July 3, 2008

WEEKLY MUSIC ROUNDUP
By Brian Early bearly@hippopress.com

• Fourth of July: The Fourth of July festivities start this Thursday, July 3, at Arms Park in Manchester. The 39th Army Band will start playing at 7:30 p.m. Nearby, Milly’s Tavern will have a flat-bed tractor trailer set up, on which a number of bands will play throughout the night. The Verbs, Alli Beaudry, DCB, Skamasutra and Living Syndication are scheduled. The music at Milly’s starts at 5 p.m. Fireworks will start at dusk. Also on July 3, there will be fireworks and music at Souhegan High School, 412 Boston Post Road, Amherst; before the fireworks, there will be music by FM, as well as juggling by Jen Agens and Nathan Schwartzberg and a concert by the Amherst Town Band. On July 4, there will be fireworks at Keyes Field off Elm Street in Milford at dusk; prior to the fireworks, the Amoskeag Strummers will perform between 7:30 and 9 p.m. In Nashua, at Holman Stadium, 67 Amherst St., the Spartans Drum and Bugle Corps will play at 8:30, with fireworks beginning at 9 p.m. In Concord, at Memorial Field off South Fruit Street there will be music starting at 6 p.m., the Nevers Band playing at 8 p.m., and fireworks around 9:15 p.m.; a $2 donation per person will be collected at the gate.

• At the Verizon: The philosophical rock group Rush will play at the Verizon Wireless Arena, 555 Elm St., Manchester, on Friday, July 11. Last year, the band released their 18th studio album, Snakes & Arrows, which Thom Jurek of allmusic.com writes “is one of the tightest conceptual records the band has ever released. Musically, it is as strong as their very best material, without a lapse in texture, composition, production, musicianship, or sheer rock intensity. There are real heart and fire in this album.” Tickets for the show range from $46 to $86, and can be purchased online at www.ticketmaster.com or by phone, 868-7300.

• Spotlight Café: Karen Grenier will officially open up the Spotlight Café, the new venue area within the Capitol Center for the Arts (44 South Main St., Concord), on Sunday, July 13, when she plays prior to the Indigo Girls concert later that night. For those who aren’t going to the Indigo Girls concert, tickets to Karen Grenier cost $10. For those who are, the admission to the Spotlight is free. The Café had a soft opening in May when the Brooks Young Band played there prior to the Cap Center’s B.B. King show. The goal is bring more original shows to the Cap Center that don’t draw large enough crowds to use the usual venue space. For tickets, go to www.ccanh.org or call 225-1111.

Have upcoming shows, band updates or any other music and nightlife news? Contact Brian Early at 625-1855, ext. 39, or at bearly@hippopress.com.