Andres Institute of Art holds international sculpture symposium
Three artists from different parts of the world will have three weeks to craft a sculpture along the 12-mile trail of the Andres Institute of Art in Brookline for the annual Bridges and Connections Sculpture Symposium. There will be multiple events at the Institute throughout the artists’ residencies, including dinners with the artists and a closing ceremony on Sunday, Oct. 8, when attendees can view their sculptures.
The Andres Institute of Art was established by Paul Andres and John Weidman in 1998 and has been holding the symposium since 1999, according to Gail Bloom, the president of the Institute.
“This year we’ve added [events] because we’re celebrating the 25th anniversary,” she said. “We have the opening ceremony, there will be a meet and greet with the artists … a showcase … [and] during the course of the three weeks we’re going to have two dinners.”
There are currently 98 sculptures throughout the sculpture park. This year’s symposium artists who will be adding to the collection are Ivona Biocic Mandic, from Croatia; Renubala Kashyap Rajput, from India, and Finn Cossar, from Australia.
“I’ve always created things whether it be sculptures or playing around with bits of wood,” Cossar said. “I’ve always been drawn to certain materials like rocks or metal or copper.”
After high school Cossar studied screen and media to pursue a career in film. When the film industry shut down due to the pandemic, he used the time to focus on his passion.
“Since there was no work for film I thought why not have a crack at doing the sculptures, which is what I always wanted to do … [and] I’ve always loved doing,” he said.
During the pandemic, Cossar made two large works, including a stone and metal tensegrity sculpture, which he says were very well-received.
“Ever since then I’ve been trying to push myself and create better and better works,” he said. “I think I really found my feet over the last couple of years and I’ve become more confident making large works, entering them into festivals, being recognized by local councils and meeting new artists, so I think I really found something that resonates.”
While camping, Cossar was contacted by the directors of the Swell Sculpture Festival in Australia, who told him about the sculpture symposium at the Andres Institute of Art.
“Immediately I jumped in my car and drove down to the town, where I had internet, and quickly filled out my portfolio,” he said. “I think it was two days later I got a call from Natasha, who’s the creator of Swell, and she said, ‘Pack your bags, you’re going to America,’” he said.
For Cossar, an artist’s residency and America are both new experiences.
“I have no idea what to expect,” he said. “[When] putting yourself in a completely new creative biome [I think] something amazing will come of it. … When you get creative minds together and share their creativity and create something beautiful that lasts for lifetimes, I think that’s extremely special. I’m extremely appreciative and I’m very much looking forward to it.”
Bridges and Connections Sculpture Symposium at Andres Institute of Art
Symposium artist showcase When: Saturday, Sept. 23, 3 p.m. Where: Andres Institute of Art (106 Route 13, Brookline) Welcome Center Cost: Free
Dinner with symposium artists When: Friday, Sept. 29, 6 p.m. (doors open at 5:10 p.m.) Where: Andres Institute of Art (106 Route 13, Brookline) Welcome Center Cost: $38
Cedi’s Tasty Treats Food Truck and music by kNowhere Kids When: Saturday, Sept. 30, 4 to 7 p.m. Where: Andres Institute of Art (106 Route 13, Brookline). Music in the Welcome Center.
Panel discussion: Art in the public sphere When: Saturday, Oct. 7, 3 p.m. Where: Andres Institute of Art (106 Route 13, Brookline) Welcome Center Cost: Free
Closing ceremony When: Sunday, Oct. 8, 1 p.m. Where: Andres Institute of Art (106 Route 13, Brookline) Cost: Free.
Monique Toosoon of Goffstown is a paranormal investigator with a twist — she conducts her investigations in full drag. Monique talked about her interest in paranormal investigation, her YouTube series and her upcoming involvement with the New Hampshire Pagans Faire.
Tell us about what you do and what happens at your events. I am the only ghost-hunting drag queen and I’m pretty sure I’m the only one in the whole world. … I’ve been an investigator for 20 years now and I also have been doing drag for about 20 years. Then, during Covid I decided, ‘Why the heck am I not doing these things together?’ So I started doing the combination of the two. … Drag is the highest form of energy, so it feeds every location we go to. … When I do a ghost-hunting tour, essentially I host the tour … and then we ghost-hunt as a group first … and we teach everyone how to use the tools. … and then we usually sleep in these locations and then … we wake up and discuss the night before, it’s kind of like an adult slumber party — with the addition of the ghosts. I think the biggest difference between doing it with a normal investigation crew and doing it with a drag queen is the entertainment value.
What interests you about paranormal investigation? It’s always interested me to connect with the other side and hear the stories of the people who are trying to talk to us … and I’ve always had this interest in horror and from a young age I realized that … I have a tiny bit of a sensitivity to me. … Then as an adult … I started going to [haunted] locations and I realized that I could see things and experience things a little differently. … Since I was in my thirties I’ve tried to reconnect with this gift and grow it and use it more.
What inspired you to get into drag? I grew up watching Elvira and I was really obsessed. I think Elvira is really the reason I became a drag queen. … It was really hard being a gay person in New Hampshire, to be honest. I grew up in … a very small town and I was bullied a lot. … I think when I started doing drag at 18, that’s when I really found my place. I made friends, I had people looking up to me and I think that’s really where the change came from. … I was finally no longer this person that was always getting beat up or made fun of and I was someone that people were accepting.
What inspired you to bring together drag and paranormal investigation? I’ve been doing drag for like 20 years. … I used to be the hostess at the 313 [club] for probably like 15 years. I was there every single weekend hosting shows, and then when Covid came it just blasted all that away. All of us performers really lost our identities and we were only able to perform online. … so I was like, ‘You know what, why don’t we go ghost-hunting in drag? I don’t have to worry about Covid, I’m going into buildings [alone]’ … and then I did it and I was so insanely impressed by the results that now I won’t stop doing it.
Tell us about your YouTube seriesCheck Out My Equipment. I’m the ghost-hunting drag queen, but I’m also a nerd for electronics … so I’ve always been in love with the equipment side of paranormal investigation. … One thing I realized about equipment in the ghost-hunting field is it’s not very user-friendly. … So I was like, ‘I need to do an equipment series because I’ve got more personality than a lot of investigators out there.’
Tell us about what you’ll be doing at the New Hampshire Pagans Faire. I will be doing a lecture and talking about my experiences in the paranormal field. I’m also going to be doing a live Check Out My Equipment class featuring a couple of my favorite pieces of equipment … and a live demonstration on how each piece works.
What’s next for you? I’ll finally have a new standup special out this fall on Netflix. My plan is for it to be the first in a trilogy — three standard specials that also go together as a larger story. The show I’m touring with now will be part 2. … Then, in the spring, I’m hoping to do my first art show. That’ll be in L.A. It’ll be fine art — paintings — but they’ll all be jokes, like, each canvas is a one-liner without words.
More about Monique See Monique at the New Hampshire Pagans Faire on Saturday, Sept. 23, at the Belknap County Fairgrounds (174 Mile Hill Road, Belmont). Visit facebook.com/NHPFAE for more info. Monique will be featured on an episode of Dark Echoes on Amazon Prime later this year. Find her on Instagram @moniquetoosoon and on YouTube @moniquetoosoon8472 and search “Monique Toosoon” on Facebook.
With the title track from 2022’s Planet Zero album, Shinedown brought its record-breaking total of No. 1 Billboard Modern Rock hits to 19. Later they topped the pop charts for a second time with the power ballad “A Symptom of Being Human.”
Their current tour stops at Gilford’s BankNH Pavilion on Sept. 19. Fans can expect favorites like “45,” “Enemies” and “Second Chance” mixed in with selections from their latest disc, a dystopian concept album narrated by a Big Brother-sounding robot. Drummer and founding member Barry Kerch discussed a variety of topics in a recent phone interview. You’re heading out on the road with Papa Roach and Spirit Box.
What are you looking forward to about it?
Any time we get to tour with our friends in Papa Roach it’s a great thing. We’ve done many tours over the years, and I consider them brothers of ours. It makes us work hard for our money because they put on such a high-energy show as well, and it becomes that friendly competition.
Planet Zero is a concept album … how are you bringing that to the stage?
It’s a very intensive visual show with lots of pyro and fire and video to give the fans what they paid for; it costs a lot of money to go to a show, so we want to give fans a hell of a show…. We also know that fans are there to hear our catalog of songs. We have a lot to choose from and to make a cool set list that satisfies all those out there.
What catalog songs do you enjoy playing the most, and what gets the crowd excited?
That’s a funny question. After 20 years of doing this in Shinedown and 19 No. 1 singles, it’s always hard to pick those songs. I think for me personally it goes audience to audience, night by night. Some nights you play ‘45’ and you connect with that one person in the crowd … you can hear him when the guitar comes in. That’s the song for that night.
Do you guys still get excited when you go into the studio to make a new album?
The excitement now is having a little bit of wisdom under your belt. You’ve learned from being in the studio many different times [how] to be more effective and as a musician maybe try different things, and you understand how things work better…. It’s easier now to go, ‘I know what this song means,’ and to play for the song instead of the ego. Planet Zero is about the anxiety of a world gone wrong through a particular set of eyes.
Who do you expect would be most reached and impacted by its message?
I would hope the masses that are angry at the bitter divisiveness in our culture right now. It’s sad; it saddens us. It was [written] at the height of that, but it hasn’t gone away, and it’s kind of a warning, a 1984-esque type of thing. If we keep going this way, we’re just gonna fall apart. We’ve got to accept each other with our differences and not always get along but to at least be able to find our humanity again, which I see being lost, especially through social media.
Slave to the algorithm.
Right…. I hate it. Having a 12-year-old daughter makes it even harder.
I know Brent Smith wrote it, but can you comment on ‘America Burning’ from Planet Zero? He says ‘hope’ is not a four-letter word in one song but ‘woke’ definitely is in that one. Are you concerned about how some fans might react?
We talk about these things. When ‘America Burning’ was sent to me in demo form and I heard those lyrics come out for the first time, we immediately had a band phone call. Like, ‘are we doing this?’ Because if we are, we gotta go full bore and support it, but it’s pretty on the nose…. It was a difficult thing, but now it’s probably one of my favorite songs on the record, because it is so just in your face and forceful.
Did you have any idea when it all began that you’d be here today?
I hoped and I didn’t know. To still be here and relevant and still making creative music — I pinch myself daily. And to still enjoy it and still get along with the guys, we still all ride the same bus together, we still eat dinners together, we still laugh together. I really do cherish it even on those days when it is a grind. We don’t rest on our laurels; we don’t look back or congratulate ourselves. If we’re lucky enough to get 20 No. 1’s or we get an award for something we go, ‘Oh, that’s cool. What’s next?’
What was your life like when you started this thing in 2001?
I had almost given up…. My brother lives here in Jacksonville, he’s a radio guy [and he helped me find] a job cleaning lakes for the state of Florida, spraying them to kill the feral weeds without killing the wildlife. It paid a teacher’s salary, if that, but I got it because I had a little bit of a chemistry background from my degree, [which] was enough…. I moved up here and that was it…. I was going to get married. I’d played in a bunch of bands in Orlando, did small tours, but nothing ever happened. My brother, being a radio guy, said, ‘Hey, I got this demo of this kid, he’s here in Jacksonville looking for a drummer. You should go try out.’ That was Brent, before Shinedown. So I went, and the ‘45’ on the first record was actually my audition recording.
Shinedown w/ Papa Roach and Spiritbox When: Tuesday, Sept. 19, 6:30 p.m. Where: BankNH Pavilion, 72 Meadowbrook Lane, Gilford Tickets: $25 and up at livenation.com
Featured photo: Shinedown. Photo by Sanjay Parikh.
Nia Vardalos and her My Big Fat Greek Wedding players travel to Greece for a vacation wherein they occasionally shoot some scenes for a movie in My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 — at least that’s what seems to be happening here.
Toula Portokalos (Vardalos) and her husband Ian Miller (Jon Corbett) are both dealing with the recent deaths of their respective fathers and their first year of empty-nesterdom with daughter Paris (Elena Kampouris) in her first year of college. Toula’s mother, Maria (Lainie Kazan), also seems to be dealing with memory loss, putting a further strain on the wider family, which is seeing its older generation fade away.
To fulfill a promise to her father and perhaps to recapture some of that family togetherness, Toula decides to go to Greece to find her father’s boyhood friends. She is joined by Ian and Paris as well as Toula’s brother Nick (Louis Mandylor), Aunt Voula (Andrea Martin), Aunt Frieda (Maria Vacratsis) and Aristotle (Elias Kacavas), the young man Frieda and Voula are trying to push Paris together with. They meet Victory (Melina Kotselou), the young mayor of Toula’s father’s island village, who has arranged a village reunion to bring residents back to the basically empty town. One of the village’s few residents is Alexandra (Anthi Andreopoulou), an old woman who knew Toula’s father back in the day and who has quasi-adopted Qamar (Stephanie Nur), a Syrian refugee who is secretly dating Christos (Giannis Vasilottos). Their relationship is secret because Christos’s father, Peter (Alexis Georgoulis), insists that Christos only marry a Greek woman.
(Side note: Stephanie Nur, who doesn’t get a whole lot to do here, is also solid in the goofy but low-effort watchable Paramount+ show Special Operations: Lioness. I hope the visibility of these two “meh” endeavors helps to push her into bigger, meatier roles.)
Every scene here has the kind of loose, first-attempt feeling of something that the actors have just discussed. It’s like “in this scene, everybody in the family is asleep and then a goat wanders into the house. Now — action!” The 2002 original My Big Fat Greek Wedding definitely had a “little indie that could” feel to go with its winning charm but this feels rougher, somehow. Vardalos is credited as both the writer and director here but there is much more of a “wacky setup, wacky reaction” almost improv feel to each scene than I remember from the first movie.
And yet.
Somehow, genuine emotion works itself into all the loosely stitched together scenes in this movie. Real stuff about parents getting older and kids finding their life and how family changes over time manages to add sweetness — occasionally, bittersweetness — to this story and these characters we’ve seen age from the baby-faced people we are reminded of in the opening credits to the middle-aged and older people we see in this movie. The movie doesn’t have the same fresh and lived-experience feel that the original does but this quality does give it charm.
And, of course, there’s Andrea Martin — always fun and always leaving you wanting more. C+
Rated PG-13 for suggestive material and some nudity, according to the MPA on filmratings.com. Written and directed by Nia Vardalos, My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 is an hour and 31 minutes and is distributed by Focus Features in theaters.
From Friday, Sept. 15, through Sunday, Sept. 17, the Egyption Food Festival will return to St. Mary and Archangel Michael Coptic Orthodox Church in Nashua.
“It’s an outreach to the community to tell them who we are,” said Kyrillos Gobran, the church’s priest. “The church is a historic place that lots of people in the neighborhood have some kind of relationship with, so it’s good to come and have a tour inside the church … [while] fundraising … and supporting the church … at the same time.”
According to Gobran, the church building itself, which he says is one of the tallest buildings in Nashua, dates back about 140 years, the congregation having taken it on in 2008. The food festival, which includes music, a bazaar and activities for kids, has become a popular event, with about 1,500 to 2,000 people attending each year.
“We have people that have been with us from the [beginning] and they come every single year [to] have a good time as a family and enjoy the food,” he said.
On the menu are various Egyptian meals, sandwiches, sides and desserts. Options include shish kabob platters with a skewer of either beef or chicken marinated with salt, pepper and Mediterranean spices and grilled with onions and green peppers. There is also a kofta platter, which includes one skewer of ground beef seasoned with parsley, chopped onions, salt, pepper and Mediterranean spices. Each meal comes with rice pilaf, salad, tabbouleh and hummus. Skewers can also be ordered by themselves.
“We have vegetarian food as well with lentils … and pasta with sauce on top,” Gobran said.
Desserts include baklava, fried dough and kataif, which is a pancake-like batter filled with raisins, coconut flakes and walnuts and covered in a light syrup.
Egyptian music will be played by a DJ throughout the festival and there will be a kids’ corner with a balloon station, face painting, ice cream, popcorn and cotton candy in addition to the market.
“If you’re looking for something expensive [and] handmade or something a little bit cheaper, you’ll find a different variety there,” Gobran said.
Items for sale include jewelry, T-shirts, Egyptian gowns and pharaonic souvenirs.
“We’re looking forward to welcoming everybody,” he said, “It’s good to see old friends and we welcome people that haven’t been, [or haven’t] tried Egyptian food before or see the Egyptian culture, to come out and enjoy.”
Egyptian Food Festival When: Friday, Sept. 15, 4 to 9 p.m.; Saturday, Sept. 16, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Sunday, Sept. 17, noon to 6 p.m. Where: St. Mary and Archangel Michael Coptic Church, 39 Chandler St., Nashua Admission: Free
Granite State Comicon returns for a weekend in Manchester
From video and tabletop games to comics and pop culture, there is something for enthusiasts of many fandoms to enjoy at Granite State Comicon from Friday, Sept. 15, through Sunday, Sept. 17. The event, hosted by Double Midnight Comics, will return to the DoubleTree by Hilton in downtown Manchester.
“We try to cover something for everybody, so if you’re a wrestling fan, we have that, if you’re a comic art fan, we have that, if you love video games, we have people who create [them],” Scott Proulx said.
Scott Proulx, along with his brother, Chris Proulx, and their friend, Brett Parker, opened Double Midnight Comics in 2002 and started Granite State Comicon the following year.
“It was a time when there weren’t many comic conventions anymore,” Scott said. “We saw that there was a void and we wanted to fill that.”
The event, which first occupied one room of the hotel and featured local comic creators, now features celebrities from all over the world, this year including actor Jessie Usher, wrestler Billy Gunn, voice actor Christina Costello, and Don Most and Anson Williams from the 1970s sitcom Happy Days.
“It’s definitely grown for more pop culture and entertainment,” Scott said. Continuously throughout the weekend there will be vendors selling things like key issue comics, clothing and collectibles and food drink vendors like Wild Bill’s Soda Truck. There will also be a gaming lounge where you can learn and play various tabletop games.
“We work with a content creator, Doug Shute from Victory Condition Gaming, and he has all these connections throughout the tabletop community,” Scott said. “He was able to bring in a lot of creators from some role-playing games.” Gaming guests of honor include Meredith Placko, the CEO of Steve Jackson Games; Greg De Stefano, the co-founder of Turbo Dork, and J.D. Kennedy, game designer at Smug Pug Games.
“They’ll be running games throughout the whole weekend,” Scott said. “People can just pop in and try something new.”
Scott says some of the most popular events include the adult costume contest on Saturday from 5 to 6:30 p.m. and the kids’ costume contest on Sunday from 3 to 3:45 p.m.
“We are big into the community so we work with other businesses in the area,” Scott said. “We’re trying to blow this up and make it a big downtown Manchester event, so not just limited to the hotel but the entire Elm Street strip.”
Such businesses include Southern New Hampshire University, one of the event sponsors, and Great North Aleworks, who will create a beer unique to the convention for which some of the Comicon guests will create labels. There will also be an after party on Saturday at Shaskeen Pub.
“[We hope] people come in and have a blast,” Scott said. “There’s something for everybody. … We want everybody to have fun.”
Granite State Comicon
When: Friday, Sept. 15, 4 to 8 p.m.; Saturday, Sept.16, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday, Sept. 17, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Where: DoubleTree by Hilton, 700 Elm St., Manchester Cost: Single-day tickets range from $10 to $35 depending on the day and whether they are purchased online or at the door. Multiple-day tickets are also available. More info: granitecon.com
Friday, Sept. 15
Arts & crafts with Kids Con New England 4 to 7:30 p.m., The Armory
Tabletop gaming 4 to 7:30 p.m., Granitecon Gaming Lounge
Telestrations 5 to 6 p.m., Granitecon Gaming Lounge
Rivers of London RPG Demo 6 to 7 p.m., Webster Room
Queen City Improv 7 to 8 p.m., Webster Room
Granitemania!: Official Granitecon kick-off party 8:30 to 11:30 p.m., Panel Room A
Saturday, Sept. 16
Character meet & greets with Party Palace 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., The Armory
Face painting with Squirrelcat Designs 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., The Armory
Arts & crafts with Kids Con New England 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., The Armory
Open gaming, demos and learn to plays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Granitecon Gaming Lounge
Munchkin and munchkins with Meredith 10 to 11 a.m., Granitecon Gaming Lounge
Learn to draw video game characters 11 to 11:35 a.m., The Armory
ARN and Brock Anderson Q&A 11 to 11:45 a.m., Panel Room A
Well, this bites: creating a Last of Us cordyceps bite 11 to 11:45 a.m., Panel Room B
State of the Game panel noon to 12:45 p.m., Webster Room
Karan Ashley Q&A noon to 12:45 p.m., Panel Room A
DND: a classic game for the modern classroom noon to 12:45 p.m., Panel Room B
Beginner electronics for costumes and props 1 to 1:45 p.m., Webster Room
Kids coloring contest 1 to 1:35 p.m., The Armory
Batman day: the Murphyverse 1 to 1:45 p.m., Panel Room A
Kyle Pacek Q&A 1 to 1:45 p.m., Panel Room B
Call of Cthulthu RPG “The Devil Inside” 1 to 4 p.m., Granitecon Gaming Lounge
Getting fit for cosplay 2 to 2:45 p.m., Webster Room
Learn to draw Disney characters 2 to 2:35 p.m., The Armory
Todd Haberkorn Q&A 2 to 2:45 p.m., Panel Room A
How to start an action figure business 2 to 2:45 p.m., Panel Room B
Uniting the fandom: our love of a galaxy far far away 2 to 2:45 p.m., Panel Room B
Learn to draw Pokemon 3 to 3:35 p.m., The Armory
Turtle Power Panel 3 to 3:45 p.m., Panel Room A
Working with unusual material for cosplay 3 to 3:45 p.m., Panel Room B
Press your luck: Granite State Comic Con edition 4 to 5:30 p.m., Webster Room
Anson Williams and Don Most Q&A 4 to 4:45 p.m., Panel Room A
40-minute design an RPG 4 to 5:30 p.m., Panel Room B
Annual costume contest 5 to 6:30 p.m., Panel Room A
Upside down: official Granitecon after party! 8 to 11 p.m., Shaskeen Pub, 909 Elm St.
Sunday, Sept. 17
Open gaming, demos and learn to plays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Granitecon Gaming Lounge
Meet superhero characters Sunday, Sept. 17, 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., The Armory
Arts & crafts with Kids Con New England 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., The Armory
Face painting with Squirrelcat Designs 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., The Armory
Munchkin and munchkins with Meredith 10 to 11 a.m., Granitecon Gaming Lounge
Learn to draw comic characters 11 to 11:35 a.m., The Armory
Scott Steiner Q&A 11 to 11:45 a.m., Panel Room A
Superhero storytime 11 to 11:45 a.m., Panel Room B
Geek Gossip live 11 to 11:45 a.m., Webster Room
Jessie T. Usher Q&A noon to 12:45 p.m., Panel Room A
Patterning for cosplay: 101 noon to 12:45 p.m., Panel Room B
Padawan training 1 to 1:45 p.m., Webster Room
Superhero trivia game 1 to 1:35 p.m., The Armory
Ultimate sketch off 1 to 1:45 p.m., Panel Room A
Christina Costello Q&A 1 to 1:45 p.m., Panel Room B
First annual Granitecon strike dice game championship 1 to 2 p.m., Granitecon Gaming Lounge
Call of Cthulthu RPG “The Terror on the Seas” 1 to 4 p.m., Granitecon Gaming Lounge
Costuming and community in a galaxy far far away 2 to 2:45 p.m., Webster Room
Create a superhero comic 2 to 2:35 p.m., The Armory
Billy Gunn Q&A 2 to 2:45 p.m., Panel Room A
Cosplay and photographer’s shootout 2 to 2:45 p.m., Panel Room B
Match game: Granite State Comic Con edition 3 to 3:45 p.m., Webster Room
Kids’ sketch challenge 3 to 3:35 p.m., The Armory
Kids’ costume contest 3 to 3:35 p.m., Panel Room A
44 facts about one of Manchester’s favorite food festivals and the community that keeps it going
In honor of the 44th Glendi, the celebration of Greek food and culture and the Greek community at St. George Orthodox Cathedral in Manchester, here are 44 facts about the annual party known as Glendi.
1 According to George Skaperdas, the president of St. George Orthodox Cathedral in Manchester, “glendi” means “celebration.” “It’s a party,” he said. “It celebrates our heritage, our culture, wanting everyone around us to enjoy what we do. It celebrates friendship.”
2 For the past 44 years, the church has been hosting Glendi to do just that, while simultaneously raising money for the church. See stgeorgenh.org/activities/glendi for more on the festival and the church.
The church’s Community Center. Courtesy photo.
3 Originally a harvest bazaar among the members of the church, Glendi has become a three-day cultural event for the whole city of Manchester.
4 This year the festival will be on Friday, Sept. 15, from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 16, from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday, Sept. 17, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
5 Skaperdas says tens of thousands of people attend each year, fluctuating depending on the weather, with a clearer forecast attracting more people. You can frequently run into candidates for office (city, state and sometimes presidential hopefuls) as well as your gyro-loving neighbors.
6 There will be parking at McDonough Elementary School in Derryfield Park, 550 Lowell St., in Manchester, and shuttles running from 5:30 to 9 p.m. on Friday and from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday.
7 Festivities include music, raffles, face painting, an Aegean Market and, of course, food.
8 Some 50 to 100 raffle items are up for the winning, such as puzzles, bikes, games, a TV and gift cards.
9 There will also be multiple church tours staggered throughout Friday and Saturday afternoon.
10 The roots of the church can be traced back nearly 120 years, to when the Hellenic community of St. George was established by Greek immigrants in 1905.
11 Before the construction of the cathedral at 650 Hanover St., which began in the mid 1960s, the church was on Pine Street, at a location it eventually outgrew.
12 Like most things, Glendi looked a little different in 2020. Having to cancel due to the pandemic, the church got creative and decided to host “Taste of Glendi,” a drive-thru-style event to serve Greek cuisine.
13 Upon returning in 2021, they came prepared with hand sanitizing stations and thousands of masks and asked people to practice safety precautions. “[We were] holding onto [our] seats for the next two or three weeks to make sure that people didn’t get sick,” Skaperdas said. “There was no spike so we were fortunate. We provided a lot of fun for the people who attended.”
14 Food will be available from the moment the festival opens at 11 a.m. each morning. The kitchen closes at 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and at 5 p.m. on Sunday.
15 Food in the dinner line will be served cafeteria-style. You can choose what you would like in an à la carte manner as you go down the line, or choose from dinners on the menu board.
Spanakopita assembly. Courtesy photo.
16 Dinner menu options include seasoned and marinated lamb barbecued over charcoal, baked lamb shanks roasted in Pappou’s secret tomato sauce (pappou means grandfather in Greek), Greek meatballs covered in Yiayia’s secret tomato sauce (yiayia means grandmother), stuffed peppers filled with rice and meat topped with tomato sauce, dolmathes, a chicken dinner marinated and baked with Grecian herbs, and pastichio. All are served with rice pilaf, a roll and Greek salad.
17 While the full recipe is secret, Skaperdas says Pappou’s secret tomato sauce includes spices, drippings from the lamb as it baked, onions and garlic.
18 According to George Copadis, a long-time organizer of Glendi, 3,500 dolmathes, which are grape leaves stuffed with meat and rice, will be made for the event. Each leaf must be hand washed, cut and rolled before being baked and covered in lemon sauce, Skaperdas said.
19 In addition to the dolmathes, Copadis says a total of 2,000 pounds of lamb kabobs, 2,500 pounds of lamb shanks, 4,000 meatballs, 2,000 pounds of chicken and 6,000 salads will be made for the festival.
20 Of all the meals served, Skaperdas says the lamb shanks are the most popular, with lamb kebabs also being up there. “The stuffed peppers are always wonderful,” he said. “This year they tell me they’re even better than before, so I can’t wait to try them.”
21 “The most popular dessert by far are the loukoumades,” Skaperdas said. These are fried dough balls soaked in honey or syrup coated with powdered sugar and cinnamon.
22 Second to the loukoumades is baklava, which are layers of filo dough filled with honey and walnuts.
23 Other sweet treats for sale include kataifi, shredded filo with syrup and walnuts, baklava nut rolls and pecan blossoms, spanakopita, which is layers of filo dough with a spinach and cheese filling, as well as a variety of cookies. These items are usually found at a separate table inside the church’s hall — in case you want to grab some desserts before dinner.
24 Added to this year’s dessert menu are vegan cookie options, like orange ring cookies, almond and lemon round cookies and cinnamon koulourakia.
25 Running the kitchen is Seth Theokas, who has been volunteering in the kitchen for about 15 years. His involvement with the church began in 2008 when he and his wife wanted to baptize their first son. It was then suggested that he volunteer for Glendi.
26 While it is fast-paced with a sense of urgency, he says the atmosphere in the kitchen is full of camaraderie. “It’s such a great group of people, it’s for a good cause and everybody has fun,” Theokas said.
27 Theokas’s personal favorite on the menu is pastichio, which he says is like a Greek lasagna with seasoned meat, noodles and bechamel. He also loves the stuffed peppers.
28 According to Skaperdas, about 60 to 70 volunteers are usually involved in the kitchen.
29 It truly takes a community to run the festival. While many of the volunteers are members of the church, Theokas says a great deal of them aren’t. “It takes so many people including members and their families and friends,” he said. “I’ve had friends in the kitchen who have never been to the church but they were willing to give their time to help in the kitchen and now they’re kind of part of that family.”
Gov. Chris Sununu helping out at a previous Glendi. Courtesy photo.
30 Copadis says that 7,000 pieces of baklava, 6,000 koulourakia butter cookies, and 1,500 kataifi will be made for the festival.
31 To make all these desserts requires hundreds of dozens of eggs and pounds of sugar, honey and syrup, according to Skaperdas.
32 Glendi offers a full Greek experience beyond food alone. At the Aegean Market you can find jewelry, ceramics, handcrafted items, clothing and other products imported directly from Greece.
33 The market was previously run by parishioners of the church who would buy products from businesses across the country as well as items made by Greek artists. They eventually started buying products from Taste and Art of Greece a few years ago after Elaine Setas, a parishioner of the church, started the business with her friend, Strati Vougiouka. This year, Taste and Art of Greece will solely run the market.
34 Setas and Vougiouka created Taste and Art of Greece five years ago to help friends in Greece sell their products in America. “Originally it was just a hobby for me … but it [was] so well-received that this is all I do full-time now,” Setas said.
35 Vougioukas lives in Greece and works with the artists and helps ship out the products, while Setas is on the front lines and handles sales and marketing.
36 With Setas being in charge of the market this year, there will be a heavier focus on Grecian goods. “There will be a little bit of a different setup and a lot more things by artists in Greece,” she said. “There will still be some of the same things that they’ve come to expect but with a little bit extra because we’re solely focused on importing things that are made in Greece.”
37 Included in Setas’ booth will be Tina Alexopoulos, a representative of the clothing brand LuLaRoe. She will be selling LuLaRoe clothing, like leggings, T-shirts and other comfortable wear, according to Setas.
38 Setas says what separates Taste and Art of Greece from other shops is that they take the time to tell the story behind the product and include a card that explains the meaning of the product and tells about the artist who made it.
39 A ceramic pomegranate from the Aegean Market will make the perfect housewarming gift, as pomegranates symbolize luck and prosperity in the home. Setas says they are also popular Christmas gifts in Greece, as it’s tradition to smash a pomegranate at midnight on New Year’s in front of your door. The more seeds that scatter, the more luck you will have.
40 Ceramic boats will likely be found at the market too and also make great Christmas gifts and represent “charting a new path for the new year and sailing into a new life,” Setas said.
41 Musician Chuck Koustas will be returning to Glendi this year, this time with Opa Entertainment.
42 Koustas was part of one of the first groups to perform at Glendi 42 years ago.
43 They will be performing both Friday and Saturday night from 5 to 9 p.m. Friday night will feature the traditional instrument the bouzouki, and Saturday night’s performance will include the clarinet.
44 Koustas will be playing both traditional and modern Greek music, like music of traditional Greek dances such as syrtos and nisiotika, as well as themes from Greek movies such as the 1960 film Never on Sunday.
Since the start of the school year, the Manchester School District has grappled with transportation issues, including significant bus delays, overcrowding and route cancellations, according to a press release. While the district contracts two companies, Student Transportation of America (STA) and Manchester Transit Authority (MTA), for bus services, STA is currently short-staffed and unable to serve charter schools. The district is actively seeking solutions and has informed the affected charter schools of the situation. Schools served by STA, such as Memorial, West, Parkside and others, will continue to face delays until staffing normalizes. The district emphasizes the urgent need for more drivers and encourages potential applicants to consider positions with both STA and MTA.
State police director
Mark B. Hall has been confirmed as the new Director of the Division of State Police by the Executive Council of New Hampshire, according to a press release. Gov. Sununu nominated him for the position on Aug. 23. Hall has been with the Department since October 1999, having previously held the ranks of Major, Captain, Lieutenant, Sergeant and Trooper. The Director of the New Hampshire State Police is responsible for overseeing the overall operations and performance of the Division by leading its employees in its mission to make New Hampshire safe. Prior to his employment with the State of New Hampshire, Hall worked as a Vermont State Police Trooper and as a patrol officer with the Milton, Vermont, Police Department. He is a graduate of Champlain College in Burlington, Vermont, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s National Academy.
Raising awareness
In advance of NH and National Suicide Prevention Week, Sept. 10 through 16, the New Hampshire Suicide Prevention Council hosted a press conference with Gov. Sununu and Council representatives from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, NAMI New Hampshire and the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services to discuss statewide efforts and resources to prevent suicide. According to a press release, the community impact of NH Rapid Response/988, the launch of Strong As Granite, a new public awareness campaign, and the NH Suicide Prevention Council’s new website offering a statewide resource for suicide prevention were highlighted. In New Hampshire, suicide is the second leading cause of death among individuals ages 15 to 34 and the ninth leading cause of death overall. Visit preventsuicidenh.org to learn more.
Day of Caring
The Granite United Way will host its Day of Caring event on Thursday, Sept. 21, in the greater Manchester area, where hundreds of volunteers will be dedicating their time to assist local nonprofits in completing their wish list projects. According to a press release, volunteers will help out with a variety of tasks, from painting and yard maintenance to preparing summer camps for the winter season. Those interested can still sign up for volunteer projects online at guw.upicsolutions.org/Volunteer/VolHome.jsp.
Settlement
Attorney General John M. Formella announced a settlement with Tempoe, LLC, resolving a multistate investigation into Tempoe’s advertising and leasing to consumers through retailers across the nation. According to a press release, the multistate investigation revealed that Tempoe’s marketing and sales practices often misled consumers to believe they were signing up for an installment plan or credit sale when, in reality, they were entering into a lease agreement. The complicated structure and the lack of required disclosures of the lease agreements caused more confusion, often resulting in consumers’ paying two to three times the purchase price of the product or service, the release said. Through this settlement, Tempoe is permanently banned from engaging in future consumer leasing activities. All existing leases will be canceled, and consumers may retain the leased merchandise in their possession without any further financial obligation to Tempoe, resulting in approximately $33 million of “in-kind” financial relief to consumers nationwide.
Bike tour
The Queen City Bicycle Collective is holding a Tour of Manchester on Sunday, Sept. 17, with a 7 a.m. start time at the Eversource parking lot (780 N. Commercial St. in Manchester), according to a press release. This family-friendly bike ride will explore places like the Hands over the Merrimack Bridge, the Piscataquog Trail, the Rockingham Recreational Trail and the South Manchester Trail, the release said. The tour has a 30-mile loop and an 8-mile loop option. Register at qcbike.org/tour.
Concord Makerspace celebrated its grand opening on Saturday, Sept. 9. According to a newsletter, visitors were invited to witness 3D printers in action, see live demos on a CNC router and watch a table saw crafting wooden pendants. The router was reassembled and surfaced following the event, and classes on its operation are now available, with members prioritized for registration. Remaining slots are announced on Facebook for non-members.
A bridge over the CSX railroad on Oak Street in Rollinsford will be closed for approximately two weeks for essential maintenance beginning Monday, Sept. 18. According to a press release from the New Hampshire Department of Transportation, this will involve replacing the timber surface on the bridge deck. While Oak Street will remain accessible for local businesses and residences, a detour will be established for other motorists.
The Eighth Annual Water Walk, organized by The Thank You Project (TYP), is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 16, in Nashua. According to a press release, participants will embark on a 2-mile journey from Greeley Park to the Merrimack River Bridge on Main Street, filling containers with water and carrying them back, simulating the daily challenges faced by many in Nigeria. TYP, a Christian-based nonprofit, works to provide clean drinking water in Nigeria. Visit thankyouproject.org/waterwalk to register or donate.
In the second half of the 1970s, the Pousette-Dart Band was one of Boston’s most ubiquitous acts. Songs like “Harder,” “Amnesia” and “What Can I Say” were staples on rock radio, and leader Jon Pousette-Dart’s connection with concert promoter Don Law and his Premier Talent company had them on the road constantly, appearing in concert halls, arenas and stadiums supporting some of the decade’s biggest names.
Opening for acts like James Taylor, Peter Frampton, Billy Joel and Journey got them a lot of exposure, though not every pairing worked; one harrowing 1976 night in Jersey City opening for Yes, loutish fans tossed fruit and other projectiles on the stage. Mostly, it was just fun playing in a world with few rules, where a folksy act like PDB could be a last-minute substitution for raunch rockers Black Oak Arkansas on a tour with the jazz prog Mahavishnu Orchestra. “It was really kind of uncharted territory,” Pousette-Dart said in a recent phone interview. “It wasn’t defined and cut and dried as it is now. You would have this real cross-section of bills, and Don really threw us out on all kinds of things.”
The band broke up in 1981, reunited 10 years later for a series of shows and released a final “best of” album in 1994. As a solo artist, Pousette-Dart has released 10 records. The most recent is 2015’s Talk. When he performs in Manchester with guitarist Jim Chapdelaine and bass player Steve Roues, he’ll draw from the breadth of his career.
“I go through all of the songs that really have had legs, that people respond to,” he said. “It’s decades’ worth of material really, and I do like to throw in a few obscure covers that are kind of off the radar. I always like to find songs that I have an affinity toward … it runs the gamut from rock ’n’ roll, country, blues and folk, all kinds of influences; because that’s just the nature of who I am.” There’s Little Feat’s “Roll Um Easy,” a Woody Guthrie song and “an old Louvin Brothers tune I picked up,” but as for the rest, Pousette-Dart is coy. “There’s a few more, but I’ll keep them in suspense.”
His trio is a time-tested unit. He’s known Roues since he was a kid — “we literally grew up and played in high school bands together,” he said. Pousette-Dart and Chapdelaine have collaborated for nearly 25 years, most of them based in Nashville, where the first PDB album was made in 1974.
The making of 1976’s Pousette-Dart Band, with Boston mime Trent Arterberry on the cover, is an interesting story that eventually led him to become a permanent resident of Music City.
Legendary label exec Al Coury signed the group to Capitol Records, then quit 10 days following a power struggle. The label’s new regime didn’t know what to do with them, so they were dispatched to work with producer Norbert Putnam in Nashville. They arrived at the same studio where Dobie Gray was just finishing up recording “Drift Away.”
“That made a big impression on me,” Pousette-Dart said. “It was the beginning of my relationship with Nashville, and through the years, I’ve made a lot of really close friends that I’m still attached to. … It’s been a very long-term dialogue and relationship for me since the ’70s.”
His most recent release harkens back to that decade. “I Remember You” was inspired by “In a Silent Way,” a song that Mahavishnu John McLaughlin played on as a member of the Miles Davis Group. It’s unlike anything Pousette-Dart has done before, inspired by his initial reaction to the Davis song. “Certain records just stopped you in your tracks,” he said. “That was one of those.”
He brought an improvisational approach to the song’s delicate, pulsing melody, adding lyrics about being spellbound by a chance meeting, and his fear that it was fleeting. “I remember you like the first star I ever saw,” he sings. “I was so scared I would never know who you were.”
The essence of simultaneous discovery and creation lends a magical feeling to the song. “It felt like the way they came upon it and how it landed,” Pousette-Dart said, adding “usually, I tend to write things out and know where I’m going. That song was just really putting it out there.”
He continued, “I really enjoyed doing that piece … it’s nice when you find those connections to things that go back to that era [when] you first heard Hendrix, The Beatles, Muddy Waters. Certain things, you put them on, and you go, ‘Oh my God.’ You can remember exactly where you were standing when you first heard it. There are certain things in your life that are like that.”
Jon Pousette-Dart Trio When: Thursday, Sept. 7, 6 p.m. Where: Rex Theatre, 23 Amherst St., Manchester Tickets: $29 at palacetheatre.org
Featured photo: Jon Pousette -Dart. Courtesy photo.
More sharks eat more people in Meg 2: The Trench, a sequel to 2018’s The Meg.
Jonas Taylor (Jason Statham) is headed back to the ocean for a deep water exploration and brings along Meiying (Sophia Cai), the now teenage daughter of Suyin (Li Bingbing), the lady scientist who I guess married Jonas after the events of the first movie but sadly died before the events of this movie, probably of reading the script for this sequel. Meiying is eager to be involved with the family business of ocean exploration — her uncle Jiuming (Wu Jing) now runs the research at the Mana One, an oil-platform-like scientific facility near the Mariana Trench. He’s received funding from businesswoman Hillary Driscoll (Sienna Guillory, whom the movie so badly wants to be Parker Posey) and somehow he’s able to justify keeping a megalodon, one of the giant dinosaur sharks from the last movie, as a little pet.
Most of the major characters, and a few that we won’t miss when they get eaten, load into two submarines to head down into the Mariana Trench and explore. They find sharks, sure, but also a far more unexpected creature — man!
That man is represented by Montes (Sergio Peris-Mencheta), the leader of a gang of sketchy dudes who are performing some sort of mining operation in the deep. Attempting to get rid of those goody-goody scientists, Montes detonates the mining explosives and now it becomes a race for everyone to survive the intense pressure, the hungry animals and the violence-perpetrating bad guys in the deep of the ocean and get back to the surface.
In its final third or so, Meg 2 gets very dumb/much better with more man vs. other man vs. trench-creature face-offs, the introduction of a giant octopus and lots of people being eaten, to include in a shot from inside a shark’s mouth when we get to see it chomp down on some vacationers. This, I thought during that shot in particular, this should have been the whole movie — terrible CGI and loathsome characters being eaten. Instead the movie spends a laughable amount of time trying to, like, set up motivations, tell us a little story about corporate greed destroying the environment and let us get to know the characters (inartfully, but still it wastes time on this). I am not here for character development; I am here for big, goofy-looking sharks chomping on people. “More goofy sharks in this goofy shark movie, please” is what I thought for most of the movie. C
Rated PG-13 for action/violence, some bloody images, language and brief suggestive material, according to the MPA on filmratings.com. Directed by Ben Wheatley with a screenplay by Jon Hoeber & Erich Hoeber and Dean Georgaris, Meg 2: The Trench is one hour and 56 minutes long and is distributed by Warner Bros. It is available for rent or purchase via VOD.
