ROCKINGHAM — Fred Eaglesmith knows what it's like to try to work the land, only to have your dreams shattered.
As a boy in Southern Ontario, he put in full days doing grown man's labor when his father took a job “in town” to try to keep the family's farm from foreclosure.
It didn't work. They lost the farm.
That's why, when he was asked to help out southern Vermont farmers who were hit hard by Tropical Storm Irene, Eaglesmith had one word: “Absolutely.”
The benefit concert will be held Sunday, Oct. 9, at the historic Rockingham Meeting House at noon, with an all-star cast of local musicians. All proceeds will go to the Vermont Farm Disaster Relief Fund.
“Vermont's been good to me,” Eaglesmith said, having written many a song about farming. “And I have a lot of friends there.”
Rockingham is home to the Roots on the River music festival that, each June for the last dozen years, has featured Eaglesmith's music.
“One of the highlights of Roots is the Sunday Meeting House show,” festival producer Ray Massucco said. Massucco, along with Flying Under Radar's Charlie Hunter, is co-presenting the October benefit.
“The Meeting House was constructed between 1787 and 1801 and is one of the oldest public buildings in Vermont. There's no electricity there, so when we say that it's an unplugged show, we mean it,” he said.
Eaglesmith said he loves to play this venue.
“It's one of my favorite places to play in the world,” Eaglesmith said. “Shows there are special, that's all there is to it.”
“The hand-hewn wooden interior with its distinctive box pews make it feel like the audience is hearing the show from inside an acoustic guitar,” Massucco added.
Eaglesmith's songs have recently been covered by artists such as Toby Keith (“White Rose”), Alan Jackson (“Freight Train”) and Miranda Lambert (“Time To Get A Gun”).
Also appearing on the noontime bill are Ezra Veitch and Josh Maiocco, Joe Stacey and Jesse Peters and husband-and-wife duo The Milkhouse Heaters. All are from the area and all are donating their services.
“These artists have appeared at Roots events over the years,” Massucco said, “and they're wonderful musicians. Everyone around here has just been heartbroken at the devastation that the farms just went through, and so we're really wanting to do our part to support our farmers.”
The Vermont Farm Disaster Relief Fund is providing grants to organic and conventional farmers who suffered damage from the August storm. Full information on the fund can be found at the Vermont Community Foundation website: vermontcf.org.
Tickets to the show are $20 general admission, $25 at the door, or $40 for “Angel” tickets for priority seating and a commemorative poster. Ticket outlets include Village Square Books and Fat Franks in Bellows Falls, Misty Valley Books in Chester, and Turn it Up in Brattleboro.
You can also purchase tickets online at www.brattleborotix.com. For further information, visit vermontfestivalsllc.com or call 802-463-9595.