Brunch Credit: Courtesy

Burlington indie-rock outfit Brunch are set to release a double A-side of “Please Kill Me” and “Man Alive” on August 13. The new singles from the scruffy, punk-adjacent quartet steer more toward alt-rock shores than Brunch’s previous, hardcore-informed efforts, such as 2023’s Parasocial.

Brunch also dropped a music video for “Please Kill Me,” which features the band playing in a van at the Devil’s Bowl Speedway in West Haven. The rowdy racetrack is a fitting locale for such a raging tune. In a press release, the band describes the singles as “two sides of the same coin, both exploring myths and what happens when they collapse, whether it be rock and roll, identity, memory, or love.”

It’s cool to hear one of the better rock bands to come out of Burlington in recent years continue to stretch its sound, bringing in shades of new-wave synths and indie-rock nuance. Brunch celebrate the release with a show at Foam Brewers in Burlington on Wednesday, August 12, with fellow rockers Silverlined and Dolly Sods.

Listen to the new tracks at brunchtheband.bandcamp.com.

Welcome back to the Vermont Reggae Fest! The callback to the classic Vermont Reggae Fest established in 1986 by musician Bobby Hackney Sr. (Death, Lambsbread) relaunched last year at Switchback Brewing in Burlington. This year’s iteration, presented by ElmThree Productions and True 802 Cannabis, moves to the Main Street Landing Meadow at Waterfront Park, not far from Foam Brewers, on Saturday, August 22.

The stacked lineup of reggae artists includes Jamaica’s Richie Spice and Sister Nancy, the latter of whom is the first female dancehall DJ, known for her 1982 hit “Bam Bam.” Also on the bill are legendary Kingston roots-reggae trio the Abyssinians and Trinidadian singer Marlon Asher.

Visit vtreggaefest.com to purchase tickets and get more information.

Not enough genre-specific fests for you? Well, how about a brand-new one? The Moore Dam Bluegrass Festival takes off for its inaugural flight on the weekend of August 28 to 30 in Concord, Vt.

Launched by the folks behind the Grateful Dead tribute fest Jerry Jam, Moore Dam Bluegrass has a massive lineup of pickers and foot stompers. With Beg, Steal or Borrow, the Tenderbellies, Bowmen, Tim Easton, the Back Shed String Band, the Hazel Project, and plenty more, there will be no shortage of strings.

Check out mooredambluegrass.com for tickets.

Gene Ferris Credit: Courtesy

Nexus Artist Management brings a killer show to Red Square in Burlington on Sunday, August 16. As part of the club’s “Sunday Sessions” series, it welcomes Chicago house music OG Gene Farris, New York City selectors FOOS and Thomas Indilla, and a solid crew of Vermont talent, including Matt Payne, Marz and Justin R.E.M.

Thanks to the folks at Vermont Tire & Service, the loaded day of top-tier EDM is a free, all-ages dance party that actually kicks off in daylight, at 2 p.m., so do your stretches if you’re planning on dancing all night. Learn more at nexusartists.com.

And finally, it’s time to check up on our expats! Former Burlington singer-songwriter and current Los Angeles resident Francesca Blanchard just dropped a new EP, pretty much out of nowhere. The seven-song collection was recorded with producer Christopher Hawthorn before Blanchard moved out west in 2023.

Quit Music is a gorgeous slice of tender indie pop that highlights Blanchard’s ability to make her vulnerability an artistic strength. “Quit music, I’m begging you, move on with your life,” Blanchard sings, perhaps adopting the voice of a concerned friend or family member. Thankfully, she didn’t heed that advice and is back with her first release since 2020’s Make It Better.

For the title track, she directed and edited a music video in which we see the alternative life Blanchard could have lived if she had abandoned music: raising a toddler and living with her husband in suburbia. Check it out on YouTube, and give Quit Music a listen at francescablanchard.bandcamp.com.

7 Shows to Watch Out For

Punch Brothers Credit: Courtesy of Josh Goleman
  1. Ilana Glazer at State Theatre in Portland, Maine, August 19
  2. Old Crow Medicine Show at Ben & Jerry’s Concerts on the Green at Shelburne Museum, September 18
  3. The Soul Rebels at the Stone Church in Brattleboro, September 30
  4. Oteil Burbridge and LaMP at the Higher Ground Ballroom in South Burlington, October 7
  5. Olivia Rodrigo at the Bell Centre in Montréal, October 21 & 22
  6. Los Lobos at the Egg in Albany, N.Y., October 23
  7. Punch Brothers at Paramount Theatre in Rutland, November 8

This article appears in August 12 • 2026.

Music editor Chris Farnsworth has written countless albums reviews and features on Vermont's best musicians, and has seen more shows than is medically advisable. He's played in multiple bands over decades in the local scene and is a recording artist in...