Music

Kick off your weekend with a night of rhythm, melody, and infectious energy at Next Stage Arts in Putney on Friday, April 3. Doors open at 6:45 PM, with Luke Concannon opening the show, followed by the high-octane Gaslight Tinkers at 7:30 PM.

Luke Concannon brings a lifetime of music-making rooted in Irish family gatherings, where singing, dancing, and guitars filled every room. As the lead singer and co-writer of UK chart-toppers Nizlopi—best known for The JCB Song and a key influence on Ed Sheeran—Luke now shines as a solo artist. His 2022 album Ecstatic Bird in the Burning debuted at No. 12 on both the UK and US folk charts, earning praise for its heartfelt, community-centered songwriting.

Vermont Timbre—Amelia Struthers and Mike Mrowicki—invite the community to an evening of music, poetry, and storytelling at their Open Mic on Sunday, March 29 at Next Stage Arts in Putney. Doors open at 6:15 PM, and the show begins at 7:00 PM. Admission is a $10 suggested donation, and RSVPs are encouraged at nextstagearts.org.

The night will feature a special performance by Peter Siegel of The Gaslight Tinkers, alongside open slots for local musicians, poets, and performers. Sets will run 10–15 minutes, depending on sign-ups, offering a supportive stage for sharing original work or favorite pieces.

PUTNEY — Music, memory, and meaning will take center stage at Next Stage Arts on Saturday, March 14, when the Opening Doors Project presents Race & Song: A Musical Conversation with Pamela Means and Alastair Moock.

The performance begins at 7:30 p.m., with doors opening at 6:45 p.m., at Next Stage Arts, 15 Kimball Hill in Putney. Tickets are available at nextstagearts.org for $20 in advance, $25 at the door, or $10 for the livestream option.

On a cold winter night in late February, the blues will feel warm and close at hand in Putney.

On Saturday, Feb. 28, Next Stage Arts welcomes Corey Harris with Sunny Lowdown for an evening of acoustic blues that promises depth, groove, and soul. Doors open at 6:45 PM, with the show beginning at 7:30 PM, at 15 Kimball Hill in Putney. Tickets are available at nextstagearts.org for $22 in advance, $26 at the door, or $10 for the livestream.

Next Stage Arts welcomes an intimate and adventurous evening of music on Friday, February 20, with a performance by the Queralt Giralt Soler Trio, a group known for its poetic fusion of cello, voice, jazz, and Catalan folk traditions. The concert begins at 7:30 PM, with doors opening at 6:45 PM, at Next Stage Arts, 15 Kimball Hill, Putney.

Cellist, vocalist, and composer Queralt Giralt Soler creates music that resists easy categorization. Drawing from her classical training and deep roots in Catalan folk music, she blends lyrical cello lines with expressive vocals, jazz improvisation, and contemporary textures to form a sound that feels both expansive and deeply personal. Her performances invite listeners into a rich emotional landscape—quietly powerful, exploratory, and full of nuance.

Midwinter calls for warmth, words, and community—and Endless Butter: A Communal Feast of Poetry and Music offers all three.

On Sunday, February 1, from 1–4 pm, Next Stage Arts in Putney will host an afternoon inspired by the legend of St. Brigid, patron saint of poetry, fertility, and everyday miracles. The title nods to one of her most beloved miracles: endless butter—an emblem of abundance, generosity, and shared sustenance during the lean months of winter.

This gathering brings together an extraordinary roster of regional poets, musicians, and a storyteller for a relaxed, come-and-go celebration of art and connection. Poets include Sarah Anderson, Katie Bachler, Megan Buchanan, Michael Carter, James Crews, Dede Cummings, Alice Fogel, Lyedie Geer, Taylor Mardis Katz, Brad Peacock, Ben Pease, Erin Pesut, Nellie Prior, and Diana Whitney. Music will be woven throughout the afternoon by Elijah Berlow, Gráinne Buchanan, Jake Klar, Shawn Magee, Hannah Mohan, and Brendan Taaffe, with Michael Kohout serving as seanchaí—traditional storyteller and keeper of tales.

PUTNEY — Next Stage Arts invites the community to gather for an afternoon of light, music, and togetherness at its Winter Solstice Celebration on Saturday, December 20. The event features hands-on activities, a festive cookie swap, and a joyful community sing-along, all free and open to all ages.

The celebration begins from 2:00–3:00 pm with luminaria decorating, offering families and individuals a chance to create glowing artworks to brighten the darkest time of year. At the same time, community members are invited to participate in a cookie swap drop-off, bringing a batch of homemade treats to share.

Next Stage Arts presents A Night with Broadway Composer David Yazbek on Saturday, December 13 at 7:30 pm (doors at 6:45) at 15 Kimball Hill, Putney, VT. Tickets are $30 in advance / $35 at the door at nextstagearts.org.

What’s left for the celebrated composer-lyricist behind The Band’s Visit, The Full Monty, Tootsie, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Dead Outlaw, and Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown—a career that’s earned him multiple Tonys and Grammy nominations?