• Back for Xmas: In what’s become a holiday tradition, Abrielle Scharff returns for her fifth annual Abby Holidays show. Now living in New York City — a few years back, her original “New York Makes Me Cry” earned a top three finish in Pop Dust’s Coffee Music Project competition — the Portsmouth native promises “seasonal songs, bad jokes and a lot of love” for her homecoming set. Thursday, Dec. 23, 7 p.m., Portsmouth Book & Bar, 40 Pleasant St,, Portsmouth. Tickets $20 and $25 at eventbrite.com.
• Lead into fun: Head to a music-friendly taphouse and eatery for Early Music Christmas Eve, a local showcase starring Becca Myari, Angela Stewart, John Farese and Crazy Steve sharing songs, stories and good cheer. Singer and guitarist Myari has a gorgeous acoustic rendition of the classic “O Holy Night” to anticipate, along with various stouts and barley wines. Friday, Dec. 24, 4 p.m., Area 23, 254 N. State St., Unit H (Smokestack Center), Concord, facebook.com/area23concord.
• Rock it forward: Work out post-Christmas ya-yas at Holiday Hardcore Fest 2021, a two-stage event commencing in late afternoon with a sprawling list of bands including Trauma Kit, Hard Target, Sophisticated Adult, Clock Out, I Know A Ghost, Bleach Temple, Trading Heroes For Ghosts, Duress, Spit, Duress, Ten to One, Voluntary Victim, Choke Out, and Slug; by showtime likely a few more will be added. Sunday, Dec. 26, 5 p.m., Jewel Music Venue, 61 Canal St., Manchester, $12 and up at eventbrite.com.
• Tri tip time: Joined by area mainstays Paul Costley and Nate Comp, Jess Olson hosts an Artist Showcase. The Granite State singer-guitarist has kept busy of late, recently spending time in Nashville, sharing a stage with new expat Amanda McCarthy at Pete & Terry’s Tavern, and performing at a songwriter round at the Copper Branch club there, along with doing a photo shoot at the Opryland Resort. Tuesday, Dec. 28, 7 p.m., KC’s Rib Shack, 837 Second St., Manchester, facebook.com/TheJessOlsonBand.
• All in one: Midweek mirth and music, including an EDM-infused version of “Tequila,” comes from Lee Ross, a Boston dance machine who works keyboards, horns and a psychedelic light show into his act. If that’s not enough, his wild head of hair takes over. One set highlight is the New Orleans second line staple “Money Back,” and he also has a long list of funk, reggae and rhythm & blues bangers at the ready. Wednesday, Dec. 29, 9 p.m., Penuche’s Ale House, 16 Bicentennial Square, Concord, youtube.com/HouseOfLeeRoss.
Books, box sets, baubles, even bespoke action figures are all good ways to make the music fan in your life feel special — and if those don’t do it, there’s always concert tickets. Here are some gifts that are sure to provoke a positive response.
Keep the holiday spirit alive all year with singer, songwriter and artist Dan Blakeslee & the Calabash Club’s joyful album, Christmasland Jubilee, available in a deluxe green and gold accented splattered vinyl edition that includes a silkscreened jacket, lyric book and original sketches from the New England treasure, who frequently performs in the Granite State.
Liz Bills poster
Celebrate multiple New England Music Award nominee Liz Bills by purchasing her latest CD, Liz Bills & The Change, or grabbing a ’60s themed poster marking the same release.
Sepsiss took home their second NEMA in October, for Hard Rock/Metal Act of the Year. The New Hampshire rockers are ace branders as well, with a merch store offering puzzles, dog tags, red starred socks, stickers and even a signed Polaroid, along with T-shirts and caps. One of the best items is a fleece blanket with the image of lead singer Melissa Wolfe.
Not content with doing standup comedy and performing power pop with his band Donaher, Nick Lavallee began crafting made-to-order action figures of cultural icons a while back, including a dual set with Chance the Rapper and Death Cab for Cutie’s Ben Gibbard, Tom Hanks in his Castaway role, Tenacious D and the priceless Mahket Basket clerk (actually $65). See pics on Instagram @wickedjoyful or purchase at wickedjoyful.bigcartel.com.
Made-to-order action figure
Peter Jackson’s mammoth documentary Get Back had Beatles fans atwitter over Thanksgiving; some loved it, others were put off by its eight-hour length. For fans, there’s a deluxe vinyl box set of the Let It Be album that includes all the superior Glyn Johns mixes, or a Get Back coffee table book. For brevity lovers, it’s perhaps a better idea to grab a pair of tickets to watch Ringo Starr & His All-Starr band open Bank of NH Pavilion’s 2022 concert season on June 4.
For the concert fan who can’t decide, there’s always the gift card option. Many area venues offer them, including Tupelo Music Hall. The Derry venue has upcoming shows from Marc Cohn, The Alarm, Rick Springfield, Tower of Power and ex-Eagle Don Felder, along with Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers guitarist Mike Campbell, so it will surely get spent.
Rock Concert
Supply chain problems preclude anyone from having the 30th-anniversary box set of Nirvana’s earth-shattering Nevermind on vinyl until next May, so if preordering won’t work, there’s a five-CD version with the remastered album and complete recordings of four concerts, as well as a Blu-ray disc of the HD Live in Amsterdam video, and a 40-page hardcover book.
Speaking of books, several fine reads for the rock fan were published this year, including Rock Concert by Marc Myers, an oral history with memories from artists, fans and industry figures. It’s packed with fun facts, such as that the first stadium concert was promoted by Kay Wheeler, the teenage president of Elvis Presley’s fan club. Her letter writing campaign in 1956 managed to fill the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.
For the classic rock fan, Hollywood Eden by Joel Selvin traces the roots of the 1960s California Sound to University High School in Los Angeles, where teens like Bruce Johnston of the Beach Boys and Jan & Dean spent their days in classes and their nights making hit records. It includes the bizarre story of a plot to kidnap Frank Sinatra Jr. to revive a flagging career.
At the intersection of rock and fantasy, Z2 Comics offers graphic novels based on music from artists from All Time Low to Yungblud. Among the best are one that combines the I Love Rock and Roll and Bad Reputation albums by Joan Jett into one book, and another based on Judas Priest’s Screaming for Vengeance. The latter comes in a $500 deluxe version.
Featured photo: Dan Blakeslee vinyl. Courtesy image.
• Holiday cheer: Hosting its annual benefit show, the Uncle Steve Band is a friendly combo whose audience was once described as consisting of “old hippies, college kids, families with young children, and everyone else.” Featuring fiddle and harmonica, they lead with a country rock vibe, though a recent original, “To Be In Love Alone,” has a soulful groove. Proceeds from the event go to Bristol Community Services. Thursday, Dec. 16, 7 p.m., Kathleen’s Irish Pub, 90 Lake St., Bristol. Admission $10 at the door.
• Winter party: A mini-festival starring Grammy-nominated mandolin player Matt Flinner and roots band Low Lily marks the solstice — what optimists term the turn towards spring. Possessing a wide-ranging style that’s found him working with Leftover Salmon, Steve Martin, Modern Mandolin Quartet and others, Flinner was called “the most exciting and creative mandolin player on the scene today” by Jazz Times. Friday, Dec. 17, 7 p.m., Bank of NH Stage, 16 S. Main St., Concord, $23 at ccanh.com.
• Guitar heroes: Three veteran guitarists team up for Masters of the Telecaster, a trio devoted to the Fender-forward music of Roy Buchanan, Bo Diddley, Little Richard and others. The show stars G.E. Smith, known for his time in the SNL Band and stints with Hall & Oates and Roger Waters; Jim Weider, who stepped in for Robbie Robertson in The Band; and Jon Herington, who currently tours with Steely Dan. Saturday, Dec. 18, 8 p.m., Tupelo Music Hall, 10 A St., Derry, $35 and $40 at tupelohall.com.
• Groovy time: Six-piece funk fusion powerhouse Mica’s Groove Train returns to a music-friendly downtown tap room and restaurant. Led by Yamica Peterson, a soulful singer and keyboard player with a voice that can lift a crowd from its chairs and onto the dance floor, the band made a splash in the early 2010s before taking a multi-year hiatus. Back and busy, the band leads with a solid catalog of original songs. Saturday, Dec. 18, 8 p.m., Strange Brew Tavern, 88 Market St., Manchester. See msyamicapeterson.com.
• Sunday fun: Enjoy afternoon tapas and music from The Incidentals, a quartet whose repertoire ranges from Sinatra to the Ramones. It’s not clear if that includes a punk rock version of “My Way,” though perhaps — Sid Vicious covered that song once upon a time. The restaurant is renowned for its inventive sharable small plates and a cocktail bar that extends the Grateful Dead theme with a grapefruit-flavored Sugar Magnolia martini. Sunday, Dec. 19, 4 p.m., Stella Blu, 70 East Pearl St., Nashua, stellablu-nh.com.
Black Violin earned a Grammy nomination for its 2020 album, Take The Stairs — a fitting title, given the band’s challenging journey to success.
Led by Kev Marcus on violin and Wil Baptiste on viola, the group mashes up classical music and hip-hop. They invented their innovative genre years before YouTube, Twitter and TikTok virality existed, when making it in the world of music came from wearing out shoe leather, not web clicks.
Their first big break came as the new millennium was unfolding, and it’s illustrative. Hoping to perform at basketball star Allen Iverson’s birthday bash, they got a meeting with the promoter of Teasers nightclub in Miami.
“He laughed us out the door,” Marcus said in a recent phone interview. “He said, ‘What am I gonna do with violins?’”
Their irate manager responded by opening the back of his Ford Expedition, cranking up the sound system, and instructing the pair to play on the sidewalk in front of the club. A crowd quickly formed that soon included the shocked promoter. He got it, and agreed to hire them — as long as they promised to stay in flow.
“We needed to create a set for the DJ to mix in [so] our music didn’t stop everyone dancing,” Marcus said. “It’s the same kind of hip-hop music, except now you’re hearing violins, and you’re like, where is that? Then once they see us, they start crowding around. That was sort of the beginning.”
A couple of years later, they earned a spot on Showtime At The Apollo, a talent contest famous for unforgiving audiences.
“They boo you off the stage if they don’t like you,” Marcus said. “I mean, they are legendarily ruthless.”
The two waited in the green room as four acts went out ahead of them and were quickly dispensed by the crowd.
“A guy called the Sandman jumps from his box, hits the stage, and starts tap dancing you off,” Marcus said. “I remember being underneath … and just seeing the dust fall from the green room ceiling.”
Staring down at their violins, the two feared they’d been set up. But that feeling soon vanished.
“We walk on stage and we never lose,” Marcus said. “We won four straight competitions, we got standing ovations. It was the ‘we call home and quit our jobs’ moment. … If this crowd is gonna take us, then any crowd is gonna take us.”
The spark for their unique sound came when Marcus and Baptiste were in high school together — via a Sony Ericsson cell phone.
“Before ringtones, you could program notes,” Marcus said. “Busta Rhymes took the theme from Psycho and made a hip-hop beat, and it was the No. 1 song in the country…. I thought that was cool, so I created the notes for it and put it in my phone.”
When it rang in orchestra class, Marcus’s teacher predictably confiscated it, but not before his intrigued fellow musicians started replicating the digital sounds on their own instruments.
“The violinist next to me started playing the notes from my phone, and he went, ‘What if the violinist played?’ The next thing you know, the whole orchestra is playing,” he said.
Although Black Violin’s first Grammy nomination came for Best Instrumental Album, there’s an uplifting lyrical message throughout Take The Stairs, particularly on “Impossible Is Possible” and “One Step.” The latter song was made into a hard-hitting video, reminiscent of Childish Gambino’s “This Is America.”
C&I Studio CEO Joshua Miller wrote a short film that touched on racial profiling, the immigration crisis, and the scourge of gun violence in schools.
“We wanted it to be really controversial,” Miller said in a ‘making of’ video. “Our whole pitch was really telling the story of what’s happening in America right now.”
“One Step” had been written two years earlier, with a different message in mind, Marcus explained, but they also felt a need to update it for the present moment.
“Everything you see in the video … we’re dealing with directly,” he said. “We wanted to show our reality, and if we can’t do that within our own art then we’re in the wrong business.”
Black Violin
When: Sunday, Dec. 12, at 7 p.m. Where: Capitol Center for the Arts, 44 S. Main St., Concord Tickets: $35 and up at ccanh.com
• Side to front: A rock guitarist takes a jazz direction as Scott Sharrard & Friends pay tribute to bop and soul legend Grant Green in an evening dubbed Green Is Beautiful. Beginning in 2008, Sharrard was musical director for the Gregg Allman Band. Currently he plays lead for Little Feat, stepping in after the passing of Paul Barrere in 2019. His presence gives that band new velocity. Thursday, Dec. 9, 7:30 p.m., Jimmy’s Jazz and Blues Club, 135 Congress St., Portsmouth, $20 and $30 at ticketmaster.com.
• State repping: A packed lineup of hardcore talent drives 603 Strong, with Great American Ghost performing a holiday show, the original lineup of metal band Vanna rebranded as Inspirit for its first New Hampshire appearance, Kaonashi, In Remembrance doing a reunion show, Katahdin, Martial Law and Underthrow. The 18+ show has an early start to provide each act with enough time to stretch out. Friday, Dec. 10, 5 p.m., Jewel Music Venue, 61 Canal St., Manchester, $20 advance at eventbrite.com ($25 day of show).
• Peanuts gang: The music from a beloved 1965 Christmas special is revisited by the Heather Pierson Trio. When A Charlie Brown Christmas first aired, the network complained about inexperienced child voice actors, poor sound and choppy animation. They wanted a laugh track in and the Gospel of Luke out. The jazz soundtrack was most troubling, but it sparked an interest by a young Pierson that’s still enduring. Saturday, Dec. 11, 7 p.m., The Word Barn, 66 Newfields Road, Exeter, $25 at portsmouthnhtickets.com.
• Holiday swing: Symphony NH performs its annual Holiday Pops Concert, playing favorite classic Christmas songs led by conductor Roger Kalia. This year’s program begins with “A Christmas Scherzo” followed by music from the motion picture Frozen and a reading of The Night Before Christmas. The show’s second half offers seven selections from The Nutcracker, “Deck the Halls” and, finally, an audience sing-along. Sunday, Dec. 12, 3 p.m., Concord City Auditorium, 2 Prince St., Concord, $35 and up at symphonyny.org.
• Dynamic duo: Touring in support of Noon, their first new album since 2005, Leo Kottke & Mike Gordon perform an evening of acoustic music. Phish drummer Jon Fishman recalled seeing virtuoso guitarist Kottke in a Vermont club in the 1980s and thinking if he ever connected with his bandmate Gordon, “that might be the end of the world.” The two joined up in the early 2000s, making a pair of albums before their hiatus. Monday, Dec. 13, 7:30 p.m., Lebanon Opera House, 51 N. Park St., Lebanon, $38 to $58 at lebanonoperahouse.org.
From her debut album, a live tribute to Nina Simone, to recreating Joni Mitchell’s iconic Blue track by track a few years back, Morgan James relishes a challenge. Her guiding lights are interpreters like Simone and Aretha Franklin, who “get a hold of a song, and the original goes out the window,” she said in a recent phone interview.
In 2019 James set out to make a throwback soul record with vintage equipment, backing from a rhythm section used by Al Green, and a bevy of veteran session players. Named for the studio where it was recorded, Memphis Magnetic is an R&B celebration. Alas, it came out weeks before the pandemic hit, so a planned supporting tour had to be scrapped.
She responded by returning to Memphis to make the live-in-the-studio A Very Magnetic Christmas. Incredibly, it’s even more soulful than its predecessor, with skillfully curated nuggets like William Bell’s “Every Day Will Be Like A Holiday” and “Backdoor Santa,” the latter unearthed from the 1968 Atco Records holiday compilation Soul Christmas, along with some seasonal standards and a few winning originals.
The Clarence Carter track about a Santa with more on his mind than gift-giving — “I make all the little girls happy while the boys are out to play” goes the chorus — was memorably sampled in 1987 by Run-DMC for its “Christmas in Hollis” and is a standout track on an album already packed with them.
“I do straight-up classics like ‘White Christmas’ and ‘O Holy Night,’ of course,” James said, “but I wanted to do a couple that people might not expect me to sing. I think that song turned out so great. It’s so fun to sing, and it’s so funky; we had the best time making that.”
James and husband guitarist-producer Doug Wamble co-wrote “Long As I Got You,” which she called “a little love song about winter,” adding, “when people are complaining about the weather, we’re not … we love being cozy.” Another delight from the couple is the bouncy “I Wanna Know,” which echoes Natalie Cole’s hit “This Will Be (An Everlasting Love).”
Idaho-born and California-raised, James set her sights on New York City after high school. She applied to Juilliard and was initially declined, but kept at it, eventually persuading the prestigious school to open up an extra vocalist slot for her.
“It tells you all you need to know about my personality,” James said with a laugh. “I’m very stubborn, and if I have a vision for something I don’t really take no for an answer.”
Later she performed on Broadway, notably playing Teena Marie in The Motown Show, where she caught the attention of Berry Gordy Jr. He became her mentor and helped guide her to a major-label deal with Epic Records.
“He really encouraged me to write and have a stake in my own music,” James said. “The best advice he ever gave was he reminded me to always do my best work and always go with my vision, whether or not I’m reaping benefits from it. One day he said to me, ‘You know, Morgan, a star is a star even when it’s light out. When the sun goes down, we can see the stars, but that doesn’t mean they’re not there in the daytime. You are a star all the time, so act like a star.’”
James’s Magnetic Christmas tour stops in Manchester on Dec. 4 for a show at the Rex Theatre. How does she feel about being back on the road after a two-year break?
“We are getting all our ducks in a row, and there’s a lot to think about,” James said. “We’re going to have to get used to the lifestyle again [but] we’re so excited to see everybody, and play music, and be in a different city every day. We start the day after Thanksgiving, and go all the way up until Christmas. It’s going to be so joyful and celebratory; that’s what we want from the shows.”
Morgan James – A Very Magnetic Christmas
When: Saturday, Dec. 4, 7:30 p.m. Where: Rex Theatre, 23 Amherst St., Manchester Tickets: $25 and up at palacetheatre.org
• Santa surfing: Sidelined by the pandemic last year, Gary Hoey is back on the road with his Ho-Ho-Hoey! Christmas tour. It stops in Derry, on the way to a California finish. The Dick Dale acolyte first donned his Kringle hat over 25 years ago; the franchise now includes Hallmark greeting cards with his holiday favorites, and Hoey was also featured in the 2006 Danny DeVito film Deck The Halls. Friday, Dec. 3, 8 p.m., Tupelo Music Hall, 10 A St., Derry, tickets $35 and $40 at tupelohall.com.
• Healing sounds: On her 2021 coming out song Becoming Untamed, singer-guitarist Kimayo chronicled her journey of “re-wilding … shedding expectations and old belief systems to awaken intuition, curiosity, and self-love.” The poetic songstress looks to music as her “confidante, dance partner, comforter … mood lifter.” A UNH alum, she shares a set of her originals at a Manchester brew pub. Saturday, Dec. 4, 6 p.m., Backyard Brewery & Kitchen, 1211 S. Mammoth Road, Manchester. See kimayomusic.com.
• Christmas croon: Great American Songbook authority Michael Feinstein brings his Home for the Holidays show to the Granite State, drawing from his enduring 2014 release A Michael Feinstein Christmas, with selections from Irving Berlin, Meredith Wilson and Sammy Cahn. Get in the spirit with “There’s No Place Like Home for the Holidays,” “I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm,” “Winter Wonderland” and more Saturday, Dec. 4, 2 p.m., The Music Hall, 28 Chestnut St., Portsmouth, $55 to $65 at themusichall.org.
• Getting together: An evening of traditional and contemporary acoustic music, Flynn Cohen & Guests includes the guitarist and mandolin player known for his work with wife Liz Simmons in Low Lily, and multi-instrumentalist Matt Heaton, who also performs music for families, a genre he playfully calls toddlerbilly. History suggests the show will likely include contributions from the pair’s many collaborators over the years. Sunday, Dec. 5, 5:30 p.m., Spotlight Room, 96 Hanover St., Manchester, $19 at palacetheatre.org.
• Strong bonds: Since forming nearly a decade ago, The Ghost of Paul Revere has grown from its Maine origins into a national act on the strength of two long players, 2014’s Believe and 2017’s Monarch, and a pair of EPs, Field Notes, Vol. 1 & 2. The trio now curates its own summer festival, Ghostland, and have appeared with luminaries like Jason Isbell and Bela Fleck, as well as performing at the venerable Newport Folk Festival. Friday, Dec. 3, 8 p.m., Bank of NH Stage, 16 S. Main St., Concord, $22 and $32 at ccanh.com.
When he’s not revving his Fender Stratocaster at impossible speeds, shredding with a fury that other guitarists aspire to, Yngwie Malmsteen likes to drive Ferraris — he owns five, all of them red. During the pandemic Malmsteen had a lot of time for both endeavors. What resulted was a tour de force album, Parabellum.
Like his fiery playing and his fast cars, Malmsteen’s mind moves at a frenetic pace. A year in the studio, something he hadn’t experienced in decades, was a unique challenge.
“I learned a long time ago to be careful with having too much time,” he said from his home in Miami. “I had 80, 90, 100 ideas; I only took the most inspired things and refined them.”
Malmsteen pointed to Van Halen’s early albums as a source of inspiration.
“They were done very spontaneously in the beginning,” he said. “I keep that spontaneity. … Every time I come up with something new I record it right away, and usually I keep that take.”
Malmsteen played every instrument on Parabellum and sang on the non-instrumental tracks. He once hired guest singers but stopped using them a few records ago.
“That’s definitely a thing of the past,” he said.
When Malmsteen’s first tour since early 2020 begins, a band he calls “a good group of guys” is expected to learn the new songs, and expect surprises.
“We go through the songs at soundcheck; that’s all they get,” he said. “Here’s another thing I do — half an hour before show time, I call them in and we put a setlist together. Then we go on stage and I play different songs anyway! They just gotta know it.”
Malmsteen has long sneered at the idea of collaborating with other musicians, and his history helps explain why. Swedish-born, he grew up in a musical family.
“Everybody was very artistic, which was unusual there in the ’70s, because it was a socialist country [that] didn’t allow that. God bless America, man,” he said.
Classically trained from the age of 5, Malmsteen discovered rock music when he saw a clip of Jimi Hendrix smashing his guitar at the Monterey Pop Festival that accompanied a news report of his death in 1970. Later came blues from John Mayall, and hard rock via Deep Purple.
As soon as he could, Malmsteen headed to the United States.
“I took my guitar, my toothbrush, and I got on the plane,” he said. “I had a plan — my plan was to not live in a socialist welfare Marxist bull—- country.”
Soon after arriving in Los Angeles, he joined Steeler, a rising glam rock band. His first gig with them attracted a small crowd, but the following week at L.A.’s Troubadour, Malmsteen looked from his dressing room and saw a line stretched around the block.
“I said to someone working there, ‘Who’s playing tonight?’ He points at me and says, ‘You are.’ It was pretty crazy,” he said. “I was 18 years old, and all of a sudden people were digging it.”
He was in Steeler long enough to appear on their lone album, then joined another metal band, Alcatrazz. His stint there lasted less than a year, an exit hastened by onstage clashes with singer Graham Bonnet after Malmsteen received a solo offer while the group was on tour in Japan.
A reunion is, emphatically, not in the cards.
“When I left, they fell into obscurity, but I kept on going, kind of like rising up, I never stopped,” he said. “These guys … they’re selling car insurance; I don’t know what they’re doing. They asked me so many times to join, and I’m, ‘No, I didn’t sit on my ass for 40 years.’”
Malmsteen insists, “I don’t have a chip on my shoulder; the only person I feel have to prove something to is myself,” and on one of Parabellum’s standout cuts, “Eternal Bliss,” he expresses gratitude for his continued success and life’s blessings.
“I have the most beautiful wife in the world, I have a great son, nice house, I’ve played music I want to play and I never compromise,” he said, citing two reasons for his longevity. “One, I find it exciting and challenging, and only because I improvise all the time. If I were to play the same thing over and over that wouldn’t do it. Also, to quote Paganini … one must feel strongly to make others feel strongly.”
Yngwie Malmsteen w/ Images of Eden and Sunlord
When: Friday, Nov. 26, 7:30 p.m. Where: Tupelo Music Hall, 10 A St., Derry Tickets: $45 and up at tupelohall.com
Featured photo: Yngwie Malmsteen. Photo by Austin Hargraves.
• Recovery covers: Wind down from Black Friday shopping and the holiday meal with Project Mess, something of an institution in the area with its 30-year anniversary coming in 2022. Now a trio with Dave Dillavou, Greg Thomas and Phil Plant, the band’s wheelhouse is classic rock with an edge, blending favorites from Tom Petty, Pink Floyd and Santana with the likes of Godsmack, Ozzy and Seven Mary Three. Friday, Nov. 26, 8 p.m., Backstreet Bar & Grill, 76 Derry Road, Hudson. See projectmessrocks.com.
• Green eggs: It’s a busy day for Vermont troubadour Brooks Hubbard, as he performs for a brunch crowd in downtown Manchester and then heads back to Sunapee for an evening show. The singer-songwriter made the journey to Nashville a while back to build a name with songs like the bittersweet “Snow & Sunshine,” and mid-decade worked with Jackson Browne guitarist Val McCallum, appearing at a few showcase events. Saturday, Nov. 27, 10 a.m., The Goat, 50 Old Granite St., Manchester. See brookshubbardmusic.com.
• Guitar hero: Playing a free show, legendary Boston band Ronnie Earl & the Broadcasters is fronted by a four-time Blues Music Award winner who’s worked next to many of the genre’s greats, from Muddy Waters to Stevie Ray Vaughan. The late B.B. King said of Earl, “I feel the respect and affection for him that a father feels for his son. He is one of the most serious blues guitarists you can find today. He makes me proud.” Saturday, Nov. 27, 7 p.m., Colonial Theatre, 617 Main St., Laconia, tickets at coloniallaconia.com.
• Dream combo: Enjoy sweeping views of the Piscataqua River and music from The Brethren at a farm-to-table eatery situated atop a Portsmouth hotel. The supergroup plays jazz standards and covers with a twist, with setlists featuring Lady Gaga, The Beatles, old-school hip-hop and more. It includes Red Tail Hawk guitarist Eric Turner, who’s also a member of Duty Free, and the band’s rhythm section. Sunday, Nov. 28, 11 a.m., Rooftop at the Envio, 299 Vaughan St., Portsmouth. See facebook.com/thebrethrenband.
• Family tradition: Touring in support of Evergreen, its sixth Christmas album, Pentatonix is the biggest a capella group in the world. Band member Scott Hoying said the new disc is “more folky and intimate … almost singer songwriter-y.” Since winning NBC’s The Sing Off in 2011, the five “choir nerds” have sold over 10 million albums, amassed nearly 20 million YouTube subscribers, and won three Grammys. Tuesday, Nov. 30, 7 p.m., SNHU Arena, 555 Elm St., Manchester, $39 and up at ticketmaster.com.
The night before Thanksgiving is known as Friendsgiving or Drinksgiving, depending on intent. Whatever it’s called, bar and restaurant owners far and wide consider it the second busiest day of the year, after New Year’s Eve, as old friends meet up and family members regroup ahead of the long weekend. Here are some area options to consider for the evening of Wednesday, Nov. 24.
• 603 Brewery (42 Main St., Londonderry, 404-6123) Seacoast funk and soul band Clandestine performs popular tunes and originals.
• Alamo Texas Barbecue & Tequila Bar (99 Route 13, Brookline,721-5000) Music from independent folk rock singer-songwriter Brother Seamus.
• Amphora (55 Crystal Ave., Derry, 537-0111) Singer, guitarist and 2013 NHCMA New Country Entertainer of the Year Eddie Sands plays favorites.
• Area 23 (State Street, Concord, 881-9060) The regular open mic Wednesday is often anything but at this music-friendly taproom and restaurant.
• Auburn Pitts (167 Rockingham Road, Auburn, 622-6564) Ronnie B & Sarah B Duo, together for 13 years and playing covers with food and drink specials
• Boston Billiard Club & Casino (55 Northeastern Blvd., Nashua, 943-5630) Dave Ayotte Duo & DJ Spindler perform.
• Bridgewater Inn (367 Mayhew Turnpike, Bridgewater, 744-3518) Rebecca Turmel plays classic rock and contemporary covers ranging from Fleetwood Mac and CCR to Kelly Clarkson, Ed Sheeran and Sara Bareilles.
• Copper Door (15 Leavy Dr., Bedford, 488-2677) Area favorite Chad LaMarsh performs.
• Copper Door (41 S. Broadway, Salem, 458-2033) A Seacoast mainstay with a solid following across the rest of New Hampshire, Pete Peterson plays and sings.
• Crow’s Nest (181 Plaistow Road, Plaistow, 974-1686) DJ SOB spins dance music.
• Derryfield (625 Mammoth Road, Manchester, 623-2880) D-Comp Band, the acoustic duo of Nate Comp and Demetri Papanicolau, play covers.
• Fody’s (9 Clinton St., Nashua, 577-9015) Bill Meech performs.
• Fody’s (187 Rockingham Road, Derry, 404-6946) DJ Mark Allen spins the tunes.
• Fratello’s (155 Dow St., Manchester, 624-2022) Jeff Mrozek brings his passion for classic rock and soul, along with recent favorites like Nirvana and Kings of Leon.
• Fratello’s (194 Main St., Nashua, 889-2022) Prolific singer, songwriter, guitarist, bass player and drummer Sean Coleman performs.
• Getaway Lounge (157 Franklin St., Manchester, 627-0661) Mugshot Monday plays classic rock hits.
• Giuseppe’s (312 Daniel Webster Hwy., Meredith, 279-3313) John Stanley Shelley plays rock, country, blues, funk and folk.
• The Goat (50 Old Granite St., Manchester, 222-1677) It’s DJ music with no cover charge, and likely a little line dancing.
Davina and the Vagabonds. Photo by James Perovich.
• The Goat (142 Congress St., Portsmouth, 590-4628) Performing solo, Alex Anthony draws inspiration from Ray Lamontagne, James Taylor, Van Morrison, Damien Rice and City & Colour.
• Hancock Depot Cabaret (27 Depot Road, Hancock, 641-0076) Jillian Bosworth Memorial Show with Tumbletoads, Modern Fools, Kyle Webber and Andrew Szmauz.
• Hermanos (11 Hills Ave., Concord, 224-5669) Brian Booth plays favorites across the decades.
• High Octane Saloon (1072 Watson Road, Laconia, 527-8116) Dirty Looks Band rocks the Lakes Region roadhouse.
• Homestead (641 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack, 429-2022) Austin McCarthy, vocalist for Carolina Burn, Chasing Trends and Natural Order, plays and sings.
• Jimmy’s Jazz & Blues Club (135 Congress St., Portsmouth, 603-5299) Davina & the Vagabonds entertain at this recently opened music room.
• Lilac City Grille (103 N. Main St., Rochester, 332-3984) Tim Theriault & 75-cent wings precede the big bird day.
• Lithermans Limited (126 Hall St., Unit B, Concord, 219-0784) Up Street Food Truck offers up goodies at this Capital City microbrewery.
• Luk’s (142 Lowell Road, Hudson, 889-9900) Acoustically Speaking strips down favorite songs back to their basic bones.
• Lynn’s 102 Tavern (76 Derry Road, Hudson, 943-7832) New Hampshire rock cover band Sindicate plays hits.
• Murphy’s Taproom (494 Elm St., Manchester, 644-3535) Pulling from a catalog of over 100 songs from the ’60s to today, Blue Matter performs.
• North Beach Bar & Grill (931 Ocean Blvd., Hampton Beach, 967-4884) Rock duo Radioactive plays.
• Northwoods Brewing Co. (1334 First NH Turnpike, Northwood, 942-6400) Johnson’s hosts Friendsgiving at this microbrewery.
• Pasta Loft (220 E. Main St., Milford, 378-0092) 12th Annual Winterfest with Dezent, featuring Mariah Deluage. Bring an unwrapped toy to donate to Toys For Tots. Free beanies for the first 100 people.
• Pipe Dream Brewing (40 Harvey Road, Londonderry, 404-0751) Turn Down For Turkey event with DJ Ache spinning.
• Portsmouth Gas Light (64 Market St., Portsmouth, 430-9122) Ralph Allen performs favorites from a range of genres.
• Press Room (77 Daniel St., Portsmouth, 431-5186) Thanks 4 Giving A Sh!tmas is a funk, hip-hop and poetry concert to raise money for HAVEN featuring The Bulkheads, Adrienne Mack-Davis, DJ Chad Banks, Myles Burr and The Incredible Chuck of Notoriety. Krystal Wallbaum’s collaborative project The Artistic Thread will also be hosting a silent art auction at the event, with five local artists donating at least 50 percent of their profits to HAVEN.
• Rage Cage (10 W. Hollis St., Nashua, rawamericanhiphop.com) Fee the Evolutionist performs in advance of releasing his collaborative single “Beast Over Beats,” featuring hip-hop talent from across the Granite State.
• Red’s Kitchen & Tavern (530 Lafayette Road, Seabrook, 760-0030) Chris Lester, a guitarist who’s toured with Sully Erna and is a member of popular tribute act Dark Desert Eagles, performs.
• Rochester Opera House (32 N. Main St., Rochester, 335-1992) Comedian Bob Marley performs at 6 and 8 p.m., tickets $38 and up. It’s not a pub, but what’s better than a laugh to kick off the long weekend? The comic appears again with two shows each on Friday and Sunday.
• Sawbelly Brewing (156 Epping Road, Exeter, 583-5080) Dyer Holiday performs; the Lowell duo release an album, Together and Broken, in March.
• Stark Brewing Co. (500 Commercial St., Manchester, 625-4444) Karaoke with Cox Karaoke is a regular midweek attraction.
Senie Hunt. Courtesy photo.
• Stone Church (5 Granite St., Newmarket, 659-7700) Senie Hunt Trio, led by the percussive guitarist who divides his time between New England and Nashville, performs revved-up rock and blues — $12
• Stonecutters Pub (63 Union St., Milford, 213-5979) Swipe Left with Rick Carr and Phillip Gerekos helps the restaurant-bar celebrate its first year in business.
• Stones Social (449 Amherst St., Nashua, 943-7445) Charlie Chronopoulos performs, with sales proceeds from a seasonal drink special, Girl Dad (sesame vodka, maple cream and espresso liqueur), going to the Nashua Children’s Home.
• Strange Brew (88 Market St., Manchester, 666-4292) Jake Pardee & Friends, led by producer and Berklee alum, perform.
• Stripe Nine Brewing (8 Somersworth Place, Somersworth, 841-7175) Dancing Madly Backwards, named after a song from ’70s rockers Captain Beyond, performs.
• Stumble Inn (20 Rockingham Road, Londonderry, 432-3210) It’s a twin bill with 21st & 1st and Jodee Frawley.
• Telly’s (235 Calef Hwy., Epping, 679-8225) The Drift performs.
• Thirsty Moose (21 Congress St, Portsmouth, 427-8645) Mattson, a powerhouse hybrid pop rock trio, performs.
• To Share Brewing (720 Union St., Manchester, 836-6947) DJ Shamblez spins dance music in the taproom.
• Tower Hill Tavern (264 Lakeside Ave, Laconia, 366-9100) Thanksgiving Eve Pahty in the Lakes Region. Call for details.
• Village Trestle (25 Main St., Goffstown, 497-8230) Jordan Quinn & Clint Lapointe perform together.
• Wally’s Pub (144 Ashworth Ave., Hampton Beach, 926-6954) Beer pong, lawn games and live music from Jamsterdam.
Featured photo:Chad LaMarsh. Photo by Sid Ceaser Photography.
