Westport Library VersoFest Attracts Hundreds on Each of it's 4 Day Run
Panelists discuss changes in and the state of the music industry and answer questions from the audience.
VersoFest, The Westport Library’s annual music and media conference and festival where knowledge is shared and inspiration is discovered took place last Thursday through Sunday. VersoFest, named after the Library's state of the art recording studio Verso Studios is a forum for media creators, artists, and fans to converge. VersoFest includes panels where experts share their perspective and vision. Intimate workshops provide creators the opportunity to deconstruct, improve, and hone their craft. Performances entertain and inspire. Verso produced, recorded and release the first vinyl album ever created by a public library.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery
VersoFest 2023 was held over four days – a Thursday night kickoff concert featuring Sunflower Bean and DJ Hysterica that drew more than 300 people; the Friday night headlining show with the Smithereens featuring Marshall Crenshaw, Amilia K Spicer, and Miriam Linna that brought out a crowd of nearly 500; and a series of panels, workshops, and more on Saturday and Sunday, drawing hundreds more. Among the highlights was the Saturday keynote conversation between legendary producer Steve Lillywhite (U2, Talking Heads, Dave Matthews Band, and many more) and Talking Heads and Tom Tom Club drummer Chris Frantz, and the Saturday evening Malloy Lecture in the Arts with acclaimed painter and Psychedelic Furs frontman Richard Butler. On Saturday and Sunday record dealers brought their inventories of vinyl LP’s including some rare and hard to find titles.
Weekend workshops included ones on songwriting, screenwriting, photography, TV and media production, and a TeachRock workshop utilizing Anthony Coscia's Wall of Sound which is a 1:4, 10' x 14' scale model replica of the Grateful Dead’s legendary “Wall of Sound” which the band employed throughout much of 1974 and which was on display and cranking tunes intermittently throughout the entire course of VersoFest 2023.
Weekend workshops included ones on songwriting, screenwriting, photography, TV and media production, and a TeachRock workshop utilizing Anthony Coscia's Wall of Sound which is a 1:4, 10' x 14' scale model replica of the Grateful Dead’s legendary “Wall of Sound” (first row, above right) which the band employed throughout much of 1974 and which was on display and cranking tunes intermittently throughout the entire course of VersoFest 2023.
Beginning in 2020, Coscia began his “Le Petit Mur De Son” project to rebuild the Grateful Dead's legendary Wall of Sound. The intent of the project is to preserve The Wall's place in history and allow people to hear, see, and feel what so few were able to experience. Scaled walls have been constructed in lead-up and in fundraising for a full-scale replication, to which Coscia is currently seeking funds.
Coscia's half-scale Wall of Sound is currently housed in a space donated by SpreadMusicNow at Granite Church in Redding, CT, which Coscia says is far too small a room for the system. “For perspective, the half scale wall in its current location is like putting a full scale wall in a small theatre,” he wrote in a Facebook post following one of the first tests of the system, “so needless to say it was loud but surprisingly clear and clean.”
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery
On Saturday and Sunday record dealers brought their inventories of vinyl LP’s including some rare and hard to find titles. The current exhibit from the Artists Collective of Westport provided the perfect backdrop.
Hundreds of guests enjoyed panel discussions over the weekend about topics including rock fashion, rock photography, vinyl record collecting, and the business of music, as well as a panel discussion on podcasting, streaming, and more. In addition, there was a celebration of the 50th anniversary of hip hop in Connecticut, an all-day Sunday record fair, a working replica of the Grateful Dead’s “Wall of Sound” PA system, a museum of Alice Cooper Group artifacts, and a screening of the Alice Cooper reunion documentary “Live From The Astroturf” featuring a Q&A with Alice Cooper Group bassist and founding member Dennis Dunaway.
Alice Cooper founding member and bassist Dennis Dunaway and wife Cindy in front of some of the costumes designed by Cindy who was the original costume designer for the Alice Cooper band.
Dunaway and his wife Cindy Smith Dunaway set up one of the library's meeting rooms with a massive memorabilia collection from his more than forty years with Alice Cooper, whose real name is Vincent Furnier. Among the Dunaway's collection were several of the many costumes Cindy created as the original costume designer for the ban and is credited with ushering in the "Shock Rock" fashion style popular in the 70's with edgy bands like Alice Cooper. Cindy is the sister of Alice Cooper's drummer Neal Smith. The couple married in August of 1974 at the Greenwich CT town hall. Dunaway, who was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in 2011 along with two other surviving band members, signed a variety of memorabilia brought by the band's devoted fans. Alice Cooper is perhaps best known for his smash hit "School's Out", which was released 51 years ago this month on the band's fifth studio album which climbed to number two on the Billboard Top 200, and the single reached number seven on Billboard's Top 100.
VersoFest Celebrates the 50th Anniversary Of Hip Hop with DJ’s from the dawn of the era provided a wealth of knowledge about the genesis of the genre and how these pioneering artists spawned and spread Hip Hop culture around the world.
Legends, Beats, and Grooves curated a hip-hop 50th anniversary panel featuring DJ Grand Wizzard Theodore who has been credited with inventing the ubiquitous "scratch" found in many Hip Hop tracks since the inception of the genre in the Bronx in August of 1973. Along with DJ Theodore on the panel discussing all things Hip Hop were Tony Tone (Cold Crush Brothers), DJ Grand Master Supreme (Lauryn Hill), DJ Ragoza, DJ Billy Busch (HOT 93.7), The panel discussion and Q & Q session was hosted by Terrible Tee and there was a demonstration of the dual turn table DJ mixing which is the core of much of genre.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Morning Weather Report
Today
Partly sunny, with a high near 64. Light and variable wind becoming southeast 5 to 8 mph in the morning.
Tonight
A 40 percent chance of showers, mainly after 2am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 48. East wind around 6 mph.
Tomorrow
A chance of showers or drizzle before 8am, then drizzle or light rain likely, mainly after 2pm. Cloudy, with a high near 53. East wind 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Tomorrow Night
Drizzle likely before 8pm, then a chance of showers between 8pm and 2am, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2am. Cloudy, with a temperature rising to around 52 by 2am. East wind around 9 mph becoming south after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
CT, California Governors Bet on NCAA Championship
Governor Lamont’s Office:Governor Ned Lamont of Connecticut and Governor Gavin Newsom of California have placed a friendly wager on the outcome of tonight’s NCAA men’s basketball championship game, in which the UConn Huskies will face the San Diego State Aztecs.
Governor Lamont wrote on Twitter that he is betting a basket of Connecticut Grown beer and wine and a collection of Munson’s Chocolates that the Huskies will claim victory. Governor Newsom replied that he will wager a crate of California avocados that the Aztecs take the title.
“The Huskies remain the most powerful and most energetic basketball team in the nation, and I am confident they have what it takes to bring a fifth NCAA championship trophy back home to Connecticut – the basketball capital of the world,” Governor Lamont said. “The Aztecs are a formidable team and Governor Newsom is a terrific governor and friend, however I have a feeling that pretty soon a shipment of goods will be traveling from Sacramento to Hartford.”
Tip-off for tonight’s game is at 9:20 p.m. ET.
Westport Police: Body Found Floating in Greens Farms Business Park
Google Maps view of 55 Greens Farms Road, which is off of Greens Farms Road between Compo Road South and Hillspoint Road. Westport Police DepartmentOn April 3rd, 2023, the Westport Police Department responded to the area of 55/57 Greens Farms Rd on a report of a body floating in a retention pond on the property. Responding units located the party and confirmed that they were deceased. The investigation is currently in its infancy and the identification is being withheld pending notification to the next of kin.
Update:
Errol Whyte, age 62, of Stamford, CT was positively identified as the deceased person found this morning. Mr. Whyte had been missing since December 29th, 2022 and was the subject of a missing person investigation by Stamford Police Department. Westport Police Detective Bureau will now conduct a death investigation to try and determine the circumstances leading to Mr. Whyte’s death.
The Westport Police Department extends our sincerest condolences to the Mr. Whyte’s family as they navigate these difficult times
Morning Weather Report
Today
Showers likely, mainly after 5pm. Increasing clouds, with a high near 51. Light south wind increasing to 8 to 13 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Tonight
Showers, mainly after 2am. Areas of fog after 2am. Low around 47. Southwest wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
Tomorrow
Showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 2pm. Some of the storms could produce gusty winds. Areas of fog before 8am. High near 66. Breezy, with a south wind 13 to 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Tomorrow Night
Showers and thunderstorms likely before 11pm, then a slight chance of showers between 11pm and 2am. Cloudy, then gradually becoming partly cloudy, with a low around 36. Southwest wind around 18 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Westport Historic District Releases Survey about Local History and Culture
The Historic District Commission is inviting residents to participate in a survey that will help guide and inform the adoption of the Town’s Historic Preservation Plan.
Certified Local Government Coordinator Donna Douglass noted, “In 2022, the Town of Westport was granted a Certified Local Government (CLG) grant to hire a consultant, PaleoWest, to create a town wide Historic Preservation Plan. The purpose of the plan is to establish a long-term vision for historic preservation in the community, and to create a set of achievable goals and strategies for strengthening the Town's historic preservation program.”
She continued, “Westport residents are encouraged to participate in the following survey that will help identify what is important to them in regard to local history, culture, and the built environment. For the purposes of this survey “historic preservation” refers to the practice of maintaining and preserving significant sites, buildings, landscapes, local history, and culture.”
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/F9YFSD7
The Westport Historic District Commission (HDC) is the primary body responsible for administering the Town's historic preservation program and to reach its preservation goals. For more information about historic preservation and the HDC, visit the HDC webpage.
Westport Country Playhouse Seeks Volunteer Ushers for 2023 Season
Press ReleaseAs Westport Country Playhouse prepares to launch its 2023 Season on April 11, the historic theater is seeking volunteer ushers to greet patrons, scan tickets, distribute programs, answer audience questions, and direct patrons to their seats. In exchange, ushers are invited to view free-of-charge the performance at which they serve. To become familiar with the theater and tasks, ushers will receive an orientation prior to their first shift.
“Westport Country Playhouse is a community hub for theater, art, ideas, and fellowship,” said Kelly Richards Mikolasy, Playhouse house manager, who is in charge of the usher team. “We encourage anyone interested in volunteering as an usher to become an ambassador for our theater. We rely on the support of our community volunteers and are excited to welcome them to the Playhouse family!”
Volunteer ushers must be over the age of 18, unless accompanied by a guardian who will usher alongside the minor. Ushers will be paired to work together as a team. As an ambassador to the Playhouse, ushers must be patient, courteous, friendly, and helpful to patrons under all circumstances and speak honestly and positively about shows, events, facility, and policies. Dress code is white shirts and black skirts/pants. Ushers must be able to read small print in low light.
Ushers are allowed to sit for the performance in the back of the theater if seats are available and must be willing to relinquish their seat should the house manager ask. Ushers must be able to stand for the length of the performance in case no seats are available. They must stay for the entirety of the performance as there are required duties throughout and at the end of the performance.
With Playhouse capacity over 500 seats, ushers must be capable of handling large crowds in normal and emergency situations. Ushers take direction from the house manager and must be able to listen and respond to the house manager’s reasonable requests.
Ushers sign up for a performance date and are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis. They may be asked for a back-up date if slots have filled for the date requested. If an usher needs to cancel their scheduled shift, the house manager needs 24 hours’ notice in order to fill that slot. Rescheduling for that production is not guaranteed.
The Playhouse’s 2023 season includes the Tony Award®-winning musical, “Ain’t Misbehavin’,” celebrating in sassy song and dance the legendary composer Fats Waller, playing April 11 through April 29; a reimagining of “Dial ‘M’ for Murder,” the suspenseful thriller of blackmail and revenge, running from July 11 through July 29; and “School Girls; or, The African Mean Girls Play,” a buoyant and biting comedy exploring the universal similarities and glaring differences facing teenage girls across the globe, playing from October 24 through November 11. The complete schedule is available at westportplayhouse.org.
All play titles, artists, dates, and times are subject to change.
For ticket information, visit www.westportplayhouse.org/visit/box-office/ or call the box office at (203) 227-4177, toll-free at 1-888-927-7529, or visit Westport Country Playhouse, 25 Powers Court, off Route 1, Westport. Stay connected to the Playhouse on Facebook (Westport Country Playhouse) and on YouTube (WestportPlayhouse).
Morning Weather Report
Today
Sunny, with a high near 45. Wind chill values between 20 and 30 early. Northwest wind 11 to 13 mph.
Tonight
Mostly clear, with a low around 29. Northwest wind 5 to 8 mph becoming calm after midnight.
Tomorrow
A 30 percent chance of rain after 2pm. Increasing clouds, with a high near 53. Light south wind increasing to 9 to 14 mph in the morning.
Tomorrow Night
Rain, mainly after 2am. Steady temperature around 49. South wind 8 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
Staples Announces 21 Seniors to Graduate with High Honors
Front Row (L-R): Ryan Sidney Salik, Kyle Thomas Ambrose, Krishna Reddy, Matthew Lee Shackelford, Tom X Zhang, Jaden Emma Mello, Eva Strom Simonte, Quinn Julia Mulvey, Meredith Leigh Mulhern, Sharmila Abbie Green, Lucia Julianne Wang, Rebecca Hope Schussheim, Lilly Brooke Weisz
Back Row (L-R): Witt Moore Lindau, Colin Alexander Morgeson, Nikhil Kanthan, Ethan Jet Tober, Katherine Elizabeth Valante, Reilly Katherine McCaffrey, Julia Morgan Herlyn, Janna Harrison Moore. Contributed photoWestport Public SchoolsTwenty one exceptional students have been honored with the distinction of graduating with High Honors from the Staples High School Class of 2023. A student will be designated with "High Honors" if his/her academic grade point average falls in the top 4 percent of the graduating class.
According to Principal Stafford W. Thomas, Jr. , “This class, is extremely talented and the most astonishing aspect of this accomplishment, is that these students were involved in a number of extracurricular activities and various aspects of school life which took a great deal of time, focus and concentration outside of the classroom as well. We were lucky to have had them for four years and we will no doubt be hearing about their next great achievements in the years to come. Congratulations Class of 2023 High Honors students!”
The following students are the class of 2023 High Honors honorees: Kyle Thomas Ambrose, Sharmila Abbie Green, Julia Morgan Herlyn, Nikhil Kanthan, Witt Moore Lindau, Reilly Katherine McCaffrey, Jaden Emma Mello, Janna Harrison Moore, Colin Alexander Morgeson, Meredith Leigh Mulhern, Quinn Julia Mulvey, Krishna Reddy, Ryan Sidney Salik, Rebecca Hope Schussheim, Matthew Lee Shackelford, Eva Strom Simonte, Ethan Jet Tober, Katherine Elizabeth Valante, Lucia Julianne Wang, Lilly Brooke Weisz, Tom X Zhang.
Percy Jackson: The Musical; Young Actors Hit the Coleytown Stage this Weekend
(L-R): Grover (Joey Vazquez), a winged Fury (Lily Bottner), Annabeth (Lyla McEntee) and Percy (Denver Razza).
Coleytown CompanyIf you have no plans this weekend (or even if you do), please come out and support the Coleytown Company of Coleytown Middle School in their musical production: The Lighting Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical. This play is based on the book by Rick Riordan, a book you can encourage your children and/or students to read after the show!
And this is not your average middle school play; these kids have talent and the adults supporting them hail from Broadway itself. Immerse yourself in the phenomenal theater program our public schools offer and get your kids ready for their very own close-ups in years to come!
Tickets available at: https://www.showtix4u.com/event-details/71054