Next Stage Arts

Cellist Mike Block & Kora Player Yacouba Sissoko at Next Stage Arts

by hahrenholz | Music

Next Stage Arts presents a special duo collaboration between cellist Mike Block and master kora player Yacouba Sissoko on Saturday, January 18 at 7:30 pm at Next Stage.

Mike Block is a Grammy-winning multi-style cello player, composer, singer, and educator, with a passion for cross-cultural collaborations. Hailed as “one of the bravest, most intriguing musicians on the American fusion scene” by Gramophone, he was acclaimed by the New York Times for his “vital rich-hued solo playing”, and “a true artist… a sight to behold” by Salt Lake City Deseret News. In addition to his solo performances and touring bands, since 2005 Mike has been a member of the Silk Road Ensemble, founded by Yo-Yo Ma, with which he has been featured as a cello and vocal soloist, contributed arrangements and compositions, and earned a 2017 Grammy Award for Best Global Music Album.

Next Stage Arts Presents Dynamic Eight-piece Band Hazmat Modine on 11/16

by hahrenholz | Music

Next Stage Arts presents dynamic eight-piece band Hazmat Modine, on Saturday, November 16 at 7:30 pm at Next Stage Arts, 15 Kimball Hill, in Putney.

Hazmat Modine is “a uniquely intercontinental sonic collage encompassing a tremendous range of instrumental, vocal, and conceptual originality–all with a lot of soul and groove.” This dynamic eight-piece band has toured and performed original songs for 25+ years with genre-defying music that is quintessentially New York–vibrant international cultures meets American Roots. Diverse backgrounds in Gypsy Jazz, Downtown Avant Guard loft music, Blues, Soul, Country, Rock n’ Roll, and Roots is written and performed by musicians whose ages span every decade from their 20s to 70s.

Next Stage Arts Presents Portland-based String Ensemble Palaver String on 11/15

by hahrenholz | Music

Next Stage Arts presents Portland-based string ensemble Palaver Strings, on Friday, November 15 at 7:30 pm at Next Stage Arts, 15 Kimball Hill, in Putney.

“Last time they performed at Next Stage, they opened a new world of musical compositions I’ve never heard – the ensemble is bringing light to the careers of composers living and dead, from around the world,” says Keith Marks, Executive Director of Next Stage Arts. “For sure, any classical music-loving audience member is going to fall in love. What was also apparent was that even for those adventurous music lovers, this is music that is relevant and heartfelt.”

The ensemble’s current program, Ready or Not Revisited, celebrates the groundbreaking visions of women, queer, trans, and nonbinary composers from the medieval period to the present day. This program builds on the concept of Palaver’s 2022 album Ready or Not, which “blew the tent flap open to embrace new contemporary classical fans” (Midwest Record) and left BBC Music Magazine “wanting more.” Repertoire includes wide-ranging selections by Jessie Montgomery, Hildegard von Bingen, inti figgis-vizueta, Tanner Porter, Sato Matsui, Leilehua Lanzilotti, Pétalo Seslar and Lili Boulanger. Ready or Not Revisited disrupts our expectations, challenges our narratives, and uplifts a multitude of voices who have always been here, whether the concert hall was ready or not.

Ize Trio Concert and Percussion Workshop at Next Stage Arts

by hahrenholz | Music

Next Stage Arts presents Ize Trio, performing music from their debut album, The Global Suites on Friday, October 25 at 7:30 pm at Next Stage. Members of the Trio will present a free workshop focused on Middle Eastern percussion and rhythmic cycles on Friday afternoon, from 3:00 to 4:30pm.

“Global sounds from Palestine, Cyprus, and the US, this trio has been here in various iterations – every single time commanding an all-star performance and inspiring our community to ask us to book them again,” says Keith Marks, Executive Director of Next Stage Arts. “The trio is composed of three music professors who prioritize a global sound, mixing their jazz education with their cultural origins. This is the high water mark of performances, and we’re overjoyed to have them come to southern Vermont.”

“Family Matters: A Tour of Vermont Short Films” Will Screen at Next Stage Arts

by hahrenholz | Entertainment

Next Stage Arts screens “Family Matters: A Tour of Vermont Short Films” on Saturday, October 19 at 6:00 pm at Next Stage.

Presented by The Vermont Production Collective, a group of four award-winning filmmakers explore what it means to be a family in Vermont. The program features four short fiction films that offer a uniquely Vermont perspective on the pains and joys of being a family. The film screening will be followed by a filmmakers mixer in the Next Stage community room. All are welcome to join and build the Southern Vermont creative community.“Bloodroot” is a tender relationship portrait of two brothers, told over the course of their lives. In

“Bad Mother,” a mother copes with her husband’s confession of infidelity on the eve of a funeral. “I Guess It Might Be Selfish” is a poetic reflection on the clash between individual and family needs. “The Thaw” is a beautifully rendered 19th century Vermont horror story.

Canadian Polish Folk Music Ensemble Polky at Next Stage Arts

by hahrenholz | Music

Next Stage Arts presents Polish folk music made in Canada with Toronto’s Polky, at Next Stage on Saturday, May 4 at 7:30 pm.

Toronto’s Polky, led by multi-talented immigrant female musicians, delights audiences with traditional vocals, unusual instruments, and energizing performances. Drawing deep inspiration from Poland’s rich cultural tapestry, they push musical boundaries by fearlessly blending Polish traditional music with sounds and rhythms from across the globe.

Indie Folk-Rock Duo Sway Wild to Perform at Next Stage Arts

by hahrenholz | Music

Next Stage Arts presents indie folk-rock duo Sway Wild, on Thursday, August 31 at 7:00 pm at Next Stage Arts, 15 Kimball Hill, in Putney, Vermont.

Sway Wild was born on a small island in the Salish Sea.

Following a two-month sailing voyage through the remote anchorages of British Columbia, acclaimed indie-folk duo Dave McGraw & Mandy Fer, returned to their San Juan Island, Washington home still hungry to explore. The result was nothing short of an artistic epiphany; an evolution of sound that called out loudly for a new name. Sway Wild released its self-titled debut album worldwide in 2019.

Next Stage Bandwagon Summer Series Presents Native Son and a Beloved Musician of New Orleans Glen David Andrews and His Band

by hahrenholz | Music

The Next Stage Bandwagon Summer Series presents native son and a beloved musician of New Orleans Glen David Andrews and his band, on Saturday, August 5 at 6:00 pm at The Putney Inn, 57 Putney Landing Rd, in Putney, VT.

Glen David Andrews, the prodigious trombonist and vocalist, returns to the Bandwagon Summer Series to captivate audiences once again! Andrews, touring in celebration of his highly anticipated new album, “Le Trème Carnaval,” is known for his electrifying performances and soulful compositions.

With his commanding vocals and virtuosic trombone skills, Glen David Andrews has established himself as a true force in the world of contemporary jazz and funk. A native son and a beloved musician of New Orleans, Andrews is a warrior for cultural preservation at a time when indigenous traditions are being threatened in the city. His music is packed with beauty, hard-earned truths, compassion, humor, anger, joy, and – most of all – hope.

Next Stage Bandwagon Summer Series Presents Somerville, MA-based Emperor Norton’s Stationary Marching Band

by hahrenholz | Music

The Next Stage Bandwagon Summer Series presents Somerville, MA-based Emperor Norton’s Stationary Marching Band, on Saturday, July 29 at 6:00 pm at Cooper Field, 41 Sand Hill Rd, in Putney, VT.

“The power of a large Balkan Brass Band just can’t be denied,” says Keith Marks, Executive Director of Next Stage Arts. “We’re thrilled to have Emperor Norton’s Stationary Marching Band lead our community in a dancing and fun evening of music.”

Raunchy circus roots. Polished precision performances. A joyful cacophony of Balkan, Klezmer and funk, with a tasteful thrash of metal thrown in for good measure. No matter the occasion, Emperor Norton’s Stationary Marching Band has got the brass to get you up and dancing.

Forever Simon & Garfunkel at Next Stage Arts

by hahrenholz | Music

Next Stage Arts presents tribute duo Forever Simon & Garfunkel, at Next Stage on Wednesday, July 12 at 7:00 pm. 

Forever Simon & Garfunkel celebrates the best selling duo in rock’n’roll history. With humor, soaring energy, charm, and laser precise harmony, Sean Altman & Jack Skuller lead the audience on a concert journey through Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel’s teenage roots, their early success as a groovy folk act, their global dominance as hit-makers, and even some of Paul Simon’s solo career. The Sound Of Silence, Bridge Over Troubled Water, Mrs. Robinson, I Am A Rock, The Boxer, Homeward Bound, Cecilia, Hazy Shade Of Winter, Feeling Groovy, Me & Julio Down by the Schoolyard, Kodachrome, and many more!

Award-winning singer-songwriters Sean Altman (Rockapella) & Jack Skuller (Songwriters Hall Of Fame Buddy Holly Prize) met on stage in 2010, when they were paired at a variety show to duet Mrs. Robinson. Jack had just celebrated his 14th birthday, and Sean had just celebrated his shiny new AARP card, but the audience found their December-January musical bromance and brotherly harmony to be enchanting and mesmerizing. The pair has toured as The Everly Set since 2016, celebrating the hits of The Everly Brothers. They formed Forever Simon & Garfunkel in 2020, and they tour both acts internationally.

International Musical Collective Sia Tolno & Afro Dead to Perform at Cooper Field as Part of the Next Stage Bandwagon Summer Series

by hahrenholz | Music

The Next Stage Bandwagon Summer Series presents Guinean musical artist Sia Tolno and international musical collective Afro Dead, live at Cooper Field on Sunday, June 18, 2023, at 6:00pm. Sia Tolno will perform both solo and as the lead vocalist of Afro Dead, which reimagines the music of the Grateful Dead in an African style.

Sia Tolno is an award-winning global touring & recording artist, vocalist and songwriter, from Guinea/Sierra Leone, steeped in Afrobeat, Afro-blues, Mandinga and Soukous styles of African popular music. Her music is both personal and universal, singing about her unique past while making it relevant to the global masses. She has worked with Tony Allen (Musical director for Fela Kuti) and Lusafrica records, and her new album is being recorded in Barcelona produced by Aaron Feder in collaboration with Slow Walk Music.

Next Stage Arts Presents a Dance Party Featuring the Music of Blues Guitarist Duke Robillard and His Band on 2/24

by hahrenholz | Entertainment

Join Next Stage for a dance party featuring the music of blues guitarist Duke Robillard and his band, on Friday, February 24 at 7:30 pm at Next Stage Arts, 15 Kimball Hill, in Putney.

Whether it’s a song, a style, an idiom or an image, Duke Robillard will render it with mastery, power, nuance and an unerring grasp of its essence.

Vermont Comedy All Stars return to Next Stage Arts for a Special Holiday Stand-up Comedy Event on Friday, December 9th at 7:30pm

by hahrenholz | Entertainment

Gordon Clark and his Vermont Comedy All-Stars are back for a special holiday stand-up comedy event at Next Stage Arts!

“We all need reasons to laugh, and the Vermont Comedy All Stars do an outstanding job,” says Keith Marks, Executive Director of Next Stage Arts.

The cast of stellar performers includes:

LEAH BONNEMA is a Los Angeles based comedian hailing from rural Maine. Her broadcast credits include The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Chris Gethard Presents, Oculus & AXS TV’s Gotham Comedy Live, IFC’s Comedy Crib, TruTV’s Comedy Knockout and Vh1’s 100 Greatest series. Leah has had the honor of performing for our troops overseas, and has featured in numerous comedy festivals, including The New York Comedy Festival, The Lucille Ball Comedy Fest at The National Comedy Center, The Women in Comedy Festival, The International Glasgow Comedy Fest, Bumbershoot and The Kennedy Center’s District of Comedy Festival in Washington DC.

The Next Stage Bandwagon Summer Series Presents an Evening of Pan-African Roots Music with Ugandan Musician, Educator and Creative Arts Producer Chinobay

by hahrenholz | Music

The Next Stage Bandwagon Summer Series presents an evening of pan-African roots music with Ugandan musician, educator and creative arts producer Chinobay , on Sunday, September 11th at 4:00 p.m. at Cooper Field, 41 Sand Hill Road, in Putney, VT

Chinobay’s work has been described as “some of the most exquisite music coming out of Africa today”. Since his youth, he has captivated audiences with world-roots rhythms and melodies that emanate from the diversity of the many traditional instruments he customized to develop his unique sound. The diverse textures of Chinobay’s music make it soothing, pulsing, meditative, invigorating, and intimate —much of it a mix of original and traditional with global influences—but the sounds are uniquely his.

Vermont Comedy All Stars Return to Next Stage Arts For A Night Of Stand-up Comedy on Friday, September 9th at 7:30pm

by hahrenholz | Entertainment

Gordon Clark and his Vermont Comedy All-Stars return for a night of stand-up comedy at Next Stage Arts, following their enormously successful shows in November and March. Featured performers will include several contest-winning and touring comedians most often seen in the Burlington area. 

“We all need reasons to laugh, and the Vermont Comedy All Stars do an outstanding job,” says Keith Marks, Executive Director of Next Stage Arts. “Comedians will be coming from all around the state to perform – partnering with the All Stars allows them to reach a new audience in the southern part of the state, and build a new following.”

The cast of stellar performers includes:

Here We Are with Jim Maxwell

by Wendy O'Connell | Media

From the life of a 60’s radio DJ to acting in N.Y. and Next Stage, with a bit of lawyering at Vermont State House in the mix, JIM MAXWELL has enjoyed every endeavor – and you can hear his personal playlist on our own WVEW, community radio at it’s best.

https://www.brattleborotv.org/here-we-are/guest-jim-maxwell