PUTNEY, Vt. – The Next Stage Bandwagon Summer Series presents a salsa and reggae dance party with Jacksonville, Fla.-based 10-piece salsa ensemble LPT, and Toronto-based modern roots reggae band The Human Rights, on Saturday, June 24, at 6 p.m., at The Putney Inn, located at 57 Putney Landing Road in Putney, Vt.
“This is one we’ve been dreaming about – a double bill with a reggae band and a 10-piece salsa orchestra,” says Keith Marks, Executive Director of Next Stage Arts. “The double bill showcases a lot of Caribbean influences in one day of dancing and fun. LPT was meant to perform in March of 2020, and with a lot of stops and starts, we’re glad to be able to pair them with our reggae friends to the north.”
LPT
LPT is high energy – simple as that. The Jacksonville, Fla.-based 10-piece has been roaming stages along the southeast for the last seven years, delivering the goods wherever they turn up. The group ignited their local music scene with a hard-hitting yet danceable brand of salsa, and has become one of the most dependable and highest drawing acts in the Jacksonville market. The group is expanding its reach to regional markets as far west as New Orleans, south to Miami, north to Charleston, and every market in between.
They recorded and released “Sin Parar,” their debut album of nine original compositions that range from the intricate to the downright jaw-dropping salsa songs, in 2020. The album won the Best Latin Album of the year at the 18th Annual Independent Music Awards, and their single “Los Bravos” continues to be their most viewed video on YouTube, with over 600,000 organic views and counting.
LPT made their debut in 2015, in a small coffee shop in the Riverside neighborhood of Jacksonville. The space was just big enough to hold the then-septet. The show was a hit from the downbeat, with the standing-room-only crowd requesting the next date immediately. The band set up a monthly standing Thursday night gig in the back room of Rain Dogs in Five Points, and played there until the room no longer held the crowds that showed up.
LPT eventually grew to a full ten-piece orchestra and, while still able to squeeze into the tight stage at Rain Dogs, bigger stages came calling and continue to do so today. With some of northeast Florida’s most talented musicians in the melee, LPT has not stopped making every show an unforgettable experience for all who attend. Post-show social media lights up with firsthand accolades as soon as the last note rings out. LPT says that the energy from the audience has been a motivator from the first show.
In 2021, LPT followed up with their sophomore effort, “Se Quema El Mundo,” written in depths of the global pandemic, and released as the world was coming out of quarantine. The live shows resumed with the same raw energy, but the show became more polished and precise. The band has continuously focused on writing original material and delivering jaw-dropping performances that have piqued national attention.
LPT understands and accepts that they are becoming the new ambassadors of salsa music in the southeast, using the music to bridge gaps between cultures. Dancing and joy have no owner, and LPT is well-poised to reinforce that freedom, love, and inclusion is at the heart of salsa music and in the hearts of all that enjoy the shows.
The Human Rights
When it comes to reggae in Canada, nobody does it better – while remaining true to their founding principles – than Toronto’s The Human Rights. Since forming in 2007 around one of the Toronto scene’s true lions, Friendlyness (previously of Culture Shock, Truth And Rights, and Big Sugar), The Human Rights have developed a distinctively modern, high energy sound that blends roots reggae with jazz, funk, and R&B influences, courtesy of a blazing horn section and the soulful lead vocals of Juno award nominee Tréson. On their new album, “Reggae Strong,” The Human Rights more than live up to its title, following an extended break since releasing their 2016 self-titled album and the 2018 single “I Need You.” Recorded with producer and former band member Patric McGroarty, and mixed and mastered by renowned Canadian reggae artist Dubmatix, “Reggae Strong” finds The Human Rights coming as close as they have yet to achieving a truly Canadian reggae sound, with guest appearances by Toronto’s Ras Yunchie, Caddy Cad, I-Sax, and Carol Brown.
This performance is sponsored by Bordertown Farm & Apothecary.
The Bandwagon Summer Series is a family-friendly outdoor cultural performance series running from early May through mid-October. More than 20 performances, ranging from a diverse group of musical styles, circus arts, dance, and theater will take place at ballfields, farms, and parks throughout Windham County. Kids under 12 always get in for free, and a dedicated play area will be available at all shows. Refreshments are sold onsite, including the return of the hugely popular Barr Hill cocktails. Bring a picnic and a blanket or fold-up chair to enjoy our concerts.
Support for the Bandwagon Summer Series is provided by Brattleboro Reformer, Landmark College, Oak Meadow, Barr Hill, Vermont Public, The Porch Café & Catering, and Southern Vermont Solar.
Tickets can be purchased online in advance, or at the gate for an additional fee. Children under 12 enter for free. Next Stage will provide a cash bar. Advance tickets are available at www.nextstagearts.org. For information, or to purchase tickets, call 802-387-0102 or visit www.nextstagearts.org.