Category: Music This Week

Local music news & events

• Active rock: A triple bill in Concord is topped by Any Given Sin, a Maryland quartet that can’t be pegged down to any single rock genre, though “Dynamite,” the track that helped them on SiriusXM’s Octane Test Drive a while back, lines up with any Motley Crüe power ballad. They’re joined by Alabama alt rockers Shallow Side. Thursday, Aug. 17, 8 p.m., Bank of NH Stage, 16 S. Main St., Concord, $23.75 at ccanh.com.

• Alfresco country: Since debuting with the 2002 heartstring-tugger “The Impossible,” Joe Nichols has steadily topped the country charts.” His latest album, Good Day for Living is highlighted by a title track celebrating life’s small pleasures. He performs at a driving range that’s also a music venue; local musician April Cushman opens. Friday, Aug. 18, 7 p.m., The Range, 96 Old Turnpike Road, Mason, $48 and up at etix.com.

• Twang ’n’ roll: Before finding their cowpunk form, the Supersuckers followed the lead of the Ramones and Stooges; 30 years on, sole founding member Eddie Spaghetti is nostalgic, and the title cut of the new Play That Rock N’ Roll name checks some of his punk and metal inspirations. The rest of the disc celebrates fast living, loose morals and hard partying with irreverence and bashing bravado. Saturday, Aug. 19, 8 pm., Jewel Music Venue 61 Canal St., Manchester, $15 and up at eventbrite.com.

• Americana master: In the early 1990s Mary Chapin Carpenter’s star rose on country radio, but un-Nashville songs like “This Shirt” and “He Thinks He’ll Keep Her” soon found her in a niche occupied by rootsier artists like Shawn Colvin and Marc Cohn. Her latest, One Night Lonely (Live), got a Grammy nomination for Best Folk Album. Brandy Clark opens her area show. Sunday, Aug. 20, 7:30 p.m., Nashua Center for the Arts, 201 Main St., Nashua, $73 and up at ticketmaster.com.

• Downunderful: Named after their small Australian hometown, Seaforth is the duo of lifelong friends Tom Jordan and Mitch Thompson, now in Nashville. Their love of country music was inspired by fellow Aussie Keith Urban, whom they jokingly call “Uncle Keith.” Songs like “Good Beer,” a collaboration with Jordan Davis, go down as easy as the brewing company sponsoring their area show. Monday, Aug. 21, 7 p.m., The Goat, 50 Old Granite St., Manchester. See weaareseaforth.com.

Local music news & events

• Treble effort: There’s history and the occasional “Blue Rondo a La Turk” in Chris Brubeck’s Triple Play. It’s not just that the trio’s leader is the son of an iconic figure in the jazz world. Bass and pianist Brubeck and harmonica player/guitarist Peter Madcat Ruth have played together since 1969. Guitarist Joel Brown was in Crofut & Brubeck starting in the mid-’90s, with the three coming together in 1999. Thursday, Aug. 10, 7 p.m., Sawyer Center Theater, 37 Academy Quad, New London, $25 at summermusicassociates.org.

• The champions: More than a few singalongs will happen when Kings of Queen take the stage for a two-night Lakes Region stand. Front man Emo Alaeddin is a Freddie Mercury look- and sound-alike on “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Radio Gaga” and other hits. Thursday, Aug. 10, and Friday, Aug. 11, 8 p.m., Lakeport Opera House, 781 Union Ave., Laconia, $40 and up at etix.com.

• Funny man: Before gaining fame as an actor, Kevin Pollak was a standup comic. Pollak’s act was packed with spot-on impressions; his Peter Falk as Colombo was particularly brilliant, as were his Robin Williams and Eddie Murphy. Then came The Usual Suspects and A Few Good Men, . Lately, he was in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel as Moishe Maisel, winning two Emmys on the hit show. Saturday, Aug. 12, 7:30 pm., Palace Theatre, 80 Hanover St., Manchester, $59 and up at palacetheatre.org.

• Swing kings: After three decades as a band, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy is still performing with its original core lineup. The Ventura, California, group shot to stardom with an appearance in the mid-’90s movie Swingers. They continue to tour relentlessly, offering an energetic and rousing mix of jazz, swing, and Dixieland. Sunday, Aug. 13, 7 p.m., Tupelo Music Hall, 10 A St., Derry, $45 at tupelohall.com.

• Dynamic duo: Another free outdoor show has Cold Chocolate, the pairing of Ethan Robbins on vocals and strings along with percussionist, banjo player and singer Ariel Bernstein. The Boston-based band are critical darlings; Simon Waxman of the Boston Review 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, Aug. 15, 6:30 p.m., Angela Robinson Bandstand, Community Park (Main Street), Henniker; more at henniker.org.

Local music news & events

• Hip-hop hops: A Nashua microbrewery marks its collaboration with Fee the Evolutionist on a double IPA with a release party that includes a live performance by the rapper and Harry Bosch, conveniently happening on International Beer Day. Artwork on the new cans has a QR code that links to a free download of Fee’s commemorative “The Recipe,” which he said was “created using all beer brewing materials.” Thursday, Aug. 3, 8 p.m., Rambling House Food & Gathering, 57 Factory St., Nashua, ramblingtale.com.

• Off stream: On her new album Last Days of Summer, singer-songwriter Lucy Kaplansky “weaves fragile lives together, making even tenuous connections as palpable as flesh and blood,” according to USA Today. Friday, Aug. 4, 7 p.m., Word Barn Meadow, 66 Newfields Road, Exeter. Tickets $14 to $30 at portsmouthtickets.com.

• Guitar man: It’s easier to follow a hockey puck on television than to discern what Jesse Cook does on a fretboard with his fingers. The Toronto-based guitarist defies the laws of physics every time he plays Flamenco music on his nylon six-string. Since releasing his debut record, Tempest, in 1995, Cook has captivated audiences across the world. His 11th, studio release, Libre was named Album of the Year by JazzTrax in 2021. Saturday, Aug 5, 8 pm., Nashua Center for the Arts, 201 Main St., Nashua, $39 and up at etix.com.

• Listening room: As her musical confidence grew, Rebecca Turmel joined many New England musicians by spending time in Nashville to get to the next career level. Her newest single, “Wish You Well,” came out last April. Turmel plays a duo set with guitarist Jim Yeager. Sunday, Aug 6, 6 p.m., Bank of New Hampshire Stage, 16 S. Main St., Concord, $15 at ccnh.com.

• Midweek music: Specially priced four-ticket blocks of lawn seats are available for alt rockers Incubus, who perform with Badflower and famous daughter Paris Jackson. Now in its 30th year, the SoCal headliner draws from nu-metal, hip-hop and jazz tributaries for its unique sound. While Ben Kenney recovers from brain surgery, Nicole Row (Panic! at the Disco, Miley Cyrus) joins the band on bass. Wednesday, Aug. 9, 8 p.m., Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion, 72 Meadowbrook Lane, Gilford, $35 and up at ticketmaster.com.

Local music news & events

• Vocal versatility: A free al fresco performance from Sharon Jones will include selections ranging from jazz to soul to groove-steeped rhythm and blues. Jones, a Portsmouth native, is “arguably the Seacoast’s favorite performer” according to the region’s Jazz Society. Thursday, July 27, 6 p.m., First Congregational Church, 79 Clinton St., Concord, concordsfirstchurch.org.

• Metal man: Grunge didn’t eat hair metal in the early ’90s, according to Stephen Pearcy, who fronted Ratt in its salad days on the Sunset Strip. Rather, the culprit was record labels trying to squeeze every dime from the trend. “The scene,” he told Goldmine recently, “was totally flooded with cookie-cutter bands.” A box set of Ratt’s Atlantic recordings was just released, and Pearcy has been making solo albums since 2002. Friday, July 28, 8 p.m., Tupelo Music Hall, 10 A St., Derry, tickets $50 and $55 tupelohall.com.

• Stars turn: Named after now-sober Alice Cooper’s 1970s celebrity drinking club, Hollywood Vampires is the world’s most famous cover band. Joe Perry, Johnny Depp and Tommy Henricksen back Cooper in a show rescheduled from May. Their latest album is a live recording. Saturday, July 29, 8 pm., SNHU Arena, 555 Elm St., Manchester, $45 and up at ticketmaster.com.

• Summer suds: A microbrewery situated near the Manchester airport hosts its annual Summer Block Party. The event has music from DJ Connexions, a regular bringer of beats and vibes to the brewery. It focuses on service industry people, with a pop-up industry night offering a discount to any servers and cocktail slingers who aren’t working. Enjoy a seasonally fitting “Bitchin’ Blonde” ale or their signature “West to East” IPA. Saturday, July 29, 5 p.m., Pipe Dream Brewing, 49 Harvey Road, Londonderry, pipedreambrewingnh.com.

• Green scene: A regular end-of-month happening, Jim and Jordan’s Irish Sundays are family-friendly affairs; kids 12 and under can attend free. Fiddler Jordan Tirrell-Wysocki and guitar player Jim Prendergast began hosting weekly sessions in 2012, moving to less frequent gatherings post-pandemic. Sets feature traditional selections and songs from Tirrell-Wysocki’s collection of solo efforts and albums with his band. Sunday, July 30, 4:30 p.m., Stone Church, 5 Granite St., Newmarket, $15 (suggested). See jordantwmusic.com.

Local music news & events

• Striking strings: A regional ensemble with a world music approach, Acoustic Nomads includes Maurizio Fiore Salas, a composer, guitar player and Venezuelan cuatrist who’s done workshops for Concord Community Music School, where his group will perform Around The World in a free early evening concert. The show is a celebration of the diversity offered in American music along with “the common threads that bind us together as people.” Thursday, July 20, 6:30 p.m., Concord Community Music School, 23 Wall St., Concord, ccmusicschool.org.

• Lakeside music: Appearing in a renovated horse stable that dates to Lake Sunapee’s steamboat era, Ari Hest is a singer, guitarist and songwriter who marked two decades as a working musician in late 2021 with the release I Remember When: The Retrospective. In the recent past, he collaborated with Judy Collins on the Grammy-nominated album Silver Skies Blue; a bit of a pinch me moment for Hest, as his parents danced to Collins’ song “Since You Asked” at their wedding. Friday, July 21, 7:30 p.m., The Livery, 58 Main St., Sunapee Harbor, $20 at thelivery.org.

• Sans singing: A free concert has While My Guitar Gently Weeps, a local trio playing instrumental versions of Beatles songs. Paring the Fab Four down to three and stripping away vocals is a unique take in a world where seemingly every tribute variation already exists. The group includes Berklee-trained guitarist Neil Santos, who’s authored two guitar instructional books, bass player Edwin Huff and drummer Bill Kuriger. Sunday, July 23, 2 p.m., Benson’s Park, 19 Kimball Hill Road, Hudson. See whilemyguitargentlyweeps.band.

• Voice double: Fronted by American Idol alum Tristan McIntosh, The Linda Ronstadt Experience is a convincing recreation of the singer’s prime era. Reminding audiences of Ronstadt’s unparalleled stature as a song interpreter, along with looking the part quite well, McIntosh re-recreates hits like Warren Zevon’s “Poor Poor Pitiful Me,” Jackson Browne’s “Rock Me on the Water” and The Everly Brothers’ “When Will I Be Loved.” Wednesday, July 26, 7 p.m., Town Common, 265 Mammoth Road, Londonderry. More at londonderryartscouncil.org.

Local music news & events

• Feel like redo: After what he thought was his final tour in 2019, Peter Frampton came back from a diagnosis of inclusion-body myositis. Thus, his current run is dubbed the Never Say Never tour, as the guitar hero whose LP Frampton Comes Alive broke records in the mid-’70s returns to perform his biggest hits. Thursday, July 13, 8 p.m., Bank of NH Pavilion, 72 Meadowbrook Lane, Gilford, $35 and up at ticketmaster.com.

• True veteran: Early in his career, Tom Rush was the first to record songs by Joni Mitchell and Jackson Browne. Later, his own “No Regrets” became a standard, with covers from Emmylou Harris and Midge Ure, among others. He’s been touring for more than 50 years and remains one of the funniest and most engaging performers around. Friday, July 14, 8 p.m., 7 p.m., Nashua Center for the Arts, 201 Main St., Nashua, $29 and up at etix.com.

• Good cause: Memorializing a local sports hero, the Two to Lou Festival raises scholarship money to help students pursue athletics or music in college. Past years have featured premier tribute acts, and this time around it continues, with all-star act Beatlejuice covering the Fab Four, and Cars doppelgangers Panorama. Preciphist and River Sang Wild are among a dozen performers rounding out the bill. Saturday, July 15, noon, Sandlots Sports & Entertainment, 56 North Road, Sandown. Tickets $25. More at twotolou.com.

• Heavy metal kids: An unholy trinity of core (death, metal and hard), Devitalized is a young Massachusetts band inspired by acts like Alpha Wolf and Chelsea Grin. The latter is featured on their latest single, “Godslayer.” The band describes itself as having “a heart of gold and a taste for blood,” with music that “features rebellious themes inspired by … collective backgrounds in bullying, abuse, poverty, addiction, mental illness, and more.” Sunday, July 16, 7 p.m., Nashua Garden, 121 Main St., Nashua, $39 and up at etix.com.

• Long players: Over 25 years, Utah rockers Royal Bliss have released six albums; their latest, the aptly titled Survivor, dropped in the spring. Support for an area show is provided by Royal Thunder and New Monarch. Wednesday, July 19, 8 p.m., Bank of NH Stage, 16 S. Main St., Concord, $23.75 and up at ccanh.com.