PUTNEY, Vt. – Next Stage Arts continues its 2025 Bandwagon Summer Series with an evening of joyful, genre-bending music, as The Gaslight Tinkers and Sammy & Brothers take the stage on Saturday, Sept. 13, at Cooper Field in Putney, Vt. Doors open at 4 p.m., with music beginning at 5 p.m.
The Gaslight Tinkers fuse African, Caribbean, funk, reggae, and Latin grooves with traditional fiddle music to create a sound that is both rooted and global, danceable and infectious. Since forming in 2012, the band has electrified audiences across the U.S. and the Caribbean, headlining festivals and clubs with a sound The Valley Advocate praised as “music that consistently fizzes and pops with unexpected textures and turns.” Individually, Peter Siegel, Garrett Sawyer, I-Shea, Eliezer Martinez, and Clara Constance-Stickney have performed with Pete Seeger, Noel Paul Stookey, the Soca Monarchs of the Caribbean, The Alchemystics, and more. Together, they’re a force that lifts both feet and spirits.
Opening the evening is Sammy & Brothers, a family ensemble whose music blends traditional African styles from the Democratic Republic of Congo and East Africa with melodic, acoustic arrangements and message-driven songwriting. Siblings Israel Mbombo, Samuel Divinda (Sammy), Gershom Mbombo, and Shekinah Pemba have been making music together since childhood, guided by a shared mission of bringing peace and joy through their songs.
Tickets are discounted in advance at www.nextstagearts.org. Kids under 12 enter free. Food will be available from Smokin’ Bowls, as well as refreshments including Barr Hill cocktails.