Category: Music This Week

Local music news & events

• Funny dad: Quintessential New England comic Juston McKinney holds forth for an evening of standup in Derry. His secret sauce is an ever-changing set of material, a keen observer’s eye for regional foibles, and relatable self-deprecation, along with a skill for illuminating life’s absurdities with smiling kindness. His latest comedy special, On the Bright Side, was filmed in Manchester. Thursday, July 25, 8 p.m., Labelle Winery, 14 Route 111, Derry, $40 at labellewinery.com.

• Maine man: The Cocheco Arts Festival continues with Toby McAllister & the Sierra Sounds. Maine-based McAllister is a singer and guitarist who came to prominence as the founding member of Sparks The Rescue. That band’s rhythm section backed him on last year’s solo effort Autumn Skies. Friday, July 26, 6:30 p.m., Henry Law Park, 1 Washington St., Dover; tobymcallister.com.

• Smoke show: A barbecue benefiting a veteran support group has music from four bands. 61 Ghosts is singer/guitarist Joe Mazzari and drummer Dixie Deadwood, a roots rock effort inspired by John Hiatt, Link Wray and others. Rounding out the bill are Burn Permit, Sumwhat Lucky and Corduroy. The Operation Up In Smoke event includes a pig roast, brisket and ribs. Saturday, July 27, noon, American Legion, 232 Calef Highway, Epping, $30/plate, fishingforthemission.org.

• Summer night: Performing an extended set, Train appears in the Lakes Region, as the pop rock band takes a brief break from its co-headlining tour with REO Speedwagon. They will have support from Yacht Rock Revue, who have covered songs such as “Ride Like the Wind” and “So Into You” since 2007. Train is carrying on after losing a founding member in May. Sunday, July 28, 8 p.m., BankNH Pavilion, 72 Meadowbrook Lane, Gilford, $38.50 and up at livenation.com.

• Song pull: Continuing its support of original music, a Meredith winery hosts Songwriter RoundUp. The monthly show is hosted by Katie Dobbins, who also plays a few of her own songs. The evening’s lineup has country performer Lexi James, and Charlie Chronopoulos, whose LP Chesty Rollins’ Dead End was a stark look at life in his home state of New Hampshire. Wednesday, July 31, 5:30 pm., Hermit Woods Winery, 72 Main St., Meredith, $10 to $15 at hermitwoods.com.

Local music news & events

• Blues time: Ireland gives way to the South Side of Chicago at the weekly Blues Therapy event. This edition features Brave New Blues, the duo of boundary-pushing guitarist Troy Mercy and Hadley Lloyd. An endorsement of suspicious origin (screenwriter Alan Smithee) dubbed their sound “Lightnin’ Hopkins playing with The Small Faces while Terry Gilliam films it all.” Thursday, July 18, 8 p.m., Wild Rover, 21 Kosciuszko St., Manchester; more at troymercy.com.

• Al fresco country: New England Music Awards favorite Annie Brobst kicks off weekend music at Tuscan Village’s Lake Park. Her breezy, pop-adjacent brand of country has led her to some big stages, supporting Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, Hardy and more. Friday, July 19, 7 p.m., Tuscan Village, 9 Via Toscana Salem. Visit anniebrobstmusic.com.

• Local lights: Three members of JamAntics comprise Lucas Gallo & The Guise: Gallo, bassist Eric Reingold, and Freeland Hubbard on guitar, with drummer Curtis Marden. Original songs from the three old bandmates share rootsy jam band elements, while others are more lyrically driven. Gallo calls the overall mood “good vibes with good intentions.” Saturday, July 20, 9 p.m., Penuche’s Ale House, 16 Bicentennial Square, Concord $5/door; 21+. Visit lucasgallomusic.com.

• Celtic power: Enjoy a fun and musically rich evening from Tartan Terrors, a group of youthful kilt-wearers with a talent for making traditional Celtic music accessible to all audiences. They combine the energy of a rock show with fiddle, bagpipes, pennywhistle, step dancing and humor, like the NSFW joke describing the difference between a Rolling Stone and a Scotsman. Sunday, July 21, 7 p.m., Tupelo Music Hall, 10 A St., Derry, $39 and up at tupelohall.com.

• Teaming up: In their ’70s heyday, a co-headlining tour with Daryl Hall & Elvis Costello would have seemed odd, given Hall & Oates’s Philly soul and Costello’s angry young man pose at the time. However, in 1984 Hall sang backup on Costello’s song “The Only Flame in Town.” Reviews of their current outing, filled with hits from both artists, have been glowing, Monday, July 22, 7 pm., BankNH Pavilion, 72 Meadowbrook Lane, Gilford, $55 and up at livenation.com.

Local music news & events

• 2000s redux: Last year’s successful Summer Gods Tour returns with Third Eye Blind again topping the bill. Yellowcard, with a punk pop sound augmented by electric violin, is the middle band on the show, rounded out by Arizona. Thursday, July 11, 6:30 p.m., BankNH Pavilion, 72 Meadowbrook Lane, Gilford, $33 and up at livenation.com.

• Country girl: Summer music on Lake Sunapee continues through August. Coming up is April Cushman, a singer and guitarist with a solid reputation in her home region who will go worldwide when she performs in Denmark this autumn. Upcoming at the bucolic performing space are Madou Sidiki Diabate (July 19), Charlie Chronopoulos (July 26), The Rough and Tumble (Aug. 9) and Ari Hest (Aug. 16). Friday, July 12, 7:30 p.m., The Livery, 58 Main St., Sunapee, $20 at thelivery.org.

• Hoppy music: Along with the Keep NH Brewing Festival’s many ales and lagers is music, from Taylor Hughes and Whatsername. The latter is a fun alt-rock trio that touches on a range of artists, from Green Day to the White Stripes and Tokio Hotel. Hughes is an engaging singer-songwriter with a growing catalog of original songs along with many well-chosen cover selections. Saturday, July 13, 1 p.m., Everett Arena, 15 Loudon Road, Concord, $50 at nhbrewers.org.

• Street fair: A Summer Block Party presented by the Currier Museum has music from Party of the Sun, a psychedelic folk trio that’s informed by Americana traditions. They’ve released a pair of full-length records, and their songs have been on CW’s Charmed, Fox’s Deputy and other shows. The event includes art activities, free admission to the gallery, food trucks and a beer and wine tent. Sunday, July 14, 3 p.m., Currier Museum of Art, 150 Ash St., Manchester, currier.org.

• Blues summit: Free evening gazebo concerts continue in Henniker with Frankie Boy & The Blues Express performing music that ranges from traditional to modern funk, with a bit of hip-hop on occasion. . Tuesday, July 16, 6 pm., Angela Robinson Bandstand, 57 Main St., Henniker, henniker.org.

Local music news & events

• Happy Fourth: A patriotic celebration in downtown Nashua, Riverfest offers performances from four different acts: Lone Wolf James, Who.iam, Jesse Rutstein and The Whole Loaf. The charity event highlights the community and culture of the Riverfront area and is presented by Nashua Veterans Promise in partnership with Involved To Impact and Midnight Creatives Collective. Thursday, July 4, noon, Liquid Therapy, 14 Court St., Nashua, involvedtoimpact.wordpress.com.

• Southern charm: Scrappy singer-guitarist Ciara MacKenzie performs. Check out the video of her song “This Side of the Barbed Wire” to get a sense of her musical skills. Friday, July 5, 6 p.m., Backyard Brewery & Kitchen, 1211 S. Mammoth Road, Manchester. Visit cieramackenzie.net.

• Dynamic duo: Classic and yacht rock share the stage as Justin Hayward and Christopher Cross perform, reprising a tour done last year. The idea of hitting the road together was Hayward’s, who told American Songwriter recently that he’s a big fan of Cross. “I know wherever I’m in the building and he starts playing ‘Sailing’ I just have to stand there and listen to it,” he said. “It’s great.” Saturday, July 6, 8 pm., Tupelo Music Hall, 10 A St., Derry, $99 and up at tupelohall.com.

• Song swap: An intimate NH Music Collective spotlight show has Ian Archibold and Ian Galipeau. The latter performs indie rock “for hopeful cynics” and is a good choice for fans of Ben Harper and Hozier; he’s based in Keene. Originally from Panama, Archibold is a singer and guitarist who released an EP, Parallel, a while back and covers Coldplay, John Mayer and The Beatles. Sunday, July 7, 6 p.m., Cantin Room at BankNH Stage, 16 S. Main St., Concord, $18.75 at ccanh.com.

• Hometown hero: It’s been an excellent year for Brooks Young. The blues rock guitarist did a few more shows with his new pal George Thorogood, and he’s headlining with his band in Keene this weekend at the new-ish Colonial Showroom. When he’s not high-profiling it, Young plays a lot of solo gigs like this midweek one at a music-friendly Manchester bar and restaurant. Wednesday, July 10, 6 p.m., Derryfield Restaurant, 625 Mammoth Road, Manchester, brooksyoung.com.

Local music news & events

• Rocking on: A pair of area bands play their own music on an outdoor stage at Original Music Night. Stand Up Audio is the coming together of four New Hampshire musicians who were in cover acts over the years, while Diamond Edge has released a few albums. Their latest, Unbroken, has a song called “Lockdown” that’s a shout out to a bunch of local bands. Thursday, June 27, 7 p.m., Makris Lobster & Steak House, 354 Sheep Davis Road, Concord, tinyurl.com/mtdtzrvb.

• Pure pop: Beginning as pub rock progenitor, Nick Lowe has worn many musical hats over a long career. His latest single is “Went to a Party,” from his upcoming album Indoor Safari. He performs with longtime pals Los Straitjackets. Friday, June 28, 8 p.m., Palace Theatre, 80 Hanover St., Manchester, $49 and up at palacetheatre.org.

• Twang thang: Fresh from Boston Calling and with a new album, Ward Hayden & the Outliers play an early evening set of country music that recalls Dwight Yoakam and Buck Owens. The show will hopefully happen at a newly opened performance space in Suncook Village, if the final pieces are in place; otherwise, it’s at Rob Azevedo’s barn. Saturday, June 29, 6 pm., Pembroke City Limits, 134 Main St., Pembroke — email pembrokecitylimits@gmail.com for more info.

• Quite lyrical: Mixing new material and old favorites, gifted songwriter Josh Ritter performs Works In Progress and Songs You Know. The latter includes gems like “Horse No Rider” from last year’s brilliant Spectral Lines and hopefully “Me & Jiggs” from Ritter’s 2001 debut, Golden Age of Radio, which name-checked Townes Van Zandt and announced the arrival of a major talent to the world. Sunday, June 30, 7 p.m., Tupelo Music Hall, 10 A St., Derry, $50 at tupelohall.com.

• Soulful strut: Funky, sassy and joyful sextet Josyln & the Sweet Compression play a free concert on the green. Singer Joslyn Hampton fronts a band that includes extra spice from sax player Trevin Little and Sam Richardson on keyboards. Standouts from their most recent album, 2023’s Bona Fide, are the empowering title cut and “Cuttin’ It Off,” a dance-ready throwdown track. Wednesday, July 3, 7 p.m., Town Common, 265 Mammoth Road, Londonderry. Visit joslynandtsc.com.

Local music news & events

• Local sounds: Enjoy a sumptuous buffet of regional music at Market Days, running through Saturday in downtown Concord. There’s music on three stages representing the Granite State and more, such as Ultimate Queen Celebration, a tribute performance closing out Friday’s festivities on the Main Stage in front of Concord Co-Op. Bicentennial Square will host the most local talent. Starts Thursday, June 20, 1 p.m., Pleasant and South Main streets, Concord, marketdaysfestival.com.

• Shape shift: On any given night, Marcus Rezak might play fiery blues rock originals, perform with Frank Zappa’s old band mates, or do a prog-rock-infused Grateful Dead tribute. This time he brings Phish 1.0: Gumbo to town. It focuses on the Vermont band’s earliest phase, some of which happened at the storied club he’s playing at, and includes vintage gear from the same period. Friday, June 21, 8 p.m., Stone Church, 5 Granite St., Newmarket, $15 at stonechurchrocks.com.

• Pond crossers: Enjoy the hits of bands from The Beatles and Stones to Wham! and Radiohead as the Brit Pack performs. Founded by U.K. musicians Mark Sidney Johnson and Will Haywood Smith, with Americans Brian Percival and Matt Nakoa, the group faithfully covers decades of classics, from the British Invasion to early MTV through the ’90s second wave fueled by Oasis and Radiohead. Saturday, June 15, 8:30 pm., Rex Theatre, 23 Amherst St., Manchester, $35 at palacetheatre.org.

• Melody man: The soprano saxophone played by Kenny G gave soft jazz an identity; countless fans who couldn’t name an instrumental song if they tried will pick out his ’80s smash “Songbird” while winding through the aisles at Target on the weekend. His 1992 album Breathless is the best-selling instrumental record of all time, going platinum over a dozen times; his latest LP is Innocence. Saturday, June 22, 7:30 p.m., Colonial Theatre, 609 Main St., Laconia, $59 and up at etix.com.

• Blues power: Bring a mister and big bottle of water to see Brian Templeton & the Delta Generators perform a gazebo show, as record temperatures are forecast. Wednesday, June 26, 7 p.m., Town Common, 265 Mammoth Road, Londonderry, $39 and up at etix.com.