Music section
The Glyptodons, an indie folk duo from Portland, Oregon, will present an outdoor concert on the backyard patio at 63 Cedar Street in Brattleboro on Saturday, August 3 at 7:00 p.m.. They play original as well as cover songs.
The concert is free and open to the public but donations will be accepted. All proceeds will go to the musicians. Refreshments will be available. Seating is limited so please bring a chair.
Next Stage Arts and Twilight Music present a double bill of traditional and original folk, with Yann Falquet & Keith Murphy, and The Murphy Beds on Saturday, August 10 at 7:30 pm
Keith Murphy and Yann Falquet are masters of contemporary Celtic guitar, representing the compelling textures, harmonies and rhythms that the guitar has brought to traditional songs and instrumentals since the Celtic music revival in the 1970s.
Next Stage Arts and Twilight Music present an evening of folk, roots, and Americana music by California-based trio Rainbow Girls at Next Stage on Thursday, August 15 at 7:00 pm. Children of Divorce 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.
The Next Stage Bandwagon Summer Series is thrilled to announce the return of Slavic Soul Party! to the Bandwagon stage, on Friday, August 9th, at The Putney Inn Field, 57 Putney Landing Rd, Putney, VT. This event promises to be an unforgettable celebration of Balkan brass, jazz, and funk, set against the picturesque backdrop of a Vermont summer evening.
Slavic Soul Party! has carved out a unique niche in the music world with their fiery Balkan brass sound, irresistible beats, and virtuoso jazz chops. Hailing from New York City, the nine-piece ensemble brings together influences from across the globe, blending them into a high-energy musical experience that is both infectious and soul-stirring.
The band’s Tuesday night residency in Brooklyn, spanning over two decades, has garnered international acclaim and a reputation for delivering an electrifying live show. Their latest album, “SSP! Plays Duke Ellington’s Far East Suite,” has been praised for its innovative reinterpretation of Duke Ellington’s iconic work, combining East European, Romani, and American sounds into a seamless fusion.
Acclaimed New Orleans vocalist and trombonist Glen David Andrews is set to ignite Cooper Field with his dynamic band on Saturday, August 3rd, 6:00 pm. Known for his commanding voice and powerful trombone skills, Andrews promises an unforgettable evening of roots music that blends smoothness with grit, delivering an emotional and resonant musical experience.
A native son of New Orleans, Andrews hails from a distinguished musical lineage and learned the brass band traditions firsthand from iconic figures like Tuba Fats. Co-presented with the Vermont Jazz Center and sponsored in part by Bordertown Farm, this performance marks a celebration of cultural heritage and musical excellence.
PUTNEY – Next Stage Arts and Twilight Music present country swing sextet The Sweetback Sisters at Next Stage on Friday, August 2 at 7:30 pm.
Centered around the charismatic, airtight harmonies of Emily Miller and Zara Bode, The Sweetback Sisters mix compelling originals and unexpected interpretations of country classics. Hints of jazz and ragtime flesh out the Sisters’ unique brand of classic country, as Miller, Bode, and their remarkably versatile band conjure up a singular blend of heart, humor, and virtuosic musicianship. Their rollicking music is as infectious as it is heartbreaking. Like the country artists they admire, the Sisters sing about traditional subjects of heartbreak, revenge, remorse, and staying strong in the face of relationships gone wrong, albeit with a contemporary sensibility.
The Next Stage Bandwagon Summer Series presents five-piece band Bombay Rickey, on Saturday, July 27 at 6:00 pm at New England Center for Circus Arts, 10 Town Crier Drive, in Brattleboro.
“[Bombay Rickey is] easily one of the most adventurous and daring artists we’ve worked with – how many ensembles are fronted by an opera singer and can count cumbia, spaghetti-Western, and Bollywood as influences?” says Keith Marks, Executive Director of Next Stage Arts. “I saw them in New York in January, and they made my jaw drop on the floor. I’m over-the-moon excited to present them to our Vermont community.”
Praised as “a true treat for the adventurous ear” (TimeOut NY), Bombay Rickey is a five-piece band with a unique sound evocative of 1960s movie soundscapes. The group plays both covers and original music that borrow equally from the worlds of surf rock, cumbia, spaghetti-Western, and Bollywood, balanced out with soaring operatic vocals.
The Next Stage Bandwagon Summer Series presents the rising star of Mexican electronic folk, Pahua, and experimental Latin Tropical band Meridian Brothers, on Saturday, July 20 at 6:00 pm at Cooper Field, 41 Sand Hill Rd, in Putney.
“Electronic beats mix with Mexican soul in Pahua. Cumbia meets psychedelic rock in The Meridien Brothers. This double bill is one for the ages,” says Keith Marks, Executive Director of Next Stage Arts. “Pahua’s artistry bridges many divides and is for anyone interested in how music marches forward with electronics, ethnic flavor, and mastery. The Meridien Brothers are for anyone who seeks out new sonic adventures while still wanting to tear up the dance floor.”
Pahua is the project of Mexican singer, composer, producer and DJ Paulina Sotomayor; a blend of electronica and folklore that represents a very deep part of its creator: femininity, nature, inner strength and self-discovery.
The Next Stage Bandwagon Summer Series presents the rising star of Mexican electronic folk, Pahua, on Saturday, July 20 at 6:00 pm at Cooper Field, 41 Sand Hill Rd, in Putney.
Pahua is the project of Mexican singer, composer, producer and DJ Paulina Sotomayor; a blend of electronica and folklore that represents a very deep part of its creator: femininity, nature, inner strength and self-discovery.
“Electronic beats mix with Mexican soul in Pahua. Her artistry bridges many divides and presents a danceable, global sound that will make everyone dance,” says Keith Marks, Executive Director of Next Stage Arts. “Pahua is for anyone interested in how music marches forward with electronics, ethnic flavor, and mastery.”
The Jennie Reichman concert scheduled for June 21 has been cancelled due to illness.
Next Stage Arts presents French-Italian four-hands piano duet Duo Ondine at Next Stage on Friday, July 19 at 7:30 pm.
“Watching four hands cover the piano ranging from classical to contemporary pieces, the Duo Ondine is a must-see for anyone interested in witnessing piano virtuosity,” says Keith Marks, Executive Director of Next Stage Arts. “The duo is visiting from Europe, in residency at MIddlebury College, and we benefit from their connection to Vermont by having the pleasure of presenting them.”
Duo Ondine is a French-Italian four-hands piano duet born in Geneva (Switzerland) in 2014. Ten years later, it keeps delighting the international stage with refined, virtuoso and profound programs and a precise and highly sensitive playing.
The Next Stage Bandwagon Summer Series presents Contemporary Mexican ensemble Villalobos Brothers, on Saturday, July 13 at 6:00 pm at the field behind the Putney Inn, 57 Putney Landing Road, in Putney.
The Villalobos Brothers are a Grammy Award-winning family band, recognized as one of the foremost Contemporary Mexican ensembles in the world. With their unique fusion of Mexican folk, jazz, and classical music, they have captivated audiences across the United States, Mexico, India, Russia, and Canada.
“Virtuosic violinists from Mexico showcasing how traditional music can get reborn into modern culture, these brothers are making an indelible mark on modern American music,” says Keith Marks, Executive Director of Next Stage Arts. “The Villalobos Brothers are a family band worthy of attention, praise, and adulation.”
Local singer-songwriter Jennie Reichman will present an outdoor concert on the backyard patio at 63 Cedar Street in Brattleboro on Friday June 21 at 7:00 p.m. Reichman has a soft lilting voice reminiscent of a younger Joni Mithcell. She presents songs with a clear voice that easily communicates with the audience. She plays original as well as cover songs.
The concert is free and open to the public but donations will be accepted. All proceeds will go to the musician. Refreshments will be available. Seating is limited so please bring a chair.
The Next Stage Bandwagon Summer Series presents Maine-based multicultural collaboration Bondeko, on Saturday, July 6 at 6:00 pm at Cooper Field, 41 Sand Hill Rd, in Putney.
Bondeko is the unlikely collaboration of neighbors in Portland, Maine’s migrant community: an Albanian crooner, a Guinian drummer, a French singer-songwriter, a Latin musician from Texas…
The result is a mix of hypnotic Roma melodies, festive Cumbia rhythms, Malenke sing-alongs, and relentless Balkan tempos, peppered with heartwarming waltzes and maybe even a lullaby in Portunhol if the vibe is right.
Next Stage Arts Project and Twilight Music present an evening of Celtic music by high-energy bagpipes/fiddle/guitar quartet Cantrip at Next Stage on Friday, July 5 at 7:30 pm.
From the strong base of its Celtic roots, Cantrip branches out into the music of other European cultures. With swirling border pipes, raging fiddle, thunderous guitar, and three 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. Known for their innovative arrangements, high-energy songs and tunes, and dry wit, Cantrip has toured throughout Scotland and the US, expanding the boundaries of Celtic music along the way.
Next Stage Arts and Twilight Music present an album release concert for Keith Murphy and Band’s “Bright As Amber”, at Next Stage on Friday, June 21 at 7:30 pm.
For many years, Keith Murphy has been forging a distinctive sound in the world of traditional song. He grew up surrounded by the rich tradition of his native Newfoundland and over the course of his later travels has incorporated elements of many other traditions including the repertoire of his adopted home in Vermont. He is a noted instrumentalist and well known for his playing with Nightingale, Childsplay, Boston Revels, Tony Barrand, Hanneke Cassel, Yann Falquet and his most enduring collaborator, his wife and fiddler, Becky Tracy. He is also the founder and artistic director of the Brattleboro Music Center’s Northern Roots Festival.
The Next Stage Bandwagon Summer Series presents “psychedelic chanson” ensemble Combo Daguerre, on Saturday, June 15 at 6:00 pm at field behind the Putney Inn, 57 Putney Landing Road, in Putney.
Combo Daguerre, based in Brooklyn, performs original psychedelic chanson with a mostly Latin crew and a hybrid style informed by boleros, cumbia, 60’s rock, French chanson, Gainsbourg, and 1930s surrealism. It is music filled with joy and darkness, deep grooves and dirges, nostalgia and futurism.
With Olivier Conan (Chicha Libre) – cuatro, vocals; Adele Fournet – keyboards and Felipe Wurst – guitar (Banda Chuska/Tipa Tipo); Andres Fonseca – drums; Neil Ochoa (Los Crema Paraiso, Chicha Libre) – percussion and Dan Martinez – bass.
I invested some free time in a new musical project that resulted in a new EP of funky tunes, so I thought I’d share. If you like dancing around, or driving around to a funky soundtrack, this might be something that interests you.
As some of you know, my first project had lyrics. Of course I didn’t like my voice, so the second EP, “Kitten In My Funk,” was all instrumentals.
For this EP, the decision was to slowly work back into lyrics – one word at a time. Each song here has a single word lyric, hence the name of the project: ONE.
The Next Stage Bandwagon Summer Series presents an odyssey of American music with Bristol Lightning, on Saturday, June 8 at 6:00 pm at Cooper Field, 41 Sand Hill Road, in Putney.
“Bluegrass from Tennessee from Grammy-award winning musicians – what’s not to love?” says Keith Marks, Executive Director of Next Stage Arts. “Dave Eggar has been on stages around the world in pop, classical, jazz, and so many more settings. He’s an award-winning cellist who infuses a sense of virtuosity and freshness into the Bluegrass genre. We’re excited to host Bristol Lightning.”
In 1927, the first country music records were cut in Bristol, TN/VA, by ordinary people with ordinary stories and the courage to create. Now, almost 100 years later, Bristol Lighting is born in the same town, celebrating the American stories of today. From Aaron Copland to American roots music, blues, bluegrass, and beyond, Bristol Lightning’s live shows take the audience on a high-energy adventure of bluegrass cello and mandolin, blues guitars, tap dance, and storytelling, weaving a powerful and poignant tapestry of the true creativity and resilience of the American spirit.
Next Stage Arts and Twilight Music present singer/songwriter John Gorka at Next Stage on Sunday, June 2 at 7:00 pm.
Rising from a milieu of lovelorn singer-songwriters, John Gorka illuminates instead with his trademark wordplay, twisting, turning, and tying words and phrases in the way a balloon artist creates complex creatures from simple balloons. Few contemporary songwriters coax language as deftly as Gorka.
For over two decades, Gorka’s keen ear has picked up the stories of those along his path, folding them into poetry and song. His keen perceptiveness inspires people from all over the world to share their stories. By involving those tales in his music, he escapes the trap of introspection that hobbles less-gifted singer-songwriters.
