The Art Roundup 21/02/18

The latest from NH’s theater, arts and literary communities

“Winter Blues” art exhibit at The Lane House Arts Center in Hampton. Courtesy photos.

Architecture preserved: The Currier Museum of Art in Manchester announced in a press release that it has purchased the George Byron Chandler House, a 19th-century architectural landmark located across the street from the museum. The main floor of the building features stained glass windows, original wallpaper and fine wood carving. “The Chandler House is one of the most beautiful Victorian houses in New Hampshire but has been almost unknown,” Stephen Duprey, president of the museum’s board of trustees, said in a press release. “We can now begin the challenging job of restoring the house so that it can be enjoyed by the community.” The museum had worked closely with the City of Manchester’s Planning and Community Development Department and supporters from the community to acquire the property. “I am thrilled that this historically and architecturally significant building in Manchester is saved for generations to come,” Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig said in the release. “I’m also grateful for the support and advocacy expressed by our community in preserving this piece of Manchester’s heritage.” The Chandler House is the third architectural landmark to be purchased by the Currier Museum, joining two houses designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Call 669-6144 or visit currier.org.

Virtual author event: The Music Hall in Portsmouth presents a virtual event with radio host and bestselling author Diane Rehm on Tuesday, Feb. 23, at 7 p.m., as part of its virtual Writers on a New England Stage series. Rehm will discuss her new book, When My Time Comes, which provides a look at the Right-to-Die movement through extensive interviews with terminally ill patients, doctors, ethicists and others with personal links to the issue. She will be joined in conversation by Peter Biello, host of New Hampshire Public Radio’s All Things Considered and The Bookshelf, an ongoing segment featuring local and regional authors. An audience Q&A will follow the discussion. Tickets cost $5 for access to the event, which will be livestreamed on Crowdcast. The virtual Writers on a New England Stage series will continue with Nobel Prize winner and New York Times columnist Paul Krugman presenting his new book, Arguing with Zombies, on Tuesday, March 2, at 7 p.m. Visit themusichall.org or call 436-2400.

Storytellers unite: True Tales Live, a Seacoast-based monthly storytelling showcase, has returned, virtually via Zoom, with its next show on Tuesday, Feb. 23, at 7 p.m. The series is free and open to all who want to watch or participate as a storyteller. Additionally, there are free virtual storytelling workshops every first Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m.“We think our approach you don’t have to be a professional storyteller, everybody has a story to tell and there’s no rating or competition makes True Tales Live fun and relaxed for both tellers and audience,” Amy Antonucci, one of the program’s organizers, said in a press release. Each month’s showcase is centered around a different theme or featured storyteller, including featured storyteller Tina Charpentier for the February show, “Activism” on March 30, “Lessons Learned” on April 27, “Blunders” on May 25, a featured storyteller TBD on June 29, an open theme on Sept. 28, “Harbringers” on Oct. 26, “Transformations” on Nov. 30 and a holiday theme on Dec. 28. Visit truetaleslivenh.org to register for a workshop or attend a show, and email info@truetaleslive.org if you’re interested in being a storyteller.

In-person art exhibit: The Lane House Arts Center (380 Lafayette Road, Hampton) has a community arts exhibit, “Winter Blues,” on view in person now through Saturday, Feb. 27. The exhibit features art in a wide range of media created by more than a dozen local artists. “Community art exhibits provide much-needed opportunities for area artists, while enabling us to invite a broader segment of the community into the gallery,” Karen Desrosiers, founder and curator of Lane House Arts Center, said in a press release. Gallery hours are Wednesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and by appointment. Call 926-1111 or visit lanehousearts.com.

Featured photo: “Winter Blues” art exhibit at The Lane House Arts Center in Hampton. Courtesy photos.

Pandemic puzzles

Mother and son create interactive kids book about Covid-19

Deer orienteer Stephen Stagg is on a new kind of hunt in The COVID Paper Chase, a special edition title of Windham children’s author E.A. Giese’s Stephen Stagg Series that Giese wrote and illustrated with her adult son B.G. Sullivan during the pandemic.

The books in the series feature interactive puzzles for young readers to do as they follow Stephen Stagg on his orienteering adventures. In The COVID Paper Chase, Stephen is looking around his neighborhood for an item of great importance that is in short supply due to the pandemic. It includes hidden images and pandemic-related vocabulary words to find, mysteries to solve and a special activity.

“It’s meant to be more like a workbook,” Giese said. “Educational for children as well as entertaining.”

Giese and Sullivan said they have talked casually about collaborating on a book together for years but could never seem to find the time, so when Sullivan was laid off from his full-time job last March due to the pandemic, they decided to finally give it a go.

“Being laid off had significantly freed up my time at that point,” Sullivan said, “and I really wanted to do something productive with that time … and do something that would be able to help other people.”

Sullivan said he has “always been an artistic person,” having an interest in illustration since he was a child, and going on to attend and receive his certificate from a graphic design school.

“I homeschooled my two sons through middle school and high school, and we were very creative during that time,” Giese said. “We’ve been lifelong creatives, all of us.”

In Giese and Sullivan’s collaborative process, Giese came up with the story and developed the storyboards while Sullivan worked more on the script itself, which is written in rhyming verse. Giese did the hand drawn illustrations, outlined in pen and colored with colored pencils, and used a rubbing technique to give the illustrations texture. Then, Sullivan used his graphic design skills, he said, to add “the finer details, more realism, and really bring her illustrations to life.”

The idea for a children’s book about Covid-19, Giese and Sullivan said, came from seeing parents they knew struggle with explaining the pandemic to their young children. They wanted to create a book that could help parents “broach the subject” in an honest, but comforting way, Sullivan said.

“It’s psychologically soothing for children without being too heavy and grim,” he said.

“There was kind of a fine balance between giving [the book] some lightheartedness to make it palatable to children while still paying respect to the weight and seriousness of the issue,” Giese added.

Giese and Sullivan said they plan to team up for more children’s books for both the Stephen Stagg Series and other series.

“We’re really starting to see a future in our collaborations together,” Sullivan said.

“We have a lot of fun doing this together,” Giese added, “and I think that really comes across in the book.”

The COVID Paper Chase
The book is available at the authors’ website, regalbeepub.com, and will be available on Amazon by the end of February.

Featured photo: E.A. Giese and B.G. Sullivan. Courtesy photo.

Quality of Life 21/02/18

Youth protest peacefully with art installation

A group of youth organizers hung posters and banners on the chain link fence outside a Liberty Utilities office on Feb. 13, an act of solidarity with the No Coal No Gas campaign, according to a press release from 350NH, a local climate justice organization. The posters said things like “Time for diNOsaur FOSSIL FUELS to go extinct,” and they also displayed cardboard dinosaurs to illustrate their message that fossil fuels are “antiquated and dangerous,” according to the release. The No Coal Gas campaign seeks to end the use of fossil fuels in New England and transition to 100 percent renewable energy, with the next goal being to secure a shutdown date for the Merrimack Generating Station in Bow, which uses coal.

Score: +1 (because regardless of where you stand on the matter, youth getting involved in causes they believe in — peacefully — is a good thing)

Comment: Jordan King, a senior at Milford High School and member of the 350NH Youth Team, said in the release that he participated in the protest, “Because I’m a young person, my future is on the line and I don’t want to be the next thing to go extinct.”

Gas prices rising

Speaking of fuel, gas prices keep going up, so filling up the tank is quickly getting more depressing. According to GasBuddy, New Hampshire gas prices have risen 2.6 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $2.42 per gallon as of Feb. 15 — that’s 12.5 cents per gallon higher than a month ago and 3.8 cents per gallon higher than a year ago — about a month before the country shut down.

Score: -1

Comment: Lower gas prices was one of the few perks of the pandemic, and QOL is not excited about GasBuddy’s prediction that increased demand will raise the national average another 10 to 50 cents per gallon this spring and summer if oil production doesn’t increase along with the demand.

On the bright side …

One of the other benefits that resulted from the pandemic is that people are pretty used to staying home, so while this week has seen more winter storm weather, the ability to work from home and have kids do school remotely is significantly easier for many people, compared to previous winters. Last year, some schools were trying to figure out how to do remote “blizzard bags” for snow days in order to call it an official school day; now remote learning is the norm.

Score: +1

Comment: QOL is especially happy to be writing this from home, having avoided a stressful morning commute (and now dealing with only minor interruptions from kids who are supposedly in virtual classes but seem to have a lot of free time for snacking and video games).

Cheap-ish car insurance

New Hampshire is the 10th-cheapest state for car insurance in 2021, according to a new study from WalletHub, a personal-finance website. According to the study, full coverage car insurance costs 198 percent more than minimum coverage in New Hampshire, on average; 16-year-olds pay 453 percent more for car insurance than 55-year-olds, on average; and drivers with a DUI pay 125 percent more for car insurance than drivers with a clean record, on average.

Score: 0 (+1 for being in the Top 10, -1 for QOL, who has an almost-16-year-old and a soon-to-be-much-higher car insurance bill)

Comment: WalletHub also listed the Top 5 cheapest car insurance companies in the state: USAA ranked No. 1, followed by Concord Group, Safeco, Geico and MMG Insurance.

QOL score: 56

Net change: +1

QOL this week: 57

What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire? Let us know at news@hippopress.com.

Paws for celebration

Animal shelter observes anniversary, plans expansion

The Manchester Animal Shelter has found homes for more than 25,000 animals since it opened 25 years ago. Executive Director Kendra Paul talked about how the shelter has evolved over that time and its plans to continue expanding its facility and programs.

How has the shelter grown since it started 25 years ago?

Well, it’s been 25 years since we’ve been at this location, but actually, before that, [the shelter] used to be located across the street and was primarily run by the Manchester Police Department as more of a pound setting. When we built the [current] building on this side of the street, we made it more homey for the animals in terms of giving them nice spaces. The dogs have indoor-outdoor runs now. The cat cages are a little bit bigger. We have a community room where cats can walk around freely so that they’re able to have that enrichment and socialization that they wouldn’t otherwise get, just being in a cage. We’ve also started a lot of new programs here, such as Fix a Pit, where we spay and neuter pit bulls in the Manchester area for free. We do low-cost spay-neuter clinics called our Quick Fix program. We also have a [pet] food pantry, and that has been really utilized, especially since Covid hit; with so many people losing their jobs and unable to [provide] food for their pets, we’ve really seen a big need in the community in that area.

In what ways do you plan to continue growing?

We’re looking to expand the shelter, because, in the 25 years we’ve been here, we haven’t really touched the building or made any significant additions other than putting the trailer in, but we’re really running out of space now. The city is growing and the programs are growing, we’re seeing more animals, and we just need more space to really accommodate everyone, not only the team working here but the animals as well. We’re looking to add more cage space, to have a better setup for staff to be able to work and get their stuff done, and redo the kennels so that they’re less like a pound and more homey and relaxing-feeling for the dogs. Going forward, we want to have more of a community outreach program and find any ways we can to get out into the community and help and increase our presence as much as possible so that we’re there when people need us.

What’s in the works right now?

We’re really trying to get that expansion off the ground so that we can help more animals. … We’ve met with an architect, and he’s going to put together some plans. Once we get those plans, we’re going to be trying to get people to help us in terms of fundraising, donations — any way that the community can come in and help and support us.

What kinds of challenges has Covid posed for the shelter?

I’d say the biggest challenge we’ve had is probably fundraising. Being a nonprofit, we are really counting on the community to help us with raising money for these programs, for feeding the animals and for medical costs. Not being able to have in-person events or fundraisers has really been an issue here for us as well as many other nonprofits. … Another challenge is that, with people losing their jobs or getting laid off, we’ve seen an increase in the number of owners surrendering their pets.

How have you been dealing with those challenges?

We’re trying to be really creative in thinking of ways to cut costs and save money. … We’ve reached out to the community and have really had to rely on the community to come together … [to help] when we are running low on the food pantry or need donations [to cover] peanut butter and food and toys and different things that we need for the animals. People have been absolutely amazing and very generous with that, and we’re so grateful.

What makes Manchester Animal Shelter unique?

I think one of the biggest things that make us unique is our volunteer base. We just have so many dedicated people, staff and volunteers. We’re always being told that we’re ‘the little shelter with the big heart,’ and it really does ring true for us. There’s so much passion and dedication with these animals and with our volunteers and team members that I think that alone kind of sets us apart. I also think that our community programs set us apart, because there aren’t many places that offer things like the Fix a Pit program or being able to do offsite time with the dogs where they can go for hikes and go out on the trails to get a break from the shelter. These are programs that not every shelter gets to have, and we’re very fortunate that we’re able to do those things.

How can people help the shelter?

Right now, people could help us the most by donating to this [expansion] project. We’re hoping to do some fundraising challenges or events that are safe in the midst of Covid, like virtual events or online raffles and things like that.

Featured photo: Kendra Paul. Courtesy photo.

Brady, Benny and the Betts

With the Super Bowl in the rear view mirror after Tom Brady’s quest for No. 7 took up a lot of oxygen in the space over the last month, it’s time to catch up on a number of stories that have been sitting on the back burner.

Is it me, or after last week’s salary dump of Andrew Benintendi for KC castoff Franchy Cordero did it seem like Chaim Bloom just dusted off Theo Epstein’s talking points from when he got Wily Mo Pena in a trade for Bronson Arroyo? I mean besides the “we did it because we have too many starting pitchers” part it was the same — Franchy’s got awesome power with a high ceiling and just hasn’t been able to unlock his potential in KC. Got it.

If you’re wondering, here’s the payoff for both teams in that. While all of Wily Mo’s homers either were heat-seeking missiles or traveled about 900 feet, for basically a full season (157 games) split over two years it was 16 homers, 58 RBI and a .271 batting average for Pena. For the dependable Arroyo, who went eight years in Cincy without missing a start before a rotator cuff tear pretty much ended the career, it was 276 starts for a record of 108-100 and a 4.18 ERA.

One final thing on Wily Mo. He also has a kinda sorta tie to Patriots history, as he was traded to the Reds for Yankees alleged two-sport star Drew Henson, whom George Steinbrenner paid big dough to play in the Yanks system while being recruited to play football at Michigan. They thought he was going to be such an all-timer they gave him unearned 50 percent playing time at QB his first two years, which made Tom Brady just a split time starter his junior and senior years. However, Henson eventually flunked out in both sports. First after bouncing between the Yanks (who drafted him) to Cincy and back again, he only played a handful of major league games. In the NFL it was just 20 with Detroit and Dallas, where the kicker is that he still was drafted higher than Brady a few years later at 193 to TB’s 199 on his potential. No wonder Brady has a chip on his shoulder.

The latest example showing Americans can whine over just about anything these days is the woman treating her the Super Bowl trophy her father designed as if it’s the Mona Lisa and demanding Brady apologize for playfully throwing it to another boat during Tampa’s SB water parade. If it were the Stanley Cup I could see it, but it would be for protecting a tradition, not for an uninterestingly designed trophy.

Exhibit B: Why does Curt Schilling always see himself as the victim? Sorry, but I’m with the BBWAA to keep him on the Hall of Fame ballot next year despite his demand they take him off. That happened after he came up short last month, which he attributes to his outspoken political views. He might be right about that, but it’s not his choice, it’s theirs. Besides, what so many don’t seem to get about free speech is while anyone is perfectly free to say what they want, it doesn’t mean there aren’t consequences for what you say. And that happened before his strong vocal support for the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol. So kiss next year goodbye too. Which is why he really wants off the ballot.

Those of us in the NHC/SNHU basketball community have a heavy heart over the loss of Larry Conyers at the end of January. He played in the NHC days under Tom Sullivan via Sully’s underground railroad from the Bronx. Outside of during running line drills, the big fella always had a smile on his face and a joke in his heart. A good man, and losing Larry C to Covid-19 made the pandemic all the more real to all of us.

If you ever wondered about this, Tampa Bay’s 31-9 win over KC evened Brady’s record against the spread to 5-5 in the Super Bowl.

Funniest social media trend following the Super Bowl was people on Twitter asking Missouri senator of the home state Kansas City Chiefs Josh Hawley if he was going to accept the results of their loss or contest them as he famously did after the election of Joe Biden.

With Deshaun Watson as their QB in 2020 the Pats win at least three more games (the first Bills game, Denver and Houston, who wouldn’t have had him there to kill them) to be 10-6. Also maybe Seattle and even KC, whom they led until two titanic red zone mistakes by Brian Hoyer. So I’d be willing to give up a package like L.A. gave up for Matthew Stafford to get him. Big loss of draft picks, but they’ve got enough free agency money to get him a couple of receivers, so I’d do it. But he’s the only one on the market I’d consider for that, including if Stafford was still available.

From the You Don’t Hear That Every Day From a Pro Athlete department: How about hyperbolic Patriots linebacker dude Chase Winovich tweeting out not too long ago, “New Hampshire is so cool. Portsmouth is randomly the coolest city in the world,” which a NESN scribe saw first and passed on.

In terms of winning, the first 10 years of the 21st century was downright amazing for Boston sports, and thanks to five more titles from the Red Sox and Patriots the second decade wasn’t too shabby either. However, No. 3 hasn’t started out so well. With Brady, Mookie Betts and Zdeno Chara departing in the last six months, has any city lost as many iconic players in the same calendar year as Boston? And if he’d met expectations Gordon Hayward would have made it one from each franchise.

I know. The Celtics are a mess. We’ll deal with that next week.

News & Notes 21/02/18

Covid-19 updateAs of February 8As of February 15
Total cases statewide68,49971,017
Total current infections statewide3,2452,953
Total deaths statewide1,1061,135
New cases2,441 (Feb. 2 to Feb. 8)2,518 (Feb. 9 to Feb. 15)
Current infections: Hillsborough County1,106922
Current infections: Merrimack County292217
Current infections: Rockingham County771678
Information from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services

Covid-19 news

Dr. Beth Daly, Chief of the Bureau of Infectious Disease Control of the New Hampshire Department of Health & Human Services, said during a Feb. 9 press conference that about 172,000 total vaccine doses to date have been administered statewide, including about 123,000 first doses and 49,000 second doses. State health officials received 21,475 first doses of vaccine that week, a slight increase from previous weeks’ amounts. “Going forward, we continue to expect to receive these incremental increases … in the coming weeks,” Daly said.

First-dose appointments for people in Phase 1B of the state’s vaccine distribution plan are continuing to be booked in April, while those who already received it can make appointments for their second dose in late February and early March. The state is also collaborating with Walgreens, which, beginning this week, will receive around 3,400 doses across many of its pharmacy locations. “They’re partnering with us to make sure that we can compress the time that folks in Phase 1B have to wait for their first shot,” Gov. Chris Sununu said later during the press conference. “We are going to start kind of at the back of the list, those that are furthest out, and start directly one-on-one calling them and rescheduling them to go get their vaccine at a much earlier date, and using Walgreens as our partners to administer that.”

On Feb. 11, Sununu issued Emergency Order No. 84, an order rescinding Emergency Orders No. 37 and No. 77 and therefore lifting the hiring freeze for state employees. Emergency Order No. 37 had been issued back on April 28 of last year, temporarily halting hiring of all full-time and part-time employees of the state’s executive branch. Emergency Order No. 77 was later issued on Dec. 23, restating these provisions but also adding that all full-time and part-time employee positions may be posted for internal and external applicants.

On Feb. 12, the same day New Hampshire surpassed 70,000 total Covid-19 cases, state health officials announced the first known detection of the B.1.1.7 variant of the virus, the highly contagious variant first detected in the U.K. late last year. According to a press release, the person infected with the variant is an adult resident of Hillsborough County who had close contact with someone diagnosed with the virus who travelled internationally. Although vaccines appear to be effective at preventing it, the variant, which is greater than 50 percent more infectious and transmissible, has been identified in more than 37 states and 86 countries worldwide as of Feb. 12, according to the release.

Also on Feb. 12, Sununu issued Executive Order 2021-2, extending the state of emergency in New Hampshire due to the pandemic for another three weeks through at least March 5. It’s the 16th extension he has issued since originally declaring a state of emergency last March.

Details of Sununu’s emergency orders, executive orders and other announcements can be found at governor.nh.gov.

NH’s budget

Gov. Chris Sununu gave his 2021 Budget Address on Feb. 11, emphasizing good fiscal management throughout the pandemic. In his address Sununu highlighted no new taxes or fees and no increased taxes or fees; tax relief across the board; a focus on core, essential services and increased funding for veterans and child support services. He said the budget shortfall to end the biennium is projected to be less than $50 million; original projections anticipated a shortfall of about $350 million. “Unlike other states across the country, which are now raising taxes on businesses, taxing out-of-state workers, or enacting draconian budget cuts to cover their massive deficits, New Hampshire managed to mitigate the worst financial impacts of the pandemic — without raising taxes,” Sununu said in his address. He also said the state budget does not cut any education spending and includes “innovative funding” for mental health programs.

College merger

The University System of New Hampshire could merge with the Community College System of New Hampshire, a plan set forth by Gov. Chris Sununu and supported by the University System of New Hampshire Board. According to a press release from the board, it is concerned about increasing costs associated with higher education and believes the merger is essential to ensuring that all residents are offered affordable and accessible high-quality education in the long term, creating “a stronger, more competitive, more efficient and more sustainable driver of the state’s economic and cultural well-being than two separate systems.”

Canterbury Shaker Village will be hosting a two- to four-mile snowshoe race on Saturday, March 6, at 10 a.m., as a bonus race for the New Hampshire Snowshoe Trail Race Series, it announced in a press release. There will be hot chocolate and treats after the race, and prizes will be awarded. The cost is $20 at shakers.org, and there is no day-of registration.

Making Matters in Concord is offering limited-capacity in-person classes, according to a press release. Coming up this week are How to Make Polymer Clay Jewelry, Sewing Sundays: Winter Hats, and Hands on 3D Printing for Beginners. Visit makingmattersnh.org for details and a list of upcoming classes, or to find out how to teach a class at Making Matters.

The Currier Museum of Art in Manchester announced last week that it has purchased the George Byron Chandler House, built in the late 19th century, across the street from the museum. According to a press release, the museum plans to restore the Victorian house so it can be enjoyed by the community.

The Candia Dollars for Scholars chapter is asking local businesses, organizations and individuals to help support local students who are either heading to college or currently attending. According to a press release, Candia residents will soon be able to fill out scholarship applications for the next academic year, but Dollars for Scholars is looking for financial support to continue its annual efforts this year. Visit candia.dollarsforscholars.org to donate.

Who are your favorites

We’re now deep into the pandemic hoping against hope that 2021 will be the year that we’ll get to see friends, family and some of our favorite places. It’s too early to say how much will return to normal or even what we’ll consider normal then, but there is hope. Hope that we’ll get back to some of those routines and hope that we’ll discover new ones. Hope for one another.
This is Hippo’s 20th Best Of and like many of you we’ve had to make some adjustments to accommodate this pandemic. We’ve changed some of the questions and pared down some categories to better reflect the current situation and past year. The goal, as always, is really to get the pulse of our readers about what they value and like about their community. As big box stores, big tech and big finance occupy more of our landscape it’s all the more important to share what you think makes your community special and different from another place. It’s those great hiking trails, those places to take the kids sledding, the places to grab a scoop on a lazy Sunday or the person who kicks your butt into shape. It’s the coffee shop with art for sale on the walls and it’s the juicy burger that you probably didn’t need. It’s that slice of pizza that you tell people from out of town about.
Those are the things we want to know about in our annual Best Of and it’s those things that we enjoy now or look forward to enjoying when we can. You can vote in this year’s best of at hippopress.com. Voting ends Feb. 28.

Small acts of kindness

This Valentine’s season, spread the love from home. We’ve got 14 ideas that will help you show your loved ones, friends, neighbors and strangers that you care, safely.

Also on the cover, It’s time for the Best of 2021 readers’ poll! Voting is open, so let us know your favorite places, people and events in southern New Hampshire; see details on p. 9. And find some funny this weekend, p. 28 & 30.

Some Republicans in the New Hampshire House are pushing legislation that could give about $4,100 to anyone sending their kids ...
A graphic the shape of the state of New Hampshire, filled in with the New Hampshire flag made up of the crest of New Hampshire on a blue field.
Covid-19 updateAs of February 1As of February 8Total cases statewide66,05868,499Total current infections statewide4,6623,245Total deaths statewide1,0591,106New cases3,290 (Jan. 26 to Feb ...
student playing competitive video games
Esports alive and well at New England College Whereas many college sports have been suspended, competitive video gaming, known as ...
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On Saturday night before Sunday’s Super Bowl I got this overwhelming feeling in picking Kansas City to beat Tampa Bay ...
A graphic the shape of the state of New Hampshire, filled in with the New Hampshire flag made up of the crest of New Hampshire on a blue field.
Acts of kindness On this week’s theme of acts of kindness: The Bedford Starbucks has recently changed the traffic flow ...
14 ways to spread a little happiness this Valentine’s season This Valentine’s Day, spread the love without spreading Covid with ...
Local musician creates new version of “America the Beautiful” What started as a song for a children’s choir to sing ...
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NH Audubon needs your help counting backyard birds By Sadie Burgess There are rules when it comes to counting birds ...
Family fun for the weekend L.O.V.E. bingo Have a sweet Valentine’s Day celebration at Chunky’s Cinema Pub. The theater is ...
Dear Donna, Can you give me an idea what this crock might be worth or how I can find out? ...
Flower buds
Holly, hemlock and more seasonal favorites I recently asked a few readers, garden friends and tree experts a question: “What ...
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News from the local food scene • Rally for restaurants: On Feb. 1, the New Hampshire Lodging & Restaurant Association ...
tiki cocktail drink
Industry East Bar opens in Manchester Jeremy Hart and Dan Haggerty have around four decades of combined bartending experience across ...
NOFA-NH’s annual winter conference returns (virtually) Whether you’re looking for advice on how to grow your own organic food at ...
Corayma Correa’s family launched the Tropical Food Truck (tropical-food-truck.business.site, find them on Facebook) last October, its primary location at 80 ...
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Beer can be a critical component to pair with Netflix The problem is that when one episode on Netflix ends, ...
Ashnikko, Demidevil (Parlophone/Warner) Eh, this is OK for what it is, a nauseating wad of enthusiastically moronic, hip-hop-infused bubblegum roughly ...
book cover
Chatter, by Ethan Kross (Crown, 229 pages) Ethan Kross had a problem, and not one you’d expect to plague a ...
movie scene
The Little Things (R) A couple argue in Malcolm & Marie, a movie somewhat reminiscent of the talky (if mannered) ...
Locked Down (R) Anne Hathaway, Chiwetel Ejiofor. A couple stuck in lockdown in London eventually plan a half-baked diamond heist ...
• Truffle man: Leading one of the Seacoast’s most enduring bands, Dave Gerard brings the same good-time vibe and constant ...
Comedy showcase features Francis Birch In standup comedy, a weekend booking represents validation. Francis Birch’s first was at Veronica Laffs ...

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Family man

Comedy showcase features Francis Birch

In standup comedy, a weekend booking represents validation. Francis Birch’s first was at Veronica Laffs in Strikers East, a Raymond bowling alley. The pop-up club closed mid-decade, when comic and entrepreneur Jay Grove opened a dedicated venue, Curlie’s Comedy Club in Rochester.

The laughs are returning to Strikers East — as is Birch, who’ll share the stage with headliner Graig Murphy on Feb. 13.

The upcoming show is presented by Laugh Riot Productions and will be hosted by its CEO, Michael Smith.

“It’s kind of cool to go back,” Birch said recently by phone. “To work there as a more polished comic who has a little bit of a reputation now.”

Birch began doing comedy in 2011, egged on by friends who said he was funny. However, his first attempt at an open mic night wasn’t a triumph.

“I did not know what I was getting myself into,” he said, ruefully noting that a friend taped his 11-minute, laugh-free set and posted it on YouTube. “Sometimes when I need to humble myself, I’ll watch that.”

Unbowed, Birch persisted, finding a home at a Monday night gathering called Punchlines, hosted by Grove at Penuche’s Ale House in Concord. While there, he worked the same five minutes repeatedly, “to just see if I could nail my timing” in front of a tough, sometimes unforgiving crowd.

One night, the antipathy in the room broke his rhythm — and led to a breakthrough.

“Some drunk guy was yelling at me,” Birch said. “I just had a conversation with him, and it really went well. Jay said to me, ‘Any time you can engage and shut down a heckler, and he comes up to shake your hand afterward, is a good thing.’”

Birch is married with three boys of his own, and he’s a stepfather to one more. The big family is a major source of material, but it was also parenthood that caused him to step away from comedy, from 2015 to 2018. The decision came after he’d received one too many videos of his son, now 8, “doing awesome stuff, and I wasn’t there,” he said. “I missed my other boys I was raising because I was in my 20s and being an idiot. Now I was missing this one growing up because I was doing comedy.”

Along with his children, Birch’s mother was a big part of his act. It was her death in 2018 that helped spur him back into the game.

“I had the itch,” he said. “I wanted to go out and tell some jokes, make fun of her a little bit. Because she helped me write those jokes.”

He did a midweek open mic, then a Saturday night guest slot at Curlie’s.

“Maybe if I got 10 minutes on a weekend that’ll be scratchy enough to satisfy,” he reasoned, but “that did nothing. It made it more itchy. Since then, I’ve been working full steam ahead, just growing my act and incorporating some of the things that happened since.”

Birch said he came back more confident, and more honest — “I started to speak to my stories, being them instead of reciting it.”

He also quit smoking and gave up drinking in the months after returning to standup; again, he was guided by his mom.

“She got pneumonia and her body wasn’t strong enough to fight it, because she had COPD,” Birch said. “[I realized that] if I don’t make changes in my life, that’s gonna be me. My kids are gonna have to watch me die.”

A fitness regimen “to make my body as strong as it can be to fight off any infection” soon began, an effort that grew into a coaching business.

“I help people create habits and become better versions of themselves,” Birch said. He believes telling jokes is not dissimilar. “When I do comedy, I feel like I’m helping people escape their reality and laugh a little bit.”

Asked if the health focus had an effect on his act, Birch replied with a laugh, “I got a lot of fat jokes I can’t use anymore! That’s something Jay taught me when we first started … don’t write jokes about your beard or being fat because you might not always have that beard, you might not always be fat.”

One subject remains, though: Birch’s beloved mother.

“I make fun of her like never before,” he said. “I’ve actually written more material about her, and I like to deliver it with a smile. Because I know that’s what she’s doing — she’s smiling. She’s my rock, my heart and soul, and she’s with me every performance.”

Graig Murphy, Francis Birch & Mike Smith
When: Saturday, Feb. 13, 8 p.m.
Where: Strikers East, 4 Essex Dr., Raymond
Tickets: $20 at laughriotproductions.com or call 895-9501

Featured photo: Francis Birch. Courtesy photo.

The Music Roundup 21/02/11

Truffle man: Leading one of the Seacoast’s most enduring bands, Dave Gerard brings the same good-time vibe and constant smile to his solo music. Normally the group that began as Savoy Truffle would be marking 2021 with shows celebrating 35 years together, but these aren’t those times. At least there’s still the chance to dine out and enjoy live performers, abbreviated though it may be. Thursday, Feb. 11, 7 p.m., Telly’s Restaurant, 235 Calef Highway, Epping, 679-8225.

Wide ranging: Take in a stunning view of the Merrimack River as Brien Sweet entertains at a Queen City eatery. The curly haired singer and guitarist plays covers that range across decades, from Elvis to Coldplay and The Weeknd. Recently he did a full set of boy band songs on his Facebook Live. When warm weather allows he’ll again be seen as David Bowie in area tribute band Young Americans. Saturday, Feb. 13, 6 p.m., The Foundry Restaurant, 50 Commercial St., Manchester, 836-1925.

Off the road: BecauseProvidence-based singer-songwriter Kevin Horan began as a drummer, his original tunes are pulsing and percussive. In addition to his solo work, such as the local brewery show he’s doing at midpoint of the three-day weekend, Horan fronts Ocean State rockers the Stone Road Band, who are currently at work on a follow-up to their debut album, Alive At Dusk. Sunday, Feb. 14, 3 p.m., To Share Brewing Co., 720 Union St., Manchester, 458-2033.

Sushi country: Throughout the past challenging months, April Cushman has managed to keep her calendar full, even packing rooms with fans on occasion — using the pandemic definition, of course. The countrified singer plays a Valentine’s Day set at a Gate City Japanese restaurant. Cushman’s autobiographical single “Hometown Girl” is lately getting traction on download and streaming sites, and local radio. Sunday, Feb. 14, 6 p.m., San Francisco Kitchen, 133 Main St., Nashua, 886-8833.

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