2024 – Page 23

Fans getting restless

The Big Story – Is It Time For Drake Maye? It’s still a little too early to throw in the towel. But after dropping to 1-4 the Jerod Mayo era is off to a bad start. And with Cincinnati also 1-4, the opening day win over them ain’t looking as good as it did a month ago. Especially after losing 15-10 Sunday to a team playing their third-string QB while repeatedly shooting themselves in the foot with sloppy play like having too many men on the field for a fourth-and-one punt to hand Miami a free first down.

To paraphrase Dean Wormer in Animal House: Penalty-strewn, undisciplined and boring is no way to go through a football season, son.

Thus the fans want Drake Maye to play ready or not.

The brass says not yet. But you’ve got to wonder when they’ll give in. Because the only other thing to root for now is getting the first overall pick in the 2025 draft.

Sports 101: Name the players picked the four times the Patriots had the first overall pick in the draft since the 1966 merger.

News Item – Chaim is Back: Apparently the Cardinals overlooked the mess in Boston the Chaim Bloom regime was. Or they see the four guys he drafted now ranked among baseball’s Top 35 prospects and say this guy can judge young talent. Either way he’s back as a GM after being hired to take the reins in St. Louis.

News Item – Rhamondre Stevenson: Wow, that was quite a message the brass sent over his fumbling issues. They kept him out one whole series. And when his first series ended with his 33-yard TD run, it showed how silly that charade was. I know turnovers kill. But an offensively challenged team with just one playmaker can’t bench him for fumbling. Just work on it, ’cause he knows it’s bad.

News Item – Falcons and Bucs on Thursday Night Football: If you don’t get Amazon Prime you missed a good one last week when Atlanta beat Tampa Bay in OT 36-30. Three thoughts:

The Kirk Cousins investment looked pretty good as he threw for 508 and four TDs. Loved those expansion-era red helmet and black jersey throwbacks Atlanta wore. Great end-of-the-game call by the Atlanta radio team, which said “drive home safely” as all-name teamer KhaDarel Hodge crossed the goal line to complete his shocking 45-yard winning score 1:35 into OT.

The Numbers:

12 – penalties committed by the Patriots for 105 yards in Sunday’s loss to Miami.

66 – amount in millions the Bruins will pay goalie Jeremy Swayman over the eight-year deal they just agreed on.

… Of the Week Awards

Thumbs Up – Dikembe Mutombo: The gigantic NBA star, who succumbed to brain cancer at 59, gets it for using his stature and money to become a worldwide ambassador for good, which included building/funding a 350-bed hospital in his native Democratic Republic of the Congo.

RIP – Greg Landry: The Nashua High alum passed away last week at 77. He was the best NFL player ever from the Granite State. After playing at UMass, he had his heyday in the early ’70s when he was a great running QB for the Lions.

Player of the Week – Jared Goff: He did something no QB ever has done, throwing no incomplete passes over an entire game, when he was 18 for 18 for 292 yards and two TDs in Detroit’s 42-29 win over Seattle. And he even had his first ever TD reception since he started playing football at 7 to boot.

Big Hit of the Week – Pete Alonso: Not willing to go as far as saying Alonso’s ninth-inning game-winning homer last week was the greatest hit in Mets history — after all, I saw “a little roller up along first” — but it did turn a 2-0 Mets deficit into a stunning 3-2 series-clinching win over Milwaukee, so it was big.

Random Thoughts:

Even after his spectacular season Chris Sale still got hurt when needed most and sat out as Atlanta got swept out of the playoffs.

With five catches for 64 yards Jonnu Smith did more in his first game against the Patriots Sunday than he did in his two mistake-filled years with them.

Sports 101 Answer: The four first overall Patriots picks were Jim Plunkett (1971), Kenneth Sims (1982), Irving Fryar (1984) and Drew Bledsoe (1993).

Final Thought – Pete Rose: He was a great playerwhose effort was unmatched by anyone I’ve seen in his sport, which his famous play to win in the 1970 All-Star game barreling over the Cleveland’s Ray Fosse epitomized. However, Rose, who died last week at 83, is rightfully kept out of the Hall because he knew betting on baseball as Reds manager was wrong — something he denied for 15 years until he needed to juice sales of his book. And his off-field behavior was even worse. So, sad to say, he got what he deserved.

Email Dave Long at [email protected].

Make a scarecrow, fling a pumpkin

It’s Milford Pumpkin Festival weekend

The Milford Pumpkin Festival has been going strong for 35 years thanks to the region’s hearty pumpkins and even heartier volunteers. The Granite Town Festivities Committee in partnership with the Milford Lions Club and Milford Rotary put on the event, which includes a giant pumpkin contest, a mural to be created by local artist Eric Escobar, face painting, tons of food, beer, music and much more. Wendy Mace, who is in charge of marketing for the Granite Town Festivities Committee after being a longtime volunteer, spoke to the Hippo about the upcoming festival, which runs from Friday, Oct. 11, through Sunday, Oct. 13.

How did the festival get started?

I think it started with Marilyn Kenison back 35 years ago. I think this woman just had an idea and that was the one that got it started. Her husband was a dentist in town. I know way back then the Milford Cooperative Bank was involved with volunteers, because my mom was working there at the time and she was in the very first group for a few years when it got started. It’s changed over the years until this last group of volunteers in 2018 decided to form the Granite Town Festivities Committee, which is a nonprofit. They’re the ones that are keeping it going now. Some of the players have changed over the years … but it’s all volunteers and sponsorships that keep it going. The festival is a huge undertaking. It’s a bazillion volunteers that make this happen. Organizing it, setting it up, working at it, breaking it down.

What is the opening ceremony like and what is the Citizen of the Year?

Well, they do that on Friday night. The Rotary has spearheaded having townspeople vote on Citizen of the Year and they make the announcement Friday night at the ceremony. There’s also a pumpkin runner who comes in and there’s a ceremonial lighting of the pumpkin, which is a huge jack-o’-lantern up in the town hall window, and the pumpkin runner brings it to the fireman, and the fireman goes up the ladder. Basically, they’re turning on a giant jack-o’-lantern. People get a big kick out of that. That’s part of the opening ceremonies…. And I think the president of the Granite Town Festivities Committee will be speaking this year.

What is the pumpkin catapult?

That’s put on by the Dollars for Scholars. They have actually built this catapult they put down at Railroad Pond behind TD Bank. People purchase a pumpkin and they catapult it into the pond. It’s pretty fun to watch. And they have like, I think they had, when I went down there to look at it, scarecrows as markers out in the pond that they shoot for, but it’s just kind of a fun thing to watch.

What is the Haunted Trail?

The big draw is the Haunted Trail at Emerson Park that’s open Friday and Saturday night.

It’s been built by Witches Spring. … and people buy a little ticket and they get to walk through the trail that runs at the back of Emerson Park along the river in the area between the park and the Boys & Girls Club. So they’ve made this cool little haunted trail back there that’s changed over the years too. The first haunted trail we did was in plastic, a plastic maze on the tennis courts at Keyes Field … and it was basically a maze of fog, but then it’s changed over the years. We actually had a haunted house in a creepy old apartment that somebody let us use, which was really creepy. We put it on at different places. And then they started doing the trail behind Emerson Park a while back. And now we have this great company, he’s a local guy that comes in and he builds all that stuff and builds the trail. We get a lot of volunteers from the Masons, they get to be some of the haunts. They’re involved, Oddfellows are involved, because the Masonic Temple is also back there. They’re also the ones that keep an eye on everything overnight, our gourd guards. They keep an eye on everything to make sure nothing gets vandalized overnight on Friday and Saturday nights.

What are some of your favorite kids’ activities that are at the event?

We have carving pumpkins on the Oval. You can paint a pumpkin…. You can make scarecrows. And that always cracks me up because then you see little families walking down the street with a scarecrow over their shoulder. It’s really fun. … And the town hall, there’s a whole craft show going on, artisan and craft fair going on inside the town hall. So there’s stuff there for all ages. The kids love the Haunted Trail as well. And there’s all kinds of vendors and food trucks and there’s always vendors that have special things that kids enjoy but it’s nice to have the town hall where we have more grown-up crafts and things. If you’re going to make a scarecrow or paint a pumpkin or carve a pumpkin or go to the haunted trail, there are fees for that, but they’re very nominal. And then people who are selling things. The Milford Ambulance has a little ducky race where you purchase those little rubber ducks.

How many people do you think will show up this year and where will they put their cars?

I think in the years past that they have guessed that there’s been like 70,000 people over the course of the three days. The Milford Union Square is completely shut down for this festival this year so people can park at the middle school and the high school, and we have shuttle buses that keep going back and forth. They go from the schools, they drop them off downtown, they go back and forth … so people don’t have to worry about parking because there’s plenty of parking at the schools and we’ll shuttle them right down to the festival. It goes right till the end of each night except Sunday where the festival ends, it’ll go for like a half an hour or so after. All that information is on our website; what roads are closed, where the parking is, and everything. —Zachary Lewis

35th Milford Pumpkin Festival

When: Friday, Oct. 11, from 5 to 9 p.m.; Saturday, Oct. 12, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sunday, Oct. 13, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Rain or shine.
Info: milfordpumpkinfestival.org

Schedule of events

Opening Ceremony & Citizen of The Year Presentation
Friday, Oct. 11, 6:30 to 7 p.m. on the Oval Stage
Includes Pumpkin Runner & lighting of the Town Hall Pumpkin

The Great Pumpkin Weigh Off/Giant Pumpkins On Display: All entries for the Weigh Off must be delivered to the Milford Oval by 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 12. Winners are announced at noon on Saturday. Pumpkins must stay for the duration of the Festival.

Milford Historical Walking Tour: Saturday and Sunday, one-hour guided tour begins at the Carey House, 6 Union St.

Pumpkin Painting, Scarecrow Making, Face Painting: Saturday 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Community House lawn. Pumpkin painting $5 per pumpkin. Scarecrow making $15 per scarecrow. Face painting $5 full face, $1 one cheek

Beer, Wine & Spirits Tasting: Friday and Saturday 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Community House Lawn, tickets required

Boys & Girls Club of Souhegan Valley Pumpkinfest 5K & Kids Fun Run: Saturday 7:30 to 11:30 a.m., 56 Mont Vernon St. Registration opens 7 a.m. Kids Fun Run 8 a.m., $10. 5K Run/Walk 9 a.m., $35 ($40 day of)

Pumpkin Carving & Lighting Display On The Oval: Saturday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., $12 per pumpkin

Rubber Duck Race: Sunday at 1 p.m., Stone Bridge; purchase rubber ducks at the Milford Ambulance booth on Middle Street

Pumpkin Catapult: Saturday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., at Railroad Pond, TD Bank Lower Lot. Purchase pumpkins and catapult them toward fun targets in Railroad Pond. One pumpkin $3, two pumpkins $5. Proceeds benefit Dollars For Scholars.

Star Gazing/Solar Observing: Saturday evening, weather permitting, in Keyes Memorial Park, join Rich DeMidio and other amateur astronomers for stargazing and solar observing. Several telescopes available for astronomical viewing including some planet and deep sky objects.

Pumpkin Festival Mural: Watch Eric Escobar’s creation unfold over the 3 days of the festival

Featured image: Stuffing a scarecrow. Courtesy photo.

News & Notes 24/10/10

Teacher of the year

Candice DeAngelis, a Spanish teacher at Bedford High School, was named New Hampshire’s 2025 Teacher of the Year, according to a press release from the New Hampshire Department of Education. DeAngelis, who was picked from a pool of 331 nominees, has taught for 18 years and has worked as a Spanish teacher in Bedford since 2016; before that she worked at Sanborn Regional High School in Kingston and in a temporary position at Londonderry High School, the release said.

The release quoted Superintendent Mike Fournier of the Bedford School District as saying that “Her dedication to creating a positive and nurturing environment makes her a true asset to our school district. She is not only a treasure to our community, but also an inspiration to every student she teaches.”

Fire prevention

New Hampshire’s State Fire Marshal Office urges residents to check their smoke alarms as part of the National Fire Protection Association’s Fire Prevention Week, which runs through Saturday, Oct. 12, according to a press release. The NFPA reports that smoke alarms reduce the risk of dying in a house fire by 54 percent and that nationally 60 percent of fire deaths happen in home with “either no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms,” the release said. In New Hampshire, 63 percent of fatal home fires have “no working smoke alarms or inadequate coverage” the release said. Smoke alarm safety tips include installing smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each sleeping area and on each level of a home; testing smoke alarms at least once a month (using the test button) and replacing all smoke alarms when they are 10 years old, the release said. See fpw.org for more.

EEE news

A fifth New Hampshire resident tested positive for Eastern equine encephalitis and later died, the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services reported, according to an Oct. 4 story at WMUR.com. The person is described as an adult from Danville, the story said. All five of the residents who tested positive for EEE got sick in August, the story reported. Find more information on EEE and other mosquito-borne illnesses at dhhs.nh.gov — under “Programs and Services” choose “Disease Prevention” and then “Infection Diseases,” where information on EEE includes a regularly updated Arboviral Risk map of the state.

Charge up

Foxfire Property Management’s Storrs Street parking lot in downtown Concord received a new EV charging station, installed in August, according to a press release from Revvit, the Somerville, Mass.-based climate tech startup. The EV station is part of an initiative that “aims to make EV charging more accessible and efficient by deploying Revvit’s Level 1 charger, purpose-built for long-dwell parking environments such as workplaces, airports, hotels, and more,” the release said. According to the release, “Revvit’s chargers … require no apps or QR codes — drivers can begin charging within seconds by entering a manual code, similar to a garage door opener.” See revvit.net.

Tech help

The United Way of Greater Nashua has launched Tech Help United, “a new initiative aimed at improving digital literacy across our community,” according to a press release. The program is “designed to help individuals who struggle with technology gain essential digital skills, enabling them to access vital services,” the release said.

The program is looking for community partners and volunteers including digital navigators, to work with individuals who need tech help (no advanced tech knowledge is needed; full training will be provided) and community locations (local agencies, community centers and faith communities who can provide space for digital help to be offered), the release said. Those interested in volunteering or providing a host location are asked to contact Sara Ceaser at [email protected] or 882-4011.

Top value

University of New Hampshire was ranked No. 7 “Best Value” public university in the country (No. 56 best value among all universities) in the 2025 U.S. News & World Report, according to a UNH Today report. This is the second consecutive year UNH ranked No. 7 and the fourth consecutive year it ranked “the No. 1 best value public university in New England,” the report said. See unh.edu/unhtoday.

Historic preservation

The Concord Preservation Advocates are hosting an informal gathering on Tuesday, Oct. 15, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at Feathered Friend Brewing, 231 S. Main St. in Concord, to “celebrate local historic preservation successes, connect with others, and share ideas for future networking events,” according to an email. Concord Preservation Advocates’ Facebook page describes them as a “network of people who value the historic character of Concord” and says they “aim to make historic preservation a priority and use it to bring history to life.” The event is free (cash bar) with light refreshments and soft drinks and brief presentations on nearby historic landmarks at 5:45 p.m. — “Bring your ideas and a jacket. Plan to be in an outdoor space if the weather cooperates,” the email said. RSVP to tinyurl.com/POSOct15 by Sunday, Oct. 13.

Author and photographer Jon Waterman will present his book Into the Thaw: Witnessing the Wonder Amid the Arctic Climate Crisis at Gibson’s Bookstore in Concord on Monday, Oct. 21, at 6:30 p.m. At this free event, New Hampshire author Richard Adams Carey, a professor emeritus of SNHU, will be in conversation with Waterman. See gibsonsbookstore.com.

Herbalist, teacher and director at the Sabbathday Lake Shaker Community Betsy Golon will speak to the Manchester Garden Club on Thursday, Oct. 17, at noon at St. Hedwig Church Hall in Manchester. Guests are welcome. See manchesternhgardenclub.weebly.com.

Actor Alan Ruck, known for his roles in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and Succession among others, will be the featured speaker at the New Hampshire Film Festival in Portsmouth and will appear for a conversation followed by audience Q&A at the Music Hall on Friday, Oct. 18, at 4 p.m. Tickets cost $45. See themusichall.org.

Meet a Harris’ hawk and see it on the wing while experts from Monadnock Falconry answer questions at the bandshell in Nashua’s Greeley Park on Saturday, Oct. 12, from 2 to 4 p.m., hosted by Nashua Public Library. See nashualibrary.libcal.com.

City of books — 10/3/2024

10 It’s a feast for the book lover! The New Hampshire Book Festival debuts this Friday, Oct. 4, and (mainly) Saturday, Oct. 5, in downtown Concord. We talk to the organizers and give you a rundown of the authors slated to appear.

Also on the cover Michael Witthaus talks to Art Alexakis of the band Everclear, playing a show for ‘90s music fans with Marcy Playground and Jimmie’s Chicken Shack (page 30). Michael also takes a look at the soon-to-open show “Spellbound” at Mosaic Art Collective in Manchester (page 15). And plan now for the Chocolate Expo (page 22).

Read the e-edition

News & Notes 24/10/03

241003 Featured Content News

Emergency housing The Friends Program, a Concord-based nonprofit organization serving at-risk youth, seniors and families, re-dedicated its newly renovated Emergency ...

Sox on vacation early

241003 News Sports

The Big Story – Sox Miss Playoffs Again: It took a 27-39 post-All Star-break collapse after a promising first half, ...

Quality of Life 24/10/03

241003 News Quality Of Life

Even more EEE In a Sept. 26 online article, WMUR (wmur.com) reported that the New Hampshire Department of Health and ...

This Week 24/10/03

man playing piano on stage with screen behind him showing another man singing into microphone

241003 News This Week

Thursday, Oct. 3 John Ondrasik, the songwriter and performer known as the platinum-selling Grammy-nominated Five For Fighting ( “100 Years,” ...

City of books

Open book with paper-cut trees and butterflies under a sunny sky

241003 Cover Stories Featured Content

Meet authors and browse their works at the first New Hampshire Book Festival Friday night, New Hampshire’s first statewide book ...

Spellbinding

group of people sitting on armchairs in room with art on the walls

241003 Art & Theater Featured Content

Mosaic Art Collective celebrates October An upcoming exhibit at a downtown Manchester art gallery will be equal parts harvest moon ...

The Art Roundup 24/10/03

241003 Art & Theater Visual Arts

The latest from NH’s theater, arts and literary communities • From the Potters Guild: The New Hampshire Potters Guild is ...

Kiddie Pool 24/10/03

241003 Family Fun Outdoors

Family fun for whenever Fall fun • Joppa Hill Educational Farm (174 Joppa Hill Road, Bedford, 472-4724, theeducationalfarm.org) will hold ...

Treasure Hunt 24/10/03

wooden board cut in the shape of a fat pig with short legs and short snout

241003 Family Fun Treasure Hunt

Dear Donna, I just purchased my first in what I hope will be a small collection of pig cutting boards ...

On The Job – Patti Sexton

elderly woman standing with small horse outside on autumn day

241003 Q&A

Volunteer Coordinator Patti Sexton is the Volunteer Coordinator for UpReach Therapeutic Equestrian Center (153 Paige Hill Road, Goffstown, 497-2343), a ...

The Weekly Dish 24/10/03

241003 Food

News from the local food scene • The days of wine and sunflowers? On Thursday, Oct. 3, Barrel and Baskit ...

Expo is a fountain of tastiness

girl with glasses holding two chocolate samples

241003 Featured Content Food

The New Hampshire Chocolate Expo returns If Willy Wonka weren’t tied down to one location, his job might look a ...

Label adventures

241003 Food

A&E is reinvented as Rare Breed Emeran Langmaid has been on a voyage of reinvention. Langmaid is the owner of ...

Behind God’s Back

cocktail in tall glass with ice and sprig of mint sitting on counter with ingredients

241003 Food

This is an extremely good cocktail, with an even better name. ⅓ ounce cinnamon syrup (see below) ¼ ounce orgeat ...

Album Reviews 24/10/03

241003 Albums Pop

Randy Ingram, Aries Dance (Sounderscore Record Often, this Los Angeles-based jazz pianist astutely refers to his playing as “dancing,” a ...

By Any Other Name, by Jodi Picoult

241003 Books Pop

By Any Other Name, by Jodi Picoult (Ballantine Books, 544 pages) Jodi Picoult does not shy away from heavy-hitting topics ...

Will & Harper (R)

Will Ferrell and Harper Steele posing together between two large arrow sculptures in the western landscape

241003 Featured Content Film Reviews by Amy

Will Ferrell and longtime friend Harper Steele take a road trip across America in the sweet, hopeful documentary Will & ...

The Music Roundup 24/10/03

241003 Music This Week

Local music news & events • Clean comic: Along with eschewing profanity, Brian Regan assiduously avoids politics in his act ...

Native son

241003 Featured Content Nightlife

Juston McKinney returns to the Palace It’s a long-accepted truth that any New England comedian who hopes to make it ...

Native son

Juston McKinney returns to the Palace

It’s a long-accepted truth that any New England comedian who hopes to make it needs to move, either to New York or Los Angeles. Juston McKinney went west as a young comic. However, when he and his future wife began house-shopping in 2006, the Portsmouth native got pulled back to his home.

“It was the real estate market’s peak, and a two-bedroom in L.A. cost $500,000, so we started looking east,” he recalled by phone recently. “We went to Barstow, California, and then a little further to Nevada…. We ended up in Newmarket, New Hampshire.”

The forced decision turned out to be fortuitous. Nearly two decades later McKinney is among a handful of regional comedians who rarely need to leave town, though he did recently appear in Florida and Minnesota. The comic has two shows coming up at the Palace Theatre on Oct. 5. McKinney likes coming back to the venue in Manchester; he’s filmed two specials there. He describes it as an opera house with an intimate club vibe. “Everyone’s right on top of you and it doesn’t go too high,” he said. “Just the acoustics and the layout … there’s no room I can think of that I like more, let’s put it that way.”

The key to McKinney’s success is twofold: he’s relatable, and he never performs the same show twice. The comic draws from his life for laughs, talking about the relative absurdities of being a father of two boys who are now teenagers, and the ongoing bewilderment of married life.

As the kids have grown, his jokes have evolved. These days he’s a soccer dad who complains about having to drive close to Canada to play a high school team who’s lifted the New England Patriots name and logo. “This far north, trademark law doesn’t apply,” he said on Instagram, adding later, “If Robert Kraft gets an anonymous email … it didn’t come from me.”

Before he started in comedy, McKinney was a deputy sheriff in rural Maine. He had a rough childhood; his mother died when he was young, and his father reacted by retreating into alcoholism. Gratefully, dad’s been sober for many years now, and his past is a source of humor for the comic. “I once got hit by a drunk driver,” he said. “I mean, my dad reached over from the driver’s seat and smacked me.”

Last May, McKinney appeared at TEDx Portsmouth, where he talked about his personal life. “I stepped out of my comfort zone and talked a little bit about my story and my background,” he said. One of his memories was about a show he did in Portsmouth at a restaurant on Islington Street that turned into a humbling night.

“It went pretty good,” he recalled. “Then my dad goes up. He’s got a long gray beard and a red shirt on, and he tries to grab the microphone from the headliner on stage. Two bouncers have to come and pull him off. The headliner just goes, ‘It looks like Santa went on a binge this year.’ It got a huge laugh, bigger than the one I got on stage.”

McKinney took a serious tone at the end of the interview to talk about the problem of sketchy websites selling marked up tickets to his shows. “It’s one of the things that it’s so annoying right now for performers,” he said, adding, “Always go to the venue site, so you pay face value. I’m not worth $100 a ticket… $32.50 and you’ll get your money’s worth. The next time you go see me, it’s gonna feel like you got a deal.”

Juston McKinney
When: Saturday, Oct. 5, at 5 and 8 p.m.
Where: Palace Theatre, 80 Hanover St., Manchester
Tickets: $32.50 at palacetheatre.org

Featured photo: Juston McKinney. Courtesy photo.

The Music Roundup 24/10/03

Local music news & events

• Clean comic: Along with eschewing profanity, Brian Regan assiduously avoids politics in his act. He does, however, have one woke joke. Growing up, his parents often made Regan and his siblings vote on playtime activities. With four boys and two girls in the family, it was inherently undemocratic. “I didn’t like that, so I voted for dolls,” the enlightened comedian quipped. Thursday, Oct. 3, 8 p.m., Tupelo Music Hall, 10 A St., Derry, $55 and up at tupelomusichall.com.

• Special nights: A unique string quartet version of Five For Fighting (nom de guerre of John Ondrasik) performs two area shows. The artist behind the song “Superman (It’s Not Easy)” says the configuration, which includes many Broadway musicians, lets him go behind the music, tell stories and dive deep into his catalog. Thursday, Oct. 3, 7:30 p.m., Nashua Center for the Arts, 201 Main St., Nashua, $49 and up at etix.com (also Oct. 4 at 7:30 p.m., Colonial Theatre, Laconia).

• Funky music: Still grooving over three decades on, Moon Boot Lover, led by guitarist-singer Peter Prince, return to a favorite area haunt for an evening of their signature Rock-ET Soul. It’s a blend of Otis Redding and Al Green’s vocal grit and honey, Jimi Hendrix’s pyrotechnics and the classic rock swagger of Led Zeppelin and Grand Funk, all served up in a soulful package. Friday, Oct. 4, 9 p.m., Penuche’s Ale House, 16 Bicentennial Square, Concord, peterprincemusic.com.

• Granite sounds: New Hampshire native Cosy Sheridan performs with her trio. Sheridan came up in the early ’90s folk boom, winning Kerrville Folk Festival’s New Song Award and the Telluride Bluegrass Festival Troubadour Contest. Kate Redgate rounds out this 603 Music show. Saturday, Oct. 5, 7:30 p.m., Rex Theatre, 23 Amherst St., Manchester, $29 at palacetheatre.org.

• Brewery bash: It’s the time of year when beers get darker, as Weare cover band Speed Trap plays an Oktoberfest party to mark the release of one seasonal offering. For those still holding onto warm weather, there will be IPAs and lagers for quaffing while listening to the lively quintet, whose set highlights include a Clapton-esque “I Shot the Sheriff” and other classic rock hits. Sunday, Oct. 6, at 3 p.m., Henniker Brewing, 129 Centerville Road, Henniker, hennikerbrewing.com.

Year: 2024

Fans getting restless

Make a scarecrow, fling a pumpkin

News & Notes 24/10/10

City of books — 10/3/2024

Native son

The Music Roundup 24/10/03

Stay in the loop!

Get FREE weekly briefs on local food, music,

arts, and more across southern New Hampshire!