No ticket lines: Vt. Tourism, Higher Ground team up for online concert series

December 23, 2020  |  By Waterbury Roundabout

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The Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing has teamed up with Higher Ground Music to produce a special five-part virtual concert series through Jan. 16 featuring Vermont musicians alongside regional and national recording artists familiar to Vermont stages. 

Titled “Forevergreen: A Vermont Adventure in Music,” the series launches at 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 26, with Kat Wright, Twiddle, and Taj Mahal. The next four shows are spread out over the following three weeks with the series ending Jan. 16. 

Other artists featured in the series include Grace Potter, Neko Case, The Avett Brothers, Susan Tedeschi & Derek Trucks, Guster’s Ryan Miller and more.

All episodes will stream live on the Vermont Tourism YouTube and Facebook channels at 7 p.m.

Vermont Tourism Commissioner Heather Pelham said the motivation for the project was to provide a connection to Vermont for the public and to offer some inspiration for better days ahead. 

“We have all been missing the sense of community and connection that live performances offer, and Vermont has so many talented musicians that either got their start here or who still call the state home,” Pelham said. “We wanted to find a way to support the arts in Vermont and Forevergreen is one way we can bring the music and spirit of Vermont to all those who are missing it, wherever they may be.”

Higher Ground Presents is producing the series. Each of the five episodes will have three main acts with one performance from the stage at Higher Ground in South Burlington, another performance at a Vermont ski resort, and a visit with national artists from across the country.  Higher Ground has enlisted local performers, artists, and video production teams to present the shows which will offer some support to what the announcement described as a “first-to-close, last-to-open” sector.

Performing arts venues across Vermont and the U.S. have been shuttered for months during the COVID-19 pandemic this year due to public health restrictions on gatherings. Some venues presented outdoor shows this summer and fall including Higher Ground which did several drive-in concerts at the Champlain Valley Expo. Many artists also have relied on online intimate performances from their homes with fans connecting via social media streaming platforms. But none of the alternatives have come close to providing the livelihoods for musicians and the live music community that supports the industry.  

Higher Ground founder Alex Crothers said the partnership with Vermont Tourism will highlight Vermont and other Vermont-connected artists in a time when live performances have been few and far between. 

“Forevergreen provides a connection for viewers to explore, and support, some of the incredible music that lives in Vermont,” he said. “Vermont punches way above its weight class in performing arts and these intimate performances showcase a wonderful range of this talent.” 

More information including a preview video, full artist lineup, and air dates for all five episodes, are online on the Vermont Vacation website.