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NXT Rockumentary Series Shines Spotlight on an Outsider Musician

by hahrenholz | Entertainment

PUTNEY — Next Stage Arts continues its acclaimed NXT Rockumentary Film Series on Wednesday, April 8, with a powerful documentary exploring the life of an outsider musician. Doors open at 6:15 p.m., with the screening starting at 7:00 p.m. A suggested donation of $8 is requested.

The film offers a thoughtful and compassionate look at the struggles and triumphs of a musician working outside the mainstream. Audiences will be drawn into the beauty and vulnerability of his art while witnessing the challenges he faces in everyday life. The documentary delves into the intersection of creativity, mental health, and the relationships that sustain him, creating a moving portrait that lingers long after the music ends.

Vermont Jazz Center Concert to Benefit Windham County Heat Fund

by RDavis | Music

The Vermont Jazz Center (VJC) is hosting a benefit concert for the Windham County Heat Fund on Saturday, March 21 at 7:30 p.m. at the Jazz Center, Cotton Mill Hill, Brattleboro, VT. The concert will celebrate the 80th birthday of bassist Cameron Brown.

Bass maestro Cameron Brown has been teaching at the VJC’s Summer Jazz Workshop since 2006.

His contributions and historic legacy will be honored as he and his New York-based band perform on March 21. All proceeds will go to the Windham County Heat Fund.

Dance Party with The Gaslight Tinkers + Luke Concannon: The Genre-Bending Future of the Music of the Past

by hahrenholz | 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.

Van Wile on “Here We Are”

by Wendy O'Connell | Media

VAN WILE has some great stories of the BCTV culture – staff camaraderie, collaborations with other Brattleboro media, and the rigor – and fun – of what it takes to create, produce, film and cover all aspects of our community. Plus Van’s personal stories of “muscle cars”, silica gel paks, murder boards, and thrifting.

Guilford Chamber Singers Seeks Singers for June Concert

by fomag | Music

Guilford Chamber Singers, sponsored by Friends of Music at Guilford, is seeking voices for our June concert, A Cappella a la Carte (exact date TBA).

We are a well-regarded ensemble led by Tom Baehr, veteran director of multiple FOMAG concerts since 2014.  Repertoire would be part-songs covering 5 centuries, 17th to 21st.  The lyricists are quite varied, including Elgar, Campion, Thoreau, Emerson, Blake, Sterndale Bennett and more.

Vermont Timbre Hosts Open Mic with Special Guest Peter Siegel

by hahrenholz | Music

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.

Twilight Music Brings a Songwriters’ Circle—and a Headliner—to Next Stage Arts

by hahrenholz | Music

Putney’s Twilight Music series continues its tradition of intimate, listening-room concerts with a standout Singer/Songwriter Showcase on Friday, March 20, at Next Stage Arts. The evening opens with a special in-the-round set from Early Risers, Jake Klar, and Lizzy Mandell, before culminating in Andrea von Kampen’s debut performance at the venue.

Doors open at 6:45 pm, with music beginning at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $22 in advance, $25 at the door, or $10 for the livestream, available at nextstagearts.org.

The opening set brings three distinct voices together in a collaborative circle. Early Risers—known for their close harmonies and roots-rich arrangements featuring banjo, mandolin, piano, guitar, and shruti box—reunited in 2015 after solo careers and quickly found national traction. Their debut album, Making Life Sweet, topped the Folk DJ Charts, with multiple tracks landing in the top ten.

Opening Doors Project Brings “Race & Song” to Next Stage Arts

by hahrenholz | Music

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.

A Lifeline for Difficult Times: The Taking Solace Series March: Come See Me in the Good Light film

by CenterforSolace | Media

Wednesday, March 4th at 6 pm: “Come See Me in the Good Light”. This is a poignant and unexpectedly funny love story about poets Andrea Gibson and Megan Falley facing an incurable cancer diagnosis with joy, wit and an unshakable partnership. Through laughter and unwavering love, they transform pain into purpose, and mortality into a loving celebration of resilience.

This will be held on the Main Floor of Brooks Memorial Library.

Howard Prussack on “Here We Are”

by Wendy O'Connell | Education

HOWARD PRUSSACK works hard to produce vegetables, plants and hemp on his farm, High Meadows Farm in Westminster West – he serves our community and beyond. His bounty is available locally and at the Brattleboro Farmer’s Market which he co-founded. Howard also tells wonderful stories of his travels with an international farmer-to-farmer exchange program.

Windham Southeast Supervisory Union Implements Interim Plan to Support Oak Grove School Students During Facility Repairs

by Not Signed In | Education

[WINDHAM SOUTHEAST, BRATTLEBORO, FEBRUARY 12, 2026] — The Windham Southeast Supervisory Union has developed a comprehensive interim plan to ensure continuity of learning for Oak Grove School students while repairs to the school’s heating system are completed.

Oak Grove School was closed on February 9th and 10th as crews worked to identify and repair a heating unit and conduct required safety testing. While progress is being made, the timeline for completion is likely another week.

To minimize disruption to students’ education, Oak Grove School students and staff are temporarily attending Academy School and Green Street School. The interim placements were thoughtfully designed with students’ academic, behavioral, and social-emotional needs as the primary consideration.

Where Tradition Takes Flight: Kalos with Dan Houghton & Rachel Clemente at Next Stage Arts

by hahrenholz | Music

On Friday, March 6, Next Stage Arts in Putney becomes a meeting place for tradition and daring invention when Twilight Music presents Kalos plus Dan Houghton & Rachel Clemente. With pipes, fiddle, guitars, harp, and fearless twists, this is high-energy traditional folk that respects its roots while gleefully pushing past their edges.

At the heart of the evening is Kalos, a trio known for reshaping Celtic roots music with rhythmic drive, intricate arrangements, and an infectious sense of joy. Eric McDonald, Ryan McKasson, and Jeremiah McLane are masters of tradition who deliberately explore its shadowed corners, creating music that feels both ancient and startlingly new. Their sound is complex yet inviting, propelled by pulse and precision, and grounded in deep artistic integrity.

Corey Harris and Sunny Lowdown Bring Acoustic Blues to Putney

by hahrenholz | Music

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.

Johnny Cash! The Man, His World, His Music 🎸🖤 An Intimate Cinéma Vérité Portrait — Onstage and Off

by hahrenholz | Entertainment

Next Stage Arts invites you to a rare and powerful evening with one of America’s most iconic artists.

Filmed in 1968, Johnny Cash! The Man, His World, His Music (1h 34m), directed by Robert Elfstrom, captures Johnny Cash at a pivotal moment in his career. Shot in an unvarnished, up-close cinéma vérité style, the film follows Cash on the road and in concert with June Carter, the Carter Family, the Statler Brothers, and Carl Perkins.

The film is also deeply personal. Viewers are taken inside Cash’s home life with June Carter in Hendersonville, Tennessee; introduced to his parents and children in California; and brought back with him to his childhood hometown in Arkansas. One of the film’s most moving sequences was shot at the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota, including footage at the site of the Wounded Knee Massacre.

Queralt Giralt Soler Trio Brings Lyrical, Genre-Blurring Sound to Next Stage Arts

by hahrenholz | Music

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.

Ben Stockman on “Here We Are”

by Wendy O'Connell | Arts

BEN STOCKMAN has some great stories of his early years at NEYT, (New England Youth Theater); capturing the spirit and camaraderie that was the foundation which created his deep love of acting and directing. Now, as the Artistic Director at NEYT, Ben is continuing that tradition and creating inspired productions and new stories.

“Holding Our Own” Showing and Community Discussion

by CenterforSolace | Media

Please join Center for Solace (formerly Brattleboro Area Hospice) at the Brooks Memorial Library on Wednesday, February 4 at 6 to 8 pm to view the film “Holding Our Own”.

Vermont filmmaker Camilla Rockwell, a longtime collaborator with Ken Burns, created “Holding Our Own”, a beautiful exploration of the power of art on end of life. It highlights the work of Hallowell & Deidre Scherer, as well as interviews with our staff and Dr. Ira Byock, an internationally known author and Hospice MD.

NXT Gallery Presents Home Land: New Paintings by Finn Campman

by hahrenholz | Arts

Next Stage Arts’ NXT Gallery will open a new exhibition, Home Land: Paintings by Finn Campman, with a public reception on Sunday, February 15, from 3–5 pm at Next Stage Arts, 15 Kimball Hill, Putney. The exhibition will remain on view through May 10.

In Home Land, Finn Campman explores painting as an act of orientation—both personal and geographic. His work reflects a deep attentiveness to place, memory, and presence, using the painted surface as a way to mark time and affirm connection. “My process is about the act of reaching out to make sure I know where I am,” Campman writes. “To check my coordinates, to mark a signpost for my memories—as if to say, ‘This is where I am now.’” The resulting paintings feel grounded and contemplative, tethered to the land and to the lived experience of being part of it.