BCA Launches Summer Concerts Video Series

Sabouyoumaimage by Christian Taylor

Sabouyouma

image by Christian Taylor

Burlington City Arts is keeping the 2020 Summer Concerts going with a special video series produced by Williston-based Robot Dog Studios.

Showcasing 12 live concert featurettes recorded throughout the summer, videos captured the incredible music performed on lower Church Street during a unique time when live music was scarce in a city usually renowned for its packed performance schedule.


The video series began Wednesday, August 26, with a concert by roots and jazz fusion musician Mikahely. This concert was originally performed on Wednesday, July 15. 

Mikahely had nothing but good things to say about his time on the BCA stage: “I did the BCA concert for the first time last year, but it was the very beginning of my career as a musician. Not everyone knew who I was. A lot more people came out for my show this year, even in the middle of a pandemic. It was a great experience.”


The concert videos are posted to BCA’s YouTube Channel, Home Studio site, and social media channels every Wednesday and Friday. The uploads follow the same weekly schedule as the live concert series, which wrapped up on Friday, August 21 with a performance by Trio Gusto. The full schedule can be found below.

Chris Titchner, a singer-songwriter from Vermont who currently resides in North Carolina, was surprised by the level of organization at his show. “I played that show and it was the first show I played in more than four months. I got there and they had everything already figured out and everyone was social distanced. They even had a plastic barrier on the other side of my microphone. They had taken so much time and really thought out everything that needed to happen. It was a great show.”


Each concert features exclusively Vermont-based artists, with many of them performing their only gig of the season due to the coronavirus pandemic that shuttered many live music venues earlier this year.

Jenni Johnson performed with her band, the Junketeers, on July 31st. “I was so tickled when I saw Church Street was packed for our show. People were coming up to me as we were preparing and saying ‘Hi, I’m so and so” and ‘Hi, I heard about you from the radio’ and ‘Hi Jenni, this is my granddaughter.’ I get so psyched when the audience and I can connect, even before we start playing music. It’s exciting to see we were able to bring the crowds out, but even if there were only ten people there those ten people would get a concert they will remember because they came out to hear music. I just enjoy seeing smiles on people’s faces.”

“We were so grateful to be able to provide a means for these performers to share their music with a live audience during a time when many concerts had been canceled or moved online,” says BCA’s events director and series programmer, Zach Williams. “People have come up to tell me the concerts have given them a sense of normalcy this summer. And for many of Vermont’s great musicians, it was the first paying gig in months, which means BCA’s support was more important than ever.”

In lieu of streaming the concerts via Facebook Live as BCA has done in previous years, the arts organization opted for higher quality videos that the artists can use to promote their music going forward. This approach better aligns with BCA’s mission to support and promote artists while advancing the creation of their new work. Most of these videos have already been released and are available for public viewing.

The full schedule of the series is as follows:

  • Mikahely: Wednesday, August 26

  • VSO’s Church Street Trio: Friday, August 28

  • Emma Cook & Questionable Company: Wednesday, September 2

  • Rick Norcross: Friday, September 4

  • Chris Titchner: Wednesday, September 9

  • Jenni Johnson & The Jazz Junketeers: September 11

  • Sabouyouma: Wednesday, September 16

  • Tim Brick: Friday, September 18

  • Barbacoa: Wednesday, September 23

  • Maiz Vargas Sandoval of Mal Maiz: Friday, September 25

  • The Revenants: Wednesday, September 30

  • Trio Gusto: Friday, October 2


In addition to presenting sponsor VSECU and with additional support from Small Dog Electronics, the series also received significant funding from the City’s Office of Racial Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging.

Stream the BCA Summer Concerts Video Series on BCA’s YouTube Channel, Home Studio, and social media.

Text by Kevin Desmond

Thumbnail image by Christian Taylor

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