Upcoming @ 51 Main (April 5-14)

First Round: Vermont Battle of the Bands, Thursday, April 5, 7:00 pm

Join 51 Main, Two Brothers Tavern, and American Flatbread for the second annual Vermont Battle of the Bands, sponsored by Magic Hat Brewing Company! Prana, Nox Periculum, and Mogani will go head-to-head on the first night of the first round. The battle kicks-off at 7:00 pm at 51 Main. The second and third bands of the night will perform at Two Brothers Tavern and American Flatbread, respectively. The winner, who will be determined through a combination of judging and audience voting, will advance to the final round on Saturday, April 14 at 8:00 pm at Town Hall Theater. Note: In order to vote at the end of the night, audience members must attend all three bands’ performances, so hang on to your ticket stubs! For more information, visit www.vtbob.com.

First Round: Vermont Battle of the Bands, Friday, April 6, 7:00 pm

Join 51 Main, Two Brothers Tavern, and American Flatbread for the second annual Vermont Battle of the Bands, sponsored by Magic Hat Brewing Company! Thank God for Mississippi, The Pilgrims, and Stag Line will go head-to-head on the second night of the first round. The battle kicks-off at 7:00 pm at 51 Main. The second and third bands of the night will perform at Two Brothers Tavern and American Flatbread, respectively. The winner, who will be determined through a combination of judging and audience voting, will advance to the final round on Saturday, April 14 at 8:00 pm at Town Hall Theater. Note: In order to vote at the end of the night, audience members must attend all three bands’ performances, so hang on to your ticket stubs! For more information, visit www.vtbob.com.

Fenster, Friday, April 6, 10:00 pm – 12:00 am

Futuristic nostalgia with minimal percussion and echoey guitar riffs with a lyrical bent towards the macabre dada world of dreams. FENSTER, a duo of New Yorker-turned-Berliner and Middlebury alumna JJ Weihl and Berlin-born Jonathan Jarzyna, that plays de-constructed pop music, layering subtle distortions, melodic chords and city soundscapes under dream narratives. Their sound and recording style has analog warmth, exploring the relationship between machine errors in their circuit bended beats and the tactile use of objects and instrumentation. Their influences range from the Velvet Underground to, the sounds of broken records, the hum of a washing machine, or the faint melodies of oldies tunes through their kitchen radio.

First Round: Vermont Battle of the Bands, Saturday, April 7, 7:00 pm

Join 51 Main, Two Brothers Tavern, and American Flatbread for the second annual Vermont Battle of the Bands, sponsored by Magic Hat Brewing Company! Pulse Prophets, Split Tongue Crow (2011 winner), and The Grift will go head-to-head on the third night of the first round. The battle kicks-off at 7:00 pm at 51 Main. The second and third bands of the night will perform at Two Brothers Tavern and American Flatbread, respectively. The winner, who will be determined through a combination of judging and audience voting, will advance to the final round on Saturday, April 14 at 8:00 pm at Town Hall Theater. Note: In order to vote at the end of the night, audience members must attend all three bands’ performances, so hang on to your ticket stubs! For more information, visit www.vtbob.com.

Aunt Martha, Saturday, April 7, 10:00 pm – 12:00 am

Aunt Martha is Brooklyn-based quartet Tim Noyes, Charlie McCanna, Garrett Leahy, and Brian Kim. The band, formed in 2008, plays energetic, melody-driven folk-rock. Aunt Martha’s live shows, which feature anything from barn-burning country songs to rap covers to talking solos, set them apart from Brooklyn’s many up-and-coming indie acts.

Philip Hoff: How Red Turned Blue in the Green Mountain State: Book Talk by Steve Terry, Tuesday, April 10, 5:15 pm

During Philip Hoff’s six years as governor of the Green Mountain State (1963–1969), the politics, demographics, economics and government structure of Vermont changed in major and long-lasting ways, and a new liberal tradition took hold. He was an activist governor, pushing new ideas, concepts and programs and challenging the idea that Vermont governors should be caretakers in the way that his predecessors had been. Hoff very much believed that government was and should be the primary force in bringing about social change, saying that “Every significant decision of our time is going to be made in the governmental arena.” He was quick to support efforts to modernize government operations that he considered obsolete and inefficient. But his influence on the state was profound and long lasting. At the time he left office in January 1969, the Rutland Herald predicted that, “it will be impossible to turn back the clock to the political era of caretaker governors.” Hoff himself left office believing that his six years as an activist governor finally “got Vermont off the dime.” Bill Kearns put it more bluntly, saying that Hoff “picked up the state by the back of the neck and gave it a damned good, much needed shaking.”

Relay for Life Silent Auction, Wednesday, April 11, 6:00 – 8:00 pm

Relay for Life is an annual American Cancer Society fundraiser that occurs across the country. Throughout the year, the Middlebury College student committee hosts small fundraisers to promote and support the main event in the spring. The proceeds raised go directly to the American Cancer Society to fund cancer research and various treatments. Relay for Life allows the American Cancer Society to help more cancer patients and fight back against cancer. The silent auction will feature art by students and the local community, as well as a performance by the a cappella group Stuck in the Middle. Although the event is free, there is a $5 suggested donation at the door.

Nick Marshall, Thursday, April 12, 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm

Nick Marshall is a local high school student who loves performing music. He has played at many other places around the Middlebury area including Carol’s Hungry Mind, Ripton Coffee House, and Town Hall Theater. He is also very interested in acting. He has been in many shows through the high school and the Town Hall Theater. He plays a combination of acoustic, progressive, and rock and roll. He loves performing and hopes to continue with it for the rest of his life.

Globemed Benefit Dinner, Friday, April 13, 5:00 pm – 12:00 am

GlobeMed at Middlebury College is a student organization working to achieve global health equity. On Friday, April 13th, GlobeMed will hold a dinner at 51 Main to benefit our partner Gardens for Health International, an NGO in Rwanda that supplies malnourished families with the supplies and skills to cultivate their own sustainable home gardens. For $30, donors will enjoy a three-course African-inspired meal and live music all night from several local musicians, including Dayve Huckett; the Fred Barnes Trio with Liz Cleveland; the Usual Suspects with David Bain, Bob Eaton, and Paul McMahon; and the Ryan Hanson Band.

Lunch: Casual French Conversation, Saturday, April 14, 1:00 pm

For several months now, a group of community members have met at 1:00 pm on the second Saturday of the month to enjoy lunch and French conversation. They invite you to join them for this super casual, super chouette time.

Final Round: 2nd Annual Vermont Battle of the Bands at Town Hall Theater, Saturday, April 14, 8:00 pm

Join Town Hall Theater for the final round of the second annual Vermont Battle of the Bands, sponsored by Magic Hat Brewing Company! Winning bands from the first round (April 5-7 at 51 Main, Two Brothers Tavern, and American Flatbread) will advance to tonight. The winner will be determined through a combination of judging and audience voting. The grand prize? $2000. Just as awesome? Bruce Zeman and Hobbes of WVTK 92.1 will emcee! A light menu of food and beverage will be available for sale. For more information, visit www.vtbob.com.