PUTNEY, Vt. – Next Stage Arts presents tribute duo Forever Simon & Garfunkel at Next Stage on Wednesday, July 12, at 7 p.m.
Forever Simon & Garfunkel celebrates the best selling duo in rock and roll history. With humor, soaring energy, charm, and laser precise harmony, Sean Altman and Jack Skuller lead the audience on a concert journey through Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel’s teenage roots, their early success as a groovy folk act, their global dominance as hit-makers, and even some of Paul Simon’s solo career; “The Sound Of Silence,” “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” “Mrs. Robinson,” “I Am A Rock,” “The Boxer,” “Homeward Bound,” “Cecilia,” “Hazy Shade Of Winter,” “Feeling Groovy,” “Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard,” “Kodachrome,” and many more.
“The legacy of Simon and Garfunkel can’t be understated – they forged a new chapter of American music,” says Keith Marks, Executive Director of Next Stage Arts. “This tribute to them is beyond an evening of great music – it’s a celebration of the artistry and power of the music. Next Stage is excited to present this show.”
Award-winning singer-songwriters Sean Altman (Rockapella) and Jack Skuller (Songwriters Hall of Fame Buddy Holly Prize) met on stage in 2010, when they were paired at a variety show to duet Mrs. Robinson. Skuller had just celebrated his 14th birthday, and Altman had just celebrated his shiny new AARP card, but the audience found their December-January musical bromance and brotherly harmony to be enchanting and mesmerizing. The pair has toured as The Everly Set since 2016, celebrating the hits of The Everly Brothers. They formed Forever Simon & Garfunkel in 2020, and they tour both acts internationally.
Jack Skuller signed his first recording contract at just 14 years old. His debut single “Love is a Drum” was called “arguably the best single released by anyone [that] year” by The Examiner, and The New York Post labeled Skuller “a mini Jack White.” His music career has since earned him a reputation for powerful live shows rooted in old school rock and roll. In his teen years, Skuller performed his original music for thousands of people across the U.S. as a Disney recording artist. He has been featured on the Disney Channel, FOX-TV’s Good Day New York, Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls, and with the Grammy Foundation. His music was selected for an ASPCA campaign, and is continually played on indie rock radio across the U.S., including Sirius XM. The Songwriters Hall of Fame recognized his talent by awarding him the esteemed Buddy Holly Prize. Now, Skuller continues to produce his raucous, catchy brand of rockabilly and rock and roll that American Songwriter once noted as “analog, vintage, and cool, with a sincerity.” As NYC The Deli Magazine put it, “Buddy Holly would be proud.”
Ex-Rockapella star Sean Altman is “tuneful and sharply witty” (Los Angeles Times) and “relentlessly clever” (Chicago Tribune), with “catchy melodies, clever arrangements, and lyrics that yield satiric gems” (Washington Post), combining “the tunefulness of the Beatles, and the spot-on wit of Tom Lehrer” (Boston Globe) with a “silky tenor voice that produces chills” (New York Times). Altman — widely regarded as “the Father of Modern A Cappella” — co-founded and led the pioneering vocal group Rockapella through its heyday on the Emmy-winning daily PBS-TV series “Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego?,” for which he co-wrote the famous theme song. Original songs from his six albums have been featured on dozens of TV and radio shows, including Saturday Night Live, NPR’s Fresh Air with Terry Gross, The Daily Show With Jon Stewart, The Colbert Report, and Schoolhouse Rock. Altman has twice performed at the White House, he has shared concert stages with Billy Joel, Steve Miller, Whoopi Goldberg, Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, Jay Leno, and Joey Ramone, and he has recorded with artists as varied as Steve Miller, XTC, John Cale, Richie Havens, and They Might Be Giants.
Next Stage is located at 15 Kimball Hill in downtown Putney, Vt. Tickets can be purchased online in advance, or at the gate for an additional fee. There is also a virtual ticket option. 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.