Category: Music This Week

Local music news & events

• Christmas nuts: The Heather Pierson Trio is again playing Vince Guaraldi’s music from A Charlie Brown Christmas throughout the region, including an intimate show at a Lakes Region winery preceded by a complimentary tasting. Pierson’s performance includes other Guaraldi selections and holiday favorites. Thursday, Nov. 30, 7 p.m., The Loft at Hermit Woods, 72 Main St., Meredith, $25 and up at eventbrite.com, more dates at heatherpierson.com.

• Roots night: Fronted by a self-proclaimed reformed punk, Matt Charette & the Truer Sound rock across a range of genres. A good example is “Swinging,” a can-do love song that Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers fans should love, one of many gems from their latest long-player, Lo-Fi High Hopes. Also appearing are June Star, a Baltimore duo that features pedal steel guitar on many of their songs, and the twangy Girls on Grass. Friday, Dec. 1, 9 p.m., Shaskeen Pub, 909 Elm St., facebook.com/junestarband.

• Rhythm & whoops: Standup comedy is paired with soulful music as Steve Bjork and Sean Sullivan co-headline with support from Ken Murphy and Sean Tracey. The laughs are preceded by a set from Finesse, a Detroit-based singer whose blend of R&B and gospel has been called “uplifting and inspiring.” Saturday, Dec. 2, 6:30 pm., Rockingham Ballroom, 22 Ash Swamp Road, Newmarket, $25 at rockinghamballroom.club.

• Home-grown: The latest NH Music Collective Sunday Sessions show has Ryan Williamson along with the hArt of Sound, two area musicians performing original compositions. Williamson is a wizard at looping his way to a full band sound. Colin Hart cites influences from Radiohead to Muse to Nine Inch Nails, calling has project a “surreal alternative electronic rock brainchild.” Sunday, Dec. 3, 6 p.m., Bank of NH Stage (Cantin Room), 16 S Main St., Concord, $15 at ccanh.com.

• Country kid: Lee Biddle is a singer-songwriter with hardscrabble songs like “Lonesome Whistle Blues.” He inhabits the spirit of a Depression era ex-soldier on “Risky Whisky” but pays respect to his roots with “New England,” calling the region “my home, where I belong.” Wednesday, Dec. 6, 6 p.m., Saddle Up Saloon, 92 Route 125, Kingston, see facebook.com/leebiddlemusic.

Local music news & events

• Blues rocker: Discovered at 16 by Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics, Joanne Shaw Taylor has an impressive list of adherents including Stevie Wonder and Jimmy Cliff. With a string of blues chart-topping albums, she’s often boxed into the genre, but Taylor said recently, “I’m a soul singer and a pop-rock writer and it all just kind of jumbles together, because I’m hugely influenced by blues.” Friday, Nov. 24, 8 p.m., Capitol Center for the Arts, 44 S. Main St., Concord, $34.75 and up at ccanh.com.

• Dead revival: Spending an evening with Zach Nugent’s Dead Set delivers more than a tribute act. Prior to launching the effort, which grew out of a weekly residency in Burlington, Vermont, Nugent was in ex-JGB member Melvin Seals’ band. Beyond that, the guitarist is a lifetime fan of the jam band standard setters. When he was 8 he received a Dead-themed elementary school graduation card. Saturday, Nov. 25, 8 p.m., Nashua Center for the Arts, 201 Main St., Nashua, $33 general admission at etix.com.

• Super group: Rock, funk and soul all-star group A Band of Killers was created by Johnny Trama, a Boston guitarist who’s played in Dub Apocalypse, Toussaint & The China Band and many other area acts. It features Tim Gearan on lead vocals and guitar, keys player Darby Wolf, Sonya Rae Taylor on vocals, Mark Hickox and Thomas Arey on bass and drums and guitarists Ryan Taylor and Kevin Barry. Saturday, Nov. 25, 6 pm., The Stone Church, 5 Granite St., Newmarket, $15 at portsmouthtickets.com.

• Song painter: With a voice that one writer enthused “goes down like red wine over good conversation,” Anna Paquin has five albums to her credit, with a new EP due next year. Sunday, Nov. 26, 1 p.m., Contoocook Cider Co., 656 Gould Hill Road, Contoocook; see nhmusiccollective.com.

• Still standing: In the early days of MTV, The Fixx reeled off a string of hits, including “Red Skies,” “Stand or Fall” “Saved by Zero” and the smash “One Thing Leads to Another.” Lead singer Cy Curnin and guitarist Jamie West-Oram also contributed to Tina Turner’s Private Dancer album, appearing in her “Better Be Good to Me” video. Their classic lineup is still intact, apart from a few changes at bass. Tuesday, Nov. 28, 7 p.m., Tupelo Music Hall, 10 A St., Derry, $40 and up at tuplelohall.com.

Local music news & events

• Purple like: Get funky with LoVeSeXy, New England’s top Prince tribute act. The six-piece band also covers Prince-adjacent acts Morris Day & the Time and Sheila E. Backing vocalist Jodee Frawlee does a great job with the latter, as well as with Prince’s duet partner Sheena Easton, on “You Got the Look” and “Love Bizarre.” Thursday, Nov. 16, 8 p.m., LaBelle Winery, 14 Route 111, Derry, $40 at labellewinery.com.

• Storyteller: A common thread running through 1970s rock, Jeff “Skunk” Baxter plays a solo concert that will include reminiscing about being a founding member of Steely Dan; he played on their first three albums before leaving to join the Doobie Brothers in 1974. Baxter got his start in Boston with psychedelic rockers Ultimate Spinach, and his session work includes Joni Mitchell and Rod Stewart. Friday, Nov. 17, 7:30 p.m., Rex Theatre, 23 Amherst St., Manchester, $39 and up at palacetheatre.org.

• Tail-wagger: Whether covering old-school soul or doing an original like “Without You,” Fox & the Flamingos can get a party started. Fronted by fluffy-tailed singer Maizy Rae (she often sports one, along with furry ears), the group charms with vintage favorites like “Tell Me Something Good” and “I Wanna Dance with Somebody.” Their reinvention of The Beatles’ “Ticket to Ride” is a revved-up delight. Saturday, Nov. 18, 9:30 pm., Peddler’s Daughter, 48 Main St., Nashua (21+); see linktr.ee/foxandtheflamingos.

• Soft rock: Graham Russell and Russell Hitchcock formed Air Supply after touring together in a production of Jesus Christ Superstar in 1975. They topped the Australian charts soon after the musical closed; big hits include “Lost in Love” and “All Out of Love.” Sunday, Nov. 19, 7 p.m., Capitol Center for the Arts, 44 S. Main St., Concord, $68.25 and up at ccanh.com.

• Indie songs: Judging by the musicians she’s collaborated with, singer-songwriter Leslie Mendelson is truly special. Her most recent studio album was produced by Peter Asher, who guided Linda Ronstadt into superstardom, with a band including Jim Keltner and The Section’s Leland Sklar and Waddy Wachtel. Sunday, Nov. 19, 7 p.m., The Press Room, 77 Daniel St., Portsmouth, $15 to $20 at eventbrite.com (21+).

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.