Seven Daysies: Annual Guide to Readers' Picks

Arts+Entertainment

When it closed two months ago after a seven-year run, Montpelier’s Langdon Street Café left a lot of broken hearts in central Vermont. So it’s no surprise the place raked in the most votes for best small local music hotspot outside Chittenden County. Unfortunately, we can’t give out posthumous awards — where would they put their Daysie sticker? — so this little shout-out will have to do: Langdon Street, we loved you, too!

Inside Chittenden County, the competition in that category was stiff: Only 27 votes separated this year’s winner, Nectar’s, from runner-up Radio Bean. When it comes to large live music venues, there’s just no competing with Higher Ground, though the Flynn launched into the runner-up spot this year with nearly double the votes of last year’s runner-up, Nectar’s.

Everybody loves dancing at Club Metronome, especially at Retronome, the weekly ’80s night, but some of you prefer a little more privacy. “At home naked” was a surprisingly common response. “Anywhere with my book group” was more puzzling.

Singer-songwriter Joshua Panda had a bit of the always-a-bridesmaid thing going on this year, coming in twice as runner-up, once for best up-and-coming performer — which Myra Flynn took home for the second year, despite the fact that the soulful diva has already, well, up and come — and once for best unsigned Vermont band. And kudos to the Lynguistic Civilians, whom you named both best unsigned Vermont band and best Vermont hip-hop artist.

Harry Bliss had a strong showing in the best cartoonist category, but ultimately the Daysie went to James Kochalka, Vermont’s cartoonist laureate. Painter Katharine Montstream held down her title as best visual artist for the second year, with past winner dug Nap close behind. But we’ve really got to hand it to Chris Bohjalian, who has won a Daysie for best Vermont fiction writer for nine straight years. How does he do it, and where does he keep them all?

The other perennial winner in this section, of course, is the undefeated best weekend getaway in Vermont: the town of Stowe — and the spas (Stoweflake) and lodges (Trapp Family Lodge) of Stowe that came in second and third, respectively, this year. What do they do up there in that magical land? Whatever it is, we want to try it.

— Megan James

Click on the links below to see the runners-up, previous winners, and spotlights (where available) in each category.
All Rights Reserved © SEVEN DAYS 1995-2012 | PO Box 1164, Burlington, VT 05402-1164 | 802.864.5684