Name: Holiday Community Sing Along
Start: 2025-12-21T16:00:00
End: 2025-07-21T23:00-05:00
Location: Next Stage Arts

$20 General Admission / $10 StudentsAfterTalk is a collaborative new work of poetic theater featuring Adrienne Major and David Zucker, with a host of creative artistic contributors: cellist Eugene Friesen, artist Eric Aho (projected paintings), choreographer Alison Mott, lighting and sound designer Francesca Bourgault, production manager Jenny Holan, and director Eric Bass.Written by award-winning poet and former Vermont Poet Laureate Chard deNiord (2015–2019), the play unfolds as a lyrical dialogue between the ancient Sumerian couple Inanna, Goddess of Fertility, and Dumuzi, God of Agriculture and date palms. Meeting one last time in the mysterious threshold between worlds, they revisit the dimensions of their love and the infinite question of whether their bond will soon sever for eternity.Although nearly 4,000 years old, the antiphonal poem that inspired AfterTalk—a precursor to King Solomon’s Song of Songs—was not unearthed until 1947 in the ruins of the ancient Sumerian city of Nippur. DeNiord reimagines this timeless text in a contemporary theatrical setting, weaving music, movement, poetry, and visual art into a compelling exploration of love, power, and memory.Join us to witness what happens when poetry, music, movement, and art converge on stage.

AfterTalk: A Play by Chard deNiord

$24 Advance / $28 At the Door / $10 LivestreamAs part of Next Stage’s 15th anniversary celebration, two of its founders, Nick Keil and Michael Wells, will be honored at this event. An Irish Christmas is a magical evening featuring two of Irish music’s most highly regarded artists as they share songs, stories, and memories of festive Christmas traditions from Ireland—capturing the pure joy of the season.Longtime friends and collaborators, John and Cathie have toured as a duo throughout Europe (though rarely in the U.S.), are members of the all-star ensemble The Irish Music Masters, and are featured in the PBS special The Soul of Christmas. Their deep love for traditional music continues to evolve through their original songs and collaborations.Over the past four decades, John Doyle—instrumentalist, composer, producer, and singer-songwriter—has become one of the most versatile and creative voices in folk and traditional Irish music. A founding member of the groundbreaking Irish supergroup Solas, John’s innovative guitar work helped propel the band to international acclaim. With Solas, he performed to sold-out audiences worldwide and appeared on The Today Show, A Prairie Home Companion, Mountain Stage, E-Town, and World Café. The group earned three NAIRD awards and a Grammy nomination. Since launching his solo career, John has recorded two solo albums and collaborated with artists including Joan Baez, Eileen Ivers, Tim O’Brien, Linda Thompson, Seamus Egan, Alison Brown, and Kate Rusby.For more than thirty-five years, Cathie Ryan has been at the forefront of Irish music. Known for her luminous voice and gift for discovering gems from the Irish and American song traditions, she also crafts originals that fit seamlessly alongside them. A captivating performer, Cathie’s concerts are celebrated for their intimacy, emotional power, and characteristic Irish storytelling. She has toured internationally, performing “songs of the heart” at concert halls, festivals, and with symphony orchestras, and has been featured on national and public television and radio around the world.<iframe-embed src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-8ROmj0vir8" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="true" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" height="521" width="921" style="" metaposition="flex-start" metatype="youtube"></iframe-embed>

"An Irish Christmas" with John Doyle and Cathie Ryan

Tickets $8Mel Stuart, 1 h 43mIn its first incarnation, Stax Records stood as a testament to the creative power of racial integration. But after Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination shook Memphis to its core, new co-owner Al Bell steered the label toward a mission of African American pride and uplift. The culmination of his vision was a jubilant concert marking the seventh anniversary of the Watts riots, featuring Jesse Jackson and Richard Pryor alongside Isaac Hayes and the Staple Singers. For all its inspirational moments, the show is stolen by prankster Rufus Thomas, who tames an unruly crowd with his irresistible rendition of “Do the Funky Chicken.”Co-presented with <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.nextchapterrecords.com/">Next Chapter Records</a>.

Wattstax (1973)

$12 Advance / $15 DoorGordon Clark and his Vermont Comedy All Stars return for an unforgettable night of stand-up comedy.Gordon Clark, the show’s producer and host, is the director of the nonprofit Vermont Comedy All Stars, through which he has built a thriving stand-up community and produced comedy shows across the state. Since launching in 2020, he has produced over 100 shows, including multi-year runs at the late, iconic Nectar’s in Burlington, Bent Nails Bistro in Montpelier, ZenBarn in Waterbury, and Next Stage Arts in Putney. Gordon also happens to be the oldest regularly performing comic in Vermont — and sometimes it sure feels that way. He lives in Burlington with his wife, cat, and dog.

Vermont Comedy All Stars Live Stand-up Comedy Showcase!

$30 Advance / $35 At the DoorQuestion: What’s left for the celebrated composer-lyricist with six Broadway musicals—The Band’s Visit, The Full Monty, Tootsie, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Dead Outlaw, and Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown—under his belt, plus countless awards including a Tony for Best Musical (The Band’s Visit)?Answer: A gig in Putney, Vermont!Yes, David Yazbek fulfills his lifelong dream of tickling the ivories on the beautiful Steinway grand at Next Stage and invites you to join him for an evening of songs from his Broadway shows and solo albums—one night only.Dubbed by Yazbek “A Few Cheery Songs About Death,” the concert promises his trademark witty repartee, behind-the-scenes storytelling, and the wonderfully eclectic musical sensibility that inspired The New York Times’ Stephen Holden to call him “a daredevil juggler catching spiked pins in the traveling carnival of his imagination.”Don’t miss this rare opportunity to see one of theater’s most innovative composers doing what he loves most—thrilling a live audience.

A Night with Broadway Composer David Yazbek

$12 Adults / $5 Youth 18 &amp; UnderBack by popular demand! Join King Wenceslas and his loyal page as they embark on snowy new adventures with Vermont Suitcase Company. Vermont Suitcase Company will be joined by Heedless of the Gale singing songs of the season. Bring your friends and family and celebrate with laughter and song!

The Continuing Adventures of King Wenceslas and His Page Edith

$22 Advance / $26 At the Door / $10 LivestreamAs part of Next Stage’s 15th anniversary celebration, two of its founders, Anita Dunlap and Rebecca Waxman, will be honored at this event.Next Stage and Twilight Music present a captivating evening with two acclaimed singer-songwriters whose work blends vulnerability, imagination, and social consciousness.Antje Duvekot is celebrated for her deeply personal, poetic songwriting and the luminous intimacy of her voice. Born in Germany and raised in the U.S., she has built a career turning private stories into shared truths — songs that transform fear into resilience and isolation into community. A winner of top honors including the John Lennon Songwriting Award and the Kerrville “Best New Folk” Award, Duvekot has performed at the Newport Folk Festival, Celtic Connections, and NPR programs nationwide. Her albums, produced by the likes of Mark Erelli and Richard Shindell, feature collaborators such as Anaïs Mitchell and John Gorka.<iframe-embed src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7RwiFRoPvF0" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="true" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" height="585" width="1395" style="" metaposition="flex-start" metatype="youtube"></iframe-embed>Seth Glier, the Grammy-nominated artist from Western Massachusetts, brings a visionary voice to the modern folk landscape. His latest album, Everything, explores our connection to the natural world, reimagining the bond between humanity and the planet through songs that balance urgency with hope. Glier’s work as a cultural diplomat for the U.S. State Department and collaborations with artists worldwide reflect his belief in music as a bridge for empathy and change.Together, Antje Duvekot and Seth Glier create an evening of luminous storytelling — songs of heart, conscience, and connection that remind us how art can illuminate both the inner and outer landscapes of our lives.<iframe-embed src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qSBjcil9WGc" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="true" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" height="594" width="1056" style="" metaposition="flex-start" metatype="youtube"></iframe-embed>This performance is supported in part by AARP Vermont.<img src="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/66e1dc7b25ddef1b82d352cd/82270acb-b1d6-4a2a-bf2e-4d7a44559ab9/aarp_VT_4c.png.png?content-type=image%2Fpng">

Antje Duvekot and Seth Glier

FREE!Join friends and neighbors for a joyful “Putney Holiday Community Sing Along.” Led by Rich Grumbine on guitar, the event invites everyone to request and sing from a songbook of 60 beloved holiday tunes—traditional, secular, and children’s favorites. Lyrics will be projected on the big screen so everyone can join in. Free and open to all!Info: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="mailto:richgrumbine1@gmail.com">richgrumbine1@gmail.com</a>

Holiday Community Sing Along

Opening reception 4:00-6:00pmARTIST STATEMENT My work is inspired by the world around me—my life in the countryside of Putney, Vermont, and my time living in Mexico, a country of vivid color and striking contrasts.I am always looking, looking, looking. Most often it is a color, or a particular color relationship, that moves me to capture the essence of what I see. Sometimes I work from memory or a thumbnail sketch, but the starting point is always something external that catches my eye and draws me closer.Color is everything, whether I am working on a still life, a landscape, or a figure study. It possesses its own magic and energy, and it is this vitality that excites me to create. My paintings serve as a visual diary of my life—recording the places I’ve been, the experiences I’ve had, and the feelings that have moved me.BIOGRAPHYCarol Keiser grew up in Wellesley, Massachusetts. She attended the University of New Hampshire and Ohio State University, and earned a master’s degree from Antioch University’s Graduate School. She also studied figure drawing at the Art Students League of New York.Carol settled in Putney, Vermont, where she began a pottery studio. After 15 years, she launched her own hand-painted art tile business, combining her love of color with her knowledge of ceramics. Her tile designs and murals often derive from her paintings, and occasionally a painting is inspired by a tile design. Whether painting with glazes on tile or acrylics on canvas, Carol thrives on exploring color.She divides her time between her studios in Putney and Mexico and travels when possible. She has attended an artist colony in Costa Rica and painted in Italy and France.Her favorite artists include Matisse, Bonnard, Milton Avery, Nell Blaine, and Ambrose Webster. Carol has exhibited her paintings in the United States and Mexico.In 2015, she was inducted into the National Association of Women Artists (NAWA) in New York. She has been listed in Who’s Who since 1995 and will be included in Volume 12 of International Contemporary Artists this year.This show will remain on exhibit through February 15, 2026. The Next Stage Gallery is open during events, and by appointment with the artist or by contacting Next Stage at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="mailto:info@nextstagearts.org">info@nextstagearts.org</a> or (802) 387-0102.

Life in Vermont and Mexico: Paintings by Carol Keiser

As part of Next Stage’s 15th anniversary celebration, two of its founders, Eric Bass and Virginia Scholl, will be honored at this event.$22 Advance / $25 At the Door / $10 LivestreamKnown for their mastery of the mandolin and tasteful musicality, Matt Flinner and Joe K. Walsh bring rich voices and diverse textures to the acoustic and bluegrass worlds.Vermont-based multi-instrumentalist Matt Flinner has made a career out of playing acoustic music in new ways. Starting out as a banjo prodigy who was playing bluegrass festivals before he entered his teens, Matt later took up the mandolin, won the National Banjo Contest at Winfield Kansas in 1990, and took the mandolin award there the following year. Since then, he has become recognized as one of the premiere mandolinists as well as one of the finest new acoustic/roots music composers today. He has toured and recorded with a wide variety of bluegrass, new acoustic, classical and jazz artists, including Tim O’Brien, Frank Vignola, Steve Martin, Darrell Scott, Leftover Salmon, Alison Brown, The Ying Quartet, Tony Trischka, Darol Anger, and the Nashville Chamber Orchestra. His two solo CDs on Compass Records “The View from Here” and “Latitude” are widely considered classics in the new acoustic/modern bluegrass style.Hailed by David Grisman as a “wonderful mandolin player," and by Darol Anger as “one of the finest mandolin players ever," Portland, Maine-based musician Joe K. Walsh is best known for his collaborations and recordings with acoustic music luminaries including Darol Anger, Brittany Haas, Molly Tuttle, Sam Grisman, Danny Barnes, Scott Nygaard, Mike Marshall’s Ger Mandolin Ensemble, and pop-grass darlings Joy Kills Sorrow, a band he co-founded. He has performed at festivals, clubs, and theaters all over North America and Europe. After a number of award-winning years with bluegrass stars the Gibson Brothers, Joe currently splits his time between the stylistically-omnivorous string band Mr Sun (featuring Darol Anger, Grant Gordy and Aidan O’Donnell), the Mike Block Trio, a duo with Matt Flinner, and a trio with Ella Jordan and Jed Wilson, moving seamlessly between mandolin, mandola, octave mandolin, and mandocello. An in-demand educator, Joe is an associate professor at the Berklee College of Music, and he teaches regularly at music camps and workshops across North America and Europe, and online through Peghead Nation.<iframe-embed src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/p8OTZGWxWyc" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="true" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" height="500" width="889" style="" metaposition="flex-start" metatype="youtube"></iframe-embed>Funded in part by the New England States Touring program of the New England Foundation for the Arts, made possible with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts and the six New England state arts agencies. <img src="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/66e1dc7b25ddef1b82d352cd/a8dfb306-5bf3-44b8-889b-daed57d66204/NEFA_black_RGB_small_0.jpg?content-type=image%2Fjpeg">

Matt Flinner & Joe K. Walsh

T-Rex Tea Party

The November Putney Community Supper will be hosted by the Landmark College. Admission is by donation and All Are Welcome!More info: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="mailto:Simoninvermont@gmail.com">Simoninvermont@gmail.com</a> or <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="mailto:mmrowicki@gmail.com">mmrowicki@gmail.com</a>

Putney Community Supper

Tickets $8Denis Sanders, 1h 32mLike his 1968 comeback special, this record of the preparations for Elvis Presley’s first tour in 13 years is a tale of two Elvises. There’s the cocky country boy, whose studio performances with his crack band tap the primal energy of his best performances; and the stage entertainer, swaddled in foot-long fringe and buttressed by a small army of backing singers. (At one point, he jokes to the Vegas crowd that he’s filming a movie called “Elvis Loses His Excess.”) The 2001 recut strips away footage of fans to provide more of the King in his domain. - Rolling StoneCo-presented with <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.nextchapterrecords.com/">Next Chapter Records</a>.<iframe-embed src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1O7cStOGZXI" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="true" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" height="500" width="889" style="" metaposition="flex-start" metatype="youtube"></iframe-embed>

Elvis: That’s the Way It Is (1970)

Company

American Red Cross Blood Drive

Join us on Halloween for candy, cider, activities, and a dancing flash mob!

Halloween at Next Stage! The Witches of East Putney

$20 Advance / $24 At the Door / $10 LivestreamArn Chorn-Pond—genocide survivor, human rights leader, and founder of Cambodian Living Arts—returns to Putney for a moving evening of story, music, and reflection.Through a dynamic presentation that weaves together personal storytelling, slides, video, and live flute performance, Arn shares his extraordinary journey: from surviving the Khmer Rouge as a child soldier, to finding refuge in the U.S., to returning home to preserve and revitalize Cambodia’s cultural traditions. The evening culminates with a live musical performance and an open Q&amp;A with the audience.In 1984, Arn became the first Cambodian child soldier to speak publicly about the atrocities of the Cambodian genocide, delivering a speech to 10,000 people at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York. He went on to found Children of War, an organization that brought together child survivors to share their stories of survival and hope. Since then, Arn has continued to lead talks and workshops at conferences, universities, and high schools around the world, inspiring others through his story of resilience and healing through music.A genocide survivor, Arn escaped from a child labor camp and fled to refugee camps along the Thai border. He was among the first Cambodian child refugees adopted by an American, who brought him and eight other children to the U.S. to live and study. In 1998, Arn returned to Cambodia and founded Cambodian Living Arts (CLA), which worked to preserve and revitalize traditional performing arts during its first decade. Today, CLA is a catalyst for Cambodia’s vibrant arts sector, inspiring the next generation.Arn is also a resident of Putney, Vermont, thanks to a deep connection with entrepreneur and philanthropist John Burt, with whom he co-founded Cambodian Living Arts. Of Arn’s return to his “hometown,” John said: “Welcoming Arn back to his New England home is such an honor and always an inspiration. He never strays from areas of conflict, exploring how music and the arts can awaken the soul to enduring peace. His music always guides him home.”Arn has received numerous international honors, including the Reebok Human Rights Award (1988), the Amnesty International Human Rights Award (1991), the Kohl Foundation International Peace Prize (1993), and the Spirit of Anne Frank Outstanding Citizen Award (1996).As part of Next Stage’s 15th anniversary celebration, two of its founders, John Burt and Billy Straus, will be honored at this event.<iframe-embed src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VBKvqC0A-s0" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="true" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" height="505" width="897" style="" metaposition="flex-start" metatype="youtube"></iframe-embed>

Arn Chorn-Pond: Coming Home: A Journey of Healing Through Music

$35 Advance / $40 Door / $15 Kids / 3 &amp; under freeJoin us for a lively afternoon of music and community! <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://rivergalleryschool.org/">River Gallery</a>’s Benefit Concert features three incredible acts: Zara Bodē’s swing-infused jazz, Concerto Incognito’s 17th-century violin and harpsichord, and the joyful grooves of Rani Arbo &amp; daisy mayhem. All proceeds support RGS’s mission to foster an inclusive and vibrant art-making community.

Benefit Concert for River Gallery School of Art

We regret to announce that this weekend’s performances with Adam Strauss must be postponed due to an illness in the tech crew. We are working to reschedule in 2026. Tickets will be honored for the new date. If you prefer a refund, please contact us at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="mailto:info@nextstagearts.org">info@nextstagearts.org</a>. Thank you for your understanding.

Adam Strauss: Before I Forget

We regret to announce that this weekend’s performances with Adam Strauss must be postponed due to an illness in the tech crew. We are working to reschedule in early 2026. Tickets will be honored for the new date. If you prefer a refund, please contact us at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="mailto:info@nextstagearts.org">info@nextstagearts.org</a>. Thank you for your understanding.

Adam Strauss: The Mushroom Cure

Vermont Zydeco Party!

$22 Advance / $25 Door / $10 LivestreamThe Clements Brothers are George and Charles Clements, identical twins from New England. They’ve been playing and writing music together for as long as they can remember, and The Clements Brothers marks their first project together since performing with the internationally touring grassroots band, The Lonely Heartstrings Band, with whom they released two albums on Rounder Records. Drawing on roots, rock, bluegrass, jazz, and classical influences, George (guitar) and Charles (bass) capture their singer-songwriter sensibilities in a uniquely blended voice—at once enthralling and intimate, groovy and serene. Their music is a fusion of each brother’s musical journey, resulting in a sound all their own, rich with vocal harmonies, instrumental virtuosity, and a genuine love of song.<iframe-embed src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sUUPPm2Y-GU" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="true" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" height="505" width="897" style="" metaposition="flex-start" metatype="youtube"></iframe-embed>The Early Risers are a Vermont-based folk duo made up of Ashley Storrow and Putnam Smith. Rootsy and lyric-driven, their original songs feature close vocal harmonies and arrangements on a wide array of instruments, including banjo, guitar, mandolin, piano, and shruti box. After pursuing solo singer-songwriter careers, they joined forces in 2015 and have since toured across the country, from Maine to Texas to California to Vancouver, BC.They have performed at notable venues such as Club Passim, the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, and the High Plains Public Radio concert series. Their debut album, Making Life Sweet, climbed to #1 on the Folk DJ Charts (November 2019), with four songs in the Top 10. As the folk music blog Wise Madness put it: “...it’s how the band makes you feel. Their music is comfort food.”Ashley and Putnam live on a working homestead in southern Vermont with their two daughters. For this performance, they will be joined by Sarah Carlisle on upright bass and Lissa Schneckenburger on fiddle.<iframe-embed src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/US2es4LCBFs" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="true" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" height="505" width="897" style="" metaposition="flex-start" metatype="youtube"></iframe-embed>

The Clements Brothers and The Early Risers

Tickets $8D.A. Pennebaker &amp; Chris Hegedus, 2hThe gents from Essex may be a gloomy bunch on record, but this film about the final leg of the band’s 1988 American tour is positively buoyant. Rather than a straightforward concert film like his previous Ziggy Stardust, D.A. Pennebaker (along with partner Chris Hegedus) brings their fly-on-the-wall approach to the entire traveling circus — from nimble lighting technicians to giddy number-crunchers, and from pinball-obsessed Dave Gahan to equally charismatic fans en route to see the finale at the Rose Bowl. For once, rock &amp; roll isn’t presented as a spectacle of Dionysian excess, but of good — if not entirely clean — fun. — Rolling StoneCo-presented with <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.nextchapterrecords.com/">Next Chapter Records</a><iframe-embed src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/h2G7YY8Zr88" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="true" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" height="538" width="956" style="" metaposition="flex-start" metatype="youtube"></iframe-embed>

Depeche Mode 101 (1989)

$12 Advance / $15 DoorGordon Clark and his Vermont Comedy All Stars return for an unforgettable night of stand-up comedy.Tim Lovett burst onto the Western Massachusetts comedy scene in 2014 with sharp wit, an infectious personality, and an uncanny ability to connect with any crowd. He recently headlined at Nick’s Comedy Stop in Boston and opened for the one and only Joe List, adding to a growing list of comedy heavyweights he’s shared the stage with — including Mike Epps, Donnell Rawlings, Jessica Kirson, Talent Harris, and more.In 2015, Tim founded Comedy as a Weapon, a production company dedicated to uplifting the local comedy scene and creating opportunities for both rising stars and national acts. A festival regular, he has showcased at the Oak City Comedy Festival, Vermont Comedy Festival, and beyond. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Tim launched The Quarantined Call-In Show on Zoom, interviewing icons like Maria Bamford, Alonzo Bodden, Dawn Robinson, and Dr. Gerald Bright.Whether behind the mic, producing shows, or hosting interviews, Tim Lovett brings heart, hustle, and humor to everything he does — always living by his motto: “Me on Purpose!”<hr>Toni Nagy is a stand-up comedian and content creator best known for her viral videos, where she interpretive dances her philosophies, spiritual curiosities, and political rants — often while gyrating her pelvis at alarming speed. Based in Keene, NH, Toni has built a following of more than 850,000 across social media. Spending time with her is like micro-dosing shrooms… only to realize an hour later, “Wait, was that actually a macro-dose?!”Toni is currently on a national tour with her two-woman tragicomedy Grape Culture, fresh off a sold-out off-Broadway run at the SoHo Theatre in NYC. She is also touring two solo stand-up shows: Pump Your Pelvis Against the Patriarchy (debuting at Joe’s Pub in NYC) and Men, Come Inside of Me, which enjoyed a sold-out run at the Cannonball Fringe Festival in Philadelphia.<hr>Deb Reiser, the “Flatlander from Flatbush,” hails from Brooklyn, where she abandoned her so-called “career” as a lawyer to pursue stand-up. A back-to-back winner of the Long Island Laugh-Off in 2023 and 2024, Deb now splits her time in Stowe, performing throughout Vermont and New Hampshire, with occasional shows in New York City and New Jersey. Along the way, she’s even slipped a few jokes to Jay Leno.<hr>Brian Thompson is a Burlington-area comedian who, for the record, cannot drive. By day, he’s a 5’11” cashier at a chocolate shop; by night, he’s a 6’1” comedian. His hobbies include not going to college, using stud finders, and playing Magic: The Gathering. A finalist in the 2024 Vermont’s Funniest Comedian Contest, Brian went on to win Best Newcomer at the 2025 Vermont Comedy Awards.<hr>Gordon Clark, the show’s producer and host, is the director of the nonprofit Vermont Comedy All Stars, through which he has built a thriving stand-up community and produced comedy shows across the state. Since launching in 2020, he has produced over 100 shows, including multi-year runs at the late, iconic Nectar’s in Burlington, Bent Nails Bistro in Montpelier, ZenBarn in Waterbury, and Next Stage Arts in Putney. Gordon also happens to be the oldest regularly performing comic in Vermont — and sometimes it sure feels that way. He lives in Burlington with his wife, cat, and dog.<hr>

Venue: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/kukBuabHH4u8HSoP9">Putney Inn Field, 57 Putney Landing Rd, Putney</a>$22 Advance / $25 Gate / Kids under 12 freeFood from 802 Soul KitchenHAZMAT MODINE is “a uniquely intercontinental sonic collage encompassing a tremendous range of instrumental, vocal, and conceptual originality–all with a lot of soul and groove.” This dynamic eight-piece band has toured and performed original songs for 25+ years with genre-defying music that is quintessentially New York–vibrant international cultures meets American Roots. Diverse backgrounds in Gypsy Jazz, Downtown Avant Garde loft music, Blues, Soul, Country, Rock n’ Roll, and Roots is written and performed by musicians whose ages span every decade from their 20s to 70s.Unique instrumentation matches virtuosic trumpet, saxophone, trombone, guitar, tuba, harmonica, drums, banjo, and violin with a fantastical array of folk instruments and guest performers. The extraordinary vocals by lead Wade Schuman are riveting, rousing, and emotive, and his mastery of harmonica is unparalleled.Worldwide performances include WOMAD (England, Australia, &amp; NZ), Jazz and Folk festivals of Berlin, Vienna, Montreal, Pori, Cambridge, Vancouver &amp; Calgary, FMM Sines, and Live on BBC 3. They have toured from China to Brazil, Mexico, Russia, India, Malaysia, Central Asia, and across Europe. Musical collaborators have included: The Kronos Quartet, Gangbé Brass Band (Benin), Natalie Merchant, Son of Dave, and Tuva’s Huun-Huur-Tu and Alash, and Balla Kouyate (Mali). They have written for Japanese television, Wim Wenders’ film “Pina”, and the Nobel Laureates 75th Anniversary. Their newest album, BONFIRE release date May 2023.<iframe-embed src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QPDA_enGSWw" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="true" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" height="520" width="924" style="" metaposition="flex-start" metatype="youtube"></iframe-embed>

Hazmat Modine

Tickets $20 / $10 StudentsCredits Created by Michael Bodel Choreography and Performance by Michael Bodel, Caitlin Morgan, Hanna Satterlee Original score by Rodrigo MT&nbsp;The Institute for Folding is an interdisciplinary dance work in layers, literally. Through movement, language, live sound and 30 sheets of cardboard, the work unpeels our human relationship to knowledge—our drive for scientific understanding, the ebb and flow of our ignorance, and our current disregard for what has been discovered.This is a dance for our precipitous moment when adult trust in knowledge (such knowledge) has faltered and we have lost the collective wonder (such wonder) that once filled the eyes of our children and early civilizations. And it lasts about an hour.Special thanks to our partners: Vermont Arts Council, the Byrne Foundation, Middlebury Dance Department, Next Stage Arts Project, Highland Center for the Arts, Mascoma Bank, Junction Dance Festival, LINES Vermont Dance Studio, The Flynn, The Dance and Movement Center, The Putney School, The Hopkins Center for the Arts at Dartmouth, Junction Arts &amp; Media.Vermont Dance Alliance celebrates dance as a powerful force to connect, inspire, and transform. We support artists statewide through community, resources, and events that make Vermont a vibrant place for dance.

The Institute for Folding

Tickets $10Pulitzer Prize– and National Book Award–winning journalist Tim Weiner, acclaimed author of Legacy of Ashes, returns with his explosive new work The Mission: The CIA in the 21st Century. Based on exclusive on-the-record interviews with CIA directors, top spymasters, and undercover officers, Weiner exposes the high-stakes battles shaping America’s intelligence community today—at a moment of unprecedented political and global peril. In this timely talk, he examines the White House’s escalating conflicts with U.S. intelligence, the press, and the very principles of free speech.“Riveting…How Weiner persuaded so many people to talk on the record is a journalistic feat that should make [THE MISSION] impossible to dismiss.” —ASSOCIATED PRESS&nbsp;“Poignant…Weiner’s warnings about the peril facing both the C.I.A. and the United States seem prophetic.” —NEW YORK TIMES&nbsp;“No one has opened up the CIA to us like Weiner has, and THE MISSION&nbsp;deserves to win Weiner a second Pulitzer.” —THE GUARDIANTim Weiner has won the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award for his reporting and writing on American intelligence and national security. His new book, THE MISSION: The CIA in the 21st&nbsp;Century, was ranked #3 on the New York Times bestseller list upon its publication. He and his wife, Kate Doyle, a human-rights expert, have been fixing up an abandoned house in Putney since 2022.

Tim Weiner: The White House Wars on Intelligence, Free Speech, and the Press

$22 Advance / $25 Door / $10 LivestreamMesmerizing folk duo Ordinary Elephant has spent nearly a decade on an endless tour, earning widespread acclaim and winning fans including legends like Tom Paxton and Mary Gauthier. Married couple Crystal and Pete Damore first captured the spotlight in 2017 when they took home the International Folk Music Award for Artist of the Year, propelled by their breakthrough album Before I Go. Two years later, their follow-up, Honest, garnered even more praise, with the Associated Press calling it "one of the best Americana albums of the year."Their latest release, a stripped-down, self-titled collection, is the purest expression of their sound yet. The album showcases the breathtaking power of the couple’s harmonies and intricate guitar work. Rooted in timeless, character-driven storytelling, the songs are elevated by the delicate interplay of banjo, guitar, and octave mandolin. Though born from a time of deep uncertainty, the record radiates a sense of profound self-assurance. It’s the work of a duo whose personal and professional lives reflect the endless potential of honest, organic collaboration. Press play on Ordinary Elephant and you’ll hear more than just a husband and wife—you’ll hear a sincere and unwavering commitment to music, patience, gratitude, and the simple, transformative beauty of the present moment.<iframe-embed src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OF5Jvf7LA2o" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="true" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" height="497" width="884" style="" metaposition="flex-start" metatype="youtube"></iframe-embed>Two southern Vermont natives, Colin McCaffrey and Lizzy Mandell, have been musical collaborators for more than 15 years. Colin is a multi-instrumentalist, singer, award-winning songwriter, recording engineer, and producer. Over the past two decades, he has engineered, produced, or performed on more than 200 Vermont albums, many considered among the state’s finest.The two met at a songwriter’s workshop Colin hosted at the Center for Arts and Learning in Montpelier. Captivated by Lizzy’s voice and songwriting, Colin produced her debut solo album, Made for Flying (2012), which won Best Album and Best Songwriter of the Year.Now, 13 years later, Lizzy and Colin have released To the Moon, a new collection of 13 original songs, eight of them co-written.<iframe-embed src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jey7AweMGvU" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="true" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" height="506" width="884" style="" metaposition="flex-start" metatype="youtube"></iframe-embed>

Ordinary Elephant and Lizzy Mandell & Colin McCaffrey

5:30-7:30pmJoin <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/fx2q8dwS8ZUTbtRM6">Next Stage</a> (<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/RytFFzi8qzwCREHQA">click here for location</a>) for a community open house as we warmly welcome our new executive director, Natalie Dreyer. Come meet Natalie, connect with friends and neighbors, and enjoy light refreshments.Natalie brings over a decade of experience leading arts education initiatives that focus on access, collaboration, and creativity. At New Jersey Performing Arts Center, she led a network of over 100 teaching artists and has designed and grown programs like a Creative Arts Camp and a multi-district Arts Integration Initiative. Previously, at Trinity Repertory Company, she developed and led school partnerships that integrated the arts into classrooms serving diverse student populations. She comes with deep ties to the Putney community.

Meet Our New ED, Natalie Dreyer!

$22 Advance / $25 Gate / Kids under 12 free Food from Smokin’ BowlsAfrican, Caribbean, funk, reggae, and Latin grooves meet traditional fiddle music in the genre-bending sound of The Gaslight Tinkers. Their joyful fusion of global rhythms and old-time fiddle creates a danceable, infectious energy rooted in New England and Celtic traditions. Since forming in 2012, the band has electrified audiences across the East Coast, West Coast, and the Caribbean, headlining clubs, dances, and major festivals.Described by The Valley Advocate as “music that consistently fizzes and pops with unexpected textures and turns,” The Gaslight Tinkers deliver shows full of surprises, spirited crowds, and exuberant musicianship.Individually, Peter Siegel, Garrett Sawyer, I-Shea, Eliezer Martinez, and Clara Constance-Stickney have performed with Pete Seeger, the Soca Monarchs of the Caribbean, Noel Paul Stookey (of Peter, Paul and Mary), The Alchemystics, and other acclaimed artists worldwide. Together, they’re a force that lifts both feet and spirits.<iframe-embed src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/G6fBX553aVg" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="true" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" height="538" width="956" style="" metaposition="flex-start" metatype="youtube"></iframe-embed> Sammy and Brothers is a family music group that blends traditional African styles—particularly from the Democratic Republic of Congo and East Africa—with acoustic arrangements and melodic, message-driven songwriting. The group consists of Israel Mbombo, Samuel Divinda (known as Sammy), Gershom Mbombo, and Shekinah Pemba.The three brothers and their sister have been making music together since childhood, always with the goal of bringing peace and joy to those who hear their songs. They credit their musical journey and success to the guidance and grace of God.

The Gaslight Tinkers plus Sammy & Brothers

Join us after the September Putney Community Supper for an evening of joyful singing in the main performance space.Led by guitarist and song leader Rich Grumbine, this community sing-along invites everyone to take turns choosing favorites from a digital songbook of 100+ well-loved tunes. Lyrics will be projected on a big screen, so all can sing along with ease. Expect songs from many traditions—folk, golden oldies, gospel, Beatles, classic pop and rock, children’s songs, and show tunes.The event is free, open to all, and accessible to people with disabilities.For more information, contact Rich Grumbine at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="mailto:richgrumbine1@gmail.com">richgrumbine1@gmail.com</a> or Next Stage Arts at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="mailto:info@nextstagearts.org">info@nextstagearts.org</a>.

Community Sing-Along

Tickets $8Steve Binder, 2h 3m<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/james-browns-night-train-rides-again-t-a-m-i-show-comes-to-dvd-242491/">Justly celebrated</a>&nbsp;for its incandescent performances by James Brown and the Rolling Stones — who chose, unwisely, to play after him — The T.A.M.I. Show‘s overview of “teenage music” circa 1964 serves as a primer in the tensions that would shortly rip the culture wide open. The variety-show staging and the goofy intros by emcees Jan and Dean act as a security blanket for anxious parents, assuring them that this rock &amp; roll madness won’t get too out of hand. But by the time Brown and the Stones have worked their will on the crowd, you can feel a riot coming on. — Rolling StoneCo-presented with <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.nextchapterrecords.com/">Next Chapter Records</a><iframe-embed src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AShSLtvmrcc" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="true" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" height="520" width="693" style="" metaposition="flex-start" metatype="youtube"></iframe-embed>

The T.A.M.I. Show (1964)

$24 Advance / $28 Gate / Kids under 12 free Food from Smokin’ BowlsExperience the vibrant fusion of African rhythms, history, and culture in an unforgettable evening of movement, exploration, and joy. Crocodile River Music, an internationally celebrated ensemble, brings together talented artists from Mali, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Tanzania, and the US. With a deep commitment to connecting audiences with the rich traditions of African music and art, their mission extends beyond performance—they seek to educate and inspire through the power of African cultural expression.The group is diverse in its composition, yet united in its dedication to sharing African music, art, and culture with audiences of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities. Crocodile River Music strives to create experiences that deepen understanding of the profound value of African arts, histories, and cultures, highlighting them as deserving of lifelong study and appreciation. Through their performances, they encourage audiences to further explore African art and engage with the stories, traditions, and values of African people, fostering a deeper cultural connection and appreciation.<iframe-embed src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4ye8R9jm4gM" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="true" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" height="538" width="956" style="" metaposition="flex-start" metatype="youtube"></iframe-embed>NEXT STAGE 15th ANNIVERSARY!Throughout 2025, we're celebrating our 15th Anniversary by honoring a pair of Next Stage "Champions" - people who have been instrumental in making Next Stage what it is today - at one event each month. Our September Anniversary event is Crocodile River Music, where we'll salute Judy Fink and Herve Pelletier.Funded in part by the New England States Touring program of the New England Foundation for the Arts, made possible with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts Regional Touring Program and the six New England state arts agencies.<img src="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66e1dc7b25ddef1b82d352cd/406363b7-53f1-473b-be52-eab9044f1532/images.png?format=500w">This performance is made possible in part by Community Bank.<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/micronetonline/image/upload/c_crop,h_120,w_480,x_0,y_0/v1650553423/tenants/5abec4b5-582b-4db6-8894-9ce92126f19a/2ad2d6e8c4f04208a5305ce801f02d98/thumbnail-CBNALgo-H-4C-C-NEW-3-pdf.png">

Crocodile River Music

$24 in advance / $28 at the gate / Children under 12 freeFood from Big Boy BagelsThe name Cantrip is an Old Scots word meaning a charm, magic spell or piece of mischief and it aptly describes the unexpected twists and turns in their musical arrangements, likewise the compelling potency of their musicianship. Swirling border pipes, raging fiddle, thunderous guitar and three rich voices blend to create a sound energetic enough to tear the roof off. Echoes can be heard of trad music from the 1960s and 70s, but the years have slowly infested their music with the sounds of funk, metal, bluegrass, swing, and even klezmer. Cantrip sprung from a local session in Edinburgh nearly twenty years ago. Their driving music immediately caught the attention of the masses, and they were quickly signed to the Foot Stompin' label. With their first album "Silver" (2001) in hand, Cantrip made its way across the water to the United States, where they were received with roars and shouts (of enjoyment). After years of significant touring, the band parted ways with Foot Stompin' and began producing albums on their own. Two albums later ("Boneshaker" in 2005 and "Piping the Fish" in 2008), Cantrip had cemented itself as a perennial figure. After a period of hiatus in which children were born and continents were left for new ones, Cantrip redefined its sound. The band tightened its arrangements while expanding its influence. New inspirations began creeping into the sound, complementing the traditional foundation of the band. This more mature sound debuted on "The Crossing" (2016), to high acclaim. In 2019, the band gathered 50 of its closest friends and fans and returned to its roots, re-recording Silver in a live format (Cantrip Live), re-arranged yet with a more youthful sound than the original. The process inspired a new approach for the band, which they implemented for their fifth studio album "Undark". In late 2019, they spent a week in their original home of Edinburgh creating and recording new music. All of the tracks on this album were captured live in one take by engineer and longtime friend of the band Reuben Taylor. This seminal album shows a new, darker side of the group while preserving the elements that audiences have come to know and love. After 20 years of touring, Cantrip has found a character like no other. Dan Houghton, Jon Bews, Alasdair White and Eric McDonald stir the elements in a witches' cauldron, slowly coalescing into chaotic order.<iframe-embed src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4hYTCM5tHFc" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="true" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" height="520" width="924" style="" metaposition="flex-start" metatype="youtube"></iframe-embed>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.As singers, they bring a rich blending of the Franco and Anglo song traditions. Falquet comes with a wealth of songs from the French-Canadian tradition. He is probably best known for his work with the Quebecois trio, Genticorum, with whom he has been a driving force since the group’s inception. Murphy is a highly respected traditional singer and brings a song repertoire filled with gems from his native Newfoundland as well as Quebec and his current home, Vermont. He was a founding member of the groundbreaking trio, Nightingale.<iframe-embed src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MMcdShoIcfw" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="true" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" height="520" width="924" style="" metaposition="flex-start" metatype="youtube"></iframe-embed>Traditional music that causes a wonderful stir and fills to overflowing every venue – that is Cécilia! Widely recognized as three of Canada's finest musicians, it is a pleasure to see how much enjoyment Timi Turmel, Erin Leahy, and Louis Schryer find in playing together. While honouring their heritage as Cécilia, their music making has an undeniably fresh and high-spirited sound.They bring the best of many musical worlds together in their explorations of traditional, Celtic and Quebecois music. Every one of their pieces is skillfully arranged and highlighted with influences from contemporary, classical, jazz and swing styles. Cécilia's recent debut album Accent is an impressive offering full of vibrant rhythms and melodies, all resonating with a unique warmth and richness of expression.Each performance by Cécilia is a call to come out and share – not only in the joy of three dedicated musicians making music together but also in creating with Timi, Erin, and Louis a unique and memorable musical experience. You'll find yourself with a smile that lasts long after the final notes of Cécilia's accordion, piano, and violin have melted away.<iframe-embed src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2-VoY2QRaww" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="true" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" height="520" width="924" style="" metaposition="flex-start" metatype="youtube"></iframe-embed>Sponsored in part by Délégation du Québec à Boston.<img src="https://frenchlibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/BD-2015-Logos-4x3_0005_Quebec-300x225.png">

Celtic & Québécois Festival

Opening reception 6:00-8:00pmBio Raised among the seaweed and rocky shores of Whidbey Island in Washington’s Puget Sound, Briony Morrow-Cribbs was eventually drawn to the magic of New England, settling in southern Vermont in 2014.She earned her MFA from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 2012, where she also taught etching until 2014. After several years teaching at the college and high school levels, Briony left institutional education in 2018 to focus fully on her art. She relocated her etching press to a converted sheep barn and revived Twin Vixen Press—originally co-founded in 2008 with fellow artist Helen O’Donnell. Today, she works as an illustrator, graphic designer, and printmaker.Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, with solo shows at Davidson Gallery (Seattle, WA), Artisan Gallery (Paoli, WI), Brumfield Gallery (Cannon Beach, OR), and Tory Folliard Gallery (Milwaukee, WI).Briony’s illustration career began with two New York Times bestsellers: Wicked Plants and Wicked Bugs, both written by Amy Stewart. Her work has since appeared in Unnatural Creatures (edited by Neil Gaiman and Maria Dahvana Headley), The Anarchist’s Design Book (Lost Art Press), and National Geographic’s Gory Details and Go to Hell.She lives in Dummerston, Vermont, with her husband and their four-year-old daughter.Artist Statement I’ve always felt slightly baffled by being human—as if I arrived here a form too early and should have had at least one more life as a gopher, a wren, or maybe a fox. Through my work, I use animal forms to slip into other shapes, follow different instincts, and see the world from a wilder perspective. These images—sometimes real, sometimes imagined—let me explore facets of myself that don’t easily fit within the human experience.My creatures offer a space to remember what it feels like to move through the world with certainty and grit. In turn, my work invites viewers to momentarily shed the weight of being human and step into a world where humanness isn’t the default.I’ve been an etcher for over 30 years, first learning the process from my father in our family’s print studio. Etching has become a ritual: polishing copper plates, dipping them in acid, tuning inks and paper, and adjusting press settings. There’s solace in that rhythm—and it’s within that quiet labor that my menagerie begins to emerge.

Briony Morrow-Cribbs: Quiet Witness: An homage to the flora and fauna of Vermont

Free to the public (donations accepted)The Faux Paws are a triangle band in a land of circles. Musically impossible to pin down, they defy even today’s most hyphenated genre labels. Is it bluegrass? Not usually. Old-time? Occasionally. Celtic? Not quite. Folk? Americana? Jazz? Singer-songwriter? None of the above—yet the members of The Faux Paws have deep roots in all of these traditions, blending their elements effortlessly in service of each musical idea.Dynamic, exciting, sincere, irreverent, infectious, and surprising, they shift seamlessly between moods, influences, and instruments. Their performances feature fiddle, mandolin, guitar, saxophone, heartfelt lyrics, three-part "brother" harmonies, playful interplay, intricate arrangements, soaring improvisations, and a rhythmic groove that pulses through the music like a heartbeat.<iframe-embed src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EqGoecdZJyE" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="true" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" height="606" width="1079" style="" metaposition="flex-start" metatype="youtube"></iframe-embed>This performance is supported in part by Bee. Bee is a new community engagement app that makes it easy for people to do good in their communities, built by a VT-based nonprofit technology startup called Shock. Whether it’s joining a park cleanup, hosting a clothing donation drive, or supporting a neighbor-led project, Bee helps people show up for what matters in their communities, today.<img src="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/66e1dc7b25ddef1b82d352cd/0e08e405-3f2c-4580-8e83-7ccdde6bc537/Bee+Logo_Forest+Green.jpg?content-type=image%2Fjpeg">

The Faux Paws

$22 in advance / $25 at the gate / Children under 12 freeThe acoustic jazz ensemble Rhythm Future Quartet has a clear mission: to keep the spirit of Gypsy jazz alive and expanding in today’s musical landscape. Named after a Django Reinhardt tune, this virtuosic foursome blends the classic sound of the Hot Club of France with a fresh, contemporary approach. Founded by violinist Jason Anick, the quartet performs dynamic and lyrical arrangements of both Gypsy jazz standards and original compositions, drawing on diverse international rhythms and musical idioms. With Max O’Rourke, Henry Acker, and Greg Loughman rounding out the group, Rhythm Future is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of this vital musical genre.The fall of 2018 marked the release of their newest album, Rhythm Future Quartet and Friends, which features the critically acclaimed singer Cyrille Aimée, Brazil’s top bandolim player Hamilton de Holanda, and world-renowned guitarist Stochelo Rosenberg. While maintaining the effervescent lilt, virtuosic musicianship, and adventurous musical leanings of their previous recordings—including Rhythm Future Quartet and Travels (named one of the best jazz albums of 2016 by All About Jazz and The Huffington Post)—RFQ and Friends introduces vibrant new elements to their sound. JazzTimes magazine described the album as "packed to the gills with feeling and consistently dynamic, full of virtuosity and swing." With its captivating blend of Hot Club of France-style string jazz, Brazilian and Eastern European influences, original compositions, and subtle classical hints, the album marks a significant step in the band's evolution. The quartet’s growing popularity is reflected in their online presence, with over four million views on YouTube for their version of Django Reinhardt’s "Minor Swing" and more than three million Facebook views for their video of "Bushwick Stomp" from Travels.Jason Anick, an award-winning composer and violin professor at the prestigious Berklee College of Music, has shared the stage with a wide range of artists, including Grammy-winning guitarist John Jorgenson, Stevie Wonder, The Jim Kweskin Jug Band, and Tommy Emmanuel. Henry Acker, a young jazz guitar prodigy, performs both in the style of Django Reinhardt and traditional jazz. A child prodigy who began playing at age 8 and performing professionally at 9, his extraordinary talent has led him to perform with jazz greats such as Bucky Pizzarelli, Frank Vignola, Julian Lage, Bireli Lagrene, and Vic Juris. He is also a five-time winner of the Downbeat Magazine Student Award for jazz guitar soloist.Guitarist Max O’Rourke, winner of the 2015 Saga Award from DjangoFest Northwest, has already made a name for himself in the American Gypsy jazz scene, having toured and recorded with top musicians like John Jorgenson and Gonzalo Bergara. Bassist Greg Loughman is a highly sought-after musician in Boston, having performed with luminaries such as Sheila Jordan, Curtis Fuller, and George Garzone.Together, the Rhythm Future Quartet continues to innovate and captivate audiences with their unique blend of Gypsy jazz and beyond.<iframe-embed src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6HLZ77uT6wk" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="true" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" height="518" width="920" style="" metaposition="flex-start" metatype="youtube"></iframe-embed>The DiTrani Brothers, with their bent melodies and driving rhythms, play “perilous tunes for the hopeful,” blending elements of Balkan music and early American jazz/swing. They deliver both wistful and raucous performances at venues ranging from The House of Blues in New Orleans to DIY backyard stages. Hailing from North Bend, WA, brothers Bobby and Walker DiTrani began writing songs together while traveling the country, playing music on the streets. Since then, they've recorded two albums and toured the US with drummer Eddie Gaudet. Now a quartet, with acoustic bassist Benjamin Richards, they have just released their third album, Dust Harvest.<iframe-embed src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/04EpSk316UU" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="true" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" height="518" width="920" style="" metaposition="flex-start" metatype="youtube"></iframe-embed>

Rhythm Future Quartet and DiTrani Brothers

$22 in advance / $25 at the gate / Children under 12 free Food from Smokin’ BowlsThe acoustic jazz ensemble Rhythm Future Quartet has a clear mission: to keep the spirit of Gypsy jazz alive and expanding in today’s musical landscape. Named after a Django Reinhardt tune, this virtuosic foursome blends the classic sound of the Hot Club of France with a fresh, contemporary approach. Founded by violinist Jason Anick, the quartet performs dynamic and lyrical arrangements of both Gypsy jazz standards and original compositions, drawing on diverse international rhythms and musical idioms. With Max O’Rourke, Henry Acker, and Greg Loughman rounding out the group, Rhythm Future is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of this vital musical genre.The fall of 2018 marked the release of their newest album, Rhythm Future Quartet and Friends, which features the critically acclaimed singer Cyrille Aimée, Brazil’s top bandolim player Hamilton de Holanda, and world-renowned guitarist Stochelo Rosenberg. While maintaining the effervescent lilt, virtuosic musicianship, and adventurous musical leanings of their previous recordings—including Rhythm Future Quartet and Travels (named one of the best jazz albums of 2016 by All About Jazz and The Huffington Post)—RFQ and Friends introduces vibrant new elements to their sound. JazzTimes magazine described the album as "packed to the gills with feeling and consistently dynamic, full of virtuosity and swing." With its captivating blend of Hot Club of France-style string jazz, Brazilian and Eastern European influences, original compositions, and subtle classical hints, the album marks a significant step in the band's evolution. The quartet’s growing popularity is reflected in their online presence, with over four million views on YouTube for their version of Django Reinhardt’s "Minor Swing" and more than three million Facebook views for their video of "Bushwick Stomp" from Travels.Jason Anick, an award-winning composer and violin professor at the prestigious Berklee College of Music, has shared the stage with a wide range of artists, including Grammy-winning guitarist John Jorgenson, Stevie Wonder, The Jim Kweskin Jug Band, and Tommy Emmanuel. Henry Acker, a young jazz guitar prodigy, performs both in the style of Django Reinhardt and traditional jazz. A child prodigy who began playing at age 8 and performing professionally at 9, his extraordinary talent has led him to perform with jazz greats such as Bucky Pizzarelli, Frank Vignola, Julian Lage, Bireli Lagrene, and Vic Juris. He is also a five-time winner of the Downbeat Magazine Student Award for jazz guitar soloist.Guitarist Max O’Rourke, winner of the 2015 Saga Award from DjangoFest Northwest, has already made a name for himself in the American Gypsy jazz scene, having toured and recorded with top musicians like John Jorgenson and Gonzalo Bergara. Bassist Greg Loughman is a highly sought-after musician in Boston, having performed with luminaries such as Sheila Jordan, Curtis Fuller, and George Garzone.Together, the Rhythm Future Quartet continues to innovate and captivate audiences with their unique blend of Gypsy jazz and beyond.<iframe-embed src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6HLZ77uT6wk" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="true" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" height="518" width="920" style="" metaposition="flex-start" metatype="youtube"></iframe-embed>The DiTrani Brothers, with their bent melodies and driving rhythms, play “perilous tunes for the hopeful,” blending elements of Balkan music and early American jazz/swing. They deliver both wistful and raucous performances at venues ranging from The House of Blues in New Orleans to DIY backyard stages. Hailing from North Bend, WA, brothers Bobby and Walker DiTrani began writing songs together while traveling the country, playing music on the streets. Since then, they've recorded two albums and toured the US with drummer Eddie Gaudet. Now a quartet, with acoustic bassist Benjamin Richards, they have just released their third album, Dust Harvest.<iframe-embed src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/04EpSk316UU" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="true" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" height="518" width="920" style="" metaposition="flex-start" metatype="youtube"></iframe-embed>

$22 Advance / $25 Gate / Kids under 12 free Food from Smokin’ BowlsTrombonist Charlie Halloran is a ubiquitous presence in New Orleans, seamlessly blending into the city's vibrant music scene. As a mainstay of the Crescent City’s traditional jazz culture and the energetic Frenchmen Street circuit, Charlie leads his 1960s-inspired Caribbean lounge band, The Tropicales, regularly performing at venues like Zony Mash, The Spotted Cat, and DBA. His extensive discography includes notable contributions to Jon Cleary's Grammy-winning Go-Go Juice and its follow-up Dynamite, as well as Maria Muldaur’s Grammy-nominated Don’t You Feel My Leg. Charlie has released five albums as a bandleader and has collaborated with a who's who of artists, including the Squirrel Nut Zippers, John Boutte, Rickie Lee Jones, U2, Meschiya Lake and the Little Big Horns, the Panorama Jazz Band, the Shotgun Jazz Band, the Palmetto Bug Stompers, Pokey LaFarge, Luke Winslow King, Alex McMurray, and many more. His unmistakable trombone sound has even graced the soundtracks of hit TV shows like NCIS New Orleans and Treme, as well as various films and television productions filmed in New Orleans.Twice named a rising star by DownBeat Magazine and frequently recognized as one of New Orleans’ top trombonists by OffBeat Magazine, Charlie performs regularly with groups such as Meschiya Lake and the Little Big Horns, the Palmetto Bug Stompers, the Panorama Jazz Band, and the Shotgun Jazz Band. Yet, you might also catch him playing at the Palm Court Café with Tuba Skinny, the Preservation Hall Allstars, or occasionally alongside Jon Cleary or Anders Osborne.In 2023, The Tropicales released Presents for Everyone, a festive Christmas album on candy cane-colored vinyl through Nutone Recordings. The previous year saw the official release of two albums: The Alcoa Sessions (ArtistShare) and Shake the Rum (Hi-Tide Recordings). Combining traditional New Orleans jazz with 1950s R&amp;B, French Caribbean beguine, Trinidadian calypso, and even Venezuelan waltzes, Charlie's music has garnered rave reviews and significant radio play across the Americas, Europe, and Australia. The Alcoa Sessions brings together 18 musicians from the USA, Trinidad, Martinique, and Cuba, imagining the musical experience of a 1950s cruise from New Orleans to the Caribbean. Shake the Rum offers a collection of mostly instrumental numbers inspired by 1950s and 60s Caribbean dance bands, released on vibrant pink vinyl. The album’s pre-release was named one of the top 50 Louisiana albums of 2021 by OffBeat Magazine.Charlie's 2016 album Charlie Halloran and the Quality 6 earned a nomination for Best Traditional Jazz CD from OffBeat Magazine, and was ranked among the top 50 Louisiana recordings that same year. His follow-up, Ce Biguine, features music from the French Antilles recorded directly onto 78rpm acetate discs. Caribbean Beat magazine praised the album for its nostalgic ambiance, with music that beckons listeners to dance under tropical skies.A key member of the platinum-selling Squirrel Nut Zippers since 2009, Charlie has toured extensively across the USA and South America. However, he is often found gracing the stages of local festivals like French Quarter Fest and Jazz Fest, where he regularly performs on the traditional jazz stages. His career has also seen him perform with legends like Allen Toussaint, the O'Jays, and indie rock acts such as Calexico and The Walkmen.When not playing his trombone, Charlie can be found enjoying a well-made margarita with salt and fresh limes (no sour mix allowed) or a classic Mai Tai. His deep passion for vintage calypso music and mid-century modern design are integral parts of his unique artistic identity.<iframe-embed src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aHYXhgCpD8E" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="true" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" height="520" width="924" style="" metaposition="flex-start" metatype="youtube"></iframe-embed>Heather Pierson is a New Hampshire–based singer-songwriter, pianist, song leader, and performer with a passion for cultivating joy—both onstage and off. With a toe in each of the realms of New Orleans jazz, blues, vocal chants, instrumental piano, and folk, her multi-genre songwriting places her firmly in a category all her own—one honed by decades of diligent practice and curious exploration.Whether performing solo, as a duo, with her trio, or in a community sing, Heather’s live shows feature an effortless command of the piano and a bell-tone voice that Americana Highways describes as “sounding like timeless wind moving slowly through the trees.” Each offering she brings to the stage is infused with happiness, honest self-reflection, and a genuine desire to connect and share from the heart.Over nearly 25 years on her own record label, Vessel Recordings, she has released sixteen albums and several singles of original music, including her most recent: Back To The Light. Her most vibrant release yet, Back To The Light was recorded live on the floor at Acadia Recording Company in Portland, Maine, with her trio mates Shawn Nadeau on bass and Craig Bryan on drums and percussion. Released in September 2024, the album pulses with the grooves of New Orleans, the beauty of Appalachia, and the spirit of Sunday-go-to-meeting celebration.<iframe-embed src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BMq5YKMPQtw" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="true" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" height="606" width="1079" style="" metaposition="flex-start" metatype="youtube"></iframe-embed>

Charlie & The Tropicales and Heather Pierson Trio

$22 Advance / $25 Gate / Kids under 12 free Food from Smokin’ BowlsTrombonist Charlie Halloran is a ubiquitous presence in New Orleans, seamlessly blending into the city's vibrant music scene. As a mainstay of the Crescent City’s traditional jazz culture and the energetic Frenchmen Street circuit, Charlie leads his 1960s-inspired Caribbean lounge band, The Tropicales, regularly performing at venues like Zony Mash, The Spotted Cat, and DBA. His extensive discography includes notable contributions to Jon Cleary's Grammy-winning Go-Go Juice and its follow-up Dynamite, as well as Maria Muldaur’s Grammy-nominated Don’t You Feel My Leg. Charlie has released five albums as a bandleader and has collaborated with a who's who of artists, including the Squirrel Nut Zippers, John Boutte, Rickie Lee Jones, U2, Meschiya Lake and the Little Big Horns, the Panorama Jazz Band, the Shotgun Jazz Band, the Palmetto Bug Stompers, Pokey LaFarge, Luke Winslow King, Alex McMurray, and many more. His unmistakable trombone sound has even graced the soundtracks of hit TV shows like NCIS New Orleans and Treme, as well as various films and television productions filmed in New Orleans.Twice named a rising star by DownBeat Magazine and frequently recognized as one of New Orleans’ top trombonists by OffBeat Magazine, Charlie performs regularly with groups such as Meschiya Lake and the Little Big Horns, the Palmetto Bug Stompers, the Panorama Jazz Band, and the Shotgun Jazz Band. Yet, you might also catch him playing at the Palm Court Café with Tuba Skinny, the Preservation Hall Allstars, or occasionally alongside Jon Cleary or Anders Osborne.In 2023, The Tropicales released Presents for Everyone, a festive Christmas album on candy cane-colored vinyl through Nutone Recordings. The previous year saw the official release of two albums: The Alcoa Sessions (ArtistShare) and Shake the Rum (Hi-Tide Recordings). Combining traditional New Orleans jazz with 1950s R&amp;B, French Caribbean beguine, Trinidadian calypso, and even Venezuelan waltzes, Charlie's music has garnered rave reviews and significant radio play across the Americas, Europe, and Australia. The Alcoa Sessions brings together 18 musicians from the USA, Trinidad, Martinique, and Cuba, imagining the musical experience of a 1950s cruise from New Orleans to the Caribbean. Shake the Rum offers a collection of mostly instrumental numbers inspired by 1950s and 60s Caribbean dance bands, released on vibrant pink vinyl. The album’s pre-release was named one of the top 50 Louisiana albums of 2021 by OffBeat Magazine.Charlie's 2016 album Charlie Halloran and the Quality 6 earned a nomination for Best Traditional Jazz CD from OffBeat Magazine, and was ranked among the top 50 Louisiana recordings that same year. His follow-up, Ce Biguine, features music from the French Antilles recorded directly onto 78rpm acetate discs. Caribbean Beat magazine praised the album for its nostalgic ambiance, with music that beckons listeners to dance under tropical skies.A key member of the platinum-selling Squirrel Nut Zippers since 2009, Charlie has toured extensively across the USA and South America. However, he is often found gracing the stages of local festivals like French Quarter Fest and Jazz Fest, where he regularly performs on the traditional jazz stages. His career has also seen him perform with legends like Allen Toussaint, the O'Jays, and indie rock acts such as Calexico and The Walkmen.When not playing his trombone, Charlie can be found enjoying a well-made margarita with salt and fresh limes (no sour mix allowed) or a classic Mai Tai. His deep passion for vintage calypso music and mid-century modern design are integral parts of his unique artistic identity.<iframe-embed src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aHYXhgCpD8E" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="true" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" height="520" width="924" style="" metaposition="flex-start" metatype="youtube"></iframe-embed>

Charlie & The Tropicales, plus Heather Pierson Trio

Tickets $8Adam Yauch, 1h 30mSure, the Beastie Boys could have hired D.A. Pennebaker or Jonathan Demme to film their Madison Square Garden concert on October 9th, 2004 — or they could just give 50 attendees digital cameras, let them shoot the show and then see what comes back. Subtitled “an authorized bootleg,” this crowd-sourced performance movie technically lists Nathaniel Hornblower (a.k.a. the lederhosen-wearing alter ego of baritoned Beastie Adam Yauch) as the director — but it really is a fans-eye view of a great show and the ultimate testament of the trio’s belief in D.I.Y. empowerment. Plus you get to see the Beastie Boys at the Garden, cold-kickin’ it live. Rest in peace, MCA. — Rolling StoneCo-presented with <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.nextchapterrecords.com/">Next Chapter Records</a><iframe-embed src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PD5XZacG7kw" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="true" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" height="520" width="924" style="" metaposition="flex-start" metatype="youtube"></iframe-embed>

Awesome; I Fuckin' Shot That! (2006)

Free to the public (donations accepted)StompBoxTrio is a Western Massachusetts-based band that blends the deep grooves of 20th-century American blues, rock, and soul with a modern, 21st-century flair—creating a sound that’s soulful, raw, and irresistibly danceable.What began as a one-off gig in the fall of 2017 quickly turned into something more. From their very first rehearsal, the group discovered a powerful musical chemistry, rooted in their shared love and deep respect for American roots and blues traditions. That spark inspired them to keep going—evolving into an eclectic, high-energy trio that continues to connect with audiences of all ages.The trio features:<ul><li>Evelyn Harris – powerhouse vocals &amp; percussion</li><li>John Cabán – dobro, vocals &amp; stompbox</li><li>Paul Kochanski – upright &amp; electric bass, vocals &amp; foot percussion</li></ul>Together, they bring a rich tapestry of sound that’s as steeped in history as it is alive with innovation.<iframe-embed src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fGeNqOpx0mU" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="true" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" height="362" width="640" style="" metaposition="flex-start" metatype="youtube"></iframe-embed>

StompBoxTrio

$25 Advance / $30 Gate / Kids under 12 free Food from Smokin’ BowlsTony Trischka is widely regarded as the consummate banjo artist and perhaps the most influential banjo player in the roots music world. For more than 50 years, his playing has inspired generations of bluegrass and acoustic musicians, showcasing the many voices he has brought to the instrument. "The father of modern bluegrass" (New York Times), Tony began playing in NYC in the early 1970s with a peer group of extraordinary musicians who saw American roots music as a thriving, living language that could be expanded and combined with other influences and sensibilities, and he has pushed the boundaries of the banjo ever since.For the Next Stage concert, Tony will be honoring the music of Earl Scruggs, the pioneer of the three-finger banjo style and one of the most important musicians in bluegrass. Alongside his Earl Jam band, Tony will trace Scruggs' story from his childhood to his final years, and feature music from extremely rare recordings of jam sessions with Scruggs and John Hartford. Tony transcribed Scruggs’ note-for-note solos from many of those sessions, and included the songs on his recently released album "Earl Jam: A Tribute To Earl Scruggs" which features world-class players such as Bela Fleck, Michael Cleveland, Sam Bush, Vince Gill, Del McCoury, and Molly Tuttle.“Earl is my North Star, a lifelong pathway. And I’m not alone,” says Trischka, a banjo innovator and educator who has influenced everyone from Béla Fleck to Steve Martin. “Through his music, this shy kid from Flint Hill, North Carolina, went on to enrich the lives of countless thousands. When I first heard 16 notes of Scruggs-style banjo at the age of 13, I put down my folk guitar and mercilessly pestered my parents to buy me a banjo. Once in my hands, that 5-string became my obsession—and it has been for 60 years.”Tony's all-star band for his tribute to Earl Scruggs includes guitarist/vocalist&nbsp;Michael Daves,&nbsp;fiddler Alex Hargreaves, and bassist Jared Engel.<iframe-embed src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9jm6Q3263sc" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="true" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" height="518" width="921" style="" metaposition="flex-start" metatype="youtube"></iframe-embed>Contemporary&nbsp;folk and bluegrass&nbsp;quartet&nbsp;The Stockwell Brothers will open the Bandwagon show. &nbsp;Bruce, Barry, Alan, and Kelly&nbsp;Stockwell's music spans traditional and progressive styles, but their trademark acoustic sound features new singer/songwriter material recast with banjo, alternative rhythms, and three-part harmonies.This performance is supported in part by AARP Vermont.<img src="https://action.aarp.org/files/aarp/aarp_VT_4c.png.png">

Tony Trischka's EarlJam featuring Michael Daves, plus The Stockwell Brothers

$25 Advance / $30 Gate / Kids under 12 freeTony Trischka is widely regarded as the consummate banjo artist and perhaps the most influential banjo player in the roots music world. For more than 50 years, his playing has inspired generations of bluegrass and acoustic musicians, showcasing the many voices he has brought to the instrument.Tony will be honoring the music of Earl Scruggs, the pioneer of the three-finger banjo style and one of the most important musicians in bluegrass—and, in Tony’s opinion, in any genre.Trischka recently acquired extremely rare recordings of jam sessions with Scruggs and John Hartford. He has transcribed and recorded Scruggs’s note-for-note solos from many of these sessions, including songs Earl never recorded.An album featuring this music is currently in production with a new label founded by some of the creators of Rounder Records. The album will also feature several bluegrass luminaries.Alongside his ace band—Michael Daves on vocals and guitar, fiddler Alex Hargreaves, and bassist Jared Engel—Tony will trace Scruggs's story from his childhood to his final years. This show, which debuted at Joe’s Pub in New York City, has already garnered significant interest, including an appearance on the Grand Ole Opry—a rarity for a banjo player these days.“Earl is my North Star, a lifelong pathway. And I’m not alone,” says Trischka, a banjo innovator and educator who has influenced everyone from Béla Fleck to Steve Martin. “Through his music, this shy kid from Flint Hill, North Carolina, went on to enrich the lives of countless thousands. When I first heard 16 notes of Scruggs-style banjo at the age of 13, I put down my folk guitar and mercilessly pestered my parents to buy me a banjo. Once in my hands, that 5-string became my obsession—and it has been for 60 years.”He adds, “The depth of his genius becomes ever more apparent when I transcribe his solos, which I’ve been doing my entire musical life, now with renewed vigor. Discovering new twists and turns in his playing is pure joy—and, in fact, it’s the inspiration for this tribute show and album.”The Stockwell Brothers open.<iframe-embed src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9jm6Q3263sc" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="true" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" height="518" width="921" style="" metaposition="flex-start" metatype="youtube"></iframe-embed>This performance is supported in part by AARP Vermont.<img src="https://action.aarp.org/files/aarp/aarp_VT_4c.png.png">

Tony Trischka's EarlJam - A Tribute to Earl Scruggs, plus The Stockwell Brothers

$22 Advance / $25 Gate / Kids under 12 freeTrumpeter Jonathan Powell's new Latin jazz group, Mambo Jazz Party, blends the vibrant energy of Latin jazz with the intricate textures of modern electric jazz. Drawing from his 20-year career as a freelance trumpet player in the heart of New York City’s salsa and Latin jazz scene, Powell crafts an irresistible fusion of rhythm, groove, and infectious energy. At its core, the driving pulse of the campana (cowbell) propels the music forward, instantly captivating listeners and making it impossible not to move.With two decades of experience as a sideman for Latin jazz icons such as Eddie Palmieri, Arturo O’Farrill, Miguel Zenón, Oscar Hernández, the Spanish Harlem Orchestra, and Tito Puente Jr., Powell leads a dynamic, rotating 18-piece ensemble. This collective celebrates the exhilarating rhythms of Mambo and Latin jazz, while blending them with the sounds of modern electric jazz, creating a party atmosphere that's both timeless and contemporary.The inspiration for Mambo Jazz Party began with a conversation Powell had with a bongocero (conga player) during a masterclass. The bongocero shared the simple yet profound truth that “when you hear the bongocero switch to the campana, you know it’s party time.” This revelation resonated deeply with Powell and became the guiding principle for the project. As Powell explains, “I’ve always loved the montuno/descarga section where the band steps beyond the written notes and simply lets the energy and the party unfold.”The name Mambo Jazz Party reflects Powell’s mission to capture that spirit of celebration and joy that is so central to salsa and mambo music. Rooted in the rich traditions of Latin jazz and Mambo, Powell pays homage to the legends with whom he’s had the honor to perform, both through authentic performances and thoughtful song selections. Yet, he also brings a modern edge, drawing inspiration from the electric jazz fusion of artists like Chick Corea, Return to Forever, Headhunters, Weather Report, Kneebody, Snarky Puppy, and Thundercat. Powell also incorporates the sonic textures of the tabla, a connection to the Carnatic music he studied as a teen, and the contemporary harmonic concepts of crossover jazz artists, allowing him to push the genre into new territory.With Mambo Jazz Party, Jonathan Powell has created a unique musical landscape where artistry, energy, and boundless creativity converge in a whirlwind of sound. No matter how intricate, simple, artistic, or rooted in tradition any moment may feel, Powell ensures that every note is infused with the unmistakable sense that—no matter what—you’re always in the midst of a party.<iframe-embed src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/flWaPYvsgNE" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="true" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" height="520" width="924" style="" metaposition="flex-start" metatype="youtube"></iframe-embed>This performance is sponsored in part by The Richards Group.<img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/aPDLKO2DeWnVeBP69vAU2ZrhaSRfg5NKtDmAUjlLSV2BXGcm3ipibDkxJVniBFpfH_ng_PiTwdF0Bj4_j7VCfbaHWQGQlTcH9mSULgOflT7gKsTeDbO24dXm9w">

Jonathan Powell's Mambo Jazz Party

$22 Advance / $25 Gate / Kids under 12 free Food from Putney General StoreTrumpeter Jonathan Powell's new Latin jazz group, Mambo Jazz Party, blends the vibrant energy of Latin jazz with the intricate textures of modern electric jazz. Drawing from his 20-year career as a freelance trumpet player in the heart of New York City’s salsa and Latin jazz scene, Powell crafts an irresistible fusion of rhythm, groove, and infectious energy. At its core, the driving pulse of the campana (cowbell) propels the music forward, instantly captivating listeners and making it impossible not to move.With two decades of experience as a sideman for Latin jazz icons such as Eddie Palmieri, Arturo O’Farrill, Miguel Zenón, Oscar Hernández, the Spanish Harlem Orchestra, and Tito Puente Jr., Powell leads a dynamic, rotating 18-piece ensemble. This collective celebrates the exhilarating rhythms of Mambo and Latin jazz, while blending them with the sounds of modern electric jazz, creating a party atmosphere that's both timeless and contemporary.The inspiration for Mambo Jazz Party began with a conversation Powell had with a bongocero (conga player) during a masterclass. The bongocero shared the simple yet profound truth that “when you hear the bongocero switch to the campana, you know it’s party time.” This revelation resonated deeply with Powell and became the guiding principle for the project. As Powell explains, “I’ve always loved the montuno/descarga section where the band steps beyond the written notes and simply lets the energy and the party unfold.”The name Mambo Jazz Party reflects Powell’s mission to capture that spirit of celebration and joy that is so central to salsa and mambo music. Rooted in the rich traditions of Latin jazz and Mambo, Powell pays homage to the legends with whom he’s had the honor to perform, both through authentic performances and thoughtful song selections. Yet, he also brings a modern edge, drawing inspiration from the electric jazz fusion of artists like Chick Corea, Return to Forever, Headhunters, Weather Report, Kneebody, Snarky Puppy, and Thundercat. Powell also incorporates the sonic textures of the tabla, a connection to the Carnatic music he studied as a teen, and the contemporary harmonic concepts of crossover jazz artists, allowing him to push the genre into new territory.With Mambo Jazz Party, Jonathan Powell has created a unique musical landscape where artistry, energy, and boundless creativity converge in a whirlwind of sound. No matter how intricate, simple, artistic, or rooted in tradition any moment may feel, Powell ensures that every note is infused with the unmistakable sense that—no matter what—you’re always in the midst of a party.<iframe-embed src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/flWaPYvsgNE" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="true" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" height="520" width="924" style="" metaposition="flex-start" metatype="youtube"></iframe-embed>NEXT STAGE 15th ANNIVERSARY!Throughout 2025, we're celebrating our 15th Anniversary by honoring a pair of Next Stage "Champions" - people who have been instrumental in making Next Stage what it is today - at one event each month. Our August Anniversary event is Jonathan Powell’s Mambo Jazz Party, where we'll salute Amelia Darrow and Kat McGraw.This performance is sponsored in part by The Richards Group.<img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/aPDLKO2DeWnVeBP69vAU2ZrhaSRfg5NKtDmAUjlLSV2BXGcm3ipibDkxJVniBFpfH_ng_PiTwdF0Bj4_j7VCfbaHWQGQlTcH9mSULgOflT7gKsTeDbO24dXm9w">This performance is made possible with the support of Jazz Road, a national initiative of South Arts, which is funded by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation with additional support from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

$22 Advance / $25 At the Door"You haven't lived til you've seen&nbsp;SIREN&nbsp;perform!" - NEXT MagazineUsing clever acoustic arrangements and powerhouse harmonies, SIREN reimagines hits by artists such as Lady Gaga, Cher, Post Malone, Dolly Parton and more. They also play original music, and their stage shows full of charm, heart, and a little attitude. SIREN has headlined in some of New York City's premiere venues, including Joe's Pub, the Iridium Jazz Club, and the National Geographic Encounter. They've cruised the high seas as featured guest performers on cruise lines, and currently have a residency at The Monster in the heart of NYC's West Village. Featuring&nbsp;Shanna Sharp (vocals/guitar), Colleen Harris (vocals/percussion) and Lindsay Morgan (vocals/sass).&nbsp;Don't miss the band RuPaul calls "Fabulous...gorgeous!" For more about the band, visit&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://sirenmusicnyc.com/">sirenmusicnyc.com</a>.<iframe-embed src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zCDHneXhz-M" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="true" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" height="606" width="1079" style="" metaposition="flex-start" metatype="youtube"></iframe-embed><iframe-embed src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JMct06P6CjU" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="true" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" height="606" width="1079" style="" metaposition="flex-start" metatype="youtube"></iframe-embed>

SIREN

Free to the public (donations accepted)Silverback Swing performs music reminiscent of French cafés from a bygone era—jazz known as Gypsy Jazz, Jazz Manouche, or Hot Club music—in the style of the legendary French Gypsy guitarist Django Reinhardt. The band’s repertoire includes classic instrumentals from Django’s group, the Hot Club of France, along with other songs from the era that have become jazz standards.Silverback Swing began as a weekly session at The Gleanery in Putney eight years ago and has since performed at festivals, clubs, breweries, and other venues throughout Vermont, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts.The current lineup features Alton Lathrop (lead guitar), Gus Hollingsworth (accordion, vocals), Steve Frankel (bass), and Mark Anagnostopulos (guitar, vocals).<iframe-embed src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-lt1gQrujnU?list=RD-lt1gQrujnU" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="true" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" height="538" width="956" style="" metaposition="flex-start" metatype="youtube"></iframe-embed>

Silverback Swing

$22 Advance / $25 Gate / Kids under 12 free Food from Putney General StoreDahlia Dumont is a Brooklyn-born, nomadic singer-songwriter and ukulele player, whose travels have shaped her unique musical style. Drawing from her Eastern European roots and years of studying anthropology in France and Senegal, she founded The Blue Dahlia in 2012. Her music blends English and French lyrics with influences from French and Mexican accordion, klezmer violin, reggae, ska, Latin rhythms, and the sensual tones of jazz and French chanson.The Blue Dahlia can be experienced both as an intimate acoustic trio in New York and Paris bistros and as an electric big band at global venues and festivals. Dahlia's discography includes her debut album The Blue Dahlia (2015), La Tradition Américaine (2018), and singles like En Dehors du Temps (2016), The Walls: In Confinement (2020), BETTY and We Need You (2020), and Blue Moon 'Lune Bleue' (2020).A France Rocks artist of the French embassy in New York, Dahlia now divides her time between New York and Paris, each with its own band.<iframe-embed src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fxGWwTCKkEg" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="true" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" height="520" width="924" style="" metaposition="flex-start" metatype="youtube"></iframe-embed>

The Blue Dahlia

Series Pass - Admit 1 - $200 (a 28.57% savings!) Series Pass - Admit 2 - $355 (a $36.61% savings!)The Bandwagon Summer Series is a family-friendly outdoor cultural performance series running from May through September. Performances including a diverse group of musical styles will take place at ballfields, farms, and parks throughout Putney, Brattleboro, and Bellows Falls. Kids under 12 always get in for free, and a dedicated play area will be available at all shows. Refreshments are sold onsite, including the return of the hugely popular Barr Hill cocktails. Bring a picnic and a blanket or fold-up chair to enjoy our concerts.The complete series calendar can be found <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.nextstagearts.org/bandwagon-summer-series#/events">here</a>. Save money by purchasing a series pass, and let us plan your summer social calendar!

2025 Bandwagon Summer Series

$12 Adults / $5 Youth 18 &amp; UnderWhen Duke Didi is found unresponsive the morning before the national gallery exhibition, accusations start flying. Was it his suspicious niece and only heir? The butler? The incompetent constable? Or the national curator herself? Come untangle the mystery yourself with this family-friendly, puppet-heavy, hour-long Vermont Suitcase production: The Duke Is Dead!

The Duke Is Dead

$22 Advance / $25 Gate / Kids under 12 free Food from Smokin’ BowlsArmo's intimate and energetic sound focuses on classic and contemporary Afrobeat.Founded by longtime Antibales bandmates, Armo consists of trumpeter percussionist Jordan McLean, percussionist/vocalist Marcus Farrar, guitarist/keyboardist Nikhil P. Yerawadekar, drummer Kevin Raczka, Justin Kimmel, &amp; Dave “Smoota” Smith on trombone/keyboards. The band creates spontaneous arrangements of the music of Fela Anikulapo Kuti, Tony Allen, Ebo Taylor, William Onyeabor, The Art Ensemble of Chicago, Amayo, and original rhythm-based compositions.The band features a revolving cast from the Daptone Records family and NY Afrobeat scene. Collectively the members of Armo have performed thousands of concerts around the world working with such luminaries as David Byrne, Angelique Kidjo, Public Enemy, TV on the Radio, Sharon Jones &amp; The Dapkings, Ornette Coleman, and in the band for the Tony Award-winning musical FELA!With the goal of expanding the New York Afrobeat scene, the band held a monthly jam session at the legendary Bitter End in NYC’s West Village in 2023. Armo served as the house band for the City Winery/Carnegie Hall afterparty tribute to Paul McCartney, have restarted their years-long residency at Brooklyn’s famed Bar Lunatico, and were featured in the opening festival at the new PAC NYC in the World Trade Center campus.<iframe-embed src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Sok-xCXSxMY" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="true" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" height="520" width="924" style="" metaposition="flex-start" metatype="youtube"></iframe-embed>JMMR (Jordan McLean’s Musical Resistance) brings you the newest sounds in tempo-based alternative jazz. Their debut album, Resistance is Fertile is due out in July on Nublu Records.At the band’s core lies a fusion of synthetic and natural elements, where machines enhance human expression. Both familiar and unrecognizable, traditional musical techniques undergo electronic synthesis yielding unforeseen outcomes.JMMR is: Jordan McLean: Trumpet, Percussion, Synthesizers Dave “Smoota” Smith: Trombone, Synthesizers Tony Jarvis: Bass Clarinet, Synthesizers John Walter Bollinger: Drums &amp; Cymbals<iframe-embed src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/D9MdwY9WeAQ" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="true" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" height="520" width="924" style="" metaposition="flex-start" metatype="youtube"></iframe-embed>

Armo and JMMR

$22 Advance / $26 At the Door / $10 LivestreamSway Wild’s infectious sound explores the corners of rock, pop, funk, and folk, but at its nucleus it is undeniably a music full of joy. Mandy and Dave’s gorgeous harmonies paired with moving lyrics serve to both process and share their jubilation, grief, and frustration with a complex and deeply imperfect society. And Mandy’s electric guitar pyrotechnics and chordal rhythms challenge the listener to comprehend how she manages to extract so much feeling from six strings and an amplifier.&nbsp;The name Sway Wild evokes a specific feeling. From the beginning, Mandy and Dave intended this band to reflect what the endeavor felt like to them - a pathway to the uninhibited unfiltered core that we all possess. The words themselves are an invitation, if not a command, to seek out this untainted part of ourselves. In many ways, Sway Wild’s music is the product of truly wild places, and, like ribbons of light piercing a dark green canopy overhead, it can help us find the wildness that is unquestionably still within us.Since releasing their debut album in 2019, Mandy and Dave have toured the US and Europe, performing alongside the likes of Mandolin Orange, Lake Street Dive, Iron &amp; Wine, and Charlie Hunter Trio. Mandy also tours as the lead guitarist for Amos Lee and Allison Russell, and has recently performed with Brandi Carlile.<iframe-embed src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/viTA-fNB7sU" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="true" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" height="606" width="1079" style="" metaposition="flex-start" metatype="youtube"></iframe-embed>Jake Klar is a singer/songwriter and visual artist whose music blends Americana, rock, pop, and folk sensibilities, often exploring themes of story-telling and emotional connection.

Sway Wild, plus Jake Klar

Free to the public (donations accepted)Inspired by the maritime traditions of North America, Scotland, Ireland, and Scandinavia, Eric McDonald (guitar,mandolin, vocals), Ryan McKasson, (fiddle, viola, vocals), and Jeremiah McLane (accordion, piano, vocals) are innovative interpreters and composers of Celtic roots music. They draw on years of experience performing with the likes of Cantrip, Nightingale, The Clayfoot Strutters, and Alasdair Fraser &amp; Natalie Haas to forge a new musical path as Kalos. Their individual artistry springs from strong traditional roots, and as a trio they move beyond this foundation. They are masters of tradition who purposefully explore the dark corners floating on its edges, delivering an alluring musical complexity full of spontaneity and joyful exuberance. Kalos’ underlying drive and pulse, rhythmic electricity, and swirling intensity transform traditional repertoire into a vital, elemental, genre-transcending sound appealing to music lovers of all stripes. Their music asks to be shared live, and performance is the band’s heart and forte.<iframe-embed src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ch2qGZoxOO4" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="true" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" height="499" width="887" style="" metaposition="flex-start" metatype="youtube"></iframe-embed>

Kalos

$22 Advance / $25 Door / $10 LivestreamA troubadour of truth, Nashville-based Crys Matthews is among the brightest stars of the new generation of social justice music-makers. An award-winning, prolific lyricist and composer, Matthews blends country, Americana, folk, blues, and bluegrass into a bold, complex performance steeped in traditional melodies punctuated by honest, original lyrics.&nbsp; On a mission to "amplify the voices of the unheard, to shed light on the unseen, and to be a steadfast reminder that hope and love are the truest pathways to equity and justice," Crys is made for these times.A daughter of the South by way of Nashville now and North Carolina forever, and the self-proclaimed poster child of intersectionality, Crys embraces the concept of tradition with boldness and clarity on her new album "Reclamation." As a preacher’s kid, a black woman, a butch lesbian, and a proud southerner, she is not only reclaiming space for black artists in country and Americana, for LGBTQ voices in faith communities, and for women’s autonomy over their bodies, but she is also reclaiming the south that raised her.<iframe-embed src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0IjQJLFiJCw" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="true" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" height="520" width="924" style="" metaposition="flex-start" metatype="youtube"></iframe-embed>Sam Robbins is often described as an "old soul singer/songwriter"- a storyteller troubadour with a modern, upbeat edge.&nbsp; Touring across&nbsp;the US with a new acclaimed album “So Much I Still Don’t See," named one of Atwood Magazine’s 2025 “Artists to Watch," leading songwriting workshops, and performing a Jim Croce song on "The Voice," Sam has gained a reputation as one of the brightest rising stars in the national folk music community. &nbsp;"So Much I Don't See" is a testament to a singer/songwriter’s journey through his 20’s,&nbsp;and the culmination of firsthand experiences gathered through hard travel and big adventures.&nbsp; Sam has shared&nbsp;the stage with artists like Jason Mraz and Liz Longley, and performed at major festivals including Kerrville, Falcon Ridge, and Wheatland.<iframe-embed src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Wztx3ZAzhJw" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="true" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" height="681" width="1211" style="" metaposition="flex-start" metatype="youtube"></iframe-embed>

Crys Matthews and Sam Robbins

Tickets $8Jeff Stein, 1h 49mFrom Maximum R&amp;B-playing mods to arena-rock anthem makers: Jeff Stein’s scrapbook of The Who’s career collects tidbits from the band’s TV appearances, Woodstock performance footage, interviews and other flotsam and jetsam in an attempt to pay tribute to one of rock’s greatest (and loudest) groups. Like the quartet themselves, the movie is often disjointed, totally chaotic, and hits with the force of a Fender Stratocaster being smashed on a stage. It also doubles as a history of rock and roll’s British Invasion-and-beyond era, as blues fixations give way to Pop Art, feedback, psychedelica, ambitious attempts at high-art evolution and self-expression, and the power of a well-placed power chord. It also inspired the “This one goes to 11” scene from This Is Spinal Tap, for which we owe this movie an immeasurable debt. —Rolling Stone<iframe-embed src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sTpyocmlzcM" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="true" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" height="518" width="691" style="" metaposition="flex-start" metatype="youtube"></iframe-embed>

The Kids Are Alright (1979)

$22 in advance / $25 at the gate / Children under 12 freeLakou Mizik is a powerhouse collective of Haitian roots music with a soulful energy and a mix of styles that feels mystical and familiar at the same time. In the wake of Haiti’s devastating earthquake the band came together to show the world that their country was much more than the sum of headlines that were being shot around the globe.Today with their positive messages and roots revival music, they have become one of Haiti’s hottest exports and have gained an international following with their critically acclaimed debut album “Wa Di Yo” and their mystical, soulful, dance party inducing live shows.<iframe-embed src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TSa_ogtEVYM" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="true" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" height="482" width="857" style="" metaposition="flex-start" metatype="youtube"></iframe-embed>

Lakou Mizik

$22 Advance / $25 Door / $10 LivestreamHailing from Dublin, Ireland, and led by sibling songwriters Dave and Louise Holden, award-winning quintet I Draw Slow has consistently redefined the boundaries of acoustic roots music over the past decade. Their distinctive blend of Irish and Appalachian roots music and dynamic, immersive performances captivate audiences with exquisite balladry, then bring them to their feet with high energy trad tunes. Their evocative music has been featured in film, TV, and advertising, and their fifth and most recent album "Turn Your Face To The Sun" on Nashville-based Compass Records soared to #1 on the Irish charts. Touring extensively across North America since 2013, I Draw Slow has firmly established itself in the US and Canada's acoustic music scenes, appearing regularly at some of the biggest and most iconic roots festivals including Pickathon, MerleFest, Grey Fox, Wintergrass, RockyGrass, Edmonton Folk Fest, and Mountain Stage.<iframe-embed src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RB8F7HTrIuM" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="true" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" height="520" width="924" style="" metaposition="flex-start" metatype="youtube"></iframe-embed>Kavaz is a traditional music trio featuring Isaac Beaudet Lefebvre (violin), Everest Witman (guitar), and François-Xavier Dueymes (flutes). While united by a deep passion for Irish music, each musician brings a distinct cultural voice to the group - drawing from the rich musical traditions of Quebec, Vermont, and Brittany. Their name Kavaz is borrowed from the Breton language and means “fork in the road” or “junction,” a fitting metaphor for the trio’s convergence of diverse musical paths to a vibrant and distinctive sound.<iframe-embed src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZUOr9Lmygxw" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="true" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" height="520" width="924" style="" metaposition="flex-start" metatype="youtube"></iframe-embed>Sponsored in part by Délégation du Québec à Boston.<img src="https://frenchlibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/BD-2015-Logos-4x3_0005_Quebec-300x225.png">

I Draw Slow and Kavaz

Free to the public (donations accepted)Bruce, Barry, Alan, and Kelly&nbsp;Stockwell's music spans traditional and progressive styles, but their trademark acoustic sound features new singer/songwriter material recast with banjo, alternative rhythms, and three-part harmonies. &nbsp;Featuring 2005 Merlefest bluegrass banjo contest winner Bruce&nbsp;Stockwell,&nbsp;The&nbsp;Stockwell&nbsp;Brothers&nbsp;have performed alongside artists from Bill Monroe, Doc Watson and Earl Scruggs to Mary-Chapin Carpenter, Jonathan Edwards and Asleep At&nbsp;The&nbsp;Wheel, recorded with Mike Auldridge and Phil Rosenthal of&nbsp;the&nbsp;bluegrass supergroup&nbsp;The&nbsp;Seldom Scene, and toured throughout&nbsp;the&nbsp;United States and in Canada and Europe.

The Stockwell Brothers

The Other Mozart is an award-winning play telling the true, forgotten story of Nannerl Mozart, the sister of Amadeus – a prodigy, keyboard virtuoso and composer, who performed throughout Europe with her brother to equal acclaim, but her work and her story faded away, lost to history.Friday, June 27 | 7:30&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://secure.lglforms.com/form_engine/s/cORpBE8Vq23Nns242cTm1g">Buy Tickets</a>Saturday, June 28 | 7:30 <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://secure.lglforms.com/form_engine/s/QCPxT7w_UtpbqBAKq95eAQ">Buy Tickets</a>$40 General Admission*NOTE: This performance will take place at Next Stage, 15 Kimball Hill, Putney*About Yellow Barn’s "Pay What You Can" Program&nbsp;Yellow Barn values all audience members and will make efforts to accommodate all circumstances. A certain number of reduced-priced tickets are made available for each concert. Contact Yellow Barn at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://secure.lglforms.com/form_engine/s/cORpBE8Vq23Nns242cTm1g">info@yellowbarn.org</a> or (802) 387-6637 for more information about their “pay what you can” program. Additionally, unclaimed tickets are released at the concert start time.&nbsp;Audience members can also purchase tickets for others as gifts, or return tickets that they are unable to use so that we can give them to those who are not able to afford the full price of admission.<img src="https://www.yellowbarn.org/sites/default/files/screenshot_2025-03-28_at_9.54.12_am.png">

The Other Mozart

Film &amp; Dinner: $45 | Film Only: $8 Reserve by June 16 — seating is limited!Join us for a unique evening of cinema and cuisine, curated by James Beard Award winner Deborah Krasner. The NXT Feast &amp; Film Series offers an immersive experience where storytelling and flavor intertwine. Each event features a thoughtfully selected film paired with a dinner inspired by its themes, prepared by some of the area's most talented chefs.Thanks to a generous grant from Vermont Humanities, we’re pleased to offer a limited number of subsidized dinner tickets for just $10, making this community food project more accessible for those for whom the full ticket price might be a barrier.<hr><h3>About the Film</h3>Eat Drink Man Woman Directed by Ang Lee | Runtime: 2h 4mMaster Chef Chu (Sihung Lung), now semi-retired, lives in Taipei with his three unmarried daughters: Jia-Jen (Kuei-Mei Yang), a devout chemistry teacher; Jia-Chien (Chien-Lien Wu), a successful airline executive; and Jia-Ning (Yu-wen Wang), who works in a fast-food restaurant.At the heart of their family life is a weekly ritual: preparing and sharing a lavish Sunday dinner. These meals serve as a grounding tradition, offering connection and comfort as each family member navigates new relationships, unexpected turns, and shifting identities.From curator Deborah Krasner: “Food functions as the connector in every film in our series, but in this film, food is both a big part of one family’s identity—and yet it’s also what divides them.”<hr><h3>Dinner to Follow the Screening</h3>Prepared by Cai's Dim Sum Catering, and served in the Next Stage Community RoomMenu<ul><li>Dumplings (2 varieties):<ul><li>Kale &amp; Tofu (Vegan)</li><li>Beef &amp; Jicama</li></ul></li><li>Rice Noodles (Gluten-Free, Vegan)</li><li>Asparagus &amp; Mango (Gluten-Free, Vegan)</li><li>Stir-Fried Chicken with Zucchini (Gluten-Free)</li><li>Dessert: Rice Pudding with Goji Berries (Contains Dairy, Gluten-Free)</li></ul>Beer and wine will be available for purchase at the Next Stage bar.<hr>About the Chef: Cai's Dim Sum Catering embraces local produce, pairing the flavors of Artist |Chef Cai's childhood family meal table with fresh produce from local farms.“The kitchen is our studio! Ingredient is our palette, Diners are our subject, together we create ART as FOOD as ART that is abundant, nourishing and memorable.”<hr><iframe-embed src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/l7pKpO8NErU" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="true" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" height="621" width="1031" style="" metaposition="flex-start" metatype="youtube"></iframe-embed>

Eat Drink Man Woman (1994)

$22 in advance / $25 at the gate / Children under 12 free Food from 802 Soul KitchenChristine Ohlman (a/k/a “The Beehive Queen” for her mile-high platinum-blonde hairdo) is the longtime vocalist for NBC’s Saturday Night Live Band, most recently appearing in the SNL50 Anniversary telecast in February 2025. A queen of American rock and soul, she fronts Christine Ohlman &amp; Rebel Montez, whose sixth critically acclaimed album, The Deep End, landed on numerous national end-of-year Top Ten lists.Born in the Bronx and based in Connecticut, Ohlman is deeply connected to the music scenes of Muscle Shoals, New Orleans, and Nashville, as much as New York. Her electrifying live shows are legendary for their fiery musicianship and compelling storytelling.She duets with Rock &amp; Roll Hall of Famer Dion DiMucci on Girl Friends—a Billboard Blues chart-topper in spring 2024—and appears on the 2024 two-disc tribute to blues legend Matt “Guitar” Murphy. In spring 2025, she co-hosted Television Rocks, an interactive program with longtime friend Paul Shaffer. In 2023, she produced Walking in Memphis, a Muscle Shoals collaboration featuring Charlie Musselwhite and Travis Wammack.Ohlman is an inductee into the National Blues Hall of Fame of American Heritage, International, and appears in Bonnie Blue, the 2022 documentary on blues icon James Cotton. Her voice can be heard in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, guesting with the Rolling Stones on “Out of Time.”She was named Top Female Americana Vocalist in The Alternate Root’s International Readers’ Poll, joining ranks with Paul Thorn, The Mavericks, and Rodney Crowell. Other career highlights include emceeing the 2022 NYC Celebration of Life for Ronnie Spector and performing with Bonnie Raitt, Keb’ Mo’, Trombone Shorty, Jon Batiste, and more. She has appeared at the Paris Conservatory and Royal Academy at Ghent with The Sessions Panel; on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon; SNL’s 40th Anniversary special and post-broadcast concert; the Carnegie Hall Tribute to The Rolling Stones; and HBO’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Concert. At the WC Handy Festival in Muscle Shoals, she’s been a special guest of the Blind Boys of Alabama and led all-star Southern soul tributes with Bonnie Bramlett, Candi Staton, and others.Her studio and live collaborations include Grammy-nominated work with Charlie Musselwhite, “Evenings of Duets” with the late Dr. John, and recordings with Dion, Ian Hunter, Marshall Crenshaw, and Levon Helm (all of whom guested on The Deep End). She continues to collaborate onstage with NRBQ guitarist Big Al Anderson and has appeared with Al Green, Steve Miller, Smokey Robinson, Brian Wilson, Bruce Springsteen, and the late George Harrison. With JoJo Hermann of Widespread Panic, she leads “Down On The Bayou,” the New Orleans Jazz &amp; Heritage Festival benefit for the New Orleans Musicians Clinic. She also guests on The ALO Orchestra Sings The Rolling Stones Songbook Vol. 2, produced by Andrew Loog Oldham, which was named “Coolest Record of the Year” by Little Steven’s Underground Garage on SIRIUS/XM.Ohlman is backed onstage by a powerhouse band: South Carolina guitarist Chris Bickley—whose résumé includes Johnny Winter and European group Eynomia—bassist Michael Colbath, and drummer Lorne Entress, a Boston standout known for his work with Mary Chapin Carpenter, Barrence Whitfield &amp; The Savages, Big Al Anderson, and Lori McKenna.A noted musicologist and original contributing editor to All Music Guide, Ohlman blends rootsy Americana with vintage soul, in a style dubbed “Contemporary Rock R&amp;B” by SIRIUS/XM’s Dave Marsh. Her six acclaimed CDs were joined in 2024 by her latest release, The Grown-Up Thing.<iframe-embed src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-b8tsQTxWlg" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="true" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" height="538" width="717" style="" metaposition="flex-start" metatype="youtube"></iframe-embed>

Christine Ohlman & Rebel Montez, plus special guest Syd Straw

Although tickets are free, reservations are required.From the pen of Caldecott-wining author, Mo Willems, comes our witty and woefully misunderstood hero, Pigeon. Dive into high-energy hilarity as Pigeon tries every trick in the book to get behind the wheel of his favorite bus. Packed with catchy tunes and plenty of laughs, this fun-filled show, based on the popular childrens' book series, invites audiences of all ages to help stop Pigeon's wild antics in their tracks.Based on the book Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! By Mo Willems Script by Mo Willems and Mr. Warburton Lyrics by Mo Willems Music by Deborah Wicks La Puma Dramaturgy by Megan AlrutzDirected by Michael MendezIn the event of rain, the performance will move into the schoolAll performances of Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus are BYOS - Bring-Your-Own-Seating. Picnic blankets or low profile lawn chairs are strongly encouraged, as chairs may obstruct other patrons' views. You may bring umbrellas for shade as well. Parties with umbrellas and/or taller chairs will be asked to set up towards the back of the seating to ensure clear sight lines for everyone.&nbsp;This performance is being offered free of charge to our community, made possible through generous donations.If you are able to, please consider a donation of the value of your tickets ($10 for adults, $5 for children).

Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!

$12 Advance / $15 DoorGordon Clark and his Vermont Comedy All Stars return for an unforgettable night of stand-up comedy.ANG BUXTON is a wild comedian and tiny-handed DJ who brought the house down at Next Stage in 2024 — so we’re bringing them back! Born and raised in Springfield, Massachusetts, Ang is high-energy and smart in a stupid way. They’ve performed at Denver’s Rise Festival and were named Queer of the Year at the P3 Comedy Festival. Ang has headlined at Radio Bean, Cinema Salem, Don’t Tell Burlington, and Nate Jackson’s Comedy Club in Tacoma, Washington — to name a few. They also produce a bunch of stuff like the Far Out Comedy Festival. Follow them on all social platforms @bux_wild.MADDIE CROSS is a Burlington-based stand-up comedian who was a finalist in the 2023 Vermont’s Funniest Comedian competition. She has opened for nationally touring headliners such as Phil Hanley, Jackie Kashian, and Laurie Kilmartin, and is a frequent performer on comedy shows around Burlington and northern Vermont. Originally from Washington, D.C., Maddie draws heavily on her upbringing in the nation’s capital for her material. She works in higher ed and spends weekends fulfilling her childhood dream of working at a bookstore. She’s a younger twin, a classically trained musician, and she has memorized the script of All the President’s Men.NEIL GOLDBERG grew up in Vermont, so he knows a lot about maple syrup, cheese, and the importance of snow tires. He started writing comedy during COVID because, well, there wasn’t much else to do. Once the world reopened, he began performing stand-up regionally, including shows at the Vermont Comedy Club in Burlington and the Gotham Comedy Club in NYC. His comedy has been described as “unexpectedly intelligent,” which he finds both flattering and slightly insulting.PIERRE VACHON is just your average stand-up comic, actor, professional wrestler, and hypnotist based in Middlebury, Vermont. His high-energy style of comedy has taken him to stages across the U.S. and Canada. He has been seen on MTV and performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland.MATT VITA is a New York City-based comedian who regularly performs at top clubs such as New York Comedy Club. He also manages the Woolen Mill Comedy Club in Bridgewater, Vermont, and co-founded the Vermont Comedy Festival. Matt is an award-winning freestyle rapper who has shared the stage with hip-hop legends such as Rahzel. In 2023, he began touring regularly, headlining clubs from Canada to Florida, opening for the likes of Colin Quinn, and appearing on television with Queen Latifa. In 2025, Matt opened for comedy legend Kevin McDonald on his East Coast Tour. His feature film Killington was released worldwide on Amazon Prime on September 3, 2024.GORDON CLARK (The Host!) is proof that you can teach an old dog new tricks. A lifelong organizer and activist, he took up comedy near the age of 60 — and never looked back. (Mostly because it hurts his neck to turn that way.) Gordon is the director of the nonprofit Vermont Comedy All Stars, through which he produces and hosts monthly stand-up showcase specials in Burlington (at the iconic Nectar’s) and Montpelier (Bent Nails Bistro), as well as the quarterly showcase here at the Next Stage Arts in Putney. He lives in Burlington with his wife, dog, and cat.NEXT STAGE 15th ANNIVERSARY!Throughout 2025, we're celebrating our 15th Anniversary by honoring a pair of Next Stage "Champions" - people who have been instrumental in making Next Stage what it is today - at one event each month. Our June Anniversary event is the Vermont Comedy All Stars Live Stand-up Comedy Showcase, where we'll salute Lyssa Papazian and Barry Stockwell.

Free to the public (donations accepted)The Emily Margaret Band creates a cozy R&amp;B groove coupled with soulful storytelling and intimate, stirring vocals. The quartet's songs wrap you in the comfort of a timeworn hand-me-down sweater that is once again back in style. Their performances include original songs together with classics from artists they love including Amy Winehouse, Joni Mitchell, Stevie Wonder, and Bill Withers. The Emily Margaret Band celebrates the June 15 release of their self-titled EP at this concert, and CDs will be available for purchase that evening. Follow them on Instagram @<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://emily.margaret.music">emily.margaret.music</a> for news on their latest shows and the upcoming release of their EP.

The Emily Margaret Band

$20 Advance / $25 Door / $10 LivestreamAura Shards is a world fusion duo based in Brattleboro, Vermont, dedicated to exploring the captivating soundscape of the Hand Pan (also known as the Hang Drum). Blending this modern instrument with a rich array of ancient rhythmic and tonal traditions, Aura Shards creates an immersive musical experience that is both sonically intricate and deeply meditative. Performing entirely original compositions, the group crafts a sound that is rhythmically dynamic and harmonically lush, yet soothing and unobtrusive—ideal for both focused listening and ambient reflection. The duo features Anders Burrows (Hand Pan, Didgeridoo, Djembe) and Jed Blume (Hand Pan, Tabla, Djembe), whose synergistic musicianship bridges contemporary innovation and timeless tradition.<iframe-embed src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IZq-TGLeRQo" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="true" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" height="480" width="853" style="" metaposition="flex-start" metatype="youtube"></iframe-embed>Compass is a genre-defying trio that channels a shared mastery of Indian raga and tala, flamenco, jazz harmony, and deep rhythmic groove into a singular, original voice. At the heart of their music lies a profound exploration of rhythm—drawing from the intricate cycles of North Indian theka and the soulful structures of Spanish compás. Though separated by centuries and geography, these traditions share a rhythmic language that resonates across cultures and eras, a connection that Compass seeks to illuminate.The name Compass reflects this dual journey: both a literal tool for navigation and a musical framework that guides time and feeling—a way of finding “home” through sound. Featuring James Labrosse (guitar), Tripp Dudley (tabla), and Galen Passen (sitar), the trio blends tradition and innovation through richly woven compositions and spontaneous improvisation. Each piece is an original creation, born from the trio’s deep-rooted knowledge and personal expression, inviting listeners into a conversation that spans continents and centuries.<iframe-embed src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vPVW3V9zWh0" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="true" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" height="588" width="1048" style="" metaposition="flex-start" metatype="youtube"></iframe-embed>

Aura Shards and Compass Trio

Tickets $8Peter Clifton, Joe Massot, 2h 12mYes, there are ridiculous dream sequences (or are they?!?!) involving pastoral reveries, swords, horses, Tommy guns and wizardsploitation, the kind that suggest profundity only if you’ve been using Physical Graffiti’s gatefold for seed harvesting. But for years, this was the best live document we had regarding the mighty Led Zeppelin, and for all the giggles over the goofy mysticism in this midnight-movie staple, this movie still captures the experience of seeing a huge band fill a huge auditorium with an even huger sound. It also doubles nicely as a time capsule for overall Seventies rock excess, down to the Golden-God bulges, incredible drum solos (sticks optional) and indulgent guitar solos (bows not optional).—Rolling StoneCo-presented with Next Chapter Records<iframe-embed src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5N65F-Odxb4" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="true" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" height="518" width="691" style="" metaposition="center" metatype="youtube"></iframe-embed>

The Song Remains the Same (1976)

$22 Advance / $25 Gate / Kids under 12 freeBurnt Sugar The Arkestra Chamber, founded by Greg Tate, is a sprawling ensemble of NYC-area musicians whose prodigious chops and adherence to Butch Morris's Conduction system allow them to open the AstroBlack stargates to a darkly energetic, many-splendored celestial realm of cosmic riddim, esoteric rambunctiousness, and eclectic blue cheer!In 2025, Burnt Sugar The Arkestra Chamber celebrates twenty-six years of “never playing anything the same way once.” As always, BSAC pays tribute to their sonic Sensei, Maestro Lawrence Butch Morris (1947–2013), for showing them "THE WAY" of Conducted Improvisation, and to their founder and co-leader, Gregory Stephen Ionman Tate (1957–2021), for creating the caramelized spaceship that grants BSAC access to a vast, darkly energetic cosmic realm of noise and riddim.Now in their twenty-sixth year, BSAC is led by Jared Michael Nickerson, the electric bubble bassist, business manager, and co-leader since the group's inception.As Greg Tate used to say, BSAC is "a territory band, a neo-tribal thang, a community hang, a society music guild aspiring to the condition of all that is molten, glacial, racial, spatial, oceanic, mythic, antiphonal, and telepathic."The lineup: Shelley Nicole - Vocals/Conduction Miss Olithea - Vocals/Electronics Bruce Mack - Vocals/Conduction Lewis “Flip” Barnes - Trumpet “Moist” Paula Henderson - Bari Sax Leon Gruenbaum - Keyboards/Samchillian/Talk Box Ben Tyree - Electric Guitar Marque Gilmore tha Inna Most - Trap Drums/Electronics/Conduction Jared Michael Nickerson - Electric Bubble Bass“A multiracial jam army that freestyles with cool telekinesis between the lustrous menace of Miles Davis’ On The Corner, the slash-and-Om of 1970s King Crimson, and Jimi Hendrix’ moonwalk across side three of Electric Ladyland.” - David Fricke/Rolling Stone“Listening/watching Burnt Sugar playing live is an intense, amazing experience. The passionate, playful, committed way each artist interacts with the others, their deep respect both for the music and for the other members of the band is a show in itself. A band of equals, where every single unique note is part of the game. If there existed a place where Sun Ra’s Arkestra would meet George Clinton’s Funkadelic/Parliament it's there you will find Burnt Sugar The Arkestra Chamber." - Pino Saulo Rai Radio 3 ITALY<iframe-embed src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VD-5sVTAHn8" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="true" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" height="588" width="1048" style="" metaposition="flex-start" metatype="youtube"></iframe-embed>Funded in part by the New England States Touring program of the New England Foundation for the Arts, made possible with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts Regional Touring Program and the six New England state arts agencies.<img src="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66e1dc7b25ddef1b82d352cd/406363b7-53f1-473b-be52-eab9044f1532/images.png?format=500w">

Burnt Sugar The Arkestra Chamber

$24 Advance / $28 Door / $10 LivestreamNext Stage Arts and Twilight Music present traditional, folk, Québécois, and Celtic music trio Genticorum, with special guests Keith Murphy and Becky Tracy sitting in.&nbsp;&nbsp;With multiple Canadian Folk Music Awards (most recently 2024 "Folk Ensemble of the Year"), as well as nominations for the Juno and ADISQ Awards, Genticorum has established itself as a leading force in the evolution of Québécois traditional music. Over the past 25 years, the trio has carved out a place for itself on the international traditional, folk, world, and Celtic music scenes. Renowned for their infectious energy, exceptional musicianship, and magnetic stage presence, Genticorum has wowed crowds at prestigious events such as Celtic Connections in Scotland, the Tønder Folk Festival in Denmark, the National Folk Festival in Australia, the Independent Music Festival in Alexandria, Egypt, the Rainforest World Music Festival in Malaysia, and countless venues across North America.Founding members Pascal Gemme (fiddle) and Yann Falquet (guitar) are celebrated figures in Québec’s traditional music scene. Since 2015, they have been joined by Nicholas Williams (flute, accordion), a multi-instrumentalist and composer whose artistry brings a new dimension to the trio. The combination of intricate fiddle, flute, and accordion melodies, rich vocal harmonies, delicate guitar textures, and energizing foot percussion creates a captivating musical experience. The joy these three musicians share in their collaboration is evident, both in the studio and on stage, making every performance an unforgettable celebration of Québécois folk music.Becky Tracy and Keith Murphy play traditional music from Newfoundland, Quebec, Ireland, France, and beyond,&nbsp;as well as Keith's original compositions.&nbsp; They feature&nbsp;songs in English and French and tunes on fiddle, mandolin, guitar, and foot percussion that range from&nbsp;upbeat dance tunes to slow airs.&nbsp; Becky and Keith have performed across the US, Canada, and Europe as a duo and with bands such as Nightingale, Childsplay, Assembly, and Wild Asparagus.<iframe-embed src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yjKRQZpwM-E" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="true" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" height="572" width="1012" style="" metaposition="flex-start" metatype="youtube"></iframe-embed>

Genticorum, with special guests Keith Murphy & Becky Tracy

FreeWith humanity facing imminent extinction, a team of scientists uses technology originally designed for interstellar travel to send a test subject ten millennia into Earth's future. Marooned in an uninhabited wilderness, microbiologist Nicholas Hindman searches in vain for remnants of the human race. Meanwhile, back in 2068 A.D., the team’s head physicist and doctor lead a small crew of survivors on a sailing voyage to a volcanic island north of Sicily on a harrowing quest for a second viable test subject. The Afterlife Project, a finalist for the 2023 Prism Prize for Climate Literature, is a darkly immersive work of literary speculative fiction that will appeal to readers of Andy Weir, Cormac McCarthy, Emily St. John Mandel, and Peter Heller.“Tim Weed’s The Afterlife Project is smart, achingly beautiful, and (yes) important: a gripping novel of climate cataclysm with a cast of characters I cared about deeply.” — Chris Bohjalian, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author of The Flight Attendant“The Afterlife Project isn’t just a story about the end of the world as we know it — it’s an exploration of beauty, love, and hope in the darkness. If you were a fan of Cloud Atlas, you won’t want to miss this one.” — Janelle Brown, New York Times bestselling author of What Kind of Paradise“A brave and brilliant imagining of Earth in the years just after a mega-pandemic has killed almost everyone, and ten thousand years hence, when a test subject emerges from suspension to explore a wilderness echoing with solitude. The tale is riveting, wrenching, and suffused with beauty — the haunting and intimate beauty of the natural world rendered by a master.” — Peter Heller, bestselling author of The Dog Stars“I can’t think of a single page that didn’t make me pause to admire a sentence, an image, or a particularly fascinating idea. I loved this book.” — Angie Kim, New York Times Bestselling Author of Happiness Falls“This beautiful and heartbreaking book reminds us of what we have, and what we stand to lose. Unforgettable.” — Danielle Trussoni, NYT and internationally bestselling author of The Puzzle Master“Weed is a fabulous storyteller working at the top of his game. I predict this novel will become a classic.” — Joseph Monninger, author of The World as We Know It“This engaging dystopian tale deftly blends enthralling fiction with real-life fears.” — Kirkus Reviews“Weed delivers a highly intriguing storyline, pulled off through creative worldbuilding and plausible technology... a tale that feels wholly original and movingly conveys the full weight of the circumstances while providing a riveting read in the process.” — The Booklife Prize (Publisher’s Weekly)

Tim Weed: The Afterlife Project

Free to the public (donations accepted)At the crossroads of South American Folklore and Northern Americana, Acoustic Nomads blends music from two continents to create soaring original melodies, playful improvisations, and driving grooves, sweeping listeners away on a journey from the Appalachians to the Andes.&nbsp;Since forming at Berklee College of Music in 2019, Acoustic Nomads has been pushing the envelope of progressive acoustic music - drawing inspiration from the likes of Turtle Island String Quartet, David Grisman, Hamilton de Holanda, and many of Bela Fleck's acoustic projects, all united in that they use acoustic instruments and are universally beyond category.&nbsp;Acoustic Nomads forges a sound interweaving North and South American musical threads as varied as the continents themselves.

Acoustic Nomads

$22 Advance / $25 Door / $10 LivestreamNext Stage Arts and Twilight Music present an evening of contemporary folk music by Québec-based singer/songwriter Geneviève Racette and her trio and New England-based duo Hilary &amp; G.Geneviève Racette has captivated audiences with her ethereal vocals, vulnerable lyricism, and emotional depth since her debut in 2014. The internationally renowned Québécois folk-pop-americana artist crafts music that is both deeply personal and universally relatable, earning her a growing presence in both French and English-speaking music scenes.Geneviève’s career trajectory took a major leap forward with her 2019 album "No Water, No Flowers," which earned her a Canadian Folk Music Award for Emerging Artist of the Year, a performance with City and Colour at Osheaga, and enthusiastic coverage from media outlets across Canada. In 2024, Geneviève released her most personal and powerful album yet "Golden" - a luminous and introspective record shaped by resilience and growth. Exploring themes of healing, resilience, and anger, the record includes her song "The Reasons (I’ll Be Alright)," which was featured on the hit show "Heartland."Geneviève has headlined concerts across Canada and the US, and has showcased at prestigious events such as Folk Alliance International, AmericanaFest, Folk Music Ontario, NERFA, Canadian Music Week, and the Kerrville Folk Festival. As a woman navigating the music industry, Geneviève is committed to working with women-identifying professionals as she continues to build her career with authenticity, heart, and determination.<iframe-embed src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kAUoSqF25w4" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="true" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" height="518" width="921" style="" metaposition="flex-start" metatype="youtube"></iframe-embed>Hilary Menegaz Weitzner and G Rockwell create a unique blend of folk traditions with songwriting and sounds from across the globe.&nbsp; An award winning multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, and songwriter, G Rockwell has performed and competed on stages across the US. G won the Freshgrass Festival banjo competition in 2002 and the guitar competition in 2024, and graduated New England Conservatory in 2024. Currently studying Music Therapy and American Roots at Berklee College of Music, fiddler/singer Hilary Weitzner has played Celtic, old-time, Scandinavian and bluegrass music at venues across the northeast.<iframe-embed src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/inwxASGkW2c" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="true" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" height="588" width="1048" style="" metaposition="flex-start" metatype="youtube"></iframe-embed>Sponsored in part by Délégation du Québec à Boston.<img src="https://frenchlibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/BD-2015-Logos-4x3_0005_Quebec-300x225.png">

Geneviève Racette and Hilary & G

Art Array: Diverse paintings from Vermont Artist Ricky McEachern

$22 in advance / $25 at the gate / Children under 12 free Food from Smokin’ BowlsDue to the cold and damp forecast, this Saturday's Bandwagon show will move indoors to Next Stage Theater, located at 15 Kimball Hill, Putney.🎟 As always, series passes will be honored and kids under 12 get in free!Come stay warm and enjoy a great night of music in the comfort of the theater. We look forward to seeing you there!Shokazoba (a Nigerian term for "shock absorber") is an award-winning, horn-driven dance party powerhouse known for delivering high-energy, original music that moves the body, inspires the mind, and ignites the soul. Founded in 2005 as a tribute to Fela Kuti, their mission is to promote conscious awareness and drive positive social change through irresistibly danceable, polyrhythmic trance music they call New World Funk.Shokazoba’s sound blends a wide range of influences, taking listeners on a transformative journey of self-discovery. Their commitment to true egalitarianism, empathy, and respect for all individuals is reflected in their powerful, thought-provoking lyrics, which tackle important social and political topics with passionate honesty. At its core, Shokazoba’s music is a spiritual experience—one that fosters deep human connection through the universal joy of celebratory dance.A five-time winner of the Best of the Valley by the Valley Advocate Reader's Poll, nominated for Live Act of the Year at the New England Music Awards, and crowned winners of the 2017 Valley Music Showcase, Shokazoba has received numerous accolades, including recognition from the African Jazz Review. As they approach their 20th anniversary, they’re hard at work on a new album set to exceed all expectations. Their compositions continue to evolve, brimming with unparalleled creativity and energy—so be ready for an unforgettable experience that will leave you absolutely blown away in the best way possible.<iframe-embed src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hUg7qBY6qMg" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="true" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" height="900" width="1440" style="" metaposition="flex-start" metatype="youtube"></iframe-embed>Zikina is a collective of musicians who have come together from across continents and cultures to prove that, despite the forces in the world that highlight our differences and attempt to divide us, we can unite to create something beautiful and new. Their music effortlessly brings people together—inviting you to dance, clap, connect with those around you, and fully embrace the present moment.Led by Uganda native Gideon Ampeire, Zikina features a captivating blend of traditional East African instruments, including the enanga (zither), adungu (harp), and kalimba (thumb piano)—all of which Gideon builds himself. These rich, resonant sounds harmonize with guitar, bass, and drums in a way that feels both refreshingly new and deeply familiar. Mike Cardozo (guitar, percussion) improvises intricate melodies alongside Gideon, while adding punchy rhythmic lines that move effortlessly with the beat. Roston Kirk (bass) and Kurt Eisele-Dyrli (drums) craft a sonic landscape that flows from intense grooves to joyous dance beats to dreamy textures, creating a dynamic foundation for the performance. Gideon's vocals—whether cutting powerfully through the music or floating lightly above—add an emotional depth that enhances the group's distinctive sound. The result is something truly unique, yet instantly accessible.With nearly 20 years of international performance experience as a bandleader, instrumentalist, singer, dancer, educator, and master instrument maker, Gideon has become a respected figure in the world of traditional Ugandan music. For over a decade, he has led Echo Uganda, a group that has spread the rhythms and melodies of Ugandan folk music across the northeast US and beyond, even performing at the United Nations. In 2015, Gideon met Mike Cardozo, a western Massachusetts producer and guitarist, who had been performing and recording for nearly a decade in various acts. Sharing a deep connection through their study of West African drumming under the legendary Professor Abraham Adzenyah at Wesleyan University, the two began collaborating. Adding Roston Kirk, a Berklee School of Music graduate, and Kurt Eisele-Dyrli, a Connecticut-based drummer, the group’s casual jam sessions quickly evolved into something extraordinary—pushing musical boundaries in innovative ways.Today, Gideon, Mike, Roston, and Kurt continue to forge ahead, blending Gideon's cultural heritage with the diverse sounds and influences that each member brings to the table, creating a musical experience that is as dynamic and exciting as it is meaningful.<iframe-embed src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Vmy6V_VhqvU" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="true" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" height="900" width="1440" style="" metaposition="flex-start" metatype="youtube"></iframe-embed>NEXT STAGE 15th ANNIVERSARY!Throughout 2025, we're celebrating our 15th Anniversary by honoring a pair of Next Stage "Champions" - people who have been instrumental in making Next Stage what it is today - at one event each month. Our May Anniversary event is Shokazoba and Zikina, where we'll salute Tim Allen and Gordon Hayward.

Shokazoba and Zikina

Tickets $8Theresa Maggio, 45mThis 45-minute documentary captures the final chapter of the Bills family’s beloved 86-year-old sawmill in Wardsboro, Vermont. Filmmaker Theresa Maggio follows octogenarian brothers Alan and Everett Bills, along with their niece and co-owner Debbie Bills Bauer, as they say goodbye to the mill their father, Melbourne Bills, built in 1936.With warmth, humor, and resilience, Alan and Everett recount stories of growing up on “Bills Hill”—tales of fire, flood, and family life in rural Vermont. Filmed during the summer and fall of 2023, the documentary chronicles the mill’s demolition, the end of an era, and the spirit that lives on through the Bills family.Already drawing sold-out crowds across the West River Valley, the film has touched hearts and sparked memories. Audience members have called it a “gift,” praising its emotional depth and historical importance.Join us for a screening and Q&amp;A with Alan and Everett—two local legends whose stories will stay with you long after the credits roll.<iframe-embed src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ixuOQ5NH3Lg" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="true" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" height="588" width="1048" style="" metaposition="flex-start" metatype="youtube"></iframe-embed>

Bills Lumber

Tickets $8Adrien Maben, 1h 32mThe word “live” in the movie title is a bit of a red herring when it comes to Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii, since the only audience in the oldest surviving Roman amphitheater in the world is the film’s crew. But it’s also what makes it all so entrancing. Seeing Floyd bookend a set of late-Sixties space-rock triumphs like “Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun” and enfant terrible gong-banging freak-outs with Meddle’s “Echoes” – while watching it all seem to evanesce into the air, amidst the weeds, ancient sculptures and molten lava of Pompeii (with an assist from a barking dog) – seems like the perfect setting for the group. With the addition of some trippy camera effects and studio footage of the group making Dark Side of the Moon, Pompeii became the ultimate document of psych-rock’s transition into prog. —Rolling StoneCo-presented with Next Chapter Records<iframe-embed src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OpFK9JCT8PU" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="true" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" height="520" width="924" style="" metaposition="flex-start" metatype="youtube"></iframe-embed>

Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii (1972)

$22 Advance / $25 Door / $10 students / $10 LivestreamPamyua, formed in April 1995 by brothers Phillip and Stephen Blanchett, emerged from a unique fusion of Inuit drum and dance melodies with R&amp;B vocal styles and arrangements. This innovative concept sparked their journey, and the duo quickly began performing across Alaska while collaborating with like-minded artists.By the end of 1995, Ossie Kairaiuak joined the group permanently, followed by Karina Moeller in the spring of 1996. Today, this dynamic quartet works with world-class musicians from both Alaska and Denmark, traveling globally to share their one-of-a-kind blend of cultural harmony.Pamyua’s performances celebrate Inuit culture through a powerful combination of music and dance, using the stage as a platform to share indigenous knowledge and history. Their style reimagines traditional Inuit melodies with contemporary vocalizations and instrumentation, often described as "Inuit Soul Music." In this way, Pamyua has carved out its own distinct genre.The band members take great pride in representing Indigenous culture, believing that music and dance can foster unity. Through their work, they expertly interpret Inuit traditions with joy and authenticity, creating a powerful connection with their audiences. Their performances have become a source of pride for Alaska’s indigenous people and resonate deeply with all who experience them.Pamyua’s shows honor indigenous traditions, blending ceremony, song, and dance to preserve and share the rich cultural heritage of the Inuit people.<iframe-embed src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6ll3OId6828" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="true" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" height="520" width="924" style="" metaposition="flex-start" metatype="youtube"></iframe-embed>

Pamyua

Folding, flatness, corrugation. In this free workshop / building session / devising lab, we will explore cardboard as a choreographic object and build elements that will be used in the institute for folding, a new interdisciplinary dance work by Michael Bodel. We will cut, fold, manipulate and fabricate cardboard, (hopefully) landing on some interesting ideas and creating cardboard elements that will be used in the performance. Dance artist Michael Bodel's work integrates objects and materials as central choreographic elements and inspiration. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.vermontdance.org/institute-for-folding">the institute for folding</a>, unpeels layers of human knowledge through dance, text and a stack of 30 sheets of cardboard. This "devising lab" is part of a regional series of workshops where participants join in the creative process, learn about creating dance with objects, and contribute to the performance. This workshop is free and open to anyone over 14 years old. It would be of special interest to those interested in object-theater, puppetry, sculpture, set design, dance, and (of course) cardboard. the institute for folding will premiere later in 2025 with a state-wide tour produced by the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.vermontdance.org/">Vermont Dance Alliance</a>.RSVP at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="mailto:bodeldancearts@gmail.com">bodeldancearts@gmail.com</a>

Cardboard Devising Lab

Film &amp; Dinner: $40 | Film Only: $8Join us for a special evening featuring a film screening followed by a festive Indian dinner! Seating for dinner is limited, so be sure to reserve your spot by Sunday, 4/20.Thanks to a generous grant from Vermont Humanities, we are pleased to offer a limited number of subsidized dinner tickets for just $10, making it possible for individuals who may find the $40 ticket a financial stretch to participate in this community food project.Following the film, enjoy a delicious Indian dinner in the Next Stage Community Room, prepared by Leda’s Kitchen. Based in Brattleboro, Leda’s Kitchen offers chef-prepared meals for weekly pickup. Leda, a former NYC private chef, cookbook author, and co-owner of the Dosa Kitchen Food Truck, brings her expertise in diverse flavor profiles to create an unforgettable dining experience. Visit <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://ledaskitchen.com">ledaskitchen.com</a> to explore more. The Menu:<ul><li>Chicken Korma: Tender, free-range chicken in a rich, creamy yogurt-based sauce with nuts, fruits, and a blend of aromatic spices.</li><li>Saag Paneer: House-made paneer (fresh cheese), fresh spinach, onions, ginger, garlic, and a touch of cream to enhance the soft, earthy flavors.</li><li>Chana Masala: Chickpeas simmered in a flavorful gravy made with onions, tomatoes, ginger, and garlic.</li><li>Golden Rice Pilaf: Long-grain basmati rice with warming spices, nuts, and fruits.</li><li>Vegetable Raita: Cooling yogurt and crisp vegetables to refresh the palate.</li><li>Bebinka: A delicious sweet potato coconut pudding cake, topped with maple syrup, nutmeg, and edible gold flakes.</li></ul>This meal is gluten-free.Beer, wine, and cocktails will be available for purchase from the Next Stage bar.About the Film:The Lunchbox Directed by Ritesh Batra | 1h 44mIn this heartwarming film, lonely housewife Ila (Nimrat Kaur) tries to rekindle the spark in her marriage by preparing a special lunch for her inattentive husband. But the lunch is mistakenly delivered to Saajan (Irrfan Khan), a solitary widower. As Ila discovers her husband's lack of response, she adds a note to the next day's lunch, and a unique friendship begins to form between them. Without ever meeting in person, Saajan and Ila share their joys and sorrows through their letters, creating a beautiful, unlikely connection.<iframe-embed src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sK3R0rvnlPs" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="true" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" height="608" width="1080" style="" metaposition="flex-start" metatype="youtube"></iframe-embed>The NXT Feast &amp; Film Series draws together a cross-section of community members and organizations from Windham County’s rich culinary and creative landscape to explore and celebrate the interconnectedness of place, cultural expression, and belonging.The series is curated by Deborah Krasner, Putney’s own James Beard Award winner and author of seven books on food, design, and kitchens. Deborah will provide introductions to the films.This series is supported in part by a grant from Vermont Humanities.

The Lunchbox (2013)

$22 Advance / $25 Door / $10 LivestreamStéphane Wrembel stands as one of the world’s most celebrated guitarists. Originally from Fontainebleau, France, Wrembel is renowned for his masterful blend of jazz, gypsy swing, and world music, enchanting audiences worldwide with his distinctive sound.Wrembel is also a highly respected composer. His original compositions have graced acclaimed films such as Midnight in Paris ("Bistro Fada"), Vicky Cristina Barcelona ("Big Brother"), and Rifkin’s Festival (original score). Midnight in Paris won the Grammy Award® for "Best Compilation Soundtrack." At the 2012 Academy Awards®, Wrembel was handpicked by renowned composer Hans Zimmer to join his "All-Star Band," performing alongside luminaries like Esperanza Spalding, Pharrell, and Sheila E.With an impressive discography of 19 albums released under his name and the pseudonym The Django Experiment, Wrembel recently released a triptych—three CDs entitled Phase 1, Phase 2, and Phase 3—recorded with his band and Canadian improvisational pianist Jean-Michel Pilc. Released in April 2024, the triptych has received glowing reviews in DownBeat, Guitar Player Magazine, Acoustic Guitar Magazine, New York Jazz Record, and more. Wrembel’s collaborations with top musicians like mandolinist David Grisman and Grammy Award®-winning guitarist Raul Midon further showcase his remarkable versatility.Additionally, Wrembel is a dedicated musical director and educator. Since 2003, he has curated the Django a Gogo Music Festival, a celebrated week-long event honoring the Sinti guitar style, held in Maplewood, New Jersey, and at prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall and The Town Hall. The festival features a series of master guitar classes.Wrembel has shared the stage with legends including Elvis Costello, Patti Smith, The Roots, Medeski Martin &amp; Wood, Me’shell Ndegeocello, John Scofield, Larry Keel, Stochelo Rosenberg, and Sam Bush. His performances on NPR’s prestigious Mountain Stage and the syndicated radio show Woodsongs Old Time Radio Hour further demonstrate his diverse talent. Wrembel’s performances transcend genre boundaries, offering something unique for every music lover. As he himself puts it, “I just play my own music. It’s not only for rock lovers, Django Reinhardt fans, or jazz enthusiasts. It’s for music lovers.”Don’t miss your chance to see Stéphane Wrembel live with his world-class band, featuring Josh Kaye on guitar and oud, Ari Folman-Cohen on bass, and Nick Anderson on drums.<iframe-embed src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vpc_jJLUa-o" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="true" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" height="416" width="739" style="" metaposition="center" metatype="youtube"></iframe-embed>

Stéphane Wrembel Quartet

$22 Advance / $25 Door / $10 LivestreamBETTY, the longtime indie rock band of Alyson Palmer, Amy Ziff, and Elizabeth Ziff, is known for clever lyrics, energetic harmonies and non-stop activism. Since forming in 1986, the band’s distinctive sound has been heard in concert worldwide, on tv &amp; tube (The L Word theme song, Weeds, Ugly Betty, &amp; more), in films (the holiday classic Life With Mikey, The Out-of-Towners, The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love &amp; more), Off-Broadway (the hit musical BETTY Rules, directed by Michael Greif of Hell's Kitchen, Dear Evan Hansen, RENT), on the radio as Holiday Commentators for NPR, as guests on many compilation recordings and on ten albums of their own, readily available online. BETTY’s unflagging devotion to fairness and equal rights as well as decades of international appearances as Arts Envoys for the US State Department, led Gloria Steinem to suggest they create The BETTY Effect, a non-profit on behalf of women and girls, LGBTQ+ people and others marginalized by society. BETTY has received numerous arts and humanitarian honors for their lifelong mission, including two EMMYs, the BMI Theme Song Award and Career Excellence Award and the Official State Honor of Buenos Aires. They recorded their 11th album in Mexico City and New York, are happily on the road again and spill their wild adventures on BETTY: Girlband the Podcast, available everywhere.Read the recent feature article on BETTY in Forbes Magazine <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jerylbrunner/2025/03/17/for-nearly-four-decades-the-band-betty-has-rocked-for-justice/">here</a>!<iframe-embed src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sFPqmktqzCE" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="true" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" height="520" width="924" style="" metaposition="flex-start" metatype="youtube"></iframe-embed>NEXT STAGE 15th ANNIVERSARY!Throughout 2025, we're celebrating our 15th Anniversary by honoring a pair of Next Stage "Champions" - people who have been instrumental in making Next Stage what it is today - at one event each month. Our April Anniversary event is BETTY, where we'll salute Maria Basescu and Julian McBrowne.

BETTY, plus DJ ezGirl

Are you noticing more and more plastic in supermarkets, in clothing and housewares, in toys - in everything!?&nbsp; Are you concerned about plastics in the environment and how it’s impacting oceans, animals… and&nbsp;OUR health?Scientists estimate people are consuming hundreds of thousands of microplastic particles per year and these particles have now been found in human blood, breast milk, placenta, and arteries.Learn more! Join us on Earth Day for a FREE screening and discussion of the new film&nbsp;Plastic People - The Hidden Crisis of Microplastics.&nbsp;Meet members of the&nbsp;Beyond Plastics&nbsp;local chapter for a discussion afterwards.&nbsp;The&nbsp;Third Act Vermont&nbsp;regional group for Windham and Windsor Counties (Win-Win) are sponsoring the event and members will also be present.&nbsp;<iframe-embed src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WhOgnzuYkLM" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="true" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" height="520" width="924" style="" metaposition="flex-start" metatype="youtube"></iframe-embed>

Plastic People: The Hidden Crisis of Microplastics

$20 in advance / $25 at the door / $10 livestreamMehrnam Rastegari is a distinguished Persian musician, award-winning film score composer, singer, violinist, and virtuoso Kamancheh player. Renowned for pushing the boundaries of Persian music, she blends traditional sounds with rock and modern fusion elements, offering fresh interpretations that resonate with global audiences. Her innovative approach to Persian microtonal music aims to bridge the gap between tradition and contemporary styles, capturing the attention of listeners worldwide.Rastegari’s international career has seen her perform on prestigious stages, including the Bill Gates Goalkeepers 2024 event, where she shared the stage with Grammy award-winning artist Jon Batiste. She has graced some of the most esteemed music festivals, such as GlobalFest, the Secret Planet APAP showcase, the Ragas Live Festival, the Montana Folk Festival, WOMEX (World Music Expo), Crossing Border Festival, Le Guess Who?, Pitchfork Music Festival, Into The Great Wide Open, Mutations Festival, and the Fajr International Music Festival. She has also participated in renowned events like the International Competition named after Tlep Aspantaiuly.Her unparalleled skill as a Kamancheh player has earned her acclaim from top Kamancheh musicians and instructors worldwide, who have recognized her as a Master of the instrument. A graduate of the Global Musicians Workshop (GMW), she has collaborated extensively with the World Music Institute (WMI) on projects ranging from performances to interviews and podcasts. As a featured speaker at the TEDx event “Oasis: Existence in Nothingness,” Rastegari has shared her artistic vision with audiences. She has also recorded music with the Center for Traditional Music and Dance (CTMD) in New York City.Rastegari has composed scores for over 10 feature films, theater productions, and award-winning short films. Her score for Dispirited earned her the "Best Original Score" award at the Melbourne City Independent Film Awards (MCIFA), while her music for Rotten was nominated for Best Original Score at the Japan Kadoma Festival. Her film A Poetess also won the "Best Persian Film" award at the World Music &amp; Independent Film Festival (WMIFF) in the USA. Additionally, Rastegari is a valued member of the New York Arabic Orchestra (NYAO) and has had the honor of performing at the United Nations Headquarters. She also contributed as a violinist to the music track "Mirage" for the video game Assassin’s Creed.A passionate advocate for cultural exchange, Rastegari mentors young musicians from Iran, Azerbaijan, and Turkey, guiding them as they blend tradition and innovation in their own musical endeavors. Through her performances, compositions, and film scores, she continues to shape the future of Persian music, demonstrating that heritage and experimentation can coexist in transformative ways.Based in New York City, Rastegari is the founder of the Mehrnam Rastegari Traditional Persian Band, where she continues to perform and innovate. She is also the creative force behind Chogan, a Rock Middle Eastern band that brings her original compositions and reimagined folk music to new audiences, garnering success and recognition. Rastegari will be joined by bassist Panagiotis Andreou and drummer Dani Danor for this performance.<iframe-embed src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/M7FJEfkRqWk" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="true" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" height="518" width="921" style="" metaposition="flex-start" metatype="youtube"></iframe-embed>

Mehrnam Rastegari

Tickets $10 Join us for an exclusive sneak peek of&nbsp;Riding Home, a documentary in progress that follows longtime Putney resident Caryl Richardson as she navigates the final chapter of her life, surrounded by the horses, land and people she loves.More than just a portrait of one woman’s journey,&nbsp;Riding Home&nbsp;seeks to crack open the conversation around death, dying, and end-of-life choices. In a culture that often avoids these discussions, this film invites us to bear witness, reflect, and engage with the complexities of mortality with honesty and grace.While still in the editing phase, this special event offers the Putney community a first look at a few roughly cut scenes, providing insight into the film’s intimate and moving story. The screening will be followed by a panel discussion and Q&amp;A with the film’s creative team:Elyse Neiman Seiter, Director Georges Yazbek, Camera Lori McCarthy, EditorWe invite you to come, watch, and share your thoughts as we bring this deeply personal film to life.&nbsp;

Riding Home

$22 Advance / $25 Door / $10 LivestreamNext Stage Arts and Twilight Music present multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger, and singer Keith Murphy with The Band of Amber (Ty Gibbons, Anand Nayak, Richie Barshay) and special guest Jenna Moynihan. Since their debut performance at Next Stage in June 2024, the quartet has expanded its repertoire and refined its ensemble sound, adding Scottish fiddler phenomenon Moynihan to the mix for this show.Keith Murphy began forging a distinctive sound in the world of traditional song at an early age, growing up surrounded by the rich folk song, ballad, and dance music traditions of his native Newfoundland. Over the years, and through his travels as a musician, he’s incorporated elements from many other traditions, including those from his adopted home in Vermont. A noted instrumentalist, he is well known for his work 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.Formed to support Murphy's latest solo project, Bright As Amber, The Band of Amber blends bass, drums, and electric guitar over his fingerstyle acoustic guitar and singing of traditional songs. Anand Nayak (Rani Arbo and daisy mayhem), a Grammy-nominated producer and multi-instrumentalist, creates beautifully sensitive and atmospheric textures on electric guitar. Richie Barshay, whose impressive resume includes collaborations with Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Natalie Merchant, Bobby McFerrin, and the Klezmatics, brings astounding range and musicality as a drummer. Ty Gibbons, an acclaimed composer for film and TV and member of the Vermont indie folk band Red Heart the Ticker, melds his deep understanding of traditional folk music with his other wide-ranging musical talents as an acoustic bassist.A versatile and inventive 5-string fiddler and vocalist, Jenna Moynihan will open the show with a solo set before joining The Band of Amber. She also performs in a duo with Scottish harpist Mairi Chaimbeul, as well as with the Seamus Egan Project and the Hanneke Cassel Band.<iframe-embed src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RjDJ22AVxSA" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="true" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" height="586" width="1044" style="" metaposition="flex-start" metatype="youtube"></iframe-embed>

Keith Murphy and The Band of Amber plus Jenna Moynihan

Tickets $8Todd Haynes, 2h 1mThere’s a good reason nobody made a Velvet Underground documentary before Todd Haynes came along and did it in 2021: Archival footage of the group is extremely minimal, especially from the period after 1968 when they stopped working with Andy Warhol and the attention he brought to their work largely vanished. But Haynes wasn’t interested in preparing a Behind the Music-style documentary that traced their saga in a traditional fashion. Instead, he wanted to immerse viewers in the New York avant-garde scene that made the band possible, and create an impressionistic portrait of their art. The voices of Lou Reed and Sterling Campbell are present via old footage; surviving members John Cale and Maureen Tucker are the primary narrators. They bring a different perspective to the story since Reed’s version of V.U. history was dominant for so long, even if it means the brilliant post-Cale albums don’t get nearly enough screen time. But the overall effect is mesmerizing, giving you an incredible sense of where this band came from, why they mattered and why they were destined to inevitably, gloriously flame out. - Rolling StoneCo-presented with Next Chapter Records<iframe-embed src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hWq7a8Tin8g" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="true" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" height="608" width="1080" style="" metaposition="flex-start" metatype="youtube"></iframe-embed>

The Velvet Underground (2021)

RESCHEDULED FROM FEBRUARY 16THCrawl out of your winter cocoon to enjoy a long afternoon in creative community. A bounty of artists will blanket the downstairs stage. Be cozy, be you, bring your knitting or whathaveyou. Come solo, bring a friend, bring potluck treats to share. Coffee and chai provided. $10-20 sliding scale suggested contribution. No one turned away for lack of funds.

Endless Butter

$20 Advance / $25 Door / $10 LivestreamThe Mike Block Trio, featuring Joe K. Walsh (mandolin/vocals) and Zachariah Hickman (bass/vocals), is led by cellist, singer, and composer Mike Block, hailed by Gramophone Magazine as “one of the bravest, most intriguing musicians on the American fusion scene.” The trio infuses American roots music with contemporary and international influences, bringing a fresh and personal perspective to the acoustic music world.<iframe-embed src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZaF4f6ybjOc" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="true" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" height="518" width="921" style="" metaposition="flex-start" metatype="youtube"></iframe-embed>

Mike Block Trio

$20 Advance / $25 Door / $10 LivestreamBreathing new life into the ancient Spanish-Jewish language, Nani creates a bridge between the past and the future with socially relevant lyrics that celebrate migration, gender, and female empowerment.As a singer, composer, trombonist, and pianist, her solo performance invites listeners into a world that is both timeless and contemporary. Her songs weave together stories of Nani’s grandmother with present-day narratives, blending the sounds and scents of the marketplace with raw, flamenco-inspired vocals, soulful trombone harmonies, and heart-wrenching piano. This immersive experience is enhanced by electronic tracks from her laptop, creating a rich, elemental soundscape.“I play Ladino because I see the future when I look at the past.” – Nani Vazana<iframe-embed src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Gyn36CyD9ew" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="true" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" height="304" width="540" style="" metaposition="flex-start" metatype="youtube"></iframe-embed>

Nani

Saturday, Mar 22, 3:00-5:00pmHere’s a chance to see many of your friends you haven’t seen since summer and to help support the wonderful work that our local food shelf does to support everyone who needs it in our community.Please use the RSVP button above to secure your place. The meal is no charge, but donations will be accepted at the event.Woodfired pizza by Christopher Irion.

Pizza Social and Benefit Party For The Putney Foodshelf

$12 Advance / $15 DoorGordon Clark and his Vermont Comedy All Stars return for an unforgettable night of stand-up comedy.Featured performers include:Nico D’Elisa is a Burlington, VT-based comedian and musician who has been making audiences laugh for nearly five years (though she has been attempting to do so since her birth in 1991). The lead singer of Nico Suave and The Mothership, Nico was also a finalist in the 2024 Vermont’s Funniest Comedian contest. Nico has opened for SNL’s Alex Moffat and shared the stage with comedy heavyweights like Kyle Kinane and Beth Stelling. Her dramatic and unhinged storytelling, often laden with (impressive) singing and (mediocre) dancing, makes her a comedian to watch out for.Al Ghanekar is a stand-up comedian in the Maine comedy scene. He was born Dallas, TX where all he did was drink baby formula for 7 months before his parents moved.After leaving the acting world, he developed an interest in stand-up comedy in 2015. Since then Al has performed all over New England, hosted for national headliners at Funnybone Comedy Club in the midwest. He has performed in different parts of the U.S., Sydney, Australia and Mumbai, India.And he learned that if you are going to write a bio for your website, always write in the 3rd person to make yourself look like you're important enough that someone else wrote your bio.Meredith Gordon is a local Vermont standup who has opened for national headliners including Michael Ian Black, Ron Funches, Cameron Esposito and many others. She's also taken part in the Gilda Laugh Fest and the Portland Comedy Fest. Meredith has been a Vermont’s Funniest Comedian finalist and a two-time winner of the Seven Daysies Best VT comic award, and can be seen throughout Vermont, either doing comedy or playing mom to her two amazing children!Comedian, writer and actor Adam Groppman grew up in Massachusetts but became a comedian in Los Angeles, where he graduated from the Second City Conservatory, studied method acting and jumped into stand-up. Adam has performed at comedy clubs around the country and at festivals in San Diego, Palm Springs, Ventura Harbor, Burbank, Boston, Big Fire, Portland Maine and Vermont. He has written and starred in short films at the HBO Aspen, Montreal JFL, Smithwicks Cat Laughs and Idyllwild festivals. Adam's group Sketch Armstrong was seen at Sacramento All Sketch and SF SketchFest and at the premium LA venues Comedy Central Stage and UCBLA and the variety show Comedy Cocktail with Workaholics &amp; Jordan Peele. Adam has written for the LA Weekly and his collection of real stories of Southern California, An Imaginary Real Place- is available on Amazon. His piece in the national hit show Mortified has been acclaimed and you may have seen him in comedic national TV commercials. Adam likes mustard, Pomeranians &amp; cash.Gordon Clark (The Host!) is proof that you can teach an old dog new tricks. A lifelong organizer and activist, he took up comedy when he was nearing 60… and never looked back. Mostly because it hurts his neck when he turns that way.Gordon is the director of the nonprofit Vermont Comedy All Stars, through which he produces and hosts monthly standup comedy showcase specials in Burlington (at the iconic Nectar’s) and Montpelier (Bent Nails Bistro), as well as the quarterly showcase here at the Next Stage Arts Theater in Putney. He lives in Burlington with his wife, dog and cat.

$22 Advance / $25 Door / $10 LivestreamSol y Canto is an award-winning Pan-Latin ensemble led by Puerto Rican/Argentine singer and percussionist Rosi Amador and New Mexican guitarist, singer, and composer Brian Amador. Known for making their music accessible to both Spanish- and non-Spanish-speaking audiences of all ages, Sol y Canto features Rosi’s crystalline voice and Brian’s lush Spanish guitar, alongside inventive compositions. Occasionally, the group is joined by virtuoso musicians from Latin America and the U.S.Sol y Canto’s original songs are distinguished by poetic, often quirky lyrics set against a backdrop of varied musical styles with surprising twists. Their performances can make you dance, laugh, cry, and sigh—all in one concert. Their arrangements of classic and contemporary Latin tunes are always fresh and original. With Brian’s intricate guitar playing, Rosi’s rhythmic drive on cajón and bongos, and a liberal use of vocal improvisation, the duo often sounds like a much larger ensemble.Since 1994, Sol y Canto has brought audiences to their feet at venues from the Kennedy Center to the California World Music Festival, Boston’s Symphony Hall, Puerto Rico’s Museo de Arte, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art, as well as countless club shows and house concerts. The Boston Globe hails them as “sublime ambassadors of the Pan-Latin tradition.” Music critic Norman Weinstein of the Christian Science Monitor and Boston Phoenix observes:“Every Sol y Canto album is a demonstration of what the poet Federico García Lorca identified as deep song. Always, they evoke the sensual splendor of simply being vitally, vividly alive in a magical and mysterious universe. Brian Amador is a Spanish modernist poet in the guise of a musician…Together, Rosi and Brian Amador create a musical marriage made in heaven.”<iframe-embed src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EEd_EYJ2CIQ" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="true" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" height="518" width="921" style="" metaposition="flex-start" metatype="youtube"></iframe-embed>The Soubrettes is a vocal ensemble under the umbrella of the Vermont Jazz Center, led by director/arranger Anna Patton. The group performs intricate vocal harmony arrangements of swing, jazz, and blues, as well as songs by contemporary songwriters. A soubrette is a term from musical theater referring to the non-leading lady, who is often more worldly, instrumental in the plot, and funnier than the lead. These are the kinds of songs the group tends to perform—songs with wit, sass, and plenty of character.Sol y Canto is excited to welcome The Soubrettes for an unforgettable first-time collaboration, featuring a delightful mix of stunning arrangements for the chorus, including a lively Cuban classic with an audience sing-along, along with original works by beloved contemporary Latin musicians. This special concert will also invite the audience to join in with vocal improvisations and singing, guided by the talented Rosi Amador, creating a truly immersive musical experience.

Sol y Canto Trio with special guests The Soubrettes

Please join a “Putney Community Song-Along” at Next Stage Arts.The sing-along coincides with the March Putney Community Supper. Supper attendees areencouraged to follow their meal with a healthy dose of singing upstairs in the main performingspace.Rich Grumbine will lead the singing and provide guitar accompaniment. Audience members willtake turns making song requests from a digital songbook of over 100 well known songs. Thelyrics will be projected on a screen for all to see. Songs from many traditions (folk, goldenoldies, gospel, Beatles, old pop and rock, children’s, and show tunes) are included.The event is free, open to the public, and accessible to people with disabilities.For more information, please contact Rich Grumbine at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="mailto:richgrumbine1@gmail.com">richgrumbine1@gmail.com</a> or NextStage Arts at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="mailto:info@nextstagearts.org">info@nextstagearts.org</a>

David &amp; Albert Maysles, 1h 23mTwo years after the landmark Lonely Boy brought cinema vérité techniques backstage, the Maysles Brothers hitched a ride with the Fab Four on their first trans-Atlantic trip. Although Richard Lester would (lightly) fictionalize similar scenarios in A Hard Day’s Night, no camera before or since ever got so close to capturing John, Paul, George and Ringo in anything like their natural state; you can almost see the walls coming up as they realize how unavoidably public their lives are about to become. This DVD version, retitled The First U.S. Visit (originally released as What’s Happening! The Beatles in the U.S.A.), swaps out some scenes highlighting the drudgery of promo-tour obligations in favor of the band’s Ed Sullivan Show performances. - Rolling Stone

The Beatles: The First U.S. Visit

$40 film &amp; dinner (Space limited! Advance reservation required by 3/2) / $8 film onlyFeast and Film, a new series from Next Stage, invites you to an evening of film with an optional dinner add-on. The dinners will be themed around the films, offering a unique opportunity for community engagement.Our first film is The Taste of Things, starring Juliette Binoche. The film screening will be followed by a three-course classic French dinner, served at the new Putney Diner, which will craft a country French menu using ingredients sourced from local farms. The first course features a frisée salad with lardons and a poached egg, followed by a choice of a traditional country chicken stew with vegetables and rice, or a vegetarian Tarbais (white bean) fricassee as the main course. For dessert, we’ll indulge in French chocolate mousse. The cost for the dinner and film is $40 per person, exclusive of tip and alcohol. Beer and wine will be available for purchase. Admission to the film only is $8.The series is curated by Deborah Krasner, Putney’s own James Beard Award winner and author of seven books on food, design, and kitchens. Deborah will provide introductions to the films.This series is supported in part by a grant from Vermont Humanities.<hr>About the film:The Taste of Things Directed by Tran Anh Hung, 2h 16mCook Eugenie and her boss, Dodin, have grown fond of each other over the course of 20 years. Their evolving relationship inspires dishes that impress the world’s most illustrious chefs. When Dodin faces Eugenie’s reluctance to commit, he begins to cook for her in a bid to win her heart.<iframe-embed src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cKKCGtoIOVY" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="true" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" height="608" width="1080" style="" metaposition="flex-start" metatype="youtube"></iframe-embed>

The Taste of Things (2023)

$22 Advance / $25 At the Door / $10 LivestreamNext Stage Arts and Twilight Music present the folk music duos Sons of Town Hall and Alice Howe &amp; Freebo.A Sons of Town Hall show is more than just a concert—it's an immersive experience like no other. American songwriter and author David Berkeley and British songwriter and producer Ben Parker are the men beneath the hats in this transatlantic folk duo. They're also the stars of the hilarious radio-theatre podcast Madmen Cross the Water.Sons of Town Hall are creating a completely new performance genre: part live concept album, part performance art. The duo conjures their timeless, mythic universe under the aliases Josiah Chester Jones and George Ulysses Brown—19th-century vagabonds who roam the world in a hand-built boat, fleeing troubled pasts and searching for adventure and love.Weaving wild tales between their heartbreaking and rousing songs, Sons of Town Hall take audiences on a deeply imaginative journey at every show. For fans of Simon and Garfunkel, Tom Waits, and Monty Python, concertgoers are uplifted and inspired, transfixed and transformed—entranced by the duo's harmonies and immersed in the tragic beauty of the human condition.<iframe-embed src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GFCCQDlg2LY" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="true" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" height="586" width="1044" style="" metaposition="flex-start" metatype="youtube"></iframe-embed>Two uniquely compelling singer/songwriters, Alice Howe &amp; Freebo have performed as a duo since 2017, blending rock bass legend Freebo's fretless stylings with Alice’s soulful, impeccably tuned vocals. Best known for his ten years playing bass with Bonnie Raitt, Freebo has toured and recorded with some of the greatest artists of his generation, including John Mayall, Ringo Starr, Crosby, Stills &amp; Nash, Maria Muldaur, and Dr. John. For the past twenty-five years, he has been writing and performing his own original music. Alice Howe, a lifelong singer and songwriter, was recently named Best Female Artist at the International Acoustic Music Awards. She recorded her latest album, Circumstance, at the iconic FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama.<iframe-embed src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xatre6XS73Q" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="true" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" height="586" width="1044" style="" metaposition="flex-start" metatype="youtube"></iframe-embed>

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