Archive: Category: NEXT

A matinee pair of under-the-radar bands at Stage 33 Live in Bellows Falls, Vermont, exactly the kind of thing Stage 33 Live was born for. Sunday, May 18, 2025, at 3:00 PM, $10 in advance through stage33live.com or at the door as available. Only 40 tickets will be sold. All proceeds go to the bands. The performances will be recorded and filmed. Read the press release.

Sled Wrenches and Bird Boombox at Stage 33 Live

BELLOWS FALLS — A matinee pair of under-the-radar bands at Stage 33 Live in Bellows Falls, Vermont: Sled Wrenches from up in northeast Vermont, and Bird Boombox also from up there but the other side of the state, on Sunday, May 18, 2025, at 3:00 PM. This is exactly the kind of thing Stage 33 Live was born for… to give emerging acts a shot.

Sled Wrenches plays original country, blues, rock, island, and a bit of jazz. Some might call it Yacht Rock, but they call it Boogernose Eclectic — they’ve clearly got a fun comedic streak. There will be somewhere between six and nine of them squeezed onto the little stage. Their debut album “Hound Dog 5” is out, and they’re working on the followup.

Bird Boombox is an alt-rock trio self-described as “alternative angst”, but they’re not shoegazey and emo. Elsewhere in their assets the phrase “a vessel for the vibrations of the natural world and a catalyst for community connection” comes up, which isn’t as catchy but is more accurate.

This matinee show will be a voyage of discovery — a chance to get in on the ground floor with these emerging acts.

Sled Wrenches and Bird Boombox will play the Stage 33 Live listening room at 33 Bridge Street in Bellows Falls, Vermont, on Sunday, May 18, 2025 at 3:00 PM. Tickets are $10 in advance through stage33live.com or at the door as available. Advance tickets guarantee entry. Only 40 tickets will be sold. All proceeds go to the bands. The performances will be recorded and filmed.

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, the Vermont Arts Council, Guilford Sound, WOOL-FM, the Rockingham Arts & Museum Project, and Chroma Technologies 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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Singer-songwriters Connor Garvey and Putnam Smith will perform on Thursday, May 29 at 7:00 PM, Stage 33 Live, 33 Bridge Street in Bellows Falls, Vermont. Tickets are $15 in advance through stage33live.com or $20 at the door as available. Advance tickets guarantee entry. Only 40 tickets will be sold. The performances will be recorded and filmed. Read the press release.

Connor Garvey and Putnam Smith at Stage 33 Live

BELLOWS FALLS — Connor Garvey is an award-winning singer-songwriter with the amiable presence of an entertainer, the lyrical depth of a poet, and the enchantment of a storyteller. His engaging performance style, accomplished musicianship, and memorable melodies leave audiences uplifted and inspired through a positive message delivered in a way that shows you can be optimistic and self-aware without being boring. His lyrics project a depth and sincerity that allow the observant listener to find meaning beyond the catchy hook.

Onstage, Garvey is driven by the shared, spontaneous moments that can only come from live performance. He thrives in the intimacy and connection.

This combination of songwriting and performance strength has earned Garvey numerous awards including being named winner of the Kerrville New Folk, Rocky Mountain Folks Fest, SolarFest, Wildflower Art and Music Festival and Maine Songwriters Association songwriting competitions, voted as Most Wanted artist at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, nominated for Best Male Performer in the New England Music Awards, and a top new singer songwriter by Sirius XM’s The Coffeehouse. It has also put him on stage at many of the country’s most notable folk festivals and intimate venues.

“Quality song-craft from a richly experienced, acclaimed musician.” – Americana UK

“Connor’s got the spark: a creative spark that literally shines all around him when he’s on stage… He has a way of turning a phrase or skewing a song scenario so that it makes the listener take note. That’s a real talent.” – No Depression

Putnam Smith could be an old-world troubadour fresh from the 19th Century… he lives on a working homestead in Vermont, plays his great-grandfather’s banjo, and prints the jackets of his CDs on an antique letterpress. Yet this rootsy multi-instrumentalist songwriter, steeped as he is in old-time Appalachian traditions, is very much a storyteller for the modern age.

Called “One To Watch” by Rob Reinhart of Acoustic Cafe, and a 2016 Falcon Ridge Emerging Artist, he’s had two albums reach into the top 5 on the national Folk & Bluegrass DJ Charts and has performed all across the nation. Putnam is also part of the duo The Early Risers with his partner Ashley Storrow.

Connor Garvey and Putnam Smith will perform on Thursday, May 29 at 7:00 PM, Stage 33 Live, 33 Bridge Street in Bellows Falls, Vermont. Tickets are $15 in advance through stage33live.com or $20 at the door as available. Advance tickets guarantee entry. Only 40 tickets will be sold. The performances will be recorded and filmed.

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, the Vermont Arts Council, Guilford Sound, WOOL-FM, the Rockingham Arts & Museum Project, and Chroma Technologies 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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A pair of exceptional performing songwriters, Phil Henry and Erin Ash Sullivan, will play a 3:00 matinee at Stage 33 Live on September 7, 2025. Tickets are $20 in advance through stage33live.com or at the door as available. Advance tickets guarantee entry. Only 40 tickets will be sold. The performances will be recorded and filmed. Read the press release.

Phil Henry and Erin Ash Sullivan at Stage 33 Live

BELLOWS FALLS — A pair of exceptional performing songwriters, Phil Henry and Erin Ash Sullivan, will play a 3:00 matinee at Stage 33 Live on September 7, 2025. Tickets are $20 in advance through stage33live.com or at the door as available. Advance tickets guarantee entry. Only 40 tickets will be sold.

Phil Henry is a singer-songwriter steeped in folk tradition, but not bound by it. He’s penned a treasure chest of relatable tunes about both everyday and extraordinary life, building detailed worlds and characters with vivid imagery, upbeat rhythm, and strong melodic sensibility. His songs are often described in cinematic terms by journalists and fans. Although he studied the masters in music school, he was drawn to the DIY pluckiness of folk music. He’s earned contest wins at SolarFest and Susquehanna Music and Arts, and showcase and main stage slots at Falcon Ridge, was showcased at Kerrville and the NorthEast Regional Folk Alliance, and has played celebrated venues like Club Passim and Caffe Lena. No carbon-copy of popular songs or folk radio, his art is an expression of individuality and craftsmanship.

Erin Ash Sullivan was half of the folk duo Edith O. along with Amy Speace in New York City in the ’90s. They performed regularly at NYC venues like the Bitter End and CBGB Gallery, and released the album Tattooed Queen in 1998 to critical raves. It’s possible that the band broke up when Erin — a sleep-deprived mother of a six-week-old — forgot to show up for the band’s record release show. After a hiatus to focus on her family and career in education, she returned to writing and performing. In 2022 she was selected as a “Most Wanted” performer from Grassy Hill Emerging Artist Showcase at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, and was John Platt’s selection for the Folk DJ Showcase at NERFA. She was the recipient of the Mark Erelli Judge’s Choice Award in the New England Songwriting Competition; a Songwriter Serenade semifinalist; a finalist in the 2021 Rose Garden Performing Songwriter Competition; and a finalist in the 2021 Mid-Atlantic Song Contest. She is also the three-time winner of her hometown’s Fourth of July pie eating contest.

Phil Henry and Erin Ash Sullivan will play a 3:00 matinee at Stage 33 Live on September 7, 2025. Tickets are $20 in advance through stage33live.com or at the door as available. Advance tickets guarantee entry. Only 40 tickets will be sold. The performances will be recorded and filmed.

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, the Vermont Arts Council, Guilford Sound, WOOL-FM, the Rockingham Arts & Museum Project, and Chroma Technologies 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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Mark Mandeville & Raianne Richards and Luminous Crush (in their acoustic duo format) will play Stage 33 Live on Sunday, September 28, 2025, at 6:00 PM. Tickets are $20 in advance through stage33live.com or at the door as available. Advance tickets guarantee entry. Only 40 tickets will be sold. Read the press release.

Mark Mandeville & Raianne Richards and Luminous Crush at Stage 33 Live

BELLOWS FALLS — A pair of top-notch acoustic duos, Mark Mandeville & Raianne Richards and Luminous Crush, will be a study in simlarities and contrasts at Stage 33 Live on Sunday, September 28, 2025, at 6:00 PM.

Mark Mandeville & Raianne Richards’ unmistakable vocal harmonies, carefully-crafted and mindful lyrics, and down-to-earth personae are soul-soothing, even when they’re singing about difficult things. Their songs poetically reflect the experiences of factory workers, teachers, community organizers, and natives of post-industrial mill towns. Accompanying themselves on guitar, harmonica, ukulele, penny whistle, electric bass, and most uniquely clarinet, their live performances are musically captivating and spiritually uplifting, carefully balanced between serious and humorous. These prolific and hardworking artists have contributed over seventeen albums and tour consistently throughout the US and Canada.

“Steeped in references to nature, the environment and dilemmas of modern life, their beautifully harmonised singing is soothing to the soul, despite the sometimes troubling subject matter. Their harmonies are intuitive and exquisite.” — Eilís Boland, Lonesome Highway (Ireland)

Luminous Crush are Laura Molinelli and Bay Campbell… more uptempo than Mark & Raianne, but with a similar social conscience and depth. Also the leaders of a prolific electric dream-pop band, for this show they’ll be playing their bluegrass / alt country / Americana pop-rock in an acoustic duo configuration — something they do with great heart and impressively well.

“Luminous Crush live up to their name: They dazzle with brightly appointed music, and they’re easy to love.” — Jordan Adams, Seven Days

Mark Mandeville & Raianne Richards and Luminous Crush will play Stage 33 Live on Sunday, September 28, 2025, at 6:00 PM. Tickets are $20 in advance through stage33live.com or at the door as available. Advance tickets guarantee entry. Only 40 tickets will be sold. The performances will be recorded and filmed. More info at the stage33live.com website.

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, the Vermont Arts Council, Guilford Sound, WOOL-FM, the Rockingham Arts & Museum Project, and Chroma Technologies 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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Jazz guitarist Draa Hobbs celebrates the release of his new album with a concert at Stage 33 Live in Bellows Falls, Vermont, on October 19, 2025 (time TBD). Tickets are a discounted $15 in advance through stage33live.com, or $20 at the door as available. Advance tickets guarantee entry. Only 40 tickets will be sold. Read the press release.

Draa Hobbs Album Release Show at Stage 33 Live

BELLOWS FALLS — Draa Hobbs has played and studied with some of the world’s best jazz players and composers — celebrated jazz guitarists including Jimmy Raney, Gene Bertoncini, and Peter Leitch, and the legendary Hungarian guitarist Attila Zoller. Under Atilla’s mentorship, Draa performed in clubs, concerts, and radio with a fairly staggering list of greats: multi-instrumentalist David Amram; pianists Roland Hanna, Don Friedman, Larry Willis; bassists George Mraz, Ron McClure, Michael Formanek; saxophonists Lee Konitz, and Nick Brignola… to name a few.

Since then he has performed and worked with Eliot Zigmund, Ron McClure, Jed Levy, Allison Miller, T-Bone Wolk, Dave Shapiro, and others. He has recorded with the Steve Sonntag Quintet, Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Lisa McCormick, drummer James Wormworth, and bassist Tony Garnier (known for his work with Lucinda Williams, Asleep At The Wheel, and as musical director and bassist for Bob Dylan). Draa is also featured on Ed Eastridge’s recording “The House With Four Chimneys,” performing the music of classical composer Erik Satie.

He is currently enjoying a decade-long collaboration with the celebrated guitarist John Stowell, and performs with many of the best players in New England.

As an educator, Draa has taught at Marlboro College, Amherst College, the Putney School, the Vermont Jazz Center, and Plymouth State University, where he ran the guitar program and coached ensembles.

Draa Hobbs celebrates the release of his new album with a concert at Stage 33 Live, 33 Bridge Street in Bellows Falls, Vermont, on October 19, 2025 (TIME TBD). Tickets are a discounted $15 in advance through stage33live.com, or $20 at the door as available. Advance tickets guarantee entry. Only 40 tickets will be sold.

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, the Vermont Arts Council, Guilford Sound, WOOL-FM, the Rockingham Arts & Museum Project, and Chroma Technologies 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.

Acclaimed social justice singer-songwriter Heather Mae and the stunningly talented Olivia Nied will play a 6:00 PM concert at Stage 33 Live in Bellows Falls, Vermont, on October 19, 2025. Tickets are a discounted $15 in advance through stage33live.com, or $20 at the door as available. Advance tickets guarantee entry. Only 40 tickets will be sold. Presented in association with Bellows Falls Pride. Read the press release.

Heather Mae and Olivia Nied at Stage 33 Live

BELLOWS FALLS — Heather Mae is an acclaimed social justice singer-songwriter, fearlessly baring her soul in her music, creating an intimate space of shared vulnerability for her listeners. Her unbridled honesty, both on and off stage, has cultivated a devoted fanbase and garnered recognition including accolades like the winner of the Rocky Mountain Folks Fest Songwriter Showcase and Northeast Regional Folk Alliance Artist-Activist of the Year award.

Her luminescent 2019 release, Glimmer, drew parallels to vocal powerhouses Adele and Sara Bareilles. With storytelling depth reminiscent of Florence Welch, each song unveils a portrait of resilience and self-discovery.

Mae is poised to make an impact with two groundbreaking records slated for release in 2025. She embarked on a mission to address the stark gender disparity for music producers — a mere 4% representation by women. She rallied a dynamic collective of women and non-binary talents in Nashville, assembling luminaries like producer ZDAN and Lollies, alongside guest artists such as Grammy award-winning musician Allison Russell and the extraordinary duo Sistastrings. Two electrifying albums in two distinct genres were crafted, showcasing the unparalleled talent and versatility of women and non-binary music makers.

Olivia Nied’s poignant songs reflect her unique life experience living as a transgender, neurodivergent young person. Trained at Hampshire College, Goldsmiths University of London, Berklee College of Music, and the Vermont Jazz Center, Olivia is an innovative composer, arranger, and producer.

Her professional music career began at age thirteen when she was invited to perform at the Ukulele Festival of Great Britain. At age sixteen she performed in clubs in Paris, and later in cafes in Holland. She has since performed across the US as a solo artist and session player as well as with various groups and ensembles exploring rock, indie-pop, new-grass, and jazz.

When not recording or performing Olivia utilizes music in her work with autistic and neurodiverse young people.

Heather Mae and Olivia Nied will play a 6:00 PM concert at Stage 33 Live at 33 Bridge Street in Bellows Falls, Vermont, on October 19, 2025. Tickets are a discounted $15 in advance through stage33live.com, or $20 at the door as available. Advance tickets guarantee entry. Only 40 tickets will be sold. Presented in association with Bellows Falls Pride.

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, the Vermont Arts Council, Guilford Sound, WOOL-FM, the Rockingham Arts & Museum Project, and Chroma Technologies 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.

Anachronistic blues-roots-hillbilly backwater rocker Michael Tarbox brings his rough-hewn guitar and voice to Stage 33 Live in Bellows Falls, Vermont, for a 7:00 PM show on December 6, 2025. At Michael’s request, throaty post-punk Wojcicki will open with a solo set. Tickets are $20 in advance through stage33live.com or at the door as available. Advance tickets guarantee entry. Only 40 tickets will be sold. Read the press release.

Michael Tarbox and Wojcicki (solo) at Stage 33 Live

BELLOWS FALLS — Michael Tarbox writes songs anchored in rock ‘n’ roll, backwater blues, hillbilly music, and country — rough-hewn, immediate, and hard-won. The Chicago Reader calls his singing “ageless.” His gospel-tinged electric guitar playing, tough as Texas barbed wire, brings it all together. Tarbox’s songs have been used in the television shows Sons of Anarchy and Supernatural.

“My inspirations are musicians from a world that’s vanished. I let them guide me, but my goal is to create something new,” says Tarbox.

Tarbox began his career with The Tarbox Ramblers, a hard-hitting quartet that released well-received albums on Rounder and played countless shows throughout the U.S. and Canada. The group featured both Tarbox’s own songs and his unusual arrangements of old blues and string-band music. Robert Plant saw the band play and recruited them, on the spot, to open a string of concert dates. The Washington Post called The Tarbox Ramblers “a force of nature.”

“At the heart of Tarbox’s music is his guitar, as raw as it is charismatic. It creates an electricity that courses through every song.” — Twangville

“Homemade rock and roll with a dose of rattlesnake venom and gospel-drenched howling.” — All Things Considered

“Tarbox is the most evocative and distinctive blues-roots artist to come down the pike in ages.” — The Calgary Sun

At Michael’s request, Wojcicki will open. Wojcicki is the musical vehicle for Matt Sharff, a refugee of the late ’70s / early ’80s NYC punk scene, when he performed at storied venues like CBGB and Max’s Kansas City. His music betrays the influences of rock and roll, Americana, punk, and prog. He’s shared stages with Emmylou Harris, The Jayhawks, Bill Kirchen, Roky Erikson, NRBQ, Richard Lloyd, The Misfits, and Bernie Sanders among others, and has recorded and performed with Adam Yauch (Beastie Boys), T-Bone Wolk (Hall & Oates), Buddy Cage (New Riders of the Purple Sage), Jon Carroll (Starlight Vocal Band), and more.

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, the Vermont Arts Council, Guilford Sound, WOOL-FM, the Rockingham Arts & Museum Project, and Chroma Technologies 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.