Category: Nightlife

Recalling 2024, and looking ahead to next year

By Michael Witthaus

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New Hampshire’s music and comedy scene had a robust year. From start to finish, here are some of the highlights, along with some sad notes, followed by a peek at the year ahead.

In January, blues singer Bobby Rush came to Concord’s BNH Stage for a concert. At 91 years old, Rush is a one-man rebuttal to ageism. He got his start as a thigh- and chest-slapping hambone performer, and the first record he released was a 78 RPM shellac disc.

The vibe continued in February at Manchester’s Rex Theatre, as the annual Winter Blues Festival featured local harmonica player and singer Nick David’s band celebrating a new album with support from some of his Texas label’s other acts. Over in Portsmouth, embattled comic Kathy Griffin played the Music Hall in Portsmouth.

Blending elements of alt-country and harmony-rich classic rock, Slim Volume brought a breath of fresh air to the local music scene, releasing a trio of EPs and playing listening room shows like one in early March at The Livery in Sunapee. On St. Patrick’s Day the rousing Rebel Collective inclusively played Celtic rock in an Italian restaurant.

Four days later, Mike Koutrobis filmed a special at Nashua’s Center for the Arts, a high point for the hometown comic.

The laughs continued in April as Daniel Sloss brought his edgy act to Laconia’s Colonial Theatre. Few can challenge an audience like the British comedian.

Carole King’s Beautiful ran through most of May at Manchester’s Palace Theatre, continuing a year-long theme, musicals centered on pop and the classic rock era. The Palace also had the ABBA/Disco revue Dancing Queens in January and the gritty Jersey Boys (also done by two other theater companies) in November.

Bike Week roared back to the Lakes Region, along with music, as karate-kicking blues rocker James Montgomery’s band played during the June event. The summer shed season got in gear at Bank of NH Pavilion, highlighted by Hootie & the Blowfish and Collective Soul bringing a ’90s vibe.

Badfish played its traditional Fourth of July concert at Casino Ballroom in Hampton Beach. In the wake of a Sublime reunion at Coachella, they’re mixing more original songs into the tribute act. Nantucket comic Brian Glowacki brought standup to Beans & Greens in Gilford for the first time.

Yoga, sustainability and music returned to Hillsborough in August as the Barefoot Festival’s second iteration happened. Jimmy Dunn’s Hampton Beach Comedy Festival is in its second decade; Dunn hung with his comedian pals and also celebrated his second season with the Frasier reboot.

Triptych, a collaboration between guitarist Stephane Wrembel and pianist Jean-Michel Pilc, brought instrumental mastery to UNH in September, while percussive guitarist Senie Hunt played acoustic and electric tunes on a short tour and then headed back to Nashville.

In October, Everclear sold out the Music Hall with fellow ’90s stars Marcy Playground and Jimmy’s Chicken Shack, and Todd Rundgren explained why he’s indifferent to his induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame prior to a Nashua show. Hell Beach made one of the year’s best albums, Beachworld, and played it during a raucous Shaskeen show.

November began with Beatles disciple Moon Walker at BNH Stage and continued with Willie Nile rocking the Rex while showing that he’s every musician’s favorite musician for a reason. A year to the day after he headlined Nashua Center for the Arts for the first time, Drew Dunn was back. Later, the Nashua native hit the road with Dane Cook — again, again.

“I have learned a lot watching and working with Dane over the past few years,” Dunn wrote on Facebook. “I am feeling more inspired and motivated than ever in this comedy pursuit. We always have a great time on tour, and I am lucky to call a guy I grew up listening to my friend.”

December began with a reminder of New Hampshire’s wealth of talent, as the winners of a talent contest sponsored by New Hampshire Music Collective performed a showcase at BNH Stage. The venue was good to NHMC all year long, with a few sold-out shows and regular crowds for its monthly series in the venue’s lounge.

Overall highlights in 2024 included the opening of Pembroke City Limits, a listening room, bar and restaurant launched by music maven Rob Azevedo. Six months in, it’s doing great. “We have been blown away by the response,” Azevedo said in December, “Not only to the incredible talented musicians, but our dedicated audiences have exceeded our expectations.”

Another new venue on the scene is Milk Street Studio in Dover, launched by musician and entrepreneur Kurt Eddins, with help from reggae guitarist/songwriter Sebastian Franks and custom guitar builder John Ayer. Shows began there during the summer and several are scheduled in the New Year.

Finally, the regional music community was stunned by the death of Brooks Young at age 42. The blues rock guitarist was in the middle of a string of successes, including tours with George Thorogood, Sammy Hagar and other rock greats, when his car was hit head-on in Alton on the morning of Nov. 8.

In other sad music news, beloved singer/songwriter Dave Mallett passed away on Dec. 17; he was 73. The Maine native performed regularly in New Hampshire. His “Garden Song (Inch By Inch)” was covered by Peter, Paul & Mary and Pete Seeger. Marty Stuart, Kathy Mattea, Alison Krauss, Emmylou Harris, and Hal Ketchum also recorded his songs.

LaBelle Winery’s lights display glows with holiday cheer

Created during the pandemic as a way to provide socially distanced family fun, LaBelle Lights enters its fourth year bigger and better. Newly added is The Treehouse, a big glowing box that looks like twisted birch branches made of spun sugar. It’s a beacon for the Derry location of LaBelle Winery and a great Instagram photo spot that’s located right at the holiday trail’s start.

Along with other new display pieces like the caterpillar-shaped Blizzard Bend and more glowing evergreens dotting the Forest of Trees are new events and attractions to carry the holiday spirit into the new year. Perennial favorites like the twinkling giant teddy bear and ornament-shaped Proposal Ball still remain.

There are expanded food options.

“People like to eat along the way,” Michelle Thornton, the winery’s Marketing Director, said recently. “We have Santa’s Snack Shack, which is grab and go, and LaBelle Market, which looks like a French market all decorated for Christmas. They have cookies that are the size of a human head, I mean, they’re huge.”

Themes change weekly, and as Christmas passes the soundtrack moves from “Here Comes Santa Claus” to “Sleigh Ride” and “Winter Wonderland.” Upcoming is Crazy Holiday Hats week, where guests are encouraged to show off wild, wacky and holiday-appropriate headgear.

Frozen Costume Week happens Dec. 26 through Dec. 29 and includes a ticketed event on the first day. Ice Princess Party is a dress-up affair for youngsters that offers a dance party with cocoa and characters such as Snow Sister and Ice Boy, live story time and a puppet show. A meet and greet at the end provides ample photo opportunities.

A stroll through the glowing displays after is included with the $44 ticket ($34 for ages 2 through 10). “What’s so fun about this,” Thornton said, “is after kids are done engaging with characters, they can go right over to LaBelle Lights and walk through it in their costumes.”

Grown-ups will enjoy Flannel Week, which starts on New Year’s Eve, followed by ’80s Ski Week with retro winter gear encouraged. The final week of the attraction has WinterFest, celebrating all things related to the season, before LaBelle staff takes down everything and begins planning for next time.

Winery founder Amy LaBelle came up with the idea of transforming their golf course for winter, and nurtures it like it’s her own Disney World. “That’s Amy … anything that brings joy and makes memories, those things are part of her personal mantra,” Thornton said. “When she presented it to our leadership team, we all went, sure, we can do that, and then we had to figure out how, [but] we’re really good at taking a concept and bringing it to life.”

Thornton mentioned that families on a budget should be aware of Twinkle Tuesday. “That’s half price for everyone,” she said. “That was also Amy’s idea; she wanted it to be affordable for everyone. If someone was concerned about pricing for any reason, we created a whole night for them that’s the same exact experience — but it’s half price.”

Anyone looking to extend the experience can reserve an age-specific swag bag while booking tickets, but they’re quite popular. “They sell out,” Thornton said. “We’re making them constantly.” For the kiddos, the canvas tote bag has a light-up bulb necklace and holiday wand along with light-enhancing 3D glasses. Adults get a logoed winter beanie and a set of hand warmers, a glowing holiday ornament and a $5 market voucher.

For a few more days, attendees can also book a Santa Photo Experience. “Instead of getting your photo at the mall, you can get it in this environment, which is probably a lot less crazy,” Thornton said. “It’s very festive … you’re seeing Santa and then the kids get to let loose and go through the lights.”

Cool stuff to light up the season

From vinyl to attire, books and trinkets, there are many ways to make a music fan happy with the perfect holiday gift. Here are some ideas crossing genres and eras, including a few for local music aficionados.

Making music is fun, especially when it’s easy. One option is the Otamatone, which is shaped like an eighth note and sounds like the spawn of a synthesizer and a slide guitar. The emotively adorned Aggretsuko Rage version is $44.99 at hamee.com.

Or spring for the $159 Orba 3, Artiphon’s latest iteration of its music-in-the-palm-of-your-hand synthesizer, which starts with a massive library of drum sounds and adds sampling for miniature magic. Artiphon also makes the keyboard-shaped Chorda, both a standalone synthesizer and MIDI controller ($249.99 at artiphon.com).

For listening to music, headphones are a great gift that can range in price from the reasonable and well-regarded Status Audio 3ANC, the first in-ears with a dedicated bass speaker ($179, status.co). Audiophile legends Bang & Olufsen just introduced its high-end Beoplay H100 cans ($1,549, bang-olufsen.com) for the truly nice person on your list.

Affordable tabletop surround sound is available with the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 portable Bluetooth speaker, a compact yet powerful unit costing $80 at most stores. For heavier listening, the 6-pound Marshall Acton III is a boomer that will evoke the giant amp it’s named after ($227.99 at amazon.com).

For something completely different in the portable speaker category, Uncommon Goods has a combination water bottle and Bluetooth unit that’s perfect for pop-up parties. It’s quite popular, though, and as of this writing it was sold out on the store’s website. Check for restocking at uncommongoods.com, a great stop for other gifts.

Speaking of one-stop shopping, it’s axiomatic that the best way to support local music is buying direct from your favorite artists. For those who can’t attend every show, the best alternative is the Bandcamp website (bandcamp.com). There, area bands make most of the money, unlike Spotify, where the CEO is richer than any musician on his site.

If your list includes a dedicated collector of vinyl albums, consider gifting them a Spin-Clean cleaning kit. Its $125 price tag may be too lofty; if so, there are some cheaper options available. The Discwasher D4+ Record Care System is the granddaddy of the bunch, dating back to the ’60s. It’s $25.

Of course, your giftee will need records to clean with their new gear. 2024 doesn’t disappoint. For the Swiftie on your list, Target offers a bunch of exclusives, including a double album of songs from The Tortured Poets Department with a bonus track (“The Manuscript”) on clear vinyl for $32.99. Give it with a copy of the massive Official Taylor Swift The Eras Tour book ($39.99) and you’ll be a hero.

For fans of an earlier era, the debut LP from an influential New Wave band recently received a deluxe treatment. Talking Heads: 77 introduced songs like “Psycho Killer” and “Uh-Oh, Love Comes to Town” while hinting at adventurous music to come. The four-CD set has goodies including outtakes, Atmos mixes and a full-length CBGB show from October 1977.

Elvis Costello was another artist who evolved from that period, moving from angry young man to reverent roots-music adherent. The six-CD King Of America & Other Realms Super Deluxe begins with the 1986 album and includes new songs, along with beauties like a Grand Ole Opry performance of “The Scarlet Tide” from the Cold Mountain soundtrack accompanied by Emmylou Harris, Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlings, and duets with Ralph Stanley and Larkin Poe.

While physical tickets have mostly been displaced by cell phone barcodes, dedicated concertgoers usually have a big collection of stubs. For those, consider a Ticket Stub Diary for preserving those memories. It will give them something to share with their children and grandkids one day ($29, uncommongoods.com).

Finally, let’s not forget stocking stuffers. Uncommon Goods is a great source for things like music playing cards with drawings of David Bowie, Jimi Hendrix and other rock stars. Mistaken Lyrics Coasters are fun if you’ve ever misheard this U2 song: “It’s alright, it’s alright, it’s alright / Shamu, the mysterious whale.” Or get a mahogany thumb piano for your favorite fan.

Featured photo: Courtesy photo.

Seán Heely’s Celtic Christmas comes to Nashua

In 2019, Seán Heely staged his first Celtic Christmas show for a few hundred people in his home base of Washington, D.C.

The next time he did it, the audience grew to 1,000, and it doubled the following year. It was clear that an appetite for Heely’s lively blend of fiddle, harp, pipes and other traditional instruments in the service of seasonal songs from the seven Celtic nations resonated, so he decided to take his show on the road.

Just in time for the tour, which stops in Nashua on Friday, Dec. 6, is a new holiday album that Heely and his all-star band will perform. So Merry as We Have Been is named for one of its songs, drawn from the 18th-century Scottish collection The Caledonian Pocket Companion.

The record, Heely said in a recent phone interview, offers classic Christmas carols, “reimagined in the Celtic way … a little bit more jiggified than they might be in the choral setting.” Along with Olde English carols like “I Saw Three Ships” and “Gloucestershire Wassail” are traditional numbers such as “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” and “Deck the Halls.”

Heely will sing “Silent Night” in three different languages, the original German, English and Gaelic — he was recently named U.S. Champion in the latter. “I’ve been doing a lot of Gaelic songs in the last couple of years, and studying the language pretty hard,” he said. “It’s great to see that recognized.”

On stage with Heely in Nashua are Kevin Elam on guitar and vocals — he’s earned multiple awards for singing, including a competition in Drogheda, Ireland, that only one other American has won in its 65-year history. Lucas Ashby is a Brazilian American percussionist who also plays cello, and Abbie Palmer is a well-regarded multi-genre harp player.

Beth Patterson hails from Louisiana. “She brings in a bit of Cajun French into the show,” Heely said. “We have a French song that she brought into the group; it’s like a Cajun epiphany song. She plays the bouzouki and the bass, electric bass, that’s our one electric instrument.”

The band’s youngest member is fiddler Colin McGlynn. Heely said he’s been playing with the 18-year-old McGlynn for nearly a decade. Jesse Ofgang is a Connecticut-born piper who plays the Highland Pipes, the Scottish Border Pipes, and the Irish Eland Pipes. Rounding out the group are dancers Agi Covacs and Rebecca Law.

Born into a musical family, Heely got into playing early. “My older sister played violin, and I wanted to do everything like her when I was young,” he said. So he picked it up too, “and as soon as I had about five notes that I could play pretty well, my dad had me playing with him. He played the banjo, so I joined the family band…. We played anything from maritime music to bluegrass to Irish and Scottish.”

He once told an interviewer that a fiddle is just a violin that’s had Guinness spilled on it, a glib statement that he somewhat regrets. “The headline ‘violinist with beer spilled on him’ made me sound like a little bit of an alcoholic,” he said, adding, “there are all kinds of funny jokes, like ‘a violin has strings, a fiddle has strangs,’ but there is no actual difference. It is just the way that you play it.”

That said, his interest in fiddle playing began with exploring his paternal grandmother’s record collection.

“We had songs from Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales floating around the house, and she played the piano, so I grew up listening to a lot of that kind of music and folk,” he said. “I’ve branched out a bit, and we even have stuff from Brittany in France and Galicia in Spain, the seven recognized Celtic nations. So that was what spurred me on.”

Also influencing Heely was the time he spent at Alistair Fraser’s fiddle camp on Scotland’s Isle of Skye. “It spurred me on to compete with Scottish fiddling and to keep pursuing that music, because there’s a lot more Irish fiddling in the U.S. than Scottish,” he said. “And of course, it’s so beautiful, all these mountains, the ocean and everything. When you’re playing the music in the place where it was made, it feels pretty special.”

Seán Heely’s Celtic Christmas
When: Friday, Dec. 6, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Nashua Center for the Arts, 201 Main St., Nashua
Tickets: $49 and up at etix.com

Featured photo: Courtesy photo.