Recalling his roots, Chad Hollister returns to the Mad River Valley Sept. 26

September 19, 2026 | By Waterbury Roundabout

The Big Picture Theater welcomes the Chad Hollister Band for a special homecoming of music, stories and community on Saturday, Sept. 26.

A longtime figure on the Vermont music scene, Hollister traces his stage career to his very first gig on guitar at Sugarbush North under spontaneous circumstances. 

Chad Hollister performs in Waterbury on a flatbed driving through downtown during the COVID-19 pandemic, July 2020. File photo by Gordon Miller

As he tells it, when a band canceled at the last minute, Chris Mayonne called Hollister at the house where he was staying in town. 

“I said, ‘I don’t play guitar,’ and he said, ‘Yes you do — get up here!’” Hollister recalls.

Grabbing a napkin, he wrote down all the songs he knew. Then he headed up to Sugarbush and played his first guitar gig. 

That spirit of spontaneity and connection has remained part of Hollister’s music ever since.

In the early 2000s, the Chad Hollister Band became a familiar presence at the Mad Mountain Tavern, playing for Vermont locals and ski crowds. The original four-piece band featured Hollister on acoustic guitar and vocals alongside Thom Carvey on bass, Johnny Carleton on drums and Sean Harkness on guitar. There were memorable nights, plenty of musical guests and a growing community around the band. Over the years, the group expanded, adding horns and developing the soulful, roots-rock sound that has become a signature of Hollister’s live performances.

For this upcoming concert in Waitsfield, Hollister plans to bring the history and evolution of the band to the stage. The show will feature the four-piece configuration at the heart of the band’s beginnings — bass, drums, lead guitar and Hollister on acoustic guitar — joined by three horns. Expect a mix of roots rock, Americana, soulful songwriting, deep grooves and plenty of stories from Hollister’s years on the road.

Adding even more energy to the evening will be SIRSY, a duo known for their infectious live shows, powerful vocals, driving rhythms and dynamic chemistry.

SIRSY and Hollister share a connection. “We’re ridiculously excited to be back in Vermont opening for our friend Chad Hollister,” says SIRSY. “Vermont has always felt like home to us — it’s where we cut our teeth playing live when we were first starting out. And it’s where we first became friends with Chad. Even though touring keeps us away more than we’d like, every chance to come back feels special. We’ll be armed with big hugs and new songs.”

Expect the bands to share both the bill and the stage for this upcoming show. Following the Vermont dates, Hollister and band hit the road for a tour that will include opening for Barenaked Ladies and Lisa Loeb in Texas next month.

Note: The Waitsfield show is the second of two performances with SIRSY Sept. 25-26. The Chad Hollister Trio performs Friday night at the Haybarn Theater in Plainfield (Tickets: $30). Details for Sept. 26 at the Big Picture Theater: Doors open at 7 p.m.; show at 7:30 p.m. All ages. Tickets: $40 general admission; $20 for 17 and under; $65 for both the Big Picture and Haybarn Theater in Plainfield on Friday, Sept. 25. Purchase online in advance.