One of the biggest music celebrations this Fourth of July weekend is the first Tweed River Music Festival, which starts tomorrow night at 8 and continues through Sunday at the junction of Route 107 and Route 100 in Stockbridge, Vt.
Kris Delmhorst Heads the Lineup
At Tweed River Music FestivalBy Warren JohnstonValley News Staff Writer
The event, organized by singer and songwriter and Gaysville resident Bow Thayer, is headlined by singer-songwriter Kris Delmhorst and features original folk, country and rock music by Thayer and the Perfect Trainwreck, Antler, The Howl, Cassavettes, The Crush, Delange, Jeffrey Foucault, Tim Gearan, The Kind Buds, Sticky and The Wheels.
Delmhorst, who has 11 albums, including her latest CD, Shotgun Singer, has been part of the Boston music scene since 1996. She and her husband, singer-songwriter Foucault, now live in Greenfield, Mass.
The idea for the festival has been brewing for a while, Thayer said this week.
“We've been throwing parties for the last six or seven years, and they kept getting bigger and bigger, so we thought that we'd open it up to more people. It's a real gamble for all the musicians, who are basically playing for free.
“The other reason we did it is that it is very hard for grass-roots musicians to get to play at one of the major festivals around the country. This gives us an opportunity to play and maybe start something that will keep going.”
The music bill is set for tomorrow and Saturday; Sunday will be a “kick-back” day with an open mic, Thayer said. “We've been getting a lot of good musicians asking about playing, and they'll be able to do that on Sunday.”
Tomorrow night, the music gets rolling with the Boston band Antler, followed by The Howl from Worcester, Mass., and Delange from Stockbridge. Thayer probably will close out the evening, he said.
A full afternoon of folk, pop, rock and bluegrass music kicks off with The Kind Buds at 12:30 Saturday. The Stockbridge band is followed by Cassavettes from Boston and The Wheels from Nashville. Foucault plays at 3:30, and Delmhorst plays at 4:30, followed by the San Diego, Calif., band Sticky.
The music cranks up again on Saturday night when the Burlington band The Crush takes the stage at 7:30. Somerville, Mass., musician Tim Gearan follows at 9, and Thayer and the Perfect Trainwreck close out the night's music. “Saturday night is liable to get pretty wild,” Thayer said.
Tickets are $40 per person for the weekend for music and camping. Tickets covering music but not camping are $20 per person per day. There's no charge for children. Space is limited to 1,000. Advanced tickets are encouraged and can be purchased at brownpapertickets.com.
More July 4 Celebrations
Anyone looking for a Fourth of July celebration in the Upper Valley Saturday is going to have an easy time of it -- festivities are filling the weekend from Woodsville to Woodstock.
The celebration begins tomorrow night with DJ Rockin' Lou and Lou's Mobile Music at Kilowatt Park in Wilder at 6. Fireworks over the Connecticut River begin at dusk. In addition, there will be food, drinks and games. Parking is $3 a car and $10 for buses and RVs.
Also in White River Junction, the “First Friday” activities take on a “Happy Birthday America” theme tomorrow night at the Main Street Museum on Bridge Street. There are readings, patriotic music, presidential campaign songs and a display honoring the 10-foot-long, 46-star United States flag (1907-1912) from the Burlington estate of Gen. O.O. Howard, who served in the Civil War. Cupcakes and champagne are being served from 6 to 9. Admission is free.
On Saturday night, the museum continues the celebration with the annual Fourth of July River Appreciation Day from 7 to 8 with patriotic readings from the works of Achsa Sprague and President Calvin Coolidge. There also will be a live demonstration on “how to crack a safe” by Wiley the Tramp and her dog. Stumps Duh Clown will play his own tunes at 8. Hot coals are being provided for the grill, so bring your own barbecue and drink. Bring a musical instrument for the hoedown with Stumps and friends. Admission is $8.
* Things get going in full swing Saturday morning at the Woodsville-Wells River celebration at Community Field with a flea market at 9 before the “Gigantic Parade” kicks off at 11. The parade, which follows a route from Woodsville Elementary School to the Wells River Fire Station, is touted as being one of the largest Fourth of July parades in the twin states.
Back at Community Field, which is south of Woodsville village on Route 135, there will be plenty of fair food, music, entertainment, carnival rides and “critter-chip bingo” until the “Immense Fireworks Display” blasts off at 10 p.m. The featured bands include the Back Shed String Band, the White Rose Band, the 39th Army Band and The Gully Boys, who close out the celebration, playing until 11 p.m.
* The Woodstock festivities begin with the 33rd annual John Langhans Green 7-Mile Road Run/Walk at 8 a.m. The band Illusions performs during the race and KKM plays on the Green during the post-race party.
At 10 a.m., Billings Farm and Museum's “Old Vermont 4th” begins. The event, which continues until 5 p.m., features traditional music, flag-making, hand-cranked ice cream, horse-drawn wagon rides, egg tosses, patriotic speeches and debates and more.
The Woodstock Inn's front yard is the site for the annual carnival and barbecue from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. with food and entertainment, including a dunk tank and games.
At 4 p.m., the activities move to Woodstock Union High School with more carnival games and The Spectrum Teen Center's Cookout and Picnic with hotdogs, hamburgers, sausage with peppers and salads.
From 5 to 8 p.m., Downtown Woodstock Saturday Nights continue with a performance by Fred Haas on saxophone and piano, singer Sabrina Brown and guest members of the Interplay Jazz Fest at the Woodstock Gallery on the Green. The Cuban All Stars also play Latin music at the Primrose Garden from 5 to 8. Downtown galleries and shops are open late.
Pentangle Arts Council is provided the evening's entertainment at 6:30 at the high school with the Red, White and Blue Revue followed by the Panhandlers Steel Band at 7:30. There's family ice-skating from 6 to 8, and fireworks will end the evening after dusk.
* In Hanover, the parade, featuring patriotic pets, antique cars, the Wells Fargo Stagecoach and local groups, begins on Hovey Lane and ends at the Dartmouth Green at 10 on Saturday morning. Following opening ceremonies at 10:30, Michael Zerphy performs magic tricks. Old fashioned games, including three-legged races, egg toss, water balloon toss and more, begin at 11.
The North Country Chordsmen and Deuce provide the music, and cast members from the North County Community Theatre present selections from the upcoming Lebanon Opera House production of 42nd Street.
* The festivities at the 10th annual Fourth of July celebration in Lebanon begin at 5 and continue until 10 on Saturday night, unless it rains. Then, everything is rescheduled for Sunday afternoon. Colburn Park is the gathering spot for food, entertainment and fireworks. The fireworks blast off at 9:30 from Storrs Hill Ski Area. Express Country Band, Spare Parts, the Upper Valley Community Band and the Cardigan Mountain Tradition are providing music. There will be wagon hayrides and other activities, including a crafts display and a stuffed animal workshop.
* Old Home Day in Grantham gets going with a pancake breakfast from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. at the Grantham United Methodist Church on Saturday. The parade, which has a theme of “Fairy Tales,” begins at 11 a.m. at Yankee Barn Road and travels down Route 10 to the Grantham Town Hall.
For fun there's a three-legged race, a sack race, balloon toss, a rubber duck race, stone-skipping and pie-eating contests, along with face painting, a petting zoo, train rides, an antique display, a bounce house and a sea serpent tunnel. Ozzie's Country Band is providing the music. The games and activities begin at noon and end at 3 p.m. at the park on Shedd Road off Route 10 South and Cote Road.
* The theme for the parade in Orford and Fairlee is “Youth: America's Heritage and Hope,” and all entries are welcome. Ribbons are being given for first, second and third places, and the best in the parade will receive a trophy. The parade starts at 11 a.m. at Rivendell School and crosses the Samuel Morey Bridge to the field south of Wing's Market in Fairlee. The festivities continue after the parade on the Fairlee Common with various activities as well as the Fire Brigade's chicken barbecue and music by the Maple Leaf Seven Band. There are fireworks over Lake Morey at dusk.
* The Adam McMahon Band is playing from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Hartland Recreation Center before the 11 a.m. start of the parade that travels down Route 12. There will be a dance and concert with The Moonlighters Big Band from 6 to 9 p.m. at the recreation center. Fireworks begin at dusk.
* The celebrating starts at 6 p.m. in Claremont with music by the Flames at Monadnock Park. Fireworks start at dusk. In case of rain, the fireworks will be launched on Sunday night.
* Organists George and Donna Butler are hosting a “Patriotic Sing-Along” from 11 a.m. to noon at Mary Keane Chapel in the Shaker Museum in Enfield. The event is free and features the 1930 Casavant Organ. Open house at the museum follows. Bring your own flag to wave.
Classical
Singer and Celtic harpist Aine Minogue and cellist Eugene Freisen of the Paul Winter Consort perform in the Little Studio Sunday afternoon at 2 for the first of the Summer Concert Series at Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site in Cornish. Chairs are available on a first-come-first-served basis on the pergola and in the Little Studio. Visitors also are welcomed to picnic on the lawn adjacent to the studio. Concerts are included as part of the normal admission to the site.
On Stage
NorthEast Shakespeare Ensemble's presentation of Shakespeare's The Comedy of Errors is sharing the schedule with Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot at the Lebanon Opera House through Saturday.
Comedy of Errors is the story of two sets of identical twins whose humorous mishaps, based on mistaken identities, convince the other participants that either they, or everyone around them, have gone mad.
Waiting for Godot follows two days in the lives of a pair of men who divert themselves while they wait on a lonely country road by a tree for the arrival of the mysterious Godot.
The last performance of Comedy of Errors begins at 8 tomorrow night.
Godot starts at 8 tonight. There is a matinee on Saturday at 4 p.m.
Tickets for each of the plays range from $16 to $30. Call (603) 448-0400.
* A cast and crew of more than 80 area youths will present four performances of Rodgers and Hammerstein's musical The King and I tonight through Sunday at the Chandler Music Hall in Randolph. The show tells the story of the love affair between the king of Siam and an English widow who has been summoned to the palace in Bangkok to serve as the tutor for his many children and wives. The musical features such songs as Getting to Know You, Shall We Dance and Hello Young Lovers. Performances are at 7 tonight through Saturday. There's a matinee on Sunday afternoon at 2. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students. Call (802) 728-9878.
* The New London Barn Playhouse presents the musical She Loves Me tonight through Sunday at the theater in New London. The musical is an adaptation of the classic film The Little Shop Around the Corner, which starred Jimmy Stewart and Margaret Sullivan. The performance of Rodgers and Hammerstein's musical South Pacific opens on Tuesday and runs through July 19. Tickets range from $29.50 to $35.50. Call (603) 526-4631.
* The River Theater Company of Charlestown is presenting three performances of Shakespeare's comedy Twelfth Night next Thursday, July 9, through Sunday at Patch Park. The play is about love, grief, revelry and mischief. Bring your own picnic or purchase hamburgers, hotdogs and drinks provided by the town recreation department. Admission is free.
* Papermill Theatre presents the fairytale Hansel and Gretel on Monday at 10 a.m. at the Claremont Opera House as part of the continuing summer children's theater series. Tickets are $6. Call (603) 542-4433.
Rock and Blues
The acoustic band Gypsy Reel with guest drummer Hafiz Shabazz plays Skunk Hollow Tavern in Hartland Four Corners tomorrow night. Open mic continues on Wednesday nights from 8:30 to midnight with guitarist Tad Davis hosting. Call (802) 436-2139.
* The band 33ê makes its debut at Salt hill Pub in Lebanon with an evening of classic rock, oldies and blues standards tomorrow night at 9. Tonight, guitarists and singers Jim Ruffing and Mike Benoit host an open mic at 9. On Saturday at 9 p.m., Boston singer-songwriter Dan Blakeslee plays original Americana and folk tunes. Traditional Irish Sessions continue Tuesday night at 6 with Chris Stevens, Roger Burridge and friends. Call (603) 448-4532.
* Toby Moore hosts open mic and plays solo blues and rock at Salt hill Pub in Newport tonight for open mic. The music starts at 8:30. Tomorrow night, the Vermont band The Screwtops plays high-energy classic rock and oldies. Singer and guitarist Pete Merrigan plays original rock and country songs with a little Jimmy Buffet mixed in on Saturday night. The music starts at 9. Call (603) 863-7774.
* The blues rock band The Gully Boys play tonight at 9 at Bentley's Restaurant in Woodstock. Singer, and guitarist Pete Meijer is back on Tuesday night. Call (802) 457-3232.
* Singer and guitarist Rick Davis is providing music tomorrow night at Casa Del Sol restaurant in Ascutney from 8:30 to 11:45. Davis plays guitar, sings and backs himself up as a one-man band during the dinner hour. Later in the evening, he emcees karaoke and DJ favorites for dancing. Call (802) 674-9519.
* Singer and guitarist Wise Rokobili plays blues and rock tunes tomorrow night at 8:30 in the Steamboat Lounge at the Lake Morey Resort in Fairlee. On Saturday night, Dr. Burma plays classic blues, soul, funk and original songs at 8:30. There's a “Super Sound” rock band competition on Monday night. Guitarist and singer Jason Cann plays hits from the '60s on Tuesday night. Call (800) 423-1211.
Jazz, Folk, Pop, Etc.
Two-time Grammy Award nominee singer Karrin Allyson joins jazz great Sheila Jordan and the faculty and students of Interplay Jazz to wrap up the weeklong festival with performances tonight and tomorrow night in Woodstock.
Singers Allyson and Jordan perform with other faculty members, including Fred Haas on saxophone, Matt Wilson and Tim Gilmore on drums, Freddie Bryant and Jason Ennis on guitar, pianist Bob Hallahan, Dave Clark on bass, John Carlson on trumpet and George Volan on trombone.
There's a jam session tonight following a free jazz film at 7:30 in the Town Hall Theatre. The final performance of students and faculty is tomorrow night at 7:30 in the Unitarian Universalist Church. Donations will be accepted at that event. For information, go to interplayjazz.com.
* Montpelier guitarist Jairo Sequeira is playing classical songs at the Canoe Club in Hanover tonight. Singer and guitarist Ted Mortimer and singer Linda Boudreault play jazz standards and swing and Latin tunes tomorrow night. Pianist Jonathan Kaplan plays folk and blues songs on Saturday night. Pianist Gillian Joy plays soft pop and jazz tunes on Sunday night. Marko the Magician is back on Monday night for tableside magic from 5:30 to 8:30. Ted Mortimer returns solo on Tuesday night to play jazz standards. Pianist Bill Emerson and singer Elisabeth Newman also play jazz standards on Wednesday night. Performances are from 7 to 10 unless otherwise noted. Call (603) 643-9660.
* Singer, songwriter and guitarist Cindy Geilich plays original songs and covers of songs from Joni Mitchell to the Beatles tonight at Elixir restaurant at the Freight House in White River Junction. Singer Cynthia Barrette and guitarist Ed Eastridge play tomorrow night. The restaurant is closed on Saturday for the holiday. Singer and guitarist Rich Meijer plays blues and pop on Tuesday night. The jazz sessions with pianist Fred Haas and singer Sabrina Brown continue on Wednesday night. The music is from 8 to 11 each night. Call (802) 281-7009.
* The duo 35th Parallel with Mac Ritchey and Gabe Halberg play music from the Middle East, North India, North Africa and the Mediterranean at noon on The Green in Woodstock as Pentangle Arts Council's Brown Bag Concert Series continues every Thursday through Aug. 13. The concert is free and open to the public.
* Singer Emily Lanier with Peter Concilio and friends play jazz standards Tuesday night at Sophie and Zeke's on Pleasant Street in Claremont from 8 to 10. Call (603) 542-4177.
* The trio Woodchuck's Revenge plays a mix of old and new folk music, ranging from Carter Family songs to Western ballads, tonight at Quechee Green Park at 6:30. The rain location is the Quechee Church. The concert is free.
* The South Royalton Band plays tonight on the green in South Royalton at 7:30. The program includes marches by Sousa, Broadway show tunes, jazz classics and solos by band members. The rain location is the South Royalton High School gymnasium. The concerts are free and are every Thursday night through Aug. 6.
* Pianist Alex Kelley plays classical jazz and pop songs tomorrow night at Fire Stones Restaurant in Waterman Place in Quechee. Call (802) 295-1600.
* Singer and guitarist Jason Cann will play a solo acoustic show from 6 to 9 tonight at the Harpoon Brewery in Windsor.
* Singer and accordionist Sylvia Miskoe plays lively New England and Scottish contradance music this afternoon at the Lebanon Farmers' Market in Colburn Park in downtown Lebanon from 4 to 7.
* An unannounced band is playing tonight at Colburn Park in Lebanon at 7:30 as part of this summer's Front Porch Series. Rain location is the Lebanon Methodist Church. The series continues every Thursday through Aug. 20. The concerts are free.
* Singer and guitarist Tad Davis hosts open mic tonight from 7:30 to 11 at Jesse's Restaurant in Hanover. Tomorrow night, instrumentalist Dan Freihoffer of the Spare Parts band plays at 7:30. Call (603) 643-4111.
* Michael Parker and Norm Wolfe play smooth jazz tomorrow night at the Quechee Inn at Marshland Farm from 6:30 to 9:30. Call (802) 235-3133.
* The Bradford Bog People play southern Appalachian string music at the Norwich Farmers Market from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday. The market is on Rt. 5, one mile south of Norwich and is open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
* Gerry Grimo and the East Bay Jazz Ensemble plays classic jazz in Colburn Park in Lebanon on Monday night as part of the Monday Night Concert Series. There's a preview concert at 6 and the main concert begins at 7. The Lebanon Senior Center is the rain location. The series continues through Aug. 10.
* Acoustic Coalition plays Tuesday nights from 7 to 11 at Murphy Farm in Quechee. Bring an instrument or just enjoy the music. The jam session is free.
* The country band Yvonne and the Reverbs plays next Wednesday night at 6:30 at Lyman Point Park in White River Junction. The rain location is Bugbee Senior Center. The concert is free.
ENTERTAINMENT HIGHLIGHTS appears every Thursday. Notices must arrive, in writing or by e-mail two weeks in advance of the Thursday prior to an event. Send e-mail to wjohnston@vnews.com.