Featured Content

The art of community

Greeley Park Art Show returns

By Hannah Turtle

hturtle@hippopress.com

In its 69th year, the Greeley Park Art Show returns to Nashua with a whole host of artists both familiar and new. It’s happening on Saturday, Aug. 20, and Sunday, Aug. 21, when visitors will be able to view hundreds of works by local artists and even take some home.

“We have over 45 artists this year, and they’re all different mediums. Some do impressionism, some do abstract, watercolor, oils, acrylics [and] sculpture,” said Lauren Boss, co-director of the show, which is hosted by the Nashua Area Artists’ Association. “A lot of the artists will actually work on their art while they’re there. It’s really cool to watch. … They explain things [and] answer questions, [so] there’s always learning to be had.”

Over the years, the show has cultivated its own reputation as a place to not only appreciate, but learn.

“A few years ago I had an artist tell me that they could tell the people who come every year because they stop and talk to the artists, and they know certain things that not every crowd knows,” Boss said. “The people who come year after year are getting an education on art and art mediums.”

Each artist has a unique story to tell through their work. One such artist who will showcase her paintings is Zoe Brooke of Portsmouth, who has a unique eye for art.

“My favorite things to paint are portraits. People or animals,” Brooke said. “Anything with eyeballs.”

Brooke, whose solo exhibition, “Wellspring,” is also currently running through Aug. 28 via the Seacoast Artist Association, said her artistic eye is often at odds with her actual eyes. Last year she was diagnosed with a rare degenerative eye condition that is eroding her vision.

In response to the diagnosis, Brooke has been painting as much as she can.

“I wanted to focus on moments in time,” she said. “I looked at the little things that happened throughout the day or throughout the week that bring me joy, or that encapsulate the feelings of what’s going on.”

This includes paintings of everything from her cats taking a nap, to the natural landscape of Portsmouth and the various scenes that have unfolded throughout the past few years. The experience, Brooke said, has been a therapeutic one.

“Painting helped me to notice more of those moments, to stay in a place of gratitude and a place of appreciation,” she said.

Brooke began taking her art seriously during the pandemic, painting as much as she could and developing her signature style. Her prognosis is unclear, as her condition is so rare it doesn’t yet have a name. Her macula is degenerating due to her eyes’ inability to process vitamin A. She describes the condition as mainly deteriorating her central vision.

“The things that usually make people’s eyes stronger make mine weaker,” she said.

Showing her work around the state and meeting other members of the local arts community has been a boon to Brooke.

“It is a big inspiration to see local artists,” she said. “I think, ‘Wow, you’re so talented and you’re just my neighbor!’”

It’s something Boss also looks forward to experiencing at the show.

“We have found that our artists are exceptionally willing to share,” Boss said.

Greeley Park Art Show
When: Saturday, Aug. 20, and Sunday, Aug. 21, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where: Greeley Park, 100 Concord St., Nashua
Cost: Free admission
Visit: nashuaarts.org/greeleyparkartshow

Featured photo: Painting by Zoe Brooke. Courtesy photo.

The after school issue

Your guide to the soccer leagues, martial arts classes, dance lessons and more to get your kid excited for fall

By Katelyn Sahagian, Matt Ingersoll, Angie Sykeny and Hannah Turtle

listings@hippopress.com

It’s almost back-to-school time, and that means the return of all kinds of extracurricular activities for your kids to enjoy, whether they have a creative flair with art, music or theater, or they’re looking to stay active with karate, horseback riding, baseball or soccer. Check out this guide to all kinds of after-school and fall programs available in the Granite State.

ART

Creative Ventures Gallery (411 Nashua St., Milford, 672-2500, creativeventuresfineart.com) is offering Teen Drawing this year, taught by Michelle Beliveau. It will cover the drawing fundamentals, including blending, composition and perspective. The class is open to teens ages 13 to 17 and meets Thursdays from 7 to 8:30 p.m. beginning in September. The cost is $22 per class, with registration available online.

Currier Museum Art Center (180 Pearl St., Manchester, 518-4922, currier.org) offers art education, enrichment and art-making classes as well as workshops and camps for art enthusiasts as young as first grade, beginning in September. Classes include Animals in Art and Sea Magic for grades 1 to 3, Drawing Adventures for grades 4 to 6, Science Fiction and Fantasy Drawing for grades 5 to 7, and Drawing from the Mind’s Eye for teens. The cost is $225 for non-members and $212.50 for members, with registration available online.

Kimball Jenkins School of Art (266 N. Main St., Concord, 225-3932, kimballjenkins.com) is expected to announce its fall schedule soon, which will include weekly drop-in art classes for ages 11 to 13 that are free to attend, as well as a teen program that focuses on art-making for community development.

Paint pARTy (135 N. Broadway, Salem, 898-8800, paintpartynh.com) offers fine art classes throughout the week year-round. Classes are available for kids in grades 1 through 9 and are held Monday through Thursday. The cost is $20 per session with the first session free, and classes run throughout the school year with students able to join at any time.

Seacoast ArtSpot (2992 Lafayette Road, Unit 3, Portsmouth, seacoastartspot.com) offers a variety of classes running in four-week sessions starting Sept. 8 for kids ages 9 and up, including acrylic painting, fiber arts and drawing. The cost ranges from $135 to $140, depending on the class. Registration is available online.

Studio 550 Art Center (550 Elm St., Manchester, 232-5597, 550arts.com) offers clay classes for kids ages 9 to 12 and teens ages 13 and up, ranging from 8- to 10-week sessions, beginning in September. Prices range from $150 to $216, depending on the length of the session. The studio also offers an eight-week drawing and painting class for kids ages 9 and up, beginning Sept. 13 and held on Tuesdays at 4 p.m. The cost is $150. Students under 9 are welcome during one-day workshops. Registration is available online.

DANCE

Alicia’s School of Dance (Fox Pond Plaza, 58 Route 129, Suite 201, Loudon, 406-0416, aliciasschoolofdance.com) offers tap, jazz, ballet, lyrical, hip-hop, gymnastics, creative dance and dance fitness programs, beginning Sept. 6. Classes are available for kids ages 2 and up and are held Monday through Thursday and Saturday. The cost for one class per week is $60 per month. Any extra classes are $20 per class.

Allegro Dance Company (100 Factory St., Nashua, 886-7989, allegrodancenh.com) offers ballet, pointe, jazz, modern, lyrical and contemporary, improv, acro, cheer/pom, musical theater, hip-hop, tap and tumbling programs, beginning Sept. 10. Classes are available for kids ages 18 months and up and are held Monday through Saturday. Call for cost details.

Ameri-kids Baton & Dance (Candia Youth Athletic Association, 27 Raymond Road, Candia, 391-2254, ameri-kids.org) offers baton-twirling and dance in recreational and competitive programs for kids ages 5 and up, beginning Sept. 11. Classes start at $55 for a 45-minute session, plus an annual $30 registration fee. The cost for private lessons ranges from $30 to $50 depending on the length of the lesson.

Bedford Dance Center (172 Route 101, Bedford, 472-5141, bedforddancecenter.com) offers classes in ballet, pointe, jazz, modern, hip-hop, acro and tap dance programs, beginning Sept. 6. Classes are available for kids ages 3 and up and are held Monday through Saturday. The cost ranges from $50 to $74 per month, depending on the number of class hours taken per week. A month of unlimited classes is $305.

Bedford Youth Performing Company (155 Route 101, Bedford, 472-3894, bypc.org) offers dance, music and theater group and private classes for kids ages 2 and up, beginning Aug. 29. Dance lessons include ballet, acro/gymnastics, tap, jazz, theater jazz, contemporary and lyrical. The cost ranges from $57.60 to $86.40 per month, depending on the type and length of each class.

Broadway Bound Performing Arts Center (501 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack, 429-8844, broadwayboundpac.com) offers jazz, ballet, lyrical, hip-hop, tap, musical theater, tumbling and special needs dance programs, beginning Sept. 12. Classes are available for kids ages 2 and up and are held Monday through Thursday. Tuition varies depending on the class. An unlimited classes package is available for $285 per month.

The Cadouxdle Dance Studio (297 Derry Road, Hudson, 459-4392, thecadouxdledancestudio.com) offers programs in ballet, jazz, tap, lyrical and tumble, as well as private lessons, beginning Sept. 6. Classes are available for students ages 3 and up and are held Monday through Thursday. The cost starts at $45 for one class per month.

Concord Dance Academy (26 Commercial St., Concord, 226-0200, concorddanceacademy.com) offers tap, jazz, ballet, lyrical, hip-hop, contemporary, pointe, and combination dance and karate programs, beginning Sept. 19. Classes are available for kids ages 2 and up, from Monday through Saturday. The cost ranges from $75 to $345 per month, depending on the number of classes taken.

Creative Dance Workshop of Bow (1355 Route 3A, Unit A & B, Bow, 225-7711, nhdances.com) offers ballet, hip-hop, lyrical and contemporary, pointe, acro/tumbling, musical theater, jazz, cheer, tap and lyrical and contemporary dance programs for kids ages 18 months and up, beginning Sept. 12. Classes are held Monday through Saturday. The cost ranges from $70 to $225 per month, depending on the number of classes taken.

The Dance Company (130 Route 101A, Amherst, 864-8374, thedancecompanyonline.com) offers ballet, contemporary, hip hop, jazz, lyrical, pointe and tap, beginning Sept. 19. Classes are available for kids ages 18 months and up and are held Monday through Saturday. The cost ranges from $56.50 to $335 per month, depending on the number of class hours taken per week, plus a $30 registration fee.

Dance Connection Fitness & Performing Arts (8 Rockingham Road, Windham, 893-4919, danceconnectionnh.com) offers jazz, tap, ballet, contemporary, hip-hop and cheer-dance programs, beginning Sept. 19. Classes are held Monday through Thursday and Saturday, and are available for kids ages 2-and-a-half and up. Call for cost details.

Dance Visions Network (699 Mast Road, Manchester, 626-7654, dancevisionsnetwork.com) offers dance instruction in ballet, pointe, contemporary, jazz, hip-hop, partnering, tap and tumbling for dancers ages 2-and-a-half and up, beginning in September. Competition team opportunities are available as well. Call for cost details.

Dancesteps Etc. (27 Black Hall Road, Epsom, 736-9019, dancesteps-etc.com) offers jazz, tap, ballet, pointe, lyrical and contemporary, tumble, hip-hop, musical theater, dance programs, beginning Sept. 6. Classes are available for children ages 2-and-a-half and up and are held Monday through Thursday and Saturday. The cost ranges from $45 to $182 per month, depending on the number of class hours taken per week and the length of each class, plus a $35 registration fee.

The Dancing Corner (23 Main St., Nashua, 889-7658, dancingcorner.com) offers classical ballet, pointe, tap, jazz, hip-hop, musical theater and lyrical programs, beginning Sept. 7. Classes are available for kids ages 3 and up. The cost for a seven-week session ranges from $112 to $410, depending on the number of class hours taken per week. There is also a $30 annual registration fee.

Dimensions in Dance (84 Myrtle St., Manchester, 668-4196, dimensionsindance.com) offers classes in ballet, pointe, jazz, lyrical, acro, hip hop, tap, partnering, contemporary and modern dance programs, beginning Sept. 6. Classes are available for kids ages 2 and up and are held Monday through Saturday. Monthly tuition costs $48 to $348, depending on the number of class hours taken per week.

Gen’s Dance Studio (151A Manchester St., No. 5, Concord, 224-0698, gensdancestudio.com) offers tap, ballet, jazz and tumbling programs for kids ages 3 and up, beginning in September. Call for cost details.

Happy Feet Dance School (25 Indian Rock Road, Windham, 434-4437, happyfeetdanceschool.biz) offers dance instruction in a variety of dance forms such as ballet, jazz, creative dance, hip-hop, contemporary and more. Classes are available for kids ages 2 and up and are offered Monday through Thursday and Saturday, beginning Sept. 7. First class rates are $62 per month for 30 minutes, $67 per month for 45 minutes and $72 per month for 60 minutes. Rates for additional classes are $48 per month for 30 minutes, $52 per month for 45-minute classes and $57 per month for 60-minute classes. A rate of $300 per month for unlimited classes is also offered.

Kathy Blake Dance Studios (3 Northern Blvd., Amherst, 673-3978, kathyblakedancestudios.com) offers ballet, tap, jazz, musical theater, acro-dance, hip-hop, creative dance, contemporary and lyrical classes, beginning Sept. 9. Classes are available for kids ages 2 and up and are held Monday through Saturday. The cost ranges from $60 to $70 per month, depending on the number of class hours taken per week, plus a $30 registration fee.

Londonderry Dance Academy (21 Buttrick Road, Londonderry, 432-0032, londonderrydance.com) offers ballet, pointe, jazz, tap, hip-hop, acro and contemporary dance programs, beginning in September. Classes are available for kids ages 2 and up and are held Monday through Saturday. The bi-monthly cost ranges from $140 to $720, depending on the number of class hours taken per week.

Martin School of Dance (288 Route 101, Bedford, 488-2371, martinschoolofdance.com) offers ballet, pointe, jazz, tap, hip-hop, tumbling and a variety of other dance programs, beginning Sept. 6. Classes are available for kids ages 2 and up and are held Monday through Saturday. The cost varies depending on the child’s age and the number of class hours per week. There is also a registration fee of $40 per child or $55 per family

Melissa Hoffman Dance Center (210 Robinson Road, Hudson, 886-7909, melissahoffmandancecenter.info) offers hip-hop, ballet, pointe, jazz, modern, lyrical, tap and tumble dance programs, beginning Sept. 12. Classes are available for kids ages 2 and up and are held Monday through Saturday. The cost ranges from $55 to $315 per month, depending on the number of class hours taken per week (with discounted rates for each additional child), plus a $40 registration fee per student, or $55 per family.

Miss Kelsey’s Dance Studio (2626 Brown Ave., Manchester, 606-2820, mkdance.com) offers tap, jazz, ballet, pointe, hip hop, acro, lyrical, contemporary and music theater programs and more, beginning in September. Classes are available for kids ages 1 and up and are held Monday through Saturday. Call for cost details.

Nancy Chippendale’s Dance Studios (49 Range Road, Building 2, Suite A, Windham, 458-7730, chippswindham.com) offers a variety of recreational and competitive dance programs, including ballet, jazz, tap, lyrical and hip-hop, beginning in September. Classes are available for kids ages 2 and up and are held Monday through Saturday. Monthly tuition costs $75 to $150, depending on the number of class hours taken per week.

New England School of Dance (679 Mast Road, Manchester, 935-7326, newenglandschoolofdance.com) offers classes in ballet, pointe, contemporary, tap, jazz, hip-hop and more, beginning on Sept. 6. Classes are available for kids ages 3 and up and are held Monday through Saturday. Call for cost details; costs vary depending on the amount of class hours taken per week.

New Hampshire Academie of Dance (1 Action Blvd., No. 4, Londonderry, 432-4041, nhadance.com) offers jazz, ballet, pointe, lyrical, tap, hip-hop, contemporary, acro, musical theater, aerial and street dance, beginning on Sept. 12. Classes are available for kids ages 18 months and up and are held Monday through Thursday and Saturday. Monthly tuition ranges from $54 to $292, depending on the number of class hours taken per week.

New Hampshire School of Ballet (183 Londonderry Turnpike, Hooksett, 668-5330, nhschoolofballet.com) offers ballet, jazz, tap, lyrical, contemporary, modern, acro and hip hop programs, beginning Sept. 3. Classes are available for kids ages 2 and up. Monthly tuition ranges from $55 to $345 per month, depending on the number of class hours taken per week and the student’s experience level.

N-Step Dance Center (1134 Hooksett Road, Hooksett, 641-6787, nstepdance.com) offers recreational and competitive dance programs in tap, jazz, point, ballet, hip-hop, tumbling, musical theater, lyrical and contemporary, beginning Sept. 6. Classes are available for kids ages 18 months and up and are held Monday through Thursday and Saturday. The cost is $55 to $65 per class.

Rise Dance Studio (125 Northeastern Blvd., Nashua, 402-2706, risedancenh.com) offers ballet, point, tap, jazz, hip-hop, modern and contemporary dance programs for all ages, beginning Sept. 6. Classes are held Monday through Thursday and Saturday. Call for cost details.

Showcase Dance & Performing Arts Center (5 Executive Drive, Hudson, 883-0055, showcasehudsonnh.com) offers ballet, pointe, jazz, lyrical, hiphop, tap, tumbling, acro and pom. beginning Sept. 7. Classes are available for kids ages 1 and up and are held Monday through Saturday. The cost ranges from $40 to $80 per month, depending on the child’s age and the class length.

Southern New Hampshire Dance Theater (19 Harvey Road, Bedford, 637-4398, snhdt.org) offers pre-dance, ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop and modern/contemporary programs, beginning Sept. 3. Classes are available for boys and girls ages 15 months and up and are held Monday through Saturday. Tuition starts at $69 per month and varies depending on the level and number of class hours taken per week.

Turning Pointe Center of Dance (371 Pembroke St., Pembroke, 485-8710, turningpointecenterofdance.com) offers dance lessons in ballet, jazz, point, musical theater, tap and lyrical dance, starting Sept. 10. Classes are available for kids ages 3 and up and are held Monday through Saturday. Monthly tuition ranges from $65 to $210, depending on the number of class hours taken per week.

Unbound Dance Academy (237 Londonderry Turnpike, Hooksett, 714-2821, unbounddanceacademy.com) offers classes in pre-ballet, ballet, tap, contemporary, lyrical, acro, hip hop, jazz and musical theater, beginning in September. Classes are available for kids ages 2 and up and are held from Monday through Saturday. Call for cost details.

GENERAL

Alpha-Bits Learning Center (227 Londonderry Turnpike, Manchester, 624-6650; 333 Allard Drive, Manchester, 641-6642; alphabitsnh.com) offers after-school programs for kids in grades 1 to 3. Programs place an emphasis on building positive homework habits, encouraging creativity, and achieving good sportsmanship. The program uses its own transportation buses as well as Manchester Transit Authority yellow school buses. Call for scheduling and cost details.

Boys & Girls Clubs of America (555 Union St., Manchester, 625-5031, mbgcnh.org; 1 Positive Place, Nashua, 883-0523, bgcn.com; 3 Geremonty Drive, Salem, 898-7709, salembgc.org; 56 Mont Vernon St., Milford, 672-1002, svbgc.org; 55 Bradley St., Concord, 224-1061, nhyouth.org; 40 E. Derry Road, Derry, 434-6695, derrybgclub.com) offers a variety of after-school programs that include homework assistance, sports and recreation, arts and crafts, leadership development, life skills and more. Programs and costs vary at each location; most start around $15 per week, but depend on a student’s membership status and school. Call your local branch or visit its website for details.

The Culinary Playground (16 Manning St., Suite 105, Derry, 339-1664, culinary-playground.com) offers various cooking classes throughout the year for kids ages 3 and up. Call for details on upcoming programs. The cost starts at $20 for individual classes.

Daniel Webster Council Scouts BSA (625-6431, nhscouting.org) is the center of information for Scouting in New Hampshire (formerly the Boy Scouts of America). Contact them for information about joining a local troop. Troops set their own start dates, meeting days and times and meeting locations.

Franco-American Centre (100 Saint Anselm Drive, No. 1798, Manchester, 641-7114, facnh.com) is offering classes in French as a second language for kids in kindergarten through third grade, beginning in September. Beginner 1 classes are designed for students with no previous French-speaking experience (Wednesdays, 6 to 8 p.m., dates offered Sept. 14 to Dec. 7, except for Nov. 23). Beginner 2 classes provide more of an in-depth study of present and past tenses, in which students improve pronunciation and conversational skills (Tuesdays, from 6 to 8 p.m., dates offered Sept. 13 to Nov. 29). Other classes include Intermediate 1 (Tuesdays, 6 to 8 p.m., dates offered Sept. 13 to Nov. 29), Intermediate 2 (Thursdays, 6 to 8 p.m., dates offered Sept. 15 to Dec. 1, except Nov. 24), Advanced French (Thursdays, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., dates offered Sept. 8 to Dec. 1, except for Nov. 24), Advanced French Conversation 1 (Tuesdays, 6 to 8 p.m., dates offered Sept. 13 to Dec. 6, except for Nov. 8) and Advanced French Conversation 2 (Wednesdays, 6 to 8 p.m., dates offered Sept. 17 to Dec. 7, except for Nov. 23). The cost for each program ranges from $375 to $410, depending on the student’s membership status.

Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains (1 Commerce Drive, Bedford, 888-474-9686, girlscoutsgwm.org) offers programs for girls in kindergarten through grade 12, focused on leadership-building, including outdoor and STEM activities, sports programs, virtual programming and more. Visit their website or call to learn how to join a local troop. The cost starts at $40 per girl and financial aid is available. Troops set their own start dates, meeting days and times, and meeting locations.

Girls at Work (200 Bedford St., Manchester, 345-0392, girlswork.org) offers programs in woodworking, furniture building and more for girls ages 9 to 13, beginning in September. Classes are held on weekdays from 3 to 5 p.m.; the schedule follows the Manchester School District’s calendar. See website or call for registration details.

Girls, Inc. of New Hampshire (340 Varney St., Manchester, 623-1117; 27 Burke St., Nashua, 882-6256, girlsincnewhampshire.org) offers a girls-only after-school program that includes media literacy, self-defense, STEM, economic literacy, drug abuse prevention and leadership skill building. The program is open to girls ages 5 and up. The cost is $75 per week and financial aid is available. A preschool program for boys and girls ages 3 to 5 is available at the Nashua branch only.

Granite YMCA (30 Mechanic St., Manchester, 623-3558; 116 Goffstown Back Road, Goffstown, 497-4663; 206 Rockingham Road, Londonderry; 437-9622; 15 N. State St., Concord, 228-9622; 35 Industrial Way, Rochester, 332-7334; 550 Peverly Hill Road, Portsmouth, 431-2334; graniteymca.org/child-care) offers before- and after-school programs for kids and teens of all ages, including sports, art, dance, academic support and more. Programs vary at each location. Call your local branch or visit its website for details.

Hampshire Hills Athletic Club (50 Emerson Road, Milford, 673-7123, hampshirehills.com) offers after-school programs for kids in kindergarten through fifth grade. Programs involve a free-time activities group, a sports skill center, homework help and nutritious snacks. After-school pick-up from area schools is available. The cost is $190 per month (for five days a week) for members and $240 for non-members. Visit the website to fill out a form and turn it in to the center to register.

Manchester Police Athletic League (409 Beech St., Manchester, 626-0211, manchesterpoliceathleticleague.org) offers year-round programs in aikido, boxing, cooking, skateboarding and wrestling for kids ages 5 and up (age ranges depend on the program offered). All programs are free and kids are invited to start most of them at any point during the year.

Mathnasium (257 Daniel Webster Hwy., Nashua; 1 Bicentennial Drive, Manchester; mathnasium.com) offers after school tutoring in various types of mathematics to students from kindergarten through high school. Both locations are open Monday through Thursday from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., Sunday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.

YMCA of Greater Nashua (24 Stadium Drive, Nashua, 882-2011; 6 Henry Clay Drive, Merrimack, 881-7778, nmymca.org) offers before- and after-school programs for kids and teens. Programs vary at each location. Registration for the first fall session (beginning Aug. 29) is currently open. Both locations are full, but a waiting list is available. Call your local branch for details.

GYMNASTICS

A2 Gym & Cheer (16B Garabedian Drive, Salem, 328-8130, a2gc.com) offers recreational and competitive gymnastics and tumbling programs for kids ages 18 months and up, beginning Sept. 6. Call for cost details.

Flipz the Gym for Kids (Flipz Gymnastics, 14 Chenell Drive, Concord, 224-3223, flipzgymnastics.com) offers gymnastics programs for kids ages 1 to 6, beginning on Sept. 6. Classes are offered Monday through Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. Monthly tuition ranges from $80 to $135, depending on the class and number of classes taken per week.

Gymnastics Village (13 Caldwell Drive, Amherst, 889-8092, gymnasticsvillage.com) offers gymnastics programs and ninja and tumbling classes, beginning in September. Classes are available for kids of all ages and are held Monday through Saturday. The cost starts at $21 for a 45-minute class, plus a registration fee of $35 and a membership fee of $35.

Gym-Ken Gymnastics (184 Rockingham Road, Windham, 434-9060, gymkengymnastics.com) offers gymnastics, tumbling, parkour and other programs, beginning Aug. 28. Classes are available for kids of all ages and are held Monday through Saturday. The cost for classes ranges from $195 to $215 per 10-week session with one class per week, plus a $50 annual registration fee.

Impact Gymnastics (301 River Road, Bow, 219-0343, impact-gymnastics.com) offers a variety of recreational gymnastics and tumbling programs for kids of all ages, beginning Sept. 6. Classes are held Monday through Saturday. Monthly tuition, which includes one class per week, ranges from $78.75 to $147. Competitive team programs are also available.

Nashua School of Gymnastics (30 Pond St., Nashua, 880-4927, nsggym.net) offers recreational and team gymnastics programs for kids of all ages, beginning on Sept. 5. Classes are held Monday through Thursday and Saturday. Call for cost details.

Palaestra Gymnastics Academy (8 Tinkham Ave., Derry, 818-4494, pgagym.com) offers a variety of recreational and competitive gymnastics and tumbling programs for kids of all ages, beginning Sept. 6. Classes are held Monday through Saturday. Call for cost and registration details.

Phantom Gymnastics (142 Route 111, Hampstead, 329-9315, phantomgymnastics.com) offers a variety of recreational and competitive programs for kids of all ages, beginning Sept. 12. Classes are held Monday through Saturday. Tuition ranges from $75 to $130 per month.

Sky High Gymnastics (185 Elm St., No. 2, Milford, 554-1097, skyhighgym.com) offers a variety of gymnastics, cheer and tumbling programs for kids of all ages, beginning Sept. 5. Classes are held Monday through Friday. Tuition costs vary; call for details.

Southern New Hampshire Gymnastics Academy (4 Orchard View Drive, No. 11, Londonderry, 404-6181, snhga.com) offers a variety of both recreational and competitive gymnastics programs for kids of all ages, beginning Aug. 29. Classes are held Monday through Saturday. Call for cost and registration details.

Spectrum Gymnastics (26 Buttrick Road, Londonderry, 434-8388, spectrumgymnast.com) offers gymnastics and tumbling programs for kids of all ages, beginning Sept. 6. Classes are held Monday through Saturday. Call for cost and registration details.

Tumble Town Gymnastics (444 E. Industrial Park Drive, No. 10, Manchester, 641-9591, tumbletownnh.com) offers a variety of gymnastic programs for kids of all ages, beginning Sept. 6. Call for cost and registration details. Free trial lessons are offered.

HORSEBACK RIDING

Apple Tree Farm (49 Wheeler Road, Hollis, 465-9592, appletreefarm.org) offers year-round group and private lessons for kids ages 4 and up. Beginner students will receive English balance seat instruction while advanced students will focus on eventing, which includes dressage, stadium jumping and cross-country. Lessons are held Tuesday through Saturday. The cost is $85 per one-hour private lesson and $200 per month for group lessons.

Chase Farms (146 Federal Hill Road, Hollis, 400-1077, chasefarmsnh.com) offers saddleseat group, semi-private and private lessons for kids ages 4 and up. Lesson packages are also available. Call for more information.

Different Drummer Farm (55 South Road, Candia, 483-2234, differentdrummerfarm.com) offers private and group lessons from April through November for introductory riders ages 5 to 10. They also offer lessons for riders who can bring their own horses in, and they’ll help owners with green horses. Lessons are $60 for a private or $55 for semi-private or group options. All beginning lessons include time to learn grooming and tacking up, as well as care of the pony following the lesson.

Fox Creek Farm (Pine Hill Road, Hollis, 236-2132, foxcreek.farm) offers year-round group and private hunter/jumper lessons for all ages. A 30-minute private lesson costs $55, and a one-hour group lesson costs $45. A Pony Lover’s lesson package for kids ages 4 to 8 is also available for $180 per one month’s worth of lessons.

Gelinas Farm (471 Fourth Range Road, Pembroke, 225-7024, gelinasfarm.com) offers year-round Western and English, private or group riding lessons for all ages. Call for cost details.

Hollis Ranch (192 Wheeler Road, Hollis, 465-2672, hollisranch.com) offers one-on-one lessons in English and Western disciplines. Lesson packages are customized. Call for cost details.

Mack Hill Riding Academy (3 Mack Hill Road, Amherst, 801-0958, mackhill.net) offers private and group riding lessons for kids of all ages. Disciplines include hunters, eventing, equitation, Western pleasure and horsemanship. The cost is $60 per private lesson. Tiny Trotters, for kids ages 6 and younger, are $35 per half-hour lesson. Packages are also available at $300 per six or $540 per 12.

Walnut Hollow Farm (40 Walnut Hill Road, Amherst, 475-1645, walnuthollowfarm.com) offers year-round riding lessons for all ages. Lessons may focus on dressage, hunter/jumper and eventing. The cost is $60 for private lessons, $50 for a semi-private, and $45 for group lessons. Lesson packages are also available.

MARTIAL ARTS

Al Lima’s Studio of Self Defense (28 Lowell Road, Hudson, 765-5753, alssd.com) offers year-round kenpo karate and self-defense programs for kids and teens. Classes are held Monday through Thursday. The studio is currently offering a 40th anniversary special of four weeks’ worth of classes for $40. Private classes are also available.

Amherst Karate Studio (Salzburg Square, 292 Route 101, Amherst, 672-3570, amherstkaratestudio.com) offers martial arts training and karate programs year-round, for kids and teens ages 3 and up. Classes are held Monday through Friday, as well as on Saturday mornings. The cost starts at $49 for a three-class trial.

Bedford Martial Arts Academy (292 Route 101, Bedford, 626-9696, bedfordmartialartsacademy.com) offers year-round karate classes for kids ages 3 and up. Classes are held Monday through Friday, and an after-school pick-up program is also available. Call for schedule and cost details.

Central Tae Kwon Do Academy (222 Central St., Suite 8, Hudson, 882-5617, central-tkd.com) offers tae kwon do youth programs year-round, both in person and via Zoom. Classes are available for kids ages 3 and up and are held Monday through Thursday. Call for cost details.

Checkmate Martial Arts (200 Elm St., Manchester, 666-5836, checkmateselfdefense.com) offers youth martial arts programs year-round. Classes are open to kids ages 5 to 13 and are held on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 5 to 5:45 p.m., and Saturday from 9 to 9:45 a.m. Call for cost details.

Chung’s Tae Kwon Do Academy (115 Northeastern Blvd., Nashua, 883-2577, chungs-tkd.com)offers year-round tae kwon do programs for kids ages 4 and up. Classes are held Monday through Saturday. A free trial lesson is available for new students.

Empowering Lives Martial Arts (542 Mast Road, No. 15, Goffstown, 978-414-5425, martialartsnewhampshire.com) offers year-round karate classes for kids ages 7 to 12, as well as an ATA Tigers program for ages 4 to 6, in which kids learn to boost their self-confidence and mental attitude in addition to physical fitness. Free trial classes are available. Call for scheduling and cost details.

Eric Menard’s Complete Martial Arts Academy (220 Innovative Way, Suite E, Nashua, 888-0010, cma-martialarts.com) offers martial arts classes for boys and girls ages 4 and up. Classes for children are held on Monday through Thursday and Saturday. Now through Aug. 31, two months’ worth of classes is $99 per student.

Family Martial Arts of Pelham (122 Bridge St., No. 6, Pelham, 635-8323, familymartialartsofpelham.com) offers year-round martial arts programs for kids and teens ages 4 and up. Call for scheduling and cost details.

Golden Crane Traditional Martial Arts (46 Lowell Road, No. 6, Windham, 437-2020, goldencranenh.com) offers year-round karate and weapons training in four age groups for kids and teens ages 5 and up. In-person classes are held from Monday through Thursday and on Saturday mornings. Online training and private lessons are also available. Call for cost details. Free introductory classes are available for first-time students.

Granite State American Kenpo Karate (290 Derry Road, No. 5, Hudson, 598-5400, gsakenpo.com) offers year-round kenpo karate classes for kids and teens ages 3 and up. Call for scheduling and cost details.

Inner Dragon Martial Arts (77 Derry Road, Hudson, 864-8756, innerdragonma.com) offers traditional kenpo karate programs for students ages 2½ and up. Classes are held Monday through Saturday. An after-school pick-up program is also available. Call for cost details.

Inspired Martial Arts (58 Range Road, Windham, 893-7990, inspiredmartialartscenter.com) offers kids’ karate and jiu jitsu programs, enrolling this month. Call for schedule and cost details.

Kaizen Academy (17 Freetown Road, No. 6, Raymond, 895-1545, raymondkarate.com) offers year-round traditional martial arts programs. Classes are available for kids and teens ages 3 ½ and up and are held Monday through Thursday and Saturday. Trials start at $49 per four-week program for ages 3½ to 5 and $99 per six-week program for ages 6 and up.

Kenpo Academy of Self Defense (40 Manchester Road, Derry, 437-9900, kenpo-academy.com) offers martial arts programs for kids and teens ages 2 and up. Classes are available Monday through Saturday. Call for cost details.

Manchester Karate & Gracie Jiu Jitsu Center (371 S. Willow St., Manchester, 625-5838, manchesterkarate.com) offers karate classes for ages 3 and up, as well as Gracie jiu jitsu programs for teens. Classes are held Monday through Saturday for karate and Monday through Thursday and Saturday for jiu jitsu. Costs vary depending on the programs chosen — an introductory offer of three lessons and a uniform for $20 is available.

The Martial Arts Zone (31 Auburn St., Manchester, 206-5716, themartialartszone.com) offers traditional martial arts and Brazilian jiu jitsu programs for kids ages 4 and up, enrolling this month. Call for schedule and cost details.

Merrimack Karate (534 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack, 424-7458, merrimackkarate.com) offers traditional martial arts programs for kids and teens ages 5 and up. A free two-week trial is available.

Neil Stone’s Karate Academy (22 Proctor Hill Road, Hollis, 672-8933, neilstonekarate.com) offers karate programs for students ages 2½ and up. Classes are held Monday through Friday. An after school special is currently available, featuring a karate uniform, two private lessons and two weeks of group classes for $29 per student.

New England Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy (30 Henniker St., Unit 9, Concord, 369-4764, nebjj.com) offers year-round Brazilian jiu jitsu classes for kids ages 5 and up. Classes are held in two different age groups, on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday for ages 5 to 8 and Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday for ages 5 to 13. Kids’ membership prices range from $75 to $140 per month, depending on the number of classes taken each week. For all ages, the first class is free.

Phoenix Fire Martial Arts (79 Plaistow Road, Plaistow, 234-8665, phnixfire.com) offers traditional martial arts programs for kids and teens ages 3 and up. Call for schedule and cost details.

Professional Martial Arts Academy (15 E. Broadway, Derry, 434-7995, pmaderry.com; 501 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack, 429-0008, pmamerrimack.com; 37 Plaistow Road, Plaistow, 974-2455, pmaplaistow.com) offers kids’ karate and jiu jitsu programs, enrolling this month. Call for each location’s schedule and cost details.

Spero’s Martial Arts Academy (31 Westville Road, Plaistow, 275-7111, speromma.com) offers kids’ martial arts programs that are broken down into two age groups (ages 4 to 7 and ages 8 to 12). Classes are available Monday through Friday. One month’s worth of contract-free unlimited classes is $400 and includes a free uniform and a complimentary private lesson.

Tiger Black Belt Academy (11 Kimball Drive, Unit 121, Hooksett, 627-7744, tigerblackbeltacademy.com) offers tae kwon do programs for kids and teens ages 3 and up, as well as programs in kumdo and hapkido, two other traditional Korean martial arts. Classes are available Monday through Saturday. One month’s worth of unlimited classes is $99 and also includes a free uniform.

Tokyo Joe’s Studios of Self Defense (85A Northeastern Blvd., Nashua, 889-4165; 20 Hammond Road, Milford, 672-2100, tokyojoes.net) offers kids’ martial arts programs with an emphasis on self-defense, enrolling this month. Classes are available for kids and teens ages 3 and up and are held Monday through Saturday. An introductory special features one private lesson and one group lesson for $19 per student.

Tokyo Joe’s Studios and Team Link NH (1338 Hooksett Road, Hooksett, 641-3444, tokyojoeshooksett.com) offers kids’ kenpo karate, BJJ, MMA, Muay Thai and cardio kickboxing, with ongoing enrollment all year long. Most programs are open to boys and girls ages 3 and up (ages 5 and up for kids’ BJJ and Muay Thai), with classes offered seven days a week. A free two-week trial is available, depending on which programs you choose.

The Training Station (200 Elm St., Manchester, 505-0048, thetrainingstationnh.com) offers martial arts programs for kids and teens ages 3 and up. Youth classes are held Monday through Thursday and Saturday. A two-week class trial program is $25.

USA Ninja Challenge (locations at Gymnastics Village, 13 Caldwell Drive, Amherst, 889-8902, gymnasticsvillage.com; Flipz Gymnastics, 14 Chenell Drive, Concord, 224-3223, ninjaconcordnh.com; 17 Friars Drive, Unit 18, Hudson, 417-6820, ninjahudson.com; and 444 E. Industrial Park Drive, Manchester, 935-7100, ninjamanchester.com) introduces kids ages 4 and up to the sport of ninja, featuring a variety of swinging, jumping and climbing obstacles and an interactive learning program, in which they can have fun while learning fitness and life skills. The fall sessions begin in September (exact date varies depending on the location), with open enrollment year-round. The programs are open several days a week at various class times of 50 minutes, 60 minutes or 75 minutes. The cost varies depending on the length of the class.

World Class Martial Arts (25 Nashua Road, Unit D3, Londonderry, 845-6115, londonderrymartialarts.com) offers karate and kenpo programs for multiple age groups. Beginner’s karate classes are available for kids ages 5 and up and are held Monday through Thursday and Saturday. Call for cost details.

Zenith Martial Arts (40 Thorndike St., Concord, 513-9993, zenithmartialarts.net) offers martial arts programs for kids and teens ages 3 and up. An after-school program is also available, paid for in monthly installments of $550, or $25 per day.

MUSIC

Amy Conley Music (102 Elm St., Milford, 249-9560, amyconleymusic.com) begins its fall season on Sept. 13 with a variety of music programs for kids, including beginner, advanced and intermediate ukulele classes for ages 11 and up, as well as private guitar and ukulele lessons. The cost for each program ranges from $60 to $150, depending on the type of class taken and the number of weeks offered. Private lessons are $30 per 25-minute session. Students have the option of choosing weekly or less frequent lessons. Sibling discounts are also available.

Concord Community Music School (23 Wall St., Concord, 228-1196, ccmusicschool.org) begins its fall season in September with private lessons, ensembles, early childhood programs, music therapy programs and choruses. Among the programs available is the Purple Finches Youth Chorus, which is open to kids in kindergarten through eighth grade who are learning an instrument. The three sections of the Chorus — the Fledglings, the Fliers and the Finches — allow an age-appropriate sequence of musical development, as students learn music literacy through regular rhythm, solfège and ear-training. Students rehearse weekly during the school year and perform regularly. The program is held Mondays at 4:10, 5 and 6 p.m. (times dependent on the student’s experience level), beginning Sept. 16. The cost is $210 per semester.

Let’s Play Music! (2626 Brown Ave., Unit A2, Manchester, 218-3089; 145 Hampstead Road, Derry, 425-7575; 136 Lowell Road, Hudson, 882-8940; letsplaymusic.com) offers weekly lessons in piano, guitar, voice, violin, cello, viola, drums, saxophone and a variety of other musical instruments for students of all ages and abilities. The cost is $140 per month for 30-minute lessons, $260 per month for 60-minute lessons, $380 per month for 90-minute lessons, and $499 per month for 120-minute lessons. Instrument rental is available for $25 per month, and group classes are $99 per month or $150 per month for two children.

Lidman Music Studio (419 Amherst St., Nashua, 913-5314, lidmanmusic.com) offers private lessons in violin, viola and piano for kids ages 5 and up. Classes are held Monday through Friday in the afternoon and evening, beginning Sept. 4. The cost is $120 per month for 30-minute lessons, $180 per month for 45-minute lessons, and $240 per month for 60-minute lessons.

Londonderry Piano (20 N. Broadway, Salem, 898-9910, londonderrypiano.com) offers piano, guitar, drums, bass and voice lessons for all ages. The cost for one 30-minute lesson per week is $140 per month, $200 for one 45-minute lesson per week and $280 for one 60-minute lesson per week.

Manchester Community Music School (2291 Elm St., Manchester, 644-4548, mcmusicschool.org) begins its fall season in September with opportunities for private lessons, classes and youth ensembles for all music instruments and all ages and levels of ability. Private lessons are available in 30-minute, 45-minute and 60-minute increments. Tuition costs for youth ensembles range from $450 to $550 for the full academic year, depending on the type of music studied. Most ensembles require an audition, and those materials are available online. There are also music theory classes for $100 for non-students and free for Community Music School students for a 28-week session beginning in September, and an early childhood music program for ages 18 months to 3 years old, ranging from five- to eight-week sessions and ranging from $110 to $176 depending on the session length. An open house is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 13.

Manchester Music Mill (329 Elm St., Manchester, 623-8022, manchestermusicmill.com) offers private lessons in guitar, bass, drums, saxophone, clarinet, flute, trumpet, trombone, piano and voice for students of all ages and skill levels. Lessons are offered once a week. The cost ranges from $20 to $25 per 30-minute lesson. Group lessons are also available.

Nashua Community Music School (2 Lock St., Nashua, 881-7030, nashuacms.org) begins its fall season in September with private lessons and group classes in a wide variety of instruments including piano, voice, guitar, bass, flute, clarinet, saxophone, violin, viola, cello, trumpet, French horn, trombone and tuba. All programs are open to kids and teens ages 3 and up. Private lessons are held Monday through Friday, costing $140 per month for 30-minute lessons, $215 per month for 45-minute lessons, and $288 per month for 60-minute lessons. Group classes and ensembles are also available. Financial need-based scholarships are also available through the school’s Music For All! scholarship program.

NH Tunes (250 Commercial St., No. 2017, Manchester, 660-2208, nhtunes.biz) offers year-round lessons in voice, guitar, drums, piano, ukulele and more to students of all ages and abilities. The cost starts at $31.50 per 30-minute lesson, and $56.70 per 60-minute lesson. Certificates and studio time packages can also be purchased.

SPORTS

Amherst Soccer Club (amherstsoccerclub.com) offers fall soccer for boys and girls in U3 through U10, beginning in September. Registration ranges from $95 to $295, depending on the player’s age group.

Bedford Athletic Club (bedfordac.com) is offering a fall recreation soccer program for Bedford residents ages 3 to 15, with practices beginning the week of Aug. 29 for second-graders and up, and beginning Sept. 10 for pre-K, kindergarten and first grade. Registration is $100 per player.

Bedford Little League (bedfordll.com) still has signups available for weekly fall baseball clinics for boys and girls ages 5 to 7, to be held Wednesdays from 5:30 to 7 p.m. from Sept. 7 through Oct. 12. Registration is open until Aug. 26 and is $30 per player.

Cannons Baseball Club (Concord, cannonsbaseballclub.com) offers a fall baseball league for boys in U9 through U12, as well as middle and high school divisions. Registration is open until Aug. 20 and is $400 per player or $800 per team. The league includes a six-week season, beginning Sept. 10, with a doubleheader on either Saturday or Sunday. A playoff and championship round is held at the conclusion of the season, beginning the week of Oct. 22.

Conway Arena (5 Stadium Drive, Nashua, 595-2400, conwayarena.com) offers year-round public skating, as well as skating lessons for boys and girls of all ages and ability levels that begin Sept. 7. The cost for public skating is $5 per skater, plus a $4 fee for rental skates. Skating lessons range from $120 to $139 per program, depending on the length of each session.

Derry Diamond Athletic Association (derryll.org) offers year-round baseball and softball programs for boys and girls ages 6 and up. Registration ranges from $50 to $125 per player, depending on the program, and closes on Aug. 26.

Derry Soccer Club (derrysoccerclub.org) offers an eight-week recreation soccer program in the fall for players in U4 through U10, beginning in September. For most groups, games are on Saturday mornings. Practices during the week are determined by coaching availability. Registration is available now and should be done ASAP, so that the club can build teams and register practices. The cost ranges from $90 to $155, depending on the age group. The cost for a jersey is $25.50.

FieldHouse Sports (12 Tallwood Drive, Bow, 226-4646, fieldhousesports.com) offers five-week soccer clinics for kids ages 3 to 6 on Saturdays, beginning Sept. 10; five-week field hockey clinics for kids in kindergarten through eighth grade on Thursdays, beginning Oct. 20; and six-week soccer clinics for kids ages 6 and up on Mondays, beginning in November. Call for cost details.

Girls on the Run New Hampshire (137 Water St., No. 3, Exeter, 778-1389, girlsontherunnh.org) is a physical activity-based volunteer youth development program for girls in grades 3 through 8, offered through various local schools and rec programs. Each team meets twice a week for 90 minutes after school and participates in research-based lessons that use dynamic discussions and running games to teach life skills. The season will culminate with a 5K event that brings together friends, family and members of the community. The cost for the 10-week program (beginning Sept. 12) is $140 per participant, with the celebratory 5K event taking place on Saturday, Nov. 19, at Memorial Field in Concord.

Granite Base Camp (300 Blondin Road, Manchester, 617-615-0004, experiencebasecamp.org) has several upcoming interactive in-person workshops geared toward kids and teens ages 6 to 17, beginning in September. Programs cover a variety of areas, including canoeing, climbing, swimming, orienteering, search and rescue and more.

The Icenter (60 Lowell Road, Salem, 893-4448, icentersalem.com) offers skating lessons for kids ages 3 and up, beginning Sept. 10. The cost is $325 for the 12-week program, which will take place on Saturday mornings through Nov. 26. All experience levels are welcome.

Londonderry Soccer Club (londonderrysc.org) begins its fall season on Sept. 10, with practices beginning the week of Sept. 4. Programs are open for divisions U3 through U19. Registration is open until Aug. 31.

Longfellow New Hampshire Tennis & Swim Club (140 Lock St., Nashua, 883-0153, longfellownh.com) is offering junior tennis clinics for kids ages 5 and up, beginning Sept. 7. Most sessions run Monday through Friday and Sunday, at various times. The cost ranges from $160 to $435 per eight-week session, depending on the player’s age group.

Manchester East Soccer League (mesl.org) offers fall soccer for U6 through U19, beginning in September. Registration is $60 per player, or $140 per family.

Manchester North Soccer League (mnsl.org) offers fall soccer for U6 through U19, as well as for juniors (under age 3) beginning in September. Registration is $80 for U6 through U19 divisions, and $45 for the juniors division.

My Gym Children’s Fitness Center (410 S. River Road, Bedford, 668-7196, mygym.com/bedford) offers various fitness classes year-round for kids ages 6 weeks to 10 years old, with the goal to help them develop physically, cognitively and emotionally, and to improve each child’s strength, balance, coordination and self-esteem. Dozens of classes are offered throughout the week — see website for scheduling details. A four-class card (redeemable for all ages and classes) is $129.

Nashua Cal Ripken Baseball (multiple field locations in Nashua and surrounding towns, nashuacalripken.org) begins its fall baseball program in September, running from just after Labor Day through Columbus Day. All kids ages 4½ to 12 from Nashua are eligible to play. Registration starts at $40 per player.

New Balance Training Facility (3 Progress Ave., Nashua, 402-2897; 16 Industrial Way, Salem, 898-0332; nbtrainingfacility.com) offers baseball or softball lessons from trained instructors that can be used for hitting, pitching, catching and fielding for players of all ages and abilities. The cost starts at $50 per 30-minute lesson and $95 per 60-minute lesson. Lesson packs can also be purchased, ranging from $225 per five-lesson pack to $800 per 20-lesson pack.

New Hampshire Junior Roller Derby (nhjuniorrollerderby.com) is a junior roller derby team based in Manchester. Fall and winter practices are to be held soon in Hooksett — a total of two practices will be held weekly. The program is open to all kids and teens ages 8 and up, regardless of skating ability. Sessions will meet on Wednesdays from 6 to 8 p.m., and on Sundays from 10 a.m. to noon; dates TBA. New skaters are always welcome. The cost is $100 per six-week session, plus a $40 new skater fee.

New Hampshire Spartans Youth Basketball (nhspartans.com) is holding its first fall basketball tryout on Saturday, Aug. 20, at the New England Sports Center (7 A St., Derry). The tryout is open to boys and girls in third grade through high school. Times are from 10 to 11 a.m. for grades 3 through 6, from 11 a.m. to noon for grades 7 and 8, and from noon to 1 p.m. for high school students.

New Hampshire Sportsplex (68 Technology Drive, Bedford, 641-1313, nhsportsplex.com) offers soccer classes for kids ages 18 months to 7, lacrosse lessons for ages 4 to 8, youth boys and girls indoor lacrosse leagues for players ages 6 and up, kids’ field hockey lessons, tee-ball for ages 3 to 7, a basketball program for ages 3 to 14 and a hockey program for ages 4 to 8. Fall sessions begin Aug. 30 for all of these programs. Costs vary depending on the program. Call for details.

Safe Sports Network (New Hampshire Musculoskeletal Institute, 35 Kosciuszko St., Manchester, 627-9728, safesportsnetwork.net) is holding a special event on Saturday, Nov. 12, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., kicking off a week-long highlight of the importance of youth sports safety, particularly related to head injuries and concussions. Professional athletic trainer staff will provide free baseline concussion tests to all school-age Manchester area student athletes. No registration or appointment is required.

Salem Youth Baseball (salemyouthbaseball.net) offers fall baseball for ages 4 to 13. Registration is $75 for Little League and $65 for tee-ball and is open until Sept. 1.

Seacoast Fencing Club (271 Wilson St., Manchester; 261 N. Main St., Rochester, 428-7040, seacoastfencingclub.org) offers beginner and intermediate fencing classes for kids and teens ages 7 and up. From September to May, classes meet once a week for nine weeks. Beginners’ classes are designed for fencers of all ages and abilities and are $265 per nine-week session, while intermediate classes are $295. Three-month training programs are also offered, with prices ranging from $365 to $395.

Tri-Town Ice Arena (311 W. River Road, Hooksett, 485-1100, tri-townicearena.com) offers a “Mini Monarchs” program in ice hockey lessons for kids ages 4 to 10, beginning in September. The cost for the program is $175, and classes are held on Wednesdays at 4:40 p.m. and Saturdays at 8 a.m. A total of three sessions are available — from Sept. 14 through Dec. 7 (no classes on Sept. 17, Oct. 8, Oct. 29, Nov. 23 or Nov. 26); from Dec. 10 through Feb. 25 (no classes on Dec. 24, Dec. 31 or Feb. 18); and from March 1 through May 6.

THEATER

Kids Coop Theatre (Londonderry, admin@kids-coop-theatre.org, kids-coop-theatre.org) offers youth theater productions throughout the year open to kids and teens ages 8 and up. Rehearsals are held 10 hours per week on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. Membership is $30 per month and guarantees students to be cast in at least one show per year. The cost to be in a production varies. Visit the website or call for the most up-to-date audition schedule for shows.

The Majestic Theatre (880 Page St., Manchester, 669-7469, majestictheatre.net) offers private lessons in acting, piano, voice and audition preparation for all ages through the Ted Herbert Music School. Student productions of musicals run year-round with audition info regularly updated on the website. If cast in a performance, there is a $125 production fee.

New Hampshire Theatre Project (West End Studio Theatre, 959 Islington St., No. 3, Portsmouth, 431-6644, nhtheatreproject.org) offers private coaching and audition preparations for students interested in theater. These lessons cost $80 per hour. Registration is available online.

Palace Youth Theatre (Forever Emma Studios, 516 Pine St., Manchester, 688-5588, palacetheatre.org) will hold auditions for the fall semester of its Palace Teen Co. and Palace Teen Apprentice Co. on Wednesday, Aug. 31, at 4:30 p.m. Both programs are for performers ages 13 to 18 who want a more intensive theater experience. They’ll begin on Sept. 7, with rehearsals on Mondays and Wednesdays, from 6 to 9 p.m., as well as two mandatory dance classes throughout the semester. Palace Teen Apprentice Co. performances will be on Wednesday, Nov. 2, and Thursday, Nov. 3, and Palace Teen Co. performances will be on Tuesday, Nov. 8, and Wednesday, Nov. 9, all at the Palace Theatre. Audition participants must bring a headshot and resume, and prepare 16 bars of a song of choice, preferably one in musical theater. If accepted into either program, there is a $600 semester fee. For grades 2 to 12, auditions for Freaky Friday the Musical will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 23, and Wednesday, Aug. 24, at 5:30 and 6:30 p.m., with performances to take place on Wednesday, Oct. 5, and Thursday, Oct. 6, and Tuesday, Oct. 11, and Wednesday, Oct. 12. If cast, there is a production fee of $125.

Peacock Players (14 Court St., Nashua, 886-7000, peacockplayers.org) offers theater, music, dance and private studio classes for kids in kindergarten and up, group classes and ensembles, as well as theater productions. Auditions for The Aristocats: Kids will take place on site on Sunday, Aug. 21, from 5 to 8 p.m., and on Monday, Aug. 22, from 6 to 9 p.m. There is a $150 production fee if cast. Registration to audition is available online.

Featured photo: Courtesy photo.

News & Notes 22/08/18

Absentee voting

Absentee ballots for the 2022 New Hampshire state primary election are now available to voters. According to a press release from the Office of New Hampshire Secretary of State David M. Scanlan, the absentee ballots have been delivered to every city and town clerk’s office in the state, and qualifying voters may now request and obtain the ballots from their local clerk. The protocol and process of absentee voting for the upcoming election will be the same as those in the 2018 elections, before the pandemic — voters should disregard any Covid-related exceptions or special guidance pertaining to absentee voting that was issued for the 2020 elections. Voters may qualify for absentee voting if they cannot vote in person due to absence from the state on the day of the election; disability; or observance of a religious commitment in which they cannot appear in public. Voters can file their absentee ballots at their local clerk’s office in person anytime before Monday, Sept. 12, at 5 p.m.; assign a delivery agent to deliver the completed absentee ballot in the affidavit and mailing envelope to the clerk at the voter’s local polling place on election day, Tuesday, Sept. 13, by 5 p.m.; or mail their absentee ballot to their local clerk via the U.S. Postal Service. For more details about absentee voting and on how to request an absentee ballot, visit sos.nh.gov/elections/voters/absentee-ballots. Voters can check the status of their absentee ballot using the voter information lookup tool at app.sos.nh.gov/viphome.

Addressing youth homelessness

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development will award a two-year $2.2 million grant to New Hampshire to address youth homelessness in the state, the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services announced in a press release. The grant, made possible through HUD’s Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program, will support New Hampshire’s Coordinated Community Plan for the Balance of State Continuum of Care, which covers the geographic areas outside of Manchester and Greater Nashua, in efforts to prevent and end youth homelessness by funding the development and maintenance of housing programs serving youth and navigators serving as the first point of contact for youth seeking services. A portion of the grant will also be allocated to nonprofit organizations that provide housing and other services to youth experiencing homelessness, including Waypoint, the Tri-County Community Action Partnership, The Upper Room, and the Claremont Learning Partnership for the Balance of State CoC; and Waypoint and the Home for Little Wanderers for the Manchester CoC. An additional $1.2 million in funding to address youth homelessness is expected to be awarded to the Manchester Continuum of Care.

Monkeypox hotline

Dartmouth Health in Lebanon has established a hotline to address concerns and answer questions from the public about monkeypox. According to a press release, the hotline number is 650-1818 and is operational Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon — it’s closed on Sunday. The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services identified what it believed to be the first case of monkeypox in the state in late June, and the monkeypox outbreak was declared a national health emergency on Aug. 4. Caused by a virus that is categorized in the same group as the smallpox virus, monkeypox can produce symptoms such as fever, headache, exhaustion, muscle aches, sore throat, cough, swollen lymph nodes and a skin rash and may last for two to four weeks. Transmission typically requires close interaction or physical contact. According to the Dartmouth Health release, anyone who believes they have contracted or come into contact with the monkeypox virus should isolate at home and consult their primary care provider and can call the hotline for more information.

Work-based learning

The New Hampshire Department of Education recently announced a new program, Work as Learning, which will provide up to 1,000 secondary school students in the state with authentic work experiences and hands-on learning opportunities to help them prepare for future employment during the upcoming school year. One hundred eighty-two local employers have registered with the program, according to a press release from NHED, to offer career exploration or work-based learning experiences in the form of subsidized paid internships to secondary school students. The students are hired at a wage of at least $15 per hour and receive academic credit. Leveraging up to $2.5 million in federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds, NHED will reimburse participating employers up to $7.50 per hour for up to 480 hours. Interested employers can visit awato.co for more information on how to register with the program. Interested students can reach out to Nicole Levesque at Nicole.M.Levesque@doe.nh.gov.

Expanding opportunities

The New Hampshire Department of Education’s Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation has been creating and building on initiatives to serve and provide ongoing support for New Hampshire residents of all ages who are blind or vision-impaired. According to a press release from NHED, such initiatives include the Silver Retreats — an intensive five-day retreat for older individuals who are losing their sight — and Interdisciplinary Collaborative Engagement and Youth Empowerment Solutions programs for the state’s blind, vision-impaired and deaf-blind Pre-Employment Transition Services and transitioned-age youth ages 14 to 22. These programs provide in-person and remote instruction with engaging activities designed to help participants develop skills for independent living and employment. “Providing these resources at both ends of the age spectrum is critical, as it empowers blind people and gives them a sense of independence so that they can reach greater potential in employment and retirement,” Daniel Frye, administrator for the Bureau’s Services for the Blind and Vision Impaired and a blind individual himself, said in the release. Anyone looking for more information about these programs can call Frye at 271-3814 or email him at Daniel.B.Frye@doe.nh.gov.

The New England Racing Museum in Loudon (922 Route 106) will host a Hot Rods, Muscle and More car show on Saturday, Aug. 27, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The show will feature more than 150 vehicles of all makes, models and years and will award 21 trophies. The cost is $5 per person, with kids under age 12 admitted free, and proceeds will support the mission of the museum. Visit nemsmuseum.com.

The New Hampshire Fisher Cats are hosting Nitro Circus at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium in Manchester (1 Line Drive) on Thursday, Aug. 25, at 7 p.m. Tickets range from $29 to $250 and are available at ticketreturn.com. Visit nitrocircus.com to learn more about the event and see videos of the action.

Bedford police received multiple calls on Aug. 11 from residents saying their mailboxes had been damaged overnight. It was determined that more than 30 mailboxes had been damaged across several streets in town. According to an email from the department, police are requesting that people check their surveillance or home security video footage from late at night on Wednesday, Aug. 10, through early in the morning on Thursday, Aug. 11, and share any footage of suspicious activity.

Old school

Greg Fitzsimmons brings his comedy to Manchester

It was inevitable that Greg Fitzsimmons would find his way into comedy. His father was a revered New York City radio host who knew guys like Henny Youngman and emceed Friars Club roasts. “It was sort of the family business…. It’s like when your father’s a doctor, you think, ‘OK, Dad did that, I could do it,’” Fitzsimmons said by phone recently.

That prediction has been borne out by a career lasting over 30 years. He’s won accolades for his writing skills, including four daytime Emmys working on the Ellen DeGeneres show, and his standup, which comes to Manchester for two shows on Aug. 12 and Aug. 13. However, Fitzsimmons’s first foray into comedy happened in Boston, not the Big Apple.

In the late ’80s, while attending BU, he tested the waters at places like Nick’s Comedy Stop, one among a rich crop of new comics.

“Joe Rogan and I started at the exact same time,” he said. “We spent a lot of time in cars together, going to gigs all over New England. Dane Cook, David Cross, Marc Maron, Louis C.K., Bill Burr, Patrice O’Neal…. Those were all the guys that were around when I was coming up. It was just crazy that there was this much talent.”

One luxury they shared during that time was access, even if there were plenty of what Fitzsimmons termed “hell gigs … true saloon comedy where it was never assumed that the comedian was the funniest one in the room” — a hard but valuable proving ground. Today’s young comics are encountering a different terrain.

“It’s so competitive at the entry level, trying to get seen and get stage time,” Fitzsimmons said. “I was fortunate enough to make a living when I wasn’t even very funny just because there was a ton of rooms and they needed warm bodies. Because of that, I was able to log my 10,000 hours and get to a more proficient place.”

Fitzsimmons was one of the first comics to launch a podcast, in the mid-2000s. It grew out of a radio show Howard Stern gave him for his Howard 101 channel. “I would get these really great guests, like Bill Burr, Adam Carolla, Jimmy Kimmel and Sarah Silverman, and then it would be over so fast,” he said. “So we’d continue with the same guest for another hour.”

The Fitzdog Radio podcast marks its 1,000th episode in a few weeks. Along with Ellen, he’s also written for HBO’s slice-of-standup-life series Crashing, The Man Show, Politically Incorrect and Lucky Louie. The latter was his favorite. “I just had so much respect for Louis [C.K.],” he said. “We started in Boston together, we’ve always lived in the same city, and we have kids that are the same age. We’d drive to work together and just talk about ideas … very organic, I didn’t have to imagine anything. We just had to tell stories from our life.”

An unconventional show with a dour disposition, Lucky Louie only lasted one season, though HBO ordered a second one that wasn’t made. “I think the show was aesthetically unappealing … done to look like The Honeymooners,” Fitzsimmons said. “With the drabness of the characters, it became something people [who] watch sitcoms weren’t used to. They wanted a bunch of people in a bright coffee shop.”

The comic’s onstage act doesn’t suffer similarly. Fitzsimmons is quick and instinctive, adept at crowd work and able to mine his own life for comedy gold. Lately, as he noted in a recent Fitzdog Radio episode, he’s hitting on all cylinders.

“I’m very funny right now; it goes in waves,” he said. As to why, “it’s all about being in the moment. … There are times where you’re caught up in your thoughts and second-guessing, trying too hard, worrying about whatever you’re doing wrong. Then there are times you just get in the pocket … it’s money. Even the same jokes you’ve been doing for a long time have new life in them for some reason.”

If it sounds easy, it’s not, he continued, offering advice to aspirants: “Comedy is a game of inches; each joke lives and dies on a turn of a phrase, losing a word or adding a little tag line,” he said. It starts with finding a voice. “Some people are storytellers and it doesn’t hinge on the words as much. But life for most comics really is about rolling up your sleeves, really honing the material. Because people are seeing a lot of comedy; they know the difference. They can feel it when somebody has put in the work.”

Greg Fitzsimmons
When: Friday, Aug. 12, 8:30 p.m. and Saturday, Aug. 13, 9 p.m.
Where: Chunky’s Cinema Pub, 707 Huse Road, Manchester
Tickets: $30 at chunkys.com

Featured photo: Greg Fitzsimmons. Courtesy photo.

Barbecue takeover

Great New England BBQ & Food Truck Festival returns

Smoked meats and cold brews take center stage at the Great New England BBQ & Food Truck Festival, returning to Milford’s Hampshire Dome on Saturday, Aug. 13. With eats from more than a dozen local food trucks, the fifth annual event will feature one of the largest showings of food options in its history, along with a beer tent, live local music and artisan vendors.

“We sold out of barbecue last year, so we’re definitely adding more barbecue options,” festival organizer Jody Donohue said. “We’ll have lots of specialty foods this year, [from] different spices, seasonings and dips [to] hand-filled cannolis and fresh-squeezed lemonade on site.”

As during previous years, food trucks will be set up around the perimeter of the dome’s parking lot, with all kinds of offerings both local to New Hampshire and neighboring New England states. Prime Time Grilled Cheese, an attendee favorite since the festival’s inception for its specialty grilled cheeses, is back once again this year, as is Sweet Crunch Bakeshop & Catering Co., which will have its freshly baked cookies. Carla’s Coffee, a mobile trailer formerly known as Jayrard’s Java Cafe, is also carrying on its predecessor’s festival appearance with its Costa Rican coffees and espresso-based drinks, in addition to some smoothies and lemonades.

hands holding a mac and cheese sandwich — Photos courtesy of the Great New England BBQ & Food Truck Festival.

Newcomers to this year’s festival include The Big Bad Food Truck, which hails from the Seacoast and serves up an always changing menu of scratch-made barbecue comfort items, like beef brisket, pork shoulder, burgers, hand-cut fries and vegan alternatives like jackfruit. Grace’s Kitchen Pizza Truck — known for its specialty pizzas and smaller bites like hand-breaded chicken tenders and loaded Tater Tots — and Friends 4 OBA, which offers various Asian fusion street food options, are also joining the festival’s truck lineup for the first time. Piggy Sue’s Steakin’ Bacon, another new vendor, will be there with its signature “bacon steak” skewers, as well as poutine and fried ice cream.

A “libations tent” will feature a variety of signature craft cocktails, along with local beers from Frogg Brewing of Marlborough and Martha’s Exchange of Nashua, Donohue said. Dozens of vendors will be selling their wares both inside and outside the dome, including everything from handmade baskets, candles and jewelry to soaps, lotions and other personal care products.

Live music will be featured all day long, starting with Matt Bergeron from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., followed by Brian Weeks from 1:45 to 4 p.m. and Peter Pappas from 4:15 p.m. through the end of the event. The “Kidz Zone” is also returning, with various activities available for the younger crowd, like free bounce houses, face-painting, bubbles and henna tattoos.

One activity brand new to this year’s festival, Donohue said, is a mobile ax throwing trailer — it’s brought to you by Axes on the Go, owned by Manchester’s RelAxe Throwing. There will also be indoor cornhole games available to play, and caricature artists are expected to attend.

“We try to incorporate fun for everybody and make it an event where you want to come and stay for a bit,” Donohue said.

Great New England BBQ & Food Truck Festival
When: Saturday, Aug. 13, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Where: The Hampshire Dome, 34 Emerson Road, Milford
Cost: General admission tickets are $5 in advance and $10 at the gate (free for attendees ages 14 and under). Food and crafts are priced per item.
Visit: gne.ticketleap.com/greatnewenglandfoodtruckmilford to purchase advance tickets online
Free parking and an ATM are available on site. Seating will be provided, but attendees are welcome to bring their own chairs or blankets. No pets are allowed.

Featured photo: Photos courtesy of the Great New England BBQ & Food Truck Festival.

Art for friends

How a newcomer to the Queen City started the Manchester Craft Fair, all to get to know her new neighborhood

By Katelyn Sahagian

ksahagian@hippopress.com

Moving to a new city can be scary, especially as an adult. Kathy Daneman decided that instead of worrying about her big move from Brooklyn, New York, she would do what she does best: plan an event.

A brand-new craft fair will take Manchester by storm on Saturday, Aug. 13, simply because Daneman, one of the co-founders, wanted to get to know her new home city better.

“It’s so hard as an adult to move and find your people,” said Daneman, who has only resided in the Queen City for five months.

Daneman said when she first moved from Kansas as a little girl, her mother said she used to go running up and down the street, knocking on doors of their new neighbors asking for kids to be her friends. Now, Daneman said she’s using this festival to accomplish the same goal.

Daneman worked in the publishing industry in New York City and Boston for 25 years, and worked planning events for the last five. She was one of the organizers for events like the literary festival in New York, a celebration of local writers and books published in the Big Apple.

The first thing Daneman did upon coming to Manchester was join the library board. There, she met her co-founder of the Manchester Craft Fair, Kim Doherty. Together they set to work, hunting down artists and working with city officials to make this fair a reality.

“[Doherty]’s lived here all her life,” Daneman said. “She wanted a craft fair, something downtown so older people could be part of downtown, too.”

In approximately three months, Daneman and Doherty signed up 20 booths and two food trucks. They got everything in place to have the inaugural craft fair. While it is the first, Daneman hopes that it won’t be the last.

“Come buy crafts from a lot of amazing people,” Daneman said. “This particular fair, I hope it grows so we can do more things in the future.”

Vendors will be selling everything from macrame and hand-crafted jewelry to specialty brined pickles and bowls made from wound cloth. Daneman said that it was important to her to find people selling unique and unusual things, items that fit her style of artistic expression.

While there won’t be live music at the fair, Daneman said that she’d encourage any busker or street musician to come and perform at the park. She said that the whole operation was done without a budget, and she didn’t feel comfortable asking musicians to play music for free.

Daneman said that it was fitting that someone with her recent history of living in New York should have a hotdog cart at the event. Jose’s Hot Dogs Cart will be serving up sausages and vegan eatery The Green Beautiful will have assorted plant-based goodies.

The highlight of the event, Daneman said, will be the puppy pen filled with adoptable pups, sponsored by the Friends of the Manchester Animal Shelter. The pen will be there from 9 a.m. until noon. It may close earlier if all the fur babies find forever homes.

Daneman, who joked that she’ll be spending most of her morning with the dogs, said that she is excited to get to know more people in the city and make more cool friends.

“It’s been a good way to learn the city,” Daneman said. “There’re so many exciting people here. Isn’t this great, to all meet in Veterans Memorial Park and see neighbors you don’t normally see?”

Manchester Craft Fair
Where: Veterans Memorial Park, 723 Elm St., Manchester
When: Saturday, Aug. 13, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Admission: Free
Visit: manchesterartsandcraftsfair.com

Featured photo: Some of the items available at this year’s Manchester Craft Fair. Photos courtesy of Kathy Daneman.

Fun after dark

Test your knowledge at trivia night, live out your rock star dreams and win prizes by listening to your favorite tunes.

New Hampshire’s nightlife scene has plenty to offer, with games and events happening at local bars, restaurants and pubs nearly every night of the week. Check out where you can go to test your knowledge with trivia nights, live out your rock star dreams with karaoke nights, or even win prizes by simply listening to your favorite tunes with musical bingo.

Name that tune

Listen to music, win prizes during musical bingo

By Matt Ingersoll

mingersoll@hippopress.com

Musical bingo is exactly what it sounds like. Instead of letters and numbers like in a traditional game of bingo, you’re given a card filled with squares of song titles and recording artist names. The DJ or event host plays a clip of a song, and it’s your job to identify a match shown on your bingo card. In a normal game, the clips continue until the first player is able to match five squares in a row on their card, whether it be vertically, horizontally or diagonally.

man and woman in restaurant, woman holding up music bingo sheet — Winners of a recent music bingo event at Backyard Brewery & Kitchen. Photo courtesy of Musical Bingo Nation.

It’s a weekly activity at area bars and restaurants that finds a happy medium between trivia and karaoke nights for its interactivity, said Gregory Nickerson, owner and founder of Musical Bingo Nation. Since launching in 2018, the entertainment company has grown to now host several public musical bingo events at venues across southern New Hampshire, as well as Massachusetts and Florida. Musical bingo is played every Wednesday night at Shopper’s Pub + Eatery in Manchester and at The Barnyard Venue in Candia, for instance, and on Thursday nights you can play at Backyard Brewery & Kitchen in the Queen City or at Main Street Grill and Bar in Pittsfield. All public musical bingo events are free to play, with the chance to win prizes. The company also offers private musical bingo events and even virtual events via Zoom.

Nickerson, a professional DJ for more than a decade playing in venues across New England, said he got the idea of launching Musical Bingo Nation after coming across the game online.

“I was really intrigued by the concept, because it created an engagement that I had never found at an event, other than playing the right music for a specific crowd that’s there for it,” he said.

Each game consists of different rounds, featuring songs that encompass a specific genre, decade or theme of music. You could be playing in a classic rock or reggae round, for instance, or a “one-hit wonders” theme — more than 50 different music rounds are featured across each event.

“We play enough of the song for the player to essentially try and figure it out, so songs like ‘Sweet Home Alabama,’ or ‘Crazy,’ by Gnarls Barkley, for instance … you can hear [the name] multiple times in the chorus,” Nickerson said. “There are a couple of cool things we do like that, to be able to help engage players that might not know the song off the top of their head. … It’s also a cool way to make new friends, because we encourage players at our events to ask the table next to them if they might not know the song, and one table could share a song with another.”

Musical Bingo Nation has a whole team of DJs and event hosts, and you’ll never know which themes will be featured at each public musical bingo event until you actually sit down and play.

“We like to make it a surprise, and that allows our hosts to be flexible too,” Nickerson said. “If we were planning on doing ‘top hits of the 2000s’ but it’s a classic rock crowd, then they can swap that. It allows us to … cater to whatever age, demographic or crowd is in front of us.”

Jennifer Mitchell of Good Vibes Music Bingo, which holds free public events at Salona Bar & Grill in Manchester on Monday nights and at Backyard Grill Burgers & Wings in Seabrook on Tuesday nights, said she got into hosting the game after trying it out as a player. Her games also randomly shuffle the theme of the songs played each night and, prior to the start of every game, players are given a free space that they can pick anywhere on their card.

“I give them anywhere from 20 to 30 seconds of the song, and typically in that amount of time will be the song title,” Mitchell said, adding that, depending on the venue, players sometimes may be allowed to use song recognition apps like Shazam or SoundHound to help them out.

Prizes normally include gift cards or certificates to whichever restaurant, bar or venue you’re playing in. Mitchell said she has also seen some venues give out scratch tickets, or various swag such as T-shirts, keychains and beer koozies. Salona Bar & Grill even has a cash coverall, or a jackpot cash prize that rolls over each week, for anyone who can mark every single square on their bingo card within a certain amount of songs played.

But while everyone loves winning prizes, Nickerson added that the game has also proven to be a fun way for players to broaden their musical knowledge and horizons.

“In my eyes, one of the reasons I started this company was because I felt like I was keeping music history alive … [and] all those songs that are essentially disappearing off the radio,” he said. “We’re keeping them in play on a regular basis to hundreds and sometimes thousands of people each week, so that was the beauty of it. … I feel like it’s the best music game out there.”

Where to play musical bingo

Here’s a list of local restaurants, bars and pubs where you can go every weeknight to try your luck at a game of musical bingo. Know of a spot not listed here? Let us know at music@hippopress.com to include in our weekly Music This Week listings.

Backyard Brewery & Kitchen
1211 S. Mammoth Road, Manchester, 623-3545, backyardbrewerynh.com
When: Thursdays, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Featuring: Musical Bingo Nation, musicalbingonation.com

Backyard Grill Burgers & Wings
5 Provident Way, Seabrook, 760-2581, backyardgrillnh.com
When: Tuesdays, 7 to 9 p.m.
Featuring: Good Vibes Music Bingo, jennifermitchellmusic.com

The Barnyard Venue
285 Old Candia Road, Candia, 483-4888, barnyardvenue.com
When: Wednesdays, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Featuring: Musical Bingo Nation, musicalbingonation.com

Fody’s Tavern
9 Clinton St., Nashua, 577-9015; 187 Rockingham Road, Derry, 404-6946; fodystavern.com
When: Tuesdays, 8 to 10 p.m. (Nashua); Thursdays, 8 to 10 p.m. (Derry)
Featuring: JB Entertainment, find them on Facebook

The Goat Bar and Grill
142 Congress St., Portsmouth, 590-4628, goatnh.com
When: Mondays, 7 to 9 p.m.
Featuring: Musical Bingo Nation, musicalbingonation.com

JB’s on the Boardwalk
187 Ocean Blvd., Hampton Beach, 926-1420, jbsnh.com
When: Tuesdays, 8 to 11 p.m.
Featuring: Music Bingo by Ironic, ironic.it/musicbingo

Logan’s Run Restaurant & Sports Bar
816 Lafayette Road, Hampton, 926-4343, logansrunrestaurant.com
When: Tuesdays, 6 to 8 p.m.
Featuring: Game of Tunes, gametimetrivia.com

Main Street Grill and Bar
32 Main St., Pittsfield, 435-0005, mainstreetgrillandbar.com
When: Thursdays, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Featuring: Musical Bingo Nation, musicalbingonation.com

McGarvey’s Saloon
1097 Elm St., Manchester, 627-2721, mcgarveysnh.com
When: Wednesdays, 9 to 11 p.m.
Featuring: Perfect Entertainment, perfectne.com

Saddle Up Saloon
92 Route 125, Kingston, 347-1313, saddleupsaloonnh.com
When: Wednesdays, 7 to 9 p.m.
Featuring: Musical Bingo Nation, musicalbingonation.com

Salona Bar & Grill
128 Maple St., Manchester, 624-4020, find them on Facebook @salona
When: Mondays, 6 to 8 p.m. (no bingo on Sept. 5)
Featuring: Good Vibes Music Bingo, jennifermitchellmusic.com

Shane’s Texas Pit
61 High St., Hampton, 601-7091, shanes-texas-pit.com
When: Tuesdays, 6 to 9 p.m.

Shopper’s Pub + Eatery
18 Lake Ave., Manchester, 232-5252, shoppersmht.com
When: Wednesdays, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Featuring: Musical Bingo Nation, musicalbingonation.com

Smuttlabs Brewery & Kitchen
47 Washington St., Dover, 343-1782, smuttynose.com
When: Fridays, 6 to 8 p.m.

Wally’s
144 Ashworth Ave., Hampton, 926-6954, wallysnh.com
When: Tuesdays, 9 to 11 p.m.
Featuring: Musical Bingo Nation, musicalbingonation.com

Whym Craft Pub & Brewery
853 Lafayette Road, Hampton, 601-2801, whym.beer
When: Thursdays, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Featuring: Music Bingo by Ironic, ironic.it/musicbingo

Sing your heart out

A look at southern New Hampshire’s thriving karaoke scene

By Katelyn Sahagian

ksahagian@hippopress.com

Karaoke is more than just singing along to some song on an old stereo system into a half-dead microphone and reading lyrics from a tiny monitor. Many DJs and venues in New Hampshire take it to the next level, featuring specialty equipment and live bands.

George Cox of Cox Karaoke, based in Manchester, said that karaoke should feel like you’re a rock star playing your own concert.

“I love the fact that people can get up and perform in front of an audience,” Cox said. “It brings a lot of people together.”

While almost all karaoke nights will have singers choose a song from a list, sign up for a designated time and sing away, Cox said he tries to make the experience much more special. From a hard drive with more than 100,000 songs to sound systems that add layered vocal effects to the singers, Cox said he is focused on giving the best experience possible to performers.

“When you come to one of my shows, it sounds like a professional show,” Cox said. “It’s like singing at your own concert.”

group of people posing on stage in front of large US flag — Photo courtesy of George Cox Karaoke.

Cox was the DJ for Manchester Idol, a local singing competition held at The Goat Bar and Grill in Manchester earlier this summer. It was so popular, he said, that people came from as far as Boston, Connecticut and Rhode Island for their shot at winning a $3,000 grand prize.

“I couldn’t believe the amazing talent [of] the people who came,” he said. “There was a line out the door.”

Erica Fleury, one of the co-owners of The Goat, said that she had known the competition would be popular since she had competed in one years ago with a much smaller prize.

“We just wanted to give … a huge prize away to get some real talent to come out,” Fleury said, adding that Cox’s fans coming to the competition made it even more popular than she had hoped for it to be. “I was surprised it did even better than I thought.”

While there’s no set date yet, Fleury said she is planning to host another Manchester Idol competition sometime later this winter. Right now, karaoke will continue at The Goat through the summer. Fleury said that she wants to see how it does with college students to see if it’ll continue being a weekly event — or if it will slow down to every other week or stop altogether until the next competition.

Cox, who has been working as a karaoke DJ for a decade in southern New Hampshire, said that he’s seen nothing but a boom in popularity for the activity over the years. Even with the pandemic causing most events to close, Cox said that he worked with South Side Tavern, across the Queen City on South Willow Street, to set up an outdoor karaoke night.

“It was the biggest gig of my karaoke career,” Cox said. “I didn’t think people would show but it was packed. There were about 50 singers and a lot of newcomers.”

Fleury said that karaoke will be around for a very long time. She and her husband also own Wally’s in Hampton, where they have a live band performing the karaoke set. The goal, she said, is for you to feel less like you’re just singing for a crowd of people and more like you’re the headliner at your own concert.

“You’re able to be your alter ego when you get up there on stage,” Fleury said. “People like to do things when they go out other than just sit at a bar. It just gets the energy going in the room and livens up the night.”

Where to sing karaoke

Check out this list of venues in southern New Hampshire that offer karaoke. In most cases, singers can choose a song from a pre-selected list and sign up to sing at a designated time. Know of a spot not listed here? Let us know at music@hippopress.com to include in our weekly Music This Week listings.

American Legion Post 31
11 Charles St., Penacook, 753-9372, nhalpost31.org
When: Fridays, 7 p.m.
Featuring: JMitch Karaoke

Angel City Music Hall
179 Elm St., Unit B, Manchester, 931-3654, angelcitymusichall.com
When: Sundays and Tuesdays, 8 p.m.
Featuring: DJ Clashious Clay

The Bar
2B Burnham Road, Hudson, 943-5250
When: Mondays, 7 p.m.

Boonedoxz Pub
95 Park St., Northfield, 455-3755, find them on Facebook
When: Fridays, 7 p.m.
Featuring: DJ Oz

Crow’s Nest Pub & Grill
181 Plaistow Road, Plaistow
974-1686, crowsnestnh.com
When: Thursdays, 7:30 p.m.

Fody’s Tavern
9 Clinton St., Nashua, 577-9015; 187 Rockingham Road, Derry, 404-6946; fodystavern.com
When: Mondays and Thursdays, 9:30 p.m. (Nashua); Wednesdays, 7 p.m. (Derry)
Featuring: DJ Rick (Nashua); DJ Jay (Derry)

The Goat Bar and Grill
50 Old Granite St., Manchester, 844-603-4628, goatnh.com
When: Thursdays, 8 p.m.
Featuring: Cox Karaoke

L Street Tavern
17 L St., Hampton, 967-4777, lstreettavern.com
When: Wednesdays, 9 p.m.
Featuring: DJ Jeff

Lynn’s 102 Tavern
76 Derry Road, Hudson, 943-7832, lynns102.com
When: Thursdays and Fridays, 8 p.m.
Featuring: DJ George Bisson

Millyard Brewery
25 E. Otterson St., Nashua, 722-0104, millyardbrewery.com
When: Every other Thursday, 6 p.m.
Featuring: Bobby Lane

Raga Contemporary Kitchen
138 Main St., Nashua, 459-8566, find them on Facebook @raganashua
When: Tuesdays, 7:30 p.m.

Saddle Up Saloon
92 Route 125, Kingston, 347-1313, saddleupsaloonnh.com
When: Thursdays, 7 p.m.
Featuring: DJ Jason

South Side Tavern
1279 S. Willow St., Manchester, 935-9947, southsidetavernnh.com
When: Thursdays, 9 p.m.
Featuring: Cox Karaoke

Stark Brewing Co.
500 N. Commercial St., Manchester, 625-4444, starkbrewingcompany.com
When: Mondays, 8 p.m.
Featuring: Cox Karaoke

Stonecutters Pub
63 Union Square, Milford, 213-5979, find them on Facebook @stonecutterspubmilfordnh
When: Fridays, 9 p.m.
Featuring: KJ-Dave O.

Tower Hill Tavern
264 Lakeside Ave., Laconia, 366-9100, towerhilltavern.com
When: Thursdays and Sundays, 8 p.m.; and Saturdays, 9 p.m.
Featuring: DJ Tim and guest hosts

Knowledge is power

Flex your mental muscles during trivia night

By Hannah Turtle

hturtle@hippopress.com

Bill Seney, local host of the trivia event named “Best Weekly Bar Event” in Hippo’s readers’ poll this year, believes a good trivia contest comes down to two things.

“One: It’s interactive, there’s some competition, and people like that. Two: It’s kind of like dinner theater. It’s entertaining,” Seney said.

Trivia is easy to jump into. Everyone can participate because everyone knows something, but nobody knows everything. Typically, bar trivia is free to attend, the only price being that of the drinks and food offered by the bar. A typical bar trivia event lasts about two hours.

For Marc Chamberland of Game Time Trivia, the special ingredient to a successful trivia night comes down to the host. Game Time Trivia is a regular at several local spots, including The Thirsty Moose Taphouse in Merrimack (on Mondays) and in Manchester (on Wednesdays).

group of friends sitting around table at restaurant at trivia night — Photo courtesy of Marc Chamberland.

“They’ve got to be personable. They can’t be a robot reading questions, [and] they have to make it entertaining for everyone,” Chamberland said.

Chamberland’s trivia events, like many, consist of themed rounds. Teams answer a set of questions, turn in their answers, see how their scores rank in the group, and move to the next round, with scores accumulating. It’s a system that allows players with different skill sets all to show their stuff.

Seney, who hosts weekly trivia nights at The Hop Knot, Shopper’s Pub + Eatery and Backyard Brewery & Kitchen in Manchester, points to the art of writing the questions as the most important facet of a successful trivia night.

“What I’ve learned from hosting is that nobody is really there to get stumped,” he said. “You have to have good questions. Not too hard, [but] not too easy either. My criteria is this: People should have at least heard of the answer.”

He gave an example of how he goes about writing a question.

“If I ask, ‘College Dropout and Late Registration are two albums by what famous rapper?’ And the answer is Kanye West, you might not have known that, but at least you know who Kanye West is,” Seney said. “If I ask the question in the reverse order, ‘What are the names of Kanye West’s first two albums?’ You might think, ‘Well, I never would have gotten that.’”

Seney uses an online scoring system, allowing guests to submit answers through their phones.

With the formula perfected, it’s up to trivia-goers to create their teams and try their hand at bar glory. Seney’s Instagram page, @trivianightwithbillseney,shows the names of some teams celebrating their hard-fought wins. Champions include “Quiz Free or Die,” “The Boothday Truthers,” “Have Kids They Said – It’ll Be Fun They Said,” “Boys’n Berries,” and “Only Here for the Beer.”

Where to check out local trivia nights

Here are some of the local trivia offerings. Some trivia nights happen many but not all weeks; contact the venue before gathering your team for the evening. Know of a regular game night not mentioned here? Let us know at music@hippopress.com.

Area 23
254 N. State St., Concord, 760-7944, thearea23.com
When: Tuesdays, 7 p.m.

Backyard Brewery & Kitchen
1211 S. Mammoth Road, Manchester, 623-3545. backyardbrewerynh.com
When: Wednesdays, 6 p.m.

The Bar
2B Burnham Road, Hudson, 943-5250
When: Wednesdays, 7 p.m.

Battle of the Breweries Trivia
When: Third Thursday of every month, 7 p.m.
Where: Join from Great North Aleworks (1050 Holt Ave., Manchester), To Share Brewing Co. (720 Union St., Manchester), Rockingham Brewing Co. (1 Corporate Park Drive, No. 1, Derry), From The Barrel Brewing Co. (1 Corporate Park Drive, No. 16, Derry), or Daydreaming Brewing Co. (1½ E. Broadway, Derry).

Chunky’s Cinema Pub
707 Huse Road, Manchester, 206-3888, chunkys.com
When: Thursdays, 8 p.m.

Crow’s Nest
181 Plaistow Road, Plaistow, 817-6670, crowsnestnh.com
When: Mondays, 8 p.m.

Downtown Cheers Grille and Bar
17 Depot St., Concord, 228-0180, cheersnh.com
When: Fridays, 8:30 p.m.

The Farm Bar and Grille
1181 Elm St., Manchester, 641-3276, farmbargrille.com
When: Wednesdays, 8 p.m.

Fody’s Tavern
9 Clinton St., Nashua; fodystavern.com
When: Wednesdays, 8 p.m.

Great North Aleworks
1050 Holt Ave., Manchester, 858-5789, greatnorthaleworks.com
When: Thursdays, 7 p.m.

The Hop Knot
1000 Elm St., Manchester, 232-3731, thehopknot.com
When: Thursdays, 8 p.m.

KC’s Rib Shack
837 Second St., Manchester, 627-7427, ribshack.net
When: Wednesdays, 7 p.m.

Lakehouse Tavern
157 Main St., Hopkinton, 746-1800, lakehousetavern.com
When: Saturdays, 8 p.m.

Main Street Grill and Bar
32 Main St., Pittsfield, 435-0005, mainstreetgrillandbar.com
When: Wednesdays, 7 p.m.

Millyard Brewery
125 E. Otterson St., Nashua; 722-0104, millyardbrewery.com
When: Wednesdays, 7 p.m.

Peddler’s Daughter “Geeks Who Drink” trivia
48 Main St., Nashua, 821-7535, thepeddlersdaughter.com
When: Tuesdays, 8:30 p.m.

Popovers on the Square
11 Brickyard Square, Epping, 734-4724, popoversonthesquare.com
When: Wednesdays, 6:30 p.m.

The Shaskeen Pub & Restaurant
909 Elm St., Manchester, 625-0246, shaskeenpub.com
When: Mondays, 7:30 p.m.

Shopper’s Pub + Eatery
18 Lake Ave., Manchester, 232-5252, shoppersmht.com
When: Tuesdays, 6 p.m.

Station 101
193 Union Square, Milford, 249-5416, station101nh.com
When: Thursdays, 6:30 p.m.

The Thirsty Moose Taphouse
360 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack, 670-0270; 795 Elm St., Manchester, 792-2337; 21 Congress St., Portsmouth, 427-8645; thirstymoosetaphouse.com
When: Mondays, 7 p.m. (Merrimack); Wednesdays, 7 p.m. (Manchester and Portsmouth)

Featured photo: Courtesy photo.

News & Notes 22/08/11

High energy

New Hampshire Eversource customers saw an “unprecedented increase” in the supply portion of their bill on Aug. 1, according to an Eversource newsletter. The energy supply price, also known as the energy service rate, changes twice a year, on Feb. 1 and Aug. 1; most years, customers see a decrease in the Aug. 1 rate, but this year the rate has increased from 10.669 cents per kilowatt hour to 22.566 cents per kilowatt hour. For a residential customer who uses 600 kilowatt hours of power in a month, the total monthly bill will increase by approximately $67.63, which is approximately 50 percent. The cause of the increase, the newsletter said, is the record-high natural gas prices and energy supply pressures from the global economy. Eversource is working with the state to explore how it can provide financial assistance to New Hampshire customers this fall and winter, such as a credit on their electric bills.

Return to the Board

The Nashua Board of Education announced the nomination and selection of a new member. Dorothy Oden recently filled the seat that had been vacant since Sandra Ziehm resigned on June 30 and will fulfill the remainder of her term, which continues through December 2023. Oden was selected from a group of 17 Nashua residents who had submitted a letter of intent and presented their credentials to take the seat. She previously served on the Board from January 1992 to November 1995, and from January 2014 to December 2021. She was a longtime staff member at Amherst Street Elementary School in Nashua, hired as a paraeducator before working as a classroom teacher from August 1999 until her retirement in June 2013. “Having worked in the district as a para, a teacher and as a recent board member, I feel I am an ideal candidate and could quickly be a contributing member of the board with my recent and past experiences in the district,” Oden wrote in her letter of intent.

Free senior photos

The Boys & Girls Club of Manchester is offering free photo sessions for incoming high school seniors in the greater Manchester area on Wednesday, Aug. 17, from 2 to 5 p.m., at Stark Park in Manchester. According to a press release, local photographer Danielle Sheerin will be assisting the BGCM students, providing them with photography experience. The 15-minute shoots will give families professional-quality photos for their seniors to use throughout their last year of high school. They should register in advance at forms.gle/PB1oyN3m38ecyaui9. Seniors will also receive a complimentary membership to the BGCM’s teen program for the 2022-2023 school year, which offers a variety of activities, experiences, clubs and personal development programs, as well as opportunities to apply for post-secondary education scholarships.

Big money

The Mega Millions Jackpot ended on Friday, July 29, having generated more than $6.6 million in sales in its final week, with the New Hampshire Lottery selling the second-most Mega Million tickets per capita of the 47 lottery jurisdictions in the U.S. that sell the tickets. According to a press release from New Hampshire Lottery, New Hampshire players purchased $5.6 million in tickets at New Hampshire retailers and an additional $1 million through New Hampshire Lottery online sales, with more than 10,000 new players in the last month. Though the $1.337 billion winning ticket was purchased in Illinois, there were three winners in New Hampshire, including a $1 million winning ticket purchased at the Market Basket on South Broadway in Salem; a $20,000 winning ticket purchased at Circle K in Tilton; and a $10,000 winning ticket purchased at Shaw’s in Hampton. The jackpot set a record as the third largest U.S. Lottery jackpot of all time.

Suicide prevention for students

Gov. Chris Sununu signed SB 234 into law on Aug. 3, a bill that requires student identification cards to include the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. “Every student and family should have equal opportunity to access lifesaving services, and this bill moves us forward,” Sununu said in a statement. “New Hampshire is tackling our mental health challenges, and we are adding more and more investments every day.” New Hampshire recently implemented a new three-digit dialing, texting and chat code, 988, which connects callers experiencing suicidal, mental health or substance misuse crises to a national network of more than 200 call centers via the established National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

The Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire, in partnership with the Andover Historical Society, has added a new historic marker for Potter Place in Andover, commemorating the life and work of Richard Potter. According to a press release, Potter was America’s first Black magician and ventriloquist and made his home in Andover in the early 1800s. The Andover Historical Society owns and maintains the historic grounds and family graveyard of Potter and his wife, Sally, as well as the Potter Place train station, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. An event celebrating Potter’s influence on American theater will be held at Proctor Academy in Andover on Friday, Sept. 30, and will feature a performance by ventriloquist Dan Ritchard and a presentation by John Hodgson, author of Richard Potter: America’s First Black Celebrity. Visit blackheritagetrailnh.org and andoverhistory.org.

Dartmouth Health’s Heart & Vascular Center hosts its fifth annual Love Your Heart Night at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium in Manchester (1 Line Drive) during the New Hampshire Fisher Cats game against the Erie SeaWolves on Saturday, Aug. 13. The event, centered around heart health awareness and reducing the risk of heart disease, will feature free heart-health screenings, CPR demonstrations, fun and educational activities and a video message from Kelly George, an Enfield resident who received a life-saving heart transplant. Attendees are encouraged to wear red. Gates open at 6 p.m., and there will be fireworks following the game. Visit nhfishercats.com.

Gov. Chris Sununu has named the new Ash Road Bridge over Interstate 93, just north of Exit 4 on I-93 in Londonderry, in honor of its designer, Robert J. Prowse. According to the Union Leader, Prowse is a longtime New Hampshire Department of Transportation designer and has designed 400 bridges over six decades.

A community garden

Having grown up in America’s heartland, one of my fondest childhood memories is of the garden that our family planted every spring. It was huge by New England standards, average by Midwest standards. So many hours of labor and love went into the garden, but the rewards were well worth the effort. Early morning harvests (before the heat got too bad) led to bushels (literally) of tomatoes, green beans, corn, peas, potatoes, onions, lettuce, cabbage and anything else my mom decided to grow that year. After a few hours spent in the morning hauling in the goods, the afternoon’s tasks required my siblings and me to clean and prepare the harvest for my mother to work her magic. She would spend the afternoon canning and freezing the produce to be served and enjoyed in the cold of winter when it tasted every bit as delicious as the day it was harvested.

Today I am a pretend gardener here in New Hampshire. I have a vertical tower that utilizes hydroponics for my summer vegetables. My family loves the tomatoes, green beans, cucumbers, and lettuces that our tower produces, but I am just playing at it. There is no canning or mass production going on, no feeding of the masses.

One wonders what type of garden the City of Manchester and Families in Transition (FIT) envisioned when federal funds were spent to purchase property, demolish buildings and address environmental concerns to create the Hollows Community Garden and Learning Center in 2018. According to a recent Union Leader article, the plan was for the garden to provide fresh fruits and vegetables to supplement meals served at Families in Transition Family Place Resource Center and Shelter. A grant funded a part-time garden manager until 2020, when funds were cut. Currently, the lot is vacant and overgrown. FIT is currently requesting permission from city aldermen to develop the land as affordable housing.

No doubt affordable housing will address a much greater need for Manchester than a community garden, and it falls into the wheelhouse of FIT. They have done it many times before and have done it well. Remembering from my Midwest roots what it takes to achieve a meaningful return from a garden, I think FIT is wise to pivot back to their core mission for this parcel of land. Unless there is funding, staff and volunteers, combined with experience and knowledge to drive the project forward, a community garden is doomed to end up exactly where it is today, a vacant and overgrown piece of land.

Rock ’n’ laugh

Off With Their Heads unplugged, and comedy

Music and standup comedy have intersected since Midge Maisel opened for Shy Baldwin — OK, that’s fiction, but Steve Martin was the lead-in for Toto back in the ’70s, and Richard Belzer once did the same for Warren Zevon. Ben Roy uniquely embodies this junction; he’s a comic, who co-wrote and starred in TruTV’s Those Who Can’t, and a singer in a band. He’s also a veteran of J.T. Habersaat’s annual punk-spirited Altercation Comedy Festival in Austin, Texas.

Roy has opened for Minnesota punk rockers Off With Their Heads both as a comic and as a musician. For a show that’s part of a stripped down OWTH tour Friday, Aug. 12, at Manchester’s Shaskeen Pub, he’ll only be telling jokes. He’s joined by local favorite Jay Chanoine and host Eric Hurst for the laughter portion of the evening. That’s followed by music from Nick Ferrero of the Graniteers and Seth Anderson.

Two-thirds of Off With Their Heads, singer-guitarist Ryan Young and drummer Kyle Manning, will close things out.

The duo tour was inspired by Character, an album released mid-lockdown containing reworked versions of favorite songs from the band’s catalog. Adding comedy to the Shaskeen show was Roy’s idea. A native New Englander who relocated to Denver in 1999, he saw an opportunity for a family visit, and a chance to again work with one of his favorite acts.

Both Roy and Chanoine are keen on the idea of blending unplugged punk rock with comedy.

“It actually lends itself super well to stand-up, just because of that more stripped-down vibe,” Roy said in a recent phone interview. “Ryan is a really good songwriter and people love to sing along…. There’s a lot of catharsis to their special brand of misery.”

Starting with jokes and closing with bands makes sense. “It’s harder to go back once you’re in music mode. It’s a different energy,” Roy said. Also, Young and Manning are happy with the arrangement. “They’re all big comedy nerds [and] I know they like that they get to sit and listen and watch.”

Roy recorded his third album of comedy, Take The Sandwich, at the end of 2020, releasing it early last year. It has some great bits about Covid-19, like how the best intentions to eat healthy in lockdown were derailed when his grocery store ran out of quinoa, replaced by mac & cheese and “those shiny Hawaiian buns that are sweet and buttery all at the same time.”

However, his Shaskeen set will draw from non-pandemic material Roy plans to use in an upcoming one-hour special.

“What really frustrates me is this plunge into anti-intellectualism, our continued backslide as a culture into being proud of being inconsiderate or ignorant,” he said, teasing one of the subjects he’ll cover. “It’s super f-in’ annoying [and] it’s created a division in music, especially in punk rock. This feeling you shouldn’t do things to protect other people simply because you’re told to [since] we’re anti-establishment.”

He holds special ire for bad television, particularly the show Is It Cake? “One of the dumbest ideas … of all time,” he said. “Most of the world is struggling to put food in their mouths and we’re using that food to build objects and decide whether they’re food or not. It’s just it’s a slap in the face to the rest of the planet as we careen into an environmental catastrophe.”

The set will be Roy’s second at the Shaskeen; he headlined the regular midweek comedy night in 2021.

“That was my first time and I loved it,” he said. “Everybody was super rad; the comics were all really funny. Growing up, we used to come down to Manchester if there was a show there. I lived in New Hampshire for half the time I was in New England, so it was a little bit of a homecoming to come back as well.”

During the three years that Those Who Can’t ran, Roy lived and worked in Los Angeles. He left with mostly positive feelings about the city.

“It’s a strange place that has the rare distinction of not being nearly as good or as bad as everybody describes it,” he said. “It’s like demonized by so many people as being terrible and it’s not; it’s filled with really awesome people and amazing food and culture. But then there are people who make it out to be ‘Cali! It’s amazing!’ It’s also not that … but I actually liked Los Angeles. It’s alive, and in a weird way that a lot of other places aren’t. I miss a lot of the diversity.”

Off With Their Heads feat. Seth Anderson w/ Ben Roy, Jay Chanoine
When: Friday, Aug. 12, 8 p.m.
Where: Shaskeen Pub, 909 Elm St., Manchester
Tickets: $15 at eventbrite.com

Featured photo: Ben Roy. Courtesy photo.

Category: Featured Content