Category: Music This Week

Local music news & events

• Anniversary: Though his current tour is a celebration of his breakthrough album, Eric Hutchinson almost didn’t make Sounds Like This. Before recording began in 2007, Hutchinson was so frustrated with sparsely attended shows and multiple releases that landed without a trace that he nearly quit music. To avoid having to tell friends and family he’d failed, he pressed on with sessions that produced memorable tracks like “You Don’t Have to Believe Me.” Thursday, Oct. 26, 8 p.m., Tupelo Music Hall, 10 A St., Derry, tickets $35 at tupelomusichall.com.
• Homecoming: Don’t worry about hearing unfamiliar songs when Godsmack performs with opening band Extreme, as the regional favorites recently announced they are finished making new music with the release of Light Up the Sky. From now on, nothing but hits. “You need to honor that career and go out and give the people what they want to hear,” front man Sully Erna told Metal Injection in February. “And that’s what we’re looking forward to.” Friday, Oct. 27, 7:30 p.m., SNHU Arena, 555 Elm St., Manchester, $39.50 and up at snhuarena.com.
• Miraculous: There have been more than a few milestones this year for Amy Grant, including her first new songs in over a decade. Nothing compares, though, to her recovery from a bicycle accident that caused brain trauma severe enough that she had to re-learn the words to many songs from her catalog. Now Grant is back on an extensive tour that stops in the Lakes Region, grateful for the chance to perform “Baby, Baby” and other hits for delighted audiences. Saturday, Oct. 28, 8 pm., Colonial Theatre, 609 Main St., Laconia, $59 and up at etix.com.
• Songsmith: Andrew Geano is a singer-songwriter with a variety of influences including John Mayer, Liz Phair and Jeff Buckley. His most recent single is the brooding “Head Voice” with its ominous refrain of “careful, careful … keep your head down.” Geano has a 6 p.m. evening set at Manchester’s Backyard Brewery on Saturday and another to the north the next day in the afternoon. Sunday, Oct. 29, 1 p.m., Contoocook Cider Co., 656 Gould Hill Road, Contoocook, andrewgeanomusic.com.
• Jazzman: In addition to being a premier trumpet player and composer, Benny Benack III is a great vocalist and his latest, Third Time’s The Charm, is garnering solid reviews. He’s in Portsmouth for with his band. Wednesday, Nov. 1, 7:30 p.m., Jimmy’s Jazz & Blues Club, 135 Congress St., Portsmouth, ticketmaster.com.

Local music news & events

• Grunge alike: Start the weekend early with Chicago-based tribute act Smells Like Nirvana. Hit their website with advance requests for the 21+ show, which promises selections from Nevermind, In Utero and Bleach, along with a few B-sides and rarities. Dead Original opens. Thursday, Oct. 19, 8 p.m., Angel City Music Hall, 179 Elm St., Manchester, $15 at ticketweb.com.
• Change up: A foremost singer-songwriter is joined by a premier guitarist as Lyle Lovett & Leo Kottke perform. The show was forced to be reconfigured when Lovett’s original tour mate, John Hiatt, injured himself in a fall while hiking (“He’s recovering nicely,” Lovett reassured a Troy, New York, crowd on Oct. 8). The fall tour dates are now divided between Kottke and Chris Isaak. Friday, Oct. 20, 8 p.m., Capitol Center for the Arts, 44 S. Main St., Concord, $58.25 and up at ccanh.com.
• Helping out: In support of Concord Coalition to End Homelessness, Delta Generators provide the music for the annual Blues, Brews & BBQ cookout. Pre-order a selection of smoked goodies, or go whole hog with the pit master’s special, with brisket, sausage and pulled pork. Come to enjoy a band led by singer, harp player and guitarist Brian Templeton. Saturday, Oct. 21, 1 p.m., Faraday Function Center, 48 Airport Road, Concord, more at concordhomeless.org/blues-brews-bbq.
• Big night: A weekly hip-hop event goes big as the Rap Night Supershow welcomes six performers from three tours: Esh & The Isolations, Shubzilla, Ardamus, Bill Beats, Taste of Vomit and Tim Jones. There’s a cypher, the genre’s equivalent of a song circle, happening early in the evening, which is hosted by eyenine and Shawn Caliber, with DJ Myth spinning. Sunday, Oct. 22, 9 p.m., Shaskeen Pub, 909 Elm St., Manchester, $7/door, 21+. See facebook.com/RapNightManchester.
• Tune swap: The latest in an ongoing singer-songwriter series has Katie Dobbins, a New England Music Awards Best Female Performer of the Year nominee, playing and hosting. She’s joined by indie rock tunesmith Ian Galipeau, and George Barber, a folk singer who draws his inspiration from John Prine, Steve Earle, Jason Isbell and other Americana artists and who also cooks for the hosting winery and restaurant. Wednesday, Oct. 25, 6 pm., Loft at Hermit Woods, 72 Main St., Meredith, $10 to $15 at eventbrite.com.

Local music news & events

• Spooky: Ease into Halloween season with a themed presentation of Candlelight. The Listeso String Quartet reimagines versions of songs like “Ghostbusters,” “Thriller,” “The Addams Family” theme and “Tubular Bells,” mixing them with classical pieces from Schubert, Mussorgsky, Shostakovich and others. It’s all played on a stage filled with hundreds of lit candles. Thursday, Oct. 12, 6 and 8:30 p.m., Rex Theatre, 23 Amherst St., Manchester, $43 and up at palacetheatre.org.
• Lyrical: Along with penning country music hits, Lori McKenna has released several albums; her latest is this year’s 1988. She earned a Grammy nomination for 2016’s The Bird and the Rifle, and the Academy of Country Music named her Songwriter of the Year in 2017. Friday, Oct. 13, 8 p.m., Colonial Theatre, 609 Main St., Laconia, $39 and up at etix.com.
• Fraternal: A fundraiser for the Boys & Girls Club of Milford, Decades Birthday Jam has the Ballou Brothers Band, the Pop Farmers and special guests performing. The headlining group has been around since the early ’70s, beginning with rehearsals in an abandoned Hollis chicken coop. They’ve made five albums, while keeping their current lineup for 25 years. Saturday, Oct. 14, 8 pm., Riley’s Place, 29B Mont Vernon St., Milford; more at facebook.com/rileysplacellc.
• Timeless: When “American Pie” arrived in 1971, it put Don McLean atop the charts and caused a sensation unlike any song that came before. Scholars analyzed it while fans obsessively pored over each line for hidden meaning, and McLean gave listeners plenty to sift through. His epic tune had humble origins, though; it began with him alone in a writing room and became a cultural touchstone. Saturday, Oct. 14, 7 p.m., Capitol Center for the Arts, 44 S. Main St., Concord, $48.25 and up at etix.com.
• Throwback: In addition to mining the decade’s musical treasures, The Sixties Show is a theatrical production, a rich multimedia trip down memory lane, with audio and video clips from a historical time. The six-piece band includes veteran players who’ve performed with stars like John Fogerty, Steely Dan, Emmitt Rhodes, and Roger Daltrey. Sunday, Oct. 15, 7 p.m., Nashua Center for the Arts, 201 Main St., Nashua, $29 and up at etix.com (also Oct. 14, 8 p.m. at Colonial Theatre)

Local music news & events

• Macca: The natural right-handed front man of The McCartney Experience taught himself to play bass left-handed, one of the tribute act’s many realistic elements. Their show includes music from the early Beatles era through McCartney’s solo and Wings periods. Thursday, Oct. 5, 7:30 p.m., Palace Theatre, 80 Hanover St., Manchester, $39 at palacetheatre.org.
• Zeppelinesque: Among the accolades received by Kashmir is performing at a private party for Coldplay’s Chris Martin a few years back. Lead singer and Robert Plant doppelgänger Jean Violet asked Martin how he’d found them, and he replied that friends told him that they were the best at what they do. The group began in 2001 and uses authentic gear, including Jimmy Page’s famed double-neck guitar. Friday, Oct. 6, 8 p.m., Tupelo Music Hall, 10 A St., Derry, $35 at tupelohall.com.
• Moving: Area 23 will become The Forum Pub at a new location, so Andrew North & the Rangers is shifting its Ranger Zone open mic to Bank of NH Stage every first Wednesday for now. Keeping their hometown spirit, the energetic, intelligent jam band performs at a favorite basement bar. Their latest release is the live LP Thanks for the Warning. Saturday, Oct. 7, 9 pm., Penuche’s Ale House, 16 Bicentennial Square, Concord, $5 at the door, 21+, more at andrewnorthandtherangers.com.
• Moody: One of the great stories told by Justin Hayward is how The Moody Blues came to make Days of Future Past. The landmark album, which included “Tuesday Afternoon” and “Nights in White Satin,” was intended to be a stereo test album. It became so popular that NASA astronauts listened to it on the Space Shuttle, and the band is now in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Sunday, Oct. 8, 7 p.m., Nashua Center for the Arts, 201 Main St., Nashua, $49.
• Mammoth: Formed almost 40 years ago, heavy metal sci-fi stalwarts Gwar don’t have any original members, but their spirit lives on, with outsized costumes and an invented mythology centered on an interplanetary war. The group recently launched a line of action figures at the New York Toy Fair, with the first batch including Oderus, Balsac, JizMak, Blothar, Pusty and Beefcake. Wednesday, Oct. 11, 7 p.m., Wally’s Pub, 144 Ashworth Avenue, Hampto, $45 and at ticketmaster.com (21+).

Local music news & events

• Survivor: On his most recent album, Ride, Walter Trout got reflective while keeping the blues rock chugging. Much of the new disc deals with the difficulties Trout faced growing up in an abusive home; “Hey Mama” and “Ghosts” are two harrowing examples. The 70-year-old guitarist first gained notice playing in John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, before going solo in 1989. Thursday, Sept. 28, 8 p.m., Nashua Center for the Arts, 201 Main St., Nashua, $39 and up at etix.com.
• Suffering fools: In his one-man show The Book of Moron, Robert Dubac takes the idea of aliens landing and attempting to understand human nature more down to earth, playing an amnesiac desperately in need of people to explain a world where the loudest voices are often the dumbest. It’s “Idiocracy is a documentary” with even more alternative facts and ignorant bluster. Friday, Sept. 29, 7:30 p.m., Rex Theatre, 25 Amherst St., Manchester, $39 at palacetheatre.org.
• Double fun: The final show of the Lakes Region shed season has the headlining Goo Goo Dolls with support from fun and funky Fitz & the Tantrums. Best-known for a string of late ’90s hits like “Iris” and “Slide,” the alt-rock band released its 13th album, Chaos in Bloom, last year, with the single “Yeah, I Like You,” a humorous jab at influencer culture and social media fame. Saturday, Sept. 30, 8 p.m., BankNH Pavilion, 72 Meadowbrook Lane, Gilford, $29 and up at livenation.com.\
• Blues legend: Few blues artists are as lauded or influential as Buddy Guy. The guitarist was a guiding light for everyone from Jimi Hendrix to Stevie Ray Vaughan, and at age 86 he’s received multiple Grammys, including a lifetime achievement award in 2015 and a Best Traditional Blues Album trophy in 2019. Also, he’s earned more Blues Music Awards than any artist ever. Sunday, Oct. 1, 7 p.m., Capitol Center for the Arts, 44 S. Main St., Concord, $85.75 and up at ccanh.com.
• Rude dude: If the Parents Music Resource Center were still around, Wheeler Walker Jr. would constantly be in its crosshairs. The country rocking alter ego of comedian Ben Hoffman recruited legendary producer Dave Cobb for his debut album in 2013, and he’s been offending sensibilities ever since with records like Sex, Drugs & Country Music. His area show is 21+, because of course. Tuesday, Oct. 3, 8 p.m., The Goat, 50 Old Granite St., Manchester, $49.50 at ticketmaster.com.

Local music news & events

Song weaver: A tribute to touring life, “The Road” is the latest from Rebecca Turmel, and an apt reflection of the creative impulse that drives many performers. “I had no choice, the music chose me / and once it did, no going back,” she sings. Recorded in Nashville and released in late July, the song includes a contribution from longtime Jackson Browne band guitarist Val McCallum. Thursday, Sept. 21, 5 p.m., Currier Museum of Art, 150 Ash St., Manchester, currier.org.

Mixed in: Blending elements of roots rock, funk and bluegrass, Cold Chocolate achieves a singular sound. The band began when singer/guitarist Ethan Robbins, then studying music at Oberlin College, met upright bassist Kirsten Lamb and the two started looking for ways to stretch the boundaries of bluegrass; Ariel Bernstein joined the group later, playing percussion. Friday, Sept. 22, 4 p.m., Vernon Family Farm, 301 Piscassic Road, Newfields – $25 and up at vernonfamilyfarm.com.

Funny talk: No comic excels at crowd work quite like Paula Poundstone. For her 1990 special Cats, Cops and Stuff, HBO made technology where none existed, hanging ceiling microphones and having a guy with a boom mic roam the floor to pick up audience banter. She’s no fan of the term, though, recently asking, “If I’m walking down the street and I say ‘Hi’ to somebody, is that street work?” Saturday, Sept. 23, 8 pm., Tupelo Music Hall, 10 A St., Derry, $45 and up at tupelohall.com.

Autumn brew: Northwoods Fall Fest is a midday celebration with music from looping singer-guitarist Tim Daley, Dover acoustic quartet Groove Atlas and singer-songwriter Tom Boisse. It’s also a fundraiser for Blue Ocean Society, an environmental group focused on marine life protection. Sunday, Sept. 24, 11 a.m., Northwoods Brewing Co., 1334 First NH Turnpike, Northwood, northwoodsbrewingcompany.com.

Plugging in: Around 1958, in a Washington, D.C., basement, Hot Tuna played its first gig; Jack Casady was 14, his pal Jorma Kaukonen 17. Sixty-five years later, they’re doing a final tour as an electric band, and slowing down a bit. “We’re not done counting,” Kaukonen wrote in May. “That said, it’s time to stop thinking of living as it was … indeed, into the future we must cross.” Monday, Sept. 25, 7 p.m., The Music Hall, 28 Chestnut St., Portsmouth, $67.50 and up at ticketmaster.com.