the ARTISTS of FIRST NIGHT 2012

A Tasty Shade Of Orange, one of the Northeast Kingdom's most popular young rock bands, will reunite for two shows at this year's First Night St. Johnsbury. This exciting band present high energy covers of modern rock classics, plus a few older classics from the 60s, 70s and 80s . The band is comprised of four former St. J. Academy students from the class of 2009:  Jake Machel on vocals, Nate Amos on bass, Ryan Murphy on guitar and Nate "Bovice" LaRow on drums.

Morse Center for the Arts – 10 pm & 11 pm

Bob Amos

The Bob Amos Band presents an entertaining mix of folk-rock music, featuring great original material which ranges from rock to pop, from blues to Bluegrass, and from Celtic to country. Singout! magazine has called Bob Amos “one of the most consistently intelligent and interesting songwriters in American music.” In addition to Bob's songs, the band also covers some tunes from the likes of the Beatles, the Byrds and Bob Marley. The Bob Amos Band features Bob on guitar, Sarah Amos on percussion, Nate Amos on drums and Gary Darling on mandolin. All band members share in the powerful harmony vocals.

North Congregational Church – 8 pm & 9 pm

Pianist Pina Antonelli has received coast to coast recognition, having performed in major concert halls both here and abroad. She has held recitals aboard the ocean liner Queen Elizabeth II and been a guest of royalty around the world. A senior music critic of the New York Times had this to say upon hearing Ms. Antonelli play at his home: “The talented Pina–Madonna face, ivory fingers, musical brain–has phenomenal technique, great freedom and personality in her style…and represents the Golden Era of playing.” Ms. Antonelli's programs with their trademark crowd-pleasing blockbusters leave her audiences on their feet in enraptured applause. Come hear the music she can bring from the fine Steinway concert grand at South Church.

***MS. ANTONELLI WILL BE UNABLE TO PERFORM.

A lot of fun mixed with a bit of bluegrass, original tunes, classic country, old-time, and folk music–that’s what the “BACK SHED STRING BAND” of Monroe, NH has been playing for audiences since 1996. Featuring Dave Choate on mandolin; Mary Choate on guitar & vocals; Tom Bishop on frailing-style banjo, bass, & vocals; & Samantha Amey on big thumpin’ bass, guitar & vocals, their driving rhythms, spirited instrumentals, sweet  harmonies & contagious joy bring their fans  back again & again to varied venues such as local festivals, community concerts in parks all over the north country, private parties, nursing homes, state parks & campgrounds. Back for their second performance at First Night, they are looking forward to entertaining many of you again & to meeting lots of new friends.

Universalist Church – 5 pm

Welcome to New England bluegrass at its best.  Since the 1970’s, Banjo Dan and the Midnite Plowboys have consistently delivered some of the finest, most dynamic and most original bluegrass music ever heard in this corner of the country.  With countless performances under their belts and an extensive catalog of acclaimed recordings, the Plowboys have developed strong name recognition, a large fan base and a reputation as top-notch entertainers.  It’s a reputation built on soulful lead singing, spot-on harmonies, fiery picking and a stage show full of energy, variety and humor!

North Congregational Church – 10 pm & 11 pm

Gary Darling on mandolin and Steve Wright on guitar, along with special guests,  take you on a rollicking musical ride of soulful ballads, tight vocal harmonies, and hard-driving instrumental work. The Bayley-Hazen Boys have become one of the most popular groups in the Northeast Kingdom and can regularly be seen onstage at Catamount Arts community Bluegrass Jams.

North Congregational Church – 7 pm

In keeping with the true spirit of the holiday season, the Bethel Musicians are a devout ensemble of talented young people who sing and make melody in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. The ensemble plays a variety of musical instruments and use their voices in presenting  a program that will inspire and move your entire family. 

Saint Andrews Episcopal Church – 5 pm & 6 pm

Bobbie Strich and Marvin (“Me”) Drake have been performing in the North Country for nearly three decades now, presenting many of their acoustic classics long before they were classics. Their unique guitar styles and vocal harmonies bring these vintage songs to life with an original twist that’s sure to appeal to almost any taste in music.

Universalist Church – 6 pm & 9 pm

Barbershop music returns to this year’s First Night menu of musical genres with the first ever appearance by The Caledonia Chordsmen, a new barbershop quartet that celebrates the  traditions of this lively, crowd – friendly style of singing. Their beautiful, four-part harmony will combine with songs you love and can hum along with to create a performance that will have you reminiscing about the past as well as celebrating the future on First Night. The classic interior of the St. Johnsbury House will offer the ideal backdrop for this classy performance by the Caledonia Chordsmen.

Saint Johnsbury House – 9 pm & 10 pm

For the past several years, Catamount Arts has been a must visit venue for all First Night attendees, and 2012 is no exception.  Three separate performance areas in the arts center have been dedicated to entertainment this year.  In theater 1, YOUNG AT HEART and LEONARD COHEN: I’M YOUR MAN will unspool throughout the evening, and in theater 2 the highly acclaimed documentaries FESTIVAL EXPRESS and LIGHTNING IN A BOTTLE  will be screened. Downstairs in the Cabaret, live groups such as the Kingdom County Comedy Theater, Milkbone, The Walker Storz Project and Toussaint St. Negritude will entertain First Night revelers.  Local artist Thea Storz will also be on hand to lead a drop – in workshop of making small, personal bags.  They will make a great souvenir of your First Night celebration. In addition, the main art gallery will be featuring a show by area artist Harriet Wood, and made to order omlettes will be available all evening.

Catamount Arts – 4 pm – 12 Midnight

Paul Connelly returns to the choir loft and the pipe organ console where his mother Barbara has directed him in North Church’s choir since he was six years old.  Now with his degree in instrumental and choral music education from Hope College under his belt, Connelly will be playing a variety of organ works that provide a cross-section of the history of organ music.  There will be pieces from each musical era, bringing the listener from the 17th century to the present – everything from Bach to Goemanne – played on North Church’s magnificent 2000-pipe, four-manual organ.

North Congregational Church – 4 pm

Ben Bergstein will call the moves as David Carpenter plays the fiddle and April Werner plays the piano while the lines of dancers move up and down the hall. All the rage in 1800 and still immensely popular, contra dancing is a form of American folk dance where by the end of the evening you are likely to have danced with everyone. Many of the basic moves in contra dancing are similar to those in square dancing, except the dancers form a set of two parallel lines which run the length of the hall. Your feet are never asked to do more than walk to the music, so anyone who can walk can contra dance. Each dance is taught before it is danced, and dancers are prompted continually as needed. Ben Bergstein has been a teacher and performer of traditional dances of the world for over 40 years and a New England dance caller for 30. He is the founder/director of two group of touring cultural ambassadors–“Green Mountain Volunteers” and “FolKids of Vermont.” For almost two decades David Carpenter has been the fiddler-in-residence at Maple Grove Farms where he has entertained leaf peepers from around the world with Vermont fiddle tunes and stories about sugaring. David plays for various dance groups and has toured Europe and Asia. April Werner has performed traditional dance, music and song for many years. She also was a founding member of “Mixed Company,” an a cappella ensemble that performed a wide variety of doowop, Motown and other popular music. April and David have been playing together for contra dancing for many years, both locally and in exotic places around the globe.

Saint Johnsbury School – All Purpose Room – 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm

Do-si-do and Allemande and grand-right-left and promenade and all those happy Western Square Dance moves are demonstrated by the Country Corner Squares. They welcome you to join in the fun. Come as a couple or alone; partners are provided as needed. All the moves are taught by caller Barbara Connelly and friendly veteran dancers. All you really need is a smile. But you don’t even need to bring that; you’ll find a smile on your face before you know it. You just won’t be able to help yourself.

Note: No street shows or boots will be allowed on the gym floor. Bring clean soft soled shoes or sneakers for dancing or dance in your stocking feet.

Saint Johnsbury School – All Purpose Room – 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm

This group of exciting fire artists will be dazzling their outdoor audiences with their routines that light up the night. They perform chiefly with fire poi but are expanding into contact staff, double staff, and fire hula hoop. Their work focuses on aesthetics, dance, movement, and theatrics. Dancing Djinn’s lineup includes Rebecca Aldridge, Charlie Cushing, Blake Unger Dvorchik, Annie Guest, and Isaac Vars. You’ll find Dancing Djinn at the corner of Main Street and Eastern Avenue as you make your way from one venue to another.

Main Street – 6:45 pm, 7:45 pm & 9:45 pm

The Endorsements are a young band from Barnet, Vermont. Including only two people, Samantha Houde and Brayden Baird, they play a huge variety of covers some being from; Eric Clapton, The Beatles, David Bowie, The Ramones, The Smashing Pumpkins, Train, The White Stripes, Leadbelly, Chuck Berry and Nirvana, with many originals also The Endorsements are a band for everyone. With Samantha Houde playing guitar, drums, and bass and Brayden Baird playing guitar, ukelele, and vocals The Endorsements  also offer a lot of different varieties in sound combinations.

Grace Methodist Church – 4 pm & 5 pm

Will this be the year that humanity finally discovers extra-terrestrial life? With all of the planets being discovered outside of the solar system, and all of the water being found on our nearby neighboring planets and moons, could we be on the verge of contact with alien life?  Is it possible that our form of life may have originated on another world? Are we already the aliens we seek? Be forewarned, not about space aliens, but about the fact that the Planetarium’s seating capacity is only 45. So reserve your place by presenting your First Night button at the Museum on or before New Year’s Eve.

Fairbanks Museum – 5:30 pm , 6:30 pm, 7:30 pm & 8:30 pm

Even young children need the opportunity to celebrate the New Year, and the Family Fun Fair in the field house at St. Johnsbury Academy offers them a fun, fully supervised, safe environment to let their energies run wild.  Face painting, balloon animals, a friendly clown, games, play areas and many other surprises are provided by the Community of Concern, a local organization which fosters family entertainment and positive character development among children, teens and adults.

Saint Johnsbury Academy Field House – 4 pm – 8:30 pm

First Night revelers will gather in front of the Academy Gym to welcome the New Year. This year’s First Night includes the traditional raising of our big lighted ball at midnight to touch off a spectacular light show by North Star Fireworks. (We would never “drop the ball” at First Night.) Everyone is welcome to this town-wide celebration of the New Year!! No button required for the finale!

Saint Johnsbury Academy Field House – 12 Midnight

Once again, for his sixth consecutive year Mike is bringing together some of the best musicians, singers, and songwriters in Vermont for a toe-tapping trip down classic-country memory lane to celebrate First Night St. Johnsbury with his all new show.  The Mike Fortier Band will help you relive legendary country singers, featuring Frenchy Demers of the local band Vintage on drums, singer songwriter Tim Brick performing Waylon Jennings tunes, Kerry Smith performing Johnny Cash, Todd Wells singing some Hank Williams, and Mike cranking out Merle Haggard hits.  Tim Brick says “it’s about a lot more than just playing the right notes. You have to live it, breathe it, and drink it. The audience has to believe that these songs come from your heart and soul.”  Come on out and relive some real country music. Music that told the stories about the working man, the tough yet gentle rambling man, the warmth of love’s fire, and the revolutionaries of country music.

Saint Johnsbury School – 6 pm & 7 pm

Bill and Kim Darling welcome you to Gatto Nero.  Located at the corner of Eastern Avenue and Thaddeus Lane, Gatto Nero is Bill and Kim's intaglio printmaking studio and gallery. Intaglio is a fine art printmaking process in which a metal plate is covered with an acid-resistant ground, which is then drawn into with a pointed instrument, exposing the surface of the metal. A chemical bath erodes away the exposed metal, creating incised lines. The plate is then inked and delicately wiped and printed on a damp paper on an etching press. The pressure forces the paper into the incised areas, producing rich, three dimensional lines. Many of the prints in this exhibit of work by Vermont printmakers employ a multiple and complex layering of techniques including engraving, aquatint, drypoint, and mezzotint. You have to see the work to appreciate its beauty, and you have to see it done to understand the process. A tour of the show and demonstration of intaglio will begin at 6 pm.

Gatto Nero Studio – Eastern Avenue – 6 pm – 12 Midnight

Alan Greenleaf is one of Vermont’s most prolific and beloved songwriters.  He is a self taught finger picking guitar player whose songs and lyrics reflect the people and country around him.  His years as a farmer in Northern Vermont influence his stories.   His music draws from many American traditions, including country, Appalachian, Blues and Jazz. Jonathan Kaplan, a.k.a. The Doctor, is a classically trained pianist who fell for the blues and old time traditional American music.  The Doctor was also a farmer for many years.  Together, they bring a wide variety of original ballads, rhythm and blues and moving melodies that is “Americana” music at its best.

South Congregational Church – 10 pm & 11 pm

Fuller Hall – 6 pm & 7 pm

If you’re looking for fun and inspirational music, join Vicki, Alycia and Rosalyn moore as they share vocals and instrumentals on mountain dulcimer, guitar and mandolin.  HomeSpun’s music features  traditional and modern folk tunes as well as a bit of gospel and old-time country.

Saint Johnsbury House – 7 pm & 8 pm

Rumor has it that this juggling unicyclist will feature something rarely seen: new material! According to undisclosed sources, his new production team includes a theoretical physicist and a crate of pickles. The King of Silly is a regular performer at the Caledonia County Fair and at schools all over the Northeast Kingdom.  The King’s best friend, area performer Todd Wellington, guarantees a rollicking, side-splitting, fun show for the entire family.

Fuller Hall – 4 pm & 5 pm

Teens and adults are again invited to enjoy this original sketch comedy and improvisational troupe of local young people directed by the Kingdom’s own movie mogul, Jay Craven. Kingdom County Comic Theater’s bold material mimics the style of Monty Python, Duck’s Breath Mystery Theater, and Saturday Night Live.

Catamount Arts Cabaret – 4 pm & 5 pm

For those who want to make their own music and sing along to karaoke back-ups, the staff and friends of the Kingdom Recovery Center welcome you. “Open Mic” entertainment and poetry reading acts are also invited to share your stuff. Hot cider, coffee, and cookies will be served at Dr. Bob’s Birthplace on the corner of Central and Summer Streets.

Corner Central & Summer Streets – 4 pm – 12 Midnight

Children’s musician, James Lamar, began his songwriting while serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Botswana, Africa.  His focus is on fun songs for the whole family.  He incorporates important messages about healthy choices and character development into his lively, energetic music, and also includes familiar folk songs in his performances.

Morse Center for the Arts – 5 pm

David McKay -
#10 Can Lantern Company

Lighting up the night at our First Night venues will be #10 can latern displays by David McKay. Each imaginative lantern design is drawn with a "pencil of flame" -- an oxy-acetylene torch -- onto the #10 can which he has pulled out of the waste stream to be "up-cycled" into works of art. Check out his whimsical depictions of mountain ranges, glowing trees, and dancing clouds. Look for the artist himself at First Night; McKay will be around to answer questions about his work and sell his lanterns as souvenirs of your First Night festivities.

Various Locations - 4pm - Midnight

For more than 30 years, the Maple Leaf Seven ensemble has been bringing its Dixieland style jazz well north of the Mason-Dixon line. These seven musicians combine clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, piano, tuba/bass and drums to perform a broad selection of favorites from the Original Dixieland Band, Louis Armstrong and others. But it isn’t just the sound of New Orleans. Traditional jazz, contemporary songs, spirituals, and gospel hymns are added to the pot with that unique Dixie spice to make maple-sweetened gumbo for a cold winter night.

VFW Hall – Eastern Avenue – 6 pm, 7 pm & 8 pm

What makes Marko’s performances so special is his ability to mystify, entertain and make everyone laugh on different levels at the same time.  There’s nothing better than seeing grandparents, parents and children all having a wonderful time together at the same show.  Marko’s magic and hypnosis truly transcend all age, ethnic, economic and social barriers to bring people together in a common state of amazement and laughter.  Marko’s shows are designed for fun.  No one is ever embarrassed or compromised.  Marko believes the participants in his shows are the stars, and he makes them shine.  As a special bonus this year, Marko will also visit the pancake breakfast and perform table magic as he makes his way around the dining participants of First Night.

Fuller Hall – 8 pm & 10 pm – Streeter Hall – 11 pm

Award-winning piano soloist and composer Cody Michaels has become one of the yearly favorites at First Night St. Johnsbury. A former Appalachian and Long Trail caretaker, Cody's unique musical expressions inspire comparisons to the likes of Beethoven, Keith Jarrett, George Winston, and Page McConnell of Phish. Also a storyteller and poet, his passionate performances celebrate the wonders of nature, simple living, and the power of the human spirit. To learn more about Cody and his music, please visit: www.codymichaels.com.

South Congregational Church – 7 pm & 9 pm

Ashley Miles is a 14 year old singer/songwriter/musician from Concord, Vermont. She has been performing since the age of 7. She performs new and traditional country music as well as her own original music. Ashley is currently the New Hampshire Country Music Association (NHCMA) – New Country Female Entertainer of the Year (age 13-16). Some of her otherachievements include:2011 North American Country Music Association International (NACMAI) Rising Star Award, 2011 New Hampshire Country Music Association Vocalist and Entertainer of the Year-age 13-16, 2009 & 2010 New Hampshire Country Music Association Vocalist of the Year, 2011 Lisbon Lilac Idol -2nd place .  This summer, she appeared at venues around the North Country including: Arnold  Park Concert, River Glen - Littleton, NH,  Littleton Senior Center, North Country Summer Festival-  Lemington, VT ,  Uncommon Concerts in Whitefield , Lancaster Street Fair,  Lisbon Summer Concert Series, Breezy Meadows Campground, Miss T’s-Concord, Vt., and local area Open-Mics. Ashley is currently working on recording her first CD of her original music. 

Saint Andrews Episcopal Church – 7 pm, 8 pm & 9 pm

Milkbone is an instrumental duo featuring Bill and Walker Storz who mix blues and jazz standards with rock, soul, Latin, and “associated hokum.“ They have gained a strong local following from their appearances throughout the past several years at Catamount Arts and are returning this New Year’s Eve to the Cabaret room at the community arts center.  The intimate atmosphere of the Cabaret Room creates the intimate environment to experience Milkbone.

Catamount Arts Cabaret – 6 pm & 8 pm

From her current home base in a 200-year-old farmhouse in rural Vermont, Anais (“uh-NAY-iss”) Mitchell writes songs that are as intimate as conversations and as rich in detail as short stories. The daughter of “hippie back-to-the-landers” whose father was a novelist and English professor, she remembers her family’s home (another farmhouse in the same state) containing “a library full of novels, and lots of old folk and psychedelic rock albums. “ The books and the records all lived in the same room, which I am sure led to me thinking of songwriting as a kind of literature, a noble poetic enterprise.” No surprise, then, that the reference points of her music may seem to come from all over the map while still interconnected: the country ballads of the Carter Family, the hard-edged cabaret of Brecht and Weill, the story-songs of Randy Newman, the vast narrative scope of Pink Floyd’s The Wall, and the intricately crafted tales of her namesake, bohemian feminist Anais Nin, to name a few.

Fuller Hall – 9 pm & 11 pm

The National Marionette Theatre is one of the oldest continually running marionette theaters in the United States.  This award-winning troupe has been entertaining audiences around the world for over 40 years.  Noted for its amazing manipulation technique and imaginative productions, the National Marionette Theatre was the first American company to receive the prestigious UNIMA award for excellence in puppetry.  Their visit to First Night St. Johnsbury will include several vignettes featuring some of their most beautiful and popular puppets.

Morse Center for the Arts – 4 pm, 6 pm, 7 pm & 8 pm

If one of your fantasies has always been to be a part of a top notch choral group but you have never been brave enough to audition, then you can make that fantasy come true this New Year’s Eve, at least for one night.  The North Country Chorus, long known as one of the premier performing groups in northern New England, will perform selections from Handel’s Messiah – and not only invite but encourage the audience to sing-a-long with them.  No experience is needed, just the desire to raise your voice as part of one of the most beautiful and inspiring pieces of choral music ever written. You may not be invited to join the Chorus on a permanent basic, but for one night you can let your fantasy become a reality.

Grace Methodist Church – 8 pm

Emily Nyman returns to First Night this year, performing songs from her long anticipated Peace Album (including “Imagine”, “Blowin’ In the Wind”, “Get Together”, and the original “Time for the Marching to End”). Emily Nyman has entertained audiences from the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont to the Jersey shore. She has appeared on the CBS/WCAX TV Morning Music Showcase and on Tim Kavanaugh's Late Night Saturday show. Her music has been aired on Vermont Public Radio, 365 Internet Radio and Sirius Radio, among others. She has released six CD's since 1998. In addition to original songs, Emily performs an eclectic mix of cover tunes, including singer-songwriter, folk and classic rock, with a sprinkling of blues, country and old standards. Whether performing originals or covers, Emily connects with her audience in an intimate way, inviting listeners to experience the emotions behind her originals or reminisce to familiar cover tunes.

Saint Johnsbury House – 5 pm & 6 pm

First Night understands that it is very easy to work up an appitite listening to such a variety of entertainment over the course of the evening.  If you start to fill hungry as the midnight hour approaches, be sure to stop in at Streeter Hall on the campus of St. Johnsbury Academy for a free pancake supper sponsored by Maple Grove.  Pancakes and all of the trimmings will be served by the Boy Scouts and entertainment will be provided by D.J. Paul Skavito and Marko the Magician. Streeter Hall is conveniently located near the site of the Fireworks display which will begin promptly at Midnight.

Streeter Hall – Saint Johnsbury Academy – 10 pm – 11:30 pm

For the first time this year, First Night goers are invited to help celebrate the new year by releasing sky lanterns into the winter sky as a visually beautiful and exciting way to welcome 2012.  Led by the Dancing Djinn, scores of lanterns will be released at the same time by young and old alike.  This safe, environmentally friendly lighting display will take place during the earlier part of the evening so that families with younger children can experience a new year’s thrill similar to what adults and older children will see if they stay up for the traditional fireworks display at midnight.

Main Street – 8:15 pm

St. Johnsbury Academy’s select mixed a cappella vocal group, known as the Hilltones, sing a delightfully eclectic program ranging from the sacred to contemporary. Director Alan Rowe refers to these talented singers as the “Academy’s vocal ambassadors,” performing at schools, churches, service clubs, and lodges, plus an annual appearance at the Vermont Madrigal Festival in Burlington. They achieved a major mark of excellence when they shared a concert with Vermont’s premier professional vocal ensemble Counterpoint last season. They have also performed with the Boston Children’s Chorus at the North Church.

South Congregational Church – 4 pm

St. Johnsbury Academy’s Jazz Band is made up of dedicated student musicians who love jazz and love to share it with their audiences.  The program will include a variety of popular tunes designed to highlight in individual talents of the band members.  This 5:00 pm performance will make an ideal companion piece with the Academy Hilltones concert which will be held at 4 pm in the South Congregational Church.

South Congregational Church – 5 pm

The youngest members of your family will feel as if they are truly a part of your First Night celebration when you start off the evening by sharing the St. Johnsbury Athenaeum’s Children’s Story Hour with them.  Members of the Athenaeum staff and selected guest readers will bring alive a variety of the library’s children’s books in a manner that will have your children begging you to bring them back to the Athenaeum for more during the coming year.

Saint Johnsbury Athenaeum – 4 pm & 5 pm

The BAG LADIES and friends (also known as Catamount’s Fiber Arts Group) will supply the materials and patterns and artist Thea Storz will supply the know-how for this drop-in workshop at Catamount Arts throughout the evening.  Make a bag to hold your old baggage and leave it behind, and create a new bag to carry your hopes and essentials into the new year.  Bagmaking activities may include: recycled crochet bag, duct tape bag, paper bag puppet, a poem in a bag and more.  Your new bag will make a great souvenir of this year’s First Night celebration.

Catamount Arts – 6 pm – 10 pm

One of the most exciting features of First Night is always that a group of talented and diverse area musicians and singers collaborate in various ways to form Supergroups for the evening.  The Walker Storz Projects is one of those collaborations.  Inspired by the outstanding abilities of one of the Northeast Kingdom’s  most popular young musicians and composers, The Project will perform an array of jazz and pop standards and modern covers. Spend some of your time in the Catamount Cabaret Room this First Night to find out who collaborates to become the Walker Storz Project.

Catamount Arts Cabaret – 7 pm & 9 pm

Phrasing those truths viewed between the highest elevations and the lowest registers, poet, bass clarinetist Toussaint St. Negritude brings the woody jazz of poetry and reeds to a whole new voice of his own, doubly performing his own call-and-response chorus of life's pithy tones, rounding the farthest reaches of an outbound journey, much like the very evocative mountains of the Northeast Kingdom that continue to hold him dear. Ever the improvisationalist, Toussaint St. Negritude will also be playing the fretless blues tones of the Bird-of-Mingus, a banjo-like instrument he made himself.

Catamount Arts Cabaret – 10 pm

Pianist Ben Schwendener sustains a unique voice in contemporary creative music and natural pedagogy, and is a leading authority on George Russels Lydian Chromatic Concept of Tonal Organization. As a critically acclaimed pianist/composer, he has created music for dance companies, film, commercials and art installations. He has also written many volumes of children’s piano music, and toured extensively throughout the U.S., Europe and Japan with his ensembles and on solo piano. His music can be heard on Label Bleu, Gravity Records  and Alabaster. Ben was an Editorial Assistant to the late George Russell. Schwendener is a certified teacher (and while George was alive, of teachers) of the Lydian Chromatic Concept. He is often invited to speak at national/international seminars. A lifelong student of jazz, Ben has learned and played with jazz legends George Russell, Ran Blake, Jimmy Guiffrey, Miroslav Vitous, Andrew Hill and Joe Maneri.  Schwendener lives and creates in Boston, and teaches at the New England Conservatory, the Longy School of Music and the Rivers School Conservatory in Weston, MA. He has also taught classes in Creative and Critical Thinking through the Graduate College of Education at UMass Boston. Ben is founder and director of Gravity Arts, Inc., a nonprofit organization providing customized educational services and products for individuals, groups and corporations.

Grace Methodist Church – 9 pm & 10 pm

“Uncommon Back Shed Folk” is made up of a group of friends who play music together all the time just for fun.  And that’s just what they’re going to do this First Night … play for fun.  They will take you along on a rollicking musical journey of bluegrass, folk, old – time, country and some original tunes filled with sweet harmonies and multi-instrumental talent.  Dave Choate, Mary Choate, Tom Bishop, Paul amey and Samantha Amey, members of the “Back Shed String Band” and “Uncommon Folk” make up this unusual alliance, together for the first time publicly …an event you won’t want to miss!.

Universalist Church – 8 pm

“Uncommon Folk” (formerly known as “Not The Best”) is a merry little band of friends who have been playing together for six years and are happy to be back again at First Night to play and sing folk, a little bit of bluegrass, toe-tapping fiddle tunes, original songs and even a sprinkling of Country.  Their multi-instrumental talent and sweet harmonies weave a magical spell and their stories always keep audiences engaged.  “Uncommon Folk” is Paul Amey, on fiddle, mandolin, guitar, viola and vocals: Samantha Amey on doghouse bass, finger-picking guitar, hammered dulcimer and vocals; and Tom Bishop on frailing style banjo, bass, harmonica and vocals.

Universalist Church – 7 pm

One of the newest groups in the Northeast Kingdom is making its first appearance at First Night this year.  This five member ensemble is led by Bobby Rubio and features a blend of crowd-pleasing current and classic songs.  Harmonies and musical ability blend seamlessly to create a sound that is uniquely their own.  The upbeat music of Tritium Well offers the perfect opportunity to get your First Night celebration off to a rousing start.

Saint Johnsbury School – 4 pm & 5 pm

If you haven't seen Valley Improv yet, you need to.  This high energy, family friendly imrpovisational comedy troupe is just what the doctor ordered!  Improvisation is comedy based on audience suggestions, much like “Who's Line Is It Anyway?“ so the audience is an intregal part of the show.  Valley Improv makes it up as they go so yell out suggestions, have yourself heard, and you don't have to be afraid to sit in the front row.  As the recipient of the 2011 Reader Choice Owl award for Best Comedy Performance, Valley Improv will keep you laughing the whole show

Saint Johnsbury School – 8 pm, 9 pm & 10 pm

The Western Swingtones are a Bethlehem, NH-based group of seasoned musicians who play a variety of music centered around the classic Western Swing, Jump Blues, and Boogie genres.  The band features James Sullivan (formerly with the Boston-area band “Loose Lassoes”) on fiddle and mandolin, Dan Salomon (owner of Northern Lights Music) on steel guitar and piano, Ben Salomon (music teacher at the White Mountain School and founder of the Littleton Jazz Trio) on percussion, Steve Kopri (lifelong musician who’s played with numerous bands across North America and in the Caribbean) on guitar, and St. Johnsbury’s Kevin Colosa (of the Littleton Jazz Trio and Tritium Well) on upright bass and vocals.

VFW Hall – Eastern Avenue – 9 pm. 10 pm & 11 pm

WindRose, a vocal quartet performing with accompaniment and a capella, has been been a part of First Night since it began.  They've enjoyed entertaining the Northeast Kingdom and beyond for over 15 years, though its members have performed together in a variety of combinations for more than 30 years.    This blend of voices features Becky Canedy, Pat Webster, Sandi Breen, and Mark Breen (yes, the weatherman!).  Their wide-ranging selections are strongly influenced by music from the Big Band era, doo-wop harmonies, and Celtic sounds, as well as drawing on Broadway music from their collective musical theater backgrounds.  This year they've added more props, more instruments, an original song, and even MORE fun! 

Grace Methodist Church – 6 pm & 7 pm

The Youth Advisory Council of St. Johnsbury will offer a variety of children’s games, raffle opportunities and food at the St. Johnsbury School to brighten up First Night this year.  This year’s offerings are being organized and presented by a group of teen volunteers who want to foster the ideals of community good will and involvement.  Any proceeds from the evening will go to help present the “Teen Town Meeting” later this year.

Saint Johnsbury School Cafeteria – 4 pm – 8 pm