There’s a moment in every great folk performance when the room shifts. The chatter fades. Someone stops mid-sip. And you realize you’re not just hearing music—you’re feeling something older than yourself moving through it.
Kalos knows how to create that moment.
On Friday, March 6, the acclaimed Celtic trio comes to Next Stage Arts in Putney for an evening of high-energy traditional folk that promises to honor its roots while pushing them somewhere unexpected. If you’ve never heard them live, this is your chance to understand why audiences across the country keep coming back.
Masters of Tradition (With a Taste for Its Edges)
Kalos—Eric McDonald, Ryan McKasson, and Jeremiah McLane—aren’t interested in museum-piece folk music. They’re not here to preserve tradition in amber. They’re here to prove it’s still breathing.
Each member brings a wide-ranging musical background to the table. McDonald’s guitar work draws from jazz and bluegrass. McKasson, a champion fiddler, holds a degree in classical viola. McLane’s accordion and piano playing have been shaped by years of studying minimalist composition and global percussion traditions. These aren’t dilettantes dabbling in Celtic music. These are serious musicians who chose this tradition because they love it—and who push it because they respect it enough to keep it alive.
The result is music that’s rhythmically driven, richly textured, and alive with spontaneity. Drawing from Scottish, Breton, American, and other traditions, Kalos forges a contemporary sound marked by deep artistic integrity and thrilling interplay. You’ll hear a tune that feels centuries old, and then catch a harmonic turn that couldn’t have existed before last Tuesday.
Built for the Stage
Some bands sound great on recordings but lose something live. Kalos is the opposite.
Long-standing friendships and close musical partnership fuel a show that’s as engaging to watch as it is exhilarating to hear. There’s a playful rapport between the three of them—inside jokes that land musically, spontaneous detours that somehow always find their way home. You get the sense they’re having more fun than anyone in the room, and that energy is contagious.
This is Celtic music for people who love Celtic music, and for people who didn’t know they could. It’s foot-stomping and contemplative. Traditional and forward-looking. The kind of performance that reminds you why live music matters.
Opening Act: If You Must Know
The evening begins with If You Must Know, and if you arrive late, you’ll regret it.
Harpist Rachel Clemente and piper Dan Houghton bring a gritty, avant-garde edge to Scottish traditional music that’s earned them a devoted following in New England’s Celtic folk scene. Both are award-winning performers and composers with international touring and teaching experience. Clemente’s harp work can shift from delicate filigree to driving rhythm in a single phrase. Houghton’s piping pushes the instrument into territory you didn’t know it could go.
Together, they blend original compositions with reimagined melodies, firmly grounded in tradition but unafraid to challenge its boundaries. Their performances are marked by intensity, imagination, and fearless musicianship. Think of them as the opening band that makes you immediately want to look up their tour schedule.
Why This Show Matters
There’s something happening in traditional folk music right now. A new generation of musicians—deeply trained, widely curious—is finding ways to honor the past without being trapped by it. Kalos and If You Must Know both represent this movement at its best.
In a region rich with folk traditions, southern Vermont is lucky to have venues like Next Stage Arts that consistently bring this caliber of performance to our doorstep. This isn’t a concert you have to drive to Boston or Montreal to see. It’s right here in Putney, on a Friday night, for the price of a decent dinner.
If you care about traditional music, this is an evening you shouldn’t miss. And if you’re not sure whether you care about traditional music, this might be the show that convinces you.
Venue & Tickets
This performance takes place at Next Stage Arts, a regional cultural hub at 15 Kimball Hill in Putney, Vermont. Founded in 2010, Next Stage has built a reputation for bringing world-class folk, jazz, and roots music to southeastern Vermont while fostering a welcoming, community-centered atmosphere.
Event Details:
- Date: Friday, March 6, 2026
- Time: 7:30 PM (Doors 6:45 PM)
- Tickets: $22 Advance / $25 Door / $10 Livestream
- Info & Tickets: nextstagearts.org
