Craig Mitchell Credit: Courtesy of Luke Awtry Photography

It’s been a rough few years for Craig Mitchell. The Burlington musician and DJ has had his share of health troubles going back to a 2024 performance at South Burlington’s Higher Ground. He was playing with his Prince tribute band, PURPLE, when he experienced symptoms from a bleeding ulcer.

“At the beginning of the second set, I started feeling not okay,” Mitchell, 55, recounted in a press release. “I bathed the bathroom upstairs with blood.”

On top of persistent issues with his gut health, he’s since had two hip replacement surgeries. The constant barrage of medical appointments, and the subsequent bills, have put a major strain on Mitchell’s career as a DJ and performer.

To alleviate some of his burdens and pay tribute to his outsize presence in the local music landscape for more than 30 years, a benefit is being staged for Mitchell this Friday, June 12, at Standing Stone Wines in Winooski. Featuring a who’s who of Vermont DJs, including Andy Kershaw, DJ Llu, Chia, Shawn Williams and more, “Turning the Tables” is a chance to both support one of the scene’s most influential figures and have a proper Friday-night dance party. Food will be provided by chef Shawn Lipenski.

The organizers suggest that anyone attending wear something purple in support of Mitchell. Tickets are available at sevendaystickets.com.

When shouting out some of the many, many summer festivals and outdoor music events in our Summer Preview issue a few weeks ago, I had a nagging feeling that the minute those pages hit the streets, I’d have a slew of new festival announcements. And, of course, that’s just what happened. Which is a good thing! But let’s get you all up to speed.

First, we have the return of the Maple Roots Festival on Saturday, July 25. Back for its sixth iteration, Maple Roots was launched during the pandemic by a collection of local musicians whose mission was to make a fest “by the artists, for the artists.” Presented in partnership with Catamount Arts and located at Morse Farm Maple Sugarworks in East Montpelier, the family-friendly festival has a loaded lineup of Green Mountain talent.

This year’s schedule includes Bob Wagner (see page 56), High Summer, the Lara Cwass Band, Michael-Louis Smith & Friends, Linda Bassick, and Vermont Jazz Ensemble. That last act is celebrating 50 years and recently released an album to mark the occasion, titled Just Friends for Life. Awwww. Jazz besties!

The best part of Maple Roots? It’s free! Pop over to maplerootsfest.com for more details.

I hope everyone got a good dose of jazz last week at the Burlington Discover Jazz Festival, because now that it’s over, it’s time for … yazz! Yazz hands, people! But Chris, what the hell even is yazz, you ask? No clue. Literally, I have no idea. And it doesn’t matter, because that’s the spirit of the Vermont Yazz Festival. Yazz, queen! (OK, sorry, I’ll stop.)

Organized by experimental musician and percussionist Jabe Ledoux, Yazz Fest is one-day showcase of left-of-center genres such as ambient, noisecore, no wave and any brand of strange in between. Held at the Ferrisburgh Town Offices & Community Center on Saturday, August 29, this year’s lineup includes Ledoux, Glenn Weyant, the Professors of Mystery, Steven Rosen and Bonnie Kane. To learn more, visit the Vermont Yazz Facebook page.

Allison Fay Credit: Courtesy of Lindsey Flicker

It’s not just music fests popping out of the woodwork lately. We’ve got a veritable treasure trove of brand-new summer tunes from Vermont artists.

Let’s kick it off with White River Junction native Allison Fay, who dropped her latest single, “Trust the Process,” on May 29. Fay cut the mid-tempo folk rocker with Grammy-nominated producer Matt Appleton as part of a larger EP due later this year. Fay released “Blessing in Disguise” in April, and three more singles are scheduled before the EP hits streaming services.

Last week Burlington musician Noah Kesey released “Moth,” a blast of fuzzed-out indie rock with massive distorted guitars and big synths. A “stream-of-consciousness snapshot of a situationship,” according to the press release, the track lands somewhere between the dynamic drive of a classic Pixies tune and the trancelike groove of DIIV.

The accompanying music video features Kesey riding in the back of a truck on a gray Vermont winter day, brandishing a handgun as he sings the line, “You hold me like a gun.” The song is streaming on major services, and the video is on YouTube.

Folk rocker and all-around piano guy Tyler Mast dropped “Space From Me” at the end of May. It’s the latest in a string of singles from the singer-songwriter following his 2024 EP, I Could Get Used to Your Love. The tune is a delicate ballad about learning to love yourself before trying to love another. “The more we give, the less we gain / squeeze tight enough, love turns to pain,” Mast sings, delivering an emotionally mature take on how to maintain relationships. “Space From Me” is streaming on major services now.

7 Shows to Watch Out For

The Mountain Goats Credit: Courtesy
  1. Yonder Mountain String Band at Paramount Theatre in Rutland, July 8
  2. Tame Impala at Centre Bell in Montréal, July 22
  3. Kevin McDonald at Vermont Comedy Club in Burlington, July 25
  4. The Mountain Goats at Higher Ground Ballroom in South Burlington, August 19
  5. Indigo Girls at Thompson’s Point in Portland, Maine, August 25
  6. Bow Wow, Soulja Boy & Fat Joe at the Midway Lawn at Champlain Valley Exposition in Essex Junction, September 5
  7. Marcus King Band at the Flynn in Burlington, September 15


This article appears in June 10 • 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...