NEWFANE-A relative newcomer on the venue scene, Music at Union Hall (MAUH), a Newfane-based concert series, is gaining traction.
Housed in the 1832 architectural gem on the town's Common, the series is focused on providing stage time for local musicians, on building a community of musicians and music technicians, and to some extent, on presenting musicians from a bigger pool.
In that last zone, according to a recent press release, MAUH hosts a double bill of solo immersive guitar performances with Roger Clark Miller and Mythless - described as "two groundbreaking artists whose experimental approaches to the guitar challenge and expand traditional boundaries of the instrument" - this Saturday, Sept. 6, at 7 p.m.
Miller, of Guilford, is a pianist, bassist, and percussionist, and a singer-songwriter too. Known for his work with the post-punk band Mission of Burma, he's led bands for more than 50 years and his recordings have been released on a host of labels while he's toured nationally for over 45 years and internationally for over 25.
For this concert, co-sponsored by the Brattleboro Museum and Art Center, it's said on musicatunionhall.com that Miller will perform compositions from his newest album, Curiosity for Solo Electric Guitar Ensemble (Cuneiform Records). He uses a customized Fender Stratocaster electric guitar and three lap steel guitars on stands. With unique rigging and tuning, and using bass and tenor guitar strings, he produces percussive grooves and basslines.
"Combining advanced looping technology with new stomp-boxes, many in stereo, he truly creates a 'solo ensemble' sound," the news release says. "His compositions are often inspired by vivid dreams, translated into music that is both surreal and emotionally resonant."
Singer-songwriter Jason Bartell, of Newfane performs as Mythless, his solo guitar project. The multi-instrumentalist and visual artist is a former member of the group Fang Island.
Having gone off on his own 10 years ago, he's recorded with Joyful Noise recordings and found a place with his music that "exists at the intersection between trance-metal and meditative hardcore," as noted on the description for his 2018 EP, Patience Hell.
Mythless - first heard at Union Hall last November - is known for immersive, site-specific performances that envelop audiences in sound. The press release explains: "Using five guitar amplifiers strategically placed around the room, Bartell transforms Union Hall into a multidimensional soundscape, creating a transcendent listening experience that's as physical as it is musical."
How it all began
Series founders and leaders, Greg LoPiccolo and David Hull, spoke with The Commons recently about the genesis of MAUH.
LoPiccolo, of Newfane, a musician formerly with the band Tribe and more recently a project leader for System Shock series and other music video games, had said several years ago to Hull, a newly minted vocalist, a farmer, and proprietor of the Newfane Store, that "we have a lot of musicians in the area, and wouldn't it be great if there was a way that people could share what they're doing?"
Hull agreed. And that was the spark that eventually would light Newfane with community-generated music.
LoPiccolo had been approached a few years ago by the venue's stewards to advise on its acoustics: "people weren't using the Hall because the sound was so bad."
Using skills honed throughout his career, he did an "acoustic treatment design," an upgrade paid for by Newfane Anew and Newfane Village that included installation of acoustic panels.
In 2024, a proposal was presented to and approved by the Newfane Selectboard to add sound and lighting equipment using ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds.
"And at that point, my consciousness kind of got raised," LoPiccolo recalls, seeing that the then-underused Union Hall could be a great music venue with its new technology and its historic character.
With the improvements, they realized they could have both a performance hall and a rehearsal hall as well. "And then that's the point at which we decided, 'OK, let's inaugurate this program and bring local music to Union Hall monthly.'"
They approached Newfane Anew, an organization vested in the town's well-being which publishes a newsletter, offers events throughout the year, and supports businesses in the small village 12 miles north of Brattleboro.
MAUH soon formed with Newfane Anew's blessing and volunteer support: Its members help staff, promote, and provide refreshments for MAUH concerts.
Hull notes that "we pay a modest fee to the Hall" for each use, "which we are happy to do. I mean, the Union Hall is an amazing space and the village is trying to keep that going. And we're happy to be a part of that."
At present, concerts are posted a few months in advance and held generally the second Saturday of each month. (When weather's warm enough, equipment is set up outside on the Common, where audiences picnic, connect, and listen.) It's hoped the series can be year round but the cost of heating the Hall might necessitate a winter hiatus.
Performers' pay is half the donations received at the door; MAUH covers the Hall, its staffing, and technology.
No shortage of musicians
The process for booking performers for the series has been "pretty organic," says LoPiccolo. He and Hull reach out to bands; bands reach out to them.
Most of the acts have been local; some have been part-time area residents who lead professional musicians' lives elsewhere, such as the Demolition String Band and the Cucumbers.
"And Roger Clark Miller is from Guilford, but he's sort of a national figure," LoPiccolo points out.
And there are "a couple offshoots already," says Hull.
When bands book the Union Hall now, they reach out to MAUH for technical support. And there's an organized community jam that meets regularly at the Hall. Participants in those sessions, in fact, were the core of an August concert that showcased a range of area folks, from the assistant postmaster to an area carpenter, from a fine artist up the road to Hull's daughter.
It's their mission to give the community a place to express themselves through music.
"And we heard that from Rex the other night, too," after an open MAUH meeting, Hull recalls. "Rex is not in a band at the moment, and misses it terribly."
Rex Sheldon, Newfane's postmaster, told Hull "this is hugely important for me right now. Like, it is the only outlet I have for music. And I think there's a number of folks that have shared that same experience and that same feeling, where this is a way for them to kind of learn about themselves or share what they have with others."
LoPiccolo reflects on music, on community: "I think one of the most important parts is that people, musicians, have met each other at these jam nights and have formed their own things. It's the whole community piece, which I just think is amazing."
He describes it as "so organic."
"It's really just so satisfying to have people come together in a musical context and collaborate and present things for other people to experience," LoPiccolo says. "And all the feedback that we've gotten has been super positive. People clearly appreciate it."
It all turned on LoPiccolo's work with the acoustics.
"It went from a town meeting [experience] where you could barely hear yourself think because of all the booming sound to a place that attracts quality acts that come in there and say, 'This place is amazing,'" Hull says.
"I like seeing that space used," he adds. "The intention is to continue to have locals be able to share this space. It's happening now and hopefully will continue to happen."
The Music at Union Hall solo guitar concert with Roger Clark Miller and Mythless takes place in the Hall at 5 Church St. As is the norm for MAUH concerts, admission is by donation. For more information and to get on the MAUH mailing list, visit musicatunionhall.com. For information on the community jam and Union Hall's technical capabilities, email [email protected].
This Arts item by Annie Landenberger was written for The Commons.