Carnival of Soul

WESTON – Weston Playhouse Theatre Company’s Walker Farm Music Series returns for its second year with performances on Jan. 18, Feb. 1, Feb. 22 and March 1.

Music curator Jed Hughes has joined forces with Weston to put together a series of eclectic, exciting events. All Walker Farm Music shows are “pay what you will” events.

First in the series on Jan. 18 is Kat Wright, whose voice is both sultry and dynamic, delicate yet powerful; gritty but nuanced, and has been described as “a young Bonnie Raitt meets Amy Winehouse.” Add to that voice enough stage presence to tame lions, and the combination of feline ferocity proves immediately enchanting. There’s soul flowing in and out of her rock `n’ roll with a serpentine seduction. Some of soul music’s sweet, grand dames belt, shout, seethe, and succumb, while Wright sings gently like a heartache’s apology. It’s funky in spots and beautiful all over. And it hurts a little like it should.

Next in the lineup is Carrie Nation & The Speakeasy, a high-energy blend of brass, folk, and punk with an emphasis on songwriting and live shows. Blazing mandolin and trumpet solos careen over churning drums, acoustic guitar, and standup bass, while gravelly vocals deliver thought provoking lyrics. Established in 2007, CNS has proven a dedication to both entertainment and improvisation through their unique live shows that flow in and out of a variety of tempos and sonic feels. Over the past 11 years, CNS has performed their eclectic brand of ‘brass n grass” to thrilled crowds at fests, clubs, and basements in 49 states and 8 countries. Check them out on Feb. 1.

Sugartone Brass Band, coming to Weston on Feb. 22, has been funkin’ up the brass band scene in New York City for over a decade. The band got its start in a basement studio in Brooklyn, NY the summer of 2002. In 2003, they started their first residency on the Upper West Side of Manhattan at the Gin Mill on Amsterdam Ave. In 2007, Sugartone released its first album, “Live in Brooklyn.” Sugartone continued its Upper West Side residency in 2008 at Jacques-Imo’s restaurant, a cafe fashioned after the famous Jacques-Imo’s restaurant in New Orleans and in 2010 Sugartone moved to a new restaurant on the famous Restaurant Row in Midtown Manhattan, called Bourbon Street Bar and Grill. Sugartone is New Orleans brass through and through, and they’re bringing it all the way to our sweet spot in Vermont this winter.

Finishing the series on March 14 is Upstate, who first emerged from New York’s Hudson Valley in 2015 with their critically acclaimed debut, “A Remedy.” The Poughkeepsie Journal raved that the group “need[s] nothing more than their voices to channel rhythm and stoke your emotions,” while Chronogram hailed their “infectiously sunny organic stew,” and The Alt called them “toe-tapping, contagious, and fun.” The album earned the band festival performances from Mountain Jam to FreshGrass, as well as a slew of national headline dates and support slots with everyone from The Felice Brothers and Phox to Marco Benevento and Cory Henry.

All concerts will be catered by MKT: Weston, well-known to last year’s attendees as well as summer ticket-holders. They will provide a varying menu of fresh and local small entrees, snacks, desserts, Vermont craft beer, and wine. The concert series is sponsored by RK Miles, Marvin Windows & Doors, JJ Hapgood, Vermont Foam Insulation, and Four Seasons Sotheby’s.

For more informaton and reservations, visit westonplayhouse.org/wfm.

The Weston Playhouse Theatre Company is a non-profit organization supported in part by funds from the National Endowment for the Arts and an ever-growing family of individuals and organizations who believe in the impact that the performing arts makes on its community.