Saturday, May 10 at 7 p.m.—KILLINGTON—Chad Hollister and his good friend Jeff “Primo” Poremski are playing Mission Farm in Killington for an intimate, limited-seating concert. I’ve known Chad for 25 years and have always liked his music. My favorite music is music that moves you, and his definitely does. There’s a message behind his music, and he is spreading positivity through kindness and love. Fittingly, the next single he’ll be releasing is “Be Kind,” due out in a month or so. Chad’s Acoustic Quintet will be at the Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe on June 22 for year 5 of the Trapp’s 75.
“For people who have never heard me, picture like if Dave Matthews and Jack Johnson had lunch and had a baby with Tom Petty, and they churned out this dude, and Paul Simon too, who was going to play some songs. That’s the style mix,” said Hollister. “I like to connect with the audience. When I do shows like this, I get to see people from my past. People come out of the woodwork. It’s just an intimate show where, at the end, people get to hang out.”
The Mission Farm show came about because of Hollister’s good buddy Eric Baughman: his brother Scott and sister-in-law Lisa own Mission Farm.
“It’s a beautiful church,” said Hollister. “Primo and I get to do our thing in our nook.” Hollister’s been playing in Killington since the late ’90s. Primo is a regular fixture in the area, plus he lives in Rutland. “We’re really excited to be kind of coming home. All the shows these days are carefully thought out. I try not to overplay an area.”
Hollister’s latest focus is these listening room shows and house concerts.
“It’s one of my favorite things to do, to perform in people’s homes with listening room vibes. Imagine a concert in your very own living room,” said Hollister.
In addition to these intimate shows, Hollister has been making custom songs for people. It’s a high-end thing, not something that everyone can do, but Hollister said it’s really cool to have that as an option. He’s also doing VIP retreats.
“One focuses on the music for the weekend where I do a couple of sets, and then we go out and experience the community from meals to hot springs,” said Hollister. “They’re in different locations. In July, I’m doing one in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. That’s a songwriting weekend where only two people come, and they write their songs with me. They’re limited. Sometimes it’s a few more people, and they get to know me better, I get to know them better. It’s an intimate hang, and you come out with a song. It’s pretty cool.”
Hollister has written and recorded five albums, and last year, he released the single “Inner Sovereignty,” which is performed by the Chad Hollister Acoustic Trio, which consists of Chad, Primo, Rudy Dauth on bass, and special guest John Dunlop of the Vermont Symphony Orchestra on cello.
Hollister’s musical inspirations come from everyday life and his family.
“My wife and two kids are a constant source of inspiration to me. Katie, Riley, Bodi, they’re everything. My family, too. Three sisters, a brother, my Mom is 93. My music, it’s how I hope the world can be. The state of affairs right now is a nightmare. I choose to dive into my community and bring kindness, love, empathy, community everywhere I go, and just hope that spreads. I’m inspired by people everyday, who are great people, that do care about our world, the environment, immigrants who make our country what it is. The reality is, it’s insanity right now but I believe in the greater good of people. You just have to work a little harder these days to find it and let people know there’s plenty of love and kindness out there,” said Hollister.
Giving back is another essential quality of the Chad Hollister ethos. He dedicates time to helping out with mental health, specifically the Vermont Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health (vffcmh.org). With the Trapp show, Hollister is starting a memorial fund for Amy Lincoln Moore, who passed away in February.
“She [Moore] was an amazing champion and worked at the VFFCMH. Mental health is our thing, and letting people know it’s OK to not be OK means there’s help out there. We talk about this negative world, and a lot of people don’t have the family support we have and don’t know where to go, but there’s so many resources and help to be had,” Hollister said.
Chad Hollister has been going strong for 30 years, and it’s the people that keep him going.
“I love it so much, and I love to inspire people. If there’s one mission of my music, it’s to inspire. I like seeing people’s faces.”
For more information, visit: chadmusic.com.
