By Tom Huntington
Arts Correspondent
The show must go on, pandemic be damned. To that end, Vermont music presenters are themselves getting creative, providing an impressive lineup of outdoor options across the state.
Here’s a look at some noteworthy shows happening in October:
Friday, Oct. 2: Goose — Rising Connecticut-based indie-groove band Goose performs in support of a new live album, “Alive and Well,” released in April. “I’m super stoked to get back to Burlington,” says bassist Trevor Weekz, who “spent a bunch of time” in Vermont. “The groovy UV has a special place in my heart,” he said of UVM.
Goose performs at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 2 at the Higher Ground Drive-In Experience, Midway Lawn at Champlain Valley Expo, Essex Junction. Tickets are $125 per vehicle (all ages; all proceeds benefit the Vermont Arts Council). Tickets are only available for purchase online in advance of the event. For tickets and information about event guidelines, go online towww.highergroundmusic.com
Oct. 3-4: Dark Star Orchestra — Grateful Dead tribute band Dark Star Orchestra settles in for the weekend.
Dark Star Orchestra performs at 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 3 and 4 at the Higher Ground Drive-In Experience, Midway Lawn at Champlain Valley Expo, Essex Junction. Tickets for each show are $150 per vehicle. For tickets and information about event guidelines, go online towww.highergroundmusic.com
Thursday, Oct. 8: Mount Joy — Mt. Joy, an ever-rising Philadelphia-bred, Los Angeles-based five-piece group, returns to Vermont for the first time in two years in support of its sophomore album, “Rearrange Us,” released in June.
Mt. Joy performs at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 8 at the Higher Ground Drive-In Experience, Midway Lawn at Champlain Valley Expo, Essex Junction. Tickets are $150 per vehicle. For tickets and information about event guidelines, go online towww.highergroundmusic.com
Oct. 9-10: Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra Septet with Wynton Marsalis — Nine-time Grammy Award-winning trumpeter and jazz ambassador Wynton Marsalis settles in on with an ensemble from the celebrated Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra.
The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra Septet with Wynton Marsalis performs at 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 9 and Saturday, Oct. 10 (sold out) at Shelburne Museum. Tickets are $125 ($121 for students); for tickets and information about event guidelines, go online towww.flynnvt.org
Thursday, Oct. 15: Neko Case — Standout Northeast Kingdom-based singer-songwriter Neko Case — called “one of music’s most wry, distinctive singer-songwriters” by Billboard — performs in her home state for the first time in two years, when she played St. Johnsbury Academy’s Fuller Hall. Case’s latest album, “Hell-On,” was released in 2018.
Neko Case performs at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 15 at the Higher Ground Drive-In Experience, Midway Lawn at Champlain Valley Expo, Essex Junction. Tickets are $150 per vehicle. For tickets and information about event guidelines, go online towww.highergroundmusic.com
Friday, Oct. 16: The Queen’s Cartoonists — A jazz band that plays scores from classic cartoons synchronized to big-screen projection of the original films, The Queen’s Cartoonists are known for their captivating and distinctive live performances.
The Queen’s Cartoonists perform at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16 at Shelburne Museum. Tickets are $35 ($31 for students); for tickets and information about event guidelines, go online towww.flynnvt.org
Saturday, Oct. 17: Kat Wright — St. Johnsbury-based Catamount Arts teams up with Burke Mountain Resort to pilot a new live concert model, billed as “Vermont’s first vertical concert.” Attendees can enjoy rising Burlington singer Kat Wright performing on an outdoor stage from balcony rooms at the Burke Mountain Hotel or from the hotel’s patio. Vermont honky-tonk hero Brett Hughes opens the show.
Kat Wright and opener Brett Hughes perform at 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17 at Burke Mountain Resort, East Burke. Tickets are $20 (patio seating). A Burke Mountain Hotel balcony room and ticket package is also available. To reserve a room, call Burke Mountain Resort at802-626-7400. For tickets and information about event guidelines, go online towww.catamountarts.com
thomaswhuntington @hotmail.com
Editor’s note: The story was updated to show that the date of Wynton Marsalis’ sold-out concert is Oct. 10 rather than Oct. 9.
thomaswhuntington @hotmail.com
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