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Southern Vermont Dance Festival has ended
Welcome to the Southern Vermont Dance Festival!  Takes place July 14th - July 17th with 100 classes, 3 Gala performances, Informal performances, Dozens of Community Events, Meet and Greets and Receptions and Dinner at Rudyard Kiplings house and much more.  Purchase your tickets on Eventbrite and have access to your own Vermont Dance Adventure.
avatar for Garrin Benfield

Garrin Benfield

Guitarist, singer and songwriter based in Brooklyn, NY.  Garrin tours and plays in various contexts, including solo and with various bands.

“The Wave Organ Song” is Garrin Benfield’s fifth full length CD of original songs. He gained notice in 2000 with his stark tribute to Matthew Shepard, “What You’re Hiding”, which was used in a production of the Laramie Project. In 2002, after recording his second CD, “Nowhere is Brighter” with Bonnie Raitt’s rhythm section and guest Boz Scaggs, Benfield took up a relentless touring schedule, both as a solo artist and with his band. Some of these increasingly improvisation-heavy sets were documented on the 2003 release “August Live”. 2004 saw the release of “Where Joy Kills Sorrow”, and Benfield’s first foray into live improvisational looping, which enabled him to tour solo but with added layers of beats, bass lines and the searing lead guitar Benfield’s hardcore fans have come to expect. Playing eclectic sets at hundreds of shows every year, Benfield has become an underground favorite at festivals, rock clubs, coffeehouses and house concerts.

Garrin Benfield's sound has been described as Freestyle Acoustic Rock. His music is a blend of moody, guitar driven rock and polyrhythmic groove all run through the filter of a very serious Singer/Songwriter. His talent shines through as a solo artist when he flat-picks his way through complicated and lightning-fast arrangements and also while he uses a Loop Station to create mesmerizing soundscapes upon which he lays blistering rock, blues and jazz licks, darkened by his extensive use of effect pedals. As a bandleader, Garrin can command the attention of seasoned players and improvise with the dexterity and ingenuity of players many years his senior. Improvisation is at the center of a Garrin Benfield concert experience. Whether at a solo show or at a full band event, Garrin twists and turns the tunes each night in an ever-evolving attempt to keep searching for new musical challenges.

Garrin has been touring nationally for ten years and has played many of North America's best music venues.

Some Highlights

West Coast:
The Fillmore (SF, CA)
Terrapin Crossroads (San Rafael, CA)
Great American Music Hall (SF, CA)
Mountain Winery (Saratoga, CA)
Humphrey's by the Bay (San Diego, CA)
The Freight and Salvage (Berkeley, CA)
Sweetwater Music Hall (Mill Valley, CA)
Swedish American Hall (SF, CA)
Yoshi's (SF, CA)
The Independent (SF, CA)
Cafe DuNord (SF, CA)
Boom Boom Room (SF, CA)
Tractor Tavern (Seattle, WA)

East Coast:
Carnegie Hall (NYC)
Brooklyn Bowl (NYC)
Joe's Pub (NYC)
Arlene's Grocery (NYC)
The Living Room (NYC)
The Bitter End (NYC)
Sullivan Hall (NYC)
Rockwood Music Hall (NYC)
Bowery Electric (NYC)
The Towne Crier (Pawling, NY)
Iron Horse (Northampton, MA)
The Paradise Rock Club (Boston, MA)
Bluebird Cafe (Nashville, TN)
Eddie's Attic (Atlanta, GA)
Cactus Café (Austin, TX)

Garrin has been performing regularly at festivals around the country, including

The High Sierra Music Festival (CA)
South x Southwest (TX)
Telluride Bluegrass Festival (CO)
Aura Music Festival (FL)
American River Festival (CA)
Blue Ridge Harvest Fest (GA)
Bobolink Festival (CA)
Jerry Day (CA)
San Francisco Free Folk Festival (CA)
Haight Street Fair (CA)
Solstice Festival (CA)
West Fest (CA)
Fairfax Festival (CA)
Promise For Peace Festival (CA)
Dogwood Festival (GA)
San Francisco/San Diego/Central Coast/Santa Rosa/Santa Cruz Pride Festivals (CA)

In addition to hundreds of solo and full band shows around the country, Garrin has shared the stage with numerous headlining acts.