Doors at Higher Ground open at 7:30 on a Wednesday night. If you are driving up from anywhere in the lower North Country or making the longer haul from Syracuse, that means a mid-afternoon departure. Do it anyway. This room and this artist are worth the math.
Madison Cunningham is the kind of songwriter other great songwriters call great. She has collaborated with John Mayer, Robin Pecknold, Lucy Dacus, Andrew Bird, and Mumford & Sons. Hozier — who brought her along for a 25-city U.S. run that hit Madison Square Garden, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, and the Hollywood Bowl — called her one of the “most talented creative forces of our generation.” That is not a list to be on lightly.
The September show is part of The Ace Tour, supporting her third album for Verve Forecast Records. Ace — a 14-track record co-produced with Robbie Lackritz (Feist, Bahamas, Peach Pit) — marks a notable pivot in her sound: more piano, more emotional exposure, less of the guitar-forward folk that won her a Grammy Award for Best Folk Album for Revealer. The New York Times wrote that these songs “step beyond the folk pleasantry of her last decade, into sentiments and sounds grander than anything she’s ever done.” The album scores an 81 on Metacritic. “Wake,” featuring Robin Pecknold of Fleet Foxes on dueling acoustic guitars, is one of the standout moments on the record — and the kind of thing that lands differently in a room this size.
The Venue
Higher Ground’s Ballroom holds 750 and punches well above its weight for sound. One of the better mid-size rooms in New England — solid sightlines, an all-ages policy, and a floor that rewards showing up when doors open. Located at 1214 Williston Rd in South Burlington, a short hop from downtown Burlington. More details at the Higher Ground venue page on Upstate Concerts.
Tickets
All ages. Tickets available through See Tickets. Doors 7:30 PM / Show 8:00 PM. With a Metacritic 81 and the New York Times already in her corner, don’t sit on this one. More North Country shows at Upstate Concerts.