History through song and storytelling imbues the performance of Guy Davis. His 2024 album, The Legend of Sugarbelly, was inspired by a woman murdered in Georgia during the early 20th century, a tale Davis’s uncle would share every time he visited. Though the victim’s name was a mystery, everyone was aware of her killer’s identity.
“I knew the story by heart, it was like a ceremony between my uncle and I,” Davis said by phone recently. “Not only did my whole family know this man, that same man at one point was assigned by the Ku Klux Klan to kill my grandfather, because he was a Black man. I’ll just say that my grandfather’s death at his hands never did take place; a lot of mitigating circumstances that had to do with family looking out for each other, that kind of thing.”
The Legend of Sugarbelly began as a song and later became a play that debuted at Crossroads Theatre in New Brunswick, N.J., in 2022. Davis will draw from the work at an upcoming New London show, and do a monologue from the theatrical version.
“That uncle who used to tell me the story, he died the day I finished writing the play,” Davis noted poignantly.
The son of actors and civil rights leaders Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee, Davis grew up with people like Harry Belafonte and Sidney Pointier stopping by his home.
“I remember my dad introducing me to Malcolm X and having to reach way up and him having to reach way down to shake my hand,” he said. Meeting boxer Joe Louis at a Harlem fair housing protest was another favorite memory.
Davis found music at a Vermont summer camp run by John Seeger, Pete’s brother, where he learned banjo, later adding six- and 12-string guitar to his repertoire. He grew so dedicated to banjo that one day on a hike that stopped at an estate auction, he bid all his money on an armless rocking chair. “I was 25 cents short, but then the guy running the auction looked at me and said, ‘Here, I’ll give you the quarter.’”
It was perfect for practicing, which the camp counselors let him do during rest time.
“They allowed me to take my rocking chair, sit it outside the cabin with my banjo, and just sit, rock and play,” he said. “I wasn’t any good … but I was trying to learn that basic baton stroke that Pete does.”
He’d meet the legendary folksinger a few years later, after seeing him in concert on a camp day trip. “I came home and I found Pete Seeger standing in my living room,” Davis recalled. “I didn’t know he knew my folks. He asked me a couple of questions, and then over the years, I got to go up to his cabin and meet his daughters…. His door always seemed to be open for the rest of his life to me. I was very grateful.”
In his 20s, Davis began playing with Seeger. “Pete made the mistake of never chasing anyone off the stage who came up to sing with him,” he said. “A bunch of us would just follow him around, and when he went on stage, we’d … back him up. If his guitar or banjo was on the floor of the stage while we sang, he seemed to not mind if I picked one of them up.”
Seeger figured prominently in the recent Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown, and Davis was asked to comment on Edward Norton’s Oscar-nominated portrayal of the man he’d grown to call “Uncle Pete” — along with his wife, “Aunt Toshi” — as the interview wound down.
He enjoyed it, Davis began. “He captured something of Pete, and I can’t quite explain what it was, but there’s a sense of humility, a sense of decency, a sense of being a helping hand,” he said, then added his take on the film’s subject. “As far as Timothee Chalamet is concerned; after seeing the movie, I think I knew less about Bob Dylan after than I did before.”
Guy Davis
When: Thursday, Feb. 13, 7:30 p.m. Where: Flying Goose Pub, 40 Andover Road, New London Tickets: $30, call 526-6899 to reserve
The ABC Sports crew covers a terrorist attack at the 1972 Olympics in West Germany in September 5, a swift, tense re-creation of the historical event.
These Olympics are at the dawn of live-via-satellite coverage, we are told, with all the news networks sharing windows on one satellite. Working with a six-hour time difference between Munich and the east coast of the U.S., the ABC sports crew put together packages of sports as well as live sporting events broadcasts. These share screen time with stories from ABC News, such as on-site Peter Jennings (Benjamin Walker) interviewing David Berger (Rony Herman), an American-born Israeli weightlifter, about competing in Germany as the country tries to separate new West Germany from its Nazi past. Then, early, Munich time, in the morning on Sept. 5, the TV crew hears gunfire. They scramble to send out staff and with the help of translator Marianne (Leonie Benesch) they put together that shots were fired in the Olympic Village and that Israeli athletes have been taken hostage. ABC Sports head Roone Arledge (Peter Sarsgaard) demands that the story stay with Sports, and not New York-based ABC News, and works with Geoffrey (John Magaro) to feed as much news and live footage as possible to on-air anchor Jim McKay (shown here in the real-world footage). They build the live coverage capacity as they’re airing it — sending Peter Jennings to a neighboring Olympic Village dorm building to report what he’s seeing in the Israeli rooms and pushing a studio camera out onto the lawn to get live shots of the building and the terrorists who occasionally step onto the balcony. Even the word “terrorists” becomes something of a spur-of-the-moment addition to the coverage, according to the movie — Peter Jennings uses “Palestinian guerillas,” guessing before there’s confirmation that the group Black September may be involved. Roone decides to go with terrorists, which is how the German police refer to the hostage-takers.
As they maneuver cameras and solder telephone wires to get Peter’s reports live on air, the team, in particular Roone, are laser-focused on the “how” of what they’re doing, only slowly realizing that, for example, Olympic village rooms have TVs that receive the ABC broadcast. Thus, they realize, does their ability to offer live coverage outstrip the inexperienced German police’s ability to take that coverage into account with their own plans to attempt to rescue the hostages.
September 5 is a tight retelling of the roughly day-long stand-off mostly focused on how the Sports crew is both watching history and making history for how they are telling the story and how it sets the template for future news coverage. There is no “we’re doing it for the ratings” mustache twirler here, it is just kind of a story of people trying to make the right decisions based on the limited information they have and the sometimes at-odds desires to get the story (and get it first) and not to cause harm. While the movie has solid performances all around, I can see why it is the movie’s no-slack-in-the-rope story that garnered the movie its one Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay. B+ Available for rent or purchase.
Nosferatu (R)
A young couple are terrorized, in different ways, by the demonic Count Orlok in Nosferatu, a remake of F.W. Murnau’s 1922 Nosferatu that is full of vibes.
Like, this film looks creepy-beautiful — even the scenes of, say, a coffin full of rats have a kind of grotesque loveliness. This movie reminded me a lot of Maria (which is on Netflix), its nomination-mate in the Best Cinematography category of this year’s Oscars (Nosferatu also got nods for costume design, hair and make up and production design — again, all praise for the look of the thing). Both Nosferatu and Maria (Angelina Jolie’s biopic of Maria Callas) are beautiful to look at and cast a spell that puts you in the art-book-worthy worlds they create. But I fell asleep multiple times during Maria, and Nosferatu crept along in a way that eventually stopped building tension and just had me wishing we’d get to the vampire factory already.
Newly married goofus Thomas Hutter (Nicholas Hoult) travels to Transylvania for a document signing with Count Orlock (Bill Skarsgård, looking like a living corpse) that even in the 19th century feels like it should have been an email. Melancholy-afflicted Ellen Hutter (Lily-Rose Depp), his wife, afraid at home, is wrapped up in foreboding, with moments of mania and what seems like possession. Herr Knock (Simon McBurney), Thomas’s boss, maneuvers for Orlock to, I guess, drain the life out of Thomas so Orlock can come and be with Ellen, who he first seduced years ago somehow. The movie hits all the beats, looks great doing it, but doesn’t push beyond. I feel like, with the plague, the dread of a mysterious plague ship, the inability of science (such as it is) to help Thomas or Ellen, the movie had all kinds of places to dig into something more, to make this story terrifying and relevant. Instead, the “innovation” here seems to be a few boobs shots. C+ Available for rent and in theaters.
Back in Action (PG-13)
Mild-mannered suburban parents are actually former super spies in Back in Action, a one-notch-above-average older-kid family comedy.
Matt (Jamie Foxx) and Emily (Cameron Diaz) were once fighting dudes on airplanes but now they are parents to sassy teen Alice (McKenna Roberts) and computer kid Leo (Rylan Jackson), who both just think their parents are standard-issue uncool Olds. But then Matt and Emily catch 14-year-old Alice and her fake ID at a club and when club muscleheads try to give them some trouble Alice is shocked to watch her parents lay waste to the thick-necked bros. Also shocked is Chuck (Kyle Chandler), Matt and Emily’s old boss who thought they were dead before their “Boomers fighting” video goes viral. If he can find them, so can all the various baddies who might be looking for them, he says right before he’s shot on their front porch. Thus must Matt and Emily grab their kids and go on the run to find a hidden MacGuffin item that they think might buy them some protection. Matt hid the item at the home of Emily’s mom — former MI6 agent Ginny (Glenn Close), with whom Emily has always had a difficult relationship.
This movie is not as cute-fun as the various Spy Kids movies that have done this general “secret spy parents” concept but more fun than the Mark Wahlberg movie (2023’s The Family Plan) that did this on Apple TV+. It is a perfectly cromulent movie for families in the PG-13 range, with fun-enough “parents are lame” and “teens, ugh” jokes, that benefits from the natural charisma of Jamie Foxx and Cameron Diaz even if their couple chemistry never really ticks above “sure, whatever.” It does, however, serve as a good reminder that it’s enjoyable to see Cameron Diaz in movies. B- Streaming on Netflix.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (PG)
Sonic and his increasing number of friends take on another angry hedgehog-thing in Sonic the Hedgehog 3.
In the second movie, Sonic (voice of Ben Schwartz) added Tails (voice of Colleen O’Shaunghnessy) and, spoiler I guess, eventually Knuckles (voice of Idris Elba) to his found family, which also includes humans Tom (James Marsden) and Maddie Wachowski (Tika Sumpter). Now they will all be tasked with taking on Shadow (voice of Keanu Reeves), another hedgehog-or-whatever treated shadily by the humans who harbors all sorts of grudges. He is working with Professor Robotnik (Jim Carrey), grandfather to Dr. Robotnik (also Carrey), to build a weapon and enact vengeance, yada yada. Mostly, this movie is Carrey physical comedy, cartoon character sassy jokes and occasional battles. I was neither particularly delighted nor demoralized by all of this while my kids seemed to have fun and I suspect that is kinda the point. The deeper into Sonic lore we go, the more it is about the world of characters and their doo-dads and magical gem things and, sorry, Sonic, Marvel has already used up all that space in my brain. I care less than I did back in the first Sonic when we were more about the Sonic-James relationship. But for the youngs, this mythology stuff seemed great — particularly in the credits scenes that they reacted to with a “Captain Marvel’s pager!” level of excitement to the appearance of a new character. So, like B- for the “kid entertainment for your dollar” ranking? In theaters and available for rent or purchase.
Even after 28 years in the business Kevin Cornish finds himself relearning a basic lesson of restaurant ownership: it doesn’t matter how delicious a dish is if none of your customers order it.
“We had a vegetarian meatball,” he said. “After cooking them seven days in a row without one person ordering them, we had to get rid of it.”
Rock ‘n Roll Meatballs, on Manchester’s Elm Street, is Cornish’s new restaurant, themed around — perhaps not surprisingly — 1980s rock music and meatballs. After three decades of running his successful barbecue restaurant, KC’s Rib Shack, Cornish has decided to open a second place to indulge one of his other great passions, live music.
“I love live music,” Cornish said. ”It’s probably my biggest hobby. This place [the restaurant’s location] has been opened twice with different people running it and pretty much closed twice. Manchester hasn’t always supported live music all that much. Especially in something this size, you need a scene to create a scene. There’s got to be little, ragged rock clubs for big rock clubs to succeed. My band used to play at Mad Bob’s and if we brought 25 people it was great. It was a little hole in the wall and a little bar, but in New Hampshire you can’t have a bar — you have to have a restaurant.”
Cornish had seen a few meatball-specific restaurants on the West Coast and liked the idea. He and three partners decided to adopt that formula for their menu. Despite his number of years as a restaurant owner, though, Cornish found that developing recipes for the new place required a long process of trial and error.
“When it came to the meatballs,” he said, “for one day or several days, we’d just work on beef meatballs, or beef and pork meatballs, or chicken meatballs. For months leading up to this, my wife was so sick of eating chicken meatballs — she was like, ‘What do we have for dinner tonight?’ Meatballs, you know?”
Ultimately, developing the recipe turned out to be a group project.
“We would come in and we lined this whole bar up with all the ingredients we would need. Each of us would take a table, and a bowl, and work up a recipe. It was nice to get in here and cook seven different types of meatballs in an afternoon, and being able to try them right next to each other. By coming in here and having everybody make a different one … we were able to zero in on, ‘Wow, we really like the flavor of this, but maybe, but we like the mouth-feel of this one, maybe that’s because this one was made with bread as opposed to this one made with panko breadcrumbs,’ and things like that. So we were able to kind of tweak and zero in on it and that’s what we did.”
Even after the kinks in a recipe have been ironed out, there’s still no guarantee that it will work on the restaurant’s menu. Which brings us back to the vegetarian meatball.
Rock ‘n Roll Meatballs’ menu is centered around five core meatballs: a standard red-sauce one, a Swedish meatball in a creamy sauce, a brisket-macaroni and cheese one, a “Thanksgiving” meatball made with ground turkey and stuffing, and a chicken Parmesan one.
One of the biggest surprises, though, was an appetizer that sold well from opening day onward. “The escargot is great,” Cornish said, a bit perplexed. *It’s a very simple dish, and it’s selling great.”
Rock n Roll Meatballs 179 Elm St., Manchester, 931-3654, rocknrollmeatballs.com Open seven days a week: Monday through Thursday 4:30 to 9 p.m., Saturday noon to 10 p.m., and Sunday noon to 9 p.m. There will be live music twice monthly. Visit facebook.com/RnRMeatballs for notice of upcoming events.
Featured photo: Swedish Meatballs. Courtesy photo.
The old adage “Be careful what you wish for” guides TheGods of Comedy, the latest production from Community Players of Concord. The 2019 Ken Ludwig play makes its New Hampshire debut on Feb. 14 at Concord City Auditorium. It looks at what happens when a pair of deities are beseeched from the heavens and actually arrive.
The story begins when two professors, Ralph and Daphne, find a rare manuscript while on a holiday in Greece, only to see it inadvertently destroyed when they return to their Ivy League university. This prompts a cry for on-high assistance that miraculously produces Dionysus, the god of misrule and partying, and Thalia, who’s the muse of comedy.
It’s classics weekend at the college, so the gods are sidetracked by costumed students and campus partying, while the frazzled professors try to solve the problem of the lost work, a Euripides play. Meanwhile, additional gods of varying demeanor manage to make things more complicated.
“It’s part fantasy and classic literature — there’s a lot of Shakespeare references, which I really appreciate,” Elizabeth Lent, the play’s director, said by phone recently. “There are ancient Greek references as well, but also a lot of silliness, as they get into a lot of interesting antics and situations.”
This is the Players’ fifth play by Ludwig, well-known for his 1986 Tony winner, Lend Me a Tenor. Lent has directed two of them, 2004’s Shakespeare In Hollywood and Ludwig’s 2017 revival of Murder on the Orient Express. She’s pleased to present a relatively fresh work with up to date elements.
“I really do like the fact that it’s contemporary,” Lent, who’s been with Concord Community Players since the early 1980s, said. “I’ve been directing for a very long time and have directed lots of old stuff. I was really interested in trying something new, and Ludwig appeals to me.”
The cast includes Emily Thompson playing Daphne, John Julian, Alex Hutton, Kal Hachi and Suzanne Watts as Dionysus and Thalia, along with Heather Carmichael, Dana Sackos, Griffin Stuart, Seth Bunke and, making her Players debut, Jeri Lynn Owen. Set designer is Craig Walker, costumes are by Suzanne Potoma and Gay Bean, and lighting by Steven Meier.
Lent had the play cast the night auditions were finished.
“The chemistry is so good with these folks,” she said. “They’re all very talented and dedicated. Everyone comes to every rehearsal, even the tiniest little roles. They all like each other, which is really kind of wonderful, and they’re having such a good time. It’s so joyful to watch them work.”
Among the hijinks occurring is one of the gods inhabiting two of the other characters.
“They get possessed, and these two actresses that are making the transformation are hilariously funny doing it,” Lent said. More importantly, everything ends on a happy note. “For me, it’s exciting to watch these folks just having such a blast with it.”
Lots of laughs, a cast enjoying themselves and an upbeat finale is just what’s needed at this particular moment in time, and The Gods of Comedy is poised to provide all that.
“When the gods come down, they’re given a mission; this woman, Daphne Ring, needs an adventure and a happy ending, and they deliver,” Lent said, who described the play as “a clever mashup of the best kinds of knockabout comedy across the ages” in a press release. “We’d love to see everybody in the audience. Because it’s so new, it’s very exciting for us to be performing it.”
The Gods of Comedy When: Friday, Feb. 14, and Saturday, Feb 15, 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, Feb. 16, 2 p.m. Where: Concord City Auditorium, 2 Prince St., Concord Tickets: $20 ($18 under 18 and 65+) at communityplayersofconcord.org
Featured photo: L to R – Kal Hachi, Emily Thompson and Suzanne Watts. Photo by Michael Von Redlich.
Planning a first date, a date night with a longtime sweetheart or just a “let’s do something different” outing with a friend? Here are some ideas for places to spend time together. (Most information comes from the locations’ websites or social media pages. Call or otherwise get in touch to check on specific days before heading out.)
Dinner and a movie
Dinner and a movie is a classic outing but there are ways to give it a little extra oomph.
At Red River Theatres (11 S. Main St. in Concord; redrivertheatres.org) offers a dinner-and-a-movie package: $40 gets you two regular movie passes plus a $25 gift card to Concord restaurants Revival Kitchen & Bar, Hermanos or Dos Amigos.
At Chunky’s Cinema Pub (707 Huse Road in Manchester; chunkys.com) and Smitty’s Cinema (630 W. Main St. in Tilton; smittyscinema.com) you can order dinner while you watch your movie. Both theaters also offer non-movie-based events. Smitty’s GameLab offers arcade games and axe-throwing and the cinema hosts comedy nights — next up is a Boston Comedy Festival show on Friday, Feb. 28, at 7 p.m. (tickets cost $20). At Chunky’s, offerings include Thursday night trivia weekly at 7:30 p.m.; scratch ticket (Friday, Feb. 21, at 7 p.m.) and theater candy (Sunday, Feb. 23, at 1 p.m.) bingo; Feud Gone Wild (Friday, Feb. 21, at 8:30 p.m.); Paint Night (next up is Valentine’s Day paint night on Friday, Feb. 14, at 7 p.m.) and regular comedy shows (catch Frank Santorelli on Friday, Feb. 14, and Saturday, Feb. 15, at 8 p.m.).
The Flying Monkey (38 S. Main St. in Plymouth; flyingmonkeynh.com) has two movies most weeks on the February and March schedule including a G or PG movie on Wednesdays and a movie on Thursdays. On Thursday, Feb. 13, catch 2024’s Wicked at 6 p.m.; on Wednesday, Feb. 19, at 6 p.m. catch The Lego Batman Movie. The Flying Monkey has a movie night dinner menu as well as a selection of beer, wine and cocktails.
At O’neil Cinemas Brickyard Square (24 Calef Highway in Epping; oneilcinemas.com) you can get a glass of chardonnay with your bucket of popcorn and enjoy a production from The Metropolitan Opera, which are broadcast live and in encore screenings to theaters including O’neil. Next up is Fidelio, Beethoven’s only opera, which is broadcast live on Saturday, March 15, at 1 p.m. (with an encore screening on Wednesday, March 19, at 1 p.m.).
Find other theaters screening the Met Opera as well as other theatrical productions, anniversary screenings of older films, concerts and more via Fathom Events. Starting with 2001’sHarry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone on Thursday, Feb. 13, Fathom has upcoming screenings of the first four Harry Potter films Thursday, Feb. 13, through Sunday, Feb. 16, and Thursday, Feb. 20, through Sunday, Feb. 23.
Like a movie, but live
A theatrical production checks that same box of a shared experience and a story you can discuss over drinks afterward. Some shows on the schedule in the next few weeks:
• The Community Players of Concord (communityplayersofconcord.org) will present The Gods of Comedy Friday, Feb. 14, through Sunday, Feb. 16, at the Concord City Auditorium (2 Prince St. in Concord). Tickets cost $20, $18 for 65+.
• The Majestic Studio Theatre (880 Page St. in Manchester; majestictheatre.net) presents the Neil Simon comedy The Last of the Red Hot Lovers Friday, Feb. 14, through Sunday, Feb. 16. Tickets cost $15 to $20.
• The Nashua Theatre Guild (nashuatheatreguild.org) will present An Evening of One-Acts at the Court Street Theatre (14 Court St. in Nashua) Friday, Feb. 21, through Sunday, Feb. 23. Tickets cost $20; $18 for 65+.
• Theatre Kapow’s Every Brilliant Thing spent a weekend at the BNH Stage in Concord and is now headed for the Winnipesaukee Playhouse in Meredith Friday, Feb. 21, through Sunday. Feb. 23, where tickets cost $25 to $30. See Michael Witthaus’ story about the production on page 14 of the Feb. 6 issue of the Hippo (which you can find in the digital library at hippopress.com).
• Cue Zero Theatre (cztheatre.com) will present The Wild Party, a musical set in the 1920s, Friday, Feb. 28, through Sunday, March 2, at the Arts Academy of New Hampshire (19 Keewaydin Drive in Salem). Tickets cost $20.
• Escape to Margaritaville, a musical comedy featuring Jimmy Buffett classics, is the next multi-week theatrical production at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org), running Friday, Feb. 28, through Sunday, March 23. Tickets cost $39 through $53.
• Bedford Off Broadway (bedfordoffbroadway.com) will present the comedy Boeing Boeing on the weekends Friday, March 7, through Sunday, March 16, at the Bedford Town Hall (70 Bedford Center Road in Bedford). Tickets cost $15, $12 for seniors.
Go dancing
Whether you have been dancing together for years or you are looking to try out something new, there are several dance-related events, many of which will teach you the basics before you hit the floor in earnest.
Looking to learn how to swing dance? Henniker Brewing Co. (173 Centervale Road in Henniker; hennikerbrewing.com) will hold a Valentine’s Sip and Swing on Friday, Feb. 14, at 6 p.m. Tickets cost $30 per couple, which includes two beverages and a lesson in dancing from The Hidden Door Studio, according to a post on Henniker Brewing’s website. (Other fun at Henniker Brewing? Thursday night trivia weekly at 6 p.m. and Wednesday night weekly disc golf putting in their factory at 5:30 p.m., through March 26, as well as live music and more.)
Rockingham Ballroom (22 Ash Swamp Road in Newmarket; rockinballroom.club) will host a Valentine’s Day Dance Party with the New Legacy Swing Band on Friday, Feb. 14, at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $25 in advance, $30 on the day. The evening will start with a dance lesson at 7:15 p.m. followed by the band at 8 p.m. The event is BYOB with a light menu and beverages available for purchase.
The New Hampshire Jazz Orchestra will play the Valentine’s Swing Dance on Saturday, Feb. 15, at 6 p.m. at Murphy’s Taproom & Carriage House in Bedford. Get the dance lesson at 6:30 p.m. and be ready when the band plays starting at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $33.85. See nhjazzorchestra.com/upcoming.
In March, you can head to the BNH Stage (16 S. Main St. in Concord; ccanh.com) for Swing Dance Night featuring New Hampshire Jazz Orchestra on Saturday, March 22, at 6:30 p.m. (for a dance lesson; the band starts at 7 p.m.). Tickets cost $30.75.
Paper Moon Dance Studio (33 Depot St. in Merrimack; papermoondance.com) will hold a Mardi Gras Social Dance on Saturday, March 8, from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Call 943-1106 for details on this event and the studio’s other offerings.
For something a little spicier, check out the It Takes Two To Tango Workshop from Royal Palace Dance Studio (5 N. Main St. in Concord; royalpalacedance.com) on Saturday, Feb. 15, at 7 p.m. The cost is $45 per person and no experience is required. Royal Palace Dance Studio, which also has a Manchester location, offers private lessons and group classes in a variety of dance styles including swing, ballroom, salsa and more.
Or heat things up with salsa dancing. Bella Vita Dance Academy (Eastside Plaza, 859 Hanover St. in Manchester; bellavitadance.com) will hold its 603 Salsa & Bachata Social: Valentine’s Day Edition on Friday, Feb. 14, with a lesson at 8 p.m. and a dance from 9 p.m. to midnight. Tickets cost $20 for solo admission and $35 for a couple, plus fees.
Feeling a little bit country? Most Sunday nights from 6 to 8 p.m. 603 Line Dance (603linedance.com) brings country line dancing, with a lesson, to Bonfire (950 Elm St. in Manchester; bonfiremanch.com).
603 Line Dance also brings line dancing to The Goat (50 Old Granite St. in Manchester; goatnh.com/manchester/calendar) on Mondays and Wednesdays from 7 to 10 p.m.
603 Line Dance will also bring country to the Lakeport Opera House (781 Union Ave. in Laconia; lakeportopera.com) for Cozy & Country Line Dance Night on Saturday, Feb. 22, at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $15.
Line Dance with Ginger has Saturday socials slated for Feb. 22, March 1 and March 22 at the Old Town Hall in Bedford at 7 p.m. The cost is $10 and includes a quick lesson. See linedancemax.com.
Country fans can also head to the Freddie and the Freeloaders Country Band and 603 Line Dance on Saturday, March 8, at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $15 and include line dance lessons, which will kick off the evening with Kim Carpentino from 603 Line Dance, followed by guided line dancing during band breaks, according to the Rockingham Ballroom website, where you can find other upcoming country line dance events.
Or check out one of the many DJed dance parties on a theme on the schedule at area venues. Nashua Center for the Arts (201 Main St. in Nashua; nashuacenterforthearts.com) will host a Gimme Gimme Disco ABBA-themed disco dance party on Friday, Feb. 28, at 8 p.m.; tickets cost $21 to $24, plus fees. The Lakeport Opera House in Laconia will host a Taylor Swift Inspired Dance Party on Saturday, March 1, at 7:30 p.m.; tickets cost $20.
Get physical
Dance isn’t the only active outing idea.
Remix Skate & Event Center (725 Huse Road in Manchester; skateremix.com) offers another way to enjoy music and movement. The all-ages Friday Night Roller Remix runs from 8 to 11 p.m.; the cost is $20 for a two-hour skate, $30 for a three-hour skate. On Saturday, Feb. 15, from 9 to 11:30 p.m. it’s Heartbreak Night: Music of Taylor & Friends for 18+; tickets cost $20. On Saturday, Feb. 22, from 9 to 11:30 p.m. it’s Laraland Roller Disco Presents: Millennial Mixtape with DJ Diedre Dagata; event is $20, 18+. On Saturday, March 1, from 9 to 11: 30 p.m., it’s March into the ’90s with Shawn Caliber & DJ Myth; the event costs $20 per person and is 18+.
More fun on skates? The Everett Arena in Concord (15 Loudon Road) has public ice skating Sundays from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. and Monday through Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. with $6 admission, $6 skate rentals. See concordnh.gov or find the arena on Facebook. Public ice skating at the JFK Memorial Coliseum (303 Beech St. in Manchester) is available most Tuesdays and Thursdays 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., as well as some Monday and Wednesday mornings, and on Saturdays and Sundays from 2 to 4 p.m., all through the end of March. See the schedule at manchesternh.gov. Skate rentals cost $5.
Another new challenge you could try together: Indoor climbing. NH Climbing & Fitness (10 Langdon Ave. in Concord; nhclimbinggym.com) offers a trial package for beginners for $50 which includes an introduction to climbing class, rentals and more. Vertical Dreams (250 Commercial St., Manchester, 625-6919, 25 E. Otterson St., Nashua, 943-7571; verticaldreams. com) offers a beginner lesson package for $40. See the websites for hours and additional information.
SkyVenture New Hampshire (100 Adventure Way in Nashua; skyventurenh.com) also offers rock climbing ($20 per person) as well as indoor skydiving, surfing and fishpipe. The “Surf, Pipe, Fly & Climb” package costs $130, and you can inquire about individual activities.
Or, just break stuff together. Rage Cage NH (37 E. Hollis St. in Nashua; ragecagenh.com) offers a two-person smash room for one hour for $120 ($60 per person). Or book a Glow Paint Splatter Experience (with a canvas that’s yours to keep) for $25 per person. Or do both for $80 per person.
The Break Room (843 Hanover St. in Manchester; thebreakroomnh.com) offers 10-minute (Lunch Break, $25 per person), 20-minute (Case of the Mondays, $40 per person) and 30-minute (Rage Quit, $50 per person) breaking sessions.
Fun and games
Enjoy a challenge together with dates that focus on a game or puzzle.
At a brewery, bar or restaurant somewhere there is trivia most nights of the week. Make it a multi-couple date (teams seem to consist of between four and eight players), join another team or compete as a team of two, depending on the rules of each location. Find a listing of trivia nights most weeks in our Nite section.
Or play a game with just your partner. Escape rooms provide puzzles usually based on a theme — Heist of the Moon Diamond, for example, at 102 Escape in Londonderry — and are booked usually for about an hour. Check the websites of the escape rooms for booking procedures. Area escape rooms include:
• 102 Escape 123 Nashua Road, Unit 32, in Londonderry; 102escape.com
• Break Free Escape Games 10 Main St. in Nashua; breakfreeescapegames.com
• Escape Room Concord 240 Airport Road in Concord; escaperoomconcordnh.com
• Granite State Escape 795 Elm St. in Manchester; escapenh.com
• Key To Escape 3 Bud Way, Unit 21, in Nashua; keytoescape.com
• LOK’d! Room Escape 1500 S. Willow St. in Manchester; lokdrocks.com
Compete one-on-one at Boards & Brews (941 Elm St. in Manchester; boardsandbrewsnh.com), where you can choose from their more than 2,000 games (reserve a table for $5 per person) and order from their menu, which includes starters, salads and sandwiches, entrees and desserts.
Or try bowling. Boutwell’s Bowling Center (152 N. State St., Concord; boutwellsbowl.com) is open Sundays from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Mondays 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Tuesday and Wednesday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Thursdays 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.
King Bowling Lanes (751 Mast Road, Manchester; kinglanes.com) is open for public bowling Sunday, 1 to 6 p.m.; Monday, 3 to 9 p.m.; Tuesday and Thursday, 1 to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 1 to 10 p.m.
Lakeside Lanes (2171 Candia Road in Manchester; lakesidelanes.com) has open bowling Sunday, noon to 9 p.m.; Monday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Tuesday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Thursday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Friday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Saturday, noon to 10 p.m.
Leda Lanes (340 Amherst St., Nashua, ledalanes.com) is open Monday, noon to 10 p.m.; Tuesday and Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Thursday, noon to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Merrimack Ten Pin (698 DW Highway in Merrimack, merrimacktenpin.com), which also has an arcade, opens every day at 10 a.m. See the website for the breakdown of hours, cost and lane availability.
Strikers East Bowling Center & Function Room (4 Essex Drive in Raymond, strikerseast.com), which also has an arcade with 20+ games, is open to public bowling Tuesdays 5 to 9 p.m.; Wednesdays 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursdays 5 to 9 p.m.; Friday, 2 to 11 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Yankee Lanes (216 Maple St. in Manchester; yankeelanesentertainment.com) is open Sundays from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Mondays through Saturdays from 9 a.m. to midnight.
Or throw an axe. These area axe-throwing locations, as well as Block Party Social, whose offerings include axe-throwing, offer food and drinks so you can make a night of it. Axe Play (142 Lowell Road in Nashua; axe-play.com) is open Monday from 4 to 9 p.m.; Thursday from 4 to 8 p.m.; Friday from 4 to 10 p.m.; Saturday from noon to 10 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 9 p.m.
Axl’s Throw House (4 Bud Way in Nashua; axelsthrowhouse.com) is open Wednesday and Thursday at 5 p.m. (until 9 and 9:30 p.m., respectively); Friday from 4 to 11 p.m.; Saturday from noon to 11 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 7 p.m. Axl’s also hosts Thursday night karaoke and occasional comedy shows.
Block Party Social (51 Zapora Drive in Hooksett; blockpartysocial.com) offers axe-throwing as one of its attractions, which include arcade games, laser tag, rope course and zip line, cornhole and billiards, Krazy Darts and climbing walls.
Par 28 (23 South Broadway in Salem; par28.com) offers axe-throwing as well as indoor golf simulators and is open Monday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Thursday from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to midnight and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
RelAxe Throwing (157 Gay St. in Manchester, relaxethrowing.com), which also offers splatter paint, is offering Valentine’s specials for prebooked axe-throwing time (one hour for two people is $40) or splatter paint time (one hour of splatter paint for two people is $35 or $45, depending on the paint) or both ($75 to $85 for two people) or axe-throwing and knife throwing (two people, one hour, $65).
The Rugged Axe (377 S. Willow St. in Manchester, theruggedaxe.com) offers 20 percent off for February Thursday theme nights booked in advance including for Galentine’s Day (Feb. 13), Date Night (Feb. 20) and National Kahlua Day (Feb. 27).
Cheap dates
You can have a good time without breaking the bank. Here are a few date ideas that are free (or, you know, with transportation and perhaps a pre- or post-date meal, have a free element).
The Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St. in Manchester; currier.org) offers free admission for New Hampshire residents on the second Saturday of each month. The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays. Extend the date by using that money you’ve saved to eat at the museum’s Winter Garden Cafe, which is open Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The museum is also kicking off a new “Art off the Walls” evening event series on the third Thursday of each month, starting with Thursday, Feb. 20, from 5 to 8 p.m. when admission is free, the band Pickleback Jack will perform and gallerist Bill Stelling will discuss the 1980s New York City art world, inspired by the Jean-Michel Basquiat and Ouattara Watts exhibit, according to the museum’s Facebook page.
First Fridays also offer a good walk-around outing without a specific admission charge. The Center for the Arts in New London hosts that town’s First Friday Gallery Stroll — the next event is slated for Friday, March 7, which will feature a program at the Tracy Memorial Library from 6:30 to 8 p.m. called “Fierce Females: Women in Art.” See centerfortheartsnh.org.
When the warm weather returns so will Intown Concord’s “First Fridays” events, which usually feature a seasonal theme, stores open until 8 p.m. and food trucks. The first First Friday is slated for Friday, May 2. See intownconcord.org.
Get classical music concerts for free via local community music schools that offer regular programming open to the public.
At the Manchester Community Music School (2291 Elm St. in Manchester; mcmusicschool.org), you can attend faculty performances for free with preregistration. On Thursday, Feb. 20, at 7 p.m., see “The Flute: At Play.”
Concord Community Music School (23 Wall St. in Concord; ccmusicschool.org) offers a Bach’s Lunch series on some Thursdays from 12:10 to 12:50 p.m. Next up, “Love Heals” on Thursday, Feb. 13, at 12:10 with the Hodes Family and Kent Allyn, and “Making Magic with Ken Burns” on Thursday, Feb. 20, featuring pianist Jaqueline Schwab, who has played in Burns’ documentaries.
Walker Lectures, some of which include musical performances, are free at the Concord City Auditorium (2 Prince St. in Concord; theaudi.org). Up next is “A Walk for Sunshine: Lessons from the Appalachian Trail with Jeff Alt” on Wednesday, March 12, at 7:30 p.m. The NH Ukeladies will perform at a Walker Lecture on Wednesday, April 2, at 7:30 p.m. See walkerlecture.org.
The William H. Gile Community Concert Series presents free musical performances via the Capitol Center for the Arts (44 S. Main St. in Concord; ccanh.com). Next up is Yes Indeed! featuring Metta Quintet plus special guests “celebrating the great American blues tradition,” according to the website, where you can reserve seats for the event.
Make stuff
In addition to looking at art together, you can also make art together.
You’re Fired, which has locations in Bedford (25 S. River Road), Concord (133 London Road) and Salem (264 North Broadway; all at yourefirednh.com), is a walk-in studio where you can pick from a wide selection of ceramic items to paint.
At The Canvas Roadshow (25 S. River Road in Bedford; thecanvasroadshow.com), pick a project from the calendar — upcoming events with openings as of last week include Resin Art Ocean Wave on Saturday, Feb. 15, 6 p.m. and 3D Liquid Glass Art on Friday, Feb. 21, at 6:30 p.m. with prices varying based on project. (For example, a Cozy Knit Blanket project on Tuesday, March 4, at 6:30 p.m. costs $85.)
Studio 550 Art Center (550 Elm St. in Manchester; 550arts.com) offers one-day workshops including Date Night in the Pottery Studio, a “one-hour crash course on the pottery wheel” where each person gets a pottery wheel and can make a creation. The cost is $35 per person. About one date night is offered per month; the next one up is Saturday, March 29, at 6 p.m.
Art Alley Cats (46 N. Main St. in Concord; artalleycats.com) offers a variety of weekly and month events and workshops, including its own First Friday Art Market (at DIY Craft and Thrift, also at 46 N. Main St. from 4 to 8 p.m.). Weekly events include Let’s Get Sketchy Fridays from 6 to 8 p.m., when you can drop in and learn basic drawing skills, and Watercolor Wednesdays from 6 to 8 p.m. that include guided watercolor tutorials. Both have a suggested donation of $15 per person.
Creative Ventures Gallery (411 Nashua St. in Milford; creativeventuresfineart.com) offers one-day workshops such as “Springtime Quilling Workshop” on Saturday, March 8, from 1 to 3:30 p.m. ($35 per person).
Make food
Or make and explore food together.
LaBelle Winery offers craft-, art- and food-related events at both its Amherst (345 Route 101) and Derry (14 Route 111) locations (see labellewinery.com). Upcoming food events that aren’t yet labeled as sold out include Decorate Focaccia Bread in Amherst on Wednesday, Feb. 19, at 6 p.m. ($50 per person) and Wine Blending in Derry on Wednesday, March 5, at 6 p.m. ($40 per person).
Vine 32 Wine & Graze Bar (25 S. River Road in Bedford; vinethirtytwo.com) offers wine and also charcuterie board workshops. On Thursday, Feb. 13, for example, a Galentine’s Day Charcuterie Workshop will allow you to construct a board of meats and cheeses and more (with a wooden board to take home) and let you build your own bouquet at a flower bar; the cost is $103.22.
The Culinary Playground (16 Manning St. in Derry; culinary-playground.com) has a line-up of Date Night Couples Cooking classes for $165 per couple, BYOB. Upcoming classes include Vegetarian Dining with classes at 6:30 p.m. on April 4 & 5 and April 11 & 12 and Cinco De Mayo with classes at 6:30 p.m. on May 2 & 3 and May 9 & 10. See the menus on the website.
At Dancing Lion Chocolate (917 Elm St. in Manchester; dancinglion.us), classes focus on chocolate and croissants. A Thursday, May 8, hands-on class teaching croissant-making costs $135 per person and you can take home what you make. The “Down & Dirty Truffles” class on Thursday, June 12, will include making chocolate ganache, tempering chocolate and making truffles, according to the website ($135 per person).
Enjoy music together
Though you probably won’t be heading to a big concert for a first date, ticketed shows — which we list every week in our Concert listings — make a good treat for a friend or longtime significant other whose musical taste you are acquainted with. For example, Ladysmith Black Mambazo will play the Dana Center at Saint Anselm College in Manchester (tickets.anselm.edu) on Friday, Feb. 14, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $45.
At the Tupelo Music Hall (10 A St. in Derry; tupelomusichall.com) you’ll find a menu of flatbreads, sandwiches, snacks, desserts and more as well as the line up of music and comedy. On Thursday, Feb. 13, at 8 p.m. catch Dueling Pianos (tickets cost $22). Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
Catch an up-and-comer in the local and regional music scene at the smaller venues in the area. Michael Witthaus looked at a few in the Jan. 16 issue of the Hippo (which you can find in our digital library at hippopress.com; see page 10). For example, catch Low Lily, a Vermont-based American roots band, on Sunday, March 2, at 6 p.m. at the Andres Institute of Art in Brookline (andresinstitute.org).
Enjoy music and a local beer or music and a meal with the gigs listed in our Music This Week, which runs each week in our Nite section. Here you can find performances at area bars, breweries and restaurants — as well as upcoming karaoke nights, another date idea for the musically inclined.
Laugh
As with music, comedy offers you the opportunity to go big, keep it casual or fall somewhere in between with your outing.
Get weekly laughs at spots like Strange Brew Tavern (88 Market St. in Manchester; strangebrewtavern.net), which holds its weekly Laugh Attic comedy open mic every Thursday at 9 p.m., and at Shaskeen (909 Elm St. in Manchester), which hosts Ruby Room Comedy every Wednesday at 9 p.m. — next up is Alex Giampapa with Casey Watson and Avery Quinn on Feb. 19.
Or check out Headliners’ line-up of comedy most weekends at Chunky’s in Manchester (chunkys.com) as well as at Headliners Comedy Club at DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester Downtown, where next up is Kyle Crawford on Friday, Feb. 14, and Saturday, Feb. 15, at 8:30 p.m. (tickets cost $20 plus fees), and other locations around the state. See headlinersnh.com for the schedule and to purchase tickets.
Many Fridays you can also find comedy at the Rex Theatre (23 Amherst St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org). The upcoming schedule includes New York Comedy Night on Friday, March 7, at 7:30 p.m. with Tom Daddario and Chris Roach (tickets cost $39).
The Tupelo Music Hall in Derry (tupelomusichall.com) also offers a monthly Tupelo Night of Comedy — next up on Friday, Feb. 14, at 8 p.m. featuring Harrison Stebbins, JJ Jones and Andrea Henry (tickets cost $25).
Find these and other comedy shows, including nationally touring comedians like Nikki Glaser (Wednesday, March 26, at 7 p.m. at the Cap Center in Concord) and Sebastian Maniscalco (Thursday, March 6, at 7:30 p.m. at the SNHU Arena, 555 Elm St. in Manchester; snhuarena.com) in our Comedy This Week listings, which run each week in the Nite section.
Fritz Wetherbee, broadcaster and longtime teller of stories from New Hampshire history on WMUR-TV’s New Hampshire Chronicle, has announced his retirement. “For nearly 25 years, Wetherbee has brought the history, folklore and charm of New Hampshire to life through his signature segment, ‘Fritz Wetherbee’s New Hampshire,’ on New Hampshire Chronicle. His unmistakable voice, quick wit and unparalleled knowledge of the state have made him a household name and an integral part of New England’s cultural fabric,” according to a press release from WMUR. “A five-time Emmy Award winner and a New Hampshire native, Wetherbee’s career in broadcasting spans more than half a century,” the release said.
“I’ve had the privilege of telling New Hampshire’s stories for most of my life, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything,” Wetherbee said in a statement in the release. “But now, it’s time for me to step back, take a breath and enjoy the history I’ve been so lucky to share.”
“WMUR will air a special tribute, I’ll Tell You the Story: A Thank You to Fritz Wetherbee, on Feb. 24 at 7 p.m.,” the release said. An archive of 60 of Wetherbee’s past segments will be available for viewing via WMUR.com starting Monday, Feb. 24, and all 5,000 pieces will eventually be available, the release said.
Mpox
An adult from Merrimack County was identified as having mpox and “is currently self-isolating and recovering at home” and their illness poses “no current risk to the public,” according to a New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services press release on Feb. 7. The individual’s illness is likely related to their recent travel to eastern Africa, where there is an ongoing outbreak of Clade 1 mpox, the genetic type of mpox the individual has, the release said. “There is no evidence that clade 1 mpox is spreading from person to person in New Hampshire or within the United States. This is the first clade 1 mpox diagnosis in New Hampshire and the third … in the United States,’ the release said. The department is “conducting a disease investigation to identify anyone who may have had close contact with the individual. There have been no public locations identified where exposure may have occurred,” the release said. The virus is spread “primarily through direct physical contact with someone who has mpox and has developed an infection skin rash,” according to a statement from State Epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan in the release. For more on mpox, see the department’s webpage about the illness including information about the vaccine at dhhs.nh.gov.
Mission Zero
On Friday, Feb. 7, no adults were waiting in a New Hampshire hospital emergency department for a bed in an inpatient psychiatric treatment facility, with two adults waiting in correctional facilities, according to a press release from the N.H. Department of Health and Human Services and New Hampshire Hospital. “As a result, New Hampshire Hospital will end the day with open beds for the first time in recent memory,” the release said. The DHHS project Mission Zero is “a collaborative effort to eliminate hospital emergency department psychiatric boarding,” according to dhhs.nh.gov. “Today gets us closer to that goal,” DHHS commissioner Lori Weaver said in the Feb. 7 press release. “The collaborative efforts among DHHS, the New Hampshire Hospital Association, NAMI NH, hospitals and advocates are making a real difference in the lives of the people we collectively care for.” See the “Mental Health” section of the DHHS website for the department’s 10-year mental health plan and more on Mission Zero.
More museum time
The Aviation Museum of New Hampshire (27 Navigator Road in Londonderry; aviationmuseumofnh.org) will expand its regular schedule starting Wednesday, March 5, according to a press release. The museum will be open five days a week (an additional two days from its current schedule): Wednesdays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m. The museum will celebrate the new schedule with a ribbon-cutting and cake on Wednesday, March 5, at 10 a.m., the release said. Admission costs $10 for adults and kids 13 and up; $5 for age 6 to 12, 65+ and veterans and active military. Kids 5 and under get in for free.
During the upcoming February school vacation week, the museum will also be open additional days — 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday Feb. 25, through Thursday, Feb. 27, the release said.
Hike Andres
The Andres Institute of Art (106 Route 13 in Brookline; andresinstitute.org) will hold a guided hike of its sculpture-filled trails during February school vacation on Thursday, Feb. 27, at 10 a.m. The hike has a suggested age of 8 and up and will be on the Quarry Trail or the Parkway Trail, depending on conditions, according to an Andres newsletter. The hike will be 45 to 60 minutes with stops at sculptures, the newsletter said. The hike will start at the AIA welcome center, where trekking poles are available for sale for $20, the newsletter said. Sign up for this hike by emailing the number of attending hikers and ages of participants as well as contact info to [email protected].
The Pembroke Historical Society will host a presentation on “Vanished Veterans: An Illustrated Introduction to NH’s Civil War Monuments and Memorials” on Thursday, Feb. 13, at 7 p.m. by historian George Morrison at the Pembroke Town Library, 313 Pembroke St. in Pembroke. The event is free and open to the public. Call 566-1031 for info.
Flag Hill Distillery & Winery in Lee will host the snowshoe race the County Line Derby on Sunday, Feb. 23, with racers following a .42-mile course around the vineyard, snow or no, according to a press release. The event is free but tickets are required and are available at CountyLineDerby2025.eventbrite.com. The event begins at 9:30 a.m.; racers are “tasked with … creating a racer persona,” the release said, and can win Best In Style prizes. Spectators can also compete for a Best Derby Outfit prize, the release said.
The Franco American Centre will hold a Mardi Gras celebration on Sunday, Feb. 23, from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Alpine Club (175 Putnam St. in Manchester) featuring Mardi Gras-themed snacks, family-friendly Hurricane Punch, making a Mardi Gras mask, creating a mini-float, a Mardi Gras parade, Mardi Gras bingo and more, according to a Centre email. Tickets cost $20 for adults, $10 for teens and $5 for kids, plus fees, at facnh.com.
Science Cafe NH will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 18, at 6 p.m. at Soel Sistas Cafe, 30 Temple St. in Nashua, for a panel discussion about wastewater, according to an email. The group meets on the third Tuesday of each month; find them on Facebook.
