Hannah Fair – A Preschool Teacher Becomes a Star

There is no shortage of singer-songwriters in Burlington, Vermont. In fact, our community of folk-loving, accepting listeners has created a sort of Mecca for them. We love all that they bring to our intimate stage at the Skinny Pancake: baring their hearts and souls, perhaps helping us think more deeply about our own lives as we listen closely to their stories and melodies.

We’ve hosted Hannah a few times on our stage, but one night stands out. It was a benefit concert for the Against Malaria Foundation (itself a show full of wonderful songwriters), and Hannah was part of several acts. She had an old banjo and acoustic guitar, and she asked me, “So, how long would you like me to play for?” She seemed a little nervous, with a wide-eyed look; yet I could tell she’d done this more than a few times. A member of the crowd asked, “Another singer-songwriter?  Really?” It was a question I declined to answer.

As we were about to find out, Hannah was so much more than we expected. She brought the room to silence, in complete awe of her performance.

From the very first song, it was clear that Hannah Fair was not only a phenomenal singer but also a true artist and poet. Her lyrics were compelling, and you could feel the authenticity in her voice. The entire room was right there with her, happily along for the ride, and left with that feeling that only live music can give you. This was something special, something rare.

Her set consisted of mostly original songs, and a few truly impressive covers, including a rendition of Beyonce’s “Love on Top.” Surely not a song your average singer can pull off.

One thing you cannot say about a Hannah Fair show is that all the songs sound the same – a typical complaint with singer-songwriters. In truth, she’s got an incredible range and variety of material. One of my favorites is a song called “No Whiskey,” which she wrote with her little sister. Based on this tune, her little sister could be the next Hannah Fair.

Her song “Roots,” performed as a Tiny Desk Contest submission, is a lyrical whirlwind and really shows off her incredible songwriting, with its magical range and quirky brilliance.

Our Wednesday Night residency with Josh Panda has recently come to a close, after 5 years strong. While we undoubtedly will continue to have Josh on our stage regularly, it was time for a new chapter for both Mr. Panda and our Wednesday night line-up. So not long ago we were left with the question of who could fill these enormous Panda Bear-sized shoes? But the answer it seems is that nobody needs to. Over 5 long years, Josh emerged as the artist he is today. The freedom of a weekly stage is liberating, allowing for an artist to grow.

Similar to Josh Panda, Hannah Fair started out, as so many Burlington musicians do, busking on Church Street. With an impressive set in tow, she heads to our Weekly residency. Over time, she will fill her own shoes; with her own voice, her own crowd, and her own bar tab.

Join us every Wednesday night at 8 pm, and watch this extraordinary talent, a preschool teacher by day, take you somewhere else for a couple hours.

The first time I heard Josh Panda perform was on Church Street in the summer of 2008. The Skinny Pancake had just one small location on the Burlington waterfront which had just completed its first trip around the sun. As a small operation, I wore many hats back then – payroll, scheduling, accounting, working shifts on the floor and so much more. I also booked all the music that came through the Skinny for those first two years.

The Church Street Marketplace can be a charming scene in the busy summer months, with musicians of all stripes entertaining the passing crowds. It can also be chaotic: choked with enough people to ruin a Fire Marshall’s afternoon. Regardless of your perspective, there is a lot of competition for attention out there. And yet amongst that scrum, Josh Panda’s performance jumped right out from the crowd. His voice is so crystal clear, so versatile, so powerful, his demeanor so playful. His songwriting has a set of barbs that would make a fisherman jealous. Josh had attracted a crowd that day and lured me in too. Alas, after a few minutes, my many duties called…so I dropped a business card along with a few bucks and moved on down the way.

Like many self-respecting (or self-destructive?) musicians, Josh is not one for self-promotion. My business card likely found its way into his pocket and then onto a disorganized pile in short order…if it didn’t go straight into the trash. But Josh has a secret weapon: his now wife, then girlfriend, and co-owner of Pandarue Productions, Ruth Hill. Several months later, as fall waned into winter’s wax, I received an email in signature Ruth Hill style. She weaved a string through her mother to my brother and onto another sibling just to get our attention to perform in our little creperie. She is focused, determined and smart…though frankly, it wasn’t that hard to get a date on the calendar at the ‘Cake back then. My brother’s note read, “This is that Josh Panda guy Ted was referring to you.  The music certainly passes the test as far as I’m concerned.” His first gig with us was booked with his then backing band, ‘The Murder Ballads’ on the winter solstice of 2008. It was a raging success. In our next newsletter, I reported, “Josh & the Murder Ballads absolutely lit up our venue…one of the best performances we have ever had!!! I told Josh as many days later in a mid-town encounter, thanking him for bringing his talent to our little city. His response:

“I heard Burlington was a hip town with a home-grown music scene…and that’s where I want to be right now. Just hoping to be that double-shot of espresso in the mug of Burlington’s music scene.”

In the months and years thereafter, Josh hopscotched through dates at the Skinny P. In 2009, We infamously set him up for our biggest night of the year, July 3rd on the Burlington waterfront. When it threatened to rain, I was dispatched to get shelter and returned with a rather dirty 6’x8′ tarp. Apparently, I still had a lot to learn. Suffice to say, it was insufficient. (My sincerest apologies to the great Lowell Thompson who still holds that one against me.) The party abruptly moved inside as the impending rain approached. The crowd quickly completely overwhelmed our tiny venue. It was muggy and wet. We’re lucky we didn’t have a slip-and-fall lawsuit that day. Panda and his band were on a roll and didn’t want to stop. He kept playing acoustic, his powerful voice projecting over the crowd, while we reassembled our fledgling PA from outside to indoors. We only managed to get one speaker working, but he didn’t seem to care that night…nor did the crowd, so long as they could still enjoy his pipes.

In January 2011, after several more packed parties at the Pancake, Josh settled into his weekly Wednesday residency, which has enjoyed a proud five-year run, ending January 25th. Before we expanded our location on the Burlington waterfront, performing at the Pancake was a tightrope walk. Somewhere just past critical mass we would find ourselves over capacity. With not an inch to spare, a performer like Panda could pick up a fork and start eating from a guest’s plate…it was that tight.

Half way through his residency, we doubled the size of the Skinny. We were careful to make our last night in the old space our regular Wednesday residency with Josh, and what a night it was. When it was all said and done, we took it upon ourselves to begin the demolition right then and there. This big broad wall had curtailed our size and limited our parties. It had been a physical and psychological barrier. “TEAR DOWN THIS WALL, MR. PANCAKE!!!” Panda declared. Tear it down we did…

With an expanded space and improved performance area, Panda found new life in his residency at the Pancake. He hosted bigger bands. He worked through his own limitations and found comfort in performing alone. We hosted multiple New Year’s Eve crowds together, an infamous Doors cover celebration for Halloween 2015 and many, many more Wednesday nights. For several of us, Wednesday became our weekly routine to get together and catch up.
But like all odysseys, this 5-year collaboration is set to end. And while that’s surely a bittersweet thing for those of us who found weekly comfort in the music and friendship, everything is ultimately impermanent. Moreover, when one door closes another one opens. The Pancake-Panda collaboration is far from over. We’re just moving onto the next chapter.

-Benjy Pancake

Ever since the announcement of this show at the Skinny Pancake Hanover, folks all over the Upper Valley have been asking: Who is Josh Panda? 

We here at the Local Music Corner were wondering the same thing, so we dug into this Panda fellow to see what we could find.

It turns out that Joshua Panda, hails from the Southern United States, but ultimately settled in Burlington, VT aiming to be ‘the shot of espresso in the city’s music scene.’ And he’s certainly put his best foot forward in that effort.

Over the years, Josh Panda has tackled pretty much every musical style imaginable, from Tom Waits to Adele:

In addition to these one-off covers he peppers into his shows alongside impressive originals, Mr. Panda knows how to don a musical costume and do a full-length tribute to musical legends. Over the years, he’s channeled, Van Morrison, Bob Marley, Led Zeppelin, the Doors, and relevant to this blog post: The Rolling Stones.

So, to answer the question of, ‘Who is Josh Panda?’ It’s tough to know, really. The man can do anything and be anyone, it just depends on the show you catch.

This Friday, at the Skinny Pancake Hanover, we’ve been assured Josh Panda is bringing his Rolling Stones show, and it’s sure to be a good one. Hope to see you there!

Lots of good music happening across the Upper Valley this week so be sure to give a listen wherever you are. Which shows are YOU most looking forward to this week?

Brooke Annibale studied abroad in Paris when she was in college. While her love of songwriting was well established at that point, she gained a new love that summer of 2007: crepes. She may not have seen it coming, but this Saturday at the Skinny Pancake in Hanover she’ll have the opportunity to celebrate both of those loves in the same room.

In advance of the show, I asked Brooke a few questions about her continuing rise as a touring musician. Read below, including a few songs to check out, and come see her for yourself this Saturday night in Hanover.

Local Music Corner: When did you first pick up a guitar? What was the song that made you say, ‘oh, I want to play that?’

Brooke Annibale: I started playing guitar during the summer after my freshman year of high school, when I was 14 going on 15. My grandfather (my mom’s dad) was a guitar player and so is my uncle. That side of my family runs a music shop that sells guitars and other related gear as well as a live sound equipment company here in Pittsburgh. I had started writing lyrics and melodies really young, like in elementary school. When I got a bit older I realized I really wanted to be writing songs. I needed a tool to do that with so the guitar was a natural pick for me, having been around it in some way all my life. I started taking lessons at the family shop that summer and began writing songs a few months later.

LMC: What were the early gigs in Pittsburgh like? What sort of rooms were you playing and what sort of acts were you sharing bills with?

BA: My first live performance was at my high school talent show, which led to my first gig at a local coffee shop. A fellow student had a show booked there and asked me to open. I played that coffee shop frequently and then started playing other coffee shops in surrounding towns. I was mostly sharing the bill with other local acoustic singer-songwriters.

LMC: You graduated with a degree in Music Business. Because of this degree, do you think your approach is more pragmatic than if you were a road warrior during that time?

BA: I’m not sure, because I really think that actual experience within the industry and on the road is just as valuable as studying it. In college, I, fortunately, got a good balance of both of those. I went to Belmont in Nashville and you can really become immersed in the industry while you’re there. I think in some ways the degree gives me a more sensible awareness about the ins & outs of the industry that I might not have gained otherwise. But I also know that I’ve learned just as much from my experiences as I did from my studies.

LMC: How does the production behind this newest release compare to the earlier records? Are there more people involved in the process as you continue to gain a following?

BA: I’ve made my last 2 full-length records and a 6-song EP at the same studio in Nashville. They all have a similar cast of players and people involved because of that, but each are still slightly different. With each release, I’ve gotten more involved in the production process, especially with the dynamics and instrumentation of each song.

LMC: What’s your songwriting process like? Do you start with words or pick out a melody?

BA: The process is always a bit different every time. When I first started writing songs it was definitely the words that came first. Now mostly, it starts with finding something on the guitar that inspires a melody and then sorting out what the song wants to be about from there.

LMC: What are some of your favorite venues you’ve played?

BA: I really like playing house concerts, which if you haven’t heard of, they are exactly what they sound like… concerts in people’s houses. It gives me an opportunity to really connect with people. In Pittsburgh, my favorite place to play is probably the Pittsburgh Winery.

LMC: According to Wikipedia, we were born in the same month (July 87!). Out of curiosity, what were your contemporary influences, musical or otherwise?

BA: Wikipedia is correct on that. Well, the first CD I ever owned was Will Smith, so…

But really, when I first started playing I listened to a lot of John Mayer, and was also pretty into acoustic-based emo music, things that don’t really influence me anymore. I’d say my longest running influence has got to be Elliott Smith and in recent years, songwriters like Glen Hansard (The Swell Season), Lisa Hannigan, and Brandi Carlile have been steady influences in one way or another.

Brooke Annibale: This Saturday at the Skinny Pancake in Hanover – $10 online or at the door.

Lots of good music happening across the Upper Valley this week so be sure to give a listen wherever you are. Which shows are YOU most looking forward to this week?

Bow Thayer is no stranger to the Vermont music scene.

What started out as small “picking parties” with friends in the backyard of his house in the late 90s evolved gradually into the Tweed River Music Festival, of which Bow was the founder. His love of the region is extremely apparent in both the depth of his music’s natural and homey tones, and the poetry of his lyrics.

Thayer is known for his musical inventiveness, and the blending of different genres such as classic rock, punk rock, singer/songwriter, jam band, jazz, bluegrass, and old-time music. Additionally, and perhaps most notably, Bow is known for the creation of the Bojotar—a blend between a banjo, an electric guitar, and the Dobro—essentially, in Bow’s words, “a banjo with an extra low string, or a guitar with the low E taken off and a banjo string added.”

In Bow’s latest album, Sundowser (2015), the magic of the Bojotar is on full display. Adding a new, yet eerily familiar twang, the hybrid instrument perfectly compliments the earthy, warm, atmospheric, and toe-tapping vibes of Thayer’s rich melodies. It’s a cool instrument whose popularity seems destined to increase—Bow joked, if you come and see him play the Bojotar at the Skinny Pancake Hanover soon, a few years from now, “when this thing really blows up, you can say you saw it first!”

American Songwriter describes Bow as the “best artist to come from New England in recent years.” From the first time we saw Bow play (at an event at the King Arthur Flour headquarters in Norwich, VT, while serving up crepes from our mobile station) we could clearly see why.

Bow has graced the stage with artists such as John Hiatt, Richard Thompson, David Lindley, Edgar Winters, Joe Walsh, Booker T. Jones, Levon Helms and more… Although, he notes, quite humbly, he was “just the opening act” for most of them.

Bow is based out of a recording studio he built out of hemlock trees he harvested off of his own property and timber-framed himself, spending money only on the metal roofing covering the structure. The studio is appropriately fashioned with solar panels for all of Bow’s musical energy needs to boot.

It was from this remote studio along the White River that we had the chance to catch up with Bow, and chat with him about his residency at the Skinny Pancake Hanover:

Skinny Pancake (SP): Given all the entertainment distractions of the modern digital world, how important do you think it is for people to go out and see live music these days?

Bow Thayer (BT): It’s really hard to try and keep live music going, and there’s probably many factors to that… One being that there’s so much entertainment right in your house, and even now in your pocket on your phone. There are things that are distracting people these days from going out and committing to seeing live music. Most people would agree it’s very, very important to have live music, but it’s not on people’s priority list, and there’s just so many other things in competition with it. That’s why I think it’s so cool to have a company like the Skinny Pancake that’s actually going the extra mile to bring live music out to the community.

SP: How do you think food and music work together?

BT: They’ve gone hand-in-hand since the beginning of time. There’s always been that correlation; look at BBQ and the blues… I think you’re really onto something here… I could go on and on about certain metaphors and all this stuff, you know? Music is food for the mind, and blending the two just go hand-in-hand. Feed the body and the mind at the same time!

SP: What do you hope to get out of your residency at the Skinny Pancake Hanover?

BT: The whole reason I want to do a residency is so I can go work my music out in front of people! I could sit here [in my studio] for 14 hours a day, figuring it out here and recording it, but it doesn’t mean anything unless it’s in front of people.

It gets back to the whole thing of live music, you have to see what works. You can’t see what works by just bouncing it off the wall, you’ve got to bounce it off of other people. You’ve got to get feedback.

The people who have been coming to the shows so far sit right down in front and listen… And I don’t care if there’s 2,000 or two people there, I’m going to do the same thing. It’s just so important to have a live audience that you can, on a regular basis, go and work stuff out in front of.

So, I’m already getting everything out of this residency with the Skinny that I could want, and that’s a consistent place to work on my musical ideas, in a live format!

SP: You’ve played at a lot of different places throughout your musical career. What makes playing at the Skinny Pancake special?

BT: I feel really comfortable advertising to my people who have enjoyed my music over the years to come down to the Skinny Pancake. It’s cool. It’s a young, energetic staff, it’s friendly, the food’s good, it’s comfortable, there’s a great selection of drinks, and it SOUNDS GOOD. Honestly, I can’t say that about a lot of the places I’ve played. I’ve got people who like to come up from CT, NY, and MA, and it’s so important to have a place that is quality. If I am going to put my name out there and inviting people up, it’s got to have quality, and the Skinny Pancake is just the right blend of all of it.

SP: What’s your go-to crepe and drink of choice at the Skinny?

BT: Anything with a buckwheat crepe shell! I’ve had most of the food on the menu, and it’s all wonderful. I’m one of those dudes who can’t really eat wheat anymore, so the menu is perfect for me… And the local ciders, particularly the Eden Cider, I’m addicted to! You’ve got food I can eat, it’s healthy, and the staff is awesome! It’s totally cool.

Catch Bow Thayer’s residency at the Skinny Pancake Hanover live every Wednesday evening from 7:30-9:30pm for a night of great tunes, great food, great people, and great fun!