Hey friends, I hope all of you are staying safe and soaking in some time with your families or some self reflection as a form of reboot. We have all (Katie, Riley Bodi and Soul) been home since home from Colorado and have been making the best of it, building Tee Pees, playing music, reading, drawing, laughing, taking walks, studying, eating , laughing and then eating some more. I've been thinking a lot about our healthcare friends and all the hours they are putting in as well as putting their lives at risk daily. THANKS!! I hope you are able to do your incredible jobs and stay healthy at the same time.

Music has always been my life and now is a way to take ourselves and you away from all for an hour here and there. I want to thank all of you who have donated to our family who are able. Please do not feel any pressure if you don't have it, we'll be fine! Those who have a little, it goes a long way here in our home so THANKS! I'll be doing another solo show from home this Saturday March 28 @7pm. Please join us for some songs, stories and laughter! We love to laugh and it's needed now more than ever. When you're around each other all the time, the ability to laugh at yourself becomes a necessity! 

Links for some LOVE are : PayPal.me/Chadhollister

or VENMO at:

@Chad-Hollister-2

Again, truly appreciate you all and thanks for the generosity, love and support! We'll see you Saturday on Facebook!

Peace,

chad , Katie, Riley and Bodi (Soul and Bo too!).

Still coming down from Saturdays show and it's Wednesday! Such an amazing evening and so many people who helped make it happen. The band rocked and a HUGE thanks out to Tommy, Rudy, Primo, Yahuba, Chris, Luke, Chris and Nate. Each of you added just what was needed and then some....The night was captured on video by Adam Lukowski (to be seen as we get to it) and in photos many of you have already seen by good friend Brian Drourr. 

Musically, we had a ball bringing you a small piece of YYZ honoring the late Neil Peart(drummer) of Rush fame. Many folks didn't know but Neil also wrote all the RUSH lyrics on top of being one of rock history's most iconic and unique drummers. As a kid, I remember drumming and air drumming countless hours to the "Moving Pictures" cassette. I think I believed for a few brief moments that I was Neil Peart or at least someone very close to his extreme talents! We also had an excerpt of Martin Luther King Jr.'s book "Strength to Love" which quotes many of his famous sermons. It read:  

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that

Hate cannot drive out hate, only Love can do that,

Hate multiplies hate, violence multiplies violence and toughness multiplies toughness,

in a descending spiral of destruction, the chain reaction of evil, hate begetting hate,

wars producing wars must be broken,

or we shall be plunged into the dark abyss of annihilation.

Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that,

Hate cannot drive out hate, only LOVE can do that." MLK (1963)

It was a powerful piece as Yahuba, Chris, Rudy, Jeff and myself each read a piece of this excerpt. We need more kindness in our world today and these words helped us to reiterate that. 

Our sets were designed and built by Russ Bennett and Shawn Rice. They were just as I had hoped and brought such light to our already amazing lighting by Kyle Rose. The words behind us read : Be Kind, Brothers, Sisters, No War, Family, Love , Peace and More LOVE.  I now see Ellen Degeneres' new campaign is "Be Kind to others" and I couldn't agree more. This all started with our sweet K/1 teacher at DOTY Elementary in Worcester , VT-Ben Larrow. His simple message to his kids of "Be Kind" has grown into a movement and will continue to grow as we realize its very simple yet imperative message. Thanks Ben!!

The sets went as follows:  SET ONE:  Fishin', Butch, MLK, Change, Left Lane Fascination, Eyes, Stop The World,Monster Truck, Breathe, B.O.D.I.

SET TWO: Flowers for No Reason, Better Days, YYZ, Rainy Day, Mama Knows, Vineyard, LIFE, 2 Tickets,  Wake Up (Encore)--This bad boy had a percussion break created by Yahuba that Tommy, myself and Yahuba recreated. It was something and our first time doing a written out break. Thanks to Yahuba and Tommy for being patient with me--amazing piece!!

Many thanks to our sound crew of Josh and Ezra who help us sound pretty without all the volume!! Also, the whole staff at Spruce Peak Arts Center too: Hope, John, Belinda, Julianne, Meaghan, Paula, Jenny-Y'all rock!  

These shows can't happen without our amazing sponsors so once again, Thanks to : Berlin Optical Expressions, Lawsons Finest, North Branch Vineyards, The Alpine Shop, VOLKL Skis, Breton and Simon, Freelance Automotive, Northeast Technology Partners, Ladder One Bar and Grill, Minuteman Press, Stowe Motel, The Bench, and WDEV and 101 The One. Thanks ALL! We held a raffle for a pair of VOLKL skis (donated by VOLKL) and raised $500 for The VT Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health. You can find out more about this VT organization at : http://www.vffcmh.org or contact Executive Director Cindy Tabor at !-800-639-6071. Please reach out if you or someone you know may need help with depression, suicidal thoughts or any other family related needs. They are amazing!!

More great shows to come so keep it right posted to this here sweet site! Peace out all!!      

Chad

We are returning to Colorado good friends. It's been a couple of years so we'll really need your help to fill up these rooms. The tour is March 9-21 and will hopefully be duo with Jeff Poremski. Dates will be in Boulder, Steamboat Springs, Winter Park, Vail and possibly Aspen. We'll also have a couple of slots for house concerts or parties so hit up management at info@chadmusic.com to inquire about open dates. We'll be posting the tour dates as they are confirmed. Please let your CO peeps know we're coming ! Many thanks and Peace in 2020!!

WOW!! What an incredible evening at The Barre Opera House on Nov. 9. Tnaks to so many of you (500 plus) for showing up and making it so great. Also, huge thanks out to my band who truly rocked and brought you FOUR brand new songs!. 

Her was then set list for those of you who missed it:  

Two Tickets to Paradise (Eddie Money)

Here and Now

MEG

Left Lane Fascination

Dr.Bethesda

Stop The World

Better days

Breathe

B.O.D.I. (special dancing' guest Bodi!!)

Eyes

Fishin'

Flowers for no Reason

LIFE

Riley Odelia

Wake Up

**Best Friends Girl (joined by Will Evans)

There ya have one full eve of music and great opening set by Will Evans. We've known about each other for many years and finally got a chance to meet, hang out and make some music together too.Will is one talented dude with an amazing ability to write a song and bring it to life with his looping technique. (This is where he'll record parts on the fly and create a whole song by adding one part at a time and take them away at times too). Purely awesome! 

There were many highlights for me. One was starting with the late Eddie Money's "Two Tickets To Paradise". I had the chance to open for Eddie three times at The Pickel Barrel in Killington, VT and each time, he opened with 2 Tickets so I thought we'd do the same. More moments were bringing four new songs to you cool people. First was "Left Lane Fascination" underlining my frustrations with drivers addicted to the left lane. Next was "Better Days" which was written for friends dealing with depression and suicide letting them know better days are ahead. Third was "Fishin" which speaks for itself and lastly "Flowers for No Reason" for my beautiful wife Katie. It was a surprise to her as our daughter Riley brought he flowers but this time they did have a reason!We always love when Bodi struts his dance moves during his song "B.O.D.I.' and always an honor to hear you sing "LIFE" back to me.   It was great to have Will Evans join us for "Best Friends Girl" as our encore too.

We need to shout out to our amazing sponsors because without them, this show would not happen. They were Ladder One Bar and Grill, Optical Expressions Berlin, North Branch Vineyards, Lost Nation Brewery, VOLKL, The Point Radio, Minuteman Press, Aired Out w JD Green, and New Technology Partners from NYC.  Huge thanks out to JD Green for stepping up and being the last minute MC for the evening.

Ezra Mulheron knocked it out of the park with his sound and we thank him endlessly!  

I hope we see you at a show soon and get ready for Spruce Peak Performing Arts Center on February 8, 2020. It will be our seventh year there and another one to remember. Also can't thank my band enough for rocking. They are Jeff Poremski-guitar and vocals, Rudy Dauth-bass and vocals, Tommy Diehl-drums, Chris Peterman-tenor sax, Luke Laplant-Bari Sax, Matt Avery-trombone , Chris Hawthorn-trumpet and Stuart Paton-congas. What a band!!!!

Thanks to my Mama and family for being there! see y'all real soon!!

It's just about done good fine friends and Burlington Record Plant has made a dream come true! We are releasing STW on vinyl. I visited the plant in Burlington last week and had the chance to press my very own copy! Huge thanks to Justin Crowther and the crew at Burlington Record Plant. This is the 2nd smallest record pressing plant in the world and is in the city where I was born!! It sounds and looks amazing and copies will be available very soon for a mere $25 plus shipping. Feel free to secure your copy by emailing info@chadmusic.com. We're able to take credit cards, VENMO and PayPal too.

Cool shows coming up too so check tour dates and come on by and grab some vinyl!