Here is the thing about a Streetlight Manifesto show: you are not just going to a concert, you are going to an event. Eight people on a stage, more horn players than guitar players, and a crowd that has been waiting — in some cases, for years — for exactly this night. They are back on the road with the Presence of the Past Tour, and the stop at Higher Ground‘s Ballroom in South Burlington on Friday, June 12 is worth planning your weekend around.
About Streetlight Manifesto
Streetlight Manifesto formed in New Jersey in 2002, with frontman Tomas Kalnoky — who previously led Catch 22 — bringing together eight musicians from wildly different backgrounds to build something that defies easy genre labeling. Ska-punk is the shorthand, but the full answer runs through Latin, klezmer, folk, jazz, funk, and classical, with more horn players than most bands have total members. It sounds like it should not work. It absolutely works.
Their album The Place Behind the Stars came out in June 2025 — the band’s first new studio material in over a decade. That alone makes this tour worth following. The band has kept a deliberate pace, standing by their commitment to finish the record before hitting the road, which means this 26-date national run is a genuine occasion. Support on the South Burlington date comes from Rebuilder.
About Higher Ground
Higher Ground‘s Ballroom holds 750 people and has earned its reputation as one of the better mid-size rooms in the North Country. This is an all-ages show, so the door is open to everyone. Doors at 7:00 PM, show at 8:00 PM. South Burlington sits just minutes from Burlington proper, which means you have real dinner options before you head over — plan accordingly and leave time for the drive.
Tickets
Tickets are available through SeeTickets. Streetlight Manifesto has a way of selling out rooms, and this is their first serious touring cycle behind new material in years. Get your tickets here before you have to explain to someone why you waited.