Category: Music This Week

• Summer songs: A season of weekend music kicks off with Katie Dobbins, an inspirational singer-songwriter who also organizes the Hermit Woods Winery regional showcases. The summer series at a family farm’s outdoor beer garden welcomes solo acts like Amanda McCarthy (June 11), Dan Fallon (June 18), and Dakota Smart (June 26) Thursday through Sunday all month. Thursday, June 4, at 5:30 p.m., Beans & Greens Farm, 245 Intervale Road, Gilford, beansandgreensfarm.com.

• Metallic KO: For those who like their sounds on the heavier side, Martial Law tops a five-band underground metal bill. The Nashua-based groove metal band, fronted by bullhorn belter Brandon Benson, released the aggressively-minded EP A Means to Control a few years back. Rounding out the relentless night of rock are Art of Aggression, Overtime Fightcore, Fallen Monarch and Vauli. Friday, June 5, at 7 p.m., Jewel Music Venue, 61 Canal St., Manchester, $15, ticketleap.com.

• Musical kings: One of the area’s better-known Elvis impersonators stretches out for the Legends Tribute, an evening of country-leaning music from Johnny Cash, George Jones, Waylon Jennings, Roy Orbison and Neil Diamond along with the King of Rock ’n’ Roll. Robert Black is a Rhode Island-based singer who also possesses Presley’s distinctive Comeback Show sideburns. Saturday, June 6, at 6 p.m., Fulchino Vineyard, 187 Pine Hill Road, Hollis, $29, fulchinovineyard.com.

• Get psyched: Sounds from the galactic zone take the spotlight at Souls of Psychedelic Rock. Four local bands perform, including The Whole Loaf, Vales End, The Cherry Fog and Lee & Dr. G. The latter is guitarist Lee Durham teaming up with Louisiana-born Brandon Gauthier, who fell in love with a 100-watt Fender amp as a teenager and has kept it turned up since. Saturday, June 6, 7 p.m., Terminus Underground, 134 Haines St., Nashua, $15, newhampshireunderground.org.

• Hard rockers: Multiple subgenres of heavy music converge at the Backwoods Metal Fest, with more than two dozen area bands performing over two days. On the bill are Burt Bacharach Band playing grindcore and blurcore, False Gods doing stoner, doom and sludge, prog metal from Vrsa, Dent with old-school garage rock and punk, and local favorites Sick Dude Hell Yeah. Friday, May 29, 3:30 p.m., Henniker Brewing Co., 129 Centervale Road, Henniker, $20-$40, eventbrite.com.

• Special night: The Laugh Attic open mic becomes a showcase for the night as Josh Day tapes his new special May Day there. Day got his start over a decade ago when a paddleboarding accident left him paralyzed for a while. After surviving a broken neck, breaking a leg on stage made more sense. Danny Pee, Alex Williams, Mike Dupont, Krister Holler and Sarah May round out the bill. Friday, May 29, 8 p.m., Strange Brew Tavern, 88 Market St., Manchester, $20, eventbrite.com.

• American music: A member of the New Orleans Traditional Jazz Camp’s piano faculty, Heather Pierson is more than qualified to make her new album Alone At Last, a collection of original ragtime piano compositions. There are plenty of interpretations of the genre’s classics around, but Pierson is among a small group of pianists writing new material, which fans can hear at a release show. Saturday, May 30, 6 p.m., Hermit Woods Winery, 72 Main St., Meredith, eventbrite.com.

• Granite debut: Born and raised in Connecticut, Suave-Ski found his rapping muse after his parents sent him to live with family in Texas to address his troublesome teenage tendencies. He credits hip-hop with saving his life, and upon returning to New England after high school Suave continued making records and touring. A Concord show is his first in New Hampshire. Saturday, May 30, 6 p.m., Penuche’s Ale House, 16 Bicentennial Square, Concord, $5, mocgmedia.com.

• Classic funk: Prior to joining with George Clinton, keyboard player Danny Bedrosian led Sweet Motha’ Child, a funk band with over a dozen members that played the region during the Millennium-straddling years. After that, Bedrosian got with P-Funk. SMC made a new album a couple of years ago and is now in the midst of a reunion tour in support of the funky, horn-forward effort, called 7. Sunday, May 31, 7 p.m., Tupelo Music Hall, 10 A St., Derry, $35, tupelohall.com.

• Blues power: Until he stumbled into a Chicago nightclub in the early 1990s, Johnny Burgin planned to be a writer. But the city’s blues scene captivated him, and before long he was playing in a band and sharing stages with legends like Sam Lay, Billy Boy Arnold and Pinetop Perkins. Thursday, May 21, 7:30 p.m., Brickhouse Restaurant & Brewery, 241 Union Square, Milford, johnnyburgin.com.

• Laugh tonight: A night of standup is headlined by Jay Chanoine, with Klia Ververidis and Rick Gauthier. Friday, May 22, 7 p.m., American Legion Post 81, 169 Bound Tree Road, Hopkinton, $20, eventbrite.com.

• Guitar hero: Early on, guitarist Quinn Sullivan knew his destiny. His parents taught him the Mt. Rushmore of rockers: Beatles, Stones, Dead, Allmans. It was a vital inculcation; Sullivan picked up a guitar at age 3, guested on Ellen at 6, was mentored by blues giant Buddy Guy when he turned 8, and as a teenager he played with rock music giants at Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Festival. Friday, May 22, 8 p.m., Tupelo Music Hall, 10 A St., Derry, $40 and up, tupelohall.com.

• Country man: The outdoor venue behind Town Cabin Restaurant & Deli is now open, with Willy Chase one of four weekend performers (Sunday Ave. plays Friday, Justin Federico’s on Sunday, with Taylor Hughes on Memorial Day). Chase is nearing completion of a long-awaited EP; a teaser from one of its tracks is on the socials — “Pushin’ My Luck” is a great drink and regret song. Saturday, May 23, 6 p.m., The Barnyard, 285 Old Candia Road, Candia, candiabarnyardvenue.com.

• Rock doll: With her first official live album set for release next month, Samantha Fish has a pair of upcoming shows in New Hampshire.Sunday, May 24, 7 p.m., Nasha Center for the Arts, 201 Main St., Nashua, $55 and up, etix.com.

• Dolly smart: Since emerging from a hiatus in 2017, indie-rock stalwarts The Mammals are still going strong. Last year’s expansive LP Touch Grass Vol. 1 & 2 was a call to community for the activism-minded group, called “a party band with a conscience” by the Boston Globe. An upcoming listening room show benefits the local chapter of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. Thursday, May 14, 7 p.m., Stone Church, 5 Granite St., Newmarket, $25, stonechurchrocks.com.

• Local lights: One of the better About web pages belongs to Happy Just to See You, where the moody rockers list artists they’ve been compared to “by people of various levels of intoxicated.” It includes Counting Crows, Pixies and “this band from the 90s, I’m blanking on the name.” A release show with openers Megan From Work and Slim Volume celebrates a new album, Last Week’s Horse. Friday, May 15, 8 p.m., BAD BRGR, 1015 Elm St., Manchester, $10, evenbrite.com.

• Heavy music: Fans with VIP tickets to an upcoming show by post-metal rockers A World Worth Burning will receive a bootleg CD from their debut performance last November. The instrumental band, formed by members of Vigil, has an album due in June. A dreamy preview track, “Speak No Evil,” came out last month. Koga NH and Z/28 open the show. Saturday, May 16, 8 p.m., Terminus Underground, 134 Haines St., Nashua, $15 and up, newhampshireunderground.org.

• Old-timey: With a mix of bluegrass, old-time string band and blues music, Any Which Way is led by folk scene veteran Scott Heron with, according to Heron’s website, “a rotating lineup of stellar musicians.” A guitar, fiddle and upright bass rendition of the old standard “Walk That Lonesome Valley” is a tasty treat. They’re at a live music hub that recently rolled out a new food menu. Saturday, May 16, 7 p.m., Pembroke City Limits, 134 Main St., Pembroke, theanywhichway.com.

• Soothing duo: Musicians and friends Brad Myrick & Tom Pirozzoli share an afternoon of songs at an art gallery that’s not far from jazz guitarist Myrick’s home. It’s also where Pirozzoli, a folk singer and painter, has shown several works of art, including his still life “Kitchen Window.” Their duo show promises “spontaneous interplay, a touch of the world, and a whole lot of fun.” Sunday, May 17, 5 p.m., Two Villages Art Society, 846 Main St., Contoocook, twovillagesart.org.

• Civil roar: With a 2025 concept album inspired by George Washington’s Rules of Civility, Paul Gilbert continues his WROC world tour with a stop in Derry. The shredding legend’s latest is high-energy rock blending humor, history, and precision guitar work from the man who co-founded both Mr. Big and Racer X. Blues and jazz guitar giant Greg Koch opens the energetic double bill. Thursday, May 7, at 8 p.m., Tupelo Music Hall, 10 A St., Derry, $45 and up, tupelohall.com.

• Roots unit: After he left Hot Day at the Zoo, Michael Dion formed Daemon Chili and electrified many of his old band’s bluegrass songs, comparable to Bob Dylan’s transformation at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival. Inspired by the Dead, the Allman Brothers and others, they fuse elements of rock, blues, reggae into an Americana sound. The most recent LP is 2017’s Mercy of the Sea. Friday, May 8, at 9 p.m., Penuche’s Ale House, 16 Bicentennial Square, Concord, $5 at the door, 21+.

• Totally fab: In a crowded field of Beatles tribute acts, Britain’s Finest stands out for youthful exuberance — according to their website they’re the youngest touring Fab Faux. The detail and scope of their act is also notable. They perform in period costumes, use vintage Rickenbacker, Ludwig and Gretsch instruments, and perform songs once done live alongside studio-only tracks. Saturday, May 9, at 2 and 7:30 p.m., Rex Theatre, 23 Amherst St., Manchester, $44, palacetheatre.org.

• Family way: Nobody knows John Prine’s songs like his brother Billy Prine. During concerts celebrating a life in song, he tells stories behind his beloved catalog, like the first time John played a reel-to-reel recording of “Paradise” for their father at the family kitchen table. The show includes classics like “Speed of the Sound of Loneliness” and “In Spite of Ourselves” (with singer Scarlett Egan). Sunday, May 10, at 4 p.m., BNH Stage, 16 S. Main St., Concord, $54, ccanh.com.

• Victory lap: Marking the 30th anniversary of their breakout album Bringing Down the Horse, The Wallflowers perform in the Lakes Region. On the strength of hits like “One Headlight,” “Sixth Avenue Heartache” and “The Difference,” the 1996 release earned multiple Grammy nominations and helped move Jakob Dylan out of his famous father’s shadow to establish him as a musical force. Tuesday, May 12, at 8 p.m., Colonial Theatre, 609 Main St., Laconia, $57 and up, etix.com.

• Laugh learning: Many comics began in education. Share It with the Class – A Teachers Comedy Show showcases four of them. Mark Riley is an ex-teacher and hockey referee who spent a week in the NHL before realizing he enjoyed the stage more. Dan Crohn and Mr. B (Jim Bowes) both still teach by day and tell jokes at night, as does middle school science teacher Bill Douglas. Friday, May 1, 7:30 p.m., Rex Theatre, 23 Amherst St., Manchester, $34, palacetheatre.org.

• Rock show: More than 25 years after the release of their eponymous first album, post-grunge stalwarts Tantric are still on the road. Led by front man and lone original member Hugo Ferreira, who founded the act with what was left of Days of the New, they hit the Billboard Mainstream Rock Top Five with “Breakdown” in 2001. Chunky Love, Thumz Down and Dead Time open a local show. Friday, May 1, 7 p.m., Bungalow Bar & Grill, 333 Valley St., Manchester, $26, dice.fm.

• Kiss goodbye: Discovered in the mid-’70s by KISS bassist Gene Simmons, Angel is in the midst of a farewell tour that stops in Derry. Blending hard rock, prog and a glamourous white satin image, the Washington, D.C., band rose with songs like “Tower” and their cover of “Ain’t Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore.” Founding members Frank DiMino and Punky Meadows lead the current lineup. Saturday, May 2, 8 p.m., Tupelo Music Hall, 10 A St., Derry, $45, tupelohall.com.

• Sun country: Based in Tempe, Arizona, emo pop punk band Sundressed are in town with fellow Take This To Heart Records labelmates Thanks! I Hate It and nu-punk band 40 Lashes opening the all-ages show. Lead singer, guitarist and lyricist Trevor Hedges started the group as therapy for his addiction and a path to sobriety, as detailed in the band’s first EP, 2015’s Dig Up A Miracle. Sunday, May 3, 8 p.m., BAD BRGR, 1015 Elm St., Manchester, $10 at the door, badbrgr.com.