Category: Music This Week

Local music news & events

• Rocking role: A veteran of the tribute scene, Zoso: The Led Zeppelin Experience recently marked three decades of its note-for-note, shirt-open-to-the-navel show. They’re as close as it gets to the true look and feel of a genre-defining act that’s reunited exactly twice since dissolving in 1980. Thursday, July 17, 7 p.m., LaBelle Winery, 14 Route 111, Derry, $35 at labellewinery.com.

• Pure blues: Keeping it real with a new album, local traditionalists Blūz Chīle — Dave and Jacob Couture sharing guitar and vocals, with a rhythm section of Jeff Merriman and Brian Sullivan on bass and drums — perform a release party show. Hard Row To Sorrow is gritty and real on songs like “Badlands” and “El Dorado Way,” which sounds like an extra track from ZZ Top’s Tres Hombres LP. Friday, July 18, 8 p.m., Riley’s Place, 29 Mont Vernon St., Milford, bluzchile.com.

• Guitar man: While he’s an immensely talented country singer, Brad Paisley is even more ferocious on the frets, so fans at his Truck Still Works tour stop here can count on hearing hits like the Dolly Parton duet “When I Get To Where I’m Going” along with some serious shredding. Saturday, July 19, 7:30 p.m., BankNH Pavilion, 72 Meadowbrook Lane, Gilford, $36 and up at ticketmaster.com.

• Helping hands: Four area acts perform to benefit NH Outright, including Jake McKelvie and Megan From Work, whose 2024 album Girl Suit explores gender issues. Vanyaland called its title song “a peppy surge of soft punk that dances atop [Megan] Simon’s discarded suit, gouging holes in their once-obligatory façade.” Cade Earick and Ken Higaonna also appear. Sunday, July 20, 2:30 p.m., Candia Road Brewing, 840 Candia Road, Manchester, nhoutright.org.

• Island rap: Enjoy a midweek show from a trio of hip-hop acts, led by JOATA, Puerto Rican indie pop musician Jose Oyola. Now based in Los Angeles, Oyola infuses Caribbean rhythms and indie rock into his bilingual songs. Rounding things out are Seacoast band Bad Lab and A Lunar Landing. Wednesday, July 23, 8 p.m., Auspicious Brew, 1 Washington St., Dover, auspiciousbrew.com.

Local music news & events

• Song pull: Led by quirky Austin singer-songwriter Matt The Electrician, Family Game Night is a unique variation of a writers-in-the-round event. Natalia Zukerman, Kris Delmhorst and Erin McKeown join Matthew Sever to swap stories and share songs, the latter coming from “playful prompts” that result in “plenty of laughter, camaraderie and the occasional audience participation.” Thursday, July 10, 7 p.m., The Word Barn, 66 Newfields Road, Exeter, $25 at thewordbarn.com.

• Good mix: Blending elements of alt country and harmony-rich classic rock, Slim Volume is a breath of fresh air on the local music scene. At the core of the quartet is the songwriting team of Trent Larrabee and Jake DeSchuiteneer, who met as coworkers at SNHU’s Manchester campus, bonded over a shared love of ’60s bands, and found their mojo at Strange Brew’s downtown open mic. Friday, July 11, 7 p.m., Pembroke City Limits, 134 Main St., Suncook, slimvolume.band.

• Young gun: It’s been said that modern country music is a lot like Tom Petty in the 1970s, and Gavin Marengi is a good example. The Salisbury, Mass., native’s most recent album, Northbound, offers raved-up rockers like “Back to Boston” and the soulful title cut. On the latter he sings about being “with my old six-string in a bar in Boston without a drink,” which makes sense — he’s still in his teens. Friday, July 11, 7:30 p.m., BNH Stage, 16 S. Main St., Concord, $21 at ccanh.com.

• Summer fun: Canadian national treasure Barenaked Ladies top a ’90s throwback concert with Sugar Ray and Fastball, part of their Last Summer On Earth Tour. No worries, they called it that in 2022. Saturday, July 12, 7 p.m., BankNH Pavilion, 72 Meadowbrook Lane, Gilford, $30 and up at banknhpavilion.com.

• King looper: The reference point for many one-person bands is Howie Day, who was looping long before every bar act in the country discovered it. A few years ago, Day was so impressed with a parody of his biggest hit “Collide” done by three CERN graduate students that he volunteered to re-record it with them himself. The result is just lovely, and it’s definitely worth checking out on YouTube. Monday, July 13, 7 p.m., Tupelo Music Hall, 10 A St., Derry, $42 at tupelohall.com.

Local music news & events

• Croon time: A free outdoor concert has the 19-piece Compaq Big Band performing with guest vocalist Ed Scheer, who promises to channel Frank Sinatra, Michael Bublé, Bobby Darin and other famous swinging singers. Given the proximity to Independence Day, the big ensemble plans on playing some patriotic numbers, and the venue has ample space for any dancers looking to kick up some dust. Thursday, July, 5 p.m., Tuscan Village, 9 Via Toscana, Salem, compaqbigband.com.

• To freedom: Celebrate Independence Day with free music sponsored by New Hampshire Underground, which offers an opportunity to buy a meal for a veteran, along with food from Liquid Therapy Brewery & Grill. Performers include Lone Wolf James, doom rockers Dead Harrison, alt hip-hop artist 6 Minds Combined, and lo-fi EDM from DJ The Healer. The event benefits Nashua Veterans Promise. Friday, July 4, noon, 14 Court St., Nashua, newhampshireunderground.org.

• Junk party: After hitting on America’s Got Talent and later in Las Vegas, Recycled Percussion came home and opened its own venue. “Giving them full freedom to turn every show into a one-of-a-kind experience,” the junk rockers explained on their website. A 1980s-themed summer run kicks off with two shows. Saturday, July 5, at 2 and 7 p.m., CAKE Theatre, 12 Veterans Square, Laconia, $49 and up at tix.com.

• Boogie band: Al fresco music abounds, including blues rock in the afternoon with The Love Dogs in Manchester’s North End. The Boston-based band packs a punch, featuring a pair of hot horn players, barrelhouse piano and a rhythm section that Blues Review magazine called “the best in the business.” The raucous, bopping “Rockin’ At The Doghouse” is a set standout; ditto the rollicking “Big & Hot.” July 6, 2 p.m., Stark Park, 650 River Road, Manchester, thelovedogs.com.

• Power duo: Keep it outdoors with Cold Chocolate, the pairing of Ethan Robbins on vocals and strings and Ariel Bernstein, percussionist, banjo player and singer. The two are critical darlings; Boston Review’s Simon Waxman raved that their music “sounds softer than the dew on the mountainside, harder than a Harley pushing back red dust, sweeter than true love.” Tuesday, July 8, 5:30 p.m., Strawbery Banke Museum, 14 Hancock St., Portsmouth, strawberybanke.org.

Local music news & events

• Al fresco: A free summer concert series kicks off in Canterbury with Old Tom & the Lookouts, a Boston band led by Alex Calabrese, a singer and guitarist with influences ranging from Tom Waits to Phoebe Bridgers. The Band-channeling “1981,” from their latest, Northeastern, manages to make a line like “the dogs are snoring and the plants are dead again” fun and upbeat. Thursday, June 26, 6 p.m., Friends of Canterbury Center, 1 Center Road, Canterbury, oldtommusic.com.

• Cool brew: With a name taken from Jerry Jeff Walker’s “Mr. Bojangles,” Eyes of Age is “more of a musical community than a band,” as described in the Monadnock band’s bio. With tasty harmonies, they shift from rootsy acoustic songs — a cover of Neil Young’s “Out on the Weekend” is particularly good — to electric originals like “Holiday.” Friday, June 27, 6 p.m., Henniker Brewing Co., 173 Centervale Road, Henniker – facebook.com/eyesofage.

• Fever time: With a final U.S. date before heading back Down Under, The Australian Bee Gees Show returns to the area. A multi-year hit on the Vegas strip and, according to the President of Bee Gees Fan Club USA, “the best Bee Gees tribute in the world,” the group’s 75-minute performance spans 50 years of Brothers Gibb rock and disco. Saturday, June 28, 8 p.m., Tupelo Music Hall, 10 A St., Derry, $45 and up at tupelohall.com.

• Quarter notes: A spring music series concludes with a performance from Soggy Po’ Boys, a Seacoast Dixieland band that combusted into existence in 2012, when a one-off Fat Tuesday pub show became a residency. Though its raucous lead singer and guitarist Stu Dias left early this year, the group continues without slowing down – new members have come and gone throughout. Sunday, June 29, 6 p.m., Andres Institute of Art, 106 Route 13, Brookline, $25 at andresinstitute.org.

• Classic songs: Reviews are effusive for the latest tour by James Taylor. At a recent show, one critic said his voice “was often strong and his phrasing was often supple… and his guitar-picking fingers didn’t sound as though they stumbled or missed a note.” He brings a catalog of near-standards such as “Sweet Baby James” and “Fire and Rain” to New Hampshire for a night. Tuesday, July 1, 8 p.m., BankNH Pavilion, 72 Meadowbrook Lane, Gilford, $64 and up at ticketmaster.com.

Local music news & events

• Totally: Fans of Sirius XM’s Saturday Night Safety Dance will be right at home with Big Country atop a four-band bill of Big ’80s stars that includes Tommy Tutone, a one-hit wonder whose hit, “867-5309/Jenny,” was truly wonderful. Also performing are Bow Wow Wow and Gene Loves Jezebel, known for “Motion of Love.” Thursday, June 19, 7 p.m., Tupelo Music Hall, 10 A St., Derry, $50 at tupelohall.com.

• Country: With a heritage that includes one of the gunfighters in the Eagles song “Bitter Creek,” Houston Bernard is a genuine country performer. His latest release is “Comeback,” a solid rocker. Friday, June 20, Par28, 23 S. Broadway, No. 10, Salem. Visit houstonbernard.com.

• Throttle: The final two days of Laconia Motorcycle Week are packed, including heavy metal band Chasing the Devil and perennial rally favorites Mojo Gypsy performing at a just-opened music bar. The latter is a female-led southern blues rock group that changed its name from Carolina Reign a while back. They’ve been rolling around the region all week, after a stint in Sturgis. Saturday, June 21, 5:30 p.m., Madame Bardello’s, 70 Endicott St. N, Laconia, madamesbardello.com.

• Dayfest: An all-day bash has five local bands doing their thing. Tumbletoads plays psychedelic rock and funk, while The Whole Loaf is described as “the closest thing you’ll get to an all-in-one modern Sixties band.” Jesse Rutstein is a singer-songwriter who recently did a show at Terminus Underground in Nashua. The Faith Ann Band, who organized the show, also performs high-energy rock. Sunday, June 22, 1 p.m., Auburn Pitts, 175 Rockingham Road, Auburn, faithannband.com.

• Nineties: Shorn of his trademark dreadlocks and wearing a Calvin Klein jean jacket, Counting Crows front man Adam Duritz looks quite different in the video for “Under The Aurora,” a bracing new song from the band’s new album, Butter Miracle, The Complete Sweets. The emotive singer is happier too, celebrating the longest romantic relationship of his life. Wednesday, June 25, 7:30 p.m., BankNH Pavilion, 72 Meadowbrook Lane, Gilford, $29 and up at ticketmaster.com.

Local music news & events

By Michael Witthaus
mwitthaus@hippopress.com

• Enduring: A band that grew out of jazz’s rising popularity in the late ‘70s, Spyro Gyra broke through with the crossover hit “Morning Dance” in 1979. The group, formed in Buffalo, got its name from a type of algae that founding member Jay Beckenstein learned about in college. They’re currently touring in celebration of their 50th anniversary last year, with an upcoming stop in Derry. Thursday, June 12, 8 p.m., Tupelo Music Hall, 10 A St., Derry, $57 at tupelohall.com.

• Gathering: In its first socially distanced iteration, the Northlands Festival was a creative way to offer live music during the pandemic, with a series of pod seating shows. Now in its sixth year, it’s grown to three days, with the cream of the jam scene headlining each night. This year includes String Cheese Incident, Cory Wong, moe., Umphrey’s McGee and Lotus. Friday, June 14, through Sunday, June 15, Cheshire Fairgrounds, 247 Monadnock Hwy., Swanzey, $99 and up at northlandslive.com.

• Rolling: New Hampshire drivers should check their mirrors twice as Laconia Motorcycle Week is back for nine days. The oldest bike rally in the United States always has a lot of live music. For the past five years, an AC/DC tribute act has held forth, with guitarist Jonny Friday as Angus Young and Dean Celisia doing the late Bon Scott and his replacement Brian Johnson. Saturday, June 14, 8 p.m., The Big House, 322 Lakeside Ave., Laconia, more at laconiamcweek.com.

• Jamming: Named after its front man, a Senegalese rhythm guitarist, Mamadou is strongly influenced by West African music, along with reggae, salsa, merengue and Cubano. All lyrics are sung in Wolof, Mamadou Diop’s native language. Sunday, June 15, noon, Tuscan Village, 9 Via Toscana, Salem, mamadou.com.

• Honoring: Led by 2016 American Idol alumni Tristan McIntosh, The Linda Ronstadt Experience offers an enjoyable re-creation of the singer’s prime era. Ronstadt’s longtime producer Peter Asher gave McIntosh a thumbs up for her solid work interpreting songs like “You’re No Good,” “That’ll Be the Day,” “It’s So Easy,” “Heat Wave” and “Just One Look.” Wednesday, June 18, 7 p.m., Town Common, 265 Mammoth Road, Londonderry, londonderryartscouncil.org.