Author: Michael Witthaus

Olde World Fun

NH Renaissance Faire returns

Long before Danny Scialdone became general manager of the New Hampshire Renaissance Faire, he was better known as court jester Aspergillius Gleekman, mirthfully roaming the annual event. That’s not changed, and when Scialdone is called to answer a problem at the Faire these days, he still arrives with bells on.

It’s a visage not everyone is prepared for, he recalled in a recent phone interview as preparations for this year’s Faire in Fremont were underway.

“Some of the looks that I get from the people when I come walking up,” he said. “I’m like, ‘Hi, I’m Danny, how can I help you?’ and they’re like, ‘Oh, OK, you’re the manager? OK.’”

That blend of whimsy, warmth and genuine community spirit is exactly what the New Hampshire Renaissance Faire is all about. It’s why thousands of visitors make the trip each spring to step back in time, eat an enormous turkey leg, and lose themselves in a world of knights, aerial artists, fairies and more.

The Faire has come a long way since its founding in 2005, when it launched with a modest lineup of about nine vendors. This year roughly 170 merchants and performers will fill the fairgrounds. Many are traveling from across New England and the East Coast, with some coming all the way from Michigan, Ohio and beyond.

The growth reflects a hunger for the immersive, cosplay time travel experience provided there. “In the early 2000s, the only New England state that didn’t have a Renaissance Faire was New Hampshire,” Scialdone said, and founder Shannon McCracken-Barber from Farmington wanted to change that.

Scialdone came on board in 2012, a year after McCracken-Barber departed.

“It got to be a little bigger than I think she had ever expected it to get, and trying to run it all by herself was getting more and more daunting,” he said. To ensure the Faire continued, she urged the formation of a nonprofit. Three Maples Renaissance Corporation was born.

For curious first-timers unsure of what to expect, Scialdone’s advice is simple: just show up.

“It’s an amazing experience, and it’s hard to actually describe,” he said. “My recommendation is to come out and experience it. Even if it’s the only time that you ever do, I know you’re going to love it.”

The Faire is designed to be a fun family day out, reasonably priced for parents and kids to enjoy without stress. Archery instruction is one of many extras included with admission, offering the chance to learn from a professional bowyer and fire a volley of arrows at a real target. “It’s a very popular activity,” Scialdone noted.

For those who crave more spectacle, the Brotherhood of the Arrow and Sword sets up a fully authentic 15th-century knights’ encampment, complete with armor displays and live, unchoreographed sword fighting. Aerial artists are among Scaildone’s favorite participants, bringing a modern dash of circus flair.

Storytellers, period performers and roving characters fill every corner of the grounds. Scialdone also confirms drumsticks are still very much available, though he warns that as the day winds down so does the supply. “People can be absolutely devastated when our vendor runs out.”

Some of his best memories from past Faires have little to do with planned programming. Last year a soaking rain flooded part of the grounds. The staff referred to the resulting mess as Lake Complain, but two small boys dressed as dragons were overjoyed and spent the afternoon gleefully splashing through mud and puddles.

A crowd of onlookers laughed and filmed their spontaneous romp, turning a potential disaster into a fun memory.

“That’s the biggest take back for me,” Scialdone said. “Just getting to stand there and watch people have such a blast.” He’s also proud of the Faire’s success as a fundraiser.

Since the current team took over, the Faire has donated more than $700,000 to causes including the New Hampshire Food Bank, Meals on Wheels of Rockingham County, Exeter Hospital’s Beyond the Rainbow cancer recovery program, and several others. “Our entire goal and purpose of doing what we do,” he said, “is to help out people in need in New Hampshire.”

2026 New Hampshire Renaissance Faire
When: Saturdays (May 9 & 16) and Sundays (May 10 & 17), 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Where: Brookvale Pines Farm, 80 Martin Road, Fremont
Tickets: See nhrenfaire.com

Featured photo: Renaissance Faire. Courtesy photo.

Downtown sounds

Concord First Friday 2026 unveils six months of music

The rich music scene in Concord will be on display through early November, with the help of a local musician who’s also a local business owner. Eric Reingold was inspired to volunteer for the monthly First Friday series after catching one of its events last year.

Sensing an opportunity to add his expertise to the mix, he reached out to Intown Concord, the organization behind First Friday, Market Days and other downtown events. Reingold has worked with Intown for many years, both as the owner of Endicott Furniture on Main Street, and as a performer in acts like JamAntics, Up and People Skills. Stressing the many hats he wears, Reingold offered his services.

“I’m basically a full-time musician, I know all the bands around here, I run sound, and I can put on a huge festival with equipment I’ve accumulated over the years,” he told them. “By way of shortening the story, they were like, ‘Well, if you think you can do it, why don’t you?’”

That was last summer, and he’s been booking bands since, assembling a lineup that serves as a love letter to the Capital City’s music community.

“I have seen every single one of these bands,” Reingold said. “My opinion is that the music in Concord is incredible. There’s so much good talent here that I’ve been both lucky to be part of and also just experience.”

On May 1, the inaugural First Friday of 2026 will offer live music on two stages. In Bicentennial Square, RGB Trio will kick things off at 4 p.m., followed by Chasing Ghosts from 6:15 to 8 p.m. Over at City Plaza, near the capitol building, Wandering Souls take the stage at 4 p.m.

RGB Trio consists of drummer Ryan King, Gary Smith on bass and a unique eight-string guitar, and singer/guitarist Bob Dwyer. They’re booked at this year’s Strange Creek Campout and are a favorite at Penuche’s and other local night spots. They mix originals and eclectic covers ranging from Phish to Hendrix.

Chasing Ghosts is a young, high-energy ’90s cover band out of Henniker whose drummer once stepped in last-minute for one of Reingold’s own gigs without knowing any of the songs.

“He was a real trooper; it was kind of a legendary move,” he recalled. “They’re young and fresh. They haven’t kicked around too much yet.”

With a setlist touching on the ’90s pop side with songs like Sixpence None the Richer’s “Kiss Me,” Wandering Souls is 10-member band that also hosts a weekly jam session at Christ the King Church. “They’ve been supporting Intown Concord for a long time,” Reingold said. “So it was important to continue using them.”

Upcoming in June are Kyle Erickson, Ashborne and Trade, one of two bands including guitarist Scott Solsky that are part of the series. The latter is organ-forward trio J3ST, on a jam-forward Sept. 4 quadruple bill with Supernothing, Bosey Joe and Superbug.

In deference to Intown’s citywide multi-stage street festival running June 27 through June 29, there’s no July event. “I think that’s kind of their big break,” Reingold said. “It’s kind of a mini-vacation after Market Days because they’re so straight out during that weekend.”

August’s First Friday welcomes the return of Senie Hunt, a local favorite who relocated to Tennessee a few years back but comes back every summer for local dates. Celtic rockers Rebel Collective join Hunt on the Bicentennial Stage, while a band of local doctors called No Copay play from 4 to 8 in City Plaza.

In October, Reingold does double duty, performing both in his band Up and with his old JamAntics mate in Lucas Gallo & the Guise.

“Intown told me I could play as much as I wanted, but I didn’t want to abuse my position, especially because I know so many bands that are better than I am around here,” he said. “But it was important to get my ‘Guise’ up there.”

Heather Smith & the Constants and Robin Gaming round out October’s First Friday, with Lee & Dr. G and Andrew North & the Rangers along with Martha Hubbard in November. Reingold’s overall goal is to reinforce downtown Concord as a go-to hotspot: “Cool and inviting to the locals, but also people that want to visit.”

Concord First Friday Music
When: Friday, May 1
Where: Bicentennial Square – RGB Trio, 4 p.m., Chasing Ghosts, 6:15 p.m. / City Plaza – Wandering Souls, 4 p.m.
Full schedule: firstfridayconcord.com

Featured photo: Chasing Ghosts. Courtesy photo.

The Music Roundup 26/04/30

• Laugh learning: Many comics began in education. Share It with the Class – A Teachers Comedy Show showcases four of them. Mark Riley is an ex-teacher and hockey referee who spent a week in the NHL before realizing he enjoyed the stage more. Dan Crohn and Mr. B (Jim Bowes) both still teach by day and tell jokes at night, as does middle school science teacher Bill Douglas. Friday, May 1, 7:30 p.m., Rex Theatre, 23 Amherst St., Manchester, $34, palacetheatre.org.

• Rock show: More than 25 years after the release of their eponymous first album, post-grunge stalwarts Tantric are still on the road. Led by front man and lone original member Hugo Ferreira, who founded the act with what was left of Days of the New, they hit the Billboard Mainstream Rock Top Five with “Breakdown” in 2001. Chunky Love, Thumz Down and Dead Time open a local show. Friday, May 1, 7 p.m., Bungalow Bar & Grill, 333 Valley St., Manchester, $26, dice.fm.

• Kiss goodbye: Discovered in the mid-’70s by KISS bassist Gene Simmons, Angel is in the midst of a farewell tour that stops in Derry. Blending hard rock, prog and a glamourous white satin image, the Washington, D.C., band rose with songs like “Tower” and their cover of “Ain’t Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore.” Founding members Frank DiMino and Punky Meadows lead the current lineup. Saturday, May 2, 8 p.m., Tupelo Music Hall, 10 A St., Derry, $45, tupelohall.com.

• Sun country: Based in Tempe, Arizona, emo pop punk band Sundressed are in town with fellow Take This To Heart Records labelmates Thanks! I Hate It and nu-punk band 40 Lashes opening the all-ages show. Lead singer, guitarist and lyricist Trevor Hedges started the group as therapy for his addiction and a path to sobriety, as detailed in the band’s first EP, 2015’s Dig Up A Miracle. Sunday, May 3, 8 p.m., BAD BRGR, 1015 Elm St., Manchester, $10 at the door, badbrgr.com.

Twice as nice

For Free Comic Book Day, industry change means more for fans

It’s counterintuitive that bankruptcy would make a company’s big event bigger, but it happened when the distributor that launched Free Comic Book Day went bankrupt last year. The company that bought it, and with the trademark, promised to continue FCBD. However, one distributor, Penguin Random House, broke away and launched a rival version.

Fortunately, customers are the winners in this battle — both events will happen simultaneously. On May 2, stores will hand out titles from both FCBD and the newcomer, Comics Giveaway Day — no strings attached. Michael Boddy, the owner of Collectibles Unlimited in Concord, summed it up thusly: “It sounds different, but it’s going to be the same.”

Actually, it’s better. In 2025 two dozen titles were given away; this year at least 46 will be available for the event, created in 2002 to build interest in comics and, at the time, promote a new Spider-Man movie.

There are two huge events happening in the state, one spilling out from a store into a function hall with dozens of vendor tables, and another that takes over an entire downtown, with a festival’s worth of musical guests during the day.

Collectibles Unlimited

25 South St., Concord, 228-3712, collectiblesunlimited.biz

Hours: 10:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.

A Concord fixture since 1984, taken over in 2005 by Michael Boddy, offering comics, role-playing, board and card games, along with miniatures, paints, coins and bullion. Because the shop skews heavily toward tabletop gaming, FCBD is also a good chance to browse discounted board and role-playing game stock while picking up free comics.

Double Midnight Comics

252 Willow St., Manchester, 669-9636, dmcomics.com/freecomicbookday

341 Loudon Road, Concord, 715-2683, dmcomics.com/freecomicbookday

Hours: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Held in The Factory on Willow event hall adjacent to its store, Double Midnight’s Manchester event is one of the largest FCBD celebrations in northern New England. There’s a large vendor floor, artist alley, cosplay contest, and panel/signing area, and the retail space is also open for shopping.

Visitors can grab the official free comics, meet creators like illustrator JK Woodward and Legacy of Valor’s Kurt Springs, check out movie cars like a Back to the Future DeLorean or a Jurassic Park Jeep or participate in the 15th annual costume contest, and watch Clemenzi Crusaders perform “the soundtrack of pop culture.”

“We invite everybody to come on down and experience the events — we go all out for this,” Chris Proulx, owner of Double Midnight along with his brother Scott, said by phone recently. “We love comics, and we want to have a good time … it’s a great event for families to drop in for the day.”

Double Midnight’s Concord location will also hand out official titles (with a per-person limit). It’s a convenient stop for those coming from the Lakes Region or anyone looking to avoid the larger Manchester crowd while scoring a free comic book or graphic novel like Chris Proulx’s pick from this year’s batch, Dungeon Crawler Carl.

Jetpack Comics & Games

37 N. Main St., Rochester, 330-XMEN (9636), jetpackcomics.com/fcbd-cgd

Hours: 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Founded by Ralph DiBernardo, Jetpack Comics launched one of the state’s signature FCBD celebrations. The event has grown into a full-day bash in downtown Rochester, with a mini-music festival and a late night afterparty. There’s even a custom city-only title: Dungeon Crawler Carl with a bespoke cover.

A citywide comic book scavenger hunt offers kids, teens and adults special titles at participating downtown businesses. Extras come with the purchase of a $10 Power Up Band. Benefiting Rochester Performance and Arts Center, it includes admission to the seven-band Rock n’ Roll Playground Festival and Curmudjun’s afterparty concert. At official FCBD host Rochester Opera House, there’s a vendor hall and The Turtle Den. Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird created Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in nearby Dover, and DiBernardo premiered their first comic book at a convention in 1984. “We’ve had close ties forever,” DiBernardo said. “It’s like a big Turtle party.”

Merrymac Games and Comics

550 DW Highway, Merrimack, 420-8161, merrymacgc.com

Hours: Monday and Tuesday 10 a.m. – 7 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday 10 a.m. – 9 p.m., Sunday noon – 6 p.m.

As in past years, Merrymac’s giveaway is paired with creator appearances, including former Black Caravan co-publisher Rich Woodall, also known for his work on The Bloody Ring of Dracula, Gods of Brutality and others. He’s also worked on covers for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Powerpuff Girls and Masters of the Universe.

Also appearing is Sara Richard, a New Hampshire-based artist and writer whose work includes comic book covers and book illustrations for DC Comics, Marvel, Dynamite Comics and other publishers, along with other illustration work for DC Collectables, StormKing and The Witch House in Salem, Mass.

Newbury Comics

777 S. Willow St., Manchester, 624-2842

99 Rockingham Park Blvd. (Mall at Rockingham Park), Salem, 890-1380

310 DW Highway (Pheasant Lane Mall), Nashua, 888-0720

The big New England retailer is listed as a participant on the FCBD website.

Pop Culture Cards Comics and Collectibles

66 Route 27, Raymond, 244-1850, popculturenh.com

Along with comic book giveaways, there will be regular gaming going on. At 10:30 a.m., author Mike Marks will sign copies of the first issue of Helsing Files, his detective and vampire thriller funded by a Kickstarter campaign.

Stairway to Heaven Comics

105 Gosling Road, Newington, 319-6134, stairwaytoheavencomics.com

Hours: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Owner Brad Gile expects a “fun, festive atmosphere,” with guests including local creators HG Bradley and Jeff Lorentz (Skin of My Teeth, My Coworker is a Vampire) with Katie McMahon returning from last year. Luke Fletcher will show off Overpower, a game that’s been refreshed from its ’90s beginnings, and give away an Invincible card.

Featured photo: Photo by Zombie Leader of Carolyn and Christian Lopes as Jubilee and Wolverine browsing at Double Midnight.

Double play

Orchestral rock and Scorpions music from Uli Jon Roth

On his current Pictures of Destiny tour, Uli Jon Roth balances the music he made with Scorpions and his solo material by playing two full shows in three hours. He begins with the classical rock he began making after he left the group, with his original films and artwork on a screen behind him. The set often ends with a new arrangement of “Sails of Charon.”

Perhaps his best-known song with the German hard rocker band, it’s also a bridge to the fan-pleasing second half. With his full band, Roth does a front-to-back performance of Virgin Killer, to help celebrate its 50th anniversary this year, followed by a best-of from his time in Scorpions. Usually there’s a faithful take of “Sails of Charon.”

Roth is realistic that the Scorpions material made his name, while the more complex work that followed didn’t cross into the mainstream.

“I have a new Uli audience who are more into the new stuff,” he said from a tour stop in Denver. “Then there are those brought up with Tokyo Tapes and that kind of stuff. My performances reflect that.”

For many years Roth chafed at the nostalgia of it all, but he now leans into pleasing Scorpions fans.

“Actually, I do enjoy playing it,” he said — particularly 1976’s Virgin Killer. “It feels really fresh. We are doing it slightly differently from the originals, and it feels like it was written now in some strange way.”

The key, it seems, has been learning to bring his current sensibility to the older songs rather than merely recreating them — “Sails of Charon” is a good example. “That’s undergone lots of transformations over the years,” he said. “Simply because I was never satisfied with the original arrangement; I always thought it was slightly unfinished.”

At his upcoming Tupelo Music Hall show Roth will preview material from Requiem for an Angel, a project he returned to recently after shelving it for two decades. Over the past year strings, percussion, drums and guitar tracks were recorded in the studio, and parts of it were performed on a recent Japan tour.

Requiem for an Angel is a large-scale orchestral tribute to Monica Dannemann, an artist Roth met in the mid-1970s. The two were life partners until her death in 1996. Dannemann was crucial to his creative growth, creating artwork for his records and co-writing songs.

“She was always an inspiration; I was really privileged to have even met her,” Roth recalled. “She is still part of my life, because when she passed away, she’s basically irreplaceable — not just for me, but for all of our circle of friends. She is one of these people who is really sorely missed.”

For the first half of the show Roth relies on computer-backed orchestral music. That’s due both to modern music industry economics and personal preference going back years.

“I’m utilizing technology to the max; I always have,” he said. “We can’t carry an orchestra around with us, but I am playing everything live.”

A multimedia show utilizing film, his projected paintings (also on display in the lobby), and time-synced visual footage allows Roth to bring a hundred-piece orchestra’s worth of ambition to small venues like Tupelo. Not that he wouldn’t like the real thing.

“It would be a lot of fun,” he said. “But nobody would pay for it.”

Roth is equally unbothered by AI’s encroachment on creative fields.

“Unlike most of my peers, I’m not afraid of AI — I love it,” he said, adding that he uses it to refine compositions for his videos and assist in the early stages of his paintings before committing to oil on canvas.

He’s also not worried about things like the recent Spotify dustup when an AI “artist” built up big streaming numbers with human-free music. He welcomes it.

“If the day comes that AI creates a better piece of music, then so be it,” he said. “You know, let the best computer win.”

There is one genre that Roth is not at all interested in, machine made or otherwise.

“I’m really not a heavy metal fan,” he said. “The worst is death metal and black metal. I can’t stand it because there’s no wholesomeness in it. It’s just a bunch of question marks and no answers.”

Uli Jon Roth
When: Friday, April 24, 7 p.m.
Where: Tupelo Music Hall, 10 A St., Derry
Tickets: $50 at tupelohall.com

Featured photo: Uli Jon Roth. Courtesy photo.

The Music Roundup 26/04/23

• She showcase: A theatrical tribute to more than two dozen female solo icons and groups, Crowned28 ranges from Aretha to Lady Gaga. It’s the latest from Manchester singer Jordan Quinn, who did the diva-centric Queens a while back. The genre-fluid show offers hits from Heart, Linda Ronstadt and Pat Benatar, along with Celine Dion, Dolly Parton and Tina Turner, all backed by a full band. Thursday, April 23, at 7:30 p.m., Rex Theatre, 23 Amherst St., Manchester, $30, palacetheatre.org.

• Solidarity songs: To benefit NH Immigrant Mutual Aid Fund, Joyful Resistance: A Night of Protest Songs raises up music as a means to effect social change, from Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger to Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen. The event is hosted by Tess George and The Common Good Chorus, with performances from The Rise Up Singers, Fortune’s Favor, and No Planet B. Friday, April 24, 7 p.m., Unitarian Universalist Church, 58 Lowell St., Nashua, uunashua.org.

• Local lights: Celebrating the release of their new album Off The Grid, Slim Volume performs in downtown Concord. The LP offers lush harmonies, jangly riffs and modern lyrics — for the latter, check out “6:51” and the title cut. It’s another winner from one of New Hampshire’s standout acts. The show opens with fellow New Englanders Regals, and Hey, I’m Outside, the latter led by a pair of Southern expats. Friday, April 24, 8 p.m., BNH Stage, 16 S. Main St., $18, ccanh.com.

• Reliable rockers: Few Granite State bands can bring the party like Conniption Fits, a rollicking power trio that’s heated up regional nightclubs for multiple decades. From MTV staples like “Come On Eileen” to contemporary hits from Kings of Leon, Bruno Mars and Lorde, the band knows how to get crowds dancing. Their original project Echo the Divide is also very good. Saturday, April 25, 8 p.m., Stumble Inn Bar & Grill, 20 Rockingham Road, Londonderry, conniptionfits.com.

• Fleet fellow: A short New England run for Robin Pecknold wraps up in Nashua. It’s been close to two years since his band Fleet Foxes has performed, so a solo acoustic set is a welcome tonic for fans. Along with favorites like “Helplessness Blues” and “Mykonos,” Pecknold in the past has done Joni Mitchell’s “Amelia” and Glen Campbell’s “Wichita Lineman,” so expect surprises. Sunday, April 26, 7 p.m., Nashua Center for the Arts, 201 Main St., Nashua, $57 and up, etix.com.

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