20 June

Growing up in Southern Vermont, Colby Dix became proficient at a number of instruments at an early age but always returned to the guitar as his primary noise machine. His love of music led him to the Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA where he received a bachelor’s degree in Music Production & Engineering. From there, many years were spent in recording studios and on the road touring as both a sound engineer and a musician with national artists Brooks & Dunn, Brad Paisley, Matt & Kim, Sonia Kitchell, Jazz Mandolin Project, The Breakfast, Touchpants, Soulive, and Spookie Daly Pride.

But, the road kept bringing him back to Vermont and he remains an active partner at Northern Track Recording Studio in Wilmington with Gary Henry, and regularly travels throughout New England and the greater Northeast performing his music and comedy. More often than not though, you’ll find him performing in and around Mount Snow. His solo performances are highlighted with the use of a device called a ‘looper’ that records phrases of rhythm and music as he plays them live, creating layers of sound well beyond that of a traditional solo performer. His material draws from many genres with particular attention to indie rock and alt-country artists, with plenty of popular melodies, often altered in such a way that you may not initially recognize them as ‘covers’.

Countless nights spent in bars developed his original material into it's thoughtful and completed form. Painstakingly and meticulously produced, the debut album: "i am. it is. you should be." is a clear labor of love with Colby performing every instrument, save a handful of drum tracks by friend and mentor Gary Henry. It ranges from extended spaces of calm and melody to discord and cacophony back to simple vocal and acoustic, then stretching from keys and swirling vocal harmonies through rock, alternative and alt-folk with the occasional country note for good measure.

Colby’s band ‘Mister Dix’ has fast become the premiere local nightclub act. Made up of Colby, Dan Gullotti on drums, and longtime collaborator Jean Chaine on bass, this power trio can really light up a crowd with a raw, direct sound that is sure to have your body moving. It’s rock and roll and they showcase a very different side of the otherwise calm performances that Colby has become so well know for. While still pulling heavily from indie rock bands, they clearly enjoy tongue-in-cheek rocking renditions of dance pop favorites. They are truly not to be missed.

Touchpants shows yet another, and entirely different side of Colby, utilizing his warped and NSFW brand of foul mouthed humor along with Chris Friday, Aram Bedrosian and Jon Fishman of Phish. They tour only occasionally but have a rabid fan following that allows them to sell out shows wherever they play, be it The Iridium in NYC or Nectar’s in BTV.