Vermont hard rockers 8084 are aging like fine wine: They’re smooth, but they’ve still got plenty of kick. The band formed in 1982 and has released seven full-length albums to date, with stints on both Virgin and Columbia Records. By their estimation, 8084 have played more than 4,500 concerts in a career spanning more than four decades.
While the melodic classic-rock act doesn’t hit the road like it used to, an upcoming performance in Essex should get the nostalgia vibes humming. “A Night with 8084” goes down at the Double E Performance Center’s T-Rex Theater on Saturday, November 8. It’s an increasingly rare chance to see Vermont’s answer to Bon Jovi and Van Halen, a band that still delivers anthemic vocals with huge hooks and guitar pyrotechnics galore. For tickets and more info, check out 8084rocks.com.
Also next month, pianist and composer Adam Tendler returns to his hometown of Barre for a special performance of his critically acclaimed album Inheritances. The Vermont native has had a glittering early career. In 2019, he received a Lincoln Center Emerging Artist Award. He’s performed with such world-renowned orchestras as the London Symphony and the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and he featured on experimental classical band Wild Up’s 2025 Grammy-nominated album, Julius Eastman Vol. 3: If You’re So Smart, Why Aren’t You Rich?
Tendler commissioned the pieces on Inheritances with the money left to him after the unexpected death of his father. He used the windfall to gather some of modern classical music’s brightest composers, such as Laurie Anderson, John Glover, Missy Mazzoli and fellow Vermont native Nico Muhly, and explore themes of grief and memory.
Presented by TURNmusic, Tendler performs “Inheritances: Homecoming” on Sunday, November 16, at the Barre Opera House. For more information, visit turnmusic.org.
Listening In
Playlist of Vermont jams
This article appears in The Tech Issue.
Got something to say?
Send a letter to the editor and we'll publish your feedback in print!
