Music

Music section

Next Stage Arts Presents Double Bill featuring Priya Darshini and the Argentinian Chamamé of the Alejandro Brittes Quartet

by hahrenholz | Music

Next Stage Arts presents a double bill featuring the Hindustani and Carnatic-influenced New Age music of Priya Darshini, and the Argentinian Chamamé of the Alejandro Brittes Quartet, on Friday, October 6 at 7:30 pm at Next Stage Arts, 15 Kimball Hill, in Putney, Vermont.

Born in Chennai, raised in Mumbai, India, and based in New York, Priya Darshini’s distinct style takes inspiration from her diverse cultural and life experiences. Rooted in Hindustani and Carnatic Indian Classical music, her improvisational mastery, and vast knowledge of music from around the world, Priya’s music is elegant, tranquil, virtuosic, intricately layered, and pushes compositional boundaries while effortlessly weaving her distinct multicultural experience into a unique and timeless musical tapestry. As John Schafer of WNYC remarks “[Priya Darshini’s] music incorporates a world of influences and lives on the periphery, much like herself.”

New Orleans Brass Band this Sunday in Guilford

by DonInGuilford | Music

The Celebration Brass Band of Southern Vermont and the Christ Church Guilford Society invite everyone to a free concert on the lawn of Christ Church on Route 5 in the Village of Algiers, this Sunday, September 10 at 2:00 pm. This event was postponed from July due to rain.

The concert will honor those lost during the Covid-19 pandemic. Those attending are invited to write down the names, birthdates and dates of passage, cause of death, and/or any family related information that they might want to share, omitting whatever they prefer to keep private. Or, you may simply call out the name during this part of the program. At the end of each set, a reader will call out memories of the deceased over a slow drumroll, and invite members of the audience, and the band, to call out their name. Then the band will roll into a dirge, in the timeless New Orleans tradition.

This is the second outdoor concert at the historic 1817 church this summer. The series began with the BUHS Jazz Band and honored retiring director Steve Rice.

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.

Chris Smither Returns To Bellows Falls, Bringing The Suitcase Junket With Him – Ray Massucco Concert Series September 23

by hahrenholz | Music

Chris Smither, the towering figure in American acoustic blues, knows what he’s doing. He burst onto the singer/songwriter scene in the late 1960’s with a unique finger-picking style and a ragged world-weary voice. And then he just kept going. Along the way he amassed major fans, folks like the late founder of Little Feat, Lowell George, and Townes Van Zandt, who, amongst other things, always credited Smither with saving his life in a Florida swimming pool one hazy night, and Bonnie Raitt, whose recording of Smither’s “Love You Like A Man” entered the pantheon of stone-cold classics any number of years ago. Now, with eighteen albums under his belt and one of the most stellar reputations a living guitar god could hope to have, Smither returns to Vermont this September for the third Ray Massucco Concert Series show on Saturday, September 23, at the Bellows Falls Opera House.

Opening the show is Windham County’s favorite son, Matt Lorenz, aka The Suitcase Junket. “It is super exciting to see these two on the same bill,” enthuses Ezra Veitch of Ray’s the Roof Productions, organizers of the series. “Both Suitcase and Smither deconstruct the blues, rearrange it, and put it back together in a way that is purely their own.”

Next Stage Bandwagon Summer Series Presents Orchestre Tout Puissant Marcel Duchamp

by hahrenholz | Music

The Next Stage Bandwagon Summer Series presents genre-bending ensemble Orchestre Tout Puissant Marcel Duchamp on Saturday, September 16 at 5:00 pm at the Putney Inn, 57 Putney Landing Rd, Putney. Mixing free jazz, post-punk, highlife, brass band, symphonic mixtures and kraut rock, OTPMD’s sound only goes beyond the limits of genre. 

Founded in 2006 by Vincent Bertholet (Hyperculte), the Orchestre Tout Puissant Marcel Duchamp is a large-scale project. Designed as a real orchestra, the size of the ensemble has varied over time. Now with 12 members, 14 in the past or 6 at the beginning, the ensemble has scoured the stages of Europe to demonstrate that the formula “the more the merrier” has never been more true than on stage.

Next Stage Bandwagon Summer Series Presents The Slambovian Circus of Dreams

by hahrenholz | Music

The Next Stage Bandwagon Summer Series and Twilight Music present acoustic/electric, folk-pop/Americana sextet The Slambovian Circus of Dreams on Sunday, September 3 at 5:00 pm at the SVG Multipurpose Field in Bellows Falls, VT. For over 25 years, the Sleepy Hollow, NY-based Slambovians have expanded the borders of Americana music with a rootsy rockin’ psychedelica, fantastic stories, and electrifying live performances – a mix of Washington Irving, Woodstock, and British Invasion that’s “mightily impressive and hugely original rock from the cool end of Americana” (Maverick Magazine).

The music of The Slambovian Circus of Dreams has been described as “hillbilly-Floyd,” “alt-country, roots-rock,” and “surreal Americana” – a clear indicator of its singularly indescribable uniqueness. The sextet’s melodic avant-folk conjures with an exotic instrumental arsenal (accordion, cello, mandolin, theremin) in addition to standard rock regalia, and a palette of styles ranging from dusty Americana ballads to huge Pink Floydesque cinematic anthems. Dancing freely between all existing religious and philosophical mythologies, the music is uplifting, empowering, and a lot of fun.

Balla Kouyaté and Mike Block Band to Play on the Bandwagon Summer Stage

by hahrenholz | Music

The Next Stage Bandwagon Summer Series presents Balla Kouyaté & Mike Block Band on Saturday, September 9 at 5:00 pm at Cooper Field, 41 Sand Hill Rd, in Putney, Vermont.

Balla Kouyaté and Mike Block have been collaborating for over a decade, bonding over their shared interest in music from across the world, and their commitment to innovating on their instruments. Balla Kouyate, a balafon player and singer coming out of the Djeli tradition of Mali, was awarded a National Heritage Fellowship from the NEA. Mike Block is an American cellist/singer/composer, and a Grammy Award-winning musician with the Silkroad Ensemble originally trained in Western Classical music. They have teamed up with friends from America and West Africa to create an exciting fusion of musical styles in a 6-piece band that features Sekou Dembele (djembe/vocals), Idrissa Kone (talking drum/calabash/percussion/vocals), Luke Okerlund (electric guitar) and Mike Rivard (bass/sintir).

Next Stage Bandwagon Summer Series Presents Afrobeat Ensemble Armo

by hahrenholz | Music

The Next Stage Bandwagon Summer Series presents Afrobeat ensemble Armo, on Friday, August 18 at 6:00 pm at the Retreat Farm, 45 Farmhouse Square, in Brattleboro, VT.

Armo’s intimate and energetic sound focuses on classic and contemporary Afrobeat.

Founded by longtime Antibalas bandmates vocalist/keyboardist Amayo, trumpeter/percussionist Jordan McLean, percussionist/vocalist Marcus Farrar, guitarist/keyboardist Nikhil P. Yerawadekar, drummer Kevin Raczka, and bassist Justin Kimmel, Armo creates spontaneous arrangements of the music of Fela Anikulapo Kuti, The Daktaris, Ebo Taylor, William Onyeabor, The Art Ensemble of Chicago, and original rhythm-based music.

This 5-8 piece band features a revolving cast from the Daptone Records family and NY Afrobeat Scene. Members of the band now include Dave “Smoota” Smith on trombone/keyboards, bassists/guitarists Binky Griptite and Timothy James, saxophonist/keyboardist Tony Jarvis, and drummer Dylan Fusillo.

Next Stage Bandwagon Summer Series – Celtic Music Festival

by hahrenholz | Music

Next Stage Arts Project and Twilight Music present a Celtic Music Festival featuring Cantrip, House of Hamill, and Hildaland, as part of the 2023 Next Stage “Bandwagon Summer Series,” on Sunday, August 13 at 4:00 pm at Scott Farm in Dummerston, VT. The triple bill features multi-instrumentalists and singers from both sides of the Atlantic who expand the boundaries of traditional Celtic music with original songs and tunes, innovative arrangements, and lush three-part harmonies.

From the strong base of its Celtic roots, Cantrip branches out into the music of other European cultures. With swirling border pipes, raging fiddles, thunderous guitar, and four rich voices, Dan Houghton, Jon Bews, Eric McDonald, and Alasdair White take audiences on a cultural journey, putting their own spin on each musical style. The band name is an Old Scots word meaning a charm, magic spell, or piece of mischief, and it aptly describes the unexpected twists and turns in the quartet’s musical arrangements as well as the compelling potency of their musicianship. Sprung from a local music session in Edinburgh, Scotland nearly 20 years ago, Cantrip has toured throughout Scotland and the US and released six CDs.

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.

Rainbow Girls plus Pete Muller & the Kindred Souls at Next Stage

by hahrenholz | Music

Next Stage Arts and Twilight Music present folk/roots/Americana trio Rainbow Girls at Next Stage on Wednesday, July 26 at 7:00 pm. Pete Muller & the Kindred Souls open.

Rainbow Girls are an eclectic folk trio hailing from the golden countryside just north of California’s Bay Area. Vanessa May, Erin Chapin, and Caitlin Gowdey seamlessly combine soul-touching harmonies, varitextured instrumentals, and poignant lyrical content into a beautiful sonic tapestry. Throughout their performance, voices are paired with an ever-changing amalgamation of acoustic and slide guitar, keys, upright bass, harmonica, and an array of vocal techniques creating an engaging and emotionally moving live show.

Next Stage Bandwagon Summer Series Presents Klezmer Re-groove Ensemble Klezperanto!

by hahrenholz | Music

The Next Stage Bandwagon Summer Series presents klezmer re-groove ensemble Klezperanto!, on Saturday, July 22 at 6:00 pm at West River Park, 333 VT-30, in Brattleboro, VT.

“Klezmer and dancing go hand-in-hand, and Klezperanto delivers on that promise,” says Keith Marks, Executive Director of Next Stage Arts. “The Boston-based Klezmer all-star lineup includes members of the Klezmer Conservatory Band – they know this idiom. With Klezperanto, they expand its power and impact, and we’re excited to bring that energy to the region.”​​

Klezperanto! presents Eastern European melodies as you’ve never heard them before, from Bogota to the Black Sea. With solid klezmer roots, spectacular technical virtuosity, and a wry sense of humor, Ilene Stahl and an all-star line-up of Boston’s best musicians re-groove traditional klezmer and Mediterranean melodies, celebrate the golden age of Colombian big bands, rip up Romanian surf tunes, slay a few standards, and blow past every posted limit to bring you irresistible dance music from everywhere except your cousin’s friend’s bar mitzvah. Klezperanto’s fans know: It’s No Hora Show!

Next Stage Bandwagon Summer Series Presents Ukrainian “Ethno-chaos” Band DakhaBrakha

by hahrenholz | Music

The Next Stage Bandwagon Summer Series presents Ukrainian “ethno-chaos” band DakhaBrakha, on Thursday, July 13 at 6:00 pm at The Putney Inn, 57 Putney Landing Rd, in Putney, VT.

“Easily one of the most exciting artists to emerge from the global music scene in the past few years, DakhaBrakha brings Ukrainian music into the 21st century with creative force,” says Keith Marks, Executive Director of Next Stage Arts. “They’ve headlined stages around the world, and we are overjoyed about the opportunity of presenting them in Putney.”

DakhaBrakha is a music quartet from Kyiv, Ukraine. Reflecting fundamental elements of sound and soul, Ukrainian “ethno-chaos” band DakhaBrakha creates a world of unexpected new music.

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.

Kruger Brothers at Next Stage

by hahrenholz | Music

PUTNEY – Next Stage Arts Project and Twilight Music present contemporary bluegrass, Americana, and folk trio the Kruger Brothers at Next Stage on Friday, July 7 at 7:30 pm.

In their ever-expanding body of work, Jens Kruger (banjo and vocals), Uwe Kruger (guitar and lead vocals), and Joel Landsberg (bass and vocals) personify the spirit of exploration and innovation that forms the core of the American musical tradition. Although initially staying fairly close to a traditional repertoire, the Kruger Brothers later turned to songwriting and composition in order to draw more closely from their personal experiences. Their ability to infuse themes and forms of classical music into folk music creates a unique sound that has made them a fixture within the world of acoustic music.

Brattleboro Women’s Chorus Concerts This Weekend

by bwchorus | Music

The Brattleboro Women’s Chorus presents their 27th annual spring concerts, “Sweet are the Days,” on Saturday, June 3 and Sunday, June 4 at 4 pm outside at the Retreat Farm. Sunday’s concert will also be live streamed via Zoom.

Directed by founder and musical director Becky Graber, the spring concert features an eclectic program of soulful songs. Selections include compositions by Floridian singer/songwriter Velma Frye and former Brattleboro resident Susan Kisslinger; the haunting Estonian piece, “Mis on inimene?” (in English, “What is human?”); and a beautiful rendition of John Lennon and Paul McCartney’s well-known song, “In My Life.” Local writer Karen Hesse and conductor Becky Graber collaborated to create “Granny and Bean,” a tale of an adventurous day by the sea. And the chorus will sing the opening of “Let Time Be Your Friend,” a piece composed by Diane White-Clayton as part of the Black Lives Matter Commissioning Project. The Chorus will sing the full piece with soloist Samirah Evans in our spring 2024 concert.

Next Stage Bandwagon Summer Series to Present a Dance Party with Salsa Ensemble LPT & Reggae Band The Human Rights

by hahrenholz | Music

The Next Stage Bandwagon Summer Series presents a salsa and reggae dance party with Jacksonville, FL-based 10-piece salsa ensemble and Toronto-based modern roots reggae band The Human Rights, on Saturday, June 24 at 6:00 pm at The Putney Inn, 57 Putney Landing Rd, in Putney, VT.

“This is one we’ve been dreaming about – a double bill with a reggae band and a 10-piece Salsa orchestra,” says Keith Marks, Executive Director of Next Stage Arts. “The double bill showcases a lot of Caribbean influences in one day of dancing and fun. LPT was meant to perform in March of 2020, and with a lot of stops and starts, we’re glad to be able to pair them with our Reggae friends to the north.”

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.

Gregorio Uribe to Perform at Cooper Field as Part of the Next Stage Bandwagon Summer Series

by hahrenholz | Music

The Next Stage Bandwagon Summer Series is thrilled to announce that acclaimed singer-songwriter and accordionist, Gregorio Uribe, will be performing live at Cooper Field on Saturday, June 10, 2023, at 6:00pm. The event promises an evening filled with unforgettable music and a celebration of cultural diversity.

Gregorio Uribe, known for his passionate performances and musical versatility, has captivated audiences around the world. From prestigious venues like Carnegie Hall and Madison Square Garden to the streets of Tierra del Fuego, his talent knows no bounds. Uribe has collaborated with renowned artists across various genres, including Rubén Blades, Carlos Vives, Paquito D’Rivera, and Martina Camargo, to name just a few.