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Jim Yeager first met him seven years ago at Warren’s weekly open-mic night in Woodstock.
“I stumbled into Bentley’s with my guitar,” Yeager, who also lives in Hartland, recalled this week. “He brought me up, let me play some songs. I didn’t even have a P.A. system, so he let me use his.”
Warren’s generosity has led to an outpouring of help as Warren recovers from a recent stroke. On Monday night and for as many more as it takes, Yeager will fill in as host of the Bentley’s open mic, and many more area musicians are juggling their own busy schedules to cover Warren’s other obligations, the better to keep his only source of income flowing.
“I’m easy to plop into a Brian gig, and keep his crowds happy,” said Hartland bluesman Arthur James, who is covering the Wednesday open mic at the Public House in Quechee for the foreseeable future. “Mostly I’m hoping to just be able to turn the reins back to him once he’s well enough to do it on his own again. If not, I’ll brace him until he can ride alone.”
While Warren, well into his 60s, has been making progress with both his speech and his movement over the past week, and is expected to leave Mt. Ascutney Hospital in Windsor today or Friday, his recovery will take time under the best of circumstances.
“It’s going to be a long road for him to get the dexterity back in the fingers,” Yeager said. “I’m going to be there when he gets out.
“He’s going to have some help.”
Among the musicians stepping up is Hartland singer-songwriter Chris Powers, a 23-year-old graduate of Lebanon High School, whose first professional gig Warren booked at the former Seven Barrel Brewery in West Lebanon three years ago. Last week, Powers covered for Warren at the weekly farmers market on the village green in Woodstock, and took in additional contributions from listeners at his own gig at 56 Main St., in Enfield last Thursday night. He’ll also play the Wednesday farmers markets in Woodstock on Sept. 20 and 27 and Oct. 11.
“He is really the reason I do what I do,” Powers said this week. “He’s introduced me to some great people to get me going. He’s lent a helping hand in more directions than I can count. So anything I can fill in for, I agreed to. Whatever it takes so we can get him on his feet.
“In this line of work, you’ve got to be there to get paid.”
In addition to Warren’s fees, musicians had passed along $2,000 in tips through Tuesday night, Yeager said. And by Wednesday morning, the GoFundMe page that Warren’s friend John Vose, of White River Junction, started shortly after Warren’s stroke had raised nearly $11,500; the goal was to raise at least $10,000.
“We had to choose an amount, and didn’t want to get too ambitious,” Vose said on Tuesday. “It went in two, two-and-a-half days.
“When I visited him the other day, he was … his speech is still affected, but you could tell he was incredibly grateful. A little embarrassed, but mostly grateful.”
They’re all just returning favors.
“He’s got people who love him,” Yeager said. “They recognize what he does for other people. It’s not lip service to say that Brian would do that for any of us.”
To contribute to the fund for Brian Warren, visit gofundme.com and type Help our Friend Brian Warren into the search bar. On Oct. 5, there will be a benefit concert, on the theme of “The Big Payback,” at Woodstock’s Town Hall Theatre, from 7 to 10 p.m. For tickets ($20) and more information, call 802-457-3981.
Best Bets
Fiddling phenom Jeremy Kittel plays roots, jazz, Celtic and bluegrass rhythms at Barrett Memorial Hall in South Strafford on Friday night at 7:30. Joining him for the concert will be mandolin player Josh Pinkham and guitarist Quinn Bachand. Admission is $10 to $15 in advance and $12 to $20 at the door. To reserve tickets and learn more, visit yonasmedia.com.
The Upper Valley Music Center celebrates the grand opening of its new home in downtown Lebanon on Saturday, with a program that includes a brass quintet performing Virginia Reeling, a contradance that Marion Cross School music teacher Travis Ramsey composed for the occasion. Student and faculty musicians will play throughout the celebration, which runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Other activities will include free workshops and opportunities to dance. To learn more, visit uvmusic.org.
The Cyn Barrette Trio, the Peter Concilio Trio and Richie Iacona and the Bad Little Big Band fill the Barrette Center for the Arts in White River Junction with jazz rhythms on Saturday night, during Northern Stage’s open house for the 2017-2018 season. The open house begins at 4 with backstage tours, a barbecue and dance lessons, and the music begins at 7. For tickets ($15 to $40) and more information, visit northernstage.org.
The roots ensemble Heyday sets the rhythm and Dugan Murphy calls the steps for the contradance that Norwich Community Dances is hosting at Tracy Hall on Saturday night from 8 to 11. A pre-dance session for beginners will be held at 7:45. Dancers are encouraged to bring clean, soft-soled shoes. Admission is $6 to $10.
Lebanon’s Elizabeth Borowsky is among the pianists who will play the Steinway in the main rotunda of Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center on Sunday afternoon, during the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the donation of the instrument. The family of Christine Walker, who underwent cancer treatment at the hospital in the early 1990s, gave the Steinway in Walker’s memory, and volunteer pianists regularly play it for passersby. Joining Borowsky in taking turns at the piano at the concert, which starts at 2, will be Bill Emerson, Florence Ingersoll, Frank Logan, Stephen Wang, Katie Wise and Timothy Zimmerman. Admission is free.
The Randolph-based No Strings Marionette Co., stages an adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s novel The Hobbit, at Woodstock’s Town Hall Theatre, on Tuesday morning at 10. Admission is $6. School groups can order blocks of tickets by visiting pentanglearts.org or calling 802-457-3981.
The Los Angeles Guitar Quartet performs Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 6 and a commissioned work by Pat Metheny on Wednesday night at 7, during its concert at Dartmouth College’s Spaulding Auditorium in Hanover. For tickets ($17 to $40) and more information, visit hop.dartmouth.edu or call 603-646-2422.
Looking Ahead
On the theme of “Scary Stories,” AVA Gallery and Art Center resumes The Mudroom, its monthly session of storytelling in the spirit of The Moth Radio Hour, next Thursday night. After refreshments at 6:30, the session begins at 7 in the South Studio on the second floor, with live music from Harmony Hotel. Advance tickets cost $7.50 for AVA members and $10 for others; tickets at the door are $20. To reserve seats and learn more, visit avagallery.org or call 603-448-3117.
Pomfret native Tristan Henderson and his colleagues in the roots trio Pete’s Posse will perform in Woodstock’s Town Hall Theatre next Friday night at 7, in a concert benefiting the cross-country skiing program of the Woodstock Ski Runners. To reserve tickets ($10 to $25) and learn more, visit pentanglearts.org or call 802-457-3981.
Theater/Performance Art
The ArtisTree Music Theatre Festival lowers the curtain on its production of Always … Patsy Cline at the new Grange Theatre in South Pomfret this weekend, with performances at 7:30 tonight and Friday night, at 3 Saturday afternoon, at 7:30 Saturday night and at 2 on Sunday afternoon. For tickets ($15 to $25) and more information about this and subsequent festival productions, visit artistreevt.org or call 802-457-3500.
The White River Valley Players host their 29th annual Harvest Fair on the village green in Rochester, Vt., on Saturday. Running from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the gathering will include musical entertainment throughout the day, a flower show on the bandstand, a farmers market and vendors of food and crafts. To learn more, call Martha Slater at 802-767-3025.
The puppeteers of Modern Times Theater perform two music-filled shows on Saturday: at 11 a.m. at Dartmouth College’s Alumni Hall in Hanover and at 3 p.m. at Broad Street Park in Claremont. The performances are part of the Hopkins Center’s free HopStop series of shows for families.
The Newport Opera House Association is inviting Newport-area singers, dancers, musicians, comedians and other entertainers to audition on Monday for its season-opening community talent show on Sept. 15. To learn about audition times and locations, and about the opera house’s 2017-2018 season, visit newportoperahouse.com.
Music
Bassist Dave Clark plays during the Lebanon Farmers Market between 4 and 7 this afternoon in Colburn Park. Next Thursday afternoon, Grantham singer-guitarist Michael Cressey performs.
Ida Mae Specker and Terrible Mountain play roots music at the weekly Feast and Field Market in Barnard tonight starting at 5:30.
Classicopia co-founder Daniel Weiser and fellow pianist Philip Liston-Kraft play dance music of Gershwin, Moszkowski, Rimsky-Korsakov, Saint-Saens and other composers at three Upper Valley venues this weekend, starting with a concert at Hartland’s Damon Hall at 7:30 Friday night; admission to that show is $18.
Next comes a house concert in Hanover at 7:30 Saturday night; admission is $40 and reservations are required. For the concert at 2 on Sunday afternoon at the First Congregational Church in Lebanon, admission is $9 for church members and $18 for others.
To reserve tickets and learn more, including the opportunity for discounts for early purchases, visit classicopia.org or call 603-643-3337.
Sensible Shoes plays from 2 to 4 on Saturday afternoon during the Woodstock Art Festival on the village green, and during the Mac and Cheese Challenge at Artisans Park in Windsor on Sunday at noon. The Sensible Shoes duo of Barbara Blaisdell and Tim Utt plays at the Common Man in Claremont on Monday night at 6.
The Moonlighters perform big-band standards on the grounds of the Hartland Recreation Center at 3 on Sunday afternoon. Admission is by donation. Proceeds will go toward the band’s expenses, and toward purchase of modern lights for the players’ music stands. There will also be a 50-50 raffle, and cold drinks will be available.
Cape Breton fiddler Andrea Beaton plays a house concert at 1060 Bent Hill Road in Braintree, Vt., on Sunday night at 6:30. For tickets ($17 in advance, $20 day of the concert), email lukeydogs57@gmail.com.
The Harmony Night community chorus is inviting singers of all ages and abilities to rehearsals for the 2017-2018 season on Monday and on Sept. 18 and 25 at the Hartford town offices in White River Junction. Each rehearsal starts at 6:30 p.m.
Bar and Club Circuit
Johnny O and the Accordion Guy pull into Windsor Station to deliver a dose of roots music tonight at 7:30. Following them to the venue over the coming week are The Mangroves on Friday night at 9:30, The Damn Truth on Saturday night at 9:30 and the folk duo Strangled Darlings on Tuesday night at 6.
Singer-songwriter Dan Walker plays the tavern at Jesse’s Restaurant in Hanover on Friday evening starting at 5.
Royalton singer-songwriter Alison “AliT” Turner performs at the Inn at Weathersfield in Perkinsville on Friday night at 6:45.
The folk duo of Mark and Deb Bond appears at Salt hill Pub in Newport on Friday night at 9.
Singer-songwriter Ben Fuller plays Salt hill Pub in West Lebanon on Friday night at 9, and Brandon Maddox plays a set of country Wednesday night at 8.
Hammond B3 organist Tom Caselli leads his B3 Brotherhood into Salt hill Pub in downtown Lebanon for a set of funk and jazz on Friday night at 9.
The Willie Edwards Blues Band performs at Skunk Hollow Tavern in Hartland Four Corners on Friday night at 9.
The coming week’s performers at Crossroads Bar & Grille in South Royalton include Soulfix on Friday night at 9 and the duo of saxophonist Michael Parker and singer Alison “AliT” Turner, who are members of Soulfix, perform rhythm-and-blues on Tuesday night at 6.
Bow Thayer plays his weekly session of Americana on Wednesday night at 7:30.
Open Mics
Ramunto’s Brick & Brew Pizza in Bridgewater hosts an open mic at 7:30 on Thursday nights. Participants get a free large cheese pizza.
String players of all ages and abilities are welcome at the weekly acoustic jam session at South Royalton’s BALE Commons on Friday night from 6:30 to 10.
Joe Stallsmith leads a weekly hootenanny of Americana, folk and bluegrass at Salt hill Pub in Hanover on Monday nights at 6.
Jim Yeager hosts the weekly open mic at Bentley’s in Woodstock on Monday night at 8.
Bradford’s Colatina Exit holds an open mic, Tuesday nights at 8.
Jim Yeager hosts his weekly open mic at 8:30 Wednesday night at Hartland’s Skunk Hollow Tavern. And next Thursday night at 7, he leads an open-mic in the Hayloft at ArtisTree Community Arts Center in South Pomfret.
David Corriveau can be reached at dcorriveau@vnews.com and at 603-727-3304.