INSIDE THE KINGDOM July 26, 2017 the Chronicle Section B – 16 Pages Music on the Waterfront is gaining momentum by Joseph Gresser magic to the group’s sound, for which Gary Matthews provided a NEWPORT— Wild Accusations firm foundation with his bass. were in the air on July 19, and The band usually performs with Andrea Carbine and Vero Rancourt Rudy Dauth on guitar, but he was had started to acquire a reputation unable to make the Newport gig. for themselves. Instead Wild Accusation welcomed Fortunately for the two women, Morris Manning, who has earned a their budding reputation paints name for himself playing with the them as the founders of a weekly Crunchy Western Boys. successful series of free concerts on They played tunes, including Newport’s waterfront. The shows favorites from the Doobie Brothers’ will run through August 16 from catalog and such classics as 6 to 8 p.m. “Midnight Special” with great The second week of their six- musicianship to an appreciative performance series, Music on the audience ranging from babes in Waterfront, attracted around 350 arms to grandparents and beyond. people, Ms. Carbine said, a major During the band’s intermission improvement over the first week, Ms. Carbine took a moment to when around 200 people turned out recall the germination of the idea of to hear Dead Sessions Lite. a waterfront concert series. She The audience for Wild Accusations was slow to hit the dance floor, but by the end There was no lack of space for said Ms. Rancourt invited her to a of the evening the band had plenty of people up on their feet. people to sit on the grassy space dinner party in April. Photos by Joseph Gresser between the Emery Hebard State The subject turned to a Office Building and the railroad discussion of the lack entertainment “We needed to put action to Social Club on August 2, the Mike tracks. And dancers had plenty of opportunities in Newport and the words, not just talk about doing Goudreau Band on August 9, and room to strut their stuff on the two women were off to the races. something,” Ms. Carbine said. The will wind up with Evansville boardwalk in front of the stage. “The dinner party turned into a first question the women needed to Transit Authority on August 16. For their turn in the spotlight, brainstorming session,” Ms. Carbine answer was how many concerts The shows will go on regardless Wild Accusations, a five-member said. “Both of us love live music.” they needed to create momentum of weather, Ms. Carbine said. band, offered a program of rock Ms. Carbine said she grew up and how many they could handle. Steve Breault, who leases the mixed with country and blues in Newport but left for 20 years. Ms. Carbine said they wavered Gateway Center from the city, has influences. The group is made up Some of that time she lived in between four and six shows, before offered that space in case of rain. of players who gained appreciation Portsmouth, New Hampshire, a deciding on the larger number. Neither Ms. Rancourt nor Ms. for their work with other bands. city that hosts a summer concert She and Ms. Rancourt Carbine is a stranger to creating a Glenn “Shrimp” McElwain, who series on its waterfront. appeared before the Newport City welcoming atmosphere. Ms. also plays with Funky Crustaceans, The Portsmouth series has Council in early June and Carbine said she brought her which specializes in New Orleans been very successful, Ms. Carbine explained their plan for a six- family back to Newport to take a rhythm and blues, and Mano Malo, said. concert series on the waterfront. job teaching hospitality and a soul band. He handled the She said Ms. Rancourt spent a They told the council that they culinary arts at North Country drumming chores and traded off lot of time in Montreal where had already garnered support from Career Center. lead vocals with guitarist Kyle outdoor concerts are a major Jay Peak, Columbia Forest Ms. Rancourt is also in the Chadburn, best known for his work feature in the summer. Products, and Community National hospitality field, and runs the front with Evansville Transit Authority. Ms. Carbine said she was also Bank among other local businesses. of the house at Le Belvidere only Doug Reid, whose fiddle has impressed at the crowds drawn to Ms. Carbine and Ms. Rancourt yards from where the concerts are taken him around the world and the waterfront for the Newport asked for a contribution of $1,000 being held. allowed him to play with many Vermont Jazz Festivals in 2015 and free use of the city’s portable On Wednesday, the western swing idols, added his and 2016. stage. restaurant’s outside seating area Jessica Booth, the city’s was full of people enjoying a meal director of parks and recreation, along with their music. said the stage wasn’t built to stand Others brought their own food up to that sort of use, but agreed to and picnicked on the lawn. use money from her department to Parents listened to the band while revamp it. their youngsters cavorted on a Ms. Carbine said Jay Peak has nearby grassy knoll whooping with provided a great deal of help to the joy as they rolled down the slope. series, including giving advice on A number city officials, picking bands and understanding including Mayor Paul Monette, entertainment contracts. She said City Manager Laura Dolgin, bands provide their own sound Council President John Wilson, and equipment, which greatly lowers Council Member Julie Raboin the cost of presenting the free attended the show and clearly shows. approved of the event. Ms. Rancourt and Ms. Carbine Ms. Carbine and Ms. Rancourt deliberately chose a diverse group were also pleased with the concert, of bands in hopes of appealing to a they hugged each other as the band broad cross section of residents. In began to pack up their gear. addition to Dead Sessions Lite and According to Ms. Carbine, the A couple takes advantage of the tunes supplied by Wild Accusations to trip the Wild Accusations, the season will two already have plans to expand light fantastic on their private floating dance floor. A small squadron of boats feature the Can-Am Dixieland the series to at least eight concerts anchored on Lake Memphremagog just off the Newport boardwalk to enjoy the Band on July 26, Big Whiskey next summer. concert on July 19. IN THIS WEEKLY SECTION, YOU’LL FIND: BIRTHS l WEDDINGS/ENGAGEMENTS l OBITUARIES l KINGDOM CALENDAR l CLASSIFIED ADS l RESTAURANTS & ENTERTAINMENT l REAL ESTATE & AUCTIONS l YOURS FROM THE PERIMETER l RUMINATIONS l AND MORE! Page 2B the Chronicle, July 26, 2017 Ruminations On Cantonese snails and other cheap delights by Joseph Gresser When I was in my teens and early twenties my friends and I spent a lot of time doing nothing in particular. Our loafing eventually left us in need of sustenance, and out habitual lack of funds meant we needed cheap eats. In New York City in the ’60s, that could mean a slice of pizza or, if we wanted a place to sit and talk, an ethnic restaurant. There were no McDonald’s in New York in those days. There were plenty of luncheonettes, but they weren’t very well adapted to sitting and chatting. They existed to feed people quickly and get them back on the street so new eaters could have a seat at the counter. According to articles I read and reports from my children, the range of food on offer in the city is far broader than anything we could have imagined, although the price of admission is far greater than what our meager purses could bear. In present-day New York, the borough that offers the widest range of culinary experience is Queens, one of the last places in the city where coherent immigrant neighborhoods still can This cheesecake is pretty good, but those served at Lower East Side dairy restaurants in the 1960s were unmatched support restaurants serving traditional foods. for both beauty and flavor. Photo by Joseph Gresser My kids lived in Astoria, Queens, for a while and frequented an Egyptian restaurant where sucked them out of their shells along with the I’ve seen its recipe, which calls for a crust made of they often feasted on the split skull of a lamb. garlicky sauce. I wouldn’t know where to find cookie dough and requires farmer’s cheese in Having grown up on my cooking, they are that sort of snail (although my garden would addition to the usual cream cheese. accustomed to eating almost anything, no matter probably be a good place to start looking this With both of those restaurants only a distant what. summer), but I would be very happy to enjoy a memory, I rely on a recipe I got from my sister, Back in the day our options depended on the plateful again. when I want to recapture a taste of those days. time of day. If it was after midnight the choices There was another type of Chinese cooking to were pretty clear, Hong Fat or Ratner’s. be found mostly on the Upper West Side of Cheesecake Hong Fat was a noodle shop on Mott Street, Manhattan. These restaurants could be in those days Chinatown’s main drag. I have no identified by signs saying, “comida china y criolla” Crust: idea what time it closed, but we never got there — creole and Chinese food.