroundings and often obstinate in the face of outside authority.

Cyclical droughts, poor soil, and locust have always been a part of life in the south, however climate change and local deforestation appears to be pushing their hardship to the extreme.  Severe drought has plagued the south for three of the last of the five years, and crop production was down thirty to forty percent in 2009.  According to the World Bank, average rainfall in Madagascar has fallen by 10 % and average temperature has risen by 10%. The UN World Food Program has warned of famine, calling for food aid in many areas to make up for the shortfall in 2009 crop production.  This series of images provides an honest and dignified look at the struggles and successes of the Antandroy in farming for their families.  The images attest to the resilience and strength needed to deal with a changing climate and serve as an indicator of the challenges to come from climate change on a global scale.

Nicolas Sohl ‘10 is a Geography major from Long Beach, California.  His passion for photography began at the age of nine and he has nurtured his craft without formal training.  His work has been featured in several gallery exhibitions and in local Middlebury publications including the 2009 Middlebury College Calendar, Middlebury Geographic, and emprISe.  He currently works as a photos editor for the Middlebury Campus.

There will be a reception for the exhibit on Thursday, February 11, 7:00 – 11:00 pm. Jazz band Scrambled Legs will provide the evening’s musical entertainment.

Friday, February 5, 9:00 pm – 12:00 am

Crystal 60 is a brand new experimental rock trio hailing from New York’s Capitol Region. Front man Jonathan Lorentz (AKA Dr. Sax) sings, shouts, and banters his way through a heavy set of originals, while taking time along the way to play driving sax lines. Joined by drummer Dave Harris and electric bassist Shawn McCann, the band is now playing their own unique brew of grinding rock, acid jazz, blues, industrial, and electronica throughout the Northeast. Check out Crystal 60’s MySpace for the latest tunes, news, and tour dates.