BELLOWS FALLS — John John Brown’s “Songs, Stories, & Art — Lessons from Strangers” brings giant comics, iconic photographs, and moving panoramas to the stage, weaving together storytelling songs and visual arts in live performance. The protagonists come from all walks of life — from an aging Vietnam Vet, to a trumpet playing orphan… a married couple debating evolution, to a young man with mental illness wandering the aisles of Walmart.

Steeped in storytelling and fingerpicking, John John Brown is deep in the singer/songwriter tradition. He’s a Kerrville New Folk winner, a winner of the South Florida Folk Fest, an Emerging Artist at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, and an invited performer at the 50th Anniversary of Woodstock at the original site of the legendary festival.

“So well written that every song could be a short story, a treat for lovers of narrative-driven tales.” — Americana UK

“John Prine is a clear influence in the way Brown rolls astute observations and a humorous slant into his lyrics.” — Post to Wire

“One of the more promising young names in folk music today.” — Elmore Magazine

“An imaginative musical performance woven into a unique visual experience.” — Gallery 25, New York

“A melting pot of humor, longing, satire, and hope, Brown invites us to explore the peculiar lives of individuals that, like us, don’t always have it easy but manage to persist despite life’s impending trials.” — Music Mecca, Nashville

John John Brown’s “Songs, Stories, & Art — Lessons from Strangers” at Stage 33 Live, 33 Bridge Street in Bellows Falls, VT, on Saturday, October 19, 2024, at 7:00 PM. Tickets are a discounted $15 in advance through stage33live.com, or $20 at the door. Limited seating; advance tickets guarantee entry. Advance ticket sales will close at midnight the day before the show, or when 40 tickets have been sold. Tickets at the door as available. The event will be recorded and filmed.

Stage 33 Live is a casual and intimate industrial-rustic listening room in a former factory hosting local, regional, and national performances and presentations of original material. No bar or kitchen, the stage is the mission; coffee / soda / juice / water and weird snacks available by donation. More info about the nonprofit, all-volunteer project, and this and other upcoming events, online at stage33live.com

Stage 33 Live gratefully acknowledges the help of so many individuals without whom none of this would be happening, and institutional support this season from The Island Corporation, the Vermont Arts Council, the Rockingham Arts & Museum Project, and WOOL-FM to help fund improvements and maintenance, and generally smooth out a lot of the rough edges. Stage 33 Live is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, and all donations are deductible to the fullest extent. Volunteers run the thing from stem to stern.

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