PUTNEY – Next Stage Arts Project and Twilight Music present Vermont-based singer/songwriters Ali McGuirk and Michael Roberts with their bands, as part of the 2022 Next Stage “Bandwagon Summer Series,” on Friday, July 8 at the Retreat Farm in Brattleboro, VT.
With a total of seven Boston Music Award nominations, Ali McGuirk is recognized as one of New England’s most compelling artists. Blending classic soul power with a folk music lyricism, she captivates audiences with her powerful, sultry voice, heartfelt songwriting, and a style rooted in improvisation. In 2016, Ali was named by the Boston Globe as an “artist to hear,” along with Lake Street Dive and Haim, and, a year later, her debut album “Slow Burn” made rock critic Steve Morse’s “Top Ten albums of 2017.” In 2018, she won Boston Music Awards’ “Blues Artist of the Year” and “Live Residency of the Year” for her monthly First Fridays at Bull McCabe’s Pub, and was nominated for New England Music Award’s “R&B Act of the Year.” Ali’s latest album, penned from her home in Burlington, VT during the pandemic, is scheduled to be released on Signature Sounds Recordings this summer.
Michael Roberts is a guitarist, songwriter, and sound studies researcher living in Vermont. He leads and writes for the band Wooden Dinosaur, which has released eight albums of original music ranging from old-time inspired folk to horn-drenched country-soul anthems. In 2012, Roberts, along with Wooden Dinosaur bandmates Jeff Murphy and Frank Roberts, formed The Rear Defrosters, a honky-tonk collective with members from Vermont, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts. Michael’s first solo album“Mixed Emotions” presents rich, narrative-driven folk songs that lead Vermont’s “Seven Days” to call Roberts a “Vermont treasure.” His latest release“Sympathizer” was recorded with an all-star cast of musicians from Brattleboro, VT’s rich artistic scene.
The Retreat Farm is located at 40 Farmhouse Square on Rte. 30 in Brattleboro, VT. Bring lawn chairs or blankets for outdoor seating on the field. Tickets are $20 Advance / $25 At the Door, and kids 12 and under are free. Advance tickets are available online at nextstagearts.org. Next Stage will provide a beer, wine, and cocktail cash bar, and food will be available. The concert is sponsored in part by Bordertown Farm, with special thanks to Patrick Noyes. For more information, visit nextstagearts.org or call 802-387-0102.
