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A rare live show by experimental pop collective SOOL at Stage 33 Live in association with community radio station WOOL-FM, at 33 Bridge Street in Bellows Falls VT on Thursday, August 15, 2024. It will be loud. Dancing will be encouraged. Show starts at 6:00 PM. The band will do a radio interview in the next room on WOOL-FM at 5:00, ticket holders are invited to come early and heckle them live on the air. Tickets are $10 in advance through stage33live.com or at the door. Only 40 tickets will be sold, advance tickets guarantee entry. All ticket proceeds go to the performers. The event will be recorded and filmed. Read the press release.

BELLOWS FALLS — Experimental pop collective SOOL, described by the Boston Globe as one of “the cleverest and most idiosyncratic bands” around, is a musically schizophrenic hodge-podge of experimental curiosities that you can dance to.

SOOL has been recording and making music since 1994, traversing genres in a “pin-the-tail-on-the-cosmic-monkey” approach. Their music has been featured in independent films, TV shows, and international ads.

Underlying any preposterousness is the fact that these are top-notch players who happen to enjoy getting weird.

SOOL, which only plays live sporadically, is Kevin Quinn and Neal Spaulding of the eighties underground psychedelic-pop band The Dead Monkeys, plus musician / producer / studio-rat Pete Weiss. For this show, the original drummer of The Dead Monkeys, Ken O’Keefe — who lives in Japan — joins the fun. It’s The Dead Monkeys original lineup plus Pete Weiss, or the SOOL original lineup plus Ken O’Keefe. A win either way.

This will be their first show of a tiny tour. It will be louder than most shows at Stage 33 Live. Dancing will be encouraged.

This is a 6:00 PM show on Thursday, August 15, 2024, presented in association with community radio station WOOL-FM. The band will do a radio interview in the next room on WOOL-FM at 5:00, ticket holders are invited to come early and heckle them live on the air.

At the band’s request, tickets are just $10. Only 40 tickets will be sold; advance tickets guarantee entry. Advance tickets are available through stage33live.com

Stage 33 Live is located at 33 Bridge Street in Bellows Falls VT. The event 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. More information about the nonprofit, all-volunteer project, and this and other upcoming events, online at stage33live.com

WOOL-FM “Black Sheep Radio” is a full power, non-commercial, volunteer-run community radio station supported almost entirely by memberships. More information online at wool.fm

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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Darkly hilarious and dead serious singer-songwriter Grant Peeples and globetrotting, truth-telling troubadour Fred Gillen Jr will co-headline Stage 33 Live, 33 Bridge Street in Bellows Falls, Vermont, on August 18, 2024, at 6:00 PM. Tickets are $20 in advance through stage33live.com or at the door. Advance tickets guarantee entry. Seating is limited! The event will be recorded and filmed. Read the press release.

Grant Peeples and Fred Gillen Jr at Stage 33 Live

BELLOWS FALLS — Grant Peeples is darkly hilarious and dead serious, often at the same time. Fred Gillen Jr is a globetrotting, truth-telling troubadour. Each takes a different path to the same destination.

Grant tours coast to coast and is a regular performer at The Woody Guthrie Folk Festival, the 30A Songwriters Festival, and The Florida Folk Festival. He’s the recipient of the Focus Foundation Award for Creative Excellence, which cited the “humor, compassion, and wisdom of his songs,” and their “unflinching social insight and cultural acuity.” He’s credited with eleven studio albums. He’s published three books of poetry.

Tallahassee born and raised, life started mostly simple and then got increasingly complicated. He started writing songs. He moved to Nashville. He left Nashville a year later. He got himself a night club and booked everyone from BB King to the Judds, The Temptations to George Straight, Jerry Lee Lewis to Dionne Warwick, Bonnie Raitt to Jerry Jeff Walker. He went broke in the night club business. He moved to a remote island in the Caribbean off the Miskito Coast of Nicaragua and stayed there for more than a decade before getting the itch back and a $100 guitar. He’s been playing every day and writing songs ever since. A self-described “tree-hugger that watches NASCAR,” Grant is known for his axe-sharp socio-political tunes, raucous humor, and heart-gigging ballads that keep an ever-critical eye on American culture and identity.

Fred Gillen Jr has released eleven acclaimed full-length albums, and has performed all over the U.S. and Europe. His live performances are spontaneous and full of storytelling, and he enjoys audience participation. His songs have been featured on ABC’s All My Children, NPR’s Car Talk, and CMJ’s New Music Marathon Sampler. His version of Woody Guthrie’s I Ain’t Got No Home was featured on Pete Remembers Woody, a collection of Pete Seeger’s spoken stories about Woody Guthrie. Besides playing with his heroes like Pete, he’s opened for such great artists as Merle Haggard, Todd Rundgren, and the David Bromberg Big Band. His songs incorporate elements of a huge swath of folk, rock, roots, and Americana music, and though he covers a wide variety of lyric topics, his over-arching message is simple: “we are all in this together.”

Grant Peeples and Fred Gillen Jr will perform at Stage 33 Live, 33 Bridge Street in Bellows Falls, Vermont, on August 18, 2024, at 6:00 PM. Tickets are $20 in advance through stage33live.com or at the door. Advance tickets guarantee entry. Seating is limited! The event 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 info 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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Hook-laden, hyper-clawhammer-guitar popster Taylor Abrahamse from Ontario; Steve Hartmann is also featured, and Asheville-based Sage Christie opens… three solid songwriters with stunning voices. Stage 33 Live at 33 Bridge Street in Bellows Falls, VT, on Sunday, September 8, 2024, at 7:00 PM. $20 $10! in advance through stage33live.com or at the door until sold out. Advance tickets guarantee entry. Only 40 tickets will be sold. The event will be recorded and filmed. More info and tickets at stage33live.com. Taylor and Sage will also lead a limited-space songwriting workshop / Q&A for LGBTQ+ youth ages 11-18 at 2:00, sponsored by Bellows Falls Pride. Read the press release.

Taylor Abrahamse with Steve Hartmann and Sage Christie at Stage 33 Live

BELLOWS FALLS — Stage 33 Live’s performance season begins with three solid songwriters with stunning voices: Taylor Abrahamse from Ontario, plus special guest Steve Hartmann, and Asheville-based Sage Christie opening at 33 Bridge Street in Bellows Falls, Vermont, on Sunday, September 8, 2024, at 7:00 PM. $20 $10! in advance through stage33live.com or at the door until sold out. Advance tickets guarantee entry. Only 40 tickets will be sold. The performances will be recorded and filmed.

Taylor Abrahamse defies the borders of song, gender, and genre with his/her deftly crafted, hook-laden hyper-hammerclaw pop. A Paul Simon / Jim Carrey crossbreed with an extraordinary range and a glint in the eye, Taylor is a Kerrville New Folk Winner, FAI & NERFA official performer, finalist on Canadian Idol and the Mariposa Emerging Artist Showcase, an accomplished voice actor, and co-founder of Toronto’s beloved recording studio, Silverthorn.

A co-writer with platinum-selling songwriters Liz Rodrigues (Eminem, Celine Dion), Jeff Franzel (N’Sync, Rhys Lewis, Josh Groban), and Pam Sheyne (Christina Aguilera), Taylor also writes and performs music for movies, television, and branded web projects, notably the feature film About Fate starring Emma Roberts. Original songs for animated content providers have been heard over 21 million times.

In addition to the music career, Taylor is a professional voice actor with decades of experience and hundreds of appearances, and can be heard in leading roles on Disney XD, Cartoon Network, Discovery Kids/Teletoon, Universal Kids, Nickelodeon, and PBS.

“Truly one of Canada’s most original and outstanding artists.” — Eddie Kramer, Grammy-Winning Producer/Engineer (Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Bowie, Brian May, Carly Simon, The Beatles)

“All the talent of some of the world’s mega-artists like Michael Jackson, Prince.” — Chris Birkett, Grammy Winning Producer (Sinead O’Connor)

“A voice that can do literally anything.” — Heather Kitching, Roots Music Canada at Folk Music Ontario

“Taylor has struck gold somewhere in the funky Neil Young / Randy Newman mountains.” — Lenny Stoute, Cashbox Canada

Singer-songwriter Steve Hartmann, born in Dalat Vietnam towards the end of the Vietnam War and adopted a few months later, has been described him as “the grey” between an acoustic Dave Matthews and Damion Rice. Using effects and looper pedals to highlight his dynamic vocal range and lyrically driven songs, he’s opened for major acts like Bryan Adams, Train, and Dispatch, winning over audiences with his captivating stage presence.

“Steve’s vocals are pristine.” — Chris Carrabba (Dashboard Confessional, Twin Forks)

“I was blown away… speechless.” — Livingston Taylor

Sage Christie’s voice is equal parts ballast and birdsong — steady and soaring, grounding and feather-light, rich with Janis Ian’s legacy of cultural honesty and swooning cozily close to Alison Krauss’ lullaby tone. A two-time finalist in the Kerrville New Folk songwriting competition, with awards from the Great River Folk Festival, Portland’s Folk Fest, and the Walnut Valley Festival.

“Up-and-coming singer-songwriters with sincerity and heart that match Christie are a true rarity, and are to be cherished.” — Tom Aldora, Aldora Britain Records

Taylor and Sage will also lead a casual, limited-space, LGBTQ-friendly workshop / performance / Q&A for young songwriters (and songwriter-curious) from 2:00 to 4:00 before their concert at Stage 33 Live. Limited to ten participants ages 11 to 18 in all stages of interest and accomplishment. Bellows Falls Pride is sponsoring this workshop opportunity; participation is free — registration is required, email stage33@stage33live.com

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 info 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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Global jazz by the highly regarded Julian Gerstin Sextet at Stage 33 Live, 33 Bridge Street in Bellows Falls, VT, on Sunday, September 29, 2024, at 7:00 PM. Tickets are $20 in advance through stage33live.com or at the door. Advance tickets guarantee entry. Limited seating! The performance will be recorded and filmed. Read the press release.

Julian Gerstin Sextet at Stage 33 Live

BELLOWS FALLS — Julian Gerstin has spent a lifetime playing music of the Caribbean, Africa, the Middle East, and the U.S. — funk, R&B, and jazz. He’s lived and studied in Martinique, Cuba and Ghana, mastering dozens of percussion instruments and hundreds of traditional rhythms. On a given song you might hear him playing congas, jawbone, an enormous beaded shaker, or the tanbou drum of Martinique on which he sits and uses his heel to change the pitch.

Gerstin founded the Sextet to bring his wide range of instruments and influences to a jazz setting, where they serve as a platform for his fellow musicians’ creativity. The group includes some of New England’s most creative talents: clarinet virtuoso Anna Patton; versatile trumpeter Don Anderson; pianist Eugene Uman, who like Julian ranges across traditions and from funky grooves to experimentalism; bassist Wes Brown, whose career spans gigs with early jazz master Earl “Fatha” Hines to avant-gardists like Wadada Leo Smith and Anthony Braxton; Ben James, who was John Tchicai’s drummer for several years and can both swing and go wild.

This is global jazz: music with lively Caribbean drums and sparkling trumpet, velvety clarinet and muscular piano. Music by turns lyrical and humorous, intense and peaceful, grooving and thoughtful, and always surprising.

“Global sensibilities on full display… Infusing jazz composition and instrumentation with his worldly orientation and rhythmic arsenal, Gerstin teases out the African and Caribbean elements so prevalent in jazz.” — JazzIz Magazine

“Full of danceable grooves, along with swirling irresistible ensemble playing and strong solos that are easy to listen to but far from being easy listening music… A magical musical stew.” — Ron Weinstock, Jazz and Blues Report

Julian Gerstin Sextet at Stage 33 Live, 33 Bridge Street in Bellows Falls, VT, on Sunday, September 29, 2024, at 7:00 PM. Tickets are $20 in advance through stage33live.com or at the door. Advance tickets guarantee entry. Limited seating; the performance 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 info 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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