Category: Music This Week

Local music news & events

• Southern sound: Country rocking family band Parmalee performs on the deck for a beach crowd. Led by Matt and Scott Thomas, along with their cousin Barry, the group broke through with 2013’s Feels Like Carolina. Last year they received their first CMT nomination, for a video of their duet with Blanco Brown, “Just The Way.” Thursday, June 24, 8 p.m., Bernie’s Beach Bar, 73 Ocean Ave., Hampton, tickets $35 at ticketmaster.com.

• Shed season: Early shows at New Hampshire’s largest outdoor venue, including two from Brantley Gilbert, are socially distanced events with pod seating, but the amphitheater plans full-capacity events later in the summer, and many are sold out already. Gilbert recently released “Worst Country Song of All Time,” a goofy collaboration with Hardy and Toby Keith. Friday, June 25, and Saturday, June 26, at 7 p.m., Bank of NH Pavilion, 72 Meadowbrook Lane, Gilford, tickets $29 and up at livenation.com.

• Funday sun: It’s al fresco laughs as comedian Marty Caproni holds forth on a cozy restaurant’s outdoor deck. As cohost of the Good Advice For Bad Ideas podcast, Caproni welcomes guests like fellow comic Jessimae Peluso and explores getting better at bank robbing, grifting and other murky skills with purported experts. He’s opened for Russell Brand and Dave Attel. Sunday, June 27, 7 p.m., East Derry Tavern, 50 East Derry Road, Derry, tickets $25 via Venmo @woodiewheatonlandtrust.

• Pond party: One of the region’s most versatile musicians, fiddler Jordan Tirrell-Wysocki is joined by Matt Jensen on guitar for an early evening performance surrounded by history. Weaving traditional Celtic music with tuneful original songs, the pair present a lively repertoire that encourages dancing and singing along. Guests are asked to bring their own lawn chairs to watch the duo perform on the Puddle Dock terrace. Tuesday, June 29, 6 p.m., Strawberry Banke, 14 Hancock St., Portsmouth, $5 in advance at strawberrybanke.org.

Local music news & events

• Throwback time: A tribute band before they were cool, The Youngsters formed back in 1980, bonding over a shared love for the music of Neil Young. The group’s core members, Chris Williams, Jeff Guild and TJ Murphy, went on to pursue solo efforts, occasionally reuniting for shows like this one, a fundraiser for 10,000 Candles, which supports families coping with loss from suicide or addiction. Thursday, June 17, 7:30 p.m., Rex Theatre, 23 Amherst St., Manchester, tickets $20 at palacetheatre.org.

• Lion laughs: After a successful initial event recently, Funny Friday continues with a three-comic bill led by Ray Harrington, who’s built a name for himself on the West Coast with an album on Standup Records and a special on Hulu, along with Mark Turcotte, organizer of the annual Maine Comedy Festival and a favorite in his home state. Rounding out the night is fellow Mainer Leonard Kimble. Friday, June 18, 7:30 p.m., Lions Club, 256 Mammoth Road, Londonderry, $10 at tplust.org.

• Boat sing: Specializing in the genre that arguably got its name from the Christopher Cross song “Sailing,” Boat House Row plays yacht rock, the mellow sound of the mid-1970s embodied by Cross, Michael McDonald, Kenny Loggins and Hall & Oates. Polished, smooth and designed for yuppies tied to docks at Newport or the Cape, it’s easily digested and washed down with champagne. Sunday, June 20, at 1 and 4 p.m., Tupelo Drive-in, 10 A St., Derry. Tickets are $22 per person or $75 per car at tupelohall.com.

• Fab faux: It’s The Beatles al fresco at a scaled-down Shea Stadium as Studio Two kicks off a summer series of concerts in a downtown Nashua park. The youthful tribute band faithfully recreates John, Paul, George and Ringo in their British Invasion days, before they stopped touring. Upcoming performers in the series include Catfish Howl on June 29, Twangtown in mid-July and B Street Bombers on Aug. 3. Tuesday, June 22, 7 p.m., Greeley Park, 100 Concord St., Nashua, gonashua.com.

• Hometown girl: Though she relocated to the West Coast in early 2018, MB Padfield always returns home for a summer full of beach shows like this one on a flatbed truck parked outside a Hampton bar. Padfield has had success with her own efforts — a new album, Surface, is in the works (she recently posted a song in progress on Facebook) — and with session work, like a co-write on Yeti Tactics’ Guest House, released last October. Wednesday, June 23, 9 p.m., The Goat, 20 L St., Hampton Beach. See mbpadfield.com.

Local music news & events

• Beach music: Part of a tour working its way up the East Coast, Ballyhoo! and Tropidelic help usher in summer at Hampton with a deck show. Tropidelic fuses reggae and hip-hop Thursday, June 10, 8 p.m., Bernie’s Beach Bar, 73 Ocean Ave., Hampton, tickets $20 at ticketmaster.com.

• Northern soul: Toward the end of last year, Charlie Chronopoulos released Chesty Rollins’ Dead End, an album that reflected “the backward narrative of poverty” in his home state of New Hampshire. It touched on friends and family lost to addiction, and the struggle of everyday life; “fragile things” that “spend their lives about to break.” Friday, June 11, 7 p.m., Molly’s Tavern, 35 Mont Vernon Road, New Boston. See charliechronopoulos.com.

• Throwback time: Local bands pay tribute to Prophets of Punk at the first in a three-week series that will include nights featuring Bruce Springsteen (June 19) and AC/DC (June 26). The lineup thus far has Dank Sinatra covering Social Distortion, Dana Brunt doing Ramones’ “Pet Sematary” and The Damn Nobody’s take on Bad Brains’ “Against.” The Graniteers do Blondie and, in an apt display of attitude, one of their own songs. Saturday, June 12, 8 p.m., Shaskeen Pub, 909 Elm St., Manchester. See Facebook.

• Hard-hitting: As if their sound couldn’t get any heavier, a New England Rock & Metal Showcase will feature doom rockers Dead Harrison playing with two drummers for the first time ever. The packed lineup includes Infinite Sin, Dawn of End, Machine Gun Mayhem, and King Polo. If that wasn’t enough, there’s also a mechanical bull for riding, which is, uh, very metal? Saturday, June 12, 6 p.m., Granite State Music Hall, 546 Main St., Laconia, tickets $10, see granitestatemusichall.com.

Local music news & events

• Backyard fun: Enjoy acoustic folk rock from The Clavis Brudon Band at an outdoor space created during last year’s al fresco imperative — one pandemic silver lining is the many similar venues that popped up and still remain. The band’s name doesn’t refer to a person; it’s an amalgamation of the first three letters of the members’ surnames — Stephen Clarke, Kevin Visnaskas, John Bruner and Otis Doncaster. Thursday, June 3, 5 p.m., Tooky Mills Pub, 9 Depot St, Hillsborough, 464-6700.

• Bon temps: The outdoor Arts in the Park Series continues with Catfish Howl performing an early evening gazebo show. The band specializes in New Orleans-style blues, rock, zydeco and soul, served up as what they call “Mardi Gras mambo and beyond.” It’s a lot of fun, and the New Hampshire/Massachusetts combo has been entertaining crowds in the region for over a decade now. Friday, June 4, 6 p.m., presented by Belknap Mill in Rotary Park, 30 Beacon St., Laconia, catfishhowl.com.

• Guitar man: Kicking off a summer concert series, Joe Sabourin performs. The versatile guitarist has released four solo albums, most recently Leaves in late 2020, while playing in bands that range from Celtic to reggae, folk and jazz. One of the region’s best steel string players, he’s also an in-demand session musician. The Capitol Center-sponsored series runs through September. Sunday, June 6, 3 p.m., Fletcher-Murphy Park, 28 Fayette St., Concord. Tickets $12 at ccanh.com.

• Song spirit: Equal parts singer-songwriter and motivational coach, Kimayo offers uplifting music born from life experience and delivered with passion and power. Her 2019 debut album, Phoenix (The Acoustic Sessions), was named one of year’s 10 best by Folk New Hampshire. She pairs nicely with the farm-to-table restaurant she’ll perform in, which sits near New England’s geographical center. Sunday, June 6, 4 p.m., The Grazing Room, Colby Hill Inn, 33 The Oaks, Henniker, colbyhillinn.com.

Local music news & events

• Mellow time: Sip a bit of local wine while watching Sam Hyman & JT Express perform the music of New England treasure James Taylor. Singer-guitarist Hyman resembles Taylor in both sound and appearance; the three-piece group runs through “Fire and Rain,” “Sweet Baby James” and “Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight” as smoothly as chardonnay and rosé flow from the bottle. Thursday, May 27, 7:30 p.m. (cocktail hour starts at 6:30 p.m.), LaBelle Winery, 14 Route 111, Derry, tickets $35 at eventbrite.com.

• Chicken pickin’: With her Grammy-nominated band’s touring plans on hold, Celia Woodsmith spent the past year networking with Seacoast musicians around her home, including her husband and a couple of his friends, who’ll back her at a family farm barbecue. Woodsmith recently reunited with her mates in bluegrass band Della Mae to record a new EP, and her roots group Say Darling recently put out an LP. Friday, May 28, 4 p.m., Vernon Family Farm, 301 Piscassic Road, Newfields, tickets $10 to $30 at vernonfamilyfarm.com.

• Downtown rap: Hip-hop entrepreneur and Nashua native son Cody Pope performs in front of City Hall to celebrate the return of live music. It’s his first hometown show since then, with a number of special guests promised, including 8-bza, who co-produced his first album in three years, The Howling Man, released in February. Saturday, May 29, 2 p.m., City Hall, 229 Main St., Nashua. See facebook.com/codypopeHC.

• Midcity mixing: Enjoy an afternoon patio party as the EDM scene shifts into gear at HEAT.WAV, led by Manchester Dean of DJs John Manning, a.k.a. DJ Midas, host of WMNH’s Late Night Delight and the Meltdown City podcast. There will be a tiki bar and other warm-weather pleasures to blend with the beat drops, sick mixes and nonstop music at the 21+ event, which is outdoors and indoors should the climate not cooperate. Sunday, May 30, 2 p.m., Central Ale House, 23 Central St., Manchester, 935-7779.

Local music news & events

• Irish vibe: A Celtic-themed pub offers folk, rock and pop from Somerville singer-songwriter Karen Grenier, who carries a voluminous songbook of covers and the willingness to take lots of requests. Grenier’s original material is also wonderful; her most recent CD is Crazy Love, a 2011 effort that featured the memorable “Superhero (Ryan Michael’s Song),” the positivity anthem, “It Gets Better” and an up-tempo title track. Friday, May 21, 8 p.m., Killarney’s Irish Pub, 9 Northeastern Blvd., Nashua, karengrenier.com

• Island night: Enjoy a mix of rock, blues, soul and pop from singer-guitarist Pete Massa along with a varied selection of food to please every palate, including the King Kong Burger, a study in carnivore madness. Massa has a long history in the New England music scene, including residencies at Boston pubs. His setlist ranges from Bill Withers “Ain’t No Sunshine” to tracks from the Doobies and John Mayer. Saturday, May 22, 5 p.m., Big Kahunas Smokehouse, 1158 Hooksett Road, Hooksett, nhkahuna.com.

• SoCal disciples: Named after a late ’90s song by ska punk band Catch 22, Concord-based Supernothing has a percolating rock reggae sound that’s perfect for returning to the beach sporting board shorts, sandals and a summertime attitude. The group began when Dillan Welch, then attending a Christian high school, received the first Sublime album as a gift from his sister and got hooked on the Long Beach band. Sunday, May 23, 7 p.m., Bernie’s Beach Bar, 73 Ocean Blvd., Hampton Beach, 926-5050.

• Moondance double: Expect Van Morrison tribute act Into The Mystic to draw from a wide range of hits without the on-stage prickliness that seems to be as much a part of Morrison’s act as his iconic voice. Led by former Bearquarium singer Justin Panigutti, the eight-piece band also includes several of the region’s top players coalescing around gems like “Real Real Gone” and “Saint Dominic’s Preview.” Sunday, May 23, 1 and 6 p.m., Tupelo Drive-In, 10 A St., Derry. Tickets are $22 per person (tent) and $75 per car at tupelohall.com.