Category: Nightlife

Willie Nile on making the best music of his life

By Michael Witthaus
[email protected]

“The Benjamin Button of rock ’n’ roll” is what VH1 Storytellers creator Bill Flanagan once called Willie Nile. “Because my career has been ass backwards,” Nile said recently. It’s true; the Buffalo-born rocker made two great albums early and waited 10 years for his third. Since then, he’s released over a dozen more, including nine in the last 12 years.

Nile’s energy level is up to 11, and he’s so confident he can inspire a crowd with his high-energy rock that he offers a guarantee. “If you want to see a spark and some light in this darkness, come to a show,” he said. “If you’re not blown away and you don’t feel better walking out the door, you’ll get your money back … and I don’t mean you’ll just like it.”

Every night, Willie Nile leaves everything on the stage, exiting fully soaked in sweat, usually after more than one standing ovation. He’ll play great songs from the early days like “Vagabond Moon” along with rave-ups like “This Is Our Time,” a cut from 2013’s American Ride and “The Day The Earth Stood Still,” the title track from his last studio album.

“Nothing’s changed, except I think I’m singing better,” he said. “My voice has gotten just a little richer. Maybe I wouldn’t go that far; I’m a little Sam Cooke, but I mean, I’m having more fun. The set lists are never better than this, and it’s a ball. I’m still feeling it in every pore of my body, and I’m not the only one.”

If the measure of a person is the company they keep, Nile is a star. He got his first big break when the booker at Kenny’s Castaways convinced Robert Palmer, the New York Times’ premier critic in the 1970s, to arrive early for a show he was covering to catch Nile’s opening set. The rave review led to a record deal and a tour opening for The Who.

Bruce Springsteen invited Nile to open for him in front of 70,000 fans in New Jersey’s Giants Stadium, and in 2009 pulled him from the audience to sing Jackie Wilson’s song “Higher & Higher” at a show that turned out to be Clarence Clemons’ last with the E Street Band.

Nine years ago he stood between Springsteen and Pete Townshend to perform “Won’t Get Fooled Again” in a band that included Billy Idol and Who lead singer Roger Daltrey. Nile also played “Substitute” and “Kids Are Alright” at the show, a Grammy MusiCares tribute.

“I remember thinking, what’s wrong with this picture?” he recalled, and talked about working out how to play the Who classic backstage with the Boss, who also didn’t know the song. “For 15 minutes, like two high school kids … we learn ‘Won’t Get Fooled Again.’ You can’t make this stuff up; I’m living a dream.”

Nile, however, isn’t the least bit starstruck by the music legends who love him.

“I’m just too dumb to know any better, but fame was never what I cared about,” he said. “It was always about the songs … that’s gotten me through some really small keyholes into some unique places.”

The inverse of that is what led him to leave music in the wake of his first two critically lauded albums when the industry harshed his mellow, then return in 1991 with Places I Have Never Been. He just wasn’t feeling it anymore. He and his then-wife — he’s now married to Italian photographer Cristina Arrigoni — moved back to Buffalo and had four kids.

“I stayed there through the eighties,” he said. “I stopped playing, but I was always writing. That’s what I do. I’ll write till I drop. At this rate, I’ll be playing till I drop, but it’s like my dad says … he asks, ‘How you doing?’ and I’ll say, ‘I’m working really hard, I’m pretty beat.’ He goes, ‘Yeah, but you get to do what you love. You’re a lucky guy.’ And he’s right.”

Even in conversation, one can hear the raucous Nile’s rock ’n’ roll heart beat. When he’s up on stage blazing through his massive catalog or covering a gem like the Velvet Underground’s “Sweet Jane” — Lou Reed was another New Yorker Nile knew — it’s like attending a revival tent party in 4/4 time.

So don’t go to The Rex on Nov. 15 with any thoughts of getting a refund. Rather, expect many moments when Nile’s spirit lifts the crowd to its feet. “I’m a 76-year-old dude and having the time of my life and doing the best shows in my career,” he said. “I’m having a ball, still writing at the top of my game, and the songs are still coming.”

An Evening With Willie Nile
When: Friday, Nov. 15, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Rex Theatre, 23 Amherst St., Manchester
Tickets: $35 at palacetheatre.org

Featured photo: Willie Nile. Courtesy photo.

Celtic Thunder returns to Capitol Center

By Michael Witthaus
[email protected]

At an upcoming show in downtown Concord, Celtic Thunder will feature several selections from Odyssey, an album they released last year along with a PBS special. The group’s lead singer, tenor Emmet Cahill, called the record a return to their roots in a recent phone interview.

“We have those traditional, very patriotic songs that tell the story of the foundation of the Irish state back in the early 1900s,” he said. “People are very passionate about that historical side to Ireland … it’s given us so much of our identity. We pay homage to the people who sacrificed everything for Irish independence, freedom and liberty.”

There are always fun moments, Cahill continued. One of his favorites on the new album is “The Wellerman,” a lively sea shanty that’s gone viral. “It’s about 30 million views now,” he said. “That song’s brought in a whole new audience for us, people who maybe wouldn’t have known about Celtic Thunder before and absolutely love that. It’s a bit of a hook; once it gets into your head, it’s there.”

One of the hallmarks of a Celtic Thunder concert is staying upbeat even if songs sometimes touch on somber topics; for example, “City of Chicago” is about the potato famine.

“There are serious moments, but it’s a fun experience,” he said. “There’s people singing along, and we’re keeping our old classics like ‘Caledonia,’ ‘Ireland’s Call’ and ‘Heartland.’ All the ones that fans from the very start will always expect to hear.”

The onstage banter between Cahill, Neil Byrne, Damian McGinty and Ronan Scolard is another perennial highlight.

“The nice thing about being in Celtic Thunder is that we go out and we’re just ourselves,” Cahill said. “We’re guys who grew up in Ireland telling these stories and we’re having fun doing it. I think that’s what people like, the realness of the show.”

Cahill spoke from Greensburg, Pennsylvania, where the group had just performed. They’d also sung the national anthem at the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Monday Night Football game. After shows in New Jersey and New York, the group would be heading to New England, and he was looking forward to it.

“New Hampshire, Massachusetts, the big Boston Irish communities, even when we go out to places like Maine, I think Irish people feel very at home there,” he said. “I always find in the Northeast that the humor is very similar to the Irish, dark and funny. I also like their straight talk … people just tell you what they’re thinking, or what they think of you.”

Celtic Thunder has performed multiple times at Concord’s Capitol Center, most recently in 2021. A Nov. 10 show there will be their last in the U.S., with five shows in Canada following to close out a tour that commenced in early September. Cahill won’t be slowing down, however. Two weeks later he’ll hit the road for Florida, Texas and California.

He’s made a couple of Christmas albums, and the season is always busy.

“I’ve carved a little bit of a niche out for myself in the faith communities in America, which has been great because it’s kind of where I came from,” he said. “My dad was a music minister in our church, and I was always singing that type of music as well as the Irish folk songs. They were the two genres that were ever present in our house in Ireland.”

With a majority of their shows happening stateside, Cahill recognizes the close Irish/American connection but believes there’s more to explain why fans regularly flock to see them.

“I think we’re pretty fun people to hang out with, we’re pretty lighthearted, we’re welcoming and embrace other cultures,” he said. “People want to be in on the act, which is what we get at our shows. It’s not predominantly Irish Americans who come … I think it’s the general American public who say, ‘Oh, this is just a really enjoyable night out.’”

Celtic Thunder Odyssey
When: Sunday, Nov. 10, 7 p.m.
Where: Capitol Center for the Arts, 44 S. Main St., Concord
Tickets: $60.75 and up at ccanh.com

Featured photo: Celtic Thunder. Courtesy photo.

Moon Walker comes to Concord

Cirque du Soleil’s The Beatles Love, which closed last July after 18 years in Las Vegas, was both a musical revue and a hallucinatory spectacle. It was also the introduction to the Fab Four for a young Harry Springer, and it left a lasting impression. When he returned from the show, Springer convinced his parents to buy him a guitar.

Though it didn’t come up in a recent phone interview, it’s a safe bet Springer, who performs as Moon Walker, was partial to John Lennon. His music is a heady hybrid of glam rock and dreamy pop, which is appropriate for a guy who also cites Marc Bolan as a guiding light. He’s also fond of psychedelia stalwarts like Jellyfish and Supergrass.

In Lennon-esque fashion, Springer uses music as a platform for his politics. On TikTok, he stitches his songs to examples of hypocrisy, such as videos that tout tough parenting, parochial thinking and petty prejudices. It’s a winning formula, as his posts have garnered 16 million likes, and his @moonwalkerband account currently has nearly 400,000 followers.

“Give the People What They Want,” from 2023’s Apocalypticism, casts a wary eye at consumerism, “We want … houses we can’t pay for, jobs we can’t stay awake for,” Springer sings. Lately, he’s lambasting religion, on songs like “Regular People” and his latest, “New God,” a bracing track punctuated by shredding guitar and spacey, layered vocals.

Like the Beatle who wrote, “God is a concept by which we measure our pain,” Springer is sharp in his critiques, but it’s not in response to the way he was raised. It’s just the way he sees the world. “A lot of the things that get me worked up politically boil down almost exclusively to religion,” he said. “Sometimes, I don’t recognize that it’s going to bother people … until it does; and it always bothers the right people.”

Springer puts his faith in music, and he’s a relentless student. A conversation on influences veers from prog industrialists Can to Curtis Mayfield, who wrote “Superfly” and “People Get Ready,” to the proto-nerdcore Modern Lovers, a Boston group that included a future member of Talking Heads, a band he positively reveres.

“The funny thing is I discovered all three of those at the same time, so in my mind they’re strangely linked,” he said. This was during the beginning of the pandemic, a time when Springer had moved from Colorado to Los Angeles with his band Midnight Club to make a name for itself on the club circuit, only to end up in quarantine.

With no gigs to play and time on his hands, Springer began writing songs for Moon Walker and in October 2021 released Truth To Power, collaborating in the studio with drummer Sean McCarthy. A second album, The Attack of Mirrors, came a year later, followed by Apocalypticism last October.

This year he’s released several singles, including the antiwar “Genocide Money” in July. Considering his studio prowess, it wouldn’t be surprising if Moon Walker hit the road as a duo; Springer, McCarthy, and a looping machine packed with samples. That’s not what’s happening, however.

For a Concord show with fellow indie rockers Moon City Masters opening, Moon Walker will perform as a trio. Springer will work with a different drummer; McCarthy will be back in SoCal, but will rejoin Nov. 13 for a tour that will hit California, Oregon and Washington.

Like the many musicians Springer admires, most of whom had their heyday before MTV hit the airwaves, Moon Walker is old-school onstage.

“We don’t do tracks, so there are certain songs we can’t really play, but it’s kind of freeing — there’s no pressure to match the record because it’s physically not possible,” he said, adding, “I love the energy of a live show. There’s something that moves you when a band is in the moment and playing well together. I think it makes for a relatively unique experience. It’s going to be entirely different every night.”

Moon Walker w/ Moon City Masters
When: Friday, Nov. 1, 8 p.m.
Where: BNH Stage, 16 S. Main St., Concord
Tickets: $19 and $31 at ccanh.com

Featured photo: Moon Walker. Courtesy photo.

Halloween week parties and music events

Next year will be simpler, when Halloween falls on a Friday and every nightspot in the state will offer costume contests. For 2024, though, it’s possible to parlay a wild and costly getup into multiple bashes. For those with kids, they can trick-or-treat without having to worry about when the parents’ Spooktacular event commences.

There’s a bunch to do. Here’s a list.

Friday, Oct. 25

• Atkinson Resort & Country Club (85 Country Club Drive, Atkinson, eventbrite.com) 8 p.m. Devil’s Disco: A 21+ Halloween party. Main Event Entertainment’s DJ Joey Dion spins the hottest tracks. $45.

• Haluwa (45 Gusabel Ave., Nashua, 864-8348) 8:30 p.m. Night Owls play covers, $100 prize for best costume.

• Henry J. Sweeney Post (251 Maple St., Manchester, 623-9145) 8 p.m. Dance with The Raging Rockaholics Band. Costume contest, winners for first, second and third prize. Finger foods provided; members and guests.

• Intervale Country Club (1491 Front St., Manchester, 674-6811) 8 p.m. Eleganza Dance Company hosts its 4th Annual Halloween Spooktacular. DJ Lucia’s plays salsa, bachata, hustle, and cha-cha music. The evening begins with a bachata lesson, followed by social dancing until midnight. Prizes for the best costumes. $20 at the door.

• Jewel (61 Canal St., Manchester, 836-1152) 9 p.m. Hachi Halloween with Reaper, Rebel Scum, Extrakt, Kr3wl b2b Cowson, costumes welcome and contest winner announced at 8 p.m. $30 at posh.vip.

• Makris Lobster & Steak House (354 Sheep Davis Road, Concord, 225-7665) 6:30 p.m. Stray Dogs play classic rock covers and there’s a costume contest

• Puff Cigar Lounge (355 South Broadway, Salem, eventbrite.com) 9 p.m. Hallowhine with favorite dancehall records. Music from Ru, Lu, Styles and Turtle with performances from Nawlage & True’ly Young; hosted by Jakeera. $30.

• Red River Theatres (11 S. Main St., Concord, 224-4600) 10 p.m. Rocky Horror Picture Show is screened. Audience participation is encouraged, but no outside props please. Also Oct. 26 at 10 p.m.

• Red’s Kitchen & Tavern (530 Lafayette Road, Seabrook, 760-0030) 7 p.m. Redemption Band performs, with a costume contest offering $500, $250 and $100 Red’s gift cards as prizes.

• Roberge Center (6 Bridge St., Rochester, facebook.com) 8 p.m. Halloween parade after-party with Pet Semetary: A Ramones Tribute, featuring The Brad Marino Band; donations welcome.

• Rumors Sports Bar & Bowling (22 N. Main St., Newmarket, eventbrite.com) 6:30 and 9:30 p.m. Drag Me To Death Halloween drag show and costume contest with two shows and two casts. $25.

• Shaskeen (909 Elm St., Manchester, 625-0246) 9 p.m. Halloween bash with DJ Myth playing the best in Top 100 and throwbacks, Shawn Caliber on MC duties and prizes for best costumes.

• Stone Church (5 Granite St., Newmarket, 659-7700) 7 p.m. Two-day Grateful Dead party led by Stone Dead, a collaboration of New England musicians with roots and associations going back to the Stone Church scene of the ’80s and ’90s, from acts such as Percy Hill, Groove Child, Thanks to Gravity, Trade and others. $25 in advance, $30 day of show, $45 two-day pass.

• The Bar (2B Burnham Road, Hudson, 943-5250) 8 p.m. Ask Alice plays a Halloween bash with prizes for best costumes. The show is sponsored by Witch City Walking Tours.

• The Brook (319 New Zealand Road, Seabrook, 474-3065) 9 p.m. Guest DJ Sickick spins modern tracks. Prizes for best costume.

Saturday, Oct. 26

• American Legion Post 3 (11 Court St., Nashua, facebook.com) 7 p.m. DJ Bernie D of Perfect Entertainment spins, with prizes, food, dancing and fun.

• American Legion Post 70 (169 Walton Road, Seabrook, facebook.com) 7 p.m. Halloween party with costumes, contests and music from the Ghost Riderz.

• American Legion Post 8 (640 Central Ave. , Dover, 742-9710) 7 p.m. Stiletto, a tribute act dedicated to ’80s hard rock, performs at a 21+ event.

• Auspicious Brew (1 Washington St., Dover, 953-7240) 8 p.m. Halloween kickoff party with Tysk Tysk Task, 2000’s and Regals, $10 at the door.

• Averill House Vineyard (21 Averill Road, Brookline, 244-3165) 6 p.m. Spirit to Spirits – Intuitive Medium Jessica Moseley conducts a group medium reading, offered with a wine tasting. Ticket includes a seat at the reading, calling forward anyone in spirit who would like to communicate with their loved ones in the audience. $45, 21+.

• Black Swan Inn (354 W. Main St., Tilton, eventbrite.com) 7 p.m. Experience the history of spiritualism and a Victorian magic show by magician Michael OJ. Learn about the era’s magic, turn-of-the-century psychics and the ongoing conflict between magicians and spiritualists. Hors d’oeuvres and spirits included. $70.

• The Castle on Charles (19 Charles St., Rochester, facebook.com) 7 p.m. Halloween Latin dance party with cash bar and light snacks. Cocktail hour at 7 p.m., beginner bachata lesson by Anita Augustyniak at 8 p.m. with salsa and bachata dancing from 8:30 until 11 p.m. $20.

• Castleton Banquet and Conference Center (58 Enterprise Drive, Windham, eventbrite.com) 7 p.m. Halloween costume gala, supporting Less Leg More Heart (charity supporting amputees), with dinner, dancing and silent auction. $100 and up.

• Chop Shop (920 Lafayette Road, Seabrook, 760-7706) 8:30 p.m. 15th Birthday Halloween Bash with Casual Gravity and Bulletproof.

• Derryfield (625 Mammoth Road, Manchester, 623-2880) 7 p.m. Mugsy is joined by D-Comp for the Halloween Monster Bash. Come in costume. Prizes for best overall, most creative and honorable mention. $30 at eventbrite.com. 21+ event.

• The Farm Bar & Grille (1181 Elm St., Manchester, facebook.com) 7 p.m. Spooktacular Halloween bash hosted by local rugby club.

• Feathered Friend Brewing (231 Main St., Concord, 715-2347) 5 p.m. Halloween party with Andrew North & The Rangers, all ages, free show.

• High Octane Saloon (102 Watson Road, Laconia, 527-8116) 8 p.m. Mugshot Monday performs at this bash, with costume prizes for sexiest, scariest, best group, funniest, and best overall ($100 for that one).

• Keys Piano Bar (1087 Elm St., Manchester, keysmanch.com) 6 p.m. Witches Brew & Booze Crawl, with a craft cocktail at each stop. Kickoff at Keys Piano Bar (wristband pickup), Wild Rover at 7 p.m., McGarvey’s at 8 p.m., Bad Burger at 9 p.m. and finish at Bar Code at 10 p.m. $15, costume required.

• Liquid Therapy (16 Court St., Nashua, [email protected]) 7 p.m. Souhegan Valley Rotary Club Halloween Party and Karaoke Contest with prizes for best costume and singer, $25.

• Lynn’s 102 Tavern (75 Derry Road, Hudson, 943-7832) 7 p.m. Done By 9, with one member dressed as Monopoly Man, performs, with prizes for best costumes.

• Marker 21 (33 Dockside St., Wolfeboro, facebook.com) 7 p.m. Small Town Stranded will appear in costume as the X-Men, playing an extensive repertoire of cover songs, and there will be a contest for guests too.

• McIntyre Ski Area (50 Chalet Court, Manchester, 622-6159) 7 p.m. Come in costume and join The Morning Buzz at the resort’s Hill Bar & Grille for the Buzz Brews & Boos Halloween Party (21+). $45 at ticketscandy.com, includes appetizer buffet, DJ, Halloween contest, games and prizes.

• Michael’s Bar & Grill (8 Stiles Road, Salem, michaelsmarketllc.com) 6 p.m. Halloween dinner with costume prizes, music videos, trivia. $40.

• MoJo’s West End Tavern (100 Albany St., Portsmouth, facebook.com) 6 p.m. 4th Annual Two Brothers Halloween Party with DJ NBD. Wear a costume to unlock drink specials.

• Newport Opera House (20 Main St., Newport, 863-2412, newportoperahouse.com) will host a 21+ Halloween Masquerade Dance with music by Last Kid Picked, from 8 p.m. to the stroke of midnight. Prizes awarded for best costumes in different categories. Cash bar. Tickets are $25 in advance, and $30 at the door, while they last.

• Mount Washington Cruises (211 Lakeside Ave, Laconia, 366-5531, cruisenh.com) will hold a Halloween Masquerade Cruise from 6 to 9 p.m., leaving from Weirs Beach. This 21+ costumed event will be a three-hour cruise with a buffet dinner, live entertainment, seasonal snacks and a costume contest. Tickets are $72.

• Par28 (23 S. Broadway, Salem, par28.com) 6 p.m. Halloween costume party with DJ, games and gift card for winners.

• Portsmouth Gas Light (64 Market St., Portsmouth, portsmouthnhtickets.com) 8 p.m. Halloween party in the third-floor nightclub with DJ Koko P, $500 prize for best costume, $25.

• Press Room (77 Daniel St., Portsmouth, eventbrite.com) 8:30 p.m. Skunk Sessions Halloween Psychedelic Circus with the Liquid Light Brothers and special guests Justin Lopes (keys), Henley Douglas (sax) and Yahuba Torres (percussion). $20.

• Rockingham Ballroom (22 Ash Swamp Road, Newmarket, portsmouthnhtickets.com) 7 p.m. DJ/KJ Magic spinning funk, groove, R&B, pop tunes and requests. Karaoke after 10 p.m. Costume prizes include cash for best couple. Signature Witch’s Brew drink included with ticket (21+). $15

• Saddle Up Saloon (92 Route 125, Kingston, 347-1313) 8 p.m. All That ’90s plays covers at a decade-themed costume bash.

• Sayde’s (136 Cluff Crossing, Salem, 890-1032) 7 p.m. Big Blue Sky returns to provide the music. Dress-up encouraged but optional; there will be prizes for best costumes.

• Shooters Pub (6 Columbus Ave., Exeter, 772-3856) 6 p.m. Tin Palace plays covers at a Halloween party.

• Village Trestle (25 Main St., Goffstown, 497-8230) 8 p.m. Halloween costume party with Bob Pratte Band. Contest and prizes.

Sunday, Oct. 27

• Rambling House Food & Gathering (57 Factory St., Suite A, Nashua; ramblingtale.com) will host Boos & Brews at 6 p.m. Tickets cost $20. “Join Rambling House & TaleSpinner Brewery for a night filled with frights by the fire. Enjoy an evening of storytelling by raconteur, humorist, and author Simon Brooks,” according to the website.

Monday, Oct. 28

• Jimmy’s Jazz & Blues Club (135 Congress St., Portsmouth, ticketmaster.com) 7 p.m. Scott Brown and the Diplomats perform an elegant Halloween soiree, with multiple costume contest categories. $20.

Wednesday, Oct. 30

• Brickhouse Restaurant and Brewery (241 Union Square, Milford, eventbrite.com) 6:30 p.m. Spooky pumpkin paint night; entry includes one free drink. $45.

• Rex Theatre (23 Amherst St., Manchester, palacetheatre.org) 7 p.m. Jeff Rapsis provides the music at the Lon Chaney Halloween Creepfest double feature, with The Unknown (1927) and West of Zanzibar (1928). $10.

Thursday, Oct. 31

• Alpine Grove Events Center (19 S. Depot Road, Hollis, eventbrite.com) 9 p.m. Halloween singles bash. Come dressed in your costume — prizes for the best ones — and dance to DJ music while enjoying a Halloween vibe. $12–$29.

• Auspicious Brew (1 Washington St., Dover, 953-7240) 8 p.m. Queeraoke with Lezhang Seacoast Halloween costume contest, no cover.

• Bridgewater Inn (367 Mayhew Turnpike, Bridgewater, 744-3518, bridgewater-inn.com) will offer Halloween karaoke on Thursday, Oct. 31, and Friday, Nov. 1, before the big party on Nov. 2

• Chunky’s (707 Huse St., Manchester, chunkys.com) 7 p.m. Halloween viewing party of Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s Stone, $15.

• Downtown Nashua (eventbrite.com) 5 p.m. Unleash the Night: The Ultimate Halloween Bar Crawl, $14.99 includes two or three drinks or shots (offers may vary).

• Forum Pub (15 Village St., Concord, 565-3100) 7 p.m. Trick-or-treat options for all who show up in costume.

• Keys Piano Bar (1087 Elm St., Manchester, keysmanch.com) 8 p.m. A ghoulishly good time with live music, costume contests ($200 prize) and wickedly delicious drink specials that will keep you in high spirits all night long.

• LaBelle Winery ( 345 Route 101, Amherst, 672-9898) 6:30 p.m. Spooktacular Halloween party with DJ from Get Down Tonight Entertainment spinning Halloween tunes. Enjoy appetizers, snacks and desserts included in your event ticket, and a full cash bar will be available all night. A special prize will be awarded for the best Halloween costume. $47.

• Porkbarrel Productions (1324 Lovell Lake Road, Wakefield, eventbrite.com) 6 p.m. Backyard Boulderdash with The Boneheads and the Wooden Nickels. Come dressed in costume — grand prize of $300 and runner-up wins $100, as judged by the headliners. $15.

• Press Room (77 Daniel St., Portsmouth, eventbrite.com) 9 p.m. Dan Blakeslee’s alter ego Doctor Gasp performs with his band the Eeks. The 21st Annual Halloween Special with support from Soul Church begins directly after the Portsmouth Halloween parade. $15.

• Stone Church (5 Granite St., Newmarket, 659-7700) 7 p.m. Jimkata is a nationally touring electro-rock band blending heavy beats, hooks built on synth-pop sensibilities, and big anthemic guitars to create music with both modern and timeless appeal that combine the organic and the electronic. P(x3), a Connecticut duo, opens. $15.

• Stoned Wall Bar & Grill (37 Manchester St., Manchester, 698-2049) 8 p.m. Halloween party with drink specials and full menu, 50/50 raffle, bag raffles (six bags with values of $10-$5), costume contests. Best costume voted by customers, most original, colorful/pride filled, scariest, best clown and kinkiest.

• The Big House (322 Lakeside Ave., Laconia, 767-2226) 6 p.m. Luke SkyRocker Karaoke’s 7th annual Halloween party with costume contest. 21+.

• The Rugged Axe (1887 S. Willow St., Manchester, 232-7936) 2 p.m. Axe throwing Halloween party runs from 2 to 10 p.m., with costumes strongly encouraged, drinks specials and a raffle. Reservation at theruggedaxe.com.

• Wally’s Pub (144 Ashworth Ave., Hampton, ticketmaster.com) 9 p.m. 12/OC Halloween Hoedown with Nate Ramos Band and Michael Corleto, $30.

Friday, Nov. 1

• Saddle Up Saloon (92 Route 125, Kingston, 347-1313) 8 p.m. Bite the Bullet plays covers, with prizes for the best costumes in various categories.

Saturday, Nov. 2

• Bridgewater Inn (367 Mayhew Turnpike, Bridgewater, 744-3518) 8 p.m. Halloween karaoke and costume contest.

• To Share Brewing (720 Union St., Manchester, 836-6947) 7 p.m. Queen City Improv will be performing a Halloween-inspired show. $5 at the door (cash or card) gets you in. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Costumes are highly encouraged.

• Wally’s Pub (144 Ashworth Ave., Hampton, 926-6954) 6 p.m. Prospect Hill’s 15th annual Halloween party also celebrates their new EP, Catalyst. Anaria, Red Crown and Chris Drake provide support. $25.

Featured photo: West of Zanzibar.

Four-band Shaskeen show

A local band that’s made many quick moves since forming last year is among four acts rocking the Shaskeen backroom in an upcoming show. Hell Beach is a uniquely configured quartet. Former Secret Spirit members Jordan Hill, KB Boutin — bass, guitar, drums and bass respectively — and keytar player Megan Simon play melodic, tightly constructed punk pop.

Jordan Hill, Hell Beach’s lyricist and lead vocalist, began writing songs for the project during the early days of lockdown. His old band was still a thing and would be until an oft-delayed farewell show in mid-2022. “It was just a project for fun, and over time the others got on board with it,” Hill said by phone recently. “Then somebody asked us to play a pretty fun show, and we couldn’t turn it down.”

That was just over a year ago. After a flurry of early gigs, they released the love-hate-love romp “Fits Okay” in May 2023. An eponymous six-song EP came a few months later, and early this year they headed to Nada Recordings in upstate New York to work on their debut album, Beachworld, which they finished at Meade’s home studio in Manchester.

The new LP is packed with hooky tracks. “Meltdown” is a headbanging joyride, while the churning “Poison Mind” is an invitation to sing along to its “I can feel my nerves about to break” chorus. “Another Bogey Breakfast” and “Gory Days” are two more tight, lively and danceable tracks. It’s hard to find a dud on the disc, frankly.

Hill points to a bevy of influences. “It’s definitely that early ’70s punk, certainly the Ramones,” he said. “I love The Clash and I’ve been a huge Green Day fan since I was young; that got me into pop rock. When it comes to more modern stuff, there are a lot of bands right now that we definitely pull some influences from like Wildlife and Bad Nerve.”

Simon’s keyboard contributions add some left field joy — as intended, according to Hill.

“I knew I wanted something weird from the beginning,” he said. “I didn’t want to just do the standard two guitars, one bass and a drummer. I wanted something interesting. I hadn’t thought about a keytar, just someone playing keys and synthesizer stuff. Megan ended up being a great fit for that. As it turned out, they are also extremely good at writing harmonies.”

Hell Beach will be the penultimate act at the Shaskeen, with Rebuilder headlining, while pop punk powerhouse Donaher, whose front man Nick Lavallee booked the show, and Cigarette Camp round out the bill. Hill’s band has shared the stage with a few of them, and he expects a happy reunion

“This is going to be an extremely fun show where most of the people all know each other,” he said. “I’ve known Rebuilder for a long time … my bands have been playing shows with them for years, and they have a Manchester connection because Daniel from Rebuilder is from Manchester. It’s going to be a lot of friends, it’ll probably be packed, a really fun time.”

It’s one more example of a healthy independent music environment, Hill said, mentioning the huge turnout they had for a release show in early August at Candia Road Brewing.

“It was a Sunday matinee, and I just didn’t know if anyone was going to go,” he said. “But it was one of those moments…. Manchester has a scene of people who really support music even if it doesn’t sound like the music that they make or they usually listen to. It’s extremely tight knit, everybody knows each other, and people come out and support everybody.”

Asked what’s next for his band, Hill answered, “I want to start working on the second record…. That’s really what it’s about for me. I just want to write a lot more songs and get them out there. Besides that, I would love to play some new places we haven’t played; we’d love to do some West Coast stuff, and there’s a lot of bands we’d love to play with.”

Rebuilder, Hell Beach, Donaher, Cigarette Camp
When: Friday, Oct. 18, 9 p.m.
Where: Shaskeen Pub, 909 Elm St., Manchester
More: kineticcity.com

Featured photo: Hell Beach. Photo by Cat Confrancisco.