Legendary singer-songwriter Dana Cooper is touring his 32nd full-length release, The Ghost of Tucumcari, and will be in our room on Sunday, November 10, which is pretty nuts. Only 40 tickets will be sold. They're only $20. Cameron Sutphin opens at 7:00 PM.Cooper's new album features an all-star lineup of guest artists: Lyle Lovett, Hayes Carll, Susan Gibson, Mando Saenz, Darden Smith, Shake Russell, Libby Koch, and more.His music doesn't belong to one genre — his 2022 CD, I Can Face The Truth, hit five different radio charts: Americana, Indie Folk, Alt Folk, Alt Country & Roots, and three Best-of-the-Years. Americana Highways listeners ranked it higher than albums by Dolly Parton, Brandi Carlile, Tom Petty, Patty Griffin, and Kris Kristofferson that year.Dana's musical journey began at the age of two when his father would prop him on the bar to sing along with the jukebox. Coming from Missouri, Cooper was surrounded by the sounds of classic country and folk music from an early age. He taught himself to play guitar and to harmonize by listening to records. As a teenager, Cooper was performing in coffee houses and clubs around Kansas City, honing his skills.He landed a record deal with Elektra and released his acclaimed self-titled debut album in 1972. Backed by renowned LA studio musicians “The Section,” including Leeland Sklar and Russ Kunkel, the album showcased Cooper’s lyrical depth and virtuoso guitar playing.For over a decade, he was half of the acclaimed duo of Shake Russell / Dana Cooper, which garnered a large following and appeared on Austin City Limits. Through the ’70s and ’80s, he built his reputation on the club circuit while also collaborating with artists like Lyle Lovett, Kim Carnes, Susan Werner, Kim Richey, Hal Ketchum, and more.Over his 50+ year career, Cooper has amassed a catalog of 30+ albums and continues to tour actively.Central to Cooper’s artistry is his ability to connect with audiences through his authentic stories and warm stage presence. His decades of experience shine through in the ease and humor he brings to both his playing and storytelling.“Few artists can claim to make music for 50 years and still do so with the same eagerness and enthusiasm that marked their initial efforts.” — Lee Zimmerman, American SongwriterDana Cooper remains driven by his pure love for songwriting and performing.

Dana Cooper will perform on Sunday, November 10 at 7:00 PM. Americana singer-songwriter Cameron Sutphin opens. Only 40 tickets will be sold. Tickets are $20 in advance through stage33live.com, or at the door subject to availability. Advance tickets guarantee entry. The performances will be recorded and filmed. 

Then on Saturday, November 23, one of the most highly-regarded jazz musicians working today, David Becker, brings his Planets solo tour to Stage 33 Live for a 7:00 PM performance. His new album, Gravitationally Bound, is in the pipeline in three Grammy categories. He’s been selling out theaters in Japan, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, and America, but also relishes an intimate audience — that's where we come in. Only 40 tickets will be sold. They're only $20. The guitarist, composer, and producer combines diverse influences and a passion for the new and different — playing for the present, with an eye on the past and future. He has notched up serious accolades over the past four decades, sharing stages with the likes of Miles Davis, Chick Corea, and Michael Brecker, and collaborating with Pat Metheney, John Abercrombie, Mike Stern, and more.Becker has performed at some of the world’s most prestigious venues, including London’s Barbican Centre, Rotterdam’s De Doelen, Madison Square Garden and Birdland in New York, as well as international festivals including Monterey Jazz Festival, Buenos Aires Jazz Festival, Attila Zoller Festival, and more. He has released 20 albums, many topping the jazz and contemporary music charts.In addition to Grammy and Emmy nominations, Heritage guitars carries a David Becker Signature Model, and Homestead Guitars offers his signature acoustic. He even has signature strings produced by Sheptone.“A poet on the Jazz Guitar.” — Downbeat“A virtuoso.” — Gitarre & Bass“One of the best jazz guitarists ever.” — Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen TelevisionIn 2021, Becker taped a series for the Space Channel called Planets — a trip around the solar system with music for each planet. His solo show based on that series is a captivating audiovisual expedition with projections of the cosmos enhancing his compositions and improvisations… a celestial odyssey aboard a transcendent spacecraft through the sounds, energy, and mystery of the planets of our solar system.

David Becker will perform on Saturday, November 23 at 7:00 PM. Only 40 tickets will be sold. Tickets are $20 in advance through stage33live.com, or at the door subject to availability. Advance tickets guarantee entry. The performance will be recorded and filmed. 

Mike Farrand celebrated his birthday by coming to Stage 33 Live for the first time to see John John Brown (happy birthday Mike!), and he snapped this photo of Mark out front doing something really important — or being completely derelict in his duties.

If you've been around us for a while, you already know that we're not fans of Giving Tuesday, which is coming up on December 3. It's a decent enough idea, but it's gotten out of hand. We don't participate.You probably also know that at Stage 33 Live the performers are playing for door and we're all volunteers. We don't have a bar or kitchen to help pay them (or us)... ticket money is the only program income and they get it all — and any merch sales, buy merch!So what happens when turnout is small? The performers get paid less. Touring performers with expenses like gas and food and lodging can end up losing money when not many people come.We like to get the headliners at least the lowest recommended scale for the smallest venues in the worst markets as recommended by the Traveling Musicians Union, but sometimes the money falls short.A while ago the Vermont Arts Council awarded us a small grant that was in part earmarked for a Performer Guarantee Fund to pick up any slack when there's low attendance. That fund is just about depleted. (We applied for a booster this year, but didn't get it.)We won't be lobbing donation pitches come Giving Tuesday, but if you'd like to make a donation at any time to the Performer Guarantee Fund, that's totally welcome. When you donate, just let us know it's for the Guarantee Fund.