PUTNEY, Vt. – Next Stage Arts Project and Twilight Music present singer/songwriters Carsie Blanton and her quartet, plus Brittany Ann Tranbaugh, at Next Stage on Sunday, April 30, at 7 p.m.
Carsie Blanton writes anthems for a world worth saving. Inspired by artists including Nina Simone and Randy Newman, her songs encompass a wide range of genres, from sultry pop to punk-tinged Americana. Whether alone with her electric guitar, or fronting her “handsome band,” Blanton delivers every song with an equal dose of moxie and mischief, bringing her audience together in joyful celebration of everything worth fighting for.
Since releasing her first album in 2002, Blanton has recorded seven more albums, appeared on NPR’s Mountain Stage, and shared the stage with the likes of Paul Simon, The Weepies, and Shawn Colvin. In February 2011, she toured with Anais Mitchell’s “Hadestown,” playing the role of Head Fate. Fragile and strong, with lush and cheerful arrangements infused with jazz elements, Blanton’s latest album, “Love and Rage,” is a reminder that the fight for racial and gender equity can – and should – have joyous moments.
Filled with songs bouncing between witty sarcasm and heartbreaking vulnerability, Brittany Ann Tranbaugh’s first EP, “Quarter Life Crisis Haircut,” features her 2022 John Lennon Songwriting Contest Song of the Year winner “Kiss You.” In the last year, Tranbaugh has finally quit her office job to pursue a full-time music career, establishing herself as local favorite in the Philadelphia music scene, and recording a second EP, “Comets,” to be released this fall.
Next Stage is located at 15 Kimball Hill in downtown Putney, Vt. For information, call 802-387-0102. Advance tickets are available at www.nextstagearts.org. Next Stage will provide a beer, wine, and cocktail cash bar.