League of NH Craftsmen gathering more than a craft fair
As economic uncertainty continues to affect nonprofits across the country, many people wonder if there’s something they can do to make a difference. For those committed to supporting the creative economy, particularly in New Hampshire, the answer can be surprisingly simple: come to the fair.
The annual League of New Hampshire Craftsmen’s Fair is a beloved regional tradition, but it’s also a powerful way for individuals to support the state’s arts community. A celebration of creativity with works from hundreds of artisans, it has roots tracing back to the Great Depression.
“It was one of the first programs created to be a stimulus to help the state reemerge out of a really difficult financial time,” Executive Director Kate Saunders said in a recent phone interview. “It was actually in partnership with state support. It’s a different era now, but it’s a legacy that’s 92 years old.”
Coming to the fair, which opens on Saturday, Aug. 2, and runs daily through Aug. 10, helps not just the League’s mission. Also represented are the New Hampshire Art Association, which has its own tent, and close to a dozen guilds consisting of makers and creators throughout the state.
“So it’s not just supporting the League membership, but you’re actually supporting so many different creative organizations throughout the state of New Hampshire, which I think is really important for people to be mindful of,” Saunders said.
Daily demonstrations are a highlight of the fair. Blacksmith Garry Kalajian will be there every day, continuing an amazing streak. “He’s demonstrated all nine days of the fair, at every fair, for 25 years straight,” Saunders marveled. “He’s just so unique, and it’s not often that you get to see a blacksmith in action.”
A chance to watch artisans at work is one of the reasons the fair is free for kids 16 and under.
“A lot of people, especially New Hampshire residents, have these core memories of the first time they saw a wood turner on the lathe or a blacksmith in action,” Saunders continued. “Core memories are created at the mountain each year.”
Music is an integral part of the event, provided by NH Music Collective.
Performers include Jack Ancora, Brad Myrick, Kimayo, Tom Pirozzoli, Temple Mountain, Chris Lester, Jacob McCurdy and others.
“One of the commitments that the League made this year is to increase the amount … by about 50 percent,” Saunders said. “Because it’s not just about the makers, but also supporting a range of artists.”
A full schedule is available on the Fair’s website, along with a list of participants. Guests can experience it in a leisurely mode by visiting individual artist booths. There’s also the one-stop Shop at the Fair, a cooperative sales area for juried members, most of whom don’t have a dedicated spot, to sell their work in a centralized location.
Though the road ahead seems at times daunting, Saunders remains steadfast — and resourceful.
“It makes me really sad to see that funding go away,” she said, but rather than yielding to discouragement, the League is responding with renewed creativity. That means leveraging its network of sponsors and donors to design a sustainable model for the future rooted in advocacy, partnership and public engagement.
One such initiative is House of Representatives Day at the fair. Saunders has invited legislators from every district across the state, encouraging those with craftspeople in their regions to come witness the fair firsthand. The goal is to help these representatives see the fair not just as a regional event tied to Sunapee or Concord, but as a statewide cultural institution that helps artisans and the creative economy from border to border.
By offering a tangible demonstration of the League’s reach and impact, she hopes to deepen legislators’ understanding of what the League represents. It is, in her words, “a signature of excellence not only in fine craft, but also in the history and culture of the state of New Hampshire.”
More importantly, this year’s event is a call to action. As public funding wanes and challenges rise, community support becomes even more essential. For those who believe in the arts and the creative economy, it’s more than just an enjoyable day out; it’s a powerful vote of confidence in the value of creativity, culture, and craftsmanship in New Hampshire.
“There’s no excuse,” Saunders concluded. “It’s nine days. I’d love to see us reporting back a record attendance this year.”
92nd Annual League of NH Craftsmen’s Fair When: Saturday, Aug. 2, through Sunday, Aug. 10, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily Where: Mount Sunapee Resort, 1398 Route 103, Newbury Tickets: $18/one day and $28/two day, 17 and up at nhcrafts.org (16 and under free)
Find community and a multi- genre playlist at line dancing — beginners, sneakers and pop music fans welcome
Decades after “Boot Scootin’ Boogie” and “Achy Breaky Heart” helped propel it into a national craze, line dancing is experiencing a renaissance, particularly in New England. From the Seacoast to the Lakes Region, in nightclubs, town halls and senior centers, across the spectrum of ages, the blend of choreography, fitness and just plain fun is back — but with a fresh soundtrack.
Go out to The Goat in Manchester, Bernie’s Beach Bar in Hampton or the Big House in Laconia, to name a fraction of venues offering weekly nights of line dancing, and it’s likely the crowded floors will be moving in time to Pitbull, Dasha or Eminem along with Keith Urban and Blake Shelton.
To put a finer point on it: This isn’t a country revival. It’s not even a rebranding, but an old thing repurposed for an entire genre of music that heretofore did not know it existed. It’s fueled in no small part by a generation with a preference for comfortable shoes over cowboy boots.
Cathy Garland teaches all over New England. She was around for the line dancing’s first wave, watched it ebb and relished its return, She has a theory about its current resurgence.
“I’m gonna honestly say that social media probably plays the biggest role,” she said. “I know there are the classic line dance instructors who have been hardcore for 50-60 years. The last thing they want to see is a young person doing a line dance on TikTok and maybe adding their own flair or changing the choreography a little bit. But for me that can only help.”
The new blood keeps Garland agile when she hosts a dance.
“On any given night, I might think I’m gonna play ABCD, and then I look at the crowd and I’m like, ‘nope, we’re switching it up,’” she said. “I love the fact that I can take a large group of people and have them move together as one, and make it fun and entertaining.”
There are a lot of great things about line dancing. For starters, it’s a way to be active for all ages. Gail Eaton teaches at senior centers in Nashua, Pelham and Hudson to students age 50 and up. “Most of them are in their 60s, 70s, and I have several in their 80s,” she said. “I have one that’s turning 90 this year.”
Jennifer Hanson is the owner of Dance The Line and teaches several classes on the Seacoast.
“One of my oldest students is turning 90 this year,” Hanson said, “I always ask her what’s her key, and she says, ‘Don’t stop moving.’ She’s like, ‘If I stop, you know what’s going to happen? I don’t want to talk about it.’”
It’s also a great tool for easing everyday struggles. Kathleen Crocker first tried line dancing to momentarily forget about her job as a high school principal, in 2012. Crocker now runs 603 Line Dance with Kim Murray Carpentino. The organization holds events at Bonfire and The Goat in Manchester, Tuscan Village in Salem, Lakeport Opera House in Laconia, and a few Seacoast spots.
“I needed an outlet where I could forget about my day, and line dancing did that for me, because you can’t do it and think about your troubles — you have to think about what you’re doing,” she said. “Everybody gets drawn to it for different reasons. Some are lonely and need something different, some are feeling sick or sad … some come as a couple. People have met and gotten married because they found each other on the dance floor.”
The absolute best thing about line dancing, however, is that it’s very easy to learn and welcomes newcomers. If you can’t figure out the steps to one song, wait for another. Gail Eaton, who runs On The Dance Floor, has a YouTube video for what she calls Absolute Beginners that covers the basics.
Cathy Garland. Courtesy photo.
“They need to know a grapevine, something called a rocking chair, a jazz box, a Charleston kick,” she said. “I teach in sections of eight. So we have a 32-count dance. It’s broken down into four sections of eight counts. If you know how to walk, you know how to count to eight.”
Equally important is what not to know. Ginger Kozlowski started line dancing in 1995 and began teaching five years later. She now holds classes in Bedford, at the Old Town Hall. She almost didn’t attend that first dance, worried that it was some ‘yee-haw’ affair, but got hooked when “I’m Too Sexy” was the first song played. She doesn’t want others to make that mistake.
“What drives me nuts about line dancing is that people have this hokey stereotype about it,” she said, “Some people wear boots and cowboy hats, including me at times. But most just wear sneakers, jeans, T-shirts [and] we dance to all kinds of music, including country, pop, rock, Irish, waltzes, you name it. There’s a wide range of skill levels, from simple walking and stomping patterns to complicated routines that take a lot of practice.”
A great website to look at the many line dances created over the years is copperknob.co.uk. It offers detailed steps from easy to hard and includes profiles of choreographers — some of whom are contributors to this story. If you want to see how complex The Sphinx dance is, for example, this is the place.
Right now the Seacoast is a jumping spot for line dancing enthusiasts. Michelle Jackson-White runs three different gatherings every week, all summer long. On Mondays at Bernie’s Beach Bar in Hampton Beach she leads Country Nights, and on Thursdays she’s at the more family-friendly Seashell Stage. Tuesdays, the action happens across the border at Surfside on Salisbury Beach.
Each dance is different. Monday’s crowd is varied and often includes people who need help with dancing. That’s something readily provided at pretty much every line dance. At a given moment, she’ll call the curious to the center of the room to demonstrate an easy set of moves.
This is not for the seasoned steppers, she explained. “Dancer-dancers can do them with their eyes closed, but this is for somebody brand new that doesn’t dance. So several times throughout the night I’ll say, OK, after this, a micro-lesson. People are hanging around, it’s a good party vibe, that’s the thing.”
The Tuesday event in Salisbury is also taught by 603 Line Dance’s Kathleen Crocker and “is more like a social night,” Jackson-White observed, with lots of open dancing and couples pairing off along with line dancing. “There’s so many people. Then Thursday is, for me personally, more business and professional.”
Music, as the Bernie’s night’s title suggests, includes more than a little country, but every instructor says that being flexible with the playlist is crucial given the diversity of the ever-growing audience. Crocker, for her part, believes this is much easier than most people might think.
“We can put dances to multiple different songs, depending upon the beat and how the dance works,” she said. “Initially, every dance is choreographed with a particular song in mind, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be done to a different song, depending upon the steps and the beat of the music. There are dances that can go to a hundred different songs out there.”
Ginger Kozlowski. Courtesy photo.
Anyway, if tossing the ten-gallon hat and the pure country tune for Eminem or Nickelback inspires a ballcap wearing twentysomething to become a new convert, it’s worth it. Everyone’s welcome, all genres are played, and anything can happen at these happy get-togethers.
All that’s asked is for folks to jump in line and smile.
“The dance floor is your happy place,” Jennifer Hanson insists. “It’s a community. We call it our dance family because we’re together more than we see our own family sometimes, as much as you like to dance. It’s the happy place where you get to meet other people and exercise and forget about everything else that’s going on in the world. You can just focus on the music, and the dance, and it’s … just a happy place.”
Where to line dance
If you’re looking for a line dance, first check out the calendar hosted by Ginger Kozlowski at bit.ly/4jwZncR, which is growing daily. Here are several recurring events and few one-offs, including dates, times, cost and level of difficulty. Most if not all welcome absolute beginners.
Old Town Hall, 10 Meetinghouse Road, Bedford Host: Ginger Kozlowski Price: $7-$10 Level: All When: Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday (begins September), 7 p.m.
Broadway North Dance Studio, 217 DW Highway, Belmont, 524-6225 Host: Sue Price: $90 per person for 10 Level: Beginner When: Mondays 6:45-8:15 p.m.
Bow Community Building, 3 Bow Center Road, Bow Host: Michele Vecchione Price: $61 for 8 classes for residents, $65 non-Bow residents Level: Absolute Beginner, Beginner, Improver When: Mondays Beginner & Wednesday Improver
Line Dance Classes, 8 Raymond Road, Deerfield (463-8811, ext. 305) Host: Joe Manzi Price: $4 Level: All When: Wednesdays 6 p.m.
Upper Village Hall, 52 East Derry Road, Derry (396-0753) Host: Linda Alfonsi & Mark Sandland Price: $10 per person Level: All When: Thursdays 6:30-9:30 p.m.
Dover Elks, 282 Durham Road, Dover (782-4949) Host: Gail Eaton Price: $15, no outside drinks, bar will be open Level: Partner Dance Event When: Aug. 1, Sept. 19, Oct. 17, Nov. 21 and Dec. 19, 7-10:30 p.m.
Dover Elks, 282 Durham Road, Dover (502-5917) Host: Dance The Line Price: $10, cash only Level: All When: Mondays, 6-7:30 p.m. Beginner & 7:30-9 p.m. Intermediate
Epping American Legion, 232 Route 125, Epping (782-4949) Host: Gail Eaton Price: $10 for the night Level: Beginner, Improver & Intermediate When: Wednesdays, 6-7 p.m. Beginner, 7-9 p.m. Improver/Intermediate
Francestown Town Hall, 2 New Boston Road, Francestown (562-8910) Host: Dorene Adams Price: $5 Level: Absolute Beginner, Beginner When: Tuesdays 7 p.m.
Bernie’s Beach Bar, 73 Ocean Blvd., Hampton (nashvillelinedance.com) Host: Nashville Line Dance Price: Free Level: All When: Mondays 7-11 p.m.
Seashell Stage, 180 Ocean Blvd., Hampton (nashvillelinedance.com) Host: Nashville Line Dance Price: Free Level: All When: Thursdays 6-7 p.m.
Where: Loyal Order of Moose Lodge, 15 School St., Hillsborough (562-8910) Host: Dorene Adams Price: $5 Level: Absolute Beginner, Ultra Beginner, Beginner When: Mondays 7 p.m.
Where: Saddle Up Saloon, 92 Route 125, Kingston (347-1313) Host: Linda Alfonsi Price: $15 per person Level: Absolute Beginner, Ultra Beginner, Beginner, Improver When: Tuesday 7-9 p.m.
Where: Lakeport Opera House, 781 Union Ave., Laconia (603linedance.com) Host: 603 Line Dance Price: $15 at the door or Venmo Level: All When: Sunday, Aug, 24, 7-10:30 p.m.
Where: The Big House, 322 Lakeside Ave., Laconia (granitestatestomp.com) Host: Granite State Stomp Price: Free Level: All levels When: Fridays, Aug. 1 & 15, 6-9 p.m., lessons at 7 p.m.
Where: Bonfire, 958 Elm St., Manchester (603linedance.com) Host: 603 Line Dance Price: Free Level: 5 p.m. Advanced, 6 p.m. Beginner When: Sundays 6 p.m.
Where: The Goat, 50 Old Granite St., Manchester (603linedance.com) Host: 603 Line Dance Price: Free Level: All When: Mondays & Wednesdays 7 p.m.
Where: Old Homestead Farm, 7159 Greenville Road, New Ipswich (603linedance.com) Host: 603 Line Dance Price: $15 at the door or Venmo Level: All When: Saturdays, Aug. 16, 7 p.m.
Where: Fox Run Dance Hall, 50 Fox Run Road, Newington (dancetheline.net) Host: Dance The Line Price: $10, cash only Level: Beginner, Intermediate When: Wednesdays, 6-7:30 p.m. Beginners, 7:30-9 p.m. Intermediates
Where: Rockingham Ballroom, 22 Ash Swamp Road, Newmarket (603linedance.com) Host: 603 Line Dance Price: $15 at the door or Venmo Level: All When: Friday, Aug. 8
Where: The Gathering Place, 1471 First NH Turnpike, Northwood (dancetheline.net) Host: Dance The Line Price: $10, cash only Level: Beginner When: Tuesdays 6-7:30 p.m.
Where: Hobbs Community Center, 8 Nashua Road, Pelham (603-782-4949) Host: Gail Eaton Price: $5 Level: Beginner When: Mondays 1 p.m.
Where: Bow Lake Community Center (The Grange), 569 Province Road, Strafford (dancetheline.net) Host: Dance The Line Price: $10, cash only Level: Beginner When: Tuesdays 10-11:30 a.m.
Where: Pembroke City Limits, 134 Main St., Suncook (603linedance.com) Host: 603 Line Dance Price: Free Level: All When: Saturday, Aug. 2, 6 p.m.
Where: Smitty’s Theatre & Game Lab, 630 W. Main St., Tilton (603linedance.com) Host: 603 Line Dance Price: Free Level: All When: Tuesdays
Where: Bent-Burke Post 10 American Legion, 24 Maple St., Wilton (562-8910) Host: Dorene Adams Price: $5 Level: Beginner, Improver When: Thursdays 7 p.m.
Where: Windham Senior Center, 2 N. Lowell Road, Windham (782-4949) Host: Gail Eaton Price: $5 pay as you go Level: Beginner (6-7p), Improver & Intermediate (7p) When: Thursdays 9:45-10:45 a.m.
Ginger Kozlowski on What’s Awesome About Line Dancing It is for ANYONE! All ages, all body types. You will feel better physically and emotionally. You can meet new people and make friends. You will have FUN! Best of all, there’s nothing better for keeping your mind and body healthy. If you dance with me, I try hard to make it all about the fun!
Here’s the most popular line dance on the World Line Dance Newsletter (worldlinedancenewsletter.com) right now:
No Remorse: youtu.be/8dB2kV2Req0
This is a very hard dance: The Sphinx: tinyurl.com/34hvurf6
… and a very easy dance: Dancin’ In the Country: tinyurl.com/mpk8cmj9
Here’s me having just taught a dance to a bunch of people at an event in Sturbridge, Mass. [look for “Ginger Love Me to Heaven” on YouTube.]
The theme of August’s First Friday in downtown Concord from 4 to 8 p.m. is “Dog Days of Summer.” There will be music: a dance party with DJ Nazzy from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at City Plaza and the Wandering Souls in Bicentennial Square from 6 to 8 p.m. Scheduled food trucks are Wicked Tasty, Batulo’s Kitchen and The Frozen Flamingo. Red River Theatres will screen Goonies in Eagle Square at 8 p.m. Darbster Rescue, For the Love of Dog and the Pope Memorial SPCA will be on hand with information. See firstfridayconcord.com/august.
Friday, Aug. 1
The 43nd Suncook Valley Rotary Hot Air Balloon Rally is today through Sunday, Aug. 3, at Drake Field (17 Fayette St., Pittsfield) featuring helicopter rides, live music, midway carnival rides and of course hot-air balloons. For a schedule visit nhballoonrally.org.
Saturday, Aug. 2
The 17th Annual Uncommon Art on the Common will run on Main Street in Goffstown on today from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and feature more than 55 artists and makers displaying their works. The festival will feature painters, jewelry makers, ceramics makers, woodworkers, photographers, local authors and more, according to a press release. This year will also feature Uncommon Bling — collect beads and other small items from booths and “string them onto a keepsake necklace at the Goffstown Main Street Booth,” according to a press release. The event will also feature a raffle to support “the arts at the Goffstown High School,” the release said. The event will also feature a kids’ craft tent and a showcase of works from Goffstown High School students, the release said. See goffstownuncommonarts.org.
Saturday, Aug. 2
The Granite State Blues Festival happens today from 11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. in Veterans Memorial Park on Elm Street in downtown Manchester. Tickets cost $35 in advance, $40 on the day. The line-up includes TJ Wheeler, Craig Thomas and Bluetopia, All Night Boogie Band, Danielle Miraglia, Misty Blues and Chris O’Leary, according to granitestateblues.org.
Sunday, Aug. 3
New Hampshire Antiques Week kicks off today with the Granite State Antique Shows at Granite Town Plaza, 185 Elm St. in Milford, 8:30 to 11 a.m., according to antiquesweeknh.com. Find details there on this and other shows leading up to The 68th annual New Hampshire Antiques Show at the DoubleTree by Hilton Downtown Manchester, which runs Thursday, Aug. 7, through Saturday, Aug. 9
Sunday, Aug. 3
The Nashua Silver Knights host the Worcester Bravehearts at Holman Stadium (67 Amherst St., Nashua, 718-8883, nashuasilverknights.com) today at 3 p.m. Tickets are $12 ($10 for children); $28 will buy you all the snacks you can eat in any section.
Save the Date! Saturday, Aug. 9 The city of Salem will celebrate its 275th birthday Saturday, Aug. 9, from noon to 5 p.m. The event will feature food trucks, craft vendors and more, according to salemnh.gov/1096/ salembration, and take place in conjunction with Field of Dreams’ annual Family Fun Day.
Mosquitoes collected in Manchester on July 14 have tested positive for West Nile virus, the first batch to do so in Manchester this season, according to a July 24 press release from the city’s Health Department. “From this point in the season, until there is a mosquito-killing frost, the risk of infection by mosquito-borne viruses may increase. We recommend using an EPA evaluated, effective mosquito repellent, avoid being outdoors at dawn and dusk, and remove standing water from around the home, where mosquitoes reproduce, to limit the risks of catching these infections,” said Anna Thomas, MPH, Manchester’s Public Health Director, in the press release. Symptoms can appear within a week after being bitten by a mosquito and include “fever, muscle aches, headaches, and fatigue. Many people may not develop any symptoms, or only develop very mild symptoms. A very small percentage of individuals infected with WNV can go on to develop more serious central nervous system disease, including meningitis or encephalitis,” the release said.
Curds recall
The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services announced a voluntary recall by Huckins Farm of Huckins Farms Cheese Curds with a sell by date of Aug. 9, 2025, according to a press release from July 23. “Huckins Farm is voluntarily recalling the cheese curds out of an abundance of caution because they were improperly pasteurized,” the release said. The affected curds were sold in half-pound packages at the farm’s store in New Hampton and at 11 other New Hampshire locations including Osborne’s Farm and Garden Center and the Concord Food Co-op, both in Concord; Osborne’s Farm and Garden Center in Hooksett and Dumon Farms in Loudon. See the full list at dhhs.nh.gov. People who purchased these cheese curds should throw them away, the release said.
Elliot & Dartmouth
Elliot Health System and Dartmouth Health announced a collaboration in maternal and child health services starting July 1, according to a press release. “This clinical collaboration with Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinics Bedford/Manchester offers patients in southern New Hampshire the expertise of Dartmouth Health’s obstetricians and midwives to deliver babies and provide the full scope of inpatient reproductive health services, expanding on the outstanding services offered by Elliot Hospital,” the press release said. “The Elliot delivers more than 2,200 babies each year and Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinics Bedford/Manchester in southern New Hampshire averages 800 deliveries each year,” the release said.
The 99th annual Hospital Days celebration to celebrate New London Hospital will run Thursday, July 31, through Saturday, Aug. 2, on the New London Town Green. Events include a family event on Elkins Beach on Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.; a parade on Saturday at 10 a.m.; a vendor fair on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.; kids’ activities on the Green on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.; a midway all three days and more. See newlondonhospital.org.
Easterseals NH was slated to hold a ceremonial ribbon cutting for the new Gammon Academy school building on Zachary Road in Manchester on Wednesday, July 30. The new “state of the art school” continues the Easterseals NH offerings of “residential and educational services for students with significant developmental, behavioral, or intellectual disabilities” on the site, according to a press release.
The Live Free and Dance Festival 2025 will take place Sunday, Aug. 3, at the Dana Center at Saint Anselm College in Manchester starting at noon. The festival, presented by the Aaron Tolson Institute of Dance, will feature classes in dance styles including lyrical, jazz, contemporary, hip-hop and tap, according to tickets.anselm.edu. The faculty will include Ellye Setnik-King, Danielle Gautier, Emily Spencer, Emmy McLaughlin and Aaron Tolson; a single class costs $30, a four-class package costs $120, with a free tap class at the end of the day for students who pick the four-class package, according to the website, where you can register for the festival.
Toto, Christopher Cross and Men At Work hit Gilford
Yacht Rock, the genre that was another genre when it was popular, got a big boost last year with an HBO documentary that featured interviews with the musicians behind songs like “What A Fool Believes,” “Baby Come Back” and “Ride Like the Wind.” It also had Donald Fagen offering an unprintable response to the notion that his band belonged in the film.
A few months later, two of the sound’s stalwarts announced a summer tour: Toto and Christopher Cross, along with Men At Work, an Australian band that broke on MTV but whose hits nonetheless were probably in rotation on more than a few sailboats and cabin cruisers.
The well-timed showcase stops at BankNH Pavilion on July 28. In a June phone interview Toto lead singer Joseph Williams had some thoughts on the retroactively applied moniker once loosely referred to as West Coast Style until someone spotting a skipper’s hat on a ’70s album cover led to a rebrand.
“Some of the guys in Toto didn’t really consider it much of anything other than a parody, possibly an insult,” he said. But the name stuck, and bands like Weezer elevated it. “What it did do is help bring younger generations to the table with this music, and you can’t fault that. So everybody has sort of embraced it at this point.”
Williams joined in the mid-1980s, following a career that included jingle work, a Las Vegas tribute revue and the proto-American Idol show Star Search. His connection to the band that produced hits like “Africa,” “Hold the Line” and “99” began before that, however, even though he was 17 when the first Toto album was released.
Growing up in Los Angeles, Williams met Toto guitarist Steve Lukather in high school. His dad, movie and television composer John Williams, worked with the fathers of both David Paich and Jeff Porcaro. “I knew these guys, they knew who I was; I was a friend and a fan,” he said. “It was very exciting to watch the big success that they had.”
With an Oscar-winning dad behind the soundtracks of Star Wars and Raiders of the Lost Ark, Williams’ career path was inevitable. “I don’t remember a time that music wasn’t sort of a language for me,” he said, “I learned [it] before I learned the English language, or how to speak.”
There are two parts to Williams’ tenure with Toto. From 1986 to 1988 he toured and helped the band make a pair of LPs. The second, The Seventh Album, had massive success overseas. “A few of those songs were huge … bigger than they were here,” he said, “One of them was a No. 1 hit and the others were top 10 and top five.”
He then left due to a cocaine addiction, as recounted in a 2022 interview with MEL Magazine. “Nothing abnormal,” he’s quoted as saying at the time. “But as a singer, that’s the one substance you can’t do. It freezes your throat.” Williams returned permanently in 2010. In the interim, he also contributed to a song on Toto’s 2006 album, Falling in Between.
His rehabilitative comeback included a role in Disney’s 1994 animated movie The Lion King, as the singing voice of Adult Simba on “Hakuna Matata” and “Can You Feel the Love Tonight.” Williams was hired to record demos of the songs with singer Saida Garrett a year before production began, and came back to record some final parts in Hans Zimmer’s studio.
“They hadn’t figured out exactly how they were going to pull off ‘Hakuna Matata’ and I just happened to be in the booth,” he recalled. “They said, ‘Why don’t you give this a try? No guarantees but maybe we’ll come up with something.’ So I sang my part and the animation happened after that. I think Nathan Lane and those guys did their singing later, because it didn’t exist on the version I did.”
Toto, Christopher Cross and Men At Work When: Monday, July 28, 6:45 p.m. Where: BankNH Pavilion, 72 Meadowbrook Lane, Gilford Tickets: $44 and up at ticketmaster.com
New England Hot Sauce Festival brings the heat — and ocean support
Gabe DiSaverio feels very strongly about sharks and about hot sauce.
DiSaverio is the owner of Spicy Shark Hot Sauce and the main organizer of this weekend’s Hot Sauce Festival, which will be held Saturday, July 26, at Smuttynose Brewery in Hampton. He is also a huge fan of sharks.
“I’m very passionate about shark conservation,” he said. “I’m a scuba diver. Aside from being a Jaws fanatic, I’m kind of obsessed with sharks. I’m very into shark conservation. As a company, we work with and donate to a lot of nonprofits in the shark conservation world. So that’s the reason for the name of our company. I wanted to keep that same spirit alive for the hot sauce festival.” Last year’s Festival raised almost $20,000 for shark and ocean conservation.
The Hot Sauce Festival, which focuses on hot sauces made in New England and the Northeast, has attracted a truly surprising amount of interest, DiSaverio said.
“We have around 60 vendors total,” he said. “So we have 30 hot sauce vendors, and I’m not exaggerating when I say the wait list is over 30. It’s crazy the interest we’ve gotten from the hot sauce community. We’re a New Hampshire company, but I consider New England to be our home state, our home region. And there’s nothing else like this here. The thing about all the hot sauce festivals [I’ve been to] were they were all totally different except for the fact that they were all super well-attended and everyone was happy.”
DiSaverio said one of the guiding principles of the New England Hot Sauce Festival is that it should be a family-friendly, inclusive event.
“I wanted to have a real community feel and my spin on it is the whole-family aspect,” he said. “A lot of hot sauce festivals have become drinking festivals. There’s no liquor, there’s no wine, and there’s no outside beer other than the Smuttynose beer on site. It’s totally intended for … families. So we have bouncy houses, we have face painting, and we have a kids’ magic show.”
“There are four official eating contest events,” DiSaverio said. “Three of them are amateur-level and one of them is professional. So the amateur ones are a Jalapeño Speed Contest, to see who can eat a pound of jalapenos the fastest. Then we’ve got our Hot Wing Contest, which is five different rounds of progressively hotter chicken wings. And then we have the Super Hot Competition and that is hot peppers straight from Ed Curry’s farm in South Carolina. Ed Curry is the owner of Pucker-Butt Pepper Co., which is such a great name. And he is the creator of the Carolina Reaper pepper and more recently Pepper X, which beat the Carolina Reaper as the hottest pepper in the world. So all of these peppers are coming straight from his farm.”
To compete in the Super Hot Competition, contestants need to submit an application, including a resume to prove their bona fides.
“I’m someone who’s got a crazy high tolerance,” DiSaverio said, “but if I had a bite of a Carolina Reaper — which I have — a bite of one will knock you out for at least a day. You will be dealing with that for a long time. So the fact that some of these people can eat over 50 of them is just a whole another level of insanity.”
That said, DiSaverio made it clear that the Festival is not just for chili-head thrill-seekers.
“You don’t even, like, have to like spicy things to have a good time,” he said. “There are so many contests to watch, there’s beer to drink, and of the actual food vendors — the nine food trucks we have — none are spicy or hot-themed. They’re all very different. You can come to a hot sauce festival, have no hot sauce, and still have an amazing, amazing time.”
4th Annual New England Hot Sauce Festival When: Saturday, July 26, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Where: Smuttynose Brewery, 105 Towle Farm Road, Hampton, 601-8200, smuttynose.com Tickets: General admission tickets are $15; VIP tickets are $20. Visit newenglandhotsaucefest.com.
