Seven Days: Vermont's Independent Voice

Mock Up

Ernest Hemingway is often quoted as saying, “Write what you know.” In 1981, a group of Senate staffers tweaked the old adage thus: Satirize what you know. Looking to provide entertainment for a Christmas party, they turned to newspaper headlines. The resulting song parodies and skits eventually developed into a rich reserve of material destined for a larger audience. So they left their congressional office jobs and became the Capitol Steps. In the years since, the award-winning troupe has recorded more than 30 albums, including Take the Money and Run for President, which pokes fun at the top political news of 2012.