Singer Philip Hamilton will perform a public concert in Keene on April 13 at 7:30 p.m. Hamilton teaches at Columbia University. Born in West Medford, Massachusetts, Hamilton graduated from Middlebury College and Berklee College of Music. In Keene, he will sing with his nine-person a cappella group. They will sing Gregorian chants, the blues, and miners' songs. They have performed at Lincoln Center in New York City. The concert will be at Keene State College, in the Redfern building at 229 Main Street in downtown Keene. Tickets cost between $12 and $23.

More information is at:

There was a brown door in a modest kitchen, scuffed by the onslaught of time, children and life's general maneuvers. It guarded a staircase leading down to a basement, spacious enough and made congenial, such that it was often strewn about with middle-aged men.

When closed, this door allowed a generous amount of space between it and the floor, and was not the most efficient muffler of sound. If one crouched by its bottom, the world it attempted to conceal came spilling forth like the secrets of some giddy deluge.

Benny Johnson approached about 20 people who were dancing to rap music at a house party late on a recent Thursday night on Lincoln Street in Amherst. Once people recognized him, the music was turned off and the requests poured in.

“Motown Man! Play a song!”

Benny quickly obliged, performing “Twist and Shout” with a bucket, a kazoo hanging from his neck and a worn shaker held together by masking tape.

The crowd’s dancing soon engulfed him as the whole room sang along to the classic Beatles song. After two encores Benny left with a Keystone Light as a parting gift.

Los Lobos has won three Grammy awards. Rolling Stone magazine said, “With the exception of U2, no band has stayed on top of its game as long as Los Lobos.” On Sept. 17 at 8 p.m., Los Lobos will play at the Calvin Theater in Northampton.

Tickets start at $25. Tickets for $75 include a “meet and greet” with the band and benefit the Latino Scholarship Fund.

Los Lobos (spanish for "the wolves") has five members, all of whom are Latino. The band is based in Los Angeles, California, where it was formed in 1973.

Musician and peace activist Michael Franti of San Francisco www.spearheadvibrations.com will play with his band at the Green River Festival www.greenriverfestival.com on July 18 at Greenfield Community College.

Franti performed live in the studio at Brattleboro Community Radio as a benefit for the station. www.wvew.org

Here are some of the lyrics to Franti’s song, “Bomb the World to Pieces.”

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We can chase down all our enemies,
bring them to their knees.

We can bomb the world to pieces
but we can’t bomb it into peace

Violence brings one thing:

World famous singers Lori McKenna www.myspace.com/lorimckenna and Mark Erelli www.markerelli.com played a public concert on June 26 in Putney, Vermont, about 10 minutes from Brattleboro. The concert was produced by www.twilightmusic.org which has more concerts coming up in the Valley. video by Eesha Williams

On June 20, the Winterpills played at the Iron Horse in Northampton. The audience was appreciative. The show wasn't sold out, but there weren't many empty seats. The band www.winterpills.com will play in Greenfield on July 17 at the Green River Festival www.greenriverfestival.com Some of the Winterpills live in the Valley. video by Eesha Williams

This video shows Fred Eaglesmith and his band playing in Rockingham, Vermont on June 14. It also shows Native American stone carvings, and a waterfall, both in Bellows Falls, Vermont. Bellows Falls is about 30 minutes from Brattleboro by car or train. Eaglesmith said he will play in Bellows Falls again next year at the annual Roots on the River Music Festival. video by Eesha Williams

On June 3, the Inter-Generational Chorus gave a free, public concert at the River Garden in downtown Brattleboro. Singers ranged from third graders to retirees. The director is Andy Davis of the Oak Grove public school in Brattleboro. Anyone who wants to join the chorus should contact Davis. In this video they perform the Vermont state song. Video by Elizabeth Wood.

The lyrics are:

These green hills and silver waters
Are my home, they belong to me
And to all her sons and daughters
May they be strong and forever free

Let us live to protect her beauty

The Vermont Workers’ Center (VWC) www.workerscenter.org is bringing legendary singer-songwriter-organizer Si Kahn to Brattleboro for a concert. The VWC is building a grassroots movement of Vermonters for justice. Si Kahn is the founder and director of Grassroots Leadership www.grassrootsleadership.org a civil rights organization in North Carolina. You can hear his music for free at www.amazon.com

June 7 at 7 p.m. "Concert for Change" with Si Kahn and Scott Ainslie www.cattailmusic.com

West Village Meeting House (a.k.a. All Souls Unitarian church)
20 South Street
Brattleboro