BRATTLEBORO — Next Stage Arts Project and Twilight Music present Vermont-based singer/songwriters Ali McGuirk and Michael Roberts with their bands, as part of the 2022 Next Stage Bandwagon Summer Series, on Friday, July 8, at the Retreat Farm on Route 30.
With a total of seven Boston Music Award nominations, Ali McGuirk is recognized as one of New England's most compelling artists. Blending classic soul power with a folk music lyricism, she “captivates audiences with her powerful, sultry voice, heartfelt songwriting, and a style rooted in improvisation,” say organizers.
In 2016, McGuirk was named by The Boston Globe as an “artist to hear,” along with Lake Street Dive and Haim, and a year later, her debut album, Slow Burn, made rock critic Steve Morse's Top Ten albums of 2017. In 2018, recognition for her music included Boston Music Awards' Blues Artist of the Year, Live Residency of the Year for her monthly First Fridays at Bull McCabe's Pub, and a nomination for New England Music Award's R & B Act of the Year.
McGuirk's latest album, penned from her home in Burlington during the pandemic, is scheduled to be released on Signature Sounds Recordings this summer.
Michael Roberts is a guitarist, songwriter, and sound studies researcher living in Vermont. He leads and writes for the band Wooden Dinosaur, which has released eight albums of original music, ranging from old-time- inspired folk to country-soul anthems.
In 2012, Roberts, along with Wooden Dinosaur bandmates Jeff Murphy and Frank Roberts, formed The Rear Defrosters, a honky-tonk collective with members from Vermont, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts. Michael's first solo album, Mixed Emotions, presents narrative-driven folk songs that led Seven Days to call Roberts a “Vermont treasure.” His latest release, Sympathizer, was recorded with an all-star cast of musicians from Brattleboro's rich artistic scene.
Bring lawn chairs or blankets for outdoor seating on the field. Tickets are $20 advance and $25 at the door, and admission for kids 12 and under is free. Advance tickets are available online at nextstagearts.org. Next Stage will provide a beer, wine, and cocktail cash bar, and food will be available. For more information, call 802-387-0102.