The idea for Clearly Country, the new EP from Modern Fools, came from a sign spotted by songwriter Josh Blair at a yard sale in Peterborough. He couldn’t shake it from his mind, so he returned to make an offer. “I didn’t know why I bought it,” he said by phone recently. “Then it just kind of dawned on me that it was going to be the cover of a honky-tonk album.”
The result is a gem, born as much from Blair’s love of purists like Hank Williams and Buck Owens as from his affinity for cosmic cowboys such as Gram Parsons and the Byrds album on which he served as a guiding light, Sweetheart of the Radio, an effort many point to as key in launching country rock as a genre.
Standout tracks on Clearly Country include “Ballroom Bender Blues,” a song about a guy whose drunkenness doubles for dancing; it rollicks like The Band with a pickup pedal steel player. “On My Mind” has guest vocals from Rachel Sumner and could be a cut from John Prine’s In Spite of Ourselves, while the high lonesome ballad “Eastern Standard” evokes the Everly Brothers, another big influence. Its supple harmonies are complemented by Braught’s spare, elegant soloing.
The Keene/Peterborough band — Blair, drummer Justin Gregory, Jon Braught on guitar, keyboard player Nick Hayes and Ian Galipeau on bass — will celebrate the seven-song collection at a release show in Concord on Jan. 18. The BNH Stage date includes support from indie rockers Slim Volume and singer/songwriter Rachel Berlin.
The group began over a decade ago with a different lineup and sound.
“We played a lot of local shows and kind of fizzled out around 2016,” Blair said. During the pandemic he and Gregory began working on ideas, later recruiting Braught, and Galipeau a while after that. The band released the introspective LP Seer in 2020 and Strange Offering in 2023.
Neither of those efforts bears much resemblance to Clearly Country.
“It’s a bit of a tangent … a departure from our normal sound,” Blair said of the new EP. “This is a concept album of sorts.” He’d kicked around ideas for a twang-forward effort soon after releasing their last album, including teaming with their friend Sumner.
“I wanted that old country duet sort of thing, like Johnny Cash and June Carter sort of thing; we all unanimously thought about Rachel,” Blair said. “She really liked the song and absolutely delivered … she sent us a quick demo back, and she just nailed it.”
Blair has significant roots in the Concord music scene dating back to playing psychedelic blues at Penuche’s with Ghost Dinner Band, and later in the supergroup Band Band. He immediately thought of the BNH Stage for the concert, reaching out to John McArthur at New Hampshire Music Collective, which books a lot of original bands there.
With NHMC on board, they began looking for bands to share the stage.
“Slim Volume was the first pick for everybody in the band; we just love their sound, it’s very complementary,” Blair said. “Then we thought of Rachel Berlin, she’s from the Concord area and just a great singer/songwriter with a great voice. It’s a really solid lineup and a really solid venue.”
The show is a solid reflection of the Capitol City’s continuous support for local artists. Even though Blair isn’t a resident, he feels an affinity from his years playing in the city, with so many different musical projects.
“Concord always felt like home in the music scene,” he said, “and it’s always kind of felt like a home away from home for me.”
Modern Fools with Slim Volume and Rachel Berlin When: Friday, Jan. 17, 8 p.m. Where: BNH Stage, 16 S. Main St., Concord Tickets: $18.75 at ccanh.com
An exotic dancer gets caught up in the rich-kid-nonsense of the son of a wealthy Russian family in Anora.
Ani (Mikey Madison), the titular Anora, dances at a strip club where one of her special talents is a working knowledge of Russian, even if her accent isn’t the best. When young Russian goofus Vanya (Mark Eydelshteyn) comes in, she is sent out to dance for him. He gives her his cell number and she agrees to some hang-out time outside the club. Eventually their arrangement stretches into a week-long girlfriend experience, with Ani traveling to Las Vegas with Vanya and his entourage. Vanya doesn’t want to return to Russia, where it sounds like he will have to work and won’t be able to just get high and play video games all day. He suggests that he marry Ani and thus become a U.S. citizen and thus not return. Despite seeming like she’s worldly enough to see the pitfalls in this, Ani says yes and they head to a Vegas wedding chapel.
Vanya is 21 and Ani is 23. You act 25, Vanya tells her. Really, she acts like a 23-year-old who sees a ray of economic light and he acts like a 14-year-old for whom there have never been any consequences for his careless actions. Madison does a good job of giving us this very young woman who’s in way over her head and struggling to do the best she can with what she, at least for a little while, believes could be a real marriage and a real chance at a better future for herself. In its second half, the movie does feature segments that read more as kind of a comedy of errors with Vanya’s father’s American-based henchmen trying to find and hold onto Vanya while they “fix” what they see as yet another mess he has made. This part of the movie has its charms, with Yura Borisov, Karren Karagulian and Vache Tovmasyan playing workers in this family operation who have to deal with the increasingly enraged Ani and the increasingly petulant man-child Vanya. But I don’t know that this “Chris and Paulie in the Pine Barrens” comedy entirely fits with what otherwise feels like a portrait of Ani. I will also say that, for me, this movie had expectations working against it — it has been nominated for, like, every movie award this season. I enjoyed it fine, it is worth a watch, but there are visible seams and rough patches (Vanya’s parents, when they show up, feel very underbaked) I didn’t expect based on all the accolades. B+, I guess, but credit the + mostly to Madison.Available for rent or purchase.
A Different Man (R)
Sebastian Stan plays an actor with facial differences in the at-times comic, at-times sad A Different Man.
Edward (Stan) gets a role in what appears to be a human resources video about working with employees who have differences in facial structure or appearance. It’s only about a minute of screentime, but it’s an acting credit at least for struggling actor Edward, who has facial tumors. When he meets his new neighbor, a playwright named Ingrid (Renate Reinsve), her initial reaction is a gasp, though she later becomes friendly with him. Meanwhile, he agrees to take part in a new clinical trial, taking a drug that causes extreme pain. His skin begins to slough off his face and after a particularly dramatic skin peeling he discovers that his face is now, well, Sebastian Stan’s differences-free “normal” face. Basically disowning his old self, Edward becomes Guy, a Stan-ily handsome successful real estate salesman who tells Ingrid and others that Edward is dead.
Years later, he sees a notice for an audition specifically looking for an actor with facial differences for a play called Edward, written by Ingrid. He auditions and gets the part, which he plans to play while wearing a mask that looks like his old face. But then Oswald (Adam Pearson) shows up. Oswald has facial differences similar to Edward’s but he also has the confidence, positivity and personability — and charming English accent — that Edward never did. “Guy,” the real Edward, watches as Oswald eventually plays Edward better than Edward does and then becomes the life of the afterparty as well.
Is there anything more irritating than someone who can take your particular set of lemons and make wildly popular lemonade out of them? Stan is excellent as someone who realizes the limitations of “normality” and is torn between clearly admiring Oswald and kind of hating him for how much better he is at living their life. It’s a quiet, confused rage and Stan wears it very well, simmering and boiling over in a way that makes no sense to the other characters. Adam Pearson, who does have neurofibromatosis and facial differences in real life, does a good job of differentiating Oswald from Edward. Oswald seems to move through the world matter-of-factly, presenting himself openly and then pushing people to see him fully. The movie doesn’t show us the work this takes from Oswald but that kind of fits with our point of view, which is Edward’s point of view, which is of this guy who lights up a room and gets the girl, something that even “Guy” can’t quite pull off. B+ Available for rent or purchase and streaming on Max staring Jan. 17
Flow (PG)
A cat keeps on keeping on through floods, storms and hostile lemurs in Flow, a beautiful, watercolor-esque, dialogue-free animated story.
Wikipedia says the animation was done with computer graphics, which you can see, particularly in the way water is rendered, with a look that is sometimes almost photorealistic. But the animals themselves often have a picture book watercolor-painted look — vibrant in their color and well defined but with a softness. We follow the adventures of a black cat, who at the beginning of the movie spends its nights sleeping in a bed in a house surrounded by outdoor cat statues. We never see the artist who left one statue half-finished on their workbench, nor any other people in this world full of human structures and human items, like bottles or a mirror, but that otherwise gives the sense of humans being long absent.
The cat is chased by a pack of dogs for a while, before a sudden rush of water floods the forest where the cat is living. The cat eventually hops on a boat that floats by and finds a capybara also living there. They continue to float, meet other animals along the way and run into the dogs from the beginning of the movie a few times — with one dog seeming to be particularly attached to the cat and the group as a whole.
The movie is ultimately more meditative than plot driven, with the soft music and lovely visuals taking you more to a place of float-along wonder. I don’t know that it is action-packed enough to hold a young audience but it held me through all of its beautiful scenes of watery paradises and big eyed animals. A Available for rent or purchase.
Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl (PG)
The cheese-loving inventor Wallace and his much smarter dog Gromit face off against the super criminal penguin Feathers McGraw in Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl.
Since Wallace and Gromit helped put away Feathers for stealing the blue diamond, the wordless, devious penguin has been locked in “prison” (a penguin exhibit at the zoo). Meanwhile, Wallace (voice of Ben Whitehead) has continued to invent — mostly semi-terrible gadgets like the automatic jam-on-toast applier and robotic dog-patter. But then, to “help” Gromit, he invents Norbot (voice of Reece Shearsmith), a garden gnome robot who is extremely overzealous about tidying up — he mows down Gromit’s newly planted tree and flowers and trims the hedges into squares. Gromit is annoyed but the neighbors are delighted and ask Wallace to hire Norbot out, which he does. The local news team shows up to do a story on this invention, which Feathers happens to see on TV. Feathers hacks in to Norbot’s operating system, turning his core setting from “good” to “evil.” Norbot then creates his own army of gnome robots to enact Feathers’ dastardly plan.
The animation here is fun, the usual Aardman look of clay creations in a world full of tactile items like a book with paper pages — such as Gromit’s copy of A Room Of One’s Own by Virgina Woof. Authority figures — Wallace, police chief Mackintosh (voice of Peter Kay) — are pleasantly clueless while brainier figures like Gromit and the young police officer P.C. Mukherjee (voice of Lauren Patel) know there’s trouble afoot. In Aardman style, there are “wrong’uns” and meanness without cruelty, making it very friendly for a wide range of ages, including older kids who can enjoy the overall goofiness. AStreaming on Netflix.
Next week’s Winter Wine Spectacular is one of four major fundraising events for the New Hampshire Food Bank. Three of the four events — the Distiller’s Showcase in November, the Wine Spectacular in January, and the Steel Chef competition in March — are food- or drink-related. Together with a September golf tournament, these events allow the Food Bank to feed more people.
Nancy Mellitt is New Hampshire Food Bank’s Director of Development. She is one of the principal organizers of these fundraising events.
“The funds that we see from the Wine Spectacular,” she said, “will help us to … purchase food — we’re purchasing about 30 percent more food this year over last year — for distribution. About one in 10 individuals in New Hampshire — one in seven children 18 and under — are food-insecure. Those [numbers come] from Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap, and those numbers are from 2022. We all know that grocery prices are very high, fuel is high, rents are high; so it’s just difficult for people to make ends meet. And sometimes they have to make a choice between shelter and food.”
According to statistics on New Hampshire Food Bank’s website, in 2023 the organization distributed 16.3 million pounds of food and, working with more than 400 partner agencies, served 13.6 million meals across New Hampshire.
Mellitt said that events like the Winter Wine Spectacular, which is put on by the New Hampshire Liquor Commission, are an important part of meeting that mission.
“We have a very great partnership with the Liquor Commission,” she said, adding that it was the Commission that suggested this partnership. “The Liquor Commission asked the Food Bank if we would consider taking this event on. We recruit restaurants for individuals to have tastings, both in the expo and in the VIP room. We’re trying to help to solicit some auction items available for folks to bid on. And we help to recruit volunteers so that everything’s running smoothly and the guests have a fabulous experience.”
The Liquor Commission, for its part, donates 100 percent of the event’s proceeds to the Food Bank.
“The main driver of this program is that it’s a huge benefit,” said Mark Roy, Director of Marketing for the Liquor Commission. “Our beneficiary is our partner, the New Hampshire Food Bank. [The Distillers’ Showcase and the Wine Spectacular] are not only about educating our consumers about our products and our outlets and our business but it’s partnering with crucial people like the New Hampshire Food Bank. It’s a 360-degree encompassing feel-good event. You can come and have a good time and know that it’s going toward a good cause and something that New Hampshire and the Liquor Commission really supports.”
The next event on Nancy Mellitt’s radar is the Steel Chef competition in March (nhfoodbank.org/steelchef), where 680 attendees will watch a live, timed cooking competition featuring prominent New Hampshire chefs. As the chefs compete against each other to prepare their best dishes featuring a mystery ingredient, guests will eat a special dinner curated by Celebrity Chef Marcus Samuelsson. Mellitt is a big fan.
“He was fabulous last year,” she said. “Of all of the chefs that we’ve had to date, he’s been the best. The first year a chef [hosts] this event is tough for them because they’ve never done it before; they still don’t really know what to anticipate. But Chef Sameulsson just blended in. It was amazing. It was really great to meet him and work with him and we’re looking forward to it again.”
Mellitt said tickets for Steel Chef will sell out early: “I would say they will sell out probably sometime in January.”
Food Bank events 19th Annual New England Winter Wine Spectacular When: Friday, Jan. 23, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Where: Doubletree Expo Center, 700 Elm St., Manchester Tickets: available through eventbrite.com.
9th Annual Steel Chef event When: Monday, March 17 Tickets: available at nhfoodbank.org/steelchef
To learn more about food insecurity in New Hampshire and the New Hampshire Food Bank’s role in alleviating it, visit nhfoodbank.org/hunger-in-nh.
With snow flying as the winds whip and temperatures drop, now is a great time to head indoors and enjoy some live music.
In addition to the nationally and wider-regionally touring shows at the larger capacity venues, several smaller spots offer winter music series that showcase a musical experience that features more indie, niche and regional original music. As the venues are smaller (some as small as under a hundred, some accommodating a few hundred music-lovers especially if the crowd is standing), the shows often provide a chance to catch an act before they blow up like Noah Kahan. Sometimes, the milieu and the music are equally compelling. Sipping wine before sitting down for a concert at Hermit Woods wineries, for example, or looking at art before the music at the Andres Institute.
Many of the performers can be seen in area bars and restaurants, but at these shows they have the opportunity to play their own material. When Andrea Paquin and April Cushman are at Milk St. Studios, for example, they’ll be able to draw from their own extensive catalogs instead of doing covers, something that’s also true for all of the shows at The Livery. The Songwriter Roundup at Hermit Woods Winery pretty much exists to expose original voices who spend a lot of their time doing someone else’s songs. If you like what you hear, buy a CD, it’s the best way to support independent musicians. Whether it’s a craving for rock, blues, folk, big band or traditional sounds from Ireland or Ecuador, there’s an option available.
The following is a look at upcoming concerts, from now to spring, and a few beyond.
Andres Institute of Art (16 Route 13, Brookline, andresinstitute.org)
This outdoor sculpture garden was once a ski resort. Fundraising concerts are held to keep admission free year-round. The upcoming schedule is an eclectic one, with Manchester alt rockers the Faith Ann Band, acoustic roots band Low Lily and pan-Latin Boston group Sol y Canto all playing. Institute President Kristi St. Laurent, who also books the shows, noted recently that the former ski lodge where the concerts happen is historic. “J. Geils played here, I have photographic proof of that,” she said, adding it’s perfect for concerts. “Musicians all want to come back, because they love the way the room sounds.”
Saturday, Jan. 25, 6 p.m. – Faith Ann Band and Rabbit Foot
Sunday, Feb. 9, 6 p.m. – The Sofferman Perspective
Sunday, March 2, 6 p.m. – Low Lily
Sunday, March 16, 6 p.m. – The Honey Bees
Sunday, April 6, 6 p.m. – Evan Goodrow
Saturday, April 19, 6 p.m. – Mighty Colors and Jamdemic (Earth Day Benefit)
This intimate performing space located in the studios of Portsmouth Community Radio is as eclectic as the Seacoast music community it supports, with multiple genres appearing, and nationally touring artists often stopping by. Local shows include Mango Catch Collective on Jan. 25 and a raging punk rock show featuring Condition, Black Vinegar and The Saturn Cycle on Feb. 21, with unique Beatles tribute trio While My Guitar Gently Weeps the following night. Boston acid jazzers Bees Deluxe are there March 8.
Friday, Jan. 17, 8 p.m. – Alchemy with Hell Beach and Qvickdraw
Friday, Jan. 24, 8 p.m. – DJ Chad Banks and Friends
Contoocook Cider Co. (656 Gould Hill Road, Contoocook, contoocookcider.com)
A bucolic room booked by NH Music Collective and run by a revered cidery. Music happens Saturdays and Sundays, with a long list of regional favorites stopping by.
NHMC, which helps independent musicians find gigs by working with pubs, restaurants and listening rooms, recently underwent a leadership change. Brad Myrick sold his stake to fellow co-founders John McArthur and his wife, Reva Tankle, to focus on his own music.
“It’s a very amicable change of direction for the company,” McArthur said in early January. “I’ve been trying to help him as much as I can with his performance career…. Brad is one of the best guitarists, certainly in the Northeast, and he’s a fabulous composer.”
Brad Myrick, who’s now devoting his time to performing, makes an appearance in mid-March. NHMC is also booking a series of shows at the BNH Stage in Concord this winter.
Also on tap is Ian Archibold, recently seen at a BNH Stage showcase concert. Sully Erna sideman and Joe Walsh doppelgänger Chris Lester is another highlight; he’s there next month.
Sunday, Jan. 19, 1 p.m. – Jack Ancora
Saturday, Feb. 1, 1 p.m. – Justin Cohn
Saturday, Feb. 15, 1 p.m. – Chris Lester
Saturday, March 1, 1 p.m. – Ian Archibold
Saturday, March 15, 1 p.m. – Dan Fallon
Sunday, March 16, 1 p.m. – Brad Myrick
Saturday, March 22, 1 p.m. – Alex Cohen
Sunday, March 23, 1 p.m. – Justin Cohn
Saturday, April 5, 1 p.m. – Tyler Levs
Saturday, April 12, 1 p.m. – Ryan Williamson
Saturday, April 19, 1 p.m. – Garrett Smith
Flying Goose (40 Andover Road, New London, flyinggoose.com)
The longest-running concert series in the state mixes old-school folkies like Ellis Paul, Garnet Rogers and Tom Pirozzoli, who conceived the whole thing back in the early ’90s, with new faces like Sam Robbins and Brittany Moore. This small room sells out fast, so best to make reservations well in advance, especially for shows like bluesman Guy Davis on Feb. 13.
Thursday, Jan. 16, 7:30 p.m. – New England Bluegrass Band
Thursday, Jan. 30, 7:30 p.m. – Dinty Child and Mark Erelli
Thursday, Feb. 13, 7:30 p.m. – Guy Davis
Thursday, Feb. 27, 7:30 p.m. – Ellis Paul
Thursday, March 6, 7:30 p.m. – Aztec Two Step 2.0
Thursday, March 20, 7:30 p.m. – Brittany Moore
Thursday, March 27, 7:30 p.m. – Willy Porter and Tom Pirozzoli
Thursday, April 3, 7:30 p.m. – Lonesome Ace String Band
Kick back with the apres-ski crowd and enjoy a bountiful list of musicians curated by NHMC. Willy Chase, another singer-songwriter recently showcased at BNH Stage, has an early February set. In March, it’s Mikey G, who also headlined the downtown Concord room. Other good bets are Rebecca Turmel Duo on Jan. 19, and The 603s on Feb. 22.
Saturday, Jan. 18, 3 p.m. – Ryan Williamson
Sunday, Jan. 19, 2 p.m. – Rebecca Turmel Duo
Saturday, Jan. 25, 3 p.m. – Frontwoods
Saturday, Feb. 1, 3 p.m. – Tom Boisse
Sunday, Feb. 2, 2 p.m. – Willy Chase
Saturday, Feb. 8, 3 p.m. – Dave Clark
Sunday, Feb. 9, 2 p.m. – Andrea Paquin
Saturday, Feb. 15, 3 p.m. – Karen Grenier
Sunday, Feb. 16, 2 p.m. – Jack Ancora
Saturday, Feb. 22, 3 p.m. – The 603s
Sunday, Feb. 23, 2 p.m. – Brad Myrick Duo
Saturday, March 1, 3 p.m. – Joel Begin
Saturday, March 8, 3 p.m. – Mikey G
Hermit Woods Winery (72 Main St., Meredith, hermitwoods.com)
Curated and hosted by singer-songwriter Katie Dobbins, the winery’s Wednesday Songwriter Roundup event will celebrate a two-year anniversary on Feb. 26, with Pete Downing and another artist sharing the spotlight with Dobbins. Shows are offered in tandem with a dinner that begins an hour before the music. Additional dates are anticipated. “I am coming down from the busy fall/winter show season,” Dobbins texted recently. “I’m going to be working on more bookings.”
Thursday, Jan. 16, 7 p.m. – Grace Wallace Band
Wednesday, Jan. 29, 7 p.m. – Songwriter Roundup with Katie Dobbins, Dan Sirois and Patrick Synan
Wednesday, Feb. 26, 7 p.m. – Songwriter Roundup with Katie Dobbins, Pete Downing and TBA
Wednesday, March 26, 7 p.m. – Songwriter Roundup with Katie Dobbins and TBA
Livery at Sunapee Harbor (58 Main St., Sunapee, nhmusiccollective.com)
Another NHMC-curated venue, this winter’s concert season will see the return of Slim Volume, a young Beatlesque quartet that sold out the rustic Main Street space last year, as well as Charlie Chronopoulos playing an intimate set of original music. For those looking forward to summer on the lake, NHMC’s John McArthur is planning a series there when it’s warmer.
Saturday, Jan. 18, 7 p.m. – Jack & Tim
Friday, Feb. 14, 7 p.m. – JD & the Stonemasons
Saturday, April 19, 7 p.m. – Slim Volume
Saturday, May 17, 7 p.m. – Charlie Chronopoulos
Milk St. Studios (6 Milk St., Dover, milkststudios.com)
An extension of a Seacoast recording studio modeled after The Record Co. in Boston, this listening room has local musicians stretching out to play originals, though the Joni & Cat Tribute Show — Mitchell and Stevens, if anyone’s wondering — on March 29 is an exception. An in-the-round concert featuring acoustic music from singer/songwriters Andrea Paquin and April Cushman on March 15 should be stellar.
Saturday, Feb. 22, 6:30 p.m. – Lee & Dr. G. + Catwolf
Saturday, March 1, 6:30 p.m. – STL Gold
Saturday, March 8, 6:30 p.m. – Jarred Garneau Group
Saturday, March 15, 6:30 p.m. – Andrea Paquin + April Cushman
Saturday, March 22, 6:30 p.m. – Amulus
Saturday, March 29, 6:30 p.m. – Joni & Cat Tribute Show (Nicole Gauthier & John Fuzek)
Saturday, April 5, 6:30 p.m. – Studia & Jed Allen + The Regals
Music Hall Lounge (131 Congress St., Portsmouth, themusichall.org)
An extension of the larger venue with cabaret seating for dozens instead of hundreds in the audience, this downtown venue welcomes rising stars like indie rockers Certainly So and Americana singer/songwriter Liv Greene along with regional talent like folksinger Reed Foehl and jazz saxophonist Seba Molnar. Valentine’s Day brings the romantic PMAC Jazz Night, with a bevy of Seacoast musicians including sax player Eric Klaxon, singer Taylor O’Donnell and keyboard treasure Mike Effenberger.
Friday, Jan. 17, 8 p.m. – Seba Molnar
Saturday, Jan. 25, 8 p.m. – Reed Foehl
Sunday, Jan. 26, 8 p.m. – Lee DeWyze
Friday, Feb. 7, 8 p.m. – Certainly So
Saturday, Feb. 8, 8 p.m. – Juanito Pascual
Friday, Feb. 14, 8 p.m. – 18th Annual PMAC Jazz Night: Dream a Little Dream
Friday, Feb. 21, 8 p.m. – Vance Gilbert
Wednesday, Feb. 26, 8 p.m. – Johnny Cash’s Birthday Bash with Scott Moreau
Thursday, Feb. 27, 8 p.m. – Both Sides Now (Joni Mitchell & Leonard Cohen tribute)
Friday, Feb. 28, 8 p.m. – Sam Robbins
Saturday, March 1, 8 p.m. – Ellis Paul
Friday, March 14, 8 p.m. – Liv Greene & Elise Leavy
Tuesday, March 18, 8 p.m. – Jordan Tice
Friday, March 21, 8 p.m. – Heather Maloney
Sunday, March 23, 8 p.m. – Tyler Hilton
Friday, March 28, 8 p.m. – Alice Howe & Freebo
Saturday, April 5, 8 p.m. – Scott Kirby
Nippo Lake Restaurant (88 Stagecoach Road, Barrington, nippobluegrass.com)
Acoustic music fans delight in the long-running series housed in a Barrington country club, which lasts from October through April. Some of the region’s finest players show up for this Sunday evening tradition. Ahead are revered bluegrass band Lunch at the Dump, the always entertaining Rockspring and a couple of projects that include Scott & Betsy Heron, Little Wishbone and the Heron Bluegrass Co.
Sunday, Jan. 19, 6 p.m. – Chicken Shack
Sunday, Jan. 26, 6 p.m. – Unsung Heroes
Sunday, Feb. 2, 6 p.m. – New England Bluegrass Band
Sunday, Feb. 16, 6 p.m. – HydroGeo Trio
Sunday, Feb. 23, 6 p.m. – Lunch at the Dump
Sunday, March 2, 6 p.m. – Cordwood
Sunday, March 9, 6 p.m. – High Range
Sunday, March 16, 6 p.m. – Little Wishbone
Sunday, March 23, 6 p.m. – Hot Skillet
Sunday, March 30, 6 p.m. – Heron Bluegrass Co.
Sunday, April 6, 6 p.m. – Cedar Mountain
Sunday, April 13, 6 p.m. – Unsung Heroes
Sunday, April 27, 6 p.m. – Rockspring
Pats Peak (686 Flanders Road, Henniker, patspeak.com)
Another apres-ski series curated by NHMC. Shows to look forward to include Andrew North and the Rangers, who host the monthly open mic at BNH Stage, and River Sang Wild, who perform for two days straight in early March. A word to the wise: Resort management cautions that things can change when the sap’s running.
Saturday, Jan. 18, 6 p.m. – Scott & Wally
Saturday, Jan. 25, 6 p.m. – Young Guns
Saturday, Feb. 1, 6 p.m. – Geoff & Wally
Saturday, Feb. 8, 6 p.m. – Dan Fallon Band
Saturday, Feb. 15, 6 p.m. – Scott & Wally
Saturday, Feb. 22, 6 p.m. – Andrew North & the Rangers
Saturday, March 1, 6 p.m. – Karen Grenier
Saturday, March 8, 6 p.m. – River Sang Wild (also 3/9)
Saturday, March 15, 6 p.m. – Rebecca Turmel Duo
Saturday, March 22, 6 p.m. – Geoff & Wally
Pembroke City Limits (134 Main St., Pembroke, pembrokecitylimits.com)
Opened last summer by music maven Rob Azevedo, this is the newest addition to the region’s live music scene, with a focus on local talent like the Irish band Black Pudding Rovers, singer-songwriter Paul Nelson and Vampire Bird, the latest project from Will Kindler, which went over so well in December that it will return March 9. “This spring, PCL will continue to introduce and reintroduce such incredible musicians,” Azevedo said recently, while touting the venue’s Sunday Jazz Sessions with Gary Smith.
Thursday, Jan. 16, 7 p.m. – Chris Salemme
Friday, Jan. 17, 7 p.m. – Todd Hearon Trio
Saturday, Jan. 18, 7 p.m. – Funk Night w/ Gary Smith & Friends
Sunday, Jan. 19, 2 p.m. – Black Pudding Rovers
Wednesday, Jan. 22, 7 p.m. – Paul Nelson
Thursday, Jan. 23, 7 p.m. – Colin Nevens
Friday, Jan. 24, 7 p.m. – Piano Man Jody Robichaud
Saturday, Feb. 1, 2 p.m. – Let’s Get Sticky Rolling Stones Tribute
Thursday, Feb. 6, 7 p.m. – Timothy K Blues
Friday, Feb. 7, 7 p.m. – Lee & Dr. G.
Thursday, Feb. 13, 7 p.m. – Mikey G
Saturday, Feb. 15, 4 p.m. – Angela Stewart
Wednesday, Feb. 19, 7 p.m. – Dan Fallon & Company
Saturday, Feb. 22, 7 p.m. – Georgie-Jam Night
Friday, Feb. 28, at 7 p.m. – Faith Ann Acoustic
Wednesday, March 12, 7 p.m. – Vampire Bird (Will Kindler)
Friday, March 14, 7 p.m. – Cinnamon Jazz Trio
Sunapee Community Coffee House (9 Lower Main St., Sunapee, sunapeecoffeehouse.org)
This is another series that’s been around a very long time, located in the basement of a Methodist church. It’s a pass-the-hat affair; bring a Hamilton to help out the artists. The effort encourages new and emerging talent, which means New Hampshire’s Noah Kahan might appear on their way to greater fame.
Friday, Jan. 24, 7 p.m. – Hubby Jenkins
Friday, Feb. 14, 7 p.m. – Click Horning
Friday, Feb. 28, 7 p.m. – Tommy Crawford
Friday, March 14, 7 p.m. – Nate Goyette
Friday, March 28, 7 p.m. – White Mountain Ceilí Band
Craft beer and live music pair well at this NHMC-curated venue. Upcoming are singer-songwriter Temple Mountain and Lakes Region duo The Sweetbloods, as well as rising stars Taylor Hughes and Dakota Smart.
Friday, Jan. 17, 5 p.m. – Tom Boisse
Saturday, Jan. 18, 5 p.m. – Temple Mountain
Friday, Jan. 24, 5 p.m. – Kat Ivy
Saturday, Jan. 25, 5 p.m. – Garrett Smith
Friday, Jan. 31, 5 p.m. – Freddie Catalfo
Saturday, Feb. 1, 5 p.m. – Karen Grenier
Friday, Feb. 7, 5 p.m. – Taylor Hughes
Saturday, Feb. 8, 5 p.m. – Rebecca Turmel
Friday, Feb. 14, 5 p.m. – The Sweetbloods
Friday, Feb. 14, 5 p.m. – Paul Driscoll
Saturday, Feb. 15, 5 p.m. – Dakota Smart
Friday, Feb. 21, 5 p.m. – Ciera MacKenzie
Saturday, Feb. 22, 5 p.m. – Jack Ancora
Friday, Feb. 28, 5 p.m. – Jackie Lee
Saturday, March 1, 5 p.m. – Dave Clark
Friday, March 7, 5 p.m. – Rock Dove
Saturday, March 8, 5 p.m. – Andrea Paquin
Saturday, March 15, 5 p.m. – Chris Torrey
Friday, March 21, 5 p.m. – Willy Chase
Saturday, March 22, 5 p.m. – Kyle McGuinness
Friday, March 28, 5 p.m. – Tyler Levs
Saturday, March 29, 5 p.m. – Garrett Smith
Friday, April 4, 5 p.m. – Tom Boisse
Saturday, April 5, 5 p.m. – Justin Federico
Friday, April 11, 5 p.m. – Rebecca Turmel
Saturday, April 12, 5 p.m. – Temple Mountain
Word Barn (66 Newfields Road, Exeter, thewordbarn.com)
Tucked at the end of a twisty road in Exeter, this venue is the perfect place to catch an under-the-radar star in the making, along with local treasures like Jordan Tirrell-Wysocki’s Trio, Will Evans and The Wolff Sisters. The shows here frequently sell out, so it’s best to act early for artists like Liz Longley and Joe Crookson.
Saturday, Jan. 18, 7 p.m. – Winter Warmer with Erica Brown & The Bluegrass Connection
Thursday, Jan. 23, 7 p.m. – Rakish and Nate Sabat
Friday, Jan. 24, 7 p.m. – Dave Gunning and J.P. Cormier Duo
Saturday, Jan. 25, 8 p.m. – Soggy Po’ Boys
Sunday, Jan. 26, 7 p.m. – Will Evans
Thursday, Jan. 30, 7 p.m. – Genticorum
Friday, Feb. 7, 7 p.m. – The Wolff Sisters
Sunday, Feb. 9, 7 p.m. – Eli West & The Clements Brothers
Friday, Feb. 14, 7 p.m. – Jordan TW Trio
Saturday, March 1, 7 p.m. – David Howley (We Banjo 3)
Friday, March 7, 7 p.m. – Joe Crookson
Saturday, March 8, 7 p.m. – Chatham Rabbits
Sunday, March 23, 7 p.m. – Liz Longley
Wednesday, April 23, 7 p.m. – Matthew & the Atlas.
An upcoming Palace Theatre production is more a musical canvas than a show, and it’s one that Director Carl Rajotte has painted before. Piano Men was first presented as The Four Piano Men in 2011. Conceived, written and choreographed by Rajotte, it featured songs from Elton John, Billy Joel, Stevie Wonder and Queen, via frontman Freddie Mercury. Since then it’s changed and evolved, with Ray Charles and Phil Collins among the ivory tinklers tributed in the show, last done in 2023. Act 1 in this year’s production spotlights old-time rock ’n’ rollers Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard, then pivots to Barry Manilow. Subsequent acts focus on the original four and two women, Carole King and Lady Gaga. The female roles will be played by the director’s sister, Michelle Rajotte, a Palace regular. “It’s funny too, because I did a Gaga section a long time ago, maybe 2012, in a show called Royalty of Rock and Pop,” Carl Rajotte said by phone during a break from rehearsals. “She did Gaga and just fell in love with her back then.” The actor and musician playing the Billy Joel role has a lot of experience. John Abrams performed as Joel in the national tour of the jukebox musical Movin’ Out. Abrams will also cover the Elton John material. Another Palace veteran, GE Enrique, is playing both the Stevie Wonder and Freddie Mercury roles, along with serving as the show’s Music Director. This will be the sixth time that the Palace has done Piano Men in some form; Enrique has worked on three. What keeps Rajotte returning to the show? “I’ve fallen in love with all these artists that we have on stage because they’re good at telling a story,” he said, “which lends itself to theater. There are lots of times in the show when it’s just the piano and the band, but we have seven talented dancers, and they tell a story through dance throughout the whole night.” The dance ensemble includes three men and four women. Andy Kastrati was in the Palace’s recent production of Dancing Queens, as was Savannah Enoch. Julia Grubbs, who danced in Piano Men in 2020, is a CPA by day — “she can shimmy and do your taxes,” quipped Rajotte — and Rachel Muhleisen is featured on Stevie Wonder’s “Isn’t She Lovely.” Peter Murphy and Annie Wogisch round out the hoofers. With women having a moment in the musical world — Taylor Swift, Chappell Roan, Beyonce and others are dominating — Rajotte is pleased that the show is now piano men and women. “I’m really excited to bring the new stuff to the audience, the Carole King and the Gaga,” he said. “We were just finishing up Carole King’s section today. It’s just so fun to just go back to the ’60s, find that retro feel and put it on our video wall.” He’s also happy with the current season, which will continue with Jimmy Buffett’s Escape to Margaritaville on Feb. 28 followed by Jesus Christ Superstar in late April. 2024/25’s final production, A Chorus Line, runs from May 30 to June 22. “It’s about halfway done, and I feel like I just started,” Rajotte exclaimed in disbelief. Perennial favorite A Christmas Carol was extended to the end of the month, a successful experiment that will probably be repeated next year. Rajotte ran the lighting board for that final weekend so his stage manager could be home for the holiday. At the end of the show Palace CEO Peter Ramsey reminded him that the season was at a midpoint. “That hit me like a brick wall,” he said, “But, yeah, I feel like it’s been a really good season so far. Oliver was a wonderful artistic piece that we were able to bring to the stage, and Jersey Boys was a crowd-pleaser, with great music. A Christmas Carol is our tradition that everyone loves, and it was attended really great the whole run.”
Piano Men When: Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 2 & 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. through Feb. 9, and Thursday, Feb. 6, at 7:30 p.m. Where: Palace Theatre, 80 Hanover St., Manchester Tickets: $35 and up at palacetheatre.org
According to a press release from the American Lung Association, about 35 percent of radon test results in New Hampshire equal or exceed the Environmental Protection Agency’s action level, as reported in the Association’s “State of Lung Center” report, which you can see at lung.org/research/state-of-lung-cancer. As part of January and National Radon Action Month, “the Lung Association in New Hampshire strongly urges all residents to test their home for radon and take immediate steps to mitigate the threat if high levels are found,” the release said. “Radon is a colorless, odorless and tasteless naturally occurring radioactive gas emitted from the ground…. [Radon] is the leading cause of lung cancer in people who have never smoked.” Get a free radon test kit at freeradontestkit.com/ala. See lung.org/clean-air/indoor-air/indoor-air-pollutants/radon for more on radon.
Museums, assemble
The Currier Museum of Art, SEE Science Center, the Manchester Historic Association, which operates the Millyard Museum, and the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire are launching a “Manchester Museums” collaboration that will seek to promote the museums, according to a press release. A new website, manchestermuseumsnh.org, will offer links to the four museums’ websites as well as a suggested two-day trip itinerary. The partnership will hold a launch on Tuesday, Jan. 21, at 4 p.m. at the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, 54 Hanover St., the release said.
“Cultural institutions are the heartbeat of a city’s economy, weaving creativity and heritage into the fabric of daily life, driving tourism, innovation, and community growth,” said Heather McGrail, president and CEO of Greater Manchester Chamber, in the press release.
The four institutions are launching the campaign in advance of the November 2025 convention of the New England Museum Association, which will be held in Manchester, the release said.
Franco-American guv
Kelly Ayotte, who officially became New Hampshire’s governor on Jan. 9, is the first Franco-American elected to the office, according to a note in the Franco-American Centre’s newsletter from the Centre’s executive director John Tousignant. She is also the first Republican woman to hold the office, the note said. Large numbers of French Canadians moved to New Hampshire in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the note said.
Cash to charge
New Hampshire received $15 million in federal grants for publicly accessible electric vehicle charging infrastructure, according to a press release from the state’s Department of Transportation, which applied with collaboration from New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services and others. The funds will be used for the “Next Level NH” program, which will increase EV charging hubs throughout the state, the release said. See dot.nh.gov/projects-plans-and-programs/ev-charging-infrastructure for more on the projects.
Go, Twitchers
The Twitchers, a New Hampshire Audubon team that participates in the Mass Audubon’s annual Superbowl of Birding, will once again seek to find the most bird species during a 12-hour period on Saturday, Jan. 25, according to a press release. The Twitchers, led by captain Becky Suomala, are looking to raise $4,000 for the NH Audubon Conservation Department, the release said. See nhaudubon.org/make-a-donation-to-twitchers for more on the Twitchers. For more on the event, which covers the Massachusetts North Shore as well as towns in Rockingham County, see massaudubon.org and look for “Superbowl of Birding” in Programs & Events.
From church to home
The New Hampshire Preservation Alliance has a new handbook available to “assist congregations that are considering leaving or repurposing historic properties and want to explore their building’s re-use for housing,” according to an Alliance email. The handbook, Transitioning Religious Properties to Meet Housing Needs, is available for download for free at nhpreservation.org or for purchase as a hard copy for $22.
The preservation trades
The New Hampshire Preservation Alliance is also offering “career exploration opportunities for participants ages 16 to 19 who are interested in the old building trades,” according to an Alliance email. During February (Feb. 24-Feb. 28) and April (April 28-May 2) vacations, teens (who do not need experience) will get exposure to “a range of historic preservation activities which may include traditional construction techniques, repair of damaged building elements, wood window restoration and the history of the buildings being worked on,” according to the website. Professionals — many of whom are members of the Timber Framers Guild, the Window Preservation Alliance or other trade organizations — will provide the mentoring, the website said. The program will be offered in two regions — Central New Hampshire (Canterbury, Andover, Warner, etc.) and the Seacoast (Portsmouth and the vicinity), the email said. Apply at nhpreservation.org/internship-program by Jan. 24 for the February week and March 14 for the April week, the website said.
The New England Petite Pageant will be held Sunday, Jan. 19, at 3 p.m. at the Concord City Auditorium (2 Prince St. in Concord). The pageant is open to women of all ages who are 5 foot 6 inches and under. See newenglandpetite.com.
Queen City Rotary Club will hold its annual Comedy Bowl on Saturday, Jan. 25, at 6 p.m. at St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Manchester. The event will feature a buffet dinner, comedy show, raffle, silent auction and cash bar, according to a club press release. Tickets cost $50 per person and can be purchased on eventbrite.com, search “2025 Comedy Bowl,” the release said. The comedian line-up includes Harrison Stebbins, Rob Steen and Tim McKeever, the release said. See queencityrotary.org.
St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Manchester will hold an Apokriatiko Celebration (a Greek Mardi Gras) on Saturday, Feb. 22, from 7 to 10 p.m. in the church hall featuring music from The Salonica Boys with Greek and American dancing, hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar. The cost is a $25 donation per person (children 12 and under get in free). Call 622-9113 for information.
Nashua Fire Rescue will hold an “Adult Field Trip” with the Nashua Fire Marshal on Tuesday, Jan. 21, at 9 a.m. Meet at the fire station at 70 E. Hollis St. in Nashua on Tuesday, Jan. 21, at 9 a.m. to learn more about the Nashua Fire Marshal’s office, tour the station and get fire safety tips, according to a newsletter from Great American Downtown Nashua.
