Category: Music This Week

Local music news & events

• Emerald Islanders: Keep basking in a green glow at an evening with Altan, a band considered one of Ireland’s finest musical exports. Their just-released album Donegal celebrates the county where they were formed. The new record is also their first with recently added fiddler and singer Claire Friel, who takes a lead vocal on “Faoiseamh a Gheobhadsa.” Thursday, March 21, 7:30 p.m., Rex Theatre, 23 Amherst St., Manchester, $35 and $45 at palacetheatre.org.

• Founding father: Richard Thompson has stayed a folk music force since he co-founded Fairpoint Convention in 1967. His memoir, Beeswing, was published in 2021, and he recently dropped “Singapore Sadie,” the first single from the forthcoming album Ship to Shore. Friday, March 22, 8 p.m., Tupelo Music Hall, 10 A St., Derry, $60 and up at tupelomusichall.com.

• Helpful humor: Enjoy dinner followed by a free comedy show with Chris Tabb headlining. Presented by the charity-minded Comedy On Purpose, the night includes sets from Sara Poulin, Nick Gordon and Bill Douglas. Saturday, March 23, 7 pm., Stonebridge Country Club, 161 Gorham Pond Road, Goffstown, call 497-8633 for reservations.

• Bluegrass power: A regional roots supergroup, Little Wishbone is the combination of Green Heron — married duo Scott Heron and Betsy Green on banjo and fiddle — and Old Hat Bluegrass Band, which has Steve Roy on mandolin, guitarist Whitney Roy and Amanda Kowalski on upright bass. The band plays an afternoon show at a barbecue restaurant run by another member of the bluegrass community. Sunday, March 24, 3 p.m., MrSippy BBQ, 184 S. Main St., Rochester. More at littlewishbone.com.

• Empire statement: Extending the program begun 30 years ago by Wynton Marsalis, Jazz at Lincoln Center Presents is a touring initiative currently featuring Bria Skonberg and Benny Benack III, the latter affectionately known as BB3. Both are trumpet players and singers, exploring the Great American Songbook. Wednesday, March 27, 7 p.m., Capitol Center for the Arts, 44 S. Main St., Concord, $43.75 and up at ccanh.com.

Local music news & events

• Kilting it: Start the upcoming Green Weekend early at the 4th Annual Celtic Night. Enjoy St. Patrick’s Day food and drink specials along with music from Warren Smith, playing what some tongue-in-cheekily call one of the four instruments of the apocalypse, the bagpipes (the others are banjo, accordion and bongo drums). Anyone showing up in a kilt will receive a dinner discount. Thursday, March 14, 5 p.m., Flannel Tavern, 350 Suncook Valley Hwy., Chichester, facebook.com/flanneltavern.

• Gospel guys: With accolades including a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, the Blind Boys of Alabama have cemented their place as legends in the gospel music world. Last year’s Echoes of the South album looks at facing hard times and echoes the band’s credo: “As long as everybody gives all that they have to give and we sing songs that touch the heart, we’ll live on forever.” Friday, March 15, 7:30 p.m., The Flying Monkey, 39 Main St., Plymouth, $45 and up at flyingmonkeynh.com.

• Dead set: With only five shows booked this year, Lichen doesn’t often perform these days, but the venerable band keeps the fire burning. Loosely formed in 1981 after friends John Zevos and Charlie Windhausen bonded over their first Grateful Dead concert, the group mixes tasty originals and classics from the Dead, Allmans, Springsteen and Little Feat, with an occasional guest joining in. Saturday, March 16, 6 pm., Makris Lobster & Steak House, 354 Sheep Davis Road, Concord, facebook.com/eatalobster.

• Blues power: As a kid in Texas with a concert promoter/radio DJ dad, Kenny Wayne Shepherd was inspired to play guitar by watching Stevie Ray Vaughan from backstage while sitting atop the blues legend’s amp; since, he’s carved a solid niche of his own. His latest, Dirt On My Diamonds, was recorded at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Fellow Lone Star Stater Ally Venable opens. Sunday, March 17, 7 p.m., Chubb Theatre at CCA, 44 S. Main St., Concord, $48.25 and up at ccanh.com.

• Local lights: The Tony Mack Band is known for a solid mix of deep tracks, classic rock and rhythm & blues. Among their set highlights are a raved-up version of “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out” complete with horn refrain. Monday, March 18, 7 p.m., Jimmy’s Jazz & Blues Club, 135 Congress St., Portsmouth, $15 at jimmysoncongress.com.

Local music news & events

• Broadway bash: Four actors who’ve all starred in Phantom of the Opera gather for The Four Phantoms In Concert. The show, soon to be a PBS special, has both solo and group numbers from Brent Barrett, John Cudia, Franc D’Ambrosio and Ciarán Sheehan. It includes an appearance by Kaley Ann Voorhees, who played Christine in Phantom’s Broadway production. Thursday, Feb. 29, 7 p.m., Capitol Center for the Arts, 44 S. Main St., Concord, $48.75 and up at ccanh.com.

• Hammer time: He’s popular enough to fill hockey rinks, but Tom Segura’s dark humor isn’t for everyone. He told mLive.com in October his current tour is “bigger and blacker than anything I’ve ever done, but that name has already been used; Come Together gets the point across. Let us all come together for a night. ” Friday, March 1, 8 p.m., SNHU Arena, 555 Elm St., Manchester, $35.50 and up at snhuarena.com.

• Mixed media: Standup comedy preceded by jazz music is on tap at a show topped by Kenny Rogerson, billed as “the funniest man you’ve never heard of,” along with Steve Scarfo and Jayson Martin. Rogerson is well-known to regional fans; he’s appeared in Las Vegas and Atlantic City, and has made appearances on Letterman, Conan O’Brien and Comics Come Home. Saturday, March 2, 7 pm., Rockingham Ballroom, 22 Ash Swamp Road, Newmarket, $25 at eventbrite.com.

• New Englander: No soundtrack of 1970s Boston is complete without Jonathan Richman, who yearned to “drive past the Stop n’ Shop with the radio on at night” on “Roadrunner” and wrote a love song to Government Center. These days, he’s a crooner who eschews his oldies for an ever-changing setlist of music that “works well in quiet places,” backed by Tommy Larkins. Sunday, March 3, 7 p.m., Nashua Center for the Arts, 201 Main St., Nashua, $39 and up at etix.com.

• Rap deconstructed: For anyone interested in the songwriting process of hip-hop, Cody Pope and Brian G will break it down during an Inside the Music presentation. Sure to come up in the discussion is the duo’s work in progress, a follow-up to 2021’s Meet Me In Gate City, and thoughts on their creative influences, which include Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth, Gang Starr and Kool G Rap. Monday, March 4, 7 p.m., Nashua Public Library, 2 Court St., Nashua, nashualibrary.org.

Local music news & events

• Record party: The fourth Thursday of the month is Bring Your Own Vinyl Night at a downtown craft brewery whose name illustrates the evening’s spirit. Check out To Share’s extensive collection, which includes everything from Tupac to Bob Seger’s Night Moves along with nuggets like Sanford Townsend Band’s Smoke From a Distant Fire. Thursday, Feb. 22, 4 p.m., To Share Brewing, 720 Union St., Manchester, tosharebrewing.com.

• Folked up: Singer, songwriter and superb raconteur Vance Gilbert performs an “evening with” show. His latest album, 2023’s The Mother of Trouble, includes a song called “Simple Things” that Gilbert described as “what happens when a Black kid from Philadelphia who grew up listening to Earth, Wind & Fire, and didn’t know the Average White Band was white, tries to write a song like John Prine.” Friday, Feb. 23, 7:30 p.m., Rex Theatre, 23 Amherst St., Manchester, $25 at palacetheatre.org.

• Country girl: Happy career news continues for April Cushman, who will play a Saturday night apres-ski gig with her trio. There are events like a recent showcase in Cincinnati and a Plymouth, Mass., headlining show coming in May, and in June, Cushman will be on the side stage for Lainey Wilson’s Meadowbrook concert and later entertaining NASCAR fans ahead of Race Weekend. Saturday, Feb. 24, 6 pm., Pats Peak Ski Area, 686 Flanders Road, Henniker. See facebook.com/aprilcushmanmusic.

• Picking power: A fundraiser for an inventive sculpture garden has the New England Bluegrass Band, led by Cecil Abels, a Mississippi-born singer, guitarist and proprietor of Mr. Sippy’s BBQ, who came to the region via a career in the U.S. Navy. Converted from a ski resort in 1996, the beneficiary venue now welcomes a wide array of sculptors to create and place their work in its growing collection. Sunday, Feb. 25, 6 p.m., Andres Institute of Art, 106 Route 13, Brookline, $25 at andresinstitute.org.

• Song circle: This month’s Songwriter RoundUp at a Lakes Region winery has Brooks Young and Tim Winchester with host Katie Dobbins. Young had quite the year in 2023, opening for George Thorogood & the Destroyers on an East Coast tour, buoyed by the success of his Supply Chain Blues album. Wednesday, Feb. 28, 7 p.m., Hermit Woods Winery, 72 Main St., Meredith, $10 and up at eventbrite.com.

Local music news & events

• Dad tribute: The first song A.J. Croce recorded from his father’s catalog after doing Croce by Croce concerts for many years was “I Got A Name.” When Jim Croce died in a 1973 plane crash, his son was 2 years old. Later, one way he got to know him was by studying reels of tape for clues to his artistic process; this led him to realize that they both loved the same American Songbook artists. Thursday, Feb. 15, 7 p.m., Capitol Center for the Arts, 44 S. Main St., Concord, $53.75 and up at ccanh.com.

• Rock’s voice: When Deep Purple made the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Glenn Hughes, their co-vocalist and bassist in the mid-’70s, was among those accepting the honor. Hughes plays Deep Purple classics at a local show, with Enuff Z’Nuff opening. Friday, Feb. 16, 8 p.m., Tupelo Music Hall, 10 A St., Derry, $50 and up tupelohall.com.

• Laugh time: Monthly comedy shows continue at a grand buffet Italian restaurant with Paul Nardizzi topping a lineup that also includes Dave Rattigan and Chris Cameron; arrive early for the food and stay for the hilarity. Former Boston Comedy Festival winner Nardizzi has appeared on Late Night with Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central, NESN and Fox Sports’ Best Damn Sports Show Period. Saturday, Feb. 17, 8 pm., Cello’s Farmhouse Italian, 143 Raymond Road, Candia, $30 at eventbrite.com.

• Duo show: A release show celebrates Call and Response, a new EP from Matt Pond PA & Alexa Rose, who decided to connect and make music together after Rose name-checked the band in her song “Wild Peppermint.” The disc includes a lovely take on the Verve’s “Bittersweet Symphony” and the original “Side Eye Rolls,” a Tom Petty-esque rocker that nods to The Big Lebowski’s rug. Sunday, Feb. 18, 7 p.m., The Word Barn, 66 Newfields Road, Exeter, $16 and up at portsmouthtickets.com.

• Celtic connection: With less than a month until St. Patrick’s Day, it’s a good time to enjoy the weekly Irish Sessions at a venerable Concord pub, recently revived after a long hiatus. Settle into a six-dollar pint of Guinness or Smithwick’s, or a Black & Tan combo of the two, paired with fish and chips, beef stew or a Dublin burger, alongside a lively and frequently surprising evening of traditional music. Tuesday, Feb. 20, 6 p.m., The Barley House, 132 N. Main St., Concord, thebarleyhouse.com.

Local music news & events

• Cowgirl jazz: Come for a light supper as the weekend approaches and enjoy Hot Skillet Club playing western-infused swing jazz. The acoustic trio of friends includes Val Blachly on upright bass and vocals, guitarist Liza Constable, who also plays with Blachly in Swing a Cat, and Ellen Carlson, a fiddler Blachly began working with in Sweet, Hot & Sassy, which had a 12-year run starting in the early 1990s. Thursday, Feb. 8, 6 p.m., Daniel’s Restaurant and Pub, 48 Main St., Henniker. See hotskilletclub.com.
• • Laugh along: An evening of standup comedy has Boston favorite Al Park along with a few special guests. Friday, Feb. 9, 7:30 p.m., Rex Theatre, 23 Amherst St., Manchester, $25 at palacetheatre.org.
• • Valentine swing: Start with a dance lesson, then get on the floor with the 18-piece New Legacy Swing Band for an event dubbed Tunnel of Love. It promises moody lighting, a light food menu that starts with a glass of complimentary bubbly, and lots of chocolate and flowers paired with music ranging from Blood, Sweat & Tears, Brian Setzer and Chicago to Sinatra and Ella. Saturday, Feb. 10, 7 pm., Rockingham Ballroom, 22 Ash Swamp Road, Newmarket, $30 at rockinballroom.club.
• • Sixties vibe: Conceived by New England native Brian Chartrand, Live from Laurel Canyon is a multimedia concert featuring the soundtrack of a generation, from the Byrds, Joni Mitchell, Buffalo Springfield and Mamas & the Papas to later standard-bearers like Jackson Browne, James Taylor, and The Eagles. Sunday, Feb. 11, 4 p.m., Bank of NH Stage, 16 S. Main St., Concord, $53.75 at ccanh.com.
• • Carrying on: Closing in on four decades as a band, Big Head Todd & the Monsters is still the core trio that formed in 1986: Todd Park Mohr on guitar, keyboard, sax and harmonica, drummer Brian Nevin and Rob Squires on bass; second guitarist Jeremy Lawton joined 20 years ago. They recently dropped “Her Way Out,” from Thunderbird, their 12th album. Tuesday, Feb. 13, 8 p.m., Tupelo Music Hall, 10 A St., Derry, $55 and up at tupelohall.com.