‘A really different experience’: Spruce Peak Arts serves up intimate Unplugged series
Growing up as a fan of such seminal television programs as “MTV Unplugged” and “VH1 Storytellers,” which featured renowned musical artists in more intimate live settings and telling stories about their music and experiences, Seth Soloway knew he wanted to do something similar when he began as the new executive director of Spruce Peak Arts just over a year ago.
The Stowe performing arts organization debuted its Spruce Peak Unplugged series in February and has since brought such fast-rising or established artists as Jonathan Russell of The Head and the Heart, Matt Quinn of Mt. Joy, and Josiah Leming of Josiah and the Bonnevilles, among others.
“I’m so excited about what we’re doing here, and this Unplugged series, in particular, has really been my baby,” said Soloway, 44, about one of his signature initiatives upon starting the position.
At first leveraging the relationships he developed as an arts presenter at Vanderbilt University’s Blair School of Music in Nashville and Purchase College in New York, the native New Yorker landed Leming — before the rising artist headed out on massive national tour — and Russell for the first two shows.
“By the time we got through Johnathan (Russell), we had in him and Josiah and their agents, these really high-powered mavens who could spread the word about how well we treat artists at Spruce Peak Arts,” said Soloway. “Because they both just had such a fantastic time here.”
Part of the appeal has been helped by a Spruce Peak Unplugged sponsor partnership with Spruce Peak Resort Association (formerly Stowe Mountain), which enables Spruce Peak Arts to offer such amenities to artists as spa passes and lift tickets. Not to mention a break from the grueling world of touring and the intimacy of the 420-seat Spruce Peak Performing Arts Center.
“It’s a really nice soft landing space for the artists,” said Soloway. “But that’s, to me, the second story. The number one thing that has made it work and make the artists spread the word is that they really, really appreciate the concept of the series and the performance.”
‘Unplugged doesn’t mean acoustic’
So, does “unplugged” mean an all-acoustic performance? Not necessarily, said Soloway, who gets the question a lot.
“If it’s not acoustic, then why is it unplugged?” he said. “And the answer is that, to me, conceptually, unplugged doesn’t mean acoustic.”
“When I’m doing Unplugged, what I’m really doing is stealing what I think was a fantastic idea and way to get to know artists from my childhood,” he added, referring to MTV Unplugged and VH1 Storytellers and such resulting albums as “MTV Unplugged in New York” with legendary grunge band Nirvana.
“That’s what unplugged is,” said Soloway. “It’s not about acoustic. It’s about intimacy. It’s about putting a big artist in a scenario that they don’t get to be in very much anymore.”
“It invites this freedom that the artists feel to just really tell stories that fans don’t get to hear and also just play things that maybe they wouldn’t even play,” he added. “It’s a really different experience, and that’s what Unplugged is about. It’s about the intimacy and the storytelling.”
Case in point: The standout rock group Deer Tick will be celebrating its 20th anniversary as a band by kicking off its fall tour Oct. 12 at the Spruce Peak PAC. Known for its energetic and rocking live shows, the Providence, Rhode Island-based band was looking for intimate venues, according to Soloway, and liked the idea of having an “evening with” type of performance as opposed to a traditional concert.
“It fit the Spruce Peak Unplugged vision because, as much as there’s going to be their great music and they’re going to play the hits because it’s their anniversary,” said Soloway, “there’s going to be a lot of storytelling and a lot of crosstalk because they’re there to celebrate this occasion and they wanted to be in these intimate settings to get as close to their core fans as possible.”
Other upcoming Spruce Peak Unplugged shows include Dar Williams, Rachael & Vilray, Big Head Todd and the Monsters, and Steven Page (formerly of the Barenaked Ladies).
And the series isn’t limited to the traditional performing arts season, according to Soloway, who will continue to add shows “as cool things present themselves,” he said.
“We’re now in people’s minds — in band’s minds, in agent’s minds — when they’re coming to the region and they want to add a show,” he added. “We’re getting more and more of those calls.”
Soloway said the series is part of an overall goal for Spruce Peak Arts to provide programming that’s unique to the area — and to Vermont, in general.
“I’m always looking for what can we do that the community doesn’t have yet, that the state doesn’t have yet,” he said. “As opposed to, you know, how do I bare-knuckle brawl with some of the other venues?” he added with a laugh.
“I don’t really want to do that. I want us all to be successful because that’s how we’re going to build the next generation of arts patrons, and we’re going to really need to do that.”