Category: Featured Content

Small Spaces, Big Sound

A Look at Winter Music Series Warming Up the Season

By Michael Witthaus

mwitthaus@hippopress.com

With snow flying as the winds whip and temperatures drop, now is a great time to head indoors and enjoy some live music.

In addition to the nationally and wider-regionally touring shows at the larger capacity venues, several smaller spots offer winter music series that showcase a musical experience that features more indie, niche and regional original music. As the venues are smaller (some as small as under a hundred, some accommodating a few hundred music-lovers especially if the crowd is standing), the shows often provide a chance to catch an act before they blow up like Noah Kahan. Sometimes, the milieu and the music are equally compelling. Sipping wine before sitting down for a concert at Hermit Woods wineries, for example, or looking at art before the music at the Andres Institute.

Many of the performers can be seen in area bars and restaurants, but at these shows they have the opportunity to play their own material. When Andrea Paquin and April Cushman are at Milk St. Studios, for example, they’ll be able to draw from their own extensive catalogs instead of doing covers, something that’s also true for all of the shows at The Livery. The Songwriter Roundup at Hermit Woods Winery pretty much exists to expose original voices who spend a lot of their time doing someone else’s songs. If you like what you hear, buy a CD, it’s the best way to support independent musicians. Whether it’s a craving for rock, blues, folk, big band or traditional sounds from Ireland or Ecuador, there’s an option available.

The following is a look at upcoming concerts, from now to spring, and a few beyond.

Faith Ann Band. Courtesy photo.

Andres Institute of Art (16 Route 13, Brookline, andresinstitute.org)

This outdoor sculpture garden was once a ski resort. Fundraising concerts are held to keep admission free year-round. The upcoming schedule is an eclectic one, with Manchester alt rockers the Faith Ann Band, acoustic roots band Low Lily and pan-Latin Boston group Sol y Canto all playing. Institute President Kristi St. Laurent, who also books the shows, noted recently that the former ski lodge where the concerts happen is historic. “J. Geils played here, I have photographic proof of that,” she said, adding it’s perfect for concerts. “Musicians all want to come back, because they love the way the room sounds.”

Saturday, Jan. 25, 6 p.m. – Faith Ann Band and Rabbit Foot

Sunday, Feb. 9, 6 p.m. – The Sofferman Perspective

Sunday, March 2, 6 p.m. – Low Lily

Sunday, March 16, 6 p.m. – The Honey Bees

Sunday, April 6, 6 p.m. – Evan Goodrow

Saturday, April 19, 6 p.m. – Mighty Colors and Jamdemic (Earth Day Benefit)

Monday, April 28, 6 p.m. – Sol y Canto

Button Factory Stage (99 Islington St., Portsmouth, portsmouthnhtickets.com)

This intimate performing space located in the studios of Portsmouth Community Radio is as eclectic as the Seacoast music community it supports, with multiple genres appearing, and nationally touring artists often stopping by. Local shows include Mango Catch Collective on Jan. 25 and a raging punk rock show featuring Condition, Black Vinegar and The Saturn Cycle on Feb. 21, with unique Beatles tribute trio While My Guitar Gently Weeps the following night. Boston acid jazzers Bees Deluxe are there March 8.

Friday, Jan. 17, 8 p.m. – Alchemy with Hell Beach and Qvickdraw

Friday, Jan. 24, 8 p.m. – DJ Chad Banks and Friends

Saturday, Jan. 25, 8 p.m. – Mother Nimbus with Mango Catch Collective

Saturday, Feb. 1, 8 p.m. – The Orrs with Twothousands

Friday, Feb. 7, 8 p.m. – Anna May

Saturday, Feb. 8, 8 p.m. – Alexia Scott

Saturday, Feb. 15, 8 p.m. – Mango Catch!

Friday, Feb. 21, 8 p.m. – Condition with Black Vinegar and The Saturn Cycle

Saturday, Feb. 22, 8 p.m. – While My Guitar Gently Weeps

Friday, Feb. 28, 8 p.m. – DJ Chad Banks and his DJ Friends

Friday, March 7, 8 p.m. – Complete Utter Opposite with Neurotic

Saturday, March 8, 8 p.m. – House Lights & Friends

Saturday, March 15, 8 p.m. – Bees Deluxe

Thursday, March 20, 8 p.m. – Matt Farley with Thin Lear, Niagara Moon, and Bird Friend

Sunday, March 23, 8 p.m. – Little Lies: A Tribute to Fleetwood Mac

Thursday, April 10, 8 p.m. – Broommaker (formerly Teething Veils) & Eternal Slumber

Contoocook Cider Co. (656 Gould Hill Road, Contoocook, contoocookcider.com)

A bucolic room booked by NH Music Collective and run by a revered cidery. Music happens Saturdays and Sundays, with a long list of regional favorites stopping by.

NHMC, which helps independent musicians find gigs by working with pubs, restaurants and listening rooms, recently underwent a leadership change. Brad Myrick sold his stake to fellow co-founders John McArthur and his wife, Reva Tankle, to focus on his own music.

“It’s a very amicable change of direction for the company,” McArthur said in early January. “I’ve been trying to help him as much as I can with his performance career…. Brad is one of the best guitarists, certainly in the Northeast, and he’s a fabulous composer.”

Brad Myrick, who’s now devoting his time to performing, makes an appearance in mid-March. NHMC is also booking a series of shows at the BNH Stage in Concord this winter.

Also on tap is Ian Archibold, recently seen at a BNH Stage showcase concert. Sully Erna sideman and Joe Walsh doppelgänger Chris Lester is another highlight; he’s there next month.

Sunday, Jan. 19, 1 p.m. – Jack Ancora

Saturday, Feb. 1, 1 p.m. – Justin Cohn

Saturday, Feb. 15, 1 p.m. – Chris Lester

Saturday, March 1, 1 p.m. – Ian Archibold

Saturday, March 15, 1 p.m. – Dan Fallon

Sunday, March 16, 1 p.m. – Brad Myrick

Saturday, March 22, 1 p.m. – Alex Cohen

Sunday, March 23, 1 p.m. – Justin Cohn

Saturday, April 5, 1 p.m. – Tyler Levs

Saturday, April 12, 1 p.m. – Ryan Williamson

Saturday, April 19, 1 p.m. – Garrett Smith

Guy Davis. Courtesy photo.

Flying Goose (40 Andover Road, New London, flyinggoose.com)

The longest-running concert series in the state mixes old-school folkies like Ellis Paul, Garnet Rogers and Tom Pirozzoli, who conceived the whole thing back in the early ’90s, with new faces like Sam Robbins and Brittany Moore. This small room sells out fast, so best to make reservations well in advance, especially for shows like bluesman Guy Davis on Feb. 13.

Thursday, Jan. 16, 7:30 p.m. – New England Bluegrass Band

Thursday, Jan. 30, 7:30 p.m. – Dinty Child and Mark Erelli

Thursday, Feb. 13, 7:30 p.m. – Guy Davis

Thursday, Feb. 27, 7:30 p.m. – Ellis Paul

Thursday, March 6, 7:30 p.m. – Aztec Two Step 2.0

Thursday, March 20, 7:30 p.m. – Brittany Moore

Thursday, March 27, 7:30 p.m. – Willy Porter and Tom Pirozzoli

Thursday, April 3, 7:30 p.m. – Lonesome Ace String Band

Thursday, April 10, 7:30 p.m. – Sam Robbins

Wednesday, April 23, 7:30 p.m. – Garnet Rogers

Thursday, April 24, 7:30 p.m. – Garnet Rogers

Goosefeathers Pub (1398 Route 103, Newbury, mountsunapee.com)

Kick back with the apres-ski crowd and enjoy a bountiful list of musicians curated by NHMC. Willy Chase, another singer-songwriter recently showcased at BNH Stage, has an early February set. In March, it’s Mikey G, who also headlined the downtown Concord room. Other good bets are Rebecca Turmel Duo on Jan. 19, and The 603s on Feb. 22.

Saturday, Jan. 18, 3 p.m. – Ryan Williamson

Sunday, Jan. 19, 2 p.m. – Rebecca Turmel Duo

Saturday, Jan. 25, 3 p.m. – Frontwoods

Saturday, Feb. 1, 3 p.m. – Tom Boisse

Sunday, Feb. 2, 2 p.m. – Willy Chase

Saturday, Feb. 8, 3 p.m. – Dave Clark

Sunday, Feb. 9, 2 p.m. – Andrea Paquin

Saturday, Feb. 15, 3 p.m. – Karen Grenier

Sunday, Feb. 16, 2 p.m. – Jack Ancora

Saturday, Feb. 22, 3 p.m. – The 603s

Sunday, Feb. 23, 2 p.m. – Brad Myrick Duo

Saturday, March 1, 3 p.m. – Joel Begin

Saturday, March 8, 3 p.m. – Mikey G

Hermit Woods Winery (72 Main St., Meredith, hermitwoods.com)

Curated and hosted by singer-songwriter Katie Dobbins, the winery’s Wednesday Songwriter Roundup event will celebrate a two-year anniversary on Feb. 26, with Pete Downing and another artist sharing the spotlight with Dobbins. Shows are offered in tandem with a dinner that begins an hour before the music. Additional dates are anticipated. “I am coming down from the busy fall/winter show season,” Dobbins texted recently. “I’m going to be working on more bookings.”

Thursday, Jan. 16, 7 p.m. – Grace Wallace Band

Wednesday, Jan. 29, 7 p.m. – Songwriter Roundup with Katie Dobbins, Dan Sirois and Patrick Synan

Wednesday, Feb. 26, 7 p.m. – Songwriter Roundup with Katie Dobbins, Pete Downing and TBA

Wednesday, March 26, 7 p.m. – Songwriter Roundup with Katie Dobbins and TBA

Livery at Sunapee Harbor (58 Main St., Sunapee, nhmusiccollective.com)

Another NHMC-curated venue, this winter’s concert season will see the return of Slim Volume, a young Beatlesque quartet that sold out the rustic Main Street space last year, as well as Charlie Chronopoulos playing an intimate set of original music. For those looking forward to summer on the lake, NHMC’s John McArthur is planning a series there when it’s warmer.

Saturday, Jan. 18, 7 p.m. – Jack & Tim

Friday, Feb. 14, 7 p.m. – JD & the Stonemasons

Saturday, April 19, 7 p.m. – Slim Volume

Saturday, May 17, 7 p.m. – Charlie Chronopoulos

Milk St. Studios (6 Milk St., Dover, milkststudios.com)

An extension of a Seacoast recording studio modeled after The Record Co. in Boston, this listening room has local musicians stretching out to play originals, though the Joni & Cat Tribute Show — Mitchell and Stevens, if anyone’s wondering — on March 29 is an exception. An in-the-round concert featuring acoustic music from singer/songwriters Andrea Paquin and April Cushman on March 15 should be stellar.

Saturday, Jan. 25, 6:30 p.m. – The Writeful Heirs & Darien Castro

Friday, Feb. 14, 6:30 p.m. – Groundspore

Saturday, Feb. 22, 6:30 p.m. – Lee & Dr. G. + Catwolf

Saturday, March 1, 6:30 p.m. – STL Gold

Saturday, March 8, 6:30 p.m. – Jarred Garneau Group

Saturday, March 15, 6:30 p.m. – Andrea Paquin + April Cushman

Saturday, March 22, 6:30 p.m. – Amulus

Saturday, March 29, 6:30 p.m. – Joni & Cat Tribute Show (Nicole Gauthier & John Fuzek)

Saturday, April 5, 6:30 p.m. – Studia & Jed Allen + The Regals

Music Hall Lounge (131 Congress St., Portsmouth, themusichall.org)

An extension of the larger venue with cabaret seating for dozens instead of hundreds in the audience, this downtown venue welcomes rising stars like indie rockers Certainly So and Americana singer/songwriter Liv Greene along with regional talent like folksinger Reed Foehl and jazz saxophonist Seba Molnar. Valentine’s Day brings the romantic PMAC Jazz Night, with a bevy of Seacoast musicians including sax player Eric Klaxon, singer Taylor O’Donnell and keyboard treasure Mike Effenberger.

Friday, Jan. 17, 8 p.m. – Seba Molnar

Saturday, Jan. 25, 8 p.m. – Reed Foehl

Sunday, Jan. 26, 8 p.m. – Lee DeWyze

Friday, Feb. 7, 8 p.m. – Certainly So

Saturday, Feb. 8, 8 p.m. – Juanito Pascual

Friday, Feb. 14, 8 p.m. – 18th Annual PMAC Jazz Night: Dream a Little Dream

Friday, Feb. 21, 8 p.m. – Vance Gilbert

Wednesday, Feb. 26, 8 p.m. – Johnny Cash’s Birthday Bash with Scott Moreau

Thursday, Feb. 27, 8 p.m. – Both Sides Now (Joni Mitchell & Leonard Cohen tribute)

Friday, Feb. 28, 8 p.m. – Sam Robbins

Saturday, March 1, 8 p.m. – Ellis Paul

Friday, March 14, 8 p.m. – Liv Greene & Elise Leavy

Tuesday, March 18, 8 p.m. – Jordan Tice

Friday, March 21, 8 p.m. – Heather Maloney

Sunday, March 23, 8 p.m. – Tyler Hilton

Friday, March 28, 8 p.m. – Alice Howe & Freebo

Saturday, April 5, 8 p.m. – Scott Kirby

Nippo Lake Restaurant (88 Stagecoach Road, Barrington, nippobluegrass.com)

Acoustic music fans delight in the long-running series housed in a Barrington country club, which lasts from October through April. Some of the region’s finest players show up for this Sunday evening tradition. Ahead are revered bluegrass band Lunch at the Dump, the always entertaining Rockspring and a couple of projects that include Scott & Betsy Heron, Little Wishbone and the Heron Bluegrass Co.

Sunday, Jan. 19, 6 p.m. – Chicken Shack

Sunday, Jan. 26, 6 p.m. – Unsung Heroes

Sunday, Feb. 2, 6 p.m. – New England Bluegrass Band

Sunday, Feb. 16, 6 p.m. – HydroGeo Trio

Sunday, Feb. 23, 6 p.m. – Lunch at the Dump

Sunday, March 2, 6 p.m. – Cordwood

Sunday, March 9, 6 p.m. – High Range

Sunday, March 16, 6 p.m. – Little Wishbone

Sunday, March 23, 6 p.m. – Hot Skillet

Sunday, March 30, 6 p.m. – Heron Bluegrass Co.

Sunday, April 6, 6 p.m. – Cedar Mountain

Sunday, April 13, 6 p.m. – Unsung Heroes

Sunday, April 27, 6 p.m. – Rockspring

Lee and Dr. G. Courtesy photo.

Pats Peak (686 Flanders Road, Henniker, patspeak.com)

Another apres-ski series curated by NHMC. Shows to look forward to include Andrew North and the Rangers, who host the monthly open mic at BNH Stage, and River Sang Wild, who perform for two days straight in early March. A word to the wise: Resort management cautions that things can change when the sap’s running.

Saturday, Jan. 18, 6 p.m. – Scott & Wally

Saturday, Jan. 25, 6 p.m. – Young Guns

Saturday, Feb. 1, 6 p.m. – Geoff & Wally

Saturday, Feb. 8, 6 p.m. – Dan Fallon Band

Saturday, Feb. 15, 6 p.m. – Scott & Wally

Saturday, Feb. 22, 6 p.m. – Andrew North & the Rangers

Saturday, March 1, 6 p.m. – Karen Grenier

Saturday, March 8, 6 p.m. – River Sang Wild (also 3/9)

Saturday, March 15, 6 p.m. – Rebecca Turmel Duo

Saturday, March 22, 6 p.m. – Geoff & Wally

Pembroke City Limits (134 Main St., Pembroke, pembrokecitylimits.com)

Opened last summer by music maven Rob Azevedo, this is the newest addition to the region’s live music scene, with a focus on local talent like the Irish band Black Pudding Rovers, singer-songwriter Paul Nelson and Vampire Bird, the latest project from Will Kindler, which went over so well in December that it will return March 9. “This spring, PCL will continue to introduce and reintroduce such incredible musicians,” Azevedo said recently, while touting the venue’s Sunday Jazz Sessions with Gary Smith.

Thursday, Jan. 16, 7 p.m. – Chris Salemme

Friday, Jan. 17, 7 p.m. – Todd Hearon Trio

Saturday, Jan. 18, 7 p.m. – Funk Night w/ Gary Smith & Friends

Sunday, Jan. 19, 2 p.m. – Black Pudding Rovers

Wednesday, Jan. 22, 7 p.m. – Paul Nelson

Thursday, Jan. 23, 7 p.m. – Colin Nevens

Friday, Jan. 24, 7 p.m. – Piano Man Jody Robichaud

Saturday, Jan. 25, 3 p.m. – Arthur James

Saturday, Jan. 25, 7 p.m. – The Honey Bees

Sunday, Jan. 26, 1:30 p.m. – Stonemasons

Wednesday, Jan. 29, 7 p.m. – Tequila Jim

Thursday, Jan. 30, 7 p.m. – Gary’s “Legendary” Musical Gathering

Friday, Jan. 31, 7 p.m. – Hickory Horned Devils

Saturday, Feb. 1, 2 p.m. – Let’s Get Sticky Rolling Stones Tribute

Thursday, Feb. 6, 7 p.m. – Timothy K Blues

Friday, Feb. 7, 7 p.m. – Lee & Dr. G.

Thursday, Feb. 13, 7 p.m. – Mikey G

Saturday, Feb. 15, 4 p.m. – Angela Stewart

Wednesday, Feb. 19, 7 p.m. – Dan Fallon & Company

Saturday, Feb. 22, 7 p.m. – Georgie-Jam Night

Friday, Feb. 28, at 7 p.m. – Faith Ann Acoustic

Wednesday, March 12, 7 p.m. – Vampire Bird (Will Kindler)

Friday, March 14, 7 p.m. – Cinnamon Jazz Trio

Sunapee Community Coffee House (9 Lower Main St., Sunapee, sunapeecoffeehouse.org)

This is another series that’s been around a very long time, located in the basement of a Methodist church. It’s a pass-the-hat affair; bring a Hamilton to help out the artists. The effort encourages new and emerging talent, which means New Hampshire’s Noah Kahan might appear on their way to greater fame.

Friday, Jan. 24, 7 p.m. – Hubby Jenkins

Friday, Feb. 14, 7 p.m. – Click Horning

Friday, Feb. 28, 7 p.m. – Tommy Crawford

Friday, March 14, 7 p.m. – Nate Goyette

Friday, March 28, 7 p.m. – White Mountain Ceilí Band

Friday, April 11, 7 p.m. – E J Tretter

Friday, April 25, 7 p.m. – Halley Neal Group

Katie Dobbins. Courtesy photo.

Twin Barns Brewing (194 DW Highway, Meredith, twinbarnsbrewing.com)

Craft beer and live music pair well at this NHMC-curated venue. Upcoming are singer-songwriter Temple Mountain and Lakes Region duo The Sweetbloods, as well as rising stars Taylor Hughes and Dakota Smart.

Friday, Jan. 17, 5 p.m. – Tom Boisse

Saturday, Jan. 18, 5 p.m. – Temple Mountain

Friday, Jan. 24, 5 p.m. – Kat Ivy

Saturday, Jan. 25, 5 p.m. – Garrett Smith

Friday, Jan. 31, 5 p.m. – Freddie Catalfo

Saturday, Feb. 1, 5 p.m. – Karen Grenier

Friday, Feb. 7, 5 p.m. – Taylor Hughes

Saturday, Feb. 8, 5 p.m. – Rebecca Turmel

Friday, Feb. 14, 5 p.m. – The Sweetbloods

Friday, Feb. 14, 5 p.m. – Paul Driscoll

Saturday, Feb. 15, 5 p.m. – Dakota Smart

Friday, Feb. 21, 5 p.m. – Ciera MacKenzie

Saturday, Feb. 22, 5 p.m. – Jack Ancora

Friday, Feb. 28, 5 p.m. – Jackie Lee

Saturday, March 1, 5 p.m. – Dave Clark

Friday, March 7, 5 p.m. – Rock Dove

Saturday, March 8, 5 p.m. – Andrea Paquin

Saturday, March 15, 5 p.m. – Chris Torrey

Friday, March 21, 5 p.m. – Willy Chase

Saturday, March 22, 5 p.m. – Kyle McGuinness

Friday, March 28, 5 p.m. – Tyler Levs

Saturday, March 29, 5 p.m. – Garrett Smith

Friday, April 4, 5 p.m. – Tom Boisse

Saturday, April 5, 5 p.m. – Justin Federico

Friday, April 11, 5 p.m. – Rebecca Turmel

Saturday, April 12, 5 p.m. – Temple Mountain

Word Barn (66 Newfields Road, Exeter, thewordbarn.com)

Tucked at the end of a twisty road in Exeter, this venue is the perfect place to catch an under-the-radar star in the making, along with local treasures like Jordan Tirrell-Wysocki’s Trio, Will Evans and The Wolff Sisters. The shows here frequently sell out, so it’s best to act early for artists like Liz Longley and Joe Crookson.

Saturday, Jan. 18, 7 p.m. – Winter Warmer with Erica Brown & The Bluegrass Connection

Thursday, Jan. 23, 7 p.m. – Rakish and Nate Sabat

Friday, Jan. 24, 7 p.m. – Dave Gunning and J.P. Cormier Duo

Saturday, Jan. 25, 8 p.m. – Soggy Po’ Boys

Sunday, Jan. 26, 7 p.m. – Will Evans

Thursday, Jan. 30, 7 p.m. – Genticorum

Friday, Feb. 7, 7 p.m. – The Wolff Sisters

Sunday, Feb. 9, 7 p.m. – Eli West & The Clements Brothers

Friday, Feb. 14, 7 p.m. – Jordan TW Trio

Saturday, March 1, 7 p.m. – David Howley (We Banjo 3)

Friday, March 7, 7 p.m. – Joe Crookson

Saturday, March 8, 7 p.m. – Chatham Rabbits

Sunday, March 23, 7 p.m. – Liz Longley

Wednesday, April 23, 7 p.m. – Matthew & the Atlas.

Ebony and ivory legends

Piano Men (and women) opens at Palace

By Michael Witthaus
mwitthaus@hippopress.com

An upcoming Palace Theatre production is more a musical canvas than a show, and it’s one that Director Carl Rajotte has painted before. Piano Men was first presented as The Four Piano Men in 2011. Conceived, written and choreographed by Rajotte, it featured songs from Elton John, Billy Joel, Stevie Wonder and Queen, via frontman Freddie Mercury.
Since then it’s changed and evolved, with Ray Charles and Phil Collins among the ivory tinklers tributed in the show, last done in 2023. Act 1 in this year’s production spotlights old-time rock ’n’ rollers Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard, then pivots to Barry Manilow. Subsequent acts focus on the original four and two women, Carole King and Lady Gaga.
The female roles will be played by the director’s sister, Michelle Rajotte, a Palace regular.
“It’s funny too, because I did a Gaga section a long time ago, maybe 2012, in a show called Royalty of Rock and Pop,” Carl Rajotte said by phone during a break from rehearsals. “She did Gaga and just fell in love with her back then.”
The actor and musician playing the Billy Joel role has a lot of experience. John Abrams performed as Joel in the national tour of the jukebox musical Movin’ Out. Abrams will also cover the Elton John material. Another Palace veteran, GE Enrique, is playing both the Stevie Wonder and Freddie Mercury roles, along with serving as the show’s Music Director.
This will be the sixth time that the Palace has done Piano Men in some form; Enrique has worked on three.
What keeps Rajotte returning to the show? “I’ve fallen in love with all these artists that we have on stage because they’re good at telling a story,” he said, “which lends itself to theater. There are lots of times in the show when it’s just the piano and the band, but we have seven talented dancers, and they tell a story through dance throughout the whole night.”
The dance ensemble includes three men and four women. Andy Kastrati was in the Palace’s recent production of Dancing Queens, as was Savannah Enoch. Julia Grubbs, who danced in Piano Men in 2020, is a CPA by day — “she can shimmy and do your taxes,” quipped Rajotte — and Rachel Muhleisen is featured on Stevie Wonder’s “Isn’t She Lovely.” Peter Murphy and Annie Wogisch round out the hoofers.
With women having a moment in the musical world — Taylor Swift, Chappell Roan, Beyonce and others are dominating — Rajotte is pleased that the show is now piano men and women. “I’m really excited to bring the new stuff to the audience, the Carole King and the Gaga,” he said. “We were just finishing up Carole King’s section today. It’s just so fun to just go back to the ’60s, find that retro feel and put it on our video wall.”
He’s also happy with the current season, which will continue with Jimmy Buffett’s Escape to Margaritaville on Feb. 28 followed by Jesus Christ Superstar in late April. 2024/25’s final production, A Chorus Line, runs from May 30 to June 22.
“It’s about halfway done, and I feel like I just started,” Rajotte exclaimed in disbelief.
Perennial favorite A Christmas Carol was extended to the end of the month, a successful experiment that will probably be repeated next year. Rajotte ran the lighting board for that final weekend so his stage manager could be home for the holiday. At the end of the show Palace CEO Peter Ramsey reminded him that the season was at a midpoint.
“That hit me like a brick wall,” he said, “But, yeah, I feel like it’s been a really good season so far. Oliver was a wonderful artistic piece that we were able to bring to the stage, and Jersey Boys was a crowd-pleaser, with great music. A Christmas Carol is our tradition that everyone loves, and it was attended really great the whole run.”

Piano Men
When: Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 2
& 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. through
Feb. 9, and Thursday, Feb. 6, at 7:30 p.m.
Where: Palace Theatre, 80 Hanover St.,
Manchester
Tickets: $35 and up at palacetheatre.org

Featured photo: Piano Men. Photo by Jeff Shaw.

News & Notes 25/01/16

Radon Action Month

According to a press release from the American Lung Association, about 35 percent of radon test results in New Hampshire equal or exceed the Environmental Protection Agency’s action level, as reported in the Association’s “State of Lung Center” report, which you can see at lung.org/research/state-of-lung-cancer. As part of January and National Radon Action Month, “the Lung Association in New Hampshire strongly urges all residents to test their home for radon and take immediate steps to mitigate the threat if high levels are found,” the release said. “Radon is a colorless, odorless and tasteless naturally occurring radioactive gas emitted from the ground…. [Radon] is the leading cause of lung cancer in people who have never smoked.” Get a free radon test kit at freeradontestkit.com/ala. See lung.org/clean-air/indoor-air/indoor-air-pollutants/radon for more on radon.

Museums, assemble

The Currier Museum of Art, SEE Science Center, the Manchester Historic Association, which operates the Millyard Museum, and the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire are launching a “Manchester Museums” collaboration that will seek to promote the museums, according to a press release. A new website, manchestermuseumsnh.org, will offer links to the four museums’ websites as well as a suggested two-day trip itinerary. The partnership will hold a launch on Tuesday, Jan. 21, at 4 p.m. at the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, 54 Hanover St., the release said.

“Cultural institutions are the heartbeat of a city’s economy, weaving creativity and heritage into the fabric of daily life, driving tourism, innovation, and community growth,” said Heather McGrail, president and CEO of Greater Manchester Chamber, in the press release.

The four institutions are launching the campaign in advance of the November 2025 convention of the New England Museum Association, which will be held in Manchester, the release said.

Franco-American guv

Kelly Ayotte, who officially became New Hampshire’s governor on Jan. 9, is the first Franco-American elected to the office, according to a note in the Franco-American Centre’s newsletter from the Centre’s executive director John Tousignant. She is also the first Republican woman to hold the office, the note said. Large numbers of French Canadians moved to New Hampshire in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the note said.

Cash to charge

New Hampshire received $15 million in federal grants for publicly accessible electric vehicle charging infrastructure, according to a press release from the state’s Department of Transportation, which applied with collaboration from New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services and others. The funds will be used for the “Next Level NH” program, which will increase EV charging hubs throughout the state, the release said. See dot.nh.gov/projects-plans-and-programs/ev-charging-infrastructure for more on the projects.

Go, Twitchers

The Twitchers, a New Hampshire Audubon team that participates in the Mass Audubon’s annual Superbowl of Birding, will once again seek to find the most bird species during a 12-hour period on Saturday, Jan. 25, according to a press release. The Twitchers, led by captain Becky Suomala, are looking to raise $4,000 for the NH Audubon Conservation Department, the release said. See nhaudubon.org/make-a-donation-to-twitchers for more on the Twitchers. For more on the event, which covers the Massachusetts North Shore as well as towns in Rockingham County, see massaudubon.org and look for “Superbowl of Birding” in Programs & Events.

From church to home

The New Hampshire Preservation Alliance has a new handbook available to “assist congregations that are considering leaving or repurposing historic properties and want to explore their building’s re-use for housing,” according to an Alliance email. The handbook, Transitioning Religious Properties to Meet Housing Needs, is available for download for free at nhpreservation.org or for purchase as a hard copy for $22.

The preservation trades

The New Hampshire Preservation Alliance is also offering “career exploration opportunities for participants ages 16 to 19 who are interested in the old building trades,” according to an Alliance email. During February (Feb. 24-Feb. 28) and April (April 28-May 2) vacations, teens (who do not need experience) will get exposure to “a range of historic preservation activities which may include traditional construction techniques, repair of damaged building elements, wood window restoration and the history of the buildings being worked on,” according to the website. Professionals — many of whom are members of the Timber Framers Guild, the Window Preservation Alliance or other trade organizations — will provide the mentoring, the website said. The program will be offered in two regions — Central New Hampshire (Canterbury, Andover, Warner, etc.) and the Seacoast (Portsmouth and the vicinity), the email said. Apply at nhpreservation.org/internship-program by Jan. 24 for the February week and March 14 for the April week, the website said.

The New England Petite Pageant will be held Sunday, Jan. 19, at 3 p.m. at the Concord City Auditorium (2 Prince St. in Concord). The pageant is open to women of all ages who are 5 foot 6 inches and under. See newenglandpetite.com.

Queen City Rotary Club will hold its annual Comedy Bowl on Saturday, Jan. 25, at 6 p.m. at St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Manchester. The event will feature a buffet dinner, comedy show, raffle, silent auction and cash bar, according to a club press release. Tickets cost $50 per person and can be purchased on eventbrite.com, search “2025 Comedy Bowl,” the release said. The comedian line-up includes Harrison Stebbins, Rob Steen and Tim McKeever, the release said. See queencityrotary.org.

St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Manchester will hold an Apokriatiko Celebration (a Greek Mardi Gras) on Saturday, Feb. 22, from 7 to 10 p.m. in the church hall featuring music from The Salonica Boys with Greek and American dancing, hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar. The cost is a $25 donation per person (children 12 and under get in free). Call 622-9113 for information.

Nashua Fire Rescue will hold an “Adult Field Trip” with the Nashua Fire Marshal on Tuesday, Jan. 21, at 9 a.m. Meet at the fire station at 70 E. Hollis St. in Nashua on Tuesday, Jan. 21, at 9 a.m. to learn more about the Nashua Fire Marshal’s office, tour the station and get fire safety tips, according to a newsletter from Great American Downtown Nashua.

Creatively connecting

Women of Soul celebrates depth of talent

By Michael Witthaus

mwitthaus@hippopress.com

An upcoming showcase will bring together three female performers of varying backgrounds for an evening of community and camaraderie. Each artist will perform for 45 minutes, but the goal of the evening goes beyond music. The event is the first of an envisioned series aiming to celebrate the quality of women’s talent in the region.

Organizers Audrey Drake and Pam McCann hope that Women of Soul will foster a wide range of connections between the musicians and their audience. Drake called the Jan. 11 concert at Pembroke City Limits a “soft launch” in a recent phone interview, adding that the envisioned the series will incorporate storytelling, insights and more along with songs.

“It will include what we’re writing, what we’re working on, possibly collaborations and passion projects,” Drake said. “We want to give a broader perspective of what each person is offering, and what we bring to our music.” Sophie Markey will kick things off, followed by Katie Dobbins. Then Drake, with McCann playing drums, will close the evening.

Drake and McCann conceived the series almost a year ago and revisited the idea many times over the past months.

“I’d say to Pam, ‘When and how is it going to happen? Do we have to have a big plan?’ Then a couple weeks ago I was like, we’re just doing it.” PCL owner Rob Azevedo was on board, having seen Drake and Dobbins perform together there in December. “He’s amazing, he does so much good work in the community, and for all musicians, so let’s jump in.”

Azevedo opened the listening room and tavern, which offers food from Sleazy Vegan, last summer. The Women of Soul event is consistent with his vision for the venue, he said by text recently. “We have such a swath of super talented female performers in our camp,” he wrote. “That is one of the things I am so proud of since we started.”

McCann is both a singing drummer and a visual artist. She’s worked professionally since age 16, including touring with Jonathan Edwards and opening for The Band, and released a solo album, Kinder Enemies. In an email she described her involvement in Women of Soul and praised her musical partner.

“This project is near and dear to me especially as it is in alliance with the multi-talented Audrey Drake,” she wrote. “The idea behind this gathering of curated female artists is to embrace women who are not only musicians but multi-disciplined artists, healers and messengers. A melting pot of soulful offerings.”

An information table at the PCL show will offer artist merchandise and information on wellness services for women, and each performer will be able to engage with audience members individually, Drake said. “There’s music, but what else can we talk about and connect with people on, to really showcase the creative force of women in all aspects of what we do in our lives?”

Drake is involved with a few other efforts, including a Sacred Song event on Jan. 18 at the Gathering Place in Keene. “It’s a combination of singing and what’s being called sound bath,” she said of the singalong gathering. “In some traditions it’s called kirtan; how I do it is a little different. There are more songs that people might be more familiar with.”\

Beyond that, Drake is working on a follow-up to her 2020 album, The Next Best Thing. Her musical influences include Patty Griffin and Lori McKenna, and similar singer-songwriters. “Because their music is so beautiful and it’s so simple and it’s so authentic,” she said. “It’s written from their hearts, and it’s received in people’s hearts.”

Admission to the first Women of Soul event is free. Drake and McCann hope to do five more in 2025, and build their spark into a fire of unity and common purpose.

“You can tell this is kind of playing out in my head at the moment,” she said. “It’s definitely in its infancy, but I’m looking forward to this year.”

Women of Soul – Audrey Drake, Katie Dobbins and Sophie Markey
When: Saturday, Jan. 11, 7 p.m.
Where: Pembroke City Limits, 134 Main St., Pembroke
More: facebook.com/audreyjdrake

Featured Image: Audrey Drake. Courtesy photo.

A Real Pain (R)

Cousins visit Poland in a trip meant to remember their grandmother and reconnect with each other in A Real Pain, a sweet, kind, frequently heartbreaking comedy written and directed by Jesse Eisenberg.

Comedy? I mean, it’s a movie about two grief-stricken men from a Jewish American family, one who has just suffered a mental health crisis, engaging in a Holocaust-centered tour of Poland. But I also laughed out loud at some truly funny, well-observed moments so — comedy like that.

David Kaplan (Eisenberg) is married with a demanding job and a young son but he has cleared his schedule to spend a week in Poland in honor of his recently deceased grandmother, who grew up there and survived Nazi concentration camps during the war before coming to America. He is also there for Benji (Kieran Culkin), his cousin who, even before we know all the particulars, we can feel that David is deeply worried about. Benji is, as he later says, someone who lights up a room with his charm only to later poop all over everything. Almost exactly the same age as David, Benji is clearly bright and exuding a desire for connection at all moments. He is also, it’s strongly implied, directionless, erratic and spends most of his time getting high.

The trip is a structured tour with non-Jewish, British leader James (Will Sharpe) walking through the history and tragedy of Jewish Poland with retired American couple Mark (Daniel Oreskes), whose Jewish family immigrated from Poland decades before the war, and his wife Diane (Liza Sadovy); the recently divorced New Yorker Marcia (a luminous Jennifer Grey), whose mother was a survivor, and Eloge (Kurt Egyiawan), a survivor of Rwandan genocide who converted to Judaism. Benji becomes something of the active ingredient in the tour mix — spurring fun, spurring introspection, causing chaos.

Culkin makes need pour out of Benji just as Eisenberg makes worry and anxiety radiate from David. Benji and David’s relationship, one that was clearly brotherly in their youth, is the warm center of this movie. They love each other intensely, just as they intensely want to smack each other. Everything about it feels genuine, which makes their actions — from their big outbursts to their moments of side-eye — feel real and lived in. When Benji rants at a tour dinner, for example, it doesn’t feel stagey, it feels awkward and sad and the responses by the other tour participants give you a deeper window into each of their characters. Excellent performances all the way around in this short, bittersweet movie that is well worth a watch. A Available for purchase.

Nightbitch (R)

Being a mom to a young son breaks Amy Adams’ brain — relatable — in the light-horror comedy Nightbitch.

Previously a visual artist, Adams’ character, who is just called Mother in IMDb, now spends her days caring for her son, who I think is just called Baby (Arleigh Snowden and Emmett Snowden). He’s sort-of early preschool age — still young enough to injure himself just toddlering through life but old enough to express opinions in words about his food or his unwillingness to go to sleep. Her husband, Scoot McNairy — whose character is called “Husband” — works a job that frequently takes him away on work trips, so not only is she with her son all day but frequently all day and all night, a job she can never clock out of. She loves her son intensely but she would also like to shower more than once a week and laughs with a kind of bitter, gleeful horror at the unflattering things she sees in the mirror: wrinkles, gray hair, facial hair, a patch of fur on her back, longer pointy-er teeth, maybe a tail? As she sort of spirals with her own identity — is she even an artist any more? — she is also sort of fascinated with this other thing she might be turning into, something decidedly more primal, more canine.

Nightbitch, based on the book by Rachel Yoder that is in my to-read pile (and thus I’m judging the movie entirely as its own thing), feels like it is “in conversation,” to quote one of Adams’ snooty art friends, with Tully, the Diablo Cody-penned movie about the brain-altering effects of motherhood. In Tully, Charlize Theron’s mother character is dealing with something like postpartum depression shortly after having a baby. Here, it’s the period when Baby has become just enough of an independent person to give Adams the space to wonder what the hell is happening to herself. She is initially prickly toward a group of moms with similar-aged kids — seeing only their “Wheels on the Bus” exteriors and not the thickets of rage, confusion and wildness that is underneath for them as well. She is also awkward around her former art friends; her kid-talk is silly or sad to them, at least that’s what she’s taking from their reactions. What to do with all of that white-hot frustration? Well, some of it gets thrown at clueless Scoot, who really does an excellent job crafting a character that is both basically a nice guy and also has no idea what his wife is going through. And maybe some of it is magical realism-ing Adams into a dog, a dog whose nighttime activities may or may not be resulting in the bodies of small animals being left at her doorstep.

I think Marielle Heller, who adapted and directed this movie, leaves a lot of the dog stuff for you to do with what you want. Are you watching Adams metaphorically succumb to her more feral instincts or is she a woman actually werewolfing out? “Yes” is a perfectly fine answer to me. And on that level, the alt-reality inner-is-outer level, I think Adams does a good job of finding the darkness and the humor of this very specific slice of the “longest shortest time” to borrow the name of a parenting podcast. She captures the blend of screaming-into-the-void and this-is-the-best-thing-ever really well and gives herself over to its body horror. This is a fun movie that takes its “weird places a mom can go after two glasses of wine” emotions seriously but isn’t self-serious. B+ Streaming on Hulu.

Emilia Pérez (R)

A Mexican cartel boss fakes her death and tries to become a sort of hero of the people while also hiding a secret from her wife and children in the high-drama musical Emilia Pérez, the winner of four awards at the recent Golden Globes.

Karla Sofía Gascón plays the titular character who begins the story living as Juan Manitas del Monte, the cartel boss whose violent crime-world life won’t allow for living as her true female self. She feels her only way to transition fully and live publicly as a woman is to “kill” Manitas — and even convince her wife Jessi (Selena Gomez) and two sons of this death. I’ve read criticisms by trans writers about how all of this is presented and how the movie treats both her gender-affirming surgery and her relationship to her family. These criticisms seem fair (as do criticisms of the cartoonish way Mexico is presented) and it feels worthwhile to consider the issues people have with this movie, especially for its handling of a trans character (who is played by a trans actress). The movie (and its whole awards deal) can feel a little like it’s patting itself on the back without seeing some of its problems.

I also don’t find this movie to be particularly grounded in reality on any level, and not just because lawyer Zoe Saldaña occasionally breaks into song. Rita Mora Castro (Saldaña, who won one of those Globes) is a talented lawyer in Mexico who sings that her gender and her skin color make it hard for her to live her ambitions. Because Manitas could see Rita’s talent propping up her empty-suit boss, Manitas hires (after first kidnapping) Rita to manage all the legalities of her transition, from moving money around to set Jessi and the boys up for a comfortable life in Switzerland to finding a doctor willing to do what appears to be full body surgery all at once in semi-secret. After cashing the check for that service and building a new life in London, Rita is scared when she realizes the Mexican woman she seems to just run into at a dinner party four years later is Emilia. Are you here to tie up loose ends, Rita sings. Emilia clarifies that her plan is not murder but getting her sons back. She wants to pose as a long-lost cousin of Manitas who Jessi and the boys will move in with back in Mexico.

Which they do? Despite Jessi not really wanting to? And meanwhile Emilia becomes a sort of patron saint of families who are looking for missing loved ones? She uses Manitas’ old criminal contacts to find out — consequence-free I guess? or why would they help her? — where victims have been buried to give people closure. The big public splash she makes for the cause would seem to be at odds with her fear of being “found out” but like I said, this isn’t a movie that’s grounded in any kind of realism.

Here’s the thing, though, in spite of all the “really?” story beats and questionable choices, I can’t entirely discount this movie. It’s sort of a dizzy, colorful, tragic fantasy story — very primary colors in its opinions and not all that thoughtful about its three female characters (joined in the third act by Adriana Paz as an abused wife delighted to learn that she is in fact a widow who then becomes the girlfriend of Emilia). It’s kind of a mess and kind of fascinating and features a definitely interesting performance from Gascón, more for what she’s doing than for the words on the page, and a big-swing performance by Saldaña. B- Streaming on Netflix.

Featured Image: A Real Pain

Local flour for better bread

How one baker focuses on the grains for better baking

Michael Williams is getting closer to baking his perfect loaf of bread.

Williams, co-owner and bread baker for Eden’s Table Farm in Dunbarton, has spent the past couple of years polishing his bread game.

“I got exposed to great bread when I went to Germany,” he said, “to flour that was local and freshly milled, and bread that was made with a natural starter. That was what was most easily available in the bakery in our tiny little 1,100-person village. I’ve been chasing that bread ever since; every refinement has been getting me closer to that experience.”

Williams and his wife, Addie Leader-Zavos, combine their passion for growing fresh, organic produce and locally made artisanal foods. While Leader-Zavos bakes virtually everything else, Williams is in charge of the bread.

The journey toward the very best bread takes the form of tiny, incremental steps, but he sees constant progress. “The best example I can give you is actually the Swedish rye. I made that for Addie on our second date. And I was using King Arthur flour, then I was using a sifted rice flour. I was using molasses instead of beet syrup, but now I’m using a Swedish baking syrup that’s beet-based. Over time, I’ve whittled it down to the essentials and getting the absolute best ingredients I can. The pursuit of that led me to constantly question, ‘Where is this coming from? How is it being processed?’ I ask that over and over and over again.”

Because his platonic ideal of a loaf of bread has very few ingredients — flour, salt, a natural sourdough starter, something to help feed that starter (that’s where the Swedish baking syrup comes in), and water — Williams has put more thought into the flour he uses than most people put into planning their retirement.

“I wanted flour that was what I refer to as ‘live flour.’ It has never been separated, and it has never been irradiated. Industrial flour is almost always separated. It is sifted hot, or it is milled hot, separated into its component parts and the germ is irradiated to denature volatile oils. When they oxidize, they become rancid. It’s a very distinct odor and it’s very unpleasant. It totally makes sense why they would not want that in their product going out into the world but unfortunately most of the nutrition is in those oils, because the best nutrition in the grain is fat-soluble. So not only that, but that’s where all the flavor is. That’s where all those aromatic esters and aldehydes are, and they get destroyed by the same process that denatures those easily oxidized oils.”

Once Williams had defined what he was looking for in a bread flour, he started using flour that was shipped from a regional mill in South Carolina. Eventually he found a mill closer to home. “We found a couple of different options, and the one that really struck us was this place in Cambridge [Massachusetts] called Elmendorf Baking Supplies. They have a mill, and they mill for themselves and for some other people. And so we started ordering from them. They source their grain regionally from small regenerative farms. They work with private grains. They work with farms in New York and Maine and Massachusetts. The step we took here, we were getting bread flour from a variety of wheat called Glenthat is 15 and a half percent protein, which is astronomically high.”

(As a point of reference, King Arthur’s bread flour, which has an excellent reputation, has a protein content of 12.7 percent. The amount of protein in a flour determines how well a baker can develop gluten, the elastic material that gives a loaf of bread a chewy texture and traps carbon dioxide to make it puff up as it bakes.)

Williams uses a mixture of the Glen flour and rye flour to make his Swedish rye bread. “One of the tricky things about baking with rye flour is that rye notoriously destroys gluten structures,” he said. “So rye has almost no protein in it. This rye bread is only like 31 percent rye. It’s not a high rye, but the blend really does a great job of holding up with that rye in it.”

But for Williams, this flour is just one more step toward a truly great bread. Eventually, he said, he and his wife would like to mill their own flour. “It’s a process of evolution,” he summed up, “First the flour, then the mill, then a wood-fired oven, because I would much rather bake bread on a wood fire.”

Bread
The farm stand at Eden’s Table Farm (240 Stark Highway North, Dunbarton, 774-1811, edenstablefarm.square.site) is closed until Feb 5. Hours when it reopens will be Wedensday-Friday 1-7pm and Saturdays from 9am-5pm.

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