Gang of Four, the pioneering band that served as one of the forerunners of the post-punk movement, fusing outspoken political messages with intense, percussive live sets, will kick off its farewell tour on Friday, April 18, in The Westport Library’s Trefz Forum.
Tickets for this kickoff concert, an extension of VersoFest 2025, are $55 and on sale now. No bags permitted, aside from purses, clutches, and small handheld bags. All seats are standing room only; accommodations available upon request.
Tim “Journeys by DJ” Fielding, the founder of Brainiak Records and producer for legendary works by DJs including John Digweed, Paul Oakenfold, Farley & Heller, Coldcut, and Gilles Peterson, will spin tracks before the show.
In addition to the concert, singer Jon King will be on hand in the Trefz Forum during the day for an author talk and conversation with Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Chris Frantz (Talking Heads, Tom Tom Club) about his new book, To Hell with Poverty!: A Class Act: Inside the Gang of Four, which is publishing April 1.
The Long Goodbye Tour is already selling out across the country as fans line up for one last look at these legends of music.
Gang of Four formed in Leeds, England, in 1976, led at the time by King, bassist Dave Allen, drummer Hugo Burnham, and guitarist Andy Gill. The band pioneered a style of music that inverted punk’s blunt and explosive energies — favoring tense rhythms, percussive guitars, and lyrics that traded in Marxist theory and situationism.
The original lineup released two landmark albums, Entertainment! (1979) and Solid Gold (1981). A third, Songs of the Free (1982), was recorded with bassist Sara Lee replacing Allen. After Songs of the Free, Burnham departed and Gill and King continued on, releasing Hard in 1983.
The band broke up following Hard, with the original quartet reforming in 2004 for tour dates and the release of their fifth album — and first in two decades — Return the Gift, in 2005.
Gill’s untimely death in 2020 led many to re-examine the group’s catalog, putting Gang of Four back in the spotlight to widespread acclaim. Entertainment! was ranked as the fifth best punk album of all time by Rolling Stone in 2016, Pitchfork placed it as the eighth best album of the 1970s in their 2004 assessment, and Pop Matters deemed it the “best post-punk album ever!” in 2020.
In 2021, the band teamed up with indie label giants Matador to release a deluxe, Grammy-nominated boxset Gang of Four 77-81, a comprehensive and detailed history of the band’s music, politics, and influence over the period.
The current iteration of the group consists of founding members King and Burnham, alongside bassist Gail Greenwood (L7, Belly) and guitarist Ted Leo (Citizens Arrest, Chisel, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, plus his noted collaborations with Aimee Mann).
In the last few years, Gang of Four’s songs have continued to resonate, having been sampled by artists ranging from Run the Jewels (“The Ground Below”) to Frank Ocean (“Futura Free”).
Now, 40 years since the original release of Entertainment!, Gang of Four’s legacy cannot be overstated.
“2025 will be the 45th anniversary of the release of Entertainment! in the U.S. and will be our final year as a band,” Gang of Four said in a statement. “It’s been wonderful, but all things must end. We want to go out with a bang and celebrate with our fans and friends.
“So, on what will be our last U.S. tour, we’ll play two sets at each show: Entertainment! from start to finish in the first, and the best of the rest in the second. Come and join in, it’ll be a blast!”
On Thursday, February 13, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Hernan Diaz will join the Westport community in the Library’s Trefz Forum for the WestportREADS keynote conversation, alongside moderator Catherine Shen of Connecticut Public. The two will discuss Diaz’s debut novel, In the Distance, about a young Swedish immigrant who travels east from California in search of his brother, moving on foot against the great current of emigrants pushing west.
Diaz would be nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for In the Distance and claim the prize for his second novel, Trust, cementing his place among the great writers of his generation.
In advance of his talk at the Library, Diaz took the time to correspond with the Library about his trip to Westport, his literary successes, and why he will always treasure libraries and librarians.
Westport Library: What was your reaction to In the Distance being named our WestportREADS pick for 2025? And your thoughts on coming to The Westport Library to speak to our community?
Hernan Diaz: Libraries are my natural habitat, and I would be nothing without them. Absolutely everything that I’ve ever published has been written, partially, in libraries. And beyond their invaluable archival mission, libraries are also crucial nodes in any community. For all these reasons, it means the world to be able to meet Westport readers and be able to engage with them,
Writing can be a solitary endeavor. What does it mean to you to travel to discuss your books and connect with readers?
Writing was an utterly solitary endeavor for most of my life — I was published very late. This means I still find it utterly unbelievable to discover that my work exists in other people’s minds. I can’t even begin to convey how much I’ve learned about literature and even about my own writing from talking to readers around the world. It’s an outsized privilege.
How has your life changed since winning the Pulitzer Prize for Trust? And what impact has that had on your writing?
Well, as of last June, I’ve become a full-time writer, which has been my dream since I was a child. Needless to say, that has had a major impact on my writing and reading life.
There is an overwhelming amount of information out there, particularly in the modern digital world. Against that landscape, why do you think libraries still matter?
Libraries matter for so many reasons. I’ll offer up two of them: First, I am a great believer in the importance of the material dimension of the book. There is no substitute for having all those books there and (ideally) being able to walk around the stacks and engage in serendipitous associations. In this sense, libraries are thinking machines.
Second, librarians. What would we do without librarians, who are my personal heroes? Their erudition and passion and curatorial creativity are so vastly important.
What are your favorite or most influential books?
Oh, dear. This is a big question. Beckett, Kafka, George Eliot, Borges, Woolf, Dickens, Joy Williams, David Markson, Wodehouse… I could go on.
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Note to patrons: Registration for the keynote conversation with Hernan Diaz is currently full, but there is a waitlist option and the event will be livestreamed on The Westport Library YouTube channel.
WestportREADS is funded by the estate of Jerry A. Tishman.
Paul Shaffer (photo courtesy of CBS) and Christine Ohlman
The ability to light up a stage with showmanship and natural charisma is a rare gift. For half a century, Legendary Saturday Night Live performer and David Letterman musical director Paul Shaffer has effortlessly displayed both, translating virtuosity into an improvisational caricature that defined late night television.
On Sunday, April 6, Shaffer will deliver his unique mix of music, comedy, and entertainment to a Westport audience as the featured guest for the VersoFest Oral History Podcast conversation at VersoFest 2025.
The event, sponsored by the Y’s Men of Westport/Weston, will take place at 11 am in the Library’s Trefz Forum and feature an extended conversation as well as Shaffer on piano for a musical performance. Tickets are $25 and available for purchase here.
Shaffer will be joined for the discussion by fellow SNL alum and iconic Beehive Queen Christine Ohlman, who will host the conversation fresh off her appearance at the Library for her annual Winter Dance Party with her band, Rebel Montez.
The Westport Library’s VersoFest is four days of music, media, and creativity, running this year from April 3 to April 6— a forum for media creators, artists, and fans to converge. Previous years have featured a diverse array of local and global talent including hip hop legend Chuck D, established hit-makers Spin Doctors and the Smithereens, up-and-coming bands Sunflower Bean and the Lemon Twigs, rockers Lez Zeppelin, famed producers Steve Lillywhite (U2, Dave Matthews Band) and Tony Visconti (David Bowie, T. Rex), Psychedelic Furs frontman Richard Butler, the Doors drummer John Densmore, Cramps drummer Miriam Linna, Alice Cooper Group bassist Dennis Dunaway, hip hop originators Tony Crush and Grand Wizzard Theodore, Manic Panic’s Tish and Snooky, and a wide array of authors, photographers, artists, and thought leaders.
For decades, Shaffer and Ohlman have contributed to the lasting legacies of some of America’s quintessential late-night programs. Best known for his 30-plus years as the musical director for David Letterman, both on Late Night with David Letterman and The Late Show with David Letterman, Shaffer’s prominent role skyrocketed him to stardom as the wisecracking maestro sidekick of the show’s titular host. Shaffer’s musical leadership and tongue-in-cheek chemistry with Letterman were cornerstones of the nightly program, evident in Letterman’s praise of Shaffer as a “musical genius.”
Shaffer got his start in musical theater before joining the house band for SNL, where he remained as the show’s keyboardist from 1975 to 1980. To date, he is the only SNLBand member to become a featured performer on the show, working alongside comedy icons like Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Gilda Radner, John Belushi, and many other celebrated cast members featured in the show’s first five seasons.
Shaffer has recorded a number of albums of his own, including Coast to Coast (1989), The World’s Most Dangerous Party (1993), and Paul Shaffer and the World’s Most Dangerous Band (2017). He wrote the famed 1980s dance hit “It’s Raining Men,” has performed with Diana Ross and Yoko Ono among many others, and has served as the musical director for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony since 1986. He has also appeared in the movies This Is Spinal Tap, Scrooged, and Blues Brothers 2000.
Ohlman has been a featured vocalist with the SNLBand for 31 years, appearing on both the 25th and 40th Anniversary SNLtelecasts. Additionally, she is a VersoFest veteran, having served as a featured guest and moderator at the Library’s past two festivals.
Dedication to preserving the soul in rock n’ roll has been the hallmark of Ohlman’s work. In total, Christine Ohlman & Rebel Montez has released six albums to date: The Hard Way (1996), Radio Queen (1997), Wicked Time (2000), Strip (2003), Re-Hive (2008), and The Deep End (2010).
Shaffer and Ohlman share a unique talent that renders their work timeless. The mark of true artistry shows in the enduring soundtracks of countless nights connecting performers to their audience.
In his podcast Reasonably Happy, comedian Paul Ollinger featured Shaffer for a discussion on the deep impressions left by musical artists in listeners’ adolescence and persisting throughout adulthood. Ollinger posed the question: “What is it about the music we hear when we’re awakening that sticks with us?”
Shaffer answered: “These simple three chords of rock ‘n roll sound like the secrets of the world when you’re just hearing them for the first time.”
Daring, incendiary, no-holds-barred. Since his rise to recognition as one of the forerunners of the hardcore punk scene, the words of Henry Rollins have struck a chord with radical thinkers everywhere.
Rollins has held many titles in the past 45 years: singer, writer, spoken word artist, actor, producer, radio host, and outspoken frontman for Black Flag and the Rollins Band. On Saturday, April 5, he will be assuming the role of Verso Visionary in a keynote conversation at VersoFest 2025.
The event will be held at 7 pm in The Westport Library's Trefz Forum. Tickets are $35 and available for purchase here.
Moderating the conversation with Rollins is fellow author and musician Nabil Ayers. No stranger to the inner workings of the music industry, Ayers comes from a background of recording and touring globally as a drummer in several bands. He has held the position of president of record label Beggars Group US since 2022.
Ayers also hosts Identified, a podcast about exploring family dynamics, and has contributed to the New York Times, The Guardian, and GQ on topics of family, race, and music. In 2022, he published his memoir My Life in the Sunshine, which explores his journey to connect with his father, jazz musician Roy Ayers.
After achieving international renown with the seminal punk band Black Flag in the early 1980s, Rollins established his own record label and publishing company, 2.13.61, through which he released an array of books and his acclaimed spoken word albums.
Throughout his illustrious career, Rollins has offered an intimate look into his complex mind. His writing spans more than 25 titles, including Get in the Van, his memoir composed of journal entries from his time with Black Flag; the cathartic and brutally honest Solipsist; the raw psyche of Sic; his Black Coffee Blues trilogy, which serves as a cross between poetry anthology, memoir, and travel diary; and many more.
Rollins also has hosted a number of radio shows, including the weekly show he currently hosts on L.A.’s renowned NPR affiliate KCRW. He has also appeared as an actor in TV and movies, including a recurring role in Sons of Anarchy, and has been a columnist and essayist for Stereophile, Rolling Stone Australia, and LA Weekly.
“We couldn’t be more excited to feature Henry Rollins as a vital part of our 2025 VersoFest program,” said Westport Library Director of Programming and Events Alex Giannini. “As a hardcore legend, as well as a tremendously talented writer and pioneer of spoken word, Henry Rollins speaks to both the Library’s and Verso Studios’ shared mission as a cultural hub of inclusive and empowered learning.”
VersoFest 2025 is The Westport Library’s four-day music and media festival and conference taking place Thursday, April 3, through Sunday, April 6. VersoFest provides a forum for media creators, artists, and fans to converge, including panels where experts share their perspective and vision; intimate workshops that provide creators the opportunity to deconstruct, improve, and hone their craft; and performances that entertain and inspire.
Previous years have featured a diverse and eclectic mix of performers and subjects including hip hop legend Chuck D, The Lemon Twigs, Spin Doctors, the Smithereens, Sunflower Bean, Grand Wizzard Theodore (inventor of scratch DJing), producers Steve Lillywhite (U2, Talking Heads, Dave Matthews Band) and Tony Visconti (David Bowie, T. Rex), Richard Butler (Psychedelic Furs), Dennis Dunaway (Alice Cooper), John Densmore (the Doors), Miriam Linna (Norton Records, Kicks Books, Kicksville Radio), actor/producer Michael Jai White, Little Steven’s TeachRock Foundation, and much more.
In his essay Iron and the Soul, Rollins wrote, “I believe that the definition of definition is reinvention. To not be like your parents. To not be like your friends. To be yourself. Completely.”
This, too, resonates with the philosophy behind VersoFest: be the loudest version of yourself, and within that, embrace true community.
More than 500 patrons packed The Westport Library's Trefz Forum on a snowy Sunday afternoon for the 19th annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration featuring renowned screenwriter and producer Shonda Rhimes, in conversation with award-winning novelist and filmmaker Trey Ellis.
The two Westport residents spoke thoughtfully and candidly of what Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day means to them and about Rhimes’ remarkable career as a trailblazer in television and film — Shondaland founder and CEO, Golden Globe and Peabody Award winner, inductee into the Television Academy of Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame, and much more — to the delight of the capacity crowd.
“Part of what’s so great about this day, and part of what makes me love Westport so much, is that we have an event like this, and I see all these people here, for the cause that Martin Luther King speaks to,” said Rhimes. “That’s amazing to me. That’s what makes this community special.”
The appearance was a return engagement for both speakers. Rhimes was the Library’s BOOKED for the evening honoree in 2022 and screened her documentary, Black Barbie, in the Trefz Forum last year. Ellis, meantime, has appeared at the Library on a number of occasions, most recently at the 2024 Martin Luther King Jr. celebration, which featured Dr. Clarence Jones, a former advisor and speechwriter for Dr. King — an address Rhimes referenced in her remarks Sunday afternoon.
“What I learned last year, and what I try to continue to learn and try to continue to teach my children, is that there is always a way to make the world a better place,” Rhimes said. “There are a million ways to make the world a better place. And your goal should be to look back at yourself and ask, ‘What did I do this month to make the world a better place?’ Because if you didn’t, what are you doing? … That’s what I always try to think about on Martin Luther King Day.”
The annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration is a partnership between the Library, TEAM Westport, the Westport Country Playhouse, and the Westport/Weston Clergy Association, in addition to the Walter Luckett Jr. Foundation, the Bridgeport-based nonprofit that brought a number of its students to the afternoon. The Luckett Foundation students met with Rhimes prior to the event and asked advance questions that were answered at the end of the conversation between Rhimes and Ellis.
In addition to the keynote conversation, the afternoon featured introductions by TEAM Westport’s Harold Bailey, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal, the Westport/Weston Clergy Association’s Rabbi Jeremy Wiederhorn, Mark Shanahan of the Westport Country Playhouse, and the Library’s Bill Harmer, as well as a pair of stirring performances from local singing sensation Christian Servance.
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Photos by KT Kaminski, Westport Library
Professional hockey is coming to The Westport Library — and it comes bearing books.
Isles in Aisles is a new community partnership between the Library and the Bridgeport Islanders, the New York Islanders’ American Hockey League affiliate based in Connecticut. Members of the club will be on hand in the Children’s Library on Tuesday, February 4, at 5:30 pm; Tuesday, February 18, at 4:30 pm; and Monday, March 3, at 4:30 pm to read aloud from their favorite children’s and hockey-themed books.
This is a drop-in event designed for kids, but adults are welcome as well. Players will be available for autographs afterward, and there may even be a special appearance at one of the readings from Storm, the Bridgeport Islanders mascot.
“We’re absolutely delighted to partner with the Bridgeport Islanders on this exciting new reading program,” said Mary Parmelee, youth services director at The Westport Library. “Westport is a great community of young readers and a town that loves sports. To have professional hockey players come to the Library to encourage kids to read and engage with the Library is a special opportunity. We can’t wait to get started!”
Potential books for Isles in Aisles include Z is for Zamboni by Matt Napier, Hero's Ho Ho Ho Hockey Dream by Kary Carkner and Pam Helmer, Hockey Morning, Noon, and Night by Doreta Groenendyk, The Magic Hockey Stick by Maloney Zekauskas, The Hockey Sweater by Roch Carrier, and more.
“One of my best memories growing up was taking field trips to local hockey games, or whenever the players would visit our library and we could interact with them,” Islanders captain Cole Bardreau said. “I’ve always loved books and take several with me on bus rides, so I’m excited to give back in that way. Being a professional hockey player is a privilege, and it’s important for our team to use this platform to encourage good reading habits.”
Westport has always been a town of people who love books and love to read. Now, the town’s readers can help select the winner of the third annual Westport Prize for Literature.
The Westport Prize is looking for readers to help vet manuscripts for its 2025 honor, which it plans to award this fall in conjunction with StoryFest, the annual literary festival held at The Westport Library.
Those interested can volunteer via the form on The Westport Prize for Literature homepage. Readers must be Westport residents.
Readers are expected to read two to three manuscripts and then submit their feedback via an online form. (There is an opportunity to read more books if you have time to do so). The results of that review will help determine which finalists advance to a select, independent jury that will decide the 2025 prize.
The Westport Prize for Literature is an annual prize “established to honor an original work of literary fiction that is both relevant and timeless.” In 2023 it was awarded to acclaimed author Zadie Smith for The Fraud, and last year Alejandro Puyana was honored for his dazzling debut novel Freedom is a Feast.
The prize is overseen and administered by a steering committee of Westport resident volunteers, with the jury selecting the winner and the Library hosting the award celebration.
Tom Henske’s It Makes Total Cents is returning for its fourth season as a Verso Studios at The Westport Library community partnership podcast, with the resident Westport financial expert hosting a impressive array of special guests to teach kids — and their parents, guardians, and grandparents — about financial literacy.
For the first time, the new season will have a new format. After three seasons and 50 audio episodes, the fourth campaign is launching as a video podcast, expanding the podcast’s reach and allowing Henske and guests to better connect with his growing audience.
The first episode launched January 2, featuring University of Virginia professor Chuck Howard to discuss expense prediction bias. Future episodes focus on compound interest, explaining borrowing and credit, college savings, and much more.
Episodes will go live biweekly — the next one coming out January 16 — and are available on the Total Cents YouTube channel and also on Amazon, Apple, and Spotify. All episodes and channels can be accessed through The Westport Library Community Partnership Podcasts page.
“I’m so excited to get to work on another season of this podcast,” said Henske. “It is critical that parents and grandparents feel equipped to teach kids how their finances function and the basics of money, spending, and saving. I’m incredibly fortunate to work with a great team at The Westport Library and to have so many amazing guests on the show this season.”
The Total Cents podcast is dedicated to making financial literacy accessible and engaging for families by empowering parents, guardians, and grandparents to confidently teach kids essential money management skills. Each episode provides expert advice, relatable examples, and practical strategies to help adults guide their children toward a strong financial future. By turning financial education into a family conversation, the podcast aims to equip the next generation with the tools they need to succeed.
The podcast is an extension of the Total Cents blog, which includes conversation guides and e-news updates taken from Henske’s book, It Makes Total Cents: 12 Conversations to Change Your Child’s Financial Future.
A leader in the financial industry for nearly three decades, Henske started his career in financial planning in 1994, with Cowan Financial Group. Shortly thereafter, he started his own company, Henske Advisors. In 2003, Henske Advisors were acquired by National Financial Partners (merging them into Lenox Advisors), which went public shortly thereafter. Henske remained an equity partner until 2020, when he retired to focus solely on matters of life insurance and building Total Cents.
In addition to Total Cents, Henske works as an advisor to the University of Virginia Athletic Department. Henske was a two-time All-American and three-time NCAA champion soccer standout at UVA, and he coached high school varsity soccer for 11 seasons at Staples High School.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year: cheer abounds, snow is in the forecast, and winter is upon us — and with it, The Westport Library’s Winter Reading Challenges for all ages!
There’s nothing better than cozying up with a good book in the colder months, which is exactly why we’ve decided to carry over the momentum from our most successful Adult Summer Reading Challenge to date. This season, take part in our very first Adult Winter Reading Challenge!
Adults don’t get to have all the fun: Kids and their families also will have an opportunity to take advantage of their reading lists this season with our Winter Reading Program for Families.
Whether you’re up to the challenge of checking boxes for all our respective categories over six weeks, or you just want to take your time and dive into a good book, everyone is invited to read along with our vibrant community at The Westport Library this winter.
2024-2025 Adult Winter Reading Challenge
Our very first Adult Winter Reading Challenge started in December and runs through Friday, January 31.
If you’ve participated in our past reading challenges, you’ll be familiar with the rules — and if this is your first time joining us, we're glad to have you!
Inspire your reading with 10 interesting categories. Tackle all of them, just one, or anything in between. The main goal is to enjoy your reading!
There are only two rules:
Once you've finished a book that fits a category, you can submit it through the form on our website. Track your progress on our leaderboard, where you can follow the challenge’s rankings and see what other participants are reading.
You can also dive deeper with your fellow readers by joining our Westport Reading Challenge Facebook Group to discuss books, share recommendations, and stay motivated throughout the challenge.
If you’re on the fence about joining, trust the reviews from our summer participants, who said, "The summer reading program reminded me how much I love to read, and I want to experience this joy every season!"
So, are you up for the challenge this winter? We can't wait to see what you'll read!
Winter Reading Program for Families
From Thursday, January 16, through Sunday, March 16, children and families of all ages are invited to participate in our annual Winter Reading Program.
The objective of this program is simple: read anything, anytime, anywhere, as much as you like!
Reading will be measured in minutes — so every minute you spend reading counts toward your goal. From books, to comics, to magazines, poems, or even the back of a cereal box, read what you like and tally up all your time spent reading for a chance to earn free books!
Register online starting January 16 and get your activity sheet and six fox dot stickers from the Children’s Library to begin your reading journey. You can use these color-coded stickers to contribute to our communal art piece throughout the program. The more you read, the more stickers you’ll receive, with everyone’s stickers merging to create a beautiful picture to enjoy in the Library this winter!
Keep track of your minutes read and make sure to log them online throughout the season. Every 50 minutes spent reading will earn participants an additional six stickers. You can also earn a book of your choosing from our prize cart selection by reading a total of 500 minutes or completing all 10 activities on your activity sheet.
Most importantly, read what you enjoy — you might find your new favorite book!
Clockwise from top left: Alisyn Camerota, John Berman, Dave Briggs, and Richard Blumenthal
CNN morning host John Berman, veteran journalists Alisyn Camerota and Dave Briggs, and special guest U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal headline a timely discussion about the news media’s evolution after the 2024 election.
The event, jointly sponsored by the Y's Men of Westport/Weston and The Westport Library, begins at 2 pm on Sunday, January 12, in the Library's Trefz Forum. Registration for the event is currently at capacity, but there will be an in-person waitlist on the day of the event.
Berman will be joined during the panel discussion by Camerota, formerly of CNN and Fox News, and Briggs, whose experience spans CNN, Fox News, and Yahoo Finance. They will answer questions about the challenges and changes facing the industry in the wake of a contentious election cycle and the evolution of how the public gets its news.
The panel will also feature Westport’s own Dan Woog, who will provide a local perspective based on his work as an author and daily blogger, posting to the blog, 06880: Where Westport Meets the World. Staples High School's award-winning journalism teacher Mary Elizabeth Fulco, co-teacher and literary magazine editor Joseph Del Gobbo, and student representatives from Staples High School's journalism program will also be on hand to explore the media's role in democracy and the future of journalism.
Blumenthal will serve as a special guest of honor for the afternoon. Connecticut’s senior senator was first elected in 2011 and is currently in his third term, having previously served as the state’s attorney general from 1991 to 2011.
This event will be moderated by Y’s Men Past President John Brandt. It is co-sponsored by The Westport Library and the Y’s Men of Westport/Weston.
Key issues to be addressed by the panel include journalism under political pressure, maintaining accuracy and truthfulness, preserving public trust, combating deliberate mis- and disinformation and adapting to rapid information spread on digital platforms.
Following the discussion, the assembled panelists will answer questions from the audience.
L to R: VersoFest 2025 guests Paul Shaffer, Patti Smith, and Henry Rollins
VersoFest 2025 is kicking off with a legend of music and letters. And she’ll be followed by two men who have been making waves for decades.
Patti Smith, the acclaimed singer/songwriter and National Book Award winner, will open The Westport Library’s fourth annual music and media festival on Thursday evening, April 3.
Henry Rollins, frontman of the seminal hardcore punk band Black Flag and noted writer and spoken word artist, will be in conversation on Saturday, April 5. And legendary Saturday Night Live performer and David Letterman musical director Paul Shaffer is on tap for Sunday, April 6, appearing alongside SNL Beehive Queen Christine Ohlman.
Tickets for all three programs will go on sale later this month. More guests, including the VersoFest Friday evening concert performers, will be announced soon. Please visit westportlibrary.org/versofest for more.
VersoFest is four days of music, media, and creativity, running this year from April 3 to April 6 — a forum for media creators, artists, and fans to converge.
Past VersoFest guests include hip hop legend Chuck D, established hit-makers Spin Doctors and the Smithereens, up-and-coming bands Sunflower Bean and the Lemon Twigs, rockers Lez Zeppelin, famed producers Steve Lillywhite (U2, Dave Matthews Band) and Tony Visconti (David Bowie, T. Rex), Psychedelic Furs frontman Richard Butler, the Doors drummer John Densmore, Cramps drummer Miriam Linna, Alice Cooper Group bassist Dennis Dunaway, hip hop originators Tony Crush and Grand Wizzard Theodore, Manic Panic’s Tish and Snooky, and a wide array of authors, photographers, artists, and thought leaders.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled and honored to welcome Patti Smith to Westport to kick off VersoFest 2025,” said Bill Harmer, executive director of The Westport Library. “As a musician, painter, author, and an iconic original, she represents the very spirit of VersoFest, and it is an incredible opportunity for tri-state area fans get to see a true living legend in our intimate, accessible venue.”
Smith burst onto the national stage in 1975 behind her acclaimed album Horses and is widely known for her songs “Gloria” and “Because the Night.” She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007 and received the Polar Music Prize in 2011, just a few of her many honors.
Smith won the National Book Award in 2010 for Just Kids, which chronicled her time as a budding artist in New York City and her relationship with the artist Robert Mapplethorpe. She has also penned M Train and Year of the Monkey as well as numerous collections of poetry and essays. Her latest project is A Book of Days, The New York Times best-selling photo book with 365 images taking the reader through a single year of Smith’s life, inspired by her wildly popular Instagram account.
This marks a return trip to the Library for Smith. The music legend was the BOOKED for the evening honoree in 2011.
A magnetic performer, Rollins was the frontman for Black Flag and also the Rollins Band, achieving international renown with Black Flag in the early 1980s as one of the forerunners of the hardcore punk scene. He later established his own record label and publishing company, 2.13.61, on which he released an array of books and his acclaimed spoken word albums. In his career, Rollins has hosted a number of radio shows, appeared as an actor in TV and movies, including a recurring role in Sons of Anarchy, and has been a columnist and essayist for Stereophile, Rolling Stone Australia, and LA Weekly.
Shaffer got his start in musical theater before earning a gig as a keyboardist and featured performer on Saturday Night Live in the 1970s and 80s. He has recorded a number of albums of his own, including Coast to Coast (1989), The World’s Most Dangerous Party (1993), and Paul Shaffer and the World’s Most Dangerous Band (2017); wrote the famed 1980s dance hit “It’s Raining Men”; has performed with Diana Ross and Yoko Ono among many others; and has served as the musical director for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony since 1986. He has also appeared in the movies This Is Spinal Tap, Scrooged, and Blues Brothers 2000. Shaffer is best known for his 30-plus years as the musical director for David Letterman, both on Late Night with David Letterman and the Late Show with David Letterman.
Ohlman is a VersoFest veteran, having served as a featured guest and moderator at the past two festivals. She also will be appearing at the Library on Friday, January 24, for her annual Winter Dance Party with her band, Rebel Montez.
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Photo credits: Shaffer via Paul Shaffer and the World's Most Dangerous Band press kit; Smith from the cover of her latest book, A Book of Days; Rollins via HenryRollins.com.
L to R: Les Dinkin, Samira Dinkin, Verso Studios Producer Travis Bell, and Westport Library Executive Director Bill Harmer with one of the donated vintage guitars, in the Library's recording studio.
The Westport Library is the beneficiary of a special donation of instruments from longtime Westport residents Les and Samira Dinkin.
The donation, made in honor of Les’s late younger brother, Corey, consists of a vintage original 1959 Silvertone hollow body guitar with the vintage original matching Silvertone tube amplifier, as well as other vintage Ampeg, Harmony, and Ibanez guitars and tube amps. It will go toward supporting Verso Studios, the Library’s music and media hub. The instruments will be available for use by visiting artists and those recording in the studio space.
“These are iconic pieces of rock ‘n’ roll history that we are grateful and proud to now have in our collection,” said Verso Studios Producer Travis Bell.
“I couldn’t think of a more fitting way to honor Corey’s legacy,” said Les, a longtime supporter of Verso Studios, Verso Advisory Board founding member, and a VersoFest official sponsor. “Corey was very passionate about all types of music, from classical to jazz and especially the blues, as a collector, fan, and active musician.”
Corey Dinkin composed what Les called “his own very eclectic jazz fusion and blues compositions” and performed at a series of well-known New York City music clubs in the 1970s, including the Bitter End.
“He also jammed with leading musicians of the period,” said Les. “He became a noted collector of the blues, amassing a substantial collection of recordings and artifacts.”
“We cannot thank Les and Samira enough for this generous contribution,” said Westport Library Executive Director Bill Harmer. “They have been such incredible supporters of Verso Studios, and we’re truly touched that Les thought of us to honor his brother. We promise to put those vintage guitars and amps to good use!”
Verso Studio’s initial vinyl album was released in June 2023 and was acknowledged in the Congressional Record by Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal. He called the Westport Library the “noisiest Library in Connecticut, if not the country.”
For more on Verso Studios’ extensive capabilities and the gear and services available, including the Verso Studios post-production suite, click here. The Library also has music and media equipment available through its Library of Things.
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Save the date for the fourth annual VersoFest music and media festival held at the Library, April 3-6, 2025!
