Disc Jam Festival 2014 Recap

Disc Jam Music Festival: June 13th-15th at Camp Coldbrook

Disc Jam Festival was an epic weekend packed to the brim full of disc golf, camping, and ripping jam bands, right in your northeastern back yard. Disc Jam Festival had announced a new location for their event this year, on the gorgeous grounds of Camp Coldbrook in Barre, Massachusetts. The hidden gem of a festival and grounds location was a gorgeous success! Disc Jam was nestled in the perfect hot bed location, with an mere hours drive to Boston, Providence, Hartford and Albany. This amazing location allowed for music from all over the Northeast to converge at one energetic and progressive festival. This year marked the fourth anniversary of Disc Jam, and the festival is only growing and extending from here on out.

Disc Jams Festival grounds offered luscious grassy camping areas, along with two swimming pools featuring VIP poolside sets and a bar. A morning stroll on the gorgeous greens of the golf course, provides a much needed solace from the rage storm. The main stage featured music till 1am every night, along with late night sets indoors in the grand music hall featuring amazing late night sets highlighted by an awesome and depth enhancing laser show. 

Despite the rain Disc Jam Festival kicked off with Jamin Toast. A number of eager festival goers gathered in front of the main stage wielding ponchos, umbrellas, and whatever they could find to keep the rain off. The crowd grooved their way through the rain and all the way until the jams started to get heavy with Jimkatas’ awesome set followed by The Breakfast who threw down and brought the night time festival energy with daylight still going strong. 

The rain started to clear and the lush grass in front of the main stages provided an awesome place to stand, and sit as it dried up quickly. The vendors were cranking out over the top delicious food that seemed almost too good to be true for music festival dining, let alone in any format. The vendors offered a variety of sandwiches, pizza, desserts, vegetarian food, and nearly any thing you could think of. The most standout eating experience I had that weekend was with “Gouda Boys” from whom I was a regular in their food line. I had ventured all up and down the menu and finally landed on the “Jack White” a shaved steak sandwich with macaroni and cheese on top, accented with amazingly high quality maple bacon and topped of with your choice of eggs on top. The “Gouda Boys” successfully killed the food game that weekend with their whimsical selections and extreme high quality dining. 

The performers hired by Disc Jam had hooped their way through the rain and now in the clear weather, were in full swing weaving and dipping on the side of the stage in the smoothest flowing and mesmerizing motions. The hoopers were just as much an aspect of the weekends performances as the light show and musicians and created a great vibe for the stage area.  

Twiddle took the stage Friday evening, quickly eradicating those who had been hiding in their tents previous to the set. The crowd for the Twiddle set and the entire weekend was great, full of people who love live music and knew how to respect each other, all while having a great time.

Following Twiddle, Turkuaz threw down one of the most memorable performances of the entire weekend, even incorporating an awesome cover of the Talking Heads “Girlfriend is Better”. Turkuaz shredded the outdoor venue to pieces as if they were playing to a crowd of hundreds of thousands and it was their last show ever. 

Kung-Fu took the stage and Tim Palmieri ripped his way through the set bringing up the already peaking energy level through the roof. The band delivered a solid and memorable set that left you shaking your head in disbelief of the nights events that had transpired. 

Saturday the stage was taken by brass force with Goospimp whose crazily catchy dance beats and horns section provided a heavy wall of sound to dance to for the Disc Jam Festival audience. The dancing never ceased as lespecial continued the dance party with their alien death dance funk sound that is truly unique in the jam band scene. Soon after, Consider the Source brought their one of a kind middle eastern, heavy progressive rock jam style to the stage. 

The darkness started to fall as the lights pierced farther and farther out over the crowd, and the jams got heavier and darker. This performance, was my first time witnessing Consider the Source, and they really impressed me with their synchrosity on stage, and their clear perfect communication as musicians. Dopapod took over after Consider the Sources’ set to carry on the exceedingly ever impressive and intense night of live music. The lead guitarist Rob Compa beamed from ear to ear confidently as he gazed out over the eagerely awaiting crowd. Dopapod played an amazing show, and the jams were so smoothly flowing and organic it reminded me of a Phish show, as if they had been touring for decades. The easy flowing jams that Dopapod brought were indescribable and incredibly natural. The Dopapod set capped off the overwhelmingly stacked Saturday night.

The amount of skilled musicians that converged at Disc Jam was truly impressive and a real feat by the organizers, bands from all around, large and small, all delivered beautiful and well thought out shows for the jam and dance loving crowd. Sunday was the perfect wrap up for the awesome jam package that the weekend delivered. The Nth Power took the stage in the evening with an amazing stage presence. The Nth Power  knows how to perform for the crowd, with riveting drum solo’s between their bongo playing percussionist and drummer that brought the crowd into a tribal like state of dance. The lead guitarist Nick Cassarino was extremely animated and radiated joy from his beaming face with every note he played.

 A few hours later, Particle took the stage featuring their former bassist Eric Gould (Pink Talking Fish). The lead guitarist Ben Combe played with an insane amount of livetronica energy and a crazy power stance signature to his playing style. Particle grooved their way smoothly across genres of music dabbling in between light aural jams and heavy electronica.The wall of sound Particle creates is a formidable one, with not one note too many or too little notes, all placed in just the right spots to create a perfect blend. The lights pierced the night as did the digital jam shredding vibrations that the band produced. Disc Jam Festival was a magnificent weekend and I wouldn't trade it for anything. Thanks Tony Scavone! 

Kung Fu at Disc Jam Festival

|| Greggfest 2014 Article|| Final Project ||

The first annual Greggfest 2014 Event, started on May 2nd, a Friday with the gates opening at 1pm.
A shuttle ran between Greggfest and Lyndon State College every hour on Friday to help students get to the event. The weather was gloomy with rain on and off for both days of the festival, but the Greggfest goers didn't mind putting up their hoods, or throwing on a poncho to keep the rain off and having a great time regardless. Greggfester's were dancing around, eating food provided by Pizza Man, throwing frisbees, hula-hooping and drinking beer provided by Lucky Me in the Beer Tent.

The May 2nd ||Friday|| lineup consisted of:

Despite the rain, the Greggfest  attendees had a great time on Friday with a game of limbo.

The Soundmeisters
Jimmy Lynn Mead     
Jordan Racine 
Electric Sorcery 
Rachel Loggins
Erin Cassels-Brown
The Mangroves
Dubbest
Joe Sambo & The Goons

Joe Sambo  & The Goons Performing Friday May 2nd at Greggfest

||| Check out this interactive Greggfest 2014 map below! You can click on the pins to learn a little bit more about what Greggfest has to offer. Greggfest sits on 1.10 Acres of Land.

Click on the Main Stage pin to view a video of a performance from Brothers Union on Saturday May 3rd. |||

On Saturday there was another great lineup at Greggfest to look forward to!

The lead singer of the Rustic Overtones- Dave Gutter on May 3rd.

Day 2: Saturday May 3rd starting at 11:30am

Victory Orchard
Mostly Commons
Jake Machell 
Red Tin Box
Bible Camp Sleepovers
New Years Revolution
Ry & Colin
The Brothers Union
Rustic Overtones


Greggfest raised over $2,000 over the two day music festival to donate towards Jake Gregg's medical expenses. 

If you didn't make it this year, make sure to go to Greggfest 2015!  Please visit the link below to consider donating to the Jake Gregg Fund!

Bring Back The Music : Jake Gregg Fundraiser

|| Checkout the video below of Electric Sorcery performing Friday May 2nd at Greggfest! ||

|| Look Below For a Slideshow of Greggfest 2014--Photos by Josiah Schlee ||

|| Look Below for a Video of Brothers Union performing at Greggfest 2014 ||

Words by: Josiah Schlee
Photos by : Josiah Schlee and Heather Machia
Video by: Josiah Schlee with GoPro and Canon T3i
Map of Greggfest by: Josiah Schlee with Google Map Engine
Slideshow of Greggfest by: Josiah Schlee with iPhoto Slideshow Creator
Other Information: Facebook > Greggfest 

Multimedia Storytelling Final Project Overview

For my final multimedia project I will be covering the event Greggfest 2014, a benefit to raise money for the Jake Gregg Fund.
I will be taking pictures and video of the musical performers and the event as a whole.
I plan to use a GoPro camera as well as a Canon T3i to capture the images and video.
The project will done solo.

MMS Video Project #2

Spring Dip 2014- MMS Video Project 2

Spring Day at Lyndon 2014 was an impressive, and thriving arrangement of live music, food, and games including a rock climbing wall, and a slack line. The Spring Dip is an event that everyone at the Spring Day seemed to look forward too, a climax of the afternoons activities. The Spring dippers, all dressed in crazy outfits, varying from polka-dots shorts to balloon bee wings, sported by President Joe Bertolino. 

The Spring dippers lined up for the dip at 3pm, and my fellow videographer, Jake Reardon flew the GoPro wielding DJI Phantom Helicopter into the air in preparation for the Spring Dip. The countdown was made, and the dippers ripped down the hill and full heartedly leaped into the water. A media consultant at Lyndon State wore a GoPro as he made the plunge into the pond, getting a first person point of view for those who didn’t make the plunge themselves, to get an idea of the experience. The spring dippers came out of the cold water at different paces, but none of them seemed to concerned with drying off, the adrenaline was pumping too much for them to consider that. The President Joe turned to the GoPro on Tak’s chest and let out a yell of pure exhilaration. 

After filming the dip the Phantom DJI helicopter was returning to land when it lost power and dipper into the pond about fifteen feet away from the shore, it sunk quickly as we watched in dismay. The drone lay at the bottom as people who had seen it go down jumped in with all their clothes on to swim and try to save the device. These brave venturers had more guts than I did as I watched from the shore, I was impressed and graced by the clear concern for the loss of our equipment. A bounty for $100 was put on the device to help locate and return it, and many adventures tried to swim and locate it  to pull it out of the pond. Eventually a thoughtful soul, Patrick McLaughlin a Lyndon State College 08’ alumni, went into the pond with full scuba gear and used his rescue experience with the fire department to help him locate the drone. A video was taken of Patrick returning the drone to Dan Williams, the original purchaser of the device, with Patrick in full scuba gear. Dan seemed to be very happy to have the drone returned, and in turn made the aerial footage in this video possible!

Video: Digital SLR: Joe Schlee

           GoPro Helicopter: Jacob Reardon

           GoPro Chest Cam: Tak Shimamura

Audio: Joe Schlee, Jacob Reardon, Tak Shimamura

Editing: Joe Schlee, Jacob Reardon

Writing: Joe Schlee

Follow up to the lost drone! Click below. 

Click for the Scuba Geared Out Follow Up Video by Lyndon State College.

MMS Video Project #2 || Topic Preview || Spring Dip ||

The video will focus on the Spring Dip Event at Spring Day 2014.
Jake will be flying the GoPro Helicopter while I shoot video on the ground.
The audio acquired will be all natural from the event.

Video: Digital SLR: Joe Schlee

           GoPro Helicopter: Jacob Reardon

           

Audio: Joe Schlee, Jacob Reardon,

Editing: Joe Schlee, Jacob Reardon

Writing: Joe Schlee

Video Project MMS 2014

MMS VID Project iReport

Video Project 1- From Home to College- Writeup

The transition from home to the college life style is not always an easy adjustment to make. At home, the cupboards are fully stocked, and the settings are familiar to you. When you first move into a dorm room, it is usually much smaller than your room at home, and the dorm is commonly shared with a fellow student, whom you may or may not get along with. The dorm rooms share a lounge area where the members of a suite can convene. The dorm does not feature a stovetop, so one must rely on microwaves for hot food. If the dining hall isn’t open, you can always stop by the Hornets Nest for a late night snack. It’s not exactly like home cooking, but after microwave mac and cheese, its an improvement. A fridge is shared in the lounge area, but without a kitchen, it does not get much use. The bathrooms are a wild card in the dorms as some have been renovated, and some have not. The cleanliness of the bathrooms ranges from scary to tolerable on a regular week day. 

After a few semesters of college most students make the choice to either continue living on campus, or to move to an apartment in the area. Having an apartment has its advantages, and disadvantages. First off, living off campus, more time is needed to get to your classes. Most apartments include a full kitchen, which is nice for a change to be able to cook a hot meal that is not in the microwave. The bathroom, remains as clean as your roommates keep it, which is a nice change from sharing a bathroom with fourteen guys, to only two to three. The bedrooms in a standard Lyndon apartment are decently sized and usually do not come with any furnishing, which is a downside to living off campus. Instead of a lounge area, it is nice to having a living room in an apartment as opposed to a common lounge area, as you don't have to worry about leaving your belongings out there. Whichever you choose, to live on or off campus, your college experience will vary depending on what you make of it. The Lyndon area has lots of activities to offer for when your not in class, and when you do need to study, the school has great resources on campus to do so in a productive manner. 

Sound: Jake Reardon and Joe Schlee
Video: Jake Reardon and Joe Schlee
Editing: Jake Reardon
Audio: Natural and Interview/Narration by Jake and Joe

4/1/2014 MMS Newspaper Online with Video Review

I looked at 9news.com a news station based in Colorado. The website over all is very professional looking and easy to navigate. The web designer very clearly knows what a good website looks and feels like to use and access. The subjects vary from all kinds of topics, most are interesting to the average person interested in learning some new facts. The kind of news that leaves me disinterested is economic articles with lots of numbers and drawn out information. This website provides interesting news that all seems to be worth looking at, there is no uninteresting, filler news. I found this website equally interesting to iReport. My one complaint is, it looks as if their video is simply clips pulled from a newscast on television.

Beer in Vermont - Slideshow Story- 3/20/2014

Vermont brings tourist from all over the Northeastern Region just for its skiing during the winter months, and gorgeous green mountains for hiking, and all sorts of outdoor activities in the summer. The mountain scenery attracts all sorts of people, to a region that would otherwise go overlooked if it weren’t for its gorgeous natural offerings. 

Vermont is a secret beer hub for the northeast. If it weren't for chance, and personal recommendations I never would have discovered this to be true. I had never heard of the Alchemist Brewery in Waterbury, VT till my friend last year, told me a bit about it and the extreme quality of their brewing. Much like the local mountain Burke,  the average person residing in say Massachusetts or Connecticut would have never known of the mountain, if they had never heard of it by word of mouth from a personally satisfied customer. This same concept is why the small, and large breweries in Vermont have become so successful on a national and international level. 

The trend of popularity in sampling craft, or any high quality unique beer is booming across America, microbreweries are pumping out all the fresh beer its fans can enjoy. The Alchemist Brewery in Waterbury, VT only distributes their product to an extremely limited number of sellers.The low amount of distribution contributed to is elitism. I have met fans of the Alchemist Heady Topper spanning from as far as Bangor, ME to Hartford, CT, and those are not the only fans. The Heady Topper is rated the number one beer in the entire world by Beeradvocate.com, which is quiet an impressive feat for what was once a small Vermont brewery. 

Iv’e got Ryan Behling here with my, who is a fan of local vermont beers and a senior at lyndon state college in the sustainability studies. Youve tried the heady topper, does it live up to the raitngs? “

Personal testaments of satisfied  customers were a great assistance in expanding the horizons of Hill Farmstead Brewery. There is no experience in the world, like getting a fresh foamy beer right off the tap at a brewery. In Vermont, this has become an especially important experience for a number of distributors such as Hill Farmstead Brewery in Morrisville VT. Similar to the Alchemist Brewery, tourists come from all over New England just to  get a taste of Hill Farmstead. Unlike the Alchemist, who ships their cans to a few limited retail locations, Hill Farmstead Brewery is the location to purchase their product at. This extremely limited distribution of beer made it extremely successful, of course along with its stunning quality and taste. Hill Farmstead only fills growlers and sells their beer, freshly packaged at their location at their Morrisville store. The lines for the brewery are out the door when it opens, and it can take up to and hour and a half to get through the line of filling growlers. If you brew it, they will come. 

Beer fanatics love the fact that the only way you can acquire some of these brews  it is to take the adventure to Vermont. These beer tourists are bringing valuable tax dollars to Vermont with every trip they take and every Hill Farmstead growler they purchase. Shaun Hill of Hill Farmstead Brewery said in an interview recently with Vanity Fair that the world has “ moved into this phase of what’s been called “person-centered civil religion,” where people start to find meaning and value in different things in their lives. Maybe it’s football and the New England Patriots are “God,” or maybe it’s boutique beers. It’s an age where people are spending their dollars in such a way that it also has the potential to bring meaning back into their lives.”  Beer really does bring people with a passion for its quality together, and when the quality is in Vermont, that is where the people will go. Customers looking for a great product, and a beautiful outdoor adventure  know just where to drive, up to their favorite Vermont Breweries.

Credits

Photos: Joe Schlee

Audio : Joe Schlee/ Jake Reardon

Interview: Joe Schlee/ Ryan Behling

Editing : Jake Reardon

MMS Soundslides 3/20/14

3/18/14 Slideshow Summary

My audio slideshow is going to be a concert review done through photos and audio. I will be using songs freely licensed by the band for public use in this format, along with the narrations of myself and Jake. I will be organizing the slideshows photographic order, while Jake will work on the narrational element of the show. This slideshow is directed at anyone interested in live music in the Northeast Kingdom, there is no specific age range or gender target. Jacob and I will both be intertwining narration of which there is a sample below.

"The crowd was receiving the raw energy from the band and throwing it right back at them through furious dancing and jumping. The ping-pong effect of the band and the crowd feeding back and forth created a show unlike any other seen yet on a weekday. After the Disco Biscuits’ recent run just a week ago at the Electric Factory in Philadelphia, with a capacity ten times the size of the Fairfield’s Stage One it was amazing to see Conspirators stage presence. Marc Brownstein played his heart out, and it was clear that it did not matter if the crowd was two hundred or two thousand, he was going to make sure he left the venue in awe of the performance. This intimate performance setting was the perfect storm as they unleashed all their energy while ripping through the rest of the first set’s “Dynasty>Orch Theme>Struts>Legalize It> Oname Wa”. "

The text behind the photos will accompany them well and draw the viewer into the audio slideshow.

MMS Homework 3/11/2014 Slideshow- Photo Gallery Review

Photo Gallery/ Two Slideshows with Audio

Photo Gallery 

http://abcnews.go.com/International/slideshow/indonesia-volcano-erupts-22328341/image-22328524

The photo gallery above is one of a volcano that erupted in Indonesia. In a disaster situation like this, photographs are a good venue for bringing the reality of the subject to the public. It is easy to feel detached from the story while simply reading text, so the photos with captions next to them really help to bring the seriousness of the situation in your face. 

Two Slideshows

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/ed_shneidmanff_ss,0,3414993.htmlstory#axzz2vbNi6xRw

In the first slideshow above an older man narrates about death. The elderly man compares his decaying backyard statue to the decay he sees himself in his own physical existence. The photos really pop out of the slideshow, and present themselves individually more so in this audio slideshow than the previous photo gallery.  The elderly man is a doctor who specialized in death, and was quite aware of his declining health. At first glance, the audio slideshow stuck out much more than the photo gallery. 

http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/audioslideshow/2014/feb/23/photography-scotland-hebrides

In the second slideshow, which also contained audio, I was less impressed. The second slideshow was done in a fashion that I would compare to  a program on the history channel. Photos are presented with music of the time accompanying the photos with appropriate narration behind. The story is that of an old time family in the 1800’s and their everyday lifestyle. The photos are not very interesting, and neither was the story, so if the music had been a more upbeat I would have been more engaged. In the end though however, an audio slideshow was much more interactive than the plain photo gallery with text. 

Podcast HW MMS Script 2/18

Podcast Script

Upcoming Music in Vermont 

with Jake and Joe 

Hey whats up Northeast Kingdomers, this is Jake, and this is Joe. Were here to check you guys in for our monthly music in Vermont update. 

At first glance the entire Northeast Kingdom might seem like its in hibernation during these cold winter months, but if you dig a little deeper, you’ll find yourself having the time of your life in the comforting and energetic warmth of Vermont’s music venues.

That’s right Joe, we have a lot to look forward to in the upcoming month’s musical calendar.  Including bands like Mike Gordon’s Band, Conspirator, and the heavily followed Bob Weir and Ratdog tour. Who would have thought you could catch festival headliners like these in the casual back door music venues of Vermont.

02/18/14 Tue- Big Gigantic -Higher Ground (Ballroom)Burlington, VT

For starters tomorrow night at Higher Ground in South Burlington VT the group Big Gigantic is performing a show. This duet consists of a drummer and a saxophonist who also duels as a DJ. The group blends the style of electronic dance music with overtones of jazz that make them legendary for their unique enveloping sound. Tuesday nights in Lyndon can be dull, so if you have a free time, make the trip to go see the show in Burlington. 

02/20/14 Thu -Railroad Earth- Higher Ground (Ballroom)Burlington, VT

Later this week, Thursday to be exact. The band Railroad Earth, which is a new grass sound, a progressive, jam band style of classic bluegrass music. Railroad Earth is known to have a strong following of fans who love the new-grass sound. This movement in music is similar to the sounds of String Cheese Incident or Yonder Mountain String band. If you have Thursday night free, definitely make the trip over to South Burlington, VT to check these guys string plucking out, you won’t be disappointed. 

02/26/14 Wed -Zappa Plays Zappa- Higher Ground (Ballroom)Burlington, VT

Next week on wednesday, the son of  Frank Zappa, Dweezil Zappa blasts his way into Vermont with a Guitar Class at Higher Ground in South Burlington for $75, followed by a concert for $30. Dweezil Zappa is not known to disappoint , with soaring guitar solos that are sure to melt your face. This night with Dweezil Zappa is not one to miss for any kind of aficionado of rock music. 

Thats just a little sample of all the great music Vermont has to offer. Next time you’ll find yourself twiddling your thumbs, in your dorm room, in your igloo, or even in that boring Biology Evening Lab, pack up and skate over to South Burlington, VT for some fire live music.  Don’t forget to check in with me Jake, and me Joe> next month for another, music in Vermont update

8.24.13 - Life During Exodus- Umphrey's Mcgee- TRACK OF THE DAY

MMS Audio Post Assignment 2/13/14

Podcast Assignment 2/11/14

The first podcast channel I chose to subscribe to was ABC Radio National- Science.
The podcast channel does a good job of keeping the stories brief, as listening without any visual to go along can be uninteresting. I enjoy science, and like to keep up with what's new in the world of it, so that's why I chose this podcast. The stories were presented almost too straight forward, with not many sound bites to keep you interested. I would not personally keep listening to this podcast, but others might enjoy it.

The second podcast channel I chose to subscribe to was Pat Flynn: Smart Passive Income Podcast. The podcasts are about how to blog for your business, how to tweet for your business and how to sell things online. One podcast was about how to sell your artwork online, which was helpful as I'm a glassblower so It was helpful to listen to. I would definitely keep listening to this podcast. The podcasts are made to be very interesting and most are very brief about six to ten minutes.

Particle 2/6/14 Higher Ground, Burlington VT

The nearly empty Higher Ground Lounge Venue filled up quickly before the band Particle, came on. The opening band, Jon Wayne and The Pain performed a great reggae style jam-dub opening set and got the crowd feeling light on their feet. The band of three have an enveloping, impressive sound for only a bassist, drummer and guitarist. Their music fills the room with the force of a six piece band. 

Higher Ground was buzzing with people talking and getting ready for Particle to come on. John Wayne and The Pain had set the mood right. I talked to a few people there who, had came from far away like myself to see the show. The majority of the concert goers I asked if they had seen Particle before said, no. I believe there may have been a number of people enlightened through tonights show. Particle plays with the utmost energy and blasts out the funky jam-tronica with a consistency. You can get addicted to this little known band very quickly by just checking out one show. If you cant make it to a show check out their recordings on nugs.net. 

Particle took the stage with the friendly but aggressive presence that makes their band so dynamic. To start off the night, a new instrumental song was debuted, that is yet to be named. It consists of deep organ chords and heavy bass lines. The band asked the crowd after the song, for suggestions on names for the new song. The consensus seemed to be "Probation".. The show then took off even deeper into jam-tronica space territory. The deep funk ripped through London Forces> Red Orchestra and the crowd never stopped dancing for second. One of my favorite moments of the night transpired next. The band covered the song "E-Pro by Beck". The cover was dark and grungy but with funk overtones, Particle delivered and great homage to this classic jam. 

After the dark grungy funk cover, the band shifted paces into Triple Threat, a light bouncing funky jam song that leaves plenty of room for improvised jamming. Triple Threat lead to some guest action; Particle called for Jon Wayne, the lead singer/ guitarist for Jon Wayne and The Pain to join them onstage. Jon Wayne busted out some Sublime reminiscent rhymes over an instrumental jam that Particle laid down. The reggae feel was a good fit with the light funk style of Particle.

PHOTOS- JOSIAH SCHLEE- REVIEW- JOSIAH SCHLEE

The nearing the end of the show, the dancing got even heavier as the band got deeper into jam space than I had ever expected. The DC>Metropolis> National Anthem and closing out the first set with an version of Elevator that made you wonder why you haven't seen this band more often? Particle threw down an electric show with energy comparable to Umphrey's Mcgee. Particle bid the fans good night with an encore of I'm Awake, Silver Lining. The song was a light jam, more vocal than the average Particle song, and it was a great way to end an amazing night. 

Connecticut News TV Website's Comparison- MMS Assignment

I compared the sites NBC Connecticut and WFSB3 and both visually appear to be very similar. The NBC site seemed to have a more friendly feel and that aids in the ease of interaction with the website. The writing on the NBC website is engaging while the articles on the WFSB3, not so much. There are no ads I've seen on either website. This helps the website user to focus in on the website content. The video players on each website are very similar and also feature no ads. I did not see any photo slideshows, but there are top banners on both websites with tabs to make navigation to different types of news easier. WFSB3 Presents the local news in a straight forward manner, as if they posted the news script up as the webs story. The NBC site did a great job adapting the stories to be easily read on the web. NBC used large photos to make the story more engaging and to pull you in. To be honest, photos are needed to hold my attention in reading a long news story.

WFSB3 Site

 

NBC CT Site

Car Crashes into Central Restaurant Lyndonville, VT resulting in death. PRACTICE STORY

     Lyndonville, VT- A Barton resident’s car crashes through the front of Central Restaurant in Lyndonville today, killing one man from Concord, VT.

Annie Coulter, 81, was heading south on Depot Street at 12:31 pm today when her brakes failed after she swerved to avoid a pedestrian.

Coulter’s vehicle cruised out of control into the front of the Central Restaurant.  Annie Coulter was not the only victim of the accident, as her car struck a John Barker, 69, who was eating just inside the Central Restaurant. John Barker initially only, received minor wounds from flying glass caused by the collision.
 Barker immediately rushed to assist Annie Coulter in getting out of her vehicle.  In a turn for the worse Barkers’ heart gave out from a heart attack. John Barker was announced dead on the scene, only minutes after trying to help Annie Coulter from her vehicle. 

Other Vermont News

The Live Music Scene in Northern Vermont: Dead or Alive?

When the typical Connecticut or New York resident thinks of Vermont, they think of cows, skiing, maple syrup and the mountains. Vermont hides so much in it's green mountains that goes unseen by average eye. If you look a little bit closer, you can see the thriving live music and art scene that lives in Burlington, VT. Burlington is an epicenter for artistic people to go to school and live. Students who dream of "getting away" enroll in college at 

The University of Vermont for a change of scenery and the legendary Vermonter way of life. This diverse crowd brings a range of interests to the area, and for some, that interest is live music. My first semester at Lyndon State College, I was afraid the area had nothing to offer, being 86 miles from Burlington and living in a rural style community. It seems over the years my view has changed, Burlington is a mere afternoon drive away to a city filled with entertainment and possibilities. My favorite entertainment is the live music, I was blown away by the scene and it continues to amaze me. Here's a look at the months ahead for live music in Vermont! The list I compiled with the help of Jambase.com


02/06/14 Thu- Particle- Higher Ground (Ballroom)Burlington, VT
02/18/14 Tue- Big Gigantic -Higher Ground (Ballroom)Burlington, VT
02/20/14 Thu -Railroad Earth- Higher Ground (Ballroom)Burlington, VT
02/21/14 Fri- Pigeons Playing Ping Pong
Nectar's- Burlington, VT
02/26/14 Wed -Zappa Plays Zappa- Higher Ground (Ballroom)Burlington, VT
02/26/14 Wed- Zach Deputy
The Dupont Brothers- Nectar's- Burlington, VT
02/28/14 Fri-Bob Weir & RatDog- Flynn CenterBurlington, VT
02/28/14 Fri -Conspirator
Dopapod -Higher Ground (Ballroom)Burlington, VT
03/01/14 Sat -Sophistafunk --Magic Hat Brewery Burlington, VT
03/11/14 Tue -FiKus --Nectar's Burlington, VT
03/14/14 Fr -Jimkata- The Matterhorn Stowe, VT
03/15/14 Sat -Jimkata-Nectar's Burlington, VT
03/17/14 Mon -Aqueou s-Grizzly's-Stratton Mountain,VT
03/25/14 Tue -The Infamous Stringdusters- Higher Ground (Showcase Lounge)Burlington, VT
03/29/14 Sat - Mike Gordon-The Flying Monkey Movie House and Performance Center-Plymouth, NH
04/06/14 Sun-Mike Gordon- Higher Ground (Ballroom)Burlington, VT04/20/14- Thurs- Twiddle-  Higher Ground(Ballroom) Burlington, VT

Western Excursion Summer 2013

View from inside the Grand Canyon's North Rim Lodge Restaurant 

The Thunderbird Restaurant is located in Mount Caramel, Utah just outside Zion National Park. The restaurant is impressive and great stop on the way from Zion to Bryce Canyon National Park. The restaurants food style is reminiscent of a diner in the northeast, but with a bit of  southwestern flare.

    Below is a view of the Grand Canyon from the North Rim. The National Parks Visitor Center and Lodging were amazing and gorgeously done with raw looking woodworking. The restaurant at the canyon lodge had really impressive entrees and drink selections. 

 Below is a view of some green in the desert, at Zion Canyon National Park.

 Below is a photo I took at Bryce Canyon National Park which is also located in Utah like Zion National Park.

 Below is another picture taken at Bryce Canyon National Park.

 Below is a view of a meadowy field in the desert right outside Bryce Canyon National Park.

 Below is some hummingbirds outside the Thunderbird Restaurant, there were literally twenty hummingbirds in one spot at a time on the different feeders outside the restaurant. I really enjoyed how much the hummingbirds thrive out west in contrast to the rarity of seeing a hummingbird in New England.

Umphrey's Mcgee at The Beacon Theatre 1/18/2014

On January 18th, 2014 my dad and I ventured to New Haven, CT to catch the 3pm train into New York City. Riding the train into the city provides many fond memories for me, as I have seen Phish many times at Madison Square Garden, which is a mere mile or so from Grand Central Station, the end of the line from New Haven. The hour train ride or so brings your right into the heart of New York City. Half the experience of going to a show in the city, is navigating to the venue through the thousands of New Yorkers, and the occasional lost jam band fan such as yourself. The Beacon Theatre was no short walk from Grand Central Station unlike MSG, the Beacon was over two miles away . 

After a long walk through the flickering bustle of New York City we finally arrived at the venue. Not many fans were gathered outside, unlike a Phish show where the fans swarm before the show outside the venue. Umphrey's Mcgee does not seem to carry the tradition of a "Shakedown Street" on the lot as often as other jam bands. We stubbed ourselves in and found our seats, which were about eight rows back in the left center stage area. The view was perfect, and the venue was aesthetically gorgeous inside. The Beacon Theatre is elegantly decorated with rich deep reds and gold leafing. The ceilings are adorned with beautiful blue and gold themed paintings, giving the ceiling a spacey glorious feeling. The band arrived on stage promptly at 9pm which was a surprise, as the doors had only opened at around 8pm. The venue packed out much quicker than I haver ever seen at a Phish show or the like. 

The band opened with a new song "October Rain" which was mellow, more so than the usual UMPH opener but it was still exciting to witness the debut of some new material. The band ripped through the first set with heavy rock songs such as 2x2, White Mans Mocassin's and a personal favorite of mine 1348.  I had heard from a friend that the band seemed rusty the night before on 1/17/14 so I was afraid for the quality of the nights show. My fear was in vain, as Umphrey's delivered a perfect electrically energetic first set, just like they always do. Umphrey's Mcgee is a band you can rely on to always play with the utmost energy and to play their hardest for every show. They certainly fulfilled all my expectations and exceeded them at the Beacon Theatre. The first set was closed with a ripping "1348" that left me ready for more action.  

The second set opened with a slower version of "All In Time" and the show quickly shifted to rage mode following it with energetic version of "Resolution". The set ripped a dance feel and the bass was heavy in the air, directly from the drummer Kris Meyers and the bassist Ryan Stasik. In the version of " Miss Tinkles Overture" the band left the structure of the song completely behind for a full on raging rock dance party cross. It was almost like a combination of a rave with a metal show and the air was thick with energy. The band ended the set with "Ocean Billy" to cap off the amazing night. The crowd went crazy as the band left the stage. A mind blowing encore ensued. The band started off with a cover of "I Am The Walrus" that was extremely on point vocally by Brendan Bayliss. Jake Cinninger, the guitarist, took advantage of his wireless guitar rig and ventured into the crowd during this song. He walked up the aisle casually ripping solos right next to me in the aisle, talk about an interactive experience. The cover of "I Am The Walrus" left the crowd smiling with shock and awe. Umphrey's Mcgee then closed out the encore with " The Fussy Dutchman" a beautifully composed rock overture with guitar harmonizing that resonated beautifully through the beautiful venue the Beacon Theatre. Umphrey's Mcgee knows how to put on a masterful, energetic show that will always leave you wanting more. 

Review by Joe Schlee

Utah-The Canyons Resort- Eating Fresh

This past summer 2013 I was able to visit the Canyons Resort in Park City, Utah. The gorgeous resort  provides amazing skiing conditions and a great summer getaway for fishing, hiking and dining. In my opinion the Canyons Resort is one of the best resorts I have ever been to, with Steamboats Springs Colorado in near competition. One of the more expensive restaurants at the Canyons,The Red Tail Grill provides outdoor seating, either enclosed in glass or at outdoor tables. They had one table, the photo below, that I thought was the coolest thing ever. The table has fresh herbs like basil growing right in the middle of it. I love this idea so much, I hope to build a table sometime soon just like that sometime soon. The idea of having herbs as fresh as possible is a great notion. I love the Canyons Resort, and the way the manage their grounds, beautiful place to visit. 

The Ingenious Herb Garden Table

View from the Canyons Resort Gondala

Snow in Simsbury, CT

Sometimes it seems I moved to the wrong state! The brutal cold temperatures of Lyndon, VT certainly make the warm, but snow heavy winters of Connecticut look all the more appealing. Every time I have visited my home in Simsbury, CT we seem to get a large snowstorm, and my backyard is the perfect winter playground. 

 My backyard is luckily a large hill filled with lots of scarce trees perfect for carving through. The run is short but the snow is deep, and the convenience is amazing. I hope to have better snow experiences in Vermont, by getting a double season pass to Jay Peak and Burke next year. This year I missed out on the deal, as I thought I was transferring to Marlboro College for a semester of intensive hands on film making.

Looking Ahead Live Music Journalism and Shows Worth Checking Out in the VT Area - Late January 2014

As a photographer I am always looking for opportunities to use my skills. The last live concert I was able to cover was in October in South Burlington also. I have a passion for most all kinds of live music that is uplifting and exciting. I have always heard the notion repeated that money follows passion, so I am striving to achieve just that. I am looking forward to covering the "jamtronica" band Particle at Higher Ground on February 6th. I will for the first time, at the show be also taking notes to write a short article on the show. My future with my media outlet Grateful Music LLC relies on the quality of this article and photo coverage, as the company needs photographers who can bring a writer with them.

As my location in Lyndon, VT limits my access to fellow jam enthusiast writers, it has made the hunt difficult. I hope to be able to build up my skills to be able to be a one man live music journalism team. The next show upcoming is the electronic/ saxophone live band Big Gigantic. I have never covered a band that incorporated computers and DJing into their live performance, so it will be an interesting experience. I am very excited to be doing any type of live music photography and I look forward to the future.

I hope to see you at a show in New England! For all the jam band fans out there, here are the dates to some upcoming shows worth checking out.

2/6/14- Particle -Higher Ground, South Burlington, VT 2/13/14- STS9 - Port City Music Hall- Portland, Maine 2/18/14- Big Gigantic- Higher Ground, South Burlington, VT 2/20/14- Railroad Earth- Higher Ground, South Burlington, VT 2/21/14- Pigeons Playing Ping Pong- Nectars Lounge, Burlington, VT 2/26/14- Zappa Plays Zappa- Higher Ground, South Burlington, VT 2/26/14- Bob Weir and Ratdog - Port City Music Hall- Portland, Maine 2/28/14- Bob Weir and Ratdog/ Conspirator + Dopapod- Higher Ground, VT 4/6/14- Mike Gordon- Higher Ground, South Burlington, VT 4/20/14- Twiddle- Higher Ground, South Burlington, VT

Implosion Twist and Dot Stack Marble

I made this marble over my Christmas break from my "Junior" year first semester at Lyndon State College. It is a simple design, but it is one of the first marbles I have made over an inch in size. Glass becomes quickly more difficult to deal with as the size of the marble is larger. I imploded the pattern of a basic "snowflake" a cross with triangles on each pointed end. I then twisted the back of the implosion to create a cool effect. I rounded off the marble in the marble mold then continued on. I then drew blue dots large in size around circumference of the marble. I then melted in the blue dots and smoothed out the marble once again. I then moved on to place small white dots in the center of the melted in blue dots, I was done drawing now. I finished the marble by polishing it in a soft flame and smoothing the marble out in the mold. I then break off the punty, (the handle with which you work on the marble) and polished the small scar left behind by the punty. 

Implosion Marble

One of my favorite implosions I've been able to do so far. Used over 20 dots to make this one with striping on the sides. The color I'm unsure of, but it turned out to look luminescent and amazing. One of my favorite colors I've used so far.  

Glassblowing is a great hobby, but glass and oxygen are turning out to be very expensive.

Glass By Momka- 45 Rod Shorts Sampler

Conspirator at Toads Place 10/10/2013

I have traditionally been a fan of the mellower jam bands such as Furthur, Phish and String Cheese Incident, so it was a step out on a limb for me to see the band Conspirator. The band is led by Marc Brownstein and Aaron Magner from the Disco Biscuits. The band Conspirator features an electronic vibe, that was slightly reminiscent of the heavy dance sections of an Umphrey's Mcgee show.  The band was playing at Toads Place, a small bar venue in the college town of Yale, New Haven, CT. The capacity is maximum of about a hundred fifty people so the shows are always intimate. Brownstein led the band with ripping energetic bass-lines while the guitarist lit up the room with  shredding. The show was great and I would definitely see Conspirator again. After years of hating on the Disco Biscuits, I am hoping to see them for the first time, Thanks for a great show Brownie.