PUTNEY, Vt. – Next Stage Arts presents dynamic eight-piece band Hazmat Modine on Saturday, Nov. 16, at 7:30 p.m., at Next Stage Arts, 15 Kimball Hill in Putney.
“Hazmat Modine has been an influence on a generation of musicians based in New York. Their fans are musicians because of the virtuosity they exhibit,” says Keith Marks, executive director of Next Stage Arts. “It’s a gift to be able to present stalwarts of the New York music scene. Look up ‘eclectic’ in the dictionary, Hazmat Modine is a verb.”
Hazmat Modine is “a uniquely intercontinental sonic collage encompassing a tremendous range of instrumental, vocal, and conceptual originality – all with a lot of soul and groove.” This dynamic eight-piece band has toured and performed original songs for more than 25 years, with genre-defying music that is quintessentially New York – vibrant international cultures meets American roots. Diverse backgrounds in gypsy jazz, downtown avant garde loft music, blues, soul, country, rock ‘n’ roll, and roots is written and performed by musicians whose ages span every decade, from their 20s to their 70s.
Unique instrumentation matches virtuosic trumpet, saxophone, trombone, guitar, tuba, harmonica, drums, banjo, and violin, with a fantastical array of folk instruments and guest performers. The extraordinary vocals by lead Wade Schuman are riveting, rousing, and emotive, and his mastery of harmonica is unparalleled.
Worldwide performances include WOMAD (England, Australia, and New Zealand), jazz and folk festivals of Berlin, Vienna, Montreal, Pori, Cambridge, Vancouver, and Calgary, FMM Sines, and Live on BBC 3. They have toured from China to Brazil, Mexico, Russia, India, Malaysia, central Asia, and across Europe. Musical collaborators have included The Kronos Quartet, Gangbé Brass Band (Benin), Natalie Merchant, Son of Dave, Tuva’s Huun-Huur-Tu and Alash, and Balla Kouyate (Mali). They have written for Japanese television, Wim Wenders’ film “Pina”, and the Nobel Laureates 75th Anniversary. Their newest album, “Bonfire,” was released in May 2023.