Vermont Public Community Calendar

Mesmerizing 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.

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.

$22 Advance / $25 Door / $10 Livestream

Bagpipes with attitude. Drums with a Scottish accent. A blazing rock band and show so hot, it carries its own health warning!

It’s Bagpipes. It’s Rock. It’s Bagrock. AC/DC meets the poet Robert Burns. Where rock anthems sit comfortably alongside the great tunes from the glens and the mountains of Scotland.

It’s The Red Hot Chilli Pipers – an internationally renowned ensemble consisting of pipers, guitarists, keyboards, and drummers — who have been rocking the world from New York to Beijing to Melbourne and everywhere in between with musicianship of the highest order and a passion for pipes that will leave you breathless. The band has four music degrees from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and all the pipers and drummers have played at the top level in bagpiping.

Mark your calendars for the next show in our Community Concerts @ First series, Sunday, September 21st at 3:00 pm - Tracy Grammer!

Called "a musician and singer of dazzling versatility" (No Depression), Tracy Grammer is among contemporary folk music's most beloved artists. Renowned for her pure voice, deft guitar and violin work, and incantatory storytelling, Grammer has recorded and performed with Joan Baez and Mary Chapin Carpenter, headlined several of the nation's top folk festivals, including Philadelphia Folk Festival and Falcon Ridge, and enjoyed 12 consecutive years as one of folk radio's 50 top-played artists, both solo and with the late Dave Carter.

Grammer's most recent album, LOW TIDE, was the ninth most-played album on folk radio in 2018 and was voted a Top 10 Album of the Year by Fish Records UK.

"One of the finest singers and musicians anywhere in folkdom." - Boston Globe​

"A brilliant artist" - Joan Baez

"One of the most enduring, irreplaceable voices in American folk music." - Anti-Heroin Chic

A portion of the 2025 CC@F concert proceeds will support Red Cross Disaster Relief.

One of music’s “most reliable and empathetic songwriters” (Pitchfork), Mary Chapin Carpenter has sold over 16 million records over the course of her renowned career. With hits like “Passionate Kisses” and “He Thinks He’ll Keep Her,” she has won five Grammy Awards (with 18 nominations), two CMA Awards, two ACM Awards and is one of only fifteen female members of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. Carpenter’s record “One Night Lonely” was nominated for Best Folk Album at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards. A GRAMMY, CMA and Americana Award-winner, Brandy Clark is one of her generation’s most esteemed songwriters and musicians. In the midst of a landmark year, Clark won Best Americana Performance at the 66th GRAMMY Awards and Song of the Year at the 2024 Americana Honors & Awards with her acclaimed song, “Dear Insecurity,” featuring 11x Grammy-winner Brandi Carlile.

Yumi Kurosawa returns to the Lane Series with her dramatic and fascinating instrument, the Koto. Joined by two extraordinary musicians, violinist Naho Parrini and percussionist Yousif Sheronick, their program features exhilarating new compositions from Yumi alongside striking reinterpretations of favorites from her oeuvre, highlighting the affinity between these seemingly disparate instruments. This will be a beautiful, unusual, and mind-expanding performance.

Join us in the beautiful, shady Athenaeum back yard for singer/guitarist Tom Stamp with Alive and Well, Tim Berry and Suzan Derby. Tom plays a mix of time-tested classics and under-the-radar gems, including music of the 60s and 70s: folk, rock, country and blues. This concert is free and open to the public.

HAZMAT 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.

$22 Advance / $25 Gate / Kids under 12 free

Get ready for a transcendent night of music that blends Malian blues, rock, and soul. Known worldwide for his electrifying live shows, Vieux Farka Touré brings his virtuosic guitar work and magnetic stage presence to The Colonial Theatre on September 27! Whether you’re a longtime fan or new to his sound, this is a rare opportunity to witness a global legend in an intimate setting.

Join us for the final Braintree Bluegrass Brunch of the season—featuring Turnip Truck and The Spring Chickens live at the historic Braintree Hill Meetinghouse!

Expect a lively mix of bluegrass, swing, gypsy jazz, old folk, and country music. With tight harmonies, instrument swapping and a flair for improvisation, both bands bring high-energy performances that celebrate roots traditions.

https://braintreevt.gov/about/braintree-historical-society/
Presented by Chandler Center for the Arts, Ridgeline Outdoor Collective, and the Braintree Historical Society.

Free – Donations accepted to support the event and partnering organizations.

Experience the Estonian zombie-folk duo Puuluup, returning to Central Vermont with their genre-defying blend of tradition and innovation. Performing on talharpas—a nearly extinct bowed lyre—Puuluup fuses Nordic roots with loopers, modern effects, and cascading vocals to create an entrancing, danceable sound that’s all their own.

Known for their comedic flair and captivating live presence, Puuluup made their U.S. debut at Feast and Field in 2022 and went on to represent Estonia in the 2024 Eurovision finals.

This is a one-of-a-kind musical journey through languages real and imagined, and a performance you won’t want to miss.

Pay What You Can – $10 to $40
Kids Free

Blues icon. Soul man. Rock and roller. Robert Cray is all these things – and more. The Georgia- born, Washington-raised musician first picked up a guitar after seeing The Beatles on TV then, having witnessed Jimi Hendrix perform in Seattle, determined that his destiny would also follow a similar path. And so he has: across the past half century Robert Cray’s developed into one of American music’s most singular artists.

35 years ago, the four original members of Blues Traveler—John Popper, Chandler Kinchla, Brendan Hill, and the late Bobby Sheehan—gathered in their drummer’s parents’ basement in Princeton, NJ to jam. From these high school sessions emerged a band that would go on to release a total of 14 studio albums, four of which have gone gold, three platinum, and one six-times platinum- selling more than 10 million combined units worldwide.

Anyone who has seen singer/guitarist Alex Cuba perform live knows that he is very special. His concerts, in venues like the Hollywood Bowl and Radio City as well as intimate halls like our own, exude joy and upbeat energy. Fiercely individualistic yet deeply rooted in Latin and Caribbean rhythms and his upbringing in Artemisa, Cuba, Alex has won two Juno awards, four Latin Grammys, and a 2022 Grammy for Best Latin Pop Album. His smooth and expressive vocals, exceptionally melodic songwriting, and charming stage presence are a delight.

The Mammals are a Hudson Valley-based folk-rock band known for their high-energy shows imbued with deep roots in American traditions. Their performances blend fiddle-driven dance tunes with thoughtful original songs, offering a delightfully danceable blend of of abandon and substance. Join them in the barn at Knoll Farm for a lively, community-centered concert to close out the season!

Jefferson Starship, formed in 1974 from the remnants of Jefferson Airplane, has a legacy spanning decades, with roots in ’60s psychedelia and success through the ’70s and ’80s arena rock scene. Known for hits like Miracles, Jane, and Count on Me, the band earned three platinum and eight gold records. Their journey began with Blows Against the Empire (1970) and solidified with Dragon Fly (1974) and Red Octopus (1975). Over the years, the lineup evolved, featuring notable members like Grace Slick, Marty Balin, and Mickey Thomas. Though briefly disbanded in 1985, co-founder Paul Kantner revived the band in 1992. Today, Jefferson Starship continues to tour, blending original and new members, celebrating their enduring musical legacy.

Two of the most respected artists in contemporary jazz join forces in this duo. Hailed “one of modern jazz’s most innovative musicians” by Glide Magazine, Christian McBride says, “Brad is justifiably revered as one of the greatest pianists of all time. I’m very proud to have been friends and cohorts with him for almost 35 years. He was one of the first people I met when I moved to NYC in 1989, and it continues to be an uplifting experience every time we play together.” Named “one of our greatest living pianists” by NPR, Brad Mehldau says, “It is a dream come true to play with Christian in this duo setting. Playing with Christian, especially in this configuration, is both joyful and daunting all at once. His level of sophistication and swing, of emotional power and grace, is unsurpassed - not in the least on what he has achieved on his instrument, but also as one of our strongest voices in the music more generally, at the top of his game. I’m so honored to be on stage with him.” This longtime friendship and musical camaraderie has led to various collaborations through the years including the albums MoodSwing (1994), RoundAgain (2020), and LongGone (2023) with Joshua Redman and Brian Blade; trio tour dates with drummer Marcus Gilmore; and a recent duo performance at the Big Ears Festival that had the crowd utterly captivated.

This stunning concert is the only authentic reimagining of the legendary Meat Loaf and Jim Steinman songbook performed brilliantly by world-class alumni of Meat Loaf’s official band- the same musicians who brought his musical visions to life both in the studio and on stages around the world.

This concert is also a theatrical experience, as it travels down memory lane from both Meat Loaf’s own performances and songs, as well as those he has written for other superstars.

This stunning concert is the only authentic reimagining of the legendary Meat Loaf and Jim Steinman songbook performed brilliantly by world-class alumni of Meat Loaf’s official band- the same musicians who brought his musical visions to life both in the studio and on stages around the world.

This concert is also a theatrical experience, as it travels down memory lane from both Meat Loaf’s own performances and songs, as well as those he has written for other superstars.

This will be composer, pianist, and accordionist Sam Reider’s second visit to the Lane Series with his hotshot band, the Human Hands – a collective of innovative acoustic musicians exploring the intersection of folk, jazz, and traditional music from around the world. This concert features Sam’s latest composition, The Golem and Other Tales, based on the medieval Jewish legend of a clay man brought to life, followed by a full set of Human Hands acoustic hijinks.

Experience the powerful voice of Ruthie Foster, a GRAMMY® winner whose music blends blues, folk, and gospel into something truly unforgettable. From her gospel roots in Texas to national acclaim, Ruthie’s heartfelt songs of love, loss, and resilience strike a chord with every audience. Don’t miss this soul-stirring evening with one of America’s most authentic and inspiring voices.