Grammy Award-winning artist, producer, composer and Fugees co-founder Wyclef Jean will be this year’s headline performer for the VersoFest 2026 Friday night concert event.
Wyclef will be performing with his full band. The March 27 concert will start at 8 pm in the Library’s Trefz Forum; doors open at 7 pm. Tickets are $125 and available now at VersoFest.org.
Wyclef's performance will support Music Will, the largest nonprofit music education program for schools in the United States.
VersoFest is The Westport Library’s annual music and media conference and festival where knowledge is shared and inspiration is discovered — a forum for media creators, artists, and fans to converge.
This is the fifth year for VersoFest, which takes place at Verso Studios at The Westport Library, a media resource and production hub that serves as an empowered cultural and learning center. A library branch of the 21st century, Verso Studios provides programming and commercial services as well as educational and content creation opportunities.
Wyclef is the second act announced for this year’s festival. Formed in Connecticut and now playing out of New York, the rising rock band The Thing will perform the VersoFest kickoff concert on Friday, February 27. Click here for tickets and more information.
The music that Wyclef has written, performed, and produced — both as a solo superstar and as founder and guiding member of the Fugees — has been a consistently powerful, pop cultural force for more than two decades.
Hits include the Fugees’ indelible reinvention of Roberta Flack’s 1973 ballad “Killing Me Softly”; the chart-topping “Hips Don’t Lie” with Shakira, which he co-wrote, produced, and is featured on; Wyclef’s own “Gone Till November”; “Ghetto Superstar” (Pras feat. Wyclef); Carlos Santana’s No. 1 single “Maria, Maria” (featuring Jean); and the late Whitney Houston’s “My Love is Your Love.”
Wyclef has been rewarded for his creativity and adventurousness with three Grammy Awards, a Golden Globe nomination and an Emmy nomination, a spot on the cover of Rolling Stone’s “Top 50 Hip Hop Players,” and the opportunity to make music with such legends as Michael Jackson; Queen; Mick Jagger; Paul Simon; Earth, Wind & Fire; Kenny Rogers; and Tom Jones.
As a solo artist, Wyclef has released six albums that have sold nearly nine million copies worldwide, including his 1997 debut The Carnival, 2000’s aptly titled The Ecleftic: 2 Sides II a Book, and his 2017 album, The Carnival III: Fall and Rise of a Refugee.
And this is an opportunity to see him perform in an intimate venue, as one of just 700 concertgoers congregating in the Library’s unique Trefz Forum space.
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This is the fifth year for VersoFest, the Library’s annual music and media conference and festival where knowledge is shared and inspiration is discovered — a forum for media creators, artists, and fans to converge. VersoFest includes concert performances; conversations with leading lights in music and media; workshops that provide creators the opportunity to deconstruct, improve, and hone their craft; knowledge opportunities; art installations; and much, much more.
Past VersoFest guests include hip hop legend Chuck D; established hit-makers the Wallflowers, Spin Doctors, and the Smithereens; up-and-coming bands Sunflower Bean and the Lemon Twigs; the Roots lead emcee Black Thought; hardcore punk pioneer Henry Rollins; 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; David Letterman music director Paul Shaffer; SNL Beehive Queen Christine Ohlman; and a wide array of authors, photographers, artists, and thought leaders.
The Westport Library is getting an early jump on next year’s VersoFest, our annual festival celebrating music, media, and creativity.
The Thing, the rising rock band out of New York City with roots in Connecticut, will be performing the VersoFest Kickoff Concert on Friday, February 27, 2026, at 8 pm.
Presales for the concert begin on Tuesday, November 4, with the general on-sale on Friday, November 7. Tickets are $35. Click here for more information.
The full schedule for VersoFest’26 will be unveiled soon, with the four main days of the festival scheduled to run from Thursday, March 26, to Sunday, March 29, 2026.
This is the fifth year for VersoFest, the Library’s annual music and media conference and festival where knowledge is shared and inspiration is discovered — a forum for media creators, artists, and fans to converge. VersoFest includes concert performances; conversations with leading lights in music and media; workshops that provide creators the opportunity to deconstruct, improve, and hone their craft; knowledge opportunities; art installations; and much, much more.
Past VersoFest guests include hip hop legend Chuck D; established hit-makers the Wallflowers, Spin Doctors, and the Smithereens; up-and-coming bands Sunflower Bean and the Lemon Twigs; the Roots lead emcee Black Thought; hardcore punk pioneer Henry Rollins; 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; David Letterman music director Paul Shaffer; SNL Beehive Queen Christine Ohlman; and a wide array of authors, photographers, artists, and thought leaders.
The Thing’s sound is a throwback to rock and roll’s roots, with a traditional lineup of guitar, bass, and drums, with songs that nod to the Kinks and the White Stripes, among many others.
“We've kind of adapted the ethos of: with restriction comes creativity, old becomes new,” said guitarist/vocalist Jack Bradley. “And throughout every part of the process that remains true.”
The four members of The Thing come from intersecting backgrounds, lending to their rock-and-roll-as-melting-pot vibe. Bassist/vocalist Zane Acord grew up with a drummer dad who hipped him to bands like Led Zeppelin and Grand Funk Railroad; he met guitarist/vocals Michael Carter, an avid Beatles fan, in middle school. While in high school, the duo connected with Bradley, an aspiring producer with a studio in his basement and a yen for psych rock. Jazz drummer Lucas Ebeling linked up with the band when everyone found their way to New York in 2022.
Since that time, they’ve played more than 300 shows across the world, including a wide-ranging late 2025 European tour that will take them to Amsterdam, Berlin, Dublin, London, Paris, and Stockholm, to name just a few.
The group has put out three LPs in total: their 2023 debut Here’s the Thing, the 2024 follow-up The Thing Is, their self-titled third album, which came out in August 2025.
“It showcases all of us, all of our different personalities,” Acord said of the new album. “In The Thing, we’re a collective band. We hang our hats on being a true band — where we all have the spotlight. I think that gives us a different edge.”
Added Bradley: “We threw all of our different various influences throughout — all the decades of rock and roll and adjacent genres — and ended up with something of our own. Our contribution to the genre. Our style. Our… thing.”
In 2021, Verso Studios, the media arm of The Westport Library, kicked off its Crew Call program to give community members the opportunity to be trained in live, hands-on video production.
Just four short years later, they’re already bringing home hardware.
Crew Call was recently honored with four Telly Awards, earning three silvers and one bronze in the general-student category for its production of Library events.
The Telly Awards showcase the best work created within television and across video, for all screens, encompassing efforts from advertising agencies, television stations, production companies, and publishers from around the world. The awards recognize work that has been created on behalf of a client, for a specific brand and/or company, or self-directed as a creative endeavor. There are more than 13,000 entries annually for the Telly Awards, from six continents and all 50 states.
The silver medals were awarded for “Read to Grow: 25 Years of Building Literacy from Birth”; “Andrew Wilk Presents, The Westport Library Medical Series Part III: Cardiac Valve Disease”; and “The Night a Library Got Stoned,” which celebrated Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards receiving the Governor’s Award of Excellence at The Westport Library.
The bronze medal was awarded for “BOOKED for the evening with Billie Jean King.”
Crew Call began as a six-week training course led by Emmy Award-winning Verso Studios Video Producer David Bibbey. The idea was to train the Crew Call community members in a live, hands-on environment, recording and editing the programming and events produced on the Library’s Trefz Forum stage and occasionally on location.
“Our mission is to create content for the community, by the community, and share it with the world,” Bibbey said.
The Crew Call program welcomes community participants from all levels of experience and age, with participants currently ranging from 14 to 80. Complimented by a world-class programing department and audio recording team, an ever-growing number of its participants have weekly opportunities for hands-on training in production.
“Having just come back from the US Open and then working and being trained as crew for an event featuring Billie Jean King, I mean, hello, who gets to do that?!” said Eva Slossberg, a Crew Call high school student.
Said Westport Library Executive Director Bill Harmer: “Crew Call is an absolute success in every way. It fulfills a critical component of our mission as a library by offering hands-on training and practical skills, and it engages our community members in an actionable way. Crew Call is such an important part of making our in-person and online experiences first-rate. We absolutely couldn’t do what we do without their great work.”
Although there are occasional off-site video production training activities, Verso Studios training is primarily for video production of live, on-stage events.
“The program is an opportunity for teens to seniors to gain real-world experience in video recording and live production in a real Broadcast Control Room setting,” said Bibbey.
Those looking to learn more and/or are interested in joining Crew Call can express interest by filling out this online form.
For his new podcast with Verso Studios at The Westport Library, groundbreaking journalist Jay Schadler set out to tell the stories of Westporters’ life transitions — each podcast focusing on a different story, with Schadler serving as the interviewer and a town resident as the guest.
The result was something special, five intimate interviews with a range of community members at all stages of their lives.
All five episodes are now available for listening on the Verso Studios podcast page, via the Turning Point webpage, and through regular podcast distributors such as Spotify, Apple, and Amazon.
“Turning Point is dedicated to capturing and sharing the impactful stories of Westporters,” said Schadler, a two-time Emmy Award winner and a seven-time nominee. “These interviews will delve into the unique experiences of the remarkable people who compose this remarkable town, offering valuable insights and wisdom derived from their life transitions. The shared narratives will serve as guiding beacons for others facing similar milestones.”
Schadler is a journalist, photographer, and artist. For more than three decades, he traveled the world as a correspondent and anchor for ABC News, 20/20, Nightline, Good Morning America, National Geographic TV, and others, and his work has also been featured on Bravo and Discovery. He was honored with an Emmy for Best Investigative Journalism (Network News Magazine) and Best Feature Hour (Network News Magazines), in addition to winning the National Environmental Media Award.
In the five episodes of Turning Point Season 1, he explores living a life with no memory with Doug and Patti Brill, the grief of loss and the gift of love with Jenny and Anthony Capalbo, a new heart and a new life with Gerardo Lambert, turning tragedy into legacy with Jim Kudzo, and exploring talent and opportunity with Andrew Wilk. Each is as memorable as it is unique.
“These five episodes are some of the most moving and captivating we’ve ever recorded at Verso Studios,” said Verso Studios Audio Producer Travis Bell. “Jay is a master storyteller, and in this series, he’s truly discovered unforgettable stories to tell.”
Verso Studios is the media arm of The Westport Library. The Library created the Verso Studios Community Producer Partnership initiative in keeping with the studio’s mission to produce content with the community.
To learn more about Verso Studios’ mission and offerings, visit the Verso Studios page on the Library website.
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Schadler is also looking to expand the podcast in Season 2. To be considered as a guest for the series, please fill out the form below. Completing it should take 5-10 minutes. Those selected will then be contacted, with a goal of scheduling the podcast interviews later this year.
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Friday, June 27; Doors/DJ (Tim “Journeys by DJ” Fielding): 6 pm; Show: 7:30 pm
From honoring the legendary Keith Richards in March, to breaking the record for World’s Loudest Library during four unforgettable days of VersoFest 2025 in April, The Westport Library has had a rockin’ spring season.
Now, Verso Studios and DinkinEsh Presents are kicking off the summer with Mystic Bowie's Talking Dreads for a can’t-miss Reggae Dance Party on Friday, June 27.
The show will take place in the Library’s Trefz Forum. Doors open at 6 pm, featuring a live DJ set from Tim “Journeys by DJ” Fielding to get the groove going. Mystic will take the stage at 7:30 pm. Tickets are priced at $37.50 and are available for purchase here.
Prepare to hit the dance floor with classic Talking Heads songs reimagined through the pulse of roots reggae, ska, and lover’s rock. Not your typical cover band, Mystic Bowie’s Talking Dreads’ infectious island rhythms transform new wave anthems like “Psycho Killer” and “Burning Down the House” into funky Caribbean bangers — applauded by Chris Frantz, drummer for Talking Heads, as “a total home run!”
Known as the “Head Dread” of the Talking Dreads, lead singer Mystic Bowie traces his passion for the Talking Heads back to his early days performing at hotels in Jamaica, when he heard “Wild Wild Life.” In 1996, he joined Tom Tom Club, the side project of Talking Heads’ founding members — and Fairfield County residents — Frantz and Tina Weymouth. For nearly 20 years, he performed alongside them on vocals, making an appearance on their 2000 album The Good, the Bad, and the Funky.
Since debuting the Talking Dreads in 2015, Mystic has performed across North America, dazzling longtime Talking Heads fans and winning new ones along the way.
“Talking Dreads is much more than a cover band,” Mystic said. “I am very much drawing on my own musical culture and history to make these amazing songs my own, while at the same time preserving the integrity of the Talking Heads songs. I’ve always felt that reggae’s dance-inspiring, feel-good vibe is universal, as are many of the band’s songs.”
The Talking Dreads debut features an amazing lineup of legendary reggae figures, including singer Freddie McGregor, whose recording career dates back to his 1980 album Bobby Bobylon; ska guitar master Ernest Ranglin, who has worked with Bob Marley, Jimmy Cliff, and Monty Alexander; singer and Soul Train Award nominee Tarrus Riley; and saxophonist Dean Fraser. The sole non-Jamaican featured in their debut ensemble is Cindy Wilson of the B-52s, harkening back to the new wave heyday in a dreamy, soulful rendition of “Heaven.”
“Talking Dreads’ sound is tight,” applauded Frantz. “We had a blast the night of the show and we walked away with a definite bounce in our step.”
In their first single off their 1979 album Fear of Music, “Life During Wartime,” the Talking Heads declared, “This ain’t no party, this ain’t no disco” — but with Mystic Bowie’s Talking Dreads, it absolutely is.
Starting that party will be ace DJ Tim “Journeys by DJ” Fielding, who opened for Gang of Four during VersoFest 2025. A graduate of the Balearic school of DJing, Fielding is one of the key figures behind two of London’s most storied clubs: The Brain and The End. The founder of Brainiak Records (which released the world’s first album of live electronica bands, Live at the Brain) and of seminal imprint Journeys by DJ (the first legit series of DJ-mix CDs), Fielding produced legendary works by DJs including John Digweed, Paul Oakenfold, Farley & Heller, Coldcut, and Gilles Peterson, reflecting his own eclectic taste and broad range in music.
“I tend to play the smaller rooms,” said Fielding, “but they are usually packed with smiling faces, and people who are seriously getting down.”
Peggy Bud and Tamara Jacobson have more than 60 years of combined experience in education. They have served as educators, administrators, and consultants. Together they wrote the books, Navigating Special Education, The Power of Building Positive Parent Educator Partnerships and Conversations Lead to Consensus, with the goal of connecting parents and educators to create positive learning scenarios.
Now, the pair is teaming with Verso Studios at The Westport Library for a new community contributed podcast, Ask the Educators.
Ask the Educators debuts Wednesday, April 16, with three 15-minute episodes. New episodes will drop bi-weekly (episode #4 will arrive April 30).
The podcast will be available on the Verso Studios podcast page, through regular podcast distributors such as Apple and Spotify, and also through the Ask the Educators Substack and on the Navigating Special Education website.
“We are proud to announce the release of the Ask the Educators podcast, which supports our mission of empowering parents and educators to build lasting partnerships,” Bud and Jacobson said. “Through the collaboration with Verso Studios, Ask the Educators provides parents, teachers, and administrators with insights on placing the child at the center of the conversation.”
The purpose of the Ask the Educators podcast is to build a common language between parents and educators, with each episode taking a deep dive into relevant 21st century topics, including effective communication and the IEP, building partnerships, empathy and grief, and the 5-C Model of Communication.
Through animated conversations, Bud and Jacobson provide listeners with tools to foster conversations, collaboration, cooperation, and compromise as the path to consensus.
Verso Studios is the media arm of The Westport Library. The Library created the Verso Studios Community Producer Partnership initiative in keeping with the studio’s mission to produce content with the community.
To learn more about Verso Studios’ mission and offerings, visit the Verso Studios page on The Westport Library website.
In front of a Trefz Forum crowd packed wall to wall with more than 600 people, Patti Smith strode onto the stage, sat down, and graciously opened her talk with Alisyn Camerota by saying, “I’m a big, big fan of libraries, and I’m so happy to be here.”
For four remarkable days, Smith had good company, with approximately 3,500 people filling The Westport Library for our fourth annual VersoFest music and media festival, a celebration of music, media, art, creativity, and once again this year, community.
Smith’s Thursday evening conversation — which featured spoken-word poetry and an inspiring singalong of her hit single “Because the Night” with those assembled — was followed by a Friday night concert with Jakob Dylan and the Wallflowers that drew more than 700 attendees, a full Saturday of programming that started with a weekend kickoff celebration hosted by visionary artist 5iveFingaz, an all-star panel discussion celebrating the 50th anniversary of Bruce Springsteen’s Born to Run, and Verso Visionary conversations with Black Thought and Henry Rollins.
Each event attracted at least 200 people, with many surpassing 400, an eclectic mix celebrating music and creativity in all its forms — all in a most unique setting: a public library with the goal of redefining what a 21st century library can be.
“We have to support our libraries,” Smith said in her closing remarks. “Our libraries are the seat of truth.”
Dylan, now 30 years into his admired career, acknowledged the novelty by telling the assembled Friday night crowd: “I apologize, I’m a little nervous. This is my first [show in a] library.”
The festival wrapped up Sunday with a VersoFest live podcast featuring longtime David Letterman music director Paul Shaffer and SNL Beehive Queen Chirstine Ohlman that was a blend of conversation and song, all played to another packed house.
Westport Library Executive Director Bill Harmer summed up the excitement of the weekend during his introduction to the Springsteen panel.
“Let’s hear it for libraries that rock!” Harmer said. “We are building something truly unique here, and we’re just getting started.”
And in fact, VersoFest isn’t quite done yet. On Friday, April 18, the seminal post-punk band Gang of Four will be launching their farewell tour at the Library. The show starts at 7:30 pm (doors open at 6:30 pm), preceded by a book talk between Gang of Four vocalist Jon King and Talking Heads and Tom Tom Club drummer Chris Frantz on King’s new book, To Hell with Poverty! A Class Act: Inside the Gang of Four, at 1 pm.
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Photos by KT Kaminski/Westport Library & Kerry Long/Kerry Long Photography
VersoFest annually delivers four days of music, media, and creativity, featuring a range of conversations, workshops, panel discussions, concerts, and a featured art exhibit.
This year, it will also offer an opportunity to bid on a range of items signed by legendary Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards, who visited the Library on March 5 to receive the inaugural Governor’s Award of Excellence from Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont.
Among the items up for auction are:
The items will be on display during VersoFest, hosted April 3-6, in the Hub on the Library’s main level. Proceeds will benefit the festival.
All items will be available viasilent auction on the BetterWorld platform. Bidding opens Thursday, April 3, and closes Sunday, April 6. View the full collection and place your bids here — or scan the QR code on-site during VersoFest!
More on the Michael Friedman print: The image was taken in 1969 at The Rolling Stones’ Madison Square Garden concert that was featured in the documentary Gimme Shelter. Friedman took Janis Joplin, who he was managing at the time, to the concert. Since they had all-access passes, Friedman was able to be right on stage when he took the photo. His photographic negatives from1969 were discovered almost 50 years later and are featured in the book EXPOSED: The Lost Negatives and Untold Stories of Michael Friedman, by Friedman and Donna Vita.
More on Life: The long-awaited autobiography of the guitarist, songwriter, singer, and founding member of the Rolling Stones. With The Rolling Stones, Keith Richards created the songs that roused the world, and he lived the original rock and roll life. Now, at last, the man himself tells his story of life in the crossfire hurricane. Listening obsessively to Chuck Berry and Muddy Waters records, learning guitar and forming a band with Mick Jagger and Brian Jones. The Rolling Stones’s first fame and the notorious drug busts that led to his enduring image as an outlaw folk hero. Creating immortal riffs like the ones in “Jumping Jack Flash” and “Honky Tonk omen.” His relationship with Anita Pallenberg and the death of Brian Jones. Tax exile in France, wildfire tours of the U.S., isolation and addiction. Falling in love with Patti Hansen. Estrangement from Jagger and subsequent reconciliation. Marriage, family, solo albums and Xpensive Winos, and the road that goes on forever. With his trademark disarming honesty, Richards brings us the story of a life we have all longed to know more of, unfettered, fearless, and true.
VersoFest 2025 weekend will be a vibrant roof-raiser, from a kickoff celebration hosted by renowned visual artist 5iveFingaz, to an illuminating evening with hardcore legend Henry Rollins and fellow musician Nabil Ayers — and now, The Westport Library is excited to welcome its newest Verso Visionary as part of this year’s annual music and media festival: three-time Grammy Award-winning hip-hop artist and co-founder of The Roots, Black Thought.
The conversation between The Roots’ lead emcee and music industry executive, entrepreneur, and celebrated community leader June Archer will take place Saturday, April 5, 4-5:30 pm, in the Library’s Trefz Forum.
The event is free to attend. Click here to register. Copies of Black Thought’s 2023 memoir, The Upcycled Self: A Memoir on the Art of Becoming Who We Are, will be for sale, with the author signing copies after the talk.
Crowned by HYPEBEAST as “one of the best lyricists in hip-hop history,” critically acclaimed musician Tariq Trotter, popularly known as Black Thought, has led a diverse creative career not only as a musician, actor, writer, and producer — but also as one of the most prolific, innovative, and powerful voices in hip hop.
Black Thought founded The Roots in 1987 alongside fellow hip-hop legend Questlove. From humble beginnings performing on Philadelphia street corners, to more than two decades of commercial success before expanding their reach in 2009 as the house band for both Late Night With Jimmy Fallon and later The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Roots’ eclectic, jazz-infused sound has transcended genres, with Black Thought’s influence and musical mastery rendering the group a hip-hop cornerstone.
In all, The Roots have produced 11 studio albums, including their debut, Organix (1993); the breakthrough Things Fall Apart (1999); the hard-hitting Game Theory (2006); the optimistic How I Got Over (2010); and countless more that have earned critical acclaim.
Beyond collaborations with Eminem, John Legend, J Dilla, Big Pun, Linkin Park, Logic, and Fall Out Boy, Black Thought also co-produced the multi-platinum, Grammy Award-winning original Broadway cast recording of Hamilton. He has also succeeded in in film and television, with work on projects such as HBO’s The Deuce and Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Golden Globe-nominated Tick, Tick… Boom! — as well as live theater, in his roles as main composer and lyricist of the 2022 off-Broadway production Black No More, which he also starred in.
“I think a writer should always be aware of his or her surroundings,” Black Thought told The Paris Review. “The material is there. It’s already in the world. You have to be in tune with it to hear it and see it. The best essays, the best books, all wrote themselves. Same with paintings and dances — all of the best art ... comes from the universe. You have to master the art of being in tune enough when it’s time to create.”
Like Black Thought, Archer has led a diverse career, as an entrepreneur, music industry executive, motivational speaker, and educator. After getting his start in the music industry in 1995 as a member of the Elektra Records recording group Room Service, Archer transitioned into the business side of the industry. His accolades include gold and platinum plaques for his work on albums by Jay-Z, 50 Cent, Mario, Omarion, Beyonce, and more. A two-time Grammy and Soul Train Award nominee, Archer also previously served eight years on the Grammy Committee.
In addition to his current role as CEO of The Eleven28 Entertainment Group, Archer spearheaded the documentary Stepping Into the Shade — screened at The Westport Library in June 2024 — and he hosts the The Winner’s Circle podcast for rapper 50 Cent's 'This is 50' platform. Archer is the founder of The June Archer School of Arts, The Archer Foundation, The 100 Men and Women of Color Black Tie Gala & Awards, The New England Music Seminar, the Hot Chocolate Soul performance showcase, and June Archer's Celebration of Life AIDS/Breast Cancer Fundraiser. In 2013, he also added published author to his list of distinctions, with his children’s books, Yes! You Can and Yes! Every Day Can Be a Good Day.
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. In addition to Black Thought, this year’s guests include Patti Smith, Henry Rollins, and Paul Shaffer, with a Friday evening concert by the Wallflowers, the Saturday weekend kickoff event hosted by 5iveFingaz, and an all-star panel discussion on the 50th anniversary of Bruce Springsteen’s Born to Run, plus art exhibits and workshops. In addition, VersoFest will host the kickoff event to legendary post-punk band Gang of Four’s farewell tour on April 18.
Past VersoFest guests have bridged connections between genre and medium, 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.
The Westport Library has always been a place where it's OK to occasionally get loud, hosting an array of concerts and music events for patrons of all interests and ages.
On Saturday, April 5, at 10 am, the Library is taking things to the next level — the next decibel level, that is — inviting visionary artist 5iveFingaz to host a 90-minute celebration that will include a rotating cast of DJs, live art, and the Library version of a primal scream in an attempt to set the record for the loudest library ever.
VersoFest 2025 Kickoff Celebration: The Loudest Library in History! is free and open to the public. It will feature an electrifying fusion of music, art, and community as we transform the Library into the epicenter of creativity and sound. There will also be doughnuts and other snacks and beverages on hand for the attendees. (Register here.)
“Our goal is to make this a true celebration and a community experience, showcasing the transformative power of community and creativity,” said Westport Library Executive Director Bill Harmer. “We want everyone to feel welcome, from our youngest patrons to our longtime music supporters. The emphasis here is on fun and setting the right tone to what promises to be an incredible weekend of events at VersoFest 2025.”
This kickoff celebration will coincide with 5iveFingaz's Interactive Community Participation Mural, which invites members of the community to help fill create a one-of-a-kind work of art from 10 am to 2 pm. And it will be followed by an all-star panel discussion on the 50th anniversary of Bruce Springsteen’s Born to Run at 1 pm and two Verso Visionary conversations — the first one at 4 pm between The Roots founder and lead emcee Black Thought and June Archer, followed by hardcore punk legend Henry Rollins in conversation with Nabil Ayers at 7 pm.
The festival closes on Sunday with a very special VersoFest live podcast discussion between longtime David Letterman music director Paul Shaffer and SNL Beehive Queen Christine Ohlman.
Led by 5iveFingaz, the Norwalk-based artist whose installations are serving as the artistic complement to VersoFest, the kickoff celebration will feature a rotating cast of DJs, with four different DJs each delivering a 30-minute set that spans genres and ignites the dance floor, and live art performances with four talented artists who will be creating visual art in real time, projected live on the Trefz Forum’s 18-foot videowall, as they draw inspiration from the music.
It culminates with the grand finale: As the Trefz Forum reaches peak energy, all DJs and artists will unite on stage for a collaborative performance, leading to the Library’s attempt to set the new world record for loudest ever library.
Bill Shakos didn’t consider it an epiphany, necessarily, but he knew he needed to explore something new. Perhaps, he has said, it was emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic, perhaps turning 50. But he longed for a sense of purpose he wouldn’t find in a new car or a different job.
What Shakos wanted was to explore his community, and more than that, the people within his community — particularly those with different life experiences, struggles, and aspirations. He wanted to step into their world by volunteering, building relationships, and actively listening.
Born out of that desire is the new Verso Studios Community Partnerships podcast, What Do I Know?, which features Shakos interviewing people in and around Westport to get to the core of what makes us human.
“What Do I Know? is intended to inspire empathy, perspective, and inspiration within one's community by taking listeners outside their curated social circles,” Shakos said. “It is driven by my desire to want to connect with and learn from people. The genuine intent with Season 1 is an appeal to listeners for self-evaluation on their place and purpose in the community through the viewpoints of my guests. No epiphany required!”
The podcast debuts Monday, March 17, with three episodes, each about 20 minutes long, with an additional episode dropping every other week (Episode #4 will arrive March 31). The show will be available on the Verso Studios community partnership podcast page and through regular podcast distributors such as Spotify, Apple, and Amazon, and also on the What Do I Know? website..
In addition, What Do I Know? has dedicated channels on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, as well as a YouTube channel featuring supplemental content. Signup for Shakos’ regular newsletter is available on the podcast website.
A self-described polymath, Shakos said his innate curiosity and natural empathy are the product of his own life and upbringing. He was born in Queens, New York, to Greek immigrants and lived in Greece from ages 1 to 4, when he returned to the United States and settled in Bronxville, New York. Shakos spent much of his childhood at his dad’s flower shop at the famed Waldorf Astoria hotel in Manhattan, and he spent summers in Greece working on the family farm.
After college, he and his wife, who was born and grew up in Chile, settled in London, where they lived for 10 years and raised their son, before settling in Connecticut.
“My father taught me the importance of making people feel valued and respecting their perspectives,” Shakos said. “And the diversity of my family and living abroad represents, for me, a need to explore the world and people in it.
“The theme of this podcast is self-exploration, and what I hope comes through in these 12 episodes is that I genuinely care about the person I’m talking to. Not their job, not what they have, but instead the experiences that brought them to this point in their life. I also enjoy a bit of levity in conversation. Laughing together is the sincerest form of flattery.”
Verso Studios is the media arm of The Westport Library. The Library created the Verso Studios Community Producer Partnership initiative in keeping with the studio’s mission to produce content with the community.
To learn more about Verso Studios’ mission and offerings, visit the Verso Studios page on the Library website.
The Westport Library was the site of a wonderful convergence of politics, rock and roll, and community service, with Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont honoring legendary Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards as the inaugural recipient of the Governor’s Award of Excellence.
Richards, a longtime Connecticut resident, was recognized for his contributions in enriching Connecticut’s cultural and civic life.
The award, presented to Richards on stage by Connecticut First Lady Ann Lamont, consisted of a custom-designed medallion — crafted by State Trooper Danny Carvalho and manufactured by the Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology (CCAT) — along with a ribbon designed and sewn by Enfield-based fashion designer Justin Haynes.
“I’d like to say thank you to you all, and thank you to the state of Connecticut,” Richards said in accepting the award. “You kind of get lost for words with something like this around your neck. I’ve been here for 40 years, and it’s been a great place for me. I brought the kids up here. When the kids were young, I said, I have to get the kids out of New York City before they don’t get any fresh air at all. So, we moved up here, and ever since, we’ve had a great life. … I’m incredibly happy about everything, especially things like this, because you don’t get them every day.”
The Connecticut Governor’s Award of Excellence is a new honor celebrating residents who epitomize the state’s core values: creativity, resourcefulness, passion, dynamism, and generosity. Additionally, Richards received a governor’s proclamation offering the “Key to the State.”
Richards, a Connecticut resident since 1985, was honored for his deep commitment to supporting the local community. Through his generosity and dedication to organizations like SPHERE, which enhances the lives of adults with disabilities, and The Prospector Theater, which provides meaningful employment through the magic of film, Richards has used his influence to uplift and empower others.
Richards has also been an advocate for arts, education, and accessibility initiatives throughout the state, further exemplifying his dedication to making a lasting impact.
“I’ve been inspired by the Rolling Stones for more than 50 years, I hope you have as well,” Governor Lamont said during his address to the assembled crowd. “Keith Richards is an amazing member of our community. We’re so proud that he’s here and I’m so proud to have the opportunity to give him this award of excellence.”
Said Westport Library Executive Director Bill Harmer: “As we celebrate Keith today, we are reminded that libraries are not just places to borrow books; they are agencies for equality, opportunity, creativity, and empowerment. At The Westport Library, we are proud to be an institution that provides free access to knowledge, culture, and creativity for all, just as Keith described. His recognition today is a celebration not only of his music but of the values we hold dear: creativity, authenticity, and the belief that art and culture have the power to change lives.”
Approximately 200 invited guests were in attendance, including Psychedelic Furs frontman Richard Butler, Alice Cooper Group bassist Dennis Dunaway, Cramps drummer and Norton Records founder Miriam Linna, SNL Beehive Queen Christine Ohlman, renowned saxophonist Crispin Cioe (Rolling Stones, James Brown), and Paul Butterfield Blues Band keyboardist and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Mark Naftalin. Other notable names for the afternoon were Today show host Craig Melvin, award-winning sports journalist and podcaster Lindsay Czarniak, renowned music producer and audio engineer Rob Fraboni, and acclaimed TV journalist and rock memoirist Alisyn Camerota.
Richards is regarded as one of the greatest guitarists in the history of music. His career with the Rolling Stones dates back over seven decades, to the early 1960s, and his songwriting partnership with Stones frontman Mick Jagger is heralded as one of the most successful and prolific in rock history. Among his signature songs are “Jumpin' Jack Flash,” “Satisfaction,” “Ruby Tuesday,” “Start Me Up,” “Happy,” “Miss You,” “Brown Sugar,” “Gimme Shelter,” “Wild Horses,” “It's Only Rock n' Roll (But I Like it),” and “As Tears Go By,” to name a few.
Richards has also scored great success as a solo artist, with albums including Talk Is Cheap, Live at the Hollywood Palladium, Main Offender, and Crosseyed Heart, and hits such as “Take It So Hard,” “You Don't Move Me,” “Wicked as It Seems,” and “Eileen.”
Onscreen, Richards played a solider in the 1969 film Man on Horseback, himself on The Simpsons in 2002, and appeared in two Pirates of the Caribbean films as Captain Teague, the father of main character Jack Sparrow, who, notably, was loosely based off Richards. In 2015, he released his Netflix documentary, Keith Richards: Under The Influence, which was partially filmed in Connecticut.
Richards has also penned two books. He released his memoir Life to critical acclaim in 2010 and later released a children’s book, Gus & Me: The Story of My Granddad and My First Guitar, in 2014. He closed his speech with a thank you to The Westport Library and an ode to libraries everywhere.
“This is a great building, a wonderful library, which even I didn’t know the full extent of,” said Richards. “As Bill was saying earlier, without our books, without knowing things, without knowing their special meaning — this isn’t movies, this is not someone drawing you images. This is a book, and you have the movie in your head. It’s very important that we keep our books unburnt.”
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Photo credits: Dave Dellinger/Westport Library
