The SOUNDS GOOD Fest brings Brattleboro’s THUS LOVE, along with their friends Luminous Crush, Sisyphean Feat, and Willowsmiths, take the Arkell Pavilion lawn stage at the Southern Vermont Arts Center on Friday, July 25th.

FREE-QX SHOW!

Gogol Bordello is an international punk band that has existed since 1999. Led by Ukrainian frontman Eugene Hütz, the band fills rooms with an energy that could run a whole city, and their latest album “Solidaritine” is no exception. The band has lit up stages around the world alongside System of a Down, Primus, Rancid, Dropkick Murphys, dueted with Regina Spektor, appeared in films such as Liev Schreiber’s “Everything Is Illuminated” with Elijah Wood and “Filth and Wisdom,” helmed by Madonna, and cut albums with legends Rick Rubin and Steve Albini. Russia’s war in Ukraine is personal for Eugene and the band, who have been tirelessly advocating for Ukrainian solidarity, partnering with Nova Ukraine, ArtDopomoga, and beyond. In 2023, the documentary “Scream of My Blood: A Gogol Bordello Story” held its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival, taking home a Special Jury Mention for Best New Documentary Director Award.

The Big Takeover is fronted by the charismatic Jamaican-born singer and songwriter Nee Nee Rushie. The seven-piece New York band plays original music that is rooted in and reverent toward the genres and rhythms of Jamaican pop: reggae, rocksteady, and ska. They are devotees of Desmond Dekker and the way the old school did it. At the same time, The Big Takeover crosses lines and blends traditions like global pop fusionists. Their deceptively complex arrangements and big hooks connect with the spirit of Motown and the uptown sophistication of the 21st century retro soul and R&B revival scene.

Musicians Percy Jones, Alex Skolnick, Kenny Grohowski, and Tim Motzer bring their combined prog music experience the The Strand Theatre in Hudson Falls, New York on Sunday, July 20th.

The tribute band Whammer Jammer play the music of the J. Geils Band at The Strand Theatre in Hudson Falls, New York on Saturday, July 19th.

The music of Bad Company is celebrated by tribute band Rock-n-Roll Fantasy at The Strand Theatre in Hudson Falls, New York on Friday, July 18th.

The group Back To The Garden 1969 pay tribute to the music of the legendary Woodstock Festival from August of 1969 at The Strand Theatre in Hudson Falls, New York on Friday, July 11th.

An evening with Goose at Waterfront Park in Burlington, Vermont on Sunday, September 14, 2025. $1 from every ticket sold will benefit Backline, a 501(c)(3) non-profit that connects music industry professionals and their families with mental health and wellness resources.

Higher Ground is pleased to announce that Grace Potter is returning to Waterfront Park in Burlington, Vermont for the Grand Point North Concert Series presented by Cabot Creamery for the second of two back to back nights on Saturday, September 13th.

Two Day Pass tickets AVAILABLE HERE!

Higher Ground is pleased to announce that Grace Potter is returning to Waterfront Park in Burlington, Vermont for the Grand Point North Concert Series presented by Cabot Creamery for the first of two back to back nights on Friday, September 12th.

Two Day Pass tickets AVAILABLE HERE!

The Summer Concert Series at Frog Alley Brewing in Schenectady brings two tributes to 90s West Coast legends back. Hear the music of Sublime and Red Hot Chili Peppers played by Badfish and the Red NOT Chili Peppers on Saturday, June 28th.

Get ready for another amazing performance from Dark Star Orchestra on the Frog Alley Brewing Summer Stage!

Performing to critical acclaim for over 25 years and over 3100 shows, Dark Star Orchestra continues the Grateful Dead live concert experience. Their shows are built off the Dead’s extensive catalog and the talent of these seven fine musicians. On any given night, the band will perform a show based on a set list from the Grateful Dead’s 30 years of extensive touring or use their catalog to program a unique set list for the show. This allows fans both young and old to share in the experience. By recreating set lists from the past, and by developing their own sets of Dead songs, Dark Star Orchestra offers a continually evolving artistic outlet within this musical canon. Honoring both the band and the fans, Dark Star Orchestra’s members seek out the unique style and sound of each era while simultaneously offering their own informed improvisations.

Dark Star Orchestra offers much more than the sound of the Grateful Dead, they truly encapsulate the energy and the experience. It’s about a sense of familiarity. It’s about a feeling that grabs listeners and takes over. It’s about that contagious energy…in short, it’s about the complete experience and consistent quality show that the fan receives when attending a Dark Star Orchestra show.

Dark Star Orchestra has performed throughout the entire United States, including a sold out debut at Colorado’s Red Rocks Park & Amphitheater, plus shows in Europe and the Caribbean with the band touching down in seven different countries. DSO continues to grow its fan base by playing at larger venues for two and even three-night stands, as well as performing at major music festivals including Bonnaroo, Milwaukee’s SummerFest, The Peach Music Festival, Jam Cruise, Wanee Festival, SweetWater 420 Festival, Mountain Jam, and many more.

Join us on Saturday 7/19 as we welcome the Hope Rocks mini fest featuring The Record Company. The Hope Rocks organization is a Hope Movement” whereby visual artists, filmmakers, performance artists and activities are focused on lighting the darkness of addiction and depression. Come support a great cause and see some great music.

At 2pm on December 19, 2022 — the dreaded final day of the year in the music business — The Record Company got a telephone call from the, um, record company. It was the head of the label, who’d been sitting on their new demos for months, while the band sat in limbo. It was a scene out of a movie about the bad luck bands sometimes have with big record labels: a pleasant “hello” led to a Charlie Brown’s teacher murmur that amounted to “you’re dropped from the label, Happy Christmas, fellas.” 

Apparently, the label was going “in a different direction” — Hollywood code for “The Record Company’s many radio hits and Grammy nomination are no guarantee that you’re going to push further into their idea of mainstream, or that you’re great at TikTok.”

“It was tough to swallow,” says bassist Alex Stiff, “because we had already set out to write the most stripped-back and raw record we’d done in years, and they had demos of this new music, and ultimately dropped us. Combine that with some new economic realities, a canceled tour, and we really felt like everything was crashing down at once.”

On The 4th Album, The Record Company see that rejection as a rite of renewal, a way to cleanse themselves, to start over. They head back to their roots: creating the raw, self-produced, blues-based music that in past years earned them multiple Billboard #1 AAA songs, a Grammy nomination, and brought them from playing small clubs to arena tours supporting John Mayer and Bob Seger. 

These “roots” would include half-working dumpster guitars, no-name drum sets from garage sales, no click tracks or studio tricks, all recorded in the bass player’s living room. “Almost every band you love at some point tends to drift away from that raw spark that made them unique in the first place,” says drummer Marc Cazorla. “They search for bigger sounds, bigger budgets, more expensive instruments, producers, mixers, etc. We’ve been subject to that as well, but now we’ve come back full circle to what matters most: making raw, honest music that moves peoples’ souls.” 

The band titled the new collection “The 4th Album” to signify the start of a new chapter. When the needle drops, we hear TRC lead singer Chris Vos spit out an offhanded quip: “I ain’t ever givin’ up,” an impromptu line that is an instant touchstone for anyone who’s ever seen their dreams fading, and then been able to regain hope. That line quickly became a call-to-arms for the band and a rock-solid theme for this album.   

Says bassist Alex Stiff: “We all want to be moving on the steady rise forever, but then one day that momentum stops, and you’re not prepared for it. This song is very autobiographical as to what we were going through. Finding the answer required a lot of soul searching, but ultimately we found it through the music. For us, it was saying: ‘I’m not doing a dance for anyone anymore.’”

On The 4th Album, the band uses the same microphones that have been dropped at bar gigs a few too many times, and the same tarnished 2008 computer with recording software mostly laughed at by today’s standards. The album cover shows a hand-cut metal sign given to the band by a fan at a 2021 show in St Louis, Missouri. For the live show, the band is performing as a trio again, purposely scaling back bigger lineups they’ve used in the past. “We keep going back to a less-is-more philosophy with the new songs, and that translates to the show as well. The space between us is the 4th member,” says singer Chris Vos. 

On songs like “I Found Heaven (In My Darkest Days),” we hear Chris singing about walking a troubled path, but finding salvation in music, set to his harmonica and gospel roots wailing. “Talk To Me” displays a Motown-style drum and bass funk groove, while “Highway Lady” sets a 70’s smooth AM Radio backdrop, with the city views seemingly far behind in the rear view mirror, singing: “Highway Lady, where we gonna go today?” 
The 4th Album finds the band at peace with themselves operating as outsiders in an ever- changing musical landscape. “You’re not going to find us posting goofy videos, salad recipes, or telling the internet what every song is about,” says Chris. “We’ve had some ups and downs, but we’ve managed to find a way through it, and put it all back into the music.”

The 4th Album is due for release September 15th, on Round Hill Records.