Category: Music This Week

Local music news & events

• String power: With each of its three members established solo artists, a new album from Nickel Creek is a happy surprise. The catalyst for the aptly titled Celebrants came during an interview with NPR that noted it had been 20 years since their debut release. Made in the process of “spending almost every minute of every waking hour together,” according to fiddler Sara Watkins, the new disc is a solid entry into the canon of a band that helped redefine roots music. Thursday, April 20, 7:30 pm., Capitol Center for the Arts, 44 S. Main St., Concord, $53.75 and up at ccanh.com.

• Blood harmony: The first band to ever win The Voice, in 2021, A Girl Named Tom is a family affair, siblings Bekah, Joshua and Caleb Liechty. Urged on by their mother, the three dropped plans to attend medical school to form a group. The project was planned to last a year, but the fates had other ideas. Victory on the singing competition show came via their gorgeous harmonies covering hits like Joni Mitchell’s “River” and Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain.” Friday, April 21, 8 p.m., Nashua Center for the Arts, 201 Main St., Nashua, $29 and up at etix.com.

• Blues bonding: A summit gathering of blues power, Blood Brothers is the duo of Mike Zito and Albert Castiglia. The two have worked together over the years on a variety of projects — Zito produced Castiglia’s album Masterpiece and released it on his Gulf Coast Records label. Released on St. Patrick’s Day, their debut effort, wrote one critic, “spotlights everything cool about Zito and Castiglia without ever turning into a battle between two successful bandleaders.” Saturday, April 22, 8 p.m., Tupelo Music Hall, 10 A St., Derry, $30 at tupelohall.com.

• California thing: With a lead singer drawing comparisons to Alison Krauss, AJ Lee & Blue Summit are being called the new torchbearers for bluegrass by many. In her early years, Lee worked with fellow California-based roots superstar Molly Tuttle before striking out on her own. Her first gig was at the fabled Kate Wolf Festival. The group has released two albums. The San Francisco Chronicle praised their “deft, tasteful playing; and tight, intricate arrangements.” Sunday, April 23, 7 p.m., Press Room, 77 Daniel St., Portsmouth, $10 at Eventbrite.com.

• Fab Freddie: Last year Gary Mullen & The Works celebrated 20 years of One Night of Queen, a tribute show that does a very convincing job of recreating the classic rock act’s majestic stage show, with Mullen as front man Freddie Mercury. The effort began after Mullen won the British television talent contest Stars in Their Eyes in 2000 for his portrayal of the kinetic singer, easily doubling the runner-up, the largest number of votes in the show’s history. Wednesday, April 26, 8 p.m., Colonial Theatre, 609 Main St., Laconia, $30 and up at etix.com.

Local music news & events

• Throwback: Adding to her reputation for uncanny interpretive skill, Joan Osborne’s new LP, Radio Waves, is the result of cleaning her closets during the pandemic and finding recordings of her radio performances dating back to the days when she broke through with “One of Us.” Previously, Osborne released Trouble and Strife, her first collection of originals since 2014. She’ll perform a few selections from that, and others from her eclectic catalog, at an area show. Thursday, April 13, 8 p.m., Rex Theatre, 23 Amherst St., Manchester, $59 at palacetheatre.org.

• Doppelgänger: As rock fans mark the 50th anniversary of The Dark Side of the Moon, Brit Floyd carries on the legacy of its prog rock namesake. Band leader and guitarist Damien Darlington has played in Pink Floyd tribute bands for nearly three decades, starting the current one in 2012. Their 11-member group’s shows encompass Floyd’s entire career and features the kind of sound and visuals that weren’t available to the original lineup in its heyday. Friday, April 14, 8 p.m., Casino Ballroom, 169 Ocean Blvd, Hampton Beach, $39 and up at ticketmaster.com.

• Loquacious: When their only album, The Future Is Now dropped, in 2002, Non Phixion were venturing into topics often untouched in hip-hop, like nuclear war, paranoia, drugs and destruction. Vice writer Howie Abrams said they “took the hip-hop game to the type of fantastical creative zenith that Iron Maiden brought to heavy metal.” They’re on a tour marking the 20th anniversary of The Future Is Now, with help from locals Bugout, Cody Pope, Mr. Burns and DJ Myth. Saturday, April 15, 9 p.m., Shaskeen Pub, 909 Elm St., Manchester, facebook.com/nonphixionnyc.

• Songcrafter: Enjoy a meatball calzone and a cold one as singer-songwriter Joel Cage plays an afternoon set. A veteran performer and accomplished guitar player, Cage can adapt to whatever room he’s in. He once won the Kerrville New Folk Competition’s top prize and he played for a while in Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes. Solo, he brings the musical intensity of Pete Townshend along with Chris Smither’s lyrical sensibility. Sunday, April 16, 2 p.m., The Bar Food & Spirits, 2b Burnham Road, Hudson, facebook.com/Joel.Cage.AcousticRockSongStylist.

• Foundational: There’s not enough room in a Jim Messina concert for everything he’s been part of, so songs from his early ’60s surf band are usually left off. His show does include cuts from seminal folk rockers Buffalo Springfield, along with Poco, which doesn’t get near the credit it deserves for helping create what’s now known as Americana. Messina often dips into his eponymous 1981 solo album, another overlooked gem. Wednesday, April 19, 7:30 p.m., Jimmy’s Jazz & Blues, 135 Congress St., Portsmouth, $25 and up at jimmysoncongress.com.

Local music news & events

• Early coverage: Perhaps more than any other classic rockers, Led Zeppelin has left it to bands like Get The Led Out to carry the torch, having performed only three times since drummer John Bonham died in 1980. Lead singer Paul Sinclair is a convincing Robert Plant doppelgänger, as the tribute act moves through Zep’s catalog, spending a lot of time during the period when album titles, when there were any, were numbers. Thursday, April 6, 8 pm., Colonial Theatre, 609 Main St., Laconia, $29 and up at etix.com.

• Poetic music: Returning to a venue she began selling out soon after graduating from Berklee, Liz Longley is an uber-talented singer-songwriter. From watching her grandmother endure Alzheimer’s in the sensitive “Unraveling” to the metaphor-rich “Camaro,” Longley cuts to the heart of the matter. When she released Funeral For My Past, produced by Nashville whiz Paul Moak, it was the third most successful project in Kickstarter history. Friday, April 7, 8 p.m., Tupelo Music Hall, 10 A St., Derry, $25 at tupelohall.com.

• Celtic outreach: The outsized American celebration of St. Patrick’s Day is, Máiréad Nesbitt opined a few years ago, “a great compliment to such a little country.” The fiddler has done her part as an Irish ambassador; a founding member of the Grammy-nominated Celtic Woman, she toured the world, playing iconic venues like Red Rocks and Carnegie Hall. Local favorites Jordan Tirrell-Wysocki Trio open at her downtown show. Saturday, April 8, 7:30 p.m., Rex Theatre, 23 Amherst St., Manchester, $35 at palacetheatre.org.

• Heavy noise: A feast for fans of experimental music, the two-day Slabfest includes Pleasure Coffin’s “interdisciplinary performance art with handmade noise machines” and New York-based Swollen Organs, who promise “power electronics, death industrial, and harsh noise about unfulfilled lust, obsession and worship” — an unquiet glance at the current zeitgeist, with waveforms as weaponry. Saturday, April 8, and Sunday, April 9, 5 p.m., Jewel Music Venue, 61 Canal St., Manchester, $25 ($15 single day) at wyrdrecords.bigcartel.com.

• Deep tracks: A record store and a craft brewery join up for the Modern Records Pop-Up, an event that offers vintage vinyl for sale and listening. Cousin Richard, who owns the curated store, will preview any record pre-purchase. It’s quite the emporium — “Southside” Johnny Lyon stopped in recently to pick up a few 45 RPMs prior to playing a show with his band the Asbury Jukes at Jimmy’s Jazz & Blues Club. Wednesday, April 12, 6 p.m., Earth Eagle Brewings, 175 High St., Portsmouth. See cuzinrichard.com/modern-records.

Local music news & events

• Thirty years on: When their breakthrough album River Runs Red was released in 1993, Life of Agony lead singer Mina Caputo identified as a man; she came out as transsexual (her term) in 2011. Her grunge-limned alt-metal band performed its first concert with her as a front woman in 2014 and has gigged steadily since. Their latest tour marks the anniversary of that album, by a very different group, three decades ago. Thursday, March 30, 7:30 pm., Wally’s Pub, 144 Ashworth Ave., Hampton, $25 at ticketmaster.com.

• New thing now: Mindset X pivots from prog rock into Horsefly Gulch, a band described on its web page as “a mixture of rock, folk, spaghetti western and whatever else comes into play.” The trio makes its hometown debut on a what should be described as a triple headliner bill, laden with local favorites, including blindspot and A Simple Complex. Their first single, “The One That Got Away,” debuted a few days ago. Friday, March 31, 8:30 p.m., Shaskeen Pub, 909 Elm St., Manchester. See horseflygulch.com.

• Gate City gala: After helping open Nashua’s new Center for the Arts, Ruby Shabazz celebrates her birthday with help from her husband, rapper Fee The Evolutionist, along with Adam Payne, Mighty Ceej & Blvck Vynl. It’s a great day for the city, with the new venue selling out its first event weeks in advance, and promising a bevy of big-name talent in the coming months, including Suzanne Vega on April 15. Saturday, April 1, 8 p.m., Fody’s Tavern, 9 Clinton St., Nashua. See facebook.com/rabihah.shabazz.

• Calling all kids: With a brand of folk music that reaches adults but especially children, Okee Dokee Brothers is the duo of Denver pals Joe Mailander and Justin Lansing, who grew up in the Rocky Mountains and decided to use their talents to urge kids and their parents to get outdoors and enjoy nature. They’ve earned four Grammy nominations, winning in 2021 but declining the statue due all the contenders being white. Sunday, April 2, 2 p.m., Capitol Center for the Arts, 44 S. Main St., Concord, $20.75 – $30.75 at ccanh.com.

• Upta camp comedy: As he begins a six-show run, Bob Marley is a comedian who never does the same show twice. The Maine-centric funny man entered the Guinness Book of World Record with the longest-ever set by a comic a few years back while barely repeating a joke. He’s a perennial favorite at this downtown hall. Wednesday, April 5, and Thursday, April 6, at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, April 7, at 6 and 8:30 p.m., and Saturday, April 8, at 5:30 and 8 p.m.. Palace Theatre, 80 Hanover St., Manchester, $39.50 at palacetheatre.org.

Local music news & events

• Laugh buffet: When he’s looking to feel humbled, comedian Francis Birch watches the decade-old YouTube clip that someone recorded of his open mic debut, an effort prompted by his office mates’ encouragement that he was funny enough to try standup. Fortunately, he’s much better now, and topping the bill with Dave Twohig, Jim Laprel and Alana Foden. The latter is a longtime promoter of shows in the area. Thursday, March 23, 7:30 p.m., Soho Asian Restaurant, 49 Lowell Road, Hudson, $18 at square.site.

• Rock revival: From its beginnings as a duo of guitarists Liv Lorusso and Jordan Brilliant, Feverslip has fleshed out into a powerhouse blues rock quintet fronted by ex-Red Sky Mary vocalist Sam Vlasich, with a steady rhythm section of Brad Hartwick and Harrison Forti, both formerly in Victim of Circumstance. Their rollicking song “Tombstone” is reminiscent of Aerosmith in their prime and other classic rockers. Enjoy them playing an early acoustic set. Friday, March 24, 6 p.m., Village Trestle, 25 Main St., Goffstown, feverslip.com.

• Standard bearing: A fixture at Whippersnappers in Londonderry before it closed, Souled Out Show Band is a tonic for fans of brass rockers like Chicago. They’re performing on the big stage in Concord, doing a decades-spanning set list with everything from “Knock on Wood” to Miley Cyrus’s “Party in the USA,” along with dance-inspiring deep cuts like “One Fine Morning” from Lighthouse and Billy & the Beaters’ “At This Moment.” Saturday, March 25, 8 p.m., Bank of NH Stage, 16 S. Main St., Concord, $24 at ccanh.com.

• Heavy handed: Touring in support of a new album due end of March, Kingsmen is a high-velocity metalcore band from Rhode Island that broke through with its 2020 release Revenge. Forgiveness. Recovery. The lead single from the upcoming disc is “Bitter Half,” a furious, percussive screamer about casting out life’s dark forces. Joining them for their downtown show is modern rock group Rise Among Rivals. Sunday, March 26, 7 p.m., Jewel Music Venue, 61 Canal St., Manchester, $12 at eventbrite.com.

• Guitar prowess: Melding elements of jazz, rock and flamenco, Kaki King is a musician’s musician. Dave Grohl once brought her onstage, saying, “There are some guitar players that are good and there are some guitar players that are really f-ing good, and then there’s Kaki King.” Modern Yesterdays, her collaboration with D.J. Sparr, recently premiered at the American Composers Orchestra in New York City. Monday, March 27, 8 p.m., Music Hall Lounge, 131 Congress St., Portsmouth, $33 and $43 at themusichall.org.

Local music news & events

• Going places: The arc of her first three singles has Rebecca Turmel on the path of many New England musicians who gravitate to Nashville. Her latest, “Girls On Fire,” is an empowering rocker featuring session players who worked with Jason Isbell, Kacey Musgraves and Toby Mac. In mid-2022, Turmel released the spare breakup song “Am I Missing Something,” followed by “Wish You Well,” a lush ballad. Thursday, March 16, 7 p.m., Tortilla Flat, 595 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack. More at rebeccaturmel.com.

• Country green: For those seeking a different way to mark St. Patrick’s Day, Jodie Cunningham & Close Range blend a down home vibe with a rock edge that appeals to fans of Little Big Town, Carrie Underwood and Gretchen Wilson — all artists that Cunningham has shared stages with in the past. The energetic singer, who’s won both New Hampshire Idol and two NHCMA awards, offers a mix of covers and originals. Friday, March 17, 7 p.m., The Big House, 322 Lakeside Ave., Laconia, $20 at eventbrite.com.

• Folk legend: A master of folk guitar — he’s a member of Rolling Stone’s 20 Greatest list — Richard Thompson has won lifetime achievement awards from both the British and American standard-setters. As a member of Fairpoint Convention, he helped invent folk rock in the late ’60s and early ’70s. Thompson’s songs have been covered by Robert Plant, Bonnie Raitt, Elvis Costello and others. His latest album is the Jeff Tweedy-produced Still. Saturday, March 18, 8 p.m., Tupelo Music Hall, 10 A St., Derry, $55 to $65 at tupelohall.com.

• Celtic pop: Close out the long green weekend with Screaming Orphans, an all-sister band from the Irish County of Donegal. They released their debut album Listen and Learn in 2001, and their Celtic-infused pop sound is reminiscent of The Corrs, another familial Irish band. A fiddle and drum remake of the Turtles’ smash “Happy Together” from the 2019 LP Life In A Carnival is an especially frothy bit of fun. Sunday, March 19, 7 p.m., Bank of NH Stage, 16 S. Main St., Concord, $23.75 at ccanh.com.

• Pub power: With its roots in Dover group The Swaggerin’ Growlers, an area appearance by Tail Light Rebellion is a homecoming of sorts. The one-man-band project, now a duo, was born in the ashes of the group, who broke up in the early 2010s. The current project remains a raucous “rolling riot folk brigade” inspired by The Pogues, and energized by multi-instrumentalist, singer and raconteur Jonny Swagger. Tuesday, March 21, 8 p.m., Shaskeen Pub, 909 Elm St., Manchester. More at facebook.com/TailLightRebellion.