Rockabilly Hall of Famer Marty Wendell steers his 60-year career to Stage 33 Live on Saturday, May 15, 2027, for a 3:00 matinee. The Fretbenders open. Tickets are $20 in advance through stage33live.com, or at the door as available. Only 40 tickets will be sold. Advance tickets guarantee entry. Advance sales will close at midnight the day before the show, or when 40 tickets are sold. All proceeds go to the performers. Read the press release.
TICKETS SOON
• Seating is limited to 40. Advance ticket sales will automatically close once 40 tickets are sold — or at midnight the day before the show if it hasn’t sold out.
• An advance ticket guarantees that you’ll get in if it sells out.
• You can order up to six tickets per transaction. NO RESELLERS.
• A Paypal account is not required, but Paypal does process the transaction.
• The transaction fee is included in the ticket price so that the performers receive the full amount. All ticket money goes to the performers. We work with them to set the ticket price — all workers deserve fair pay, and artists are skilled workers.
• That said, we’re all volunteers, even the people doing pro-level work. There are options to support Stage 33 Live with an additional $2 or $5 per ticket to help us pay the bills and maintain the gear, and from time to time even fund improvements. These options are optional… there’s no shame in not selecting one.
• After completing a ticket purchase, a “success” page should pop up and you should get an email from Paypal. (Why do we use evil Paypal? Because their nonprofit processing fee is the lowest we can find to keep ticket prices as affordable for everybody as possible.) You should also get a confirmation email from us, but that one may take a day or two.
• If you don’t have a credit or debit card or don’t do online transactions, that’s cool. Drop us a line at stage33@stage33live.com and we’ll work it out.
• There are no brick-and-mortar outlets to get tickets.
• The name you give will be on a list at the door. All you have to do is show up. There are no physical tickets.
• We won’t sell your info. We won’t even add you to our email newsletter because man is it ever annoying when places do that without consent. Our newsletter is opt-in or by request.
• All chairs are first-come first-served for everybody. There’s really no bad seats, but up close is cooler. Come a little early to lock in your choice.
• Tickets at the door AS AVAILABLE. We can’t process plastic at the door, cash is best.
• Questions? Drop us a line at stage33@stage33live.com or text/voicemail 802-289-0148. (Email is best, and text is better than voicemail. Protip: We don’t have actual staff to answer the phone.)
Marty Wendell with The Fretbenders at Stage 33 Live
BELLOWS FALLS — Marty Wendell grew up listening to music on an old Philco Radio; in the mid-’50s, much of that music started coming from Sun Records in Memphis, Tennessee. When his mother brought home the first album released by Sun, Johnny Cash – Hot and Blue Guitar, Marty was mesmerized. With an old guitar and an Alfred’s Chord Book he learned how to play every song. After he played for the first time in front of a live audience at a church talent show, he was hooked… he’s been performing for 60 years.
In the mid ’60s he recorded his song Hey Hey Mama which received strong airplay and earned Marty a spot as an opener for Johnny Cash in 1968 when he was promoting his Live at Folsom Prison album along with The Carter Family, Carl Perkins, and the Statler Brothers. This was also an opportunity for Marty to work with the Godfather of Rockabilly, Carl Perkins. In 1971 he was reunited with the Cash troupe for a sold-out show at the Boston Garden. Throughout the course of his career Marty has shared the stage with some of the biggest names in music.
In the late ’60s and early ’70s Marty was often a featured guest on TV Teen Dance Shows while maintaining a grueling touring schedule. In 1977 he started a music festival that ran for over 20 years, featuring top regional artists as well as legends. He’s never stopped recording and working the concert circuit. In 2002 he returned to his roots by going to Memphis, Tennessee and becoming one of select group of artists who have recorded in the legendary Sun Studio.
His album Rock & Roll Days, featuring both original and classic rockabilly songs, became a contender for the Best Americana Album in the 2020 Grammy Awards. The followup album, Risky Business, was also nomitaed for the best Americana album Grammy. 2025 saw the release of a new Americana album, Telecaster Cowboy following his two-volume Early Years collection celebrating his 60th Anniversary as an artist.
The Fretbenders are Bob and Diane Kordas, with a fun, toe-tapping sound based in blues, roots, americana, and a dash of folk, country, and rock – where a down-home barbecue meets a speakeasy. Diane and Bob have played in various New England swing, bluegrass, and roots bands through the years, honing their fun stage presence and inclusive style.
Rockabilly Hall of Famer Marty Wendell steers his 60-year career to Stage 33 Live on Saturday, May 15, 2027, for a 3:00 matinee. The Fretbenders open. Tickets are $20 in advance through stage33live.com, or at the door as available. Only 40 tickets will be sold. Advance tickets guarantee entry. Advance sales will close at midnight the day before the show, or when 40 tickets are sold. All proceeds go to the performers.
Stage 33 Live is a casual and intimate industrial-rustic listening room in a former factory hosting local, regional, and national performances and presentations of original material. No bar or kitchen, the stage is the mission; coffee / soda / juice / water and weird snacks available by donation. More information about the nonprofit, all-volunteer project, and this and other upcoming events, online at stage33live.com
Stage 33 Live gratefully acknowledges the help of so many individuals without whom none of this would be able to happen, and institutional support this season from The Island Corporation, WOOL-FM, Guilford Sound, and the Rockingham Arts & Museum Project to help fund improvements and maintenance, and generally smooth out a lot of the rough edges. Stage 33 Live is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, and all donations are deductible to the fullest extent. Volunteers run the thing from stem to stern.
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