Three weeks after dropping their ninth studio album, Deer Tick rolls into South Burlington for a Saturday night show at Higher Ground. Coin-O-Matic hits on June 5 — which means by June 27, this crowd will have had three weeks with the new material, and the band will have had three weeks to road-test it. That is the window where shows get interesting.
About Deer Tick
Deer Tick is a Providence-bred rootsy indie rock band with more than two decades in the game. John McCauley (vocals/guitar), Ian O’Neil (guitar/vocals), Dennis Ryan (drums/vocals), and Christopher Ryan (bass) have built a reputation for live shows that run closer to a neighborhood bar at last call than a formal ticketed event.
Coin-O-Matic — out June 5 via ATO Records — is their first self-produced record, made at their home studio in Providence. The album digs into Rhode Island’s buried histories: working-class families tangled up with organized crime, the shadow of the Patriarca mob empire, and Irish-Catholic guilt wrapped around everyday life. The title references Raymond Patriarca’s cigarette-vending-machine front — a cover for one of America’s most ruthless crime families.
Lead single “Mary Singletary” is a jangle-pop track about a Catholic-Protestant teenage romance. McCauley describes it plainly: “I liked the idea of writing about Catholic guilt and pre-marital sex and adding in a little bit of Looney Tunes-style violence.” Guest contributions come from Steve Berlin of Los Lobos on baritone saxophone and former member Rob Crowell on organ.
This is a 45-plus date North American run. Burlington catches the East Coast stretch in late June.
About Higher Ground
Higher Ground sits at 1214 Williston Road in South Burlington, Vermont — a 750-capacity room that consistently books above its weight class. If you have never made the trip up to North Country territory for a show, Higher Ground is a compelling reason to start.
Tickets
Deer Tick at Higher Ground is Saturday, June 27, 2026, with showtime at 8:00 PM. Tickets range from $29.50 to $75.00 and are available through See Tickets.