On the Beat: Erin Bentlage Wins a Grammy, the Joint Commission Drop New Music

In case you somehow didn’t get enough Noah Kahan in these pages last week, here’s a Grammy update. The Strafford native, who was nominated for Best New Artist, lost out to New York City pop and R&B singer Victoria Monét at the 66th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday in Los Angeles.

While Kahan didn’t take home a statue, Jericho native Erin Bentlage did snag a Grammy for Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals, along with her bandmates in the vocal group säje. They won for “In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning,” their collaboration with jazz vocalist Jacob Collier. Big congrats to Erin!

Bentlage was the only Vermonter to claim victory on Sunday night, as Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) lost out (again!) to former first lady Michelle Obama for the Best Audio Book Grammy. Obama’s The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times won over Sanders’ It’s OK to Be Angry About Capitalism.

There are some new hip-hop happenings across the lake in Plattsburgh, N.Y. Scene stalwart Matt Hall announced that Lake City producers Antwon Levee and Dust have joined forces with local hip-hop coalition the Joint Commission, whose latest release, “Hitmen,” dropped a few weeks ago, featuring rapper Benn Rymon and DJ Hotep.

“We’ve been releasing a new song roughly every other week since October,” Hall wrote. “It looks like we’ll be keeping that schedule for the rest of the year.”

The coalition also runs a live hip-hop series twice a month at Old Soul Design Shop in Plattsburgh. “The first hour has our DJ spinning beats, and during that time anyone is welcome to get on the mic,” Hall wrote. “The second hour features guest performers doing sets, and we’ve got a good amount of VT folks coming through.”

Eye on the Scene

Photographer Luke Awtry surveys local nightlife

Jeff Taylor, Higher Ground Ballroom, South Burlington, Tuesday, January 30: If you consider yourself a performer at all, you’ve had the dream. You know the one. It’s you up on that big stage, and you’re nailing it; the crowd goes on for miles, and they’re loving it. It’s your perfect moment. Last Tuesday at Higher Ground, Jeff Taylor warmed up the sold-out Ballroom for the band Lucius and told the crowd, “The last time I was here, I was all the way in the back watching a show with my hands in my pockets, just like, How do I get up there? We just keep going,” he continued. “That’s all there is. Trust me.” Sure, that’s some weird musician logic right there, but he’s not wrong. Throw in bits of authenticity, originality, raw talent, good timing, a charming personality and maybe some powerful connections, and then, just like Jeff, work your ass off for a long time. And that’s all there is. Trust me.