Category: Music This Week

Local music news & events

• Faux fighters: The Currier’s weekly Art After Work series continues with Foo! A Foo Fighters tribute band, their greatest trick will be fitting arena-sized songs like “Best of You,” “Times Like These” and “Learning to Fly” onto the museum’s front lawn (weather permitting), when they perform in front of the iconic di Suvero statue. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own picnic blankets and chairs for the event. Thursday, Sept. 7, 5 p.m., Currier Museum of Art, 150 Ash St., Manchester, currier.org.
  
• Setting sail: Paying tribute to a music genre that doesn’t officially exist, the Yacht Lobsters latch onto ’70s soft rock with a vengeance, with songs from Hall & Oates, Steely Dan, Toto, the Doobie Brothers and a boatload more. Of course, Christopher Cross’s “Sailing” makes an appearance at every set. The NYC-based band was formed by the team behind Brother Joscephus and the Love Revolution. Friday, Sept. 8, 8 p.m., Angel City Music Hall, 179 Elm St., Unit B, Manchester, $15 to $48 at ticketweb.com.
  
• Irish farewell: After more than 50 years together, Clannad is doing a final tour playing the traditional Irish music that inspired worldwide acclaim. Siblings Moya, Ciarán and Pól Brennan formed the band with their now-late uncles Pádraig and Noel Duggan and became a six-piece with Enya Brennan, who went on to a stellar solo career. They have collaborated with Bono, Steve Perry and others. Saturday, Sept. 9, 8 pm., Nashua Center for the Arts, 201 Main St., Nashua, $49 and up at etix.com.
  
• Rock show: Best-known as the leader of prog-metal band Queensrÿche, Geoff Tate brings his latest project, Big Rock Show Hits, to town. He promises a big, loud show, bringing three guitarists on stage: Scotsman Kieran Robertson, James Brown of Ireland and Boston’s Alex Hart. The setlist includes “Silent Lucidity,” “I Don’t Believe in Love,” “Eyes of a Stranger,” “Empire” and other hits. Sunday, Sept. 10, 7 p.m., Tupelo Music Hall, 10 A St., Derr, $45 and up at tupelohall.com.

Local music news & events

• Al fresco blues: A summer concert series ends with the Eric Lindberg Band, led by a singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He’s joined by Aaron Jones (kids’ music’s “Mister Aaron”) on bass and 13-year-old drumming phenom William Lindberg. The twilight show will be rich with down-home blues and Americana rock. Thursday, Aug. 31, 7 p.m., Butler Park, 17 W. Main St., Hillsborough. See facebook.com/ericlindbergofficial.

• Down-home sound: Sip a glass of craft cider and enjoy Eyes of Age playing harmony-rich folk songs. Hancock duo David Young and Susan Lang are joined by bass player Rob Clemens for an after-work set that’s sure to have a few Grateful Dead tunes as well. Friday, Sept. 1, 5 p.m., Contoocook Cider Co., 656 Gould Hill Road, Contoocook. See facebook.com/eyesofage.

• All day music: Dozens of regional acts play on multiple stages at the Keene Music Festival. It’s all about discovery, and a visit to the fest’s Facebook page is a good place to start. It includes quick profiles of many performers, like blues rockers Dragon Bone Jam, traditional Irish band O’Hanleigh, “eclectic funk addicts” Whalom Park and the boisterous, female-fronted metal group Vale End. Saturday, Sept. 2, 10:30 a.m., Downtown Keene. See facebook.com/KeeneMusicFestival.

• Four-band show: Four area alternative rock bands gather for DankFest, as Area 23 prepares for a move from its current home in Concord’s Smokestack Center to an as-yet undisclosed location. The last day for live music is Sept. 30, with an afternoon Acoustic Circle and an evening performance by Professor Harp scheduled. DankFest is named for host band Dank Sinatra; also appearing are Wired for Sound, Buster and Kuusi Palaa. Saturday, Sept. 2, 8 p.m., Area 23, 254 N. State St., Unit H, Concord, thearea23.com.

• Heavy times two: Nine bands, two stages and the admonition to “leave nothing left standing” mark Distressfest, a metallic knockout of a show. Appearing are No Bragging Rights, Mouth for War, Downswing, Your Spirit Dies, Ratblood, Cannabis Crypt, Fishface, Heavyweight and Iron Gate, the latter a Manchester act that formed when its singer asked online for anyone looking “to play heavy, ignorant music.” Sunday, Sept. 3, 6:30 p.m., Jewel Music Venue, 61 Canal St., Manchester, $20 and up at eventbrite.com.

Local music news & events

• Bringing it back: Among a multitude of tribute acts, The Frank White Experience is one of a few delving into hip-hop. Using the music of Notorious B.I.G. as a starting point, the seven-piece band, led by Skribe Da Godruns, moves through a deep catalog of ’90s favorites. Launched in 2017, their blend of showmanship and homage has led one critic to call them the Dark Star Orchestra of hip-hop and R&B. Thursday, Aug. 24, 8 p.m., Shaskeen Pub, 909 Elm St., Manchester. See frankwhiteexp.com.

• Shimmer and pop: In the early 2000s, the members of The New Norde were part of Seacoast band The Minus Scale, with a love for lustrous pop songs. Now a trio, they formed in 2019 and spent lockdown woodshedding for their 2022 debut Whatever’s Clever. Friday, Aug. 25, 5 p.m., Vernon Family Farm, 301 Piscassic Road, Newfields, tickets at vernonkitchen.com.

• Red hot blues: An outdoor afternoon concert has Boston’s Delta Generators, a rootsy band led by ex-Radio Kings singer and harmonica player Brian Templeton. For this show, guitarist Kid Ramos joins them; he’s performed with a bevy of big acts, including Roomful of Blues and The Fabulous Thunderbirds. Ramos and Templeton are both in the all-star blues band The Proven Ones. Saturday, Aug. 26, 1 p.m., Kennedy Farm, 176 Kennedy Hill Road, Goffstown. More at deltagenerators.com.

• Sturm und drang: Marking 50 years since Metallica debuted with Kill ’Em All, The Four Horsemen deliver a note-perfect arena-level sonic assault. The band’s vocalist and guitar player Sean Perry called seeing the group during its 1991 Black Album tour an experience that changed him forever and is now focused on being “the only album-quality Metallica tribute band on the planet.” Saturday, Aug. 6, 8 pm., Tupelo Music Hall, 10 A St., Derry, $35 and up at tupelohall.com.

• Decade double shot: A brief foray into the Great American Songbook now a memory, Rod Stewart is sticking to his bread and butter on his current tour, which includes fellow ’70s hitmakers Cheap Trick. He usually opens with Robert Palmer’s “Addicted to Love” but then settles into the songs that made his reputation, like “Maggie May,” “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy” and “Stay With Me.” Monday, Aug. 28, 7:30 p.m., Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion, Meadowbrook Lane, Gilford, $49.50 and up at livenation.com.

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.