Though he’s a political comedian, and maybe the only standup who attended Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, Jimmy Tingle doesn’t lean left or right in his joke-telling. Yes, he ran for Lieutenant Governor in Massachusetts’s 2018 Democratic primary, but on stage, he’s there for everyone.
Tingle believes, to paraphrase the old Burt Bacharach/Hal David song, that’s what the world needs now.
“People don’t need to be beat up rhetorically; people want to laugh,” he said in a recent phone interview. “I don’t shy away from what’s going on, but I don’t want to be finger-pointing at people and turning on them, making people feel like there’s no hope, that we’re not making progress. Because we are.”
Tingle calls his new campaign Humor For Humanity, and aims to draw laughs and do good. “It’s basically using humor to illuminate the human condition and where we are in the country right now,” he said, “but it’s also a social enterprise that raises spirits, funds and awareness for nonprofits, charities and social causes. Our mission is your mission … humor in helping, humor in healing, humor in hope — ha, ha, ha!”
Proceeds from a pair of upcoming shows at The Music Hall in Portsmouth will benefit the Friends of Moldova Refugee Relief charity. Tingle’s Harvard classmate Maia Sandu is president of Moldova, which borders Ukraine and has been severely impacted by the Russian invasion of that country. “I’ve done some low-level fundraising for [the cause] in the past couple of months,” Tingle said, “but this will be a more direct deposit to the organization.”
Tingle was inspired to become a comic by Dustin Hoffman’s portrayal of Lenny Bruce in the 1974 Bob Fosse-directed biopic. “That just illustrated what comedy could be besides what I grew up on — The Three Stooges, Honeymooners, Jackie Gleason,” he said. “When I watched that movie back in college, while we were discussing … all the challenges that were front and center in the country at that time, coming out of the Vietnam War, I saw what comedy could be as well. It just resonated with me.”
His show is autobiographical, beginning with Tingle’s days as a street performer in Cambridge, doing standup in the city’s burgeoning ’80s comedy scene. He’ll talk about working at the Ding Ho club, where he was a fixture, then moving to one-man shows, running through a ‘greatest hits’ of some of those, then touch on his time as a 60 Minutes correspondent.
The evening concludes in the present, where Tingle remains an optimist. “Things that were revealed during the pandemic, like racial equity [and] treating these subjects with humor, but also, I would like to think, insight and, again, progressive commentary.” That last word reflects a continuum rather than an ideology, Tingle stressed. “I like to think we’re making progress; we gotta keep making progress.”
Along with live work, Tingle has a podcast that’s hosted comics like Colin Quinn, Marc Maron and Paula Poundstone, as well as activists like John Rosenthal, the founder of Stop Handgun Violence.
“It’s not just about entertainment, but that’s … first and foremost on my agenda,” he continued. “I want to be funny as well as as positive and uplifting as I can be, and also hopeful regarding the situation that’s going on. The doom and gloom is overwhelming, and the division in the country is overwhelming. I want to be less partisan and more unifying about the human condition, and what we all have in common.”
After two years of uncertainty, Tingle feels it’s the least he can do.
“I just want people to come out and have a good time and leave the theater hopefully feeling uplifted and more positive,” he said. “More hopeful than they were when they went in. I’ve had a lot of people say, ‘Thank you so much for doing this show. It’s exactly what I needed, because I haven’t been out of the house in two years. It was so good to be back out and laughing with people.’”
Jimmy Tingle When: Saturday, July 16, at 6 and 8:30 p.m. Where: The Music Hall Lounge, 131 Congress St., Portsmouth Tickets: $30 at themusichall.org
Concord native Laura Fucella found success in 2017 with Eatxactly Cakes, a homestead business specializing in custom designed cakes, cupcakes and cake pops for weddings, birthday parties and all kinds of other occasions. But she could only pull so much out of her home kitchen each week — so when her business grew to the point when she was regularly having to turn cake orders away during peak season, that was when she began looking for opportunities to expand.
Photos courtesy of Eatxactly Sweet Cafe in Concord.
Eatxactly Sweet Cafe, which opened June 18 in the former Eagle Square Deli space downtown, is more than just a larger production space for Fucella’s custom cakes. It’s also a full-service bakery and cafe, featuring a lineup of grab-and-go pastries, coffees, teas, toasts and more.
“I always wanted to have a little cake bakery, just something small … and when I saw that this was available, it felt right,” said Fucella, who took over the vacant storefront last October. “Then it was like, well this is a lot of space for just cakes, so I said, ‘What else can we do in here?’ That’s kind of how it got to be what it is, more just because of the space available.”
Fucella is no stranger to smaller baked goodies, either — she completed a nine-month intensive program in pastry arts at Le Cordon Bleu College in Cambridge, Mass., in 2011, and also held various baking and restaurant management positions, including at D Squared Java in Exeter just prior to the start of the pandemic.
The new cafe’s offerings include a regularly stocked display of scratch-baked items like croissants, scones and sticky buns, in addition to a refrigerated case of fruit tarts, chocolate cream puffs, banana breads, and cakes and cupcakes, all in a variety of rotating flavors.
Photos courtesy of Eatxactly Sweet Cafe in Concord.
There are also “cafe bites,” or loaded toasts using rustic sourdough bread from the Derry-based Nomad Bakery — those options include a tomato crostini with goat cheese and microgreens; a caprese-style toast with basil pesto, mozzarella and spinach; and the “Queen Bee,” which features peanut butter, banana, bacon, house-made granola and a bourbon honey glaze. Oatmeals, quiches, yogurt parfaits and focaccia served by the slice on Fridays round out the food menu.
For her coffees, Fucella is partnering with Tandem Coffee Roasters of Portland, Maine. Drip coffee and cold brew are available, in addition to a full line of espresso drinks, along with a variety of house-made syrups with flavors like mocha, vanilla, caramel and maple. Fucella also offers herbal, black and oolong loose-leaf teas from Aera Tea Co., with a few milk options.
But even with all the new menu additions, you’ll still be able to order any of the signature cakes Fucella has become known for. Most require at least a seven-day advance notice, although it’s longer for weddings and for larger orders. Fucella has even worked to streamline the ordering process with new forms recently uploaded to the website that you can fill out yourself.
Eatxactly Sweet Cafe Where: 5 Eagle Square, Concord Hours: Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (hours may be subject to change) More info: Visit eatxactlysweetcafe.com, or find them on Facebook and Instagram @eatxactlysweetcafe or call 715-1145
Featured photo: Photos courtesy of Eatxactly Sweet Cafe in Concord.
Hillsboro Summer Festival is back for its 32nd year, celebrating the firefighters and community that started it all those years ago.
“The event has evolved a lot in the past 32 years,” said Katherine Charette, the co-chair of the Hillsboro festival committee. “It started out as something put on by the fire department and had different events to raise money for the community and their organization.”
Back when it started, Charette said that there would be Fireman Musters, or competitions between fire departments. Back in the day, firefighters would work to see who was fastest at unraveling hoses and winding them up again, do obstacle courses, and compete in other tests of their skill. Charette said that firefighters from across the country would come to compete.
Now, the event is filled with local artisans selling their wares, live music performances, carnival rides and games, and an impressive fireworks show. Even with the changes, the festival still honors firefighters.
“This is our second year back since having that time off from the pandemic,” Charette said. “We have the most events we’ve ever had for every single age.”
Hillsboro Fire Chief Kenny Stafford said that while the event is time-consuming for him and his volunteer firefighters, who set up and take down everything for the event, he is glad that it brings the community together.
“It brings people to town, and this weekend shows you exactly who we are,” Stafford said. “[The festival] shows what our town is all about.”
Charette said that she wanted to try to make the festival as low-cost as possible so that families could plan to have fun throughout the day without breaking the bank. Besides the $25 wristbands that gain access to all the rides, the only other part of the festival that costs money is donating to the fire department for parking.
From pie and cupcake eating contests to a warrior obstacle course, Charette said, “it’s all free and a really great event for the whole community.”
For Stafford, seeing the community recognize the sacrifice and dedication of his firefighters is what makes the event special.
“It’s awful nice to have someone come up and say, ‘Thanks for all you do,’” Stafford said. “We couldn’t do what we do if we didn’t have that support.”
Hillsboro Summer Festival
Where: 29 Preston St., Hillsboro When: Thursday, July 7, from 6 to 10 p.m.; Friday, July 8, from 5 to 11 p.m.; Saturday, July 9, from noon to 11 p.m., and Sunday, July 10, from noon to 5 p.m. Price: $10 per car, $25 for rides wristband. Events include: • Friday, 6 to 8 p.m. — Cub Scouts host the mobile basecamp (with gaga, archery, bb range and more) • Friday, 6:30 p.m. — 5K Road Race (register in advance or onsite at 5:30 p.m.) • Friday, 7 to 9 p.m. Superbug performs • Saturday, noon to 4 p.m. Warrior Obstacle Course • Saturday, 1 p.m. Women’s Skillet Toss • Saturday, 2 to 5 p.m., Interactive Juggling • Saturday, 10 p.m., fireworks • Sunday, noon, Hometown Parade • Sunday, noon to 2:30 p.m., Car and Truck Show • Sunday, 1 p.m. 10-and-under cupcake eating contest • Sunday, 2 p.m. Pie Eating Contest • Sunday, 2 to 4 p.m. Mary Poppins Balloon Artist More: hillsborosummerfest.com, 464-0377
Featured photo: Photo courtesy of Katherine Charette of the Hillsboro Festival.
Add a little action to your day with go-karts, bumper boats and laser tag.
Summer is all about breaking out of your daily routine. Put a little excitement in your weekend (or your afterwork or your staycation) by checking out some local, low-time-commitment but big-fun-payoff activities such as go-karts, bumper boats and laser tag.
Speedy fun with go-karts
Find fast(-ish) paced excitement and friendly competition at area tracks
Parents against kids, siblings against each other — the go-kart racetrack has a way of turning even the most devoted of couples into competitors, said Michael Accomando, the owner of Mel’s Funway Park.
“Everybody that hits the track and they get so excited. You’ve got to look at it from the point of view of a kid who wants to beat their mother or father, or their older siblings, through the eyes of people who can’t drive regular cars,” said Accomando. “You look at one big official race that’s started, but there’s always more within those little groups.”
Accomando said that his entire fleet has been tuned up and is ready for racers. His track has tight turns and a bridge for karters to go over and under. He said that his favorite part is seeing how excited the kids get while racing.
“If you’re a young young kid, you feel like you’re really zipping around a track,” Accomado said, adding that the karts don’t go faster than 20 miles per hour.
Go-karts were first created in the 1950s, and some tracks in New Hampshire have been around for 40 years, like Weirs Beach Go-Kart Track in Laconia.
Owner Tom Hickey said that he was 14 years old when his parents bought the track. Now, he comes up every summer to open up the course.
Hickey said he loves seeing the generations that have come through, from kids racing around the track to parents sharing the experience with their children.
Go-kart fun facts Go-karts were invented in 1956 in Glendale, California, by Art Ingels, who was a fabricator at Kurtis Kraft, a dominant manufacturer of the Indianapolis 500 race cars. He put a discarded two-cycle lawn mower motor into a tube-frame “kart” and created the world-famous miniature race car. Source: Petrolicious.
“They know me by name and they say they used to come as a kid and it’s a generation thing,” Hickey said. “You see families come back year after year.”
While these karts are much slower, and safer, than the ones professional racers use, there are still safety parameters that all locations follow.
Drivers at most locations have to be taller than 58 inches, and all have slightly different requirements for passengers. At Chuckster’s, passengers can be as young as 3 with a licensed driver. Weirs Beach only allows passengers ages 4 to 9.
Karts are equipped with kill switches, and operators can lower the speeds of all the karts for safety purposes, like if a driver spins out or isn’t driving safely.
Throughout the years, Hickey said, he’s noticed that people will always come back to do more and more laps.
“I always say to my workers that people don’t get sick of pizza or coffee, so people won’t get sick of go-karts,” Hickey said.
Where to go karting
Chuckster’s 9 Bailey Road, Chichester Hours: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily Price: $8 for one ride, $33 for five. Passengers ride free. Visit: chuckstersnh.com.
Daytona Fun Park 104 Endicott St. East, Laconia Hours: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Price: $8.75 for single ride, $24.50 for three, $75 for 10. Passengers are $2 additional for each ride and passengers must be under 54 inches tall. Visit: daytonafunparknh.com
Mel’s Funway Park 454 Charles Bancroft Hwy., Litchfield Hours: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Price: $9.50 for one ride, $42.50 for five rides Visit: melsfunwaypark.com
Weirs Beach Go-Kart Track 582 Endicott St. North, Laconia Hours: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily Price: one race is $9, six for $48 Visit: wbgokarts.com
Bumper cars are one of the oldest amusement rides, dating back to the early 1920s. While bumper boats aren’t as old, they add a little bit of pizazz to the process of crashing vehicles into one another.
Like their land counterparts, bumper boats have drivers smashing into each other, but water makes everything a little more chaotic, especially when the boats are equipped with water cannons.
Sophie Genest, 7, takes aim for her grandfather, John Leblanc. photo by Katelyn Sahagin
“If you squirt the old guy on the dock he’ll take out a hose, he’ll take out a hose and take ’em down,” John Crawford, who is the owner of Daytona Fun Park and is also the old guy on the dock, joked. “There have been a few guys that I’ve squirted too much, but we all have fun.”
While Daytona has had bumper boats for years, the attraction is new to Chuckster’s Family Fun Park this year.
“We just opened them up a month ago,” said Mark Blasko, the owner of Chuckster’s. “It’s a super fun way to cool off. We’ve learned that even when it’s not hot it’s still heavily used.”
Bumper boats float on a pool called a pond and are propelled with a small motor. The circular boats are designed to be nearly impossible to capsize, said Blasko, and all of the parks had height restrictions of 44 inches.
The boats at all the locations have water cannons that shoot water approximately 30 feet in an arc, making aming and driving a bigger challenge.
Bumper boats fun fact The first iteration of bumper boats, called Dodgem Boats, was featured at the 1933 Chicago’s World Fair. The small motorboats sat two adults and were made entirely out of wood. Source: “A Short History of Bumper Cars Going Bump In The Night,” By Seth Gussow for Automobile Magazine.
The Chuckster’s bumper boat pool has an island in the center featuring the park’s woodchuck mascot spraying a waterfall over the boaters. Despite its being only open for a month, Blasko said that there’s been a line for the boats almost every day.
In Crawford’s eyes, bumper boats are so popular because anyone can have fun on them.
“I like to say we have kids of all ages come here,” Crawford said. “It’s great to see the 70- and 80-year-old ‘kids’ get in the boats with their kids and grandkids and have a good time.”
Where to find bumper boats
Chuckster’s 9 Bailey Road, Chichester Hours: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily Price: $7 per ride, passengers are free Visit: chuckstersnh.com
Daytona Fun Park 104 Endicott St. East, Laconia Hours: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Price: $9.50 for single ride, $2 additional per passenger Visit: daytonafunparknh.com
Mel’s Funway Park 454 Charles Bancroft Hwy., Litchfield Hours: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Price: $9 for one ride, $40 for five rides. Visit: melsfunwaypark.com
Pew! Pew! Pew!
Tag, you’re it, with lasers
By Hannah Turtle
hturtle@admin
Jack Walsh contributed to this story.
When asked about the draw of laser tag, Mel’s Funway Park owner Mike Accomando sums it up in one sentence: “It takes a grown-up, and it makes them a kid all over again.”
A popular activity for kids and adults alike, laser tag is exactly what it sounds like, a game in which participants use infrared-emitting light guns to “tag” targets. Or, as Accomando puts it, “people run around in the dark shooting each other, but nobody gets hurt.”
Laser tag is by no means a new activity in the area, but the many venues in which it can be played have multiplied over the years. Now, there’s outdoor laser tag at AG Paintball in Weare, and even mobile laser tag services that come to you.
One such service, offered by Next Level Tag, includes various scenarios such as “zombie apocalypse” and a hostage situation. There’s even a “bomb scenario,” in which players must defuse a laser bomb before the device “explodes.” At AG, you can play a “gold rush” game or have a similar zombie-like experience with “infection survival” (Covid not included).
Venues like Mel’s Funway Park still offer the traditional laser tag experience, perfect for groups or even lone players, and for adults and kids alike, including a robust “laser maze.” One piece of advice, though: Don’t tamper with the emergency exits.
“Once a kid thought the emergency door was an emergency room where you could hide,” Accomando said. “So, in the middle of the game, he ran through the emergency door and set off the fire alarm in the building. It was a lot of work for us, but I thought it was pretty funny.”
The thrill of the chase without the possibility of actual bodily harm is something that connects all the laser tag options in the area, but winning a game requires a sharp mind and a good battle strategy.
XTremeCraze, which opened in Londonderry in early 2019, hosts a large arena of around 10,000 square feet. Games take place hourly, sometimes every other hour, with 44 open player slots. There are a variety of different game modes, and each holds different objectives that lead to victory.
“Our game modes are super interactive,” XTremeCraze general manager Leo Batista said. “They allow you to essentially play a team style game like you would in a video game, but [you can] play it in a real-life form with your friends.”
Batista’s personal favorite game mode is “Headquarters,” a mode where players take over sectors to accumulate points, all while tagging out opponents.
For those looking to have a leg up in laser tag strategy, Accomando recommends finding cover and staying low.
“People are normally looking and aiming higher. When you find a spot and stay low, you kind of disappear in the dark,” he said. “Then, you’ll have an opportunity to shoot other people’s lasers without them even knowing what hit them.”
Where to play tag (with lasers)
AG Paintball 158 Deering Center Road, Weare Hours: Monday to Friday, appointment only; Saturday and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets: $20 per person Visit: agpaintball.com
Block Party Social 51 Zapora Drive, Hooksett Hours: Monday to Thursday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to midnight; Sunday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tickets: $22 per person Visit: blockpartysocial.com
Fun City 553 Mast Road, Goffstown Hours: Monday, 3 to 8 p.m.; Tuesday to Thursday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tickets: $8 per game Visit: funcitygoffstown.com
Mel’s Funway Park 454 Charles Bancroft Hwy., Litchfield Hours: Monday to Thursday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tickets: $8 for each 10-minute game Visit: melsfunwaypark.com
Next Level Tag Booking: packages vary, basic package $350 for 12 players Visit: nextleveltag.com
XtremeCraze 4 Orchard View Drive, Londonderry Hours: Tuesday to Thursday, noon to 8 p.m.; (Thursday Junior Jumps from 10 a.m. to noon); Friday, noon to 9 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Closed for private events on Mondays, except for school holidays. Reservations are strongly recommended. Visit: xtremecraze.us/londonderry
Featured photo: Kristen Powers takes the lead in her go-kart race against Bruce Jache at Mel’s Funway Park. Photo by Katelyn Sahagian.
Information from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services.
Bill signings
Gov. Chris Sununu signed 39 bills into law on July 1, including SB 422, which establishes an adult dental benefit under the state Medicaid program, according to a press release from the governor’s office. Other bills include an act about health care visitation policies (HB 1439), an act related to special education services for kids in chartered public schools (SB 238), an act establishing an office of the advocate for special education (SB 381) and a bill that seeks to protect vulnerable adults from financial exploitation (SB 385), the release said.
Rising fentanyl dangers
Gov. Chris Sununu, State Police Colonel Nathan Noyes, American Medical Response Regional Director Chris Stawasz, Concord Hospital President and CEO Bob Steigmeyer, and Concord Hospital Emergency Department Medical Director Dr. Nicholas Larochelle held a press conference at Concord Hospital on June 30 to raise awareness about the rising dangers of fentanyl being added to other substances, according to WMUR. While fentanyl has been known to be routinely mixed with heroin, Gov. Sununu and law enforcement and health officials warned that there has been a recent trend of fentanyl being mixed with non-opioid drugs, including cocaine, methamphetamine, marijuana and prescription drugs and being put into vape cartridges. “We’re seeing a whole new mix and integration of these very dangerous and deadly drugs being mixed in with more recreational activities, whether it’s vaping, whether it’s marijuana,” Sununu said according to the WMUR.
New prescription opioid strike force
The Justice Department’s Criminal Division announced in a press release the formation of the New England Prescription Opioid Strike Force, a joint effort between law enforcement, the Health Care Fraud Unit in the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for three federal districts and law enforcement partners in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG), U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and FBI. The new force will focus on combating unlawful prescribing by identifying and investigating health care fraud schemes and drug diversion offenses by physicians, pharmacists and other medical professionals in the New England region and prosecuting those and other individuals involved in the illegal distribution of prescription opioids and other prescription controlled substances. “The formation of NEPO presents a tremendous opportunity for our three Northern New England states to disrupt the illegal prescription and distribution of opioids,”U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young for the District of New Hampshire said in the release.
First probable case of monkeypox
The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services announced in a press release that it has identified what it believes to be the first probable case of monkeypox in the state. The New Hampshire Public Health Laboratories conducted the initial testing of the patient, who is a resident of Rockingham County. DHHS is currently conducting an investigation to determine if any other individuals were exposed and infected. “While this is a concerning development, the risk to the general public is very low,” Dr. Jonathan Ballard, DHHS Chief Medical Officer, said in the release. Monkeypox is a rare disease caused by a virus that is categorized in the same group as the smallpox virus. Symptoms may include fever, headache, exhaustion, muscle aches, sore throat, cough, swollen lymph nodes and a skin rash and may last for two to four weeks. Transmission typically requires close interaction or physical contact. Anyone experiencing symptoms, particularly a new skin rash or skin lesions, should consult their health care provider.
Blue-green algae dangers
Potentially toxic cyanobacteria has been blooming more frequently in New Hampshire, according to a press release from the Lake Winnipesaukee Association. Often referred to as blue-green algae, the waterbody organisms are needed for the health and growth of many native plants, but can produce toxins that are dangerous to humans and animals, particularly affecting the nervous, liver and endocrine systems, if ingested in large quantities. The Lake Winnipesaukee Association, joined by the Moultonborough Conservation Commission and UNH Lakes Lay Monitoring Program, will hold an informational session on Tuesday, July 12, at 3 p.m. at the Moultonborough Public Library. Anyone who sees an algae bloom or water quality issue is asked to report it to the Lake Winnipesaukee Association at 581-6632 or [email protected].
Rock blasting operations will begin on the F.E. Everett Turnpike in Bedford, on the northbound barrel just south of the I-293 interchange, on Thursday, July 7, the New Hampshire Department of Transportation announced. According to a press release, what that means for drivers is rolling road blocks intermittently on weekdays between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. for the next several months.
The 2022 summer concert series at Stark Park in Manchester (650 River Road) kicks off with a performance by Love Dogs on Sunday, July 10, from 2 to 4 p.m. The Boston-based seven-piece band plays music with elements of jump blues, New Orleans R&B and early rock ’n’ roll. See starkpark.com/events for the full schedule.
AARP New Hampshire has announced the recipients of four 2022 Community Challenge grants, one of which is Hillsborough Community Center, which will use the funds to create a new welcoming and relaxing space with a small garden for older adults. The grants are awarded for quick-action projects with long-term impacts that improve quality of life in New Hampshire communities, particularly for adults over the age of 50.
Like many performers, Dakota Smart used the pandemic’s forced down time to woodshed new material. He wrote over 100 songs, a few of which are part of his first full-length album, Leap of Faith. He plans to perform several more at a release show for the new record on July 8 at Foster’s Tavern in Alton.
The Lakes Region hamlet is Smart’s home town, and the venue was the site of his first paying gig. His high school band Organized Chaos performed there when it was called JP China; the restaurant/bar reopened with a new name on Memorial Day and features live music on Fridays and Saturdays.
“It was my first introduction to actually doing what I love professionally,” Smart said recently by phone. Now that his first proper long-player is complete, “being able to play in my home town for people who have watched me for years is really moving … a special experience.”
Smart brought his piano and ukulele skills to make the pop/rock effort at Rocking Horse Studios in Pittsfield. Produced by Brian Coombes and Josh Kimball, members of the studio’s house band backed him — guitarist Myron Kibbee, Eric Wagley on drums and bass player Brenden Harisiades, with extra spice provided by cellist Jeremy Harman and Wesley Thurber on trumpet.
Thurber’s interplay with Smart’s ukulele elevates standout track “Lovely Lady,” first released as a single last September. “I love trumpet, and I think it works really well with ukulele songs,” Smart said.
The rousing “Believe” finds Smart on his primary instrument, piano, and showcasing his songwriting talents. The tune is a rousing “climb on a back that’s strong” number, with rising horns evoking Fleet Foxes, with impressively mature lyrics.
This sophisticated wordplay isn’t entirely surprising, given that he wrote about being a lonely college boy on “Sunrise In New York” while he was still in high school. “It was a song about me, predicting the future,” he said of the 2019 track.
Lately, he’s become more comfortable telling other people’s truths.
“I got to a point where I was writing songs about my own experience, but I felt as though I didn’t have a lot to write about,” he said. “One of the things I often say is I believe the best songwriters start off as the best listeners. There are thousands of stories out there, between friends, families and people you’re going to meet in your everyday experience. A lot of them motivate you more than your own.”
There’s still a confessional element to the new disc, which ranges across “a bunch of different moods between slow songs, fast songs, happy and sad stuff,” Smart said, adding, “I have a pretty good fluctuation between writing about myself and other people … there’s definitely a mix between the two, and I’ve definitely expanded upon that.”
Along with Leap of Faith, Smart plans to unveil some even newer material at the upcoming show.
“I’m actually going to be playing a lot of songs that have not been released yet,” he said. “I’m going to be not only showing people the brand new album, but I’m also going to be giving them a sneak peek of stuff that is going to come.”
Smart received multiple New England Music Awards nominations in 2021, and he recently made a career-building trip to the music Mecca of Nashville.
“I was invited through the Extreme tour,” he explained. “You go down and partake in the Nashville Objective.” He was one of 20 finalists who played for a panel of industry leaders, A&R types and Grammy nominees, after surviving a selection process that began with over 1,000 artists.
“It’s not a talent show, you’re not being judged,” he stressed. “It’s a group of people who are passionate about music that really want to help out upcoming artists and be a part of their upbringing. The real goal of going down there and doing what I did was to make connections and nurture these new relationships. It turned out really great; I made a lot of new friends within the industry, and it was amazing.”
Dakota Smart When: Friday, July 8, 6:30 p.m. Where: Foster’s Tavern, 403 Main St., Alton Bay More: dakotasmart.com
