Sergei Ushakov, Legendary Nectar’s Sound Engineer, Passes Away at 65

On Wednesday, Jan. 8, the Burlington, Vt. music scene and broader jam community lost an esteemed participant and lifetime advocate with the passing of Sergei Ushakov. Ushakov was a familiar face among Burlington artists and concertgoers, best known for his tremendous efforts as the sound engineer for Club Metronome and legendary jam haven Nectar’s for more than 30 years. Beyond his masterful hand in fine-tuning the sound of countless acts, Ushakov was well known for his singular character, which balanced an unreserved, even gruff honesty with a deep care for his collaborators and commitment to perfecting every performance he worked. Ushakov was 65.

Ushakov was born and raised in Yaroslavl, Russia, Burlington’s former sister city on the banks of the Volga River, per Seven Days. He played drums and guitar for classic rock cover bands in his youth, then played trumpet in the army band during his two mandatory years of military conscription in Armenia during the late ‘70s. After returning home and taking up the drums in a rock outfit called Telephone, Ushakov was thrown into the world of sound engineering when the scheduled technician was absent for a festival booking.

“Somebody made a joke: ‘Hey, Sergei. You wanna do sound?’” Ushakov reflected in an interview with Seven Days. “I’d never done it, but I said I’d try it. And I fell in love with the sound.” The new engineer learned the tricks of the trade while working assembly for aerospace equipment in a military factory, granting him a thorough understanding of the ins and outs of music technology. “I was learning the sound business and electronics at the same time,” he detailed. “So I started building my own sound equipment, circuit boards, speakers.”

A chance crossing with Burlington legends Big Joe Burrell and the Unknown Blues Band on a Russia tour led to Ushakov’s first excursion to the US for the Burlington Discover Jazz Festival in 1992. He returned a year later following a romance with another Burlington artist, and settled in the city permanently after that flame had faded. After a year of working with a local electronics company and moonlighting as a part-time engineer for several small stages, Ushakov received an offer to work the sound board full-time at Club Metronome from former owner Anne Rothwell in 1994.

Ushakov held that position through to his sudden passing, and quickly earned a reputation as the best sound technician in Burlington. Before long, he found another full-time station at Nectar’s. When he wasn’t on the road, working on national tours for the likes of Pork Tornado and The Samples, he found a home at the fan-favorite venue that famously provided a springboard for Phish. 

“It is with overwhelming sadness that we share the news of the passing of our beloved friend and sound technician, Sergei Ushakov,” Nectar’s offered in a statement to its social channels. “To say that Sergei was a pillar of Burlington’s music community would be an understatement, as he was truly in a league of his own.

“Sergei worked with multiple bands as a touring FOH engineer and the stories he shared about his time on the road were priceless,” the statement continues. “But his home was, no doubt, here at 188 Main Street, where he commanded the stages for over 30 years. Words cannot begin to describe the impact Sergei had on everyone within his orbit. He was a true master of his craft with a heart as big as his passion for analog gear. Our hearts and condolences are with the Ushakov family as well as the thousands of us who were lucky enough to know him.”

SInce Ushakov’s passing, artists from Burlington and throughout the jam world have poured out heartfelt remembrances. He has been hailed as the soul of Nectar’s, an embodiment for the independent spirit and community ethos of the iconic venue and a champion for the countless beloved bands to rise to stardom through its storied stage. Those statements will be added here as they continue to arrive.

Sergei Ushakov was a legend of sound. His seat behind the board will not be filled easily, and his memory will loom echo in his longtime venue long after his departure.