Category: Music This Week

Local music news & events

• Folk professor: The latest from singer-songwriter Ellis Paul is 55, an at-the-crossroads effort highlighted by the title song, where he sings, “Rand McNally and the fax machine … Sears and Roebuck’s magazine, look what I survived.” Paul has won multiple Boston Music Awards. The University of Maine awarded him an honorary Doctor of Letters degree in 2014. He performs at a beloved brewpub-restaurant. Thursday, Nov. 9, 7:30 p.m., Flying Goose Pub, 40 Andover Road, New London, $30; reserve at 526-6899.

• Minnesota punk: Celebrating the 10th anniversary of the breakthrough album Home, Off With Their Heads continue a tour that began in summer with a stop in Manchester. New Noise magazine called it “one of the most influential punk albums of the new millennium,” and with it a band that began whimsically in a Minneapolis basement leapt to a new level. 2023 also marks OWTH singer Ryan Young’s 20th year in music. Friday, Nov. 10, 9 p.m., Shaskeen Pub, 909 Elm St., Manchester; see facebook.com/dasowth.

• VH1 wonders: Best known for the ubiquitous’90s hit “All For You,” Sister Hazel came from Gainesville, Florida, inspired by local hero Tom Petty. Their latest effort is the four-volume EP Series Elements; the final installment, Fire, included the Darius Rucker cowrite “Raising a Rookie.” Saturday, Nov. 11, 8 p.m., 10 A St., Derry, $45 and up at tupelohall.com.

• Queen thing: More than a few observers have called Garry Mullen & the Works a cut above the average tribute act. Mullen looks like, sounds like and embodies Freddie Mercury. His fans include Queen guitarist Brian May, who once invited him to hang out at a show. Sunday, Nov. 12, 7 p.m., Capitol Center for the Arts, 44 S. Main St., Concord, $46.75 and up at ccanh.com.

• Edge music: Progressive metal with elements of psychedelic and post-metal thrown in, Tool brings its sonic assault to town for an arena-headlining appearance. The group is currently on tour in support of the 2019 album Fear Inoculum. Monday, Nov. 13, 7:30 p.m., SNHU Arena, 555 Elm St., Manchester, $79.50 and up at snhuarena.com.

Local music news & events

• Rising stars: The latest installment in the Nashville Newcomers series has Runaway June, an all-female trio that’s earned favorable comparisons to The Chicks; in fact, their “Buy My Own Drinks” placed higher on the charts than any single by an all-female group since the then Dixie Chicks in 2003. Also appearing is college football star turned troubadour Ben Durand. Thursday, Nov. 2, 7 p.m., Bank of NH Stage, 16 S. Main St., Concord, $35 at ccanh.com.
• Brotherly revival: Bringing back the blood harmony sound that lit up the late ’50s pop charts, The Everly Set covers hits like “Bye Bye Love” and “Wake Up Little Susie” that inspired The Beatles in their early years. This connection is illustrated by the duo’s mashup of the Everlys’ “Cathy’s Clown” and the Fab Four song it inspired, “Please Please Me.” Friday, Nov. 3, 7:30 p.m., Rex Theatre, 23 Amherst St., Manchester, $35 and up at palacetheatre.org.
• Hometown boy: Performing a benefit for child and youth advocates CASA, Seth Meyers does standup and riffs on the state of the world. The Late Night host is fresh off the charming Strike Force Five podcast, where he and fellow talk show big names Jimmy Kimmel, John Oliver, Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Fallon rode out the writers’ strike and raised money for staff and crew affected by the labor action. Saturday, Nov. 4, 8 pm., SNHU Arena, 555 Elm St., Manchester, $100 and up at snhuarena.com.
• Double-barreled: Metal powerhouse Sepsiss hosts its second annual Swarmiefest, a multi-band affair playing out on two stages. Joining the headliners who’ll be previewing songs from their forthcoming album are Manchester favorites A Simple Complex, Carpathia, Trading Tombstones, After the Winter, the forebodingly named Paradise Is Cancelled, My Last Mile, Dark Rain, DC Wolves, Heavy American and In the Wind. Saturday, Nov. 4, 6 p.m., Jewel Music Venue, 61 Canal St., Manchester, $13 and up at eventbrite.com.
• Harmony united: Enjoy sublime old-time music from Green Heron as the married duo performs a midweek show at New Hampshire’s only year-round food court. Betsy Green, who grew up on country music, plays fiddle and banjo, with metal band expat Scott Heron is on guitar and banjo. Wednesday, Nov. 8, 6 p.m., Tideline Public House, 15 Newmarket Road, Durham; see greenheronmusic.com.

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+).