Next Stage Arts Project and Twilight Music present an evening of swing, honky-tonk and fiddle music by The Sweetback Sisters and Elixir at Next Stage on Friday, March 7 at 7:30 pm.
The Sweetback Sisters forge their own sound by delivering arrangements that combine the soul of classic ‘40s and ‘50s-era country music with an undeniably contemporary edge. The rollicking country, swing, honky-tonk and old-time music of Emily Miller (vocals, fiddle, guitar), Zara Bode (vocals, guitar), Stefan Amidon (drums, vocals), Jesse Milnes (fiddle, guitar, vocals), Ryan Hommel (electric guitar) and Peter Bitenc (acoustic bass) is as infectious as it is heartbreaking. Their charismatic charm harkens back to the golden era of both the silver screen cowgirl and the ersatz cowboy stars of local UHF TV kiddie shows. That whimsical exterior is wrapped around a core of deeply felt love for traditional country music styles and a palpable joy in playing and singing together.
Zara Bode and Emily Miller started singing together in the Montpelier, VT-based choir Northern Harmony. While performing an eclectic repertoire of shape-note hymns and eastern European harmonies, the two discovered a mutual love of good old American country music. They moved to Brooklyn, NY, reeled in an all-star cast of back-up musicians, and started playing in venues up and down the eastern United States. Although the band was born in Brooklyn, NY, its members hail from all over the eastern United States – Stefan Amidon of Brattleboro’s Amidon Family and Assembly, two-time West Virginia state fiddle champion Jesse Milnes, Ryan Hommel from Seth Glier and Heather Maloney’s bands and Peter Bitenc of Heather & The Barbarians and several other cutting edge bands. The Sweetback Sisters were chosen as one of six finalists to play on A Prairie Home Companion as part of the program’s 2007 People in Their Twenties talent contest. “Trust us: These guys are brilliant.” – NBC New York “the second coming of 1950s country” – The Boston Globe
Combining fiery fiddling, driving guitar, jaunty vocals and the rich texture and rhythmic excitement of a horn section, Elixir will perform an eclectic program of compelling music in this rare southern Vermont concert appearance. Drawing on fiddle repertoire from Quebec, Ireland and New England, classic songs from the swing and jug band eras and their own original compositions, Anna Patton (clarinet, vocals), Ethan Hazzard-Watkins (fiddle), Nils Fredland (trombone, vocals), Jesse Readlynn (trumpet, flugelhorn) and Owen Morrison (guitar, foot percussion) craft a unique sound. Elegant melodies evolve into raucous dixieland horn riffs; orchestral harmonies, playful improvisations and Motown, swing and flamenco-inspired rhythms weave in and out of traditional jigs and reels.
In recent years, Elixir has become one of the most exciting contra dance bands in the country, and the thrill of dance music is evident throughout their material. In concert, the band presents a wider selection of their repertoire, never losing the persistent groove and irresistible energy of the dance hall.
Next Stage is located in the former United Church at 15 Kimball Hill in downtown Putney, VT. Tickets for this concert are $16 Advance / $18 At the Door. For information, call 802-387-0102 or 802-254-9276. Advance tickets are available at www.nextstagearts.org, Turn It Up in Brattleboro and Offerings Jewelry in Putney. JD McCliment’s Pub will provide a beer and wine cash bar at the concert. For more information, visit www.thesweetbacksisters.com, www.elixirmusic.com, www.www.nextstagearts.org and www.twilightmusic.org.
