Gregory Douglass, NEK PrideFest, Newport, Sunday, June 22:

I was hoping for an epic Friday night of live music in and around the Montgomery Center/Jay Peak area. Alas, there was nothing to be found, as all the surrounding Northeast Kingdom towns lived up to their sleepy reputations once the clock struck 9 p.m. Come Saturday, however, the Kingdom was ready to party. Jay Peak hosted its Summer Solstice Sessions, which combined a rideable terrain park built that morning with a full-on battle of the bands among Night Protocol, the Shady Trees, Turbo Cats, Fred Willie Hill, and Kyle Chadburn & the Earthbound Spirits. The latter took home the glory and earned a spot at next year’s Jeezum Crow Festival. On Sunday, more live jams were to be found following the parade at the third annual NEK PrideFest in Newport. A highlight of the afternoon was the return of Vermont expat pop songwriter Gregory Douglass, with Lisa Piccirillo on vocals and Monique Citro on cello. The Kingdom may go to bed a bit earlier than I’m used to, but there are plenty of good times to be had before dark.

This article appears in Jun 25 – Jul 1, 2025.

Luke Awtry took the long way to becoming a professional photographer, with a path through music, technology and engineering, and he remains active in each. His first Seven Days assignment was on Town Meeting Day in March 2018, and he has since supported more than 500 Seven Days stories with his photography.