PUTNEY, Vt. – Mitch Harrison, owner of Next Chapter Records in Putney, is now hosting a weekly radio show each Sunday, on WTSA-FM in Brattleboro. The concept of the new radio show is to promote a variety of music venues in the area, as well as the local artists and bands who perform at these venues. In a recent interview, Harrison was asked how the idea for this new radio show came about.
“A sales person had stopped in the record store one day, looking for sponsors for a new radio show that she was proposing to her general manager. As she was leaving, she also mentioned needing someone to host the show, and I said that I would love to do it. The sales person then found the needed sponsors, and so the show was born.”
Aptly titled “Listen Local,” the show will concentrate on promoting local music venues – regardless of how big or small they may be – as well as the artists and bands who are performing. Just a few of these area music establishments include Next Stage Arts in Putney; the Bellows Falls Opera House and Stage 33 in Bellows Falls; the Pizza Stone in Chester; the Mole Hill Theatre in East Alstead; The Stone Church in Brattleboro; the Paramount Theatre in Rutland; and the Colonial Theatre and Nova Arts in Keene.
“For a long time, I have waved the flag for artists that don’t always get the recognition they deserve,” Mitch said. “There is so much great local music out there that too many people haven’t heard of. Some of this music is from artists or bands that are very new, but some others have been around for decades and just don’t happen to fit into the cookie-cutter, commercial mold.” One such artist, who Mitch recently interviewed for the radio show, is singer-songwriter Jake McKelvie.
“I first discovered Jake maybe seven years ago, when he performed at the Keene Music Festival. Our interview will air on the radio show later this month, and Jake will also be playing in front of Next Chapter Records on May 11. I will also be featuring singer-songwriter Carsie Blanton in an upcoming radio show, and she will be performing at Next Stage Arts in May, as well as Brattleboro artist Derek O’Kanos, who has some dates coming up at Bromley Mountain.”
Along with introducing listeners to music that Mitch knows and enjoys, he also encourages other local artists and listeners alike to reach out to him. “Artists like Lucy Kaplansky and Ellis Paul will be playing the Showroom in Keene, and I have admired them since the early 90s. But the thing is, I also urge other bands and solo artists to reach out to me as well, with the possibility of being featured on the show.”
This writer was actually listening to the premiere of “Listen Local” while writing this article, hence, I can say firsthand the show is quite unique in that it really does promote the many artists, venues, and other music entities in the area by playing the songs, then informing the listener where said artist is performing locally.
“I just hope that people hear some music on ‘Listen Local’ that leads them to go to a show. I want these venues to thrive, and I want these artists to be heard live. We need to get out of our houses and frequent these places; it enriches our lives and the culture of our communities.”
“Listen Local” will air every Sunday, from 11 a.m. – 12 p.m., on WTSA 96.7-FM in Brattleboro, and links to the prerecorded shows are available at the WTSA website. Interested musicians and bands can reach out to Mitch at his Next Chapter Records website, www.nextchapterrecords.com.