Archive: Category: past

Ninja Monkey are the longstanding Southern Vermont champs of original rootsy rock and funky blues. Local heroes Ezra Veitch, Josh Maiocco, Michael Lenox, Garth Tichy, and John Janiszyn will be playing an all-Monkey, all-ages, everybody-dance show on Saturday night, August 24 at Stage 33 Live; door at 6:00, show at 7:00, $5 suggested donation.

Ninja Monkey has been around for more than ten years and have hit their stride with just the right balance of both tight and loose, blending quality musicianship and high-spirited fun. It’s somehow meaningful that they almost called themselves “Frikin’ Chicken and the Plastic Quesadilla Band.”

This won’t be a listening-room event; this will be loud good-time Southern-Vermont Rock. The floor will be open for dancing.

All ages. Suggested donation $5 at the door, more if you can. Door at 6, band at 7. Saturday, August 24. Stage 33 Live at 33 Bridge Street in Bellows Falls, Vermont.

The performance will be recorded and filmed.

Day of show: Online sales are now closed, but tickets are available at the door. We have 40 chairs and they’re first-come / first-served, and then plenty of standing room. If you didn’t make an advance entry donation to reserve a chair, you can bring your own portable seating if you wish… just in case you need it. Door at 6, show at 7 sharp, suggested entry donation is $20 (more if you can – 100% supports the library).

Saturday, August 31. Door at 6:00 PM, show at 7:00 sharp.

This concert featuring David Rosane & The Zookeepers, Vermont’s poet laureate Chard diNiord, Owen Nied, Verandah Porche, Patty Carpenter, members from the cast of the World Under Wonder Playhouse steampunk-inspired original musical adaptation of “Beauty and the Beast”, and perhaps more TBA caps off the Zookeeper’s annual library fundraising tour this year.

Tickets:

Also this summer, David Rosane & the Zookeepers (whose latest album, Book of ZOO, won the 2019 Tammie Award for best Vermont rock album), will be touring in support of rural libraries. A self-described ‘fringe’ band known for delivering humor, intellectualism, and drama in equal doses, The Zookeepers have dubbed the tour “Across the ZOO-niverse: a 2019 Library-Space Odyssey and Benefit Tour, Rockin’ Vermont for Literacy, Democracy and Free Speech.”

The band’s frontman, David Rosane, said, “What started out last year as a grassroots effort led by a trio of crazed bookworms has blossomed. We now have the full-fledged support of the Vermont Department of Libraries, lots of media attention, a recent appearance at the Vermont State Legislature, a bunch of local business sponsors, and towns inviting us to play for them!”

The band’s first library-fundraising tour received considerable media coverage — from VPR to WCAX and Seven Days and many local papers — which helped shine a light on the issues facing libraries as these legendary institutions see their revenue decrease across the country at a time when they are becoming increasingly crucial to the public interest. The tour caught the eye of the Vermont Department of Libraries, which is now helping the band to reiterate and expand their efforts.

The concert in Bellows Falls will be the last stop on the Zookeepers’ 2019 Library Benefit Tour. This year’s tour, featuring Don Sinclair on bass and guitar, and Jennifer Grossi on vocals, synthesizer, and percussion, will also pass through Burlington, Cabot, Enosburg, Rochester, Peacham, Bradford, Derby Line, Barre, Middletown Springs, Weston, Groton, Marshfield, Hardwick, Chelsea, and East Fairfield.

“All donations raised at the door of each show go to the local library and their programs and needs”, said Rosane. “In addition to fundraising, we really want to draw attention to the role that libraries play in our towns and villages. They aren’t just a place for books — they’re community centers, an open space for public events and life-long learning. Or people can just hang and socialize… a cool place for the lonely, the elderly, and special populations.”

Band member Jennifer Grossi adds, “The collective awareness on how vital libraries are to our lives and liberty is growing. In many communities in Vermont, libraries are the only places some people can access the internet — imagine how crucial that factor can be in making voting decisions, for example, or even getting inspired to vote.”

Vermont has the highest number of libraries per capita in the United States, ranging from beautifully historic to tiny, and from cutting-edge to make-do. All of them are pillars of the common good, a place to gather and network, access ideas and resources.

In raising funds for libraries, the Zookeepers help answer needs ranging from the purchase of new computers, facility improvement, financing kid’s programs involving health awareness and event-based citizen science, to the purchase of environmentally friendly materials. As frontman Rosane says, “A little help can go a long way.”

For more information:
davidrosane@gmail.com
www.davidandthezoo.com
www.facebook.com/davidrosaneandthezookeepers/

Acoustic singer-songwriters Carl Goulet and Carl Beverly play an intimate early-evening show at Stage 33 Live on September 8.

BELLOWS FALLS — Carl Goulet’s artist page on the Thunder Ridge Records website says that he “flies a little under the radar,” and this is true — he’s a hidden gem and this is a rare opportunity. The Daily UV said that his 2017 full-length, Gazebo, “charms the listener with gentle melodies yet packs a punch with the depth of wisdom and love hidden inside.” His label offers this spot-on analysis: “[his] songwriting follows in the footsteps of other honest, sometimes political and always heart-centric songwriters like David Mallet, Bruce Cockburn, and Gordon Lightfoot.” The clarity and purity of his writing and performing is seldom matched.

Carl Beverly has perfected a distinctive rhythmic finger-picking style that grooves without straying far from his solid folk grounding. His writing is strong, personal, and relatable, and his passion for songcraft led him to form the Brook House Songwriters’ Circle in Warner, New Hampshire, providing community and inspiration to other local songwriters. In addition to his solo work, he also plays in the trio Picket Hill.

Door at 6:00 PM, music at 7:00 on Sunday, September 8 — a suggested donation of $5+ at the door. Seating is limited to 40, first-come first-served. There’s also plenty of standing room; attendees may bring their own camp-style seating if they wish.

The listening event will be recorded and filmed.

Stage 33 Live is located at 33 Bridge Street in Bellows Falls, VT, and documents live performances and presentations of original material on a simple stage in a former factory building for downstream audiences. Find more info about the project and other upcoming events online at stage33live.com

###

DAY OF SHOW – presale tickets are closed. There are still plenty of chairs for walk-ups however, first come first served. Door opens at 6:30.

Davey O. is a seasoned touring performer whose pure Americana is drawn from a deep well of experience and human emotion without hackneyed storylines or insincere polish — an unflinching poet’s look at life with no apologies and a rust-belt work ethic. He has been a New Folk Finalist at The Kerrville Folk Festival, an Official Showcase Selection at the Folk Alliance Conference, and shared stages with the likes of Ellis Paul, Eilen Jewell, Suzanne Vega, Cheryl Wheeler, Sloan Wainwright, and The Kennedys.

Equal parts songwriter and storyteller, Davey O.’s two most recent CD releases were recognized with multiple honors, and included on the “best of“ lists of several folk-and-roots radio stations. He has earned the respect of his peers for his incredible work ethic and dedication to the art of songcraft. With a journalist’s eye for detail and poet’s ear for the well-turned observation, Davey O. finds the universal in the particular, turning day-to-day minutiae into dusty paeans to the indomitability of the human spirit. With each tale another slice of life examined.

Door at 6:30 PM, music at 7:30 on Friday, September 13. $10 advance, $15 $10 at the door. The first 40 advance tickets are guaranteed chairs. There’s also plenty of standing room; attendees may bring their own portable seating if they wish. Advance tickets are available online at stage33live.com

The listening event will be recorded and filmed.

Stage 33 Live is located at 33 Bridge Street in Bellows Falls, VT, and documents live performances and presentations of original material on a simple stage in a former factory building for downstream audiences. Find more info about the nonprofit, all-volunteer project and their other upcoming events online at stage33live.com

 
“When I performed my feature set at The Evening Muse in Charlotte, NC, a couple of things happened that, for lack of a better term, changed my perspective. Or maybe it was just a reminder of how music can bring us together. The performers ranged from hip hop/rap artists, poets, stand-up comics, singer-songwriters, to R&B vocalists. I had a bit of anxiety as to how this straw-cowboy-hat-wearing, contemporary-folk/Americana songwriter from Buffalo, NY would fare. I started my first song, and there were murmurs from the audience. By the time I reached the end of the first chorus, I could see their faces begin to soften, smiles started to appear, heads began to move in time. After my third song, a twenty-something African-American male stood up and shouted, ‘That’s what I’m talking about!’ The walls came down. Age, race, gender, or any other metric didn’t matter anymore. That’s what music can do, and is supposed to — regardless of how the industry, the media, or our own minds attempt to package it. If it’s good, if it contains truth, and speaks to even one person — then it’s done what it is intended to do: put us ‘in concert’ with each other.” — Davey O.

Advance ticket sales are now closed.
Chairs are still available for walk-ups.

A matinee listening event with Lara Herscovitch in solo performance; multi-instrumentalist Scott MacDonald opens

BELLOWS FALLS – The blues/pop/jazz-tinged contemporary folk of Lara Herscovitch embraces misfits and underdogs, connection and courage, love and loss, hardship and hope, resilience and transformation. She tours widely, with showcases including Falcon Ridge, Telluride, Wooden Apple, Folk Alliance International, and the Northeast Regional Folk Alliance. She officially served as Connecticut State Troubadour from 2009 to 2011.

This singer-songwriter-poet also happens to hold a BA in Political Science and a MSW in Policy, and much of her art draws from decades of humanitarian work in the U.S., Latin America, Asia, and Africa focused on education, community development, environmental protection, and justice system reform. She draws from a deep well of compassionate spirit, thoughtful mind, and far-ranging experience. Hers is a life fully lived, yet still unfolding.

“Through Herscovitch’s lens we get to look at American culture, which she sometimes criticizes and sometimes defends, and its players emerge tragic fools, unsung heroes, and troubled souls whose stories we want to hear.” — Marisa Nadolny

Scott MacDonald is best known as the proprietor of S.B. MacDonald Custom Instruments in Chester VT, where he enthusiastically relocated from Long Island, NY. This sought-after guitar maker and masterful restorer is also a talented player, writer, and interpreter of historic songs in the public domain.

Sunday, September 22; door opens at 2:00, music starts at 3:00. Chairs front-and-center will be reserved for advance ticket holders; seating is limited to 40, with plenty of standing room (attendees may bring their own portable seating if they wish). Advance tickets are $12 through stage33live.com, or $15 at the door. 100% goes to the artist. Children under 16 are free with a parent or guardian for this show; out of respect for the performers and other audience members, if a child is getting noisy please take them out of the room.

The listening event will be recorded and filmed.

Stage 33 Live is located at 33 Bridge Street in Bellows Falls, VT, and documents live performances and presentations of original material on a small stage in a former factory building. Find more info about the nonprofit all-volunteer project and their other upcoming events online at stage33live.com

Lara Herscovitch

Scott MacDonald

Larry Allen Brown’s Celtic-blues-jazz music wears influences of Dave van Ronk, John Fahey, and Martin Simpson. Born and raised in Chicago, a Berklee College of Music alum, and rumored to have gone to high school with John Prine, his latest album — Stories That We Wrote — was produced by Grammy-winning Will Ackerman, founder of the Windham Hill label. Brown also heads the Acoustic Earth Orchestra ensemble. Before his solo career as a composer and performer on acoustic fingerstyle guitar, he played lead guitar for more rock, jazz, and blues groups in Chicago, Washington DC, and Boston than he can remember.

“Whether you describe his voice as mahogany, molasses, or bourbon, or a voice that sounds like mahogany covered in molasses and bourbon, you know it’s a voice that’s seen some things, and done some stuff.” — Norman Wheatley of the Gentlefolk2 UK music program

“This man sings songs of startling intelligence in a voice you know is telling the truth… songs with some serious miles on the tires; born of a life deeply and passionately lived.” — Will Ackerman

This show will be two sets with no opener, with a suggested $5+ donation at the door on Saturday, September 28. There are no presale tickets for this show. Door at 7, music starts at 8. The 40 chairs are first-come first-served, then standing room — attendees may bring their own portable seating if they wish.

The listening event will be recorded and filmed.

Stage 33 Live is located at 33 Bridge Street in Bellows Falls, VT, and documents live performances and presentations of original material on a small stage in a former factory building for downstream audiences. Find more info about the nonprofit all-volunteer project, and this and other other upcoming events online at stage33live.com

Keep Bill in your thoughts while he rides out a health difficulty.

We’ll figure out something else for this date.

Stage 33 Live is located at 33 Bridge Street in Bellows Falls, VT, and documents live performances and presentations of original material on a small stage in a former factory building. Find more info about the nonprofit all-volunteer project and their other upcoming events online at stage33live.com

Day of show; advance sales are now closed. There are still some chairs available for walk-ups. You may bring your own portable seating if you wish. Tickets at the door for this special fundraising listening event are $25.

Tracy Grammer and Jim Henry at Stage 33 Live: a fundraising listening event

BELLOWS FALLS — Tracy Grammer is among contemporary folk music’s most beloved artists, renowned for her pure voice, deft guitar and violin work, and incantatory storytelling. She has recorded and performed with Joan Baez, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Eliza Gilkyson, and many more; headlined top festivals including Philadelphia Folk and Falcon Ridge, where she holds the record for the most consecutive appearances; and has been one of folk radio’s top-played artists for years, both solo and with the late Dave Carter.

She rose to acclaim as half of the “postmodern, mythic American folk” duo Dave Carter & Tracy Grammer; they released three internationally celebrated, chart-topping albums, and were still in their ascendancy when Carter suffered a fatal heart attack mid-tour in 2002. She has continued as a solo artist and with other musicians in a variety of configurations.

Her latest full-length release Low Tide was one of folk radio’s top ten most-played albums of 2018; voted among the top ten albums of the year at Fish Records UK; and landed in the top ten albums of both the Folk Alley editor’s list and reader’s poll.

Tracy recently suffered a ruptured ACL, several ligament tears, and a fractured tibia, and consequently had to cancel 22 shows in a dozen western states. For a touring performer, this is a hard hit.

Through the grapevine, it came to Stage 33 Live’s attention that shows within hobbling distance might be welcomed to help offset her medical expenses and lost income. (When she’s not out touring, she lives just across the border in Massachusetts — one of the unexpectedly many celebrated performers residing in the region who maintain a low profile at home.)

Mark Piepkorn, founder of Stage 33 Live, said, “We don’t solicit performers, and she’s way bigger than we are — but we offered the room anyway for whatever help it might be. The date was originally booked by a touring duo from Florida, but they had to cancel late in the game due to illness. We heard about Tracy’s situation just a couple days after that. And then an unexpected whirlwind of kismet happened.”

This is a rare opportunity to see Tracy Grammer perform in an unexpectedly intimate and unlikely setting, plus appreciate knowing that 100% of ticket and merchandise sales directly support the artist in a time of need. For longtime fans, tipping her a little extra for enriching your life and generally putting light into a world that can be pretty dark is welcome.

Grammer will be performing with multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter Jim Henry, who has produced, recorded, played, and traveled the world with Mary Chapin Carpenter, Paula Cole, Shawn Colvin, Alison Krauss, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Los Lobos, Asleep at the Wheel, Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlings, Mark Erelli, The Weepies, Deb Talan, Eliza Gilkyson, Susan Werner, The Boxcar Lilies, and the list goes on. Also a solo artist, Henry’s work as a sideman is prized for his ability to add exactly what is needed.

A friend of the Stage 33 Live project since its inception, Will Stahl — songwriter, guitar player, and reluctant vocalist (“I’m the only one who knows the words”) — will open, and promises to play at least one song from his musical, My Little Town About Me.

Advance tickets for this listening event fundraiser with Tracy Grammer and Jim Henry along with opener Will Stahl are $20. Every penny supports the cause, and for this one in particular, additional tipping is encouraged.

Stage 33 Live only has seating for 40, plus standing room; advance tickets purchased online through stage33live.com will have chairs reserved until 40 is reached. All attendees, including day-of-show walk-ups, may bring their own portable seating to set up behind the house chairs if they wish.

Online ticket sales will close early in the morning on the day of the show.

Tickets at the door for this fundraiser will be $25, and a chair is not guaranteed.

All proceeds benefit the cause.

Door at 6:00 PM, music starts at 7:00 on Friday, October 4.

The listening event will be recorded and filmed.

After completing the transaction, you should be redirected to a “success” page and get an email from Paypal. You should also get a confirmation email directly from us, assuming you entered a working email address. The name you gave will be on a list at the door. All you have to do is show up.

Stage 33 Live is located at 33 Bridge Street in Bellows Falls, VT, and documents live performances and presentations of original material on a small stage in a former factory building for downstream audiences. Its listening events are all about honoring the stage — not sticking it in the corner and talking over it. No kitchen, no liquor license, but you can find establishments with those things nearby. Coffee / sodas / water and weird snacks by donation. Find more info about the nonprofit all-volunteer project, and this and other other upcoming events online at stage33live.com

“Tracy Grammer is a brilliant artist and unique individual. Her voice is distinctive, as is her mastery over the instruments she plays.” — Joan Baez

“Her pure voice conveys the simple truths of these songs; her gifts as a musician are like that of a painter who is a master of chiaroscuro, offering light and shadow at every turn…. A treasured part of my music collection.” — Mary Chapin Carpenter

“Tracy Grammer has that elusive quality of being able to speak directly to another person’s heart — instantly bypassing all of the usual infrastructure — the moment she starts to sing. She’s great.” — Richard Shindell

“Tracy has one of the most beautiful voices I’ve ever heard in my life. There’s also a sadness and sorrow and pain and depth of knowledge to Tracy’s playing. I really think there’s nobody like her in the world.” — Dave Carter, quoted in the folk music magazine Dirty Linen

“One of the finest pure musicians anywhere in folkdom.” — Boston Globe

“[Grammer] flies solo with a style and grace that must be heard to be believed… she is a voice to be reckoned with.” — Village Records

“Armed with a few of the sassier members of the string family, and a voice as nuanced and strong as you could hope for, Grammer delivers with a supernatural force that funnels straight through your ear to the deep, deep center of your heart.” — The Missoula Independent

Festival-jam favorites to play Stage 33 Live

BELLOWS FALLS — Spike Dogtooth plays acoustic music without restriction — bluegrass, Irish, cowgirl-swing, folk, acoustic rock, country blues. The Brattleboro-based band’s core players and revolving crew of guest musicians have developed a loyal following since 1996. (Interesting trivia note: They played the first-ever Strolling of the Heifers.)

A campground favorite at music festivals over the past 30 years, they’re best known for their legendary all-night jams. This is a rare opportunity to hear them play on a stage that’s inside of a building, showcasing all-original tunes.

At the band’s enthusiastic request, Sam Duffy opens and they’re planning to participate in each other’s sets.

There will be dancing room in front of the stage.

Door at 6:00 PM, music at 7:00 on Sunday, October 13 — a suggested donation of $5+ at the door. There are no presale tickets. Seating is limited to 40, first-come first-served. There’s also plenty of standing room; attendees may bring their own camp-style seating if they wish.

The listening event will be recorded and filmed.

Stage 33 Live is located at 33 Bridge Street in Bellows Falls, VT, and documents live performances and presentations of original material on a small stage in a former factory building for downstream audiences. Its listening events are all about honoring the stage — not sticking it in the corner and talking over it. No kitchen, no liquor license, but you can find establishments with those things nearby. Coffee, soda, water, and weird snacks by donation. Find more info about the nonprofit all-volunteer project, and this and other other upcoming events online at stage33live.com

Day of show! Presale tickets for The End Of America + Oshima Brothers are closed. Tickets at the door are $20 (and 100% of ticket sales go to the bands). There are some unreserved chairs still available, first-come first-served. Door opens at 6:00 PM, music at 7:00. You can bring your own camp-style chair if you wish.

The End Of America and Oshima Brothers at Stage 33 Live

The End Of America returns to Stage 33 Live on Saturday, November 2, co-headlining with Oshima Brothers. This is the first show of an Eastern US tour by the two bands.

The End Of America was voted “Favorite New Artist” at the Philadelphia Folk Festival in 2016. They followed by winning the Emerging Artist Showcase at Falcon Ridge, returning the next year as that festival’s “Most Wanted” band. Beck invited them to play his Song Reader album release show; David Crosby of Crosby, Stills & Nash tweeted, “they sound great.”

Oshima Brothers’ impeccably crafted acoustic folk-pop has been lauded by NPR’s World Café, and they’ve racked up hundreds of thousands of Spotify streams. They deliver unexpectedly full-sounding performances with dynamic vocals, electric and acoustic guitars, octave bass, loops, percussion, and more… or, when it suits a song, a stripped down, beautifully spare arrangement.

Saturday, November 2; door at 6:00 PM, music at 7:00 at 33 Bridge Street in Bellows Falls, Vermont.

Stage 33 Live is an intimate, industrial-rustic listening room in a former factory. There are only 40 chairs. Advance tickets: $25 best-in-house / $20 darned-good-seats / $15 no-chair-guaranteed. $20 at the door. When 40 chairs are spoken for, the $25 and $20 options will be closed. 100% of tickets sales support the bands. If any chairs behind the reserved rows are still available on show day, those will be available first-come first-served. Attendees are allowed to bring their own portable seating to set up behind the house chairs, or to use in place of the house chair if one was reserved.

Those who choose not to reserve a chair (or even those who do), or who didn’t reserve a chair before they sold out, are allowed to bring their own portable seating to set up behind the house chairs (or to use in place of the house chair).

Stage 33 Live is located at 33 Bridge Street in Bellows Falls, VT, and documents live performances and presentations of original material on a simple stage in a former factory building for downstream audiences. No kitchen, no liquor license, but you can find establishments with those things nearby. Coffee, soda, water, and weird snacks by donation. Find more info about the nonprofit all-volunteer project, and this and other other upcoming events online at stage33live.com