Bandwagon Summer Series

The Bandwagon Summer Series closes its 2025 season with a high-energy performance by Hazmat Modine on Saturday, September 27 at 4:00 PM at the Putney Inn Field, 57 Putney Landing Road, Putney. Gates open at 3:00 PM.

For more than 25 years, Hazmat Modine has been creating what they call “a uniquely intercontinental sonic collage encompassing a tremendous range of instrumental, vocal, and conceptual originality—all with a lot of soul and groove.” The New York–based, eight-piece band draws on everything from Blues, Soul, and American Roots to Gypsy Jazz, Avant Garde loft music, Country, and Rock ’n’ Roll. With members spanning generations—from their 20s to their 70s—the group embodies both deep tradition and constant reinvention.

Next Stage Arts continues its Bandwagon Summer Series with a vibrant outdoor celebration of Celtic and Québécois music on Monday, September 1st at 3:00 PM at the scenic Scott Farm in Dummerston. The Celtic & Québécois Festival features three powerhouse acts—Cantrip, Keith Murphy & Yann Falquet, and Cécilia—for an afternoon of spirited tunes, rich harmonies, and deep-rooted tradition.

With swirling border pipes, fiery fiddle tunes, and driving rhythms, Cantrip lives up to its name—an old Scots word for a magic spell or charm. Born out of Edinburgh’s folk sessions two decades ago, the band has become a festival favorite for their high-octane arrangements and adventurous musicality. Blending traditional roots with unexpected influences like funk, klezmer, and swing, Cantrip conjures a spellbinding live experience.

Next Stage Arts continues its Bandwagon Summer Series with a twin bill of genre-bending acoustic brilliance: Rhythm Future Quartet and The DiTrani Brothers perform on Saturday, August 23 at 6:00 PM at the Putney Inn Field, 57 Putney Landing Road in Putney, VT. Gates open at 5:00 PM. Tickets are $22 in advance, $25 at the gate, and free for children under 12. Food will be available from Smokin’ Bowls.

This all-ages outdoor concert promises a vibrant mix of gypsy jazz, Balkan folk, and early American swing—an unforgettable evening of music under the summer sky.

Putney, VT — The Bandwagon Summer Series rolls into the Putney Inn Field on Saturday, August 16 at 6:00 PM, bringing with it a wave of island rhythms and joyful melodies for a midsummer night to remember. Headlining the evening is Charlie & The Tropicales, the 1960s-style Caribbean lounge band led by New Orleans trombone maestro Charlie Halloran. Opening the show is the ever-soulful Heather Pierson Trio, offering a vibrant blend of jazz, folk, and blues.

Tickets are $22 in advance, $25 at the gate, and kids under 12 get in free. Food will be provided by Smokin’ Bowls, and a dedicated kids’ play area ensures the whole family can enjoy the night.

Mark your calendars and lace up your dancing shoes—Next Stage Arts’ Bandwagon Summer Series is turning up the heat this August with Jonathan Powell’s Mambo Jazz Party, a thrilling evening of Latin jazz, mambo, and irresistible rhythm.

Brattleboro, VT — On Saturday, July 26 at 6:00 PM, the Bandwagon Summer Series, presented by Next Stage Arts, continues its vibrant season with a special performance by The Blue Dahlia at the New England Center for Circus Arts (NECCA), 10 Town Crier Drive in Brattleboro.

Led by Brooklyn-born singer-songwriter and ukulele player Dahlia Dumont, The Blue Dahlia weaves a colorful tapestry of world music that bridges continents, languages, and cultures. Singing in both French and English, Dumont’s sound fuses the romance of French chanson with Latin rhythms, klezmer violin, ska, reggae, and jazz — all steeped in her unique life journey through New York, France, and Senegal.

Putney, VT – The groove is coming to Putney this July as Next Stage Arts presents Armo and JMMR as part of the 2024 Bandwagon Summer Series, on Saturday, July 19 at 6:00 pm at the scenic Putney Inn Field, 57 Putney Landing Road.

An evening of high-energy Afrobeat and futuristic jazz awaits under the open sky, with tickets just $22 in advance, $25 at the door, and kids under 12 always free. Attendees are encouraged to bring a blanket or fold-up chair, enjoy local food from Smokin’ Bowls, and soak in a night of world-class music and community vibes.

This Fourth of July weekend, treat yourself to something truly special: a joyful, high-energy performance by Lakou Mizik, one of Haiti’s most dynamic musical exports. The powerhouse collective will perform as part of the Next Stage Bandwagon Summer Series on Saturday, July 5, at Robertson Paper Company Field (21 Island Street, Bellows Falls, VT). Gates open at 5:00 PM and the music starts at 6:00 PM.

Formed in the aftermath of Haiti’s 2010 earthquake, Lakou Mizik emerged as a vibrant force in global music. With roots deeply planted in Vodou rhythms, Rara carnival chants, and soulful street melodies, their music is a celebration of resilience, unity, and Haitian pride. Their critically acclaimed debut album Wa Di Yo and their infectious live performances have earned them an international following—and they’re bringing that same dance-floor magic to southern Vermont.

Next Stage’s Bandwagon Summer Series continues with a high-octane evening of music and soul as Christine Ohlman & Rebel Montez take the stage on Saturday, June 21 at 6:00 pm at the Putney Inn Field, 57 Putney Landing Road, Putney. Tickets are $22 in advance, $25 at the gate, and children under 12 are free. Food will be available from 802 Soul Kitchen, with more information and tickets at nextstagearts.org.

Known as “The Beehive Queen” for her signature mile-high platinum hairdo, Christine Ohlman is a powerhouse of American rock and soul. Best known as the longtime vocalist for NBC’s Saturday Night Live Band, she most recently appeared in the SNL 50th Anniversary telecast in February 2025. With her band, Rebel Montez, Ohlman brings her fiery energy and deep musical roots to the hills of Vermont for a family-friendly, can’t-miss performance.

This summer, the Bandwagon Summer Series continues its electrifying run with a performance that promises to defy musical gravity. On Sunday, June 8 at 6:00 pm, Burnt Sugar The Arkestra Chamber lands at West River Park (333 West River Road, Brattleboro) for an unforgettable night of cosmic sound and genre-bending improvisation.

Founded by the late cultural critic and sonic visionary Greg Tate, Burnt Sugar The Arkestra Chamber (BSAC) is a sprawling collective of NYC-based musicians known for pushing boundaries and fusing styles with raw energy and technical brilliance. The ensemble draws deep inspiration from the Conduction method pioneered by Butch Morris, creating orchestrated improvisations that are never played the same way twice.

PUTNEY, VT — The Bandwagon Summer Series returns with a powerful opening night on Saturday, May 24 at 6:00pm at the scenic Putney Inn Field (57 Putney Landing Road), featuring two powerhouse bands that promise to get audiences dancing, connecting, and celebrating: Shokazoba and Zikina.

Presented by Next Stage Arts, the Bandwagon Series brings music and community together all summer long at outdoor venues across southern Vermont. This year’s season launches with a global, groove-rich evening that blends afrobeat, funk, East African rhythms, and soul-lifting dance music.

The Next Stage Bandwagon Summer Series presents acclaimed global music exchange OneBeat, on Thursday, October 10 at 6:00 pm, at West River Park, 333 West River Road, in Brattleboro.

Created by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and designed and produced by the NYC-based arts organization Found Sound Nation, OneBeat brings musicians (ages 19-35) from around the world to a region of the U.S. for one month each year to collaboratively write, produce, and perform original music, and develop strategies for arts-based social engagement. OneBeat begins with an opening residency, when Fellows collaborate to create original material, record new musical ideas, and incubate their projects. OneBeat Fellows then go on tour across a region of the U.S., performing for a wide array of American audiences, collaborating with local musicians, and leading workshops with youth and community organizations. During the month, each OneBeat musician also sets out their plans for the future, further developing projects in their home countries that embody the OneBeat mission of collaboration and engagement.

The Next Stage Bandwagon Summer Series presents world music ensemble Yemen Blues on Sunday, September 29 at 4:00 pm at the field behind The Putney Inn, 57 Putney Landing Road, in Putney. The band is touring in support of their new album, Only Love Remains.

Formed in 2010, Yemen Blues was swiftly recognized as one of the planet’s most adventurous and invigorating bands, at once contemporary and timeless, defiantly singular and deliciously eclectic. Their three studio albums and over 1,000 shows to date – including prestigious bookings at Canada’s GlobalFest, Roskilde Festival Denmark, and UCLA’s Royce Hall – have cemented the quartet (Ravid Kahalani, the band’s mercurial co-founding vocalist and gimbri player; bassist/oudist Shanir Blumenkranz; percussionist Rony Irwin; and drummer Dan Mayo) as a benchmark in a world music that has both shaped and challenged the genre.

The Next Stage Bandwagon Summer Series presents Brazilian-born percussionist in jazz and world music Cyro Baptista, on Saturday, September 21 at 5:00 pm.

Cyro Baptista is a Brazilian born percussionist and composer whose vast talent and penchant for innovation brought him to be praised as one of the most respected musicians in the world.

Cyro’s endless sonic curiosity and intense rhythmic led him to create several musical ensembles and record many albums of his own. He has also lent his sounds to several GRAMMY award-winning records and to over 300 CDs with many of the most beloved musicians in the world.

“Easily the most famous of all of the artists of the series, Cyro has played with Trey Anastasio, Paul SImon, Yo-Yo Ma, Herbie Hancock, and John Zorn. This project, Chama, is his new group that explores Brazilian themes, but with obvious surprises,” says Keith Marks, Executive Director of Next Stage Arts. “Cyro is a musician’s musician, and it goes without saying that we’re blessed to have this performance as part of our outdoor summer series. Cyro is a playful soul whose music is imbued with playfulness and virtuosity.”

The Next Stage Bandwagon Summer Series presents Colombian “indie-tropical” group La Sonora Mazurén on Sunday, September 15 at 5:00 pm.

La Sonora Mazuren is the latest addition to the already rich indie-tropical scene out of Bogotá, Colombia. Deeply rooted in the popular sounds and rhythms of South America, the group draws from cumbia, chicha, guaracha, champeta and other styles mostly from Ecuador, Colombia and Peru.

Far from being folklorists or revivalists, La Sonora Mazuren combines synthesizers and electric guitars with accordion and percussion to create a futuristic style indebted to early pioneers such as Polibio Mayorga or Bogota’s own Eblis Alvarez, of Meridian Brothers fame, who also produced their debut album. The result is a psychedelic feast reminiscent of the golden years of Tropicalia.

The Next Stage Bandwagon Summer Series presents Reverend Vince Anderson & His Love Choir, with their distinctive brand of “dirty gospel,” on Saturday, September 7 at 5:00 pm.

After coming to New York in the 90’s to enter the seminary, studying to be a Methodist minister, Reverend Vince Anderson dropped out to follow his second calling – music. His band, The Love Choir, defines its style as “dirty gospel,” busting out trumpets, guitars and a keyboard. Together, they have played a now-legendary weekly show in Williamsburg, Brooklyn for over twenty years. Reconnecting with his faith and using his intense soulful music, he began to preach a type of spirituality that meets people where they are, is open to all, and moves everyone that sees him play. Reverend Vince is also deeply involved in social activism, working with other progressive faith leaders at home and around the country to build inclusive communities.