Category: Music This Week

• She showcase: A theatrical tribute to more than two dozen female solo icons and groups, Crowned28 ranges from Aretha to Lady Gaga. It’s the latest from Manchester singer Jordan Quinn, who did the diva-centric Queens a while back. The genre-fluid show offers hits from Heart, Linda Ronstadt and Pat Benatar, along with Celine Dion, Dolly Parton and Tina Turner, all backed by a full band. Thursday, April 23, at 7:30 p.m., Rex Theatre, 23 Amherst St., Manchester, $30, palacetheatre.org.

• Solidarity songs: To benefit NH Immigrant Mutual Aid Fund, Joyful Resistance: A Night of Protest Songs raises up music as a means to effect social change, from Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger to Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen. The event is hosted by Tess George and The Common Good Chorus, with performances from The Rise Up Singers, Fortune’s Favor, and No Planet B. Friday, April 24, 7 p.m., Unitarian Universalist Church, 58 Lowell St., Nashua, uunashua.org.

• Local lights: Celebrating the release of their new album Off The Grid, Slim Volume performs in downtown Concord. The LP offers lush harmonies, jangly riffs and modern lyrics — for the latter, check out “6:51” and the title cut. It’s another winner from one of New Hampshire’s standout acts. The show opens with fellow New Englanders Regals, and Hey, I’m Outside, the latter led by a pair of Southern expats. Friday, April 24, 8 p.m., BNH Stage, 16 S. Main St., $18, ccanh.com.

• Reliable rockers: Few Granite State bands can bring the party like Conniption Fits, a rollicking power trio that’s heated up regional nightclubs for multiple decades. From MTV staples like “Come On Eileen” to contemporary hits from Kings of Leon, Bruno Mars and Lorde, the band knows how to get crowds dancing. Their original project Echo the Divide is also very good. Saturday, April 25, 8 p.m., Stumble Inn Bar & Grill, 20 Rockingham Road, Londonderry, conniptionfits.com.

• Fleet fellow: A short New England run for Robin Pecknold wraps up in Nashua. It’s been close to two years since his band Fleet Foxes has performed, so a solo acoustic set is a welcome tonic for fans. Along with favorites like “Helplessness Blues” and “Mykonos,” Pecknold in the past has done Joni Mitchell’s “Amelia” and Glen Campbell’s “Wichita Lineman,” so expect surprises. Sunday, April 26, 7 p.m., Nashua Center for the Arts, 201 Main St., Nashua, $57 and up, etix.com.

• Mom rock: Adopted as their own by New England music fans in her Berklee days, Liz Longley has remained a favorite here. She returns to an intimate room for a solo show. On the title track of Longley’s latest album, New Life, she describes motherhood as “clarity in all this static” of uncertain times. “I brought new life to a dying planet,” she sings, “a shoreline to a sea of panic.” Thursday, April 16, 7:30 p.m., Flying Goose, 40 Andover Road, New London, $25, 526-6899.

• Last pass: With alumni including Jackson Browne and Steve Martin, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band was a driving force in the melting pot of folk, rock and roots music that came to be called Americana. After six decades together they’re in the midst of a farewell tour, offering a final chance to hear classics like “Long Hard Road (The Sharecropper’s Dream)” and “Mr. Bojangles.” Friday, April 17, 7:30 p.m., Nashua Center for the Arts, 201 Main St., Nashua, $68 and up, etix.com.

• Night moves: Return to the days of holding up a Bic lighter at a concert instead of an iPhone video with Live Bullet, a Bob Seger tribute band that sticks to his two live albums. Hopefully the extended versions, as the Nine Tonight version of “Brave Strangers,” originally a B-side, is among Seger’s best. Since 2010 the New England-based band has built a steady audience. Friday, April 17, 8:30 p.m., Murphy’s Taproom & Carriage House, 393 Route 101, Bedford, $42, eventbrite.com.

• Green night: At the third annual Earth Day concert, The Mighty Colors and Jamdemic return to raise environmental awareness and funds for Beaver Brook Association and show host Andres Institute of Art. Nashua-based Mighty Colors cover everyone from the Stones to Goose, while Jamdemic aims to “revive the public soul” with interpretations of Phish, Pink Floyd and more. Saturday, April 18, 7 p.m., Andres Institute of Art, 106 Route 13, Brookline, $25, andresinstitute.org.

• Song man: Inspired by Nashville music clubs like the Bluebird Café, Charlie Chronopoulos launched the White Horse Round series last month, inviting fellow singer-songwriters to come by and swap tunes. Check Chronopoulos’s Facebook page for this week’s guest, and head to Apple Music or YouTube to hear his music, including his most recent single, the dark, mournful “Shot.” Sunday, April 19, 5 p.m., Riley’s Place, 29 B Mont Vernon St., Milford, charliechronopoulos.com.

• Helping: To benefit TBI charity A Better Way to Help, Resurrection Blues Review features blues, rock and soul from Chambers-DesLauriers. The band is led by three-time Soul Blues Female Artist of the Year winner Annika Chambers and guitarist Paul DesLauriers, who was motivated to the cause after surviving a traumatic brain injury. Area favorites Nardia & The Blues Express open. Thursday, April 9, at 7 p.m., Tupelo Music Hall, 10 A St., Derry, $35 and up, tupelohall.com.

• Blending: Upper Valley-based acoustic duo The Lion Sisters grew up singing and playing together. With Josi and Lily on fiddle and guitar respectively, they offer lovely blood harmonies on charming originals like “Family Gold,” along with covers of folk songbook classics like Simon & Garfunkel’s “The Sound of Silence” and the sweet John Denver tune “Leaving On A Jet Plane.” Friday, April 10, at 7 p.m., Pembroke City Limits, 134 Main St., Suncook, thelionsistersmusic.com.

• Heritage: Sons of a jazz piano legend carry on his legacy as the Brubeck Brothers Quartet. Chris and Dan Brubeck have made music together for more than 50 years. Along with guitarist Mike DeMicco and pianist Chuck Lamb, they released the LP LifeTimes, a tribute to their father with reimagined songs like “Take Five” and “Blue Rondo à la Turk,” six months before Dave Brubeck’s death in 2012. Saturday, April 11, at 8 p.m., BNH Stage, 16 S. Main St., Concord, $23, ccanh.com.

• Jamming: Begun at Berklee and evolving into a New Hampshire band, the history of Slack Tide includes members who just walked on stage to join, but they’re a decidedly disciplined jam outfit. Led by guitarist Chris Cyrus, who grew up on Jack Johnson and Sublime along with psychedelic rockers like The Doors and the Dead, they stretch the genre’s definition with skill. Sunday, April 12, at 1 p.m., Harpoon at Queen City Center, 215 Canal St., Manchester, slacktideofficial.com.

• Southerly: A recurring roots music series at an Epsom microbrewery continues with Paper Wings, a Nashville folk duo, performing in the upstairs listening space. West Coast natives Emily Mann and Wila Frank became friends at music camps and festivals, ultimately heading to Music City. Their bluegrass-limned songs will appeal to fans of Lucinda Williams and the Be Good Tanyas. Tuesday, April 14, 7 p.m., Blasty Bough Brewing Co., 3 Griffin Road, Epsom, $25, cocatickets.com.

• Organized: A listening room show with food and wine served features J3ST, a Concord-based organ trio led by Tom Robinson on the Hammond. Scott Solsky’s seven-string guitar takes on half of the bass role, with drummer Jared Steer holding down his share of the rhythm. Thus, the vintage keyboard is out front, as the group delivers jazz, soul and funk grooves for a smooth, elegant show. Thursday, April 2, at 7 p.m., Hermit Woods Winery, 72 Main St., Meredith, $18, eventbrite.com.

• Loudness: Bring headphones for the kids, or better yet leave them home as Chiburi leads a five-band show promising lots of volume. The most recent release from the Granite State post-metal band is the relentless Exquisite Corpse, Part 1, released in 2024. Rounding out the raucous lineup are Lobotomobile, Miracle Blood, Lacquerhead and Noise Sludge. Friday, April 3, at 8 p.m., Terminus Underground, 134 Haines St., Nashua, $15, newhampshireunderground.org.

• Rumbling: Feel big drops, deep grooves and pulsing rhythm at a night of electronic dance music led by Space Wizard, a Colorado-based DJ and producer known for blending old and new sound for a new kind of dubstep. Special guests Slang Dogs, also from Denver, promise an “immersive audio visual experience,” with Ainonow, She-Wolf and Swamp Wizard also performing at this Hachi event. Friday, April 3, at 8 p.m., Jewel Music Venue, 61 Canal St., Manchester, $34, posh.vip.

• Stratophied: Many’s the musician that travels to Nashville for country music fame, but not Jax Hollow. The rough and tumble singer/guitarist left Boston for Music City with rock ’n’ roll dreams and a gritty bit of blues to boot. Rolling Stone France compared her to “an early Sheryl Crow or Melissa Etheridge,” who she opened for at the Ryman Auditorium with a “Hendrixian” solo set. Saturday, April 4, at 7:30 p.m., Rex Theatre, 23 Amherst St., Manchester, $40, palacetheatre.org.

• Showtiming: Theater kids and cosplay fans will enjoy Broadway Rave, a pair of shows brimming with show tunes and dancing, along with a healthy helping of dressing up. The event promises sing-alongs to songs from favorite musicals like Wicked, Hamilton, Rent, Mamma Mia! and more. Audience members are encouraged to don the attire of a favorite character for the entertaining all-ages event. Saturday, April 4, at 4 and 7:30 p.m., BNH Stage, 16 S. Main St., Concord, $23, ccanh.com.

• Songstress: After dueting with Shawn Colvin in the mid-1980s NYC folk boom, Lucy Kaplansky pivoted to earning a doctorate in clinical psychology and starting a private practice, but continued to sing. She added harmonies to Colvin’s debut album Steady On, backed Nanci Griffith on a couple of songs, and finally released her first solo LP, Flesh and Bone,in 1996. Thursday, March 26, 7:30 p.m., Flying Goose Brew Pub, 40 Andover Road, New London, $30, 526-6899.

• Convincing: The journey to channeling Johnny Cash began when Shawn Barker walked into auditions for the rock ’n’ roll origin musical Million Dollar Quartet with a rockabilly haircut and his eyes on the Elvis Presley role. The director had different ideas, though, and his decision pointed Barker to a new path and a multi-decade career starring in his tribute act, The Man In Black. Friday, March 27, 7:30 p.m., Nashua Center for the Arts, 201 Main St., Nashua, $25 and up, etix.com.

• Rocktivists: Now that Rage Against the Machine is off the road, bands like Evil Empire continue to carry the torch. The Connecticut act re-creates the group’s politically charged rap-metal sound, including Tom Morello’s hypnotic guitar and Zach de la Rocha’s frantic vocalizing. They’re joined by Lounge Fly, a tribute to Stone Temple Pilots, another band that sadly also won’t be touring again. Saturday, March 28, at 8 p.m., Tupelo Music Hall, 10 A St., Derry, $44, tupelohall.com.

• Pipe power: Though often mixed up with another band, the Red Hot Chilli Pipers is oceans away from the SoCal alt rockers — these guys lead with bagpipes. Winning top honors on the U.K. TV talent show When Will I Be Famous in 2007 launched the nine-piece group, who blend trad songs like “Flowers of Scotland” with bag rock covers of Journey, Coldplay and Snow Patrol. Thursday, March 19, 7:30 p.m., Nashua Center for the Arts, 201 Main St., Nashua, $35 and up, etix.com.

• Hometown girl: In his Hippo review of Looking For The Light, the latest LP from Amanda McCarthy, Eric W. Saeger praised “ear-grabbing” songs like “Vodka” and its “peak KT Tunstall”-evoking chorus. The New Hampshire native is now based in Nashville, but she comes back often. She’s a guest on Matt Connarton’s Unleashed show March 21 at 9 a.m. on WMNH 95.3 FM. Friday, March 20, 6:30 p.m., San Francisco Kitchen, 133 Main St., Nashua, amancamccarthy.com.

• Song spinner: Released last year, Something About a Horse from Ian Galipeau is a solid collection of songs, including the countrified “A Father’s Love” and “Say Goodbye,” its melancholy counterpart. “Call It Home” is another standout, a rollicking, funny tune about first-time home ownership. Galipeau plays an afternoon set of his originals at a popular craft brewery. Saturday, March 21, 4 p.m., Great North Aleworks, 1050 Holt Ave., No. 14, Manchester, iangalipeaumusic.com.