Category: Nightlife

Ian Galipeau celebrates new LP at Penuche’s

Once, when Ian Galipeau was performing at Great North Aleworks in Manchester, someone in the crowd asked if he knew any Nirvana or James Taylor, saying they felt he could do either one justice. “One of my favorite compliments I’ve ever received in my life as a musician,” Galipeau recalled recently. “It just made me smile and it still does.”

On his new album Something About a Horse Galipeau proves worthy of that praise. It opens with “Queen of the Canyon,” a loping, lovely duet with Jocelyn Bailey (Joanne the Band) that recalls John Prine and Iris Dement, then shifts to a swamp groove on “Fool of Me,” followed by the car-top-down country rocker “Ain’t Ready Yet.”

The next song is “Say Goodbye,” a heartbreaking ballad drawn from Galipeau’s earliest memories.

“It’s about growing up and making sense of my mom leaving, being in a broken family,” he said. “Now … I’ve got a wonderful relationship with my mother, and it was all for the best. But that’s very hard to come to terms with at 4, 5, 6 years old.”

The tune came from a month-long “write a song a day” exercise Galipeau did two years ago, which led to five of the disc’s 11 tracks. The first one was the country-flavored “A Father’s Love.” It also dealt with abandonment and loss but was fictional. Writing it helped prepare him for crafting more difficult autobiographical lyrics.

Working on a deadline and beginning with simple ideas like creating a three-chord song about owning a house (which produced the rollicking and funny “Call It Home”) helped.

“I’m really grateful that I did that exercise because that was such a heavy topic,” he said. “Having to finish it in a day meant I couldn’t wait around and try to make it perfect.”

Galipeau can definitely write from a happier place. His 2024 single “The Little Things” is a gorgeous meditation on life as a husband and dad to two daughters. One, he writes, has “eyes like summer twilight,” the other possesses “fire in her spirit and stained glass in her heart.” It ends with a touching echo of Jason Isbell’s “If We Were Vampires.”

The new LP’s title is a nod to Galipeau’s first-ever music purchase, Bringing Down the Horse by The Wallflowers.

“I bought that cassette along with Third Eye Blind’s self-titled album and Hanson’s Middle of Nowhere,” he said. “To this day, I still love two out of three of those … you can guess which ones.”

He was also thinking of Ben Kweller’s Changing Horses, which is fitting; Galipeau likes to mix things up as a musician. His last album, Faded Pictures, released early this year, was a solo piano effort, a new direction for a mostly guitarist (he also plays bass in the band Modern Fools). The Randy Newman-esque “One Way Ticket” is a standout track.

The New Hampshire native, who now lives in Keene, speaks reverently of his craft.

“The puzzle of songwriting … it’s just absolutely fascinating to me. I love studying other songwriters and I love working out the intricacies of a single idea inside a song within that limited real estate … it’s a beautiful, cathartic puzzle.”

An album release show, part of a multi-date mini-tour, happens Nov. 7 at Penuche’s Ale House in Concord. Galipeau’s band will include guitarist Jonathan Braught, who soloed on a pair of Something About A Horse’s tracks, Jeff Costello on drums and Ethan McBrien, a primary creative force behind psychedelic folk band Party of the Sun.

Slim Volume, whose singer-guitarist Trent Larrabee contributed to the new album, and Concord band Hometown Eulogy, will open. Galipeau is excited for the show, and what comes after. “Every time I release an album, I’m like, oh, I’ve got to start working on the next,” he said. “But this has given me a little more fire and time with the songs … it’s been fun.”

Ian Galipeau w/ Slim Volume, Hometown Eulogy
When: Friday, Nov. 7, at 8 p.m.
Where: Penuche’s Ale House, Bicentennial Square, Concord
More: iangalipeaumusic.com
Also Sunday, Nov. 9, at 3 p.m. at Auspicious Brew, 1 Washington St., Dover, w/ Yoni Gordon

Featured photo: Ian Galipeau. Courtesy photo.

A weekend’s worth of adult Halloween choices

Without a doubt Halloween is the greatest deal in history. Dress up, knock on doors and demand candy — what could be better? Alas, youth is wasted on the young, but adults can still have fun on Halloween. This year there are a bevy of bashes, most on the official day. Here’s a day-by-day rundown of area gatherings.

Thursday, Oct. 30

Ash Cigar Lounge (92A Route 125, Kingston, 285-5174) 6 p.m. Smoke & Shadows: Halloween costume party, costumes encouraged, cocktails flowing, and cigars smoldering.

Bridgewater Inn (367 Mayhew Turnpike, Bridgewater, 744-3518) 8 p.m. Karaoke with Christine and cash prizes for best male and female costume.

LaBelle Winery ( 345 Route 101, Amherst, 672-9898) 7:15 p.m. Halloween disco party with Booty Vortex Band. Disco attire is encouraged. $40 at labellewinery.com.

The Word Barn (66 Newfields Road, Exeter, 244-0202) 7 p.m. All Hallow’s Eve: Spooky Tunes, Songs and Tales From Scotland. $25 at thewordbarn.com.

Friday, Oct. 31

Arts Alley (20 S. Main St., Concord, artsalleyconcordnh.com) 7 p.m. Alley After Dark party with DJ music, specialty cocktails, costume contest and giveaways, $30.

Auburn Pitts (167 Rockingham Road, Auburn, 622-6564) 6 p.m. DJ Chris hosts karaoke, with a bonfire and costume contest; gift cards first $100, second $50 and third $25.

Auspicious Brew (1 Washington St., Dover, 953-7240) 8 p.m. 5th anniversary weekend includes Halloween house party with a drag show from Raya Sunshine + friends at 8 p.m., two DJ sets w/ DJ MAM and DJ XO from 9 p.m. to midnight, face and hair glam by Tease Salon, a costume contest and more, $17 advance, $20 day of.

Beanie’s Bar & Grill (58 Route 129, Loudon, 961-0372) 8 p.m. Wacko Magnet, an area trio, performs at this Halloween party.

Big House (322 Lakeside Ave., Laconia, 366-9100) 9 p.m. 7th annual Big Stage karaoke Halloween party with host DJ Tim.

Bogie’s (32 Depot Square, Hampton, 601-2319) 7 p.m. Michael Troy performs with drink specials and prize for best dressed costume.

Bonfire Country Bar (950 Elm St., Manchester, 2017-5600) 7 p.m. Halloween costume party with Lexi James performing.

BrickHouse Restaurant & Brewery (241 Union Square, Milford, 672-2270) 8 p.m. Hell On Heels plays rock covers.

Bridgewater Inn (367 Mayhew Turnpike, Bridgewater, 744-3518) 8 p.m. Halloween party with Stray Dog playing covers and cash prizes for best male and female costume.

Cercle National Club (550 Rockland Ave., Manchester, 623-8243) 7:30 p.m. Dancing Madly Backwards plays rock covers and originals at this social club’s party. Costume contest, with first-, second- and third-place winners.

Chop Shop (920 Lafayette Road, Seabrook, 760-7706) 8:30 p.m. 16th Birthday Halloween Bash with Casual Gravity and prizes for most original, couple, sexiest and king & queen. $20.

Crotched Mountain (534 Mountain Road, Francestown, 808-0174) 5 p.m. Blue Bear Halloween Party with buffet 5-7 p.m., costume contest and DJ music, $30 adults, $12 kids under 12.

Exeter Brewing (156 Epping Road, Exeter, 686-7253) 8 p.m. 21+ Halloween social with costumes, prizes and DJ dancing.

Flannel Tavern (345 Suncook Valley Road, Chichester, 406-1196) 6 p.m. Dave Graham plays music at this party.

Forum Pub (15 Village St., Concord, 565-3100) 8 p.m. Rabbit Foot plays at 7:30 p.m. at a party featuring a costume contest and hosted by Maizy Rae that concludes with an open jam session.

Front Four Cellars (13 Railroad Ave., Wolfeboro, 633-5433) 6 p.m. Dakota Smart plays music from 6 to 9 p.m. at this Monster Mash & Merlot Halloween costume party.

Fury’s Publick House (1 Washington St., Dover, 617-3633) 9 p.m. Jam stalwarts Superfrog perform at a party including Frenzie and Roots, Rhythm & Dub along with a costume contest.

Haluwa Restaurant (44 Gusabel Ave., Nashua, 864-8348) 8 p.m. Bush League rocks at this Chinese stalwart.

Henry J. Sweeney Post (251 Maple St., Manchester, 623-9145) 7:30 p.m. Mugshot Monday performs with a costume contest, prizes for scariest, funniest and sexiest.

Hop Knot (1000 Elm St., Manchester, 232-3731) 7 p.m. DJ Ctrl F spins at this party hosted by Cabana Love. No cover, costume contest and great pretzels.

Lafayette Club (34 High St., Nashua, 889-9860) 8 p.m. Mighty Colors perform, $8 in advance (available at the bar) or $10 at the door.

Lost Cowboy Brewing (546 Amherst St., Nashua, 600-6800) 7:30 p.m. Justin Federico plays country songs.

Lower Level Lounge (North End, Nashua, facebook.com) 6 p.m. Spooky Speakeasy, cocktails & bites, and costumes are encouraged.

Luk’s Bar & Grill (142 Lowell Road, Hudson, 889-9900) 7 p.m. Johnny Roberts plays acoustic music.

Makris Lobster & Steak House (3544 Sheep David Road, Concord, 225-7665) 8 p.m. Stray Dog Band returns to Makris Seafood for a highly anticipated local show and Halloween party.

Music Hall (28 Chestnut St., Portsmouth, themusichall.org) 8 p.m. Space Oddity, the Quintessential David Bowie Tribute Experience. Costumes encouraged. $30 and up at themusichall.org.

New Nan King (222 Central St., Hudson, 882-1911) 7 p.m. Maestro’s Music Karaoke and a costume party.

Newfound Lake Inn (1030 Mayhew Turnpike, Bridgewater, 744-0911) 6 p.m. BOOOOOs Fest featuring DJ music and “horror d’oeuvres” along with specialty cocktails. Costume contest. $25 at eventbrite.com.

Par 28 (23 South Broadway, Salem, 458-7078) 8 p.m. DJ Styles spins with a costume contest and specialty cocktails.

Peddler’s Daughter (48 Main St., Nashua, 821-7535) 9:30 p.m. Magnificent Bastards play high-energy rock covers at this event promising ghosts, ghouls and questionable costumes.

Pembroke City Limits (134 Main St., Pembroke, 210-2409) 7 p.m. Haunted by Humans performs with a costume contest.

Polish American Club (15 School St., Nashua, 889-9819) 8 p.m. Karaoke with Kelly, private club, guests need to be signed in.

Porkbarrel Productions (107 Moose Mountain Road, Brookfield, eventbrite.com) 6 p.m. Backyard Boulderdash with The Boneheads. Costume ball and contest with cash prizes, 15 and under free admission, $20.

Portsmouth Gas Light (64 Market St., Portsmouth, 430-9122) 8 p.m. Halloween party in the third-floor nightclub with costume contest, prizes and music from DJ Koko P, and a Day of the Dead party the following night.

Press Room (77 Daniel St., Portsmouth, 431-5186) 9 p.m. Dan Blakeslee’s alter ego Doctor Gasp performs with his band the Eeks, the 23rd Annual Halloween Special begins directly after the Portsmouth Halloween parade.

Red’s Kitchen & Tavern (530 Lafayette Road, Seabrook, 760-0030) 6 p.m. Ignite Band rocks at this party, with a $500 gift card for the costume contest winner.

Reed’s North (2 E. Main St., Warner, 456-2143) 7 p.m. Spooky Halloween Party with music by Randy Hawkes. Costumes encouraged but not required. Ghoulish cocktails and pub menu.

Rooftop at The Artisan (19 Via Toscana, No. 550, Salem, 458-3028) 7 p.m. Boos & Brews at The Rooftop offers DJ dancing, spooky sips and more, $15

Saddle Up Saloon (92 Route 125, Kingston, 347-1313) 8 p.m. Bite the Bullet plays rock covers, with costume contests and specials.

Salona (128 Maple St., Manchester, 624-4020) 7 p.m. DJ, karaoke, raffles, and a prize for best costume.

Salt hill Pub Lebanon (2 W. Park St., Lebanon, 448-4532) 8 p.m. Local rockers the Conniption Fits provide the music for this party, with prizes for best costumes.

San Francisco Kitchen (133 Main St., Nashua, 885-8833) 8 p.m. DJ Triana spins with a costume contest, $100 cash for first place, $50 gift card for second, two complimentary drinks for third place.

Shaskeen (909 Elm St., Manchester, 625-0246) 9 p.m. Annual bash with DJ Myth spinning, costume contest and Guinness promo.

Spice Restaurant & Bar (300 Main St., Nashua, 417-7972) 8 p.m. DJ Daryl spins with a costume contest, $100 cash for first place, $50 gift card for second, $25 gift card for third place. Drink specials and giveaways.

Stark Brewing Company (500 Commercial St., Manchester, 625-4444) 9 p.m. The Cats — Andre LeClair and Jimmy Croons — perform at this party.

Stone Church (5 Granite St., Newmarket, 659-7700) 7 p.m. Two-day Grateful Dead party with 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 advance, $30 day of show, $45 two-day pass.

Strange Brew (88 Market St., Manchester, 666-4292) 6:30 p.m. Lisa Marie offers blues rock and boogie.

Sun Bar & Grill (586 Nashua St., Milford, 633-6012) 8 p.m. DJ John spins with a costume contest, $100 cash for first place, $50 gift card for second, $25 gift card for third place. Drink specials and giveaways.

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

Wally’s Pub (144 Ashworth Ave., Hampton, 926-6954) 6 p.m. Prospect Hill 16th annual Halloween party with Above Snakes and Major Moment. 21+, tickets $25 at ticketmaster.com.

Wolfeboro Inn (90 N. Main St., Wolfeboro, 569-3016) 6 p.m. Drinks, games and music in Wolfe’s Tavern to benefit the Justin Hartford Scholarship Fund, $15 advance, $20 door.

Zorvino Vineyards (226 Main St., Sandown, 887-8463) 6 p.m. Hallowine with themed trivia 6-8 p.m., all-day costume contest on the final patio dining night of the season.

Saturday, Nov. 1

Capitol Center for the Arts (44 S. Main St., Concord, ccanh.com) 11 a.m. Mr. Aaron’s Halloween Bash, a kid-centric show.

Hare of the Dawg (3 E. Broadway, Derry, 552-3883) 7:30 p.m. DJ Dave the Rave provides the music, with prizes for most creative, funniest, worst and group costumes.

Loaded Question Brewing (909 Islington St., Suite 12, Portsmouth, 852-1396) 8 p.m. Halloweeen Party happens a day late, but it’s still the weekend.

Paddy’s American Grille (27 International Drive, Portsmouth, 430-9450) 8 p.m. Bad Breath Microphone performs with prizes for best costume.

Featured photo: Courtesy photo.

Six years later, Bungalow returns with live music

By Michael Witthaus
mwitthaus@hippopress.com

Manchester’s independent music scene lost an important resource when Bungalow Bar & Grill closed in 2019. The Valley Street venue was an anchor for the heavier end of the spectrum, welcoming a lot of bands with the word “core” in their genre description. On the final weekend there, metal stalwarts Regime and Kaonashi co-headlined.

Many of the shows at Bungalow were booked by NH Booking, a company begun in 2004 by Richie Downs. He continued doing shows at Jewel Music Venue following the closing, but felt the loss, nonetheless. Six years later, he’s bringing back Bungalow, beginning with a six-band show on Oct. 25.

“It’s really, really important that the Bungalow exists,” he said recently, citing a primary reason. “Right now, pretty much nobody is putting on all-ages shows … and I think you’re missing out on one of the most important parts of the local music community by not having that.”

Downs found refuge in attending shows while he was a teenager and trying to cope with a family tragedy.

“Music in a live environment honestly saved my life,” he said. “Being up front, screaming every word of all these lyrics that mean so much to me and being a part of that energy, it was the closest thing you can get to being a spiritual experience.”

A show in Worcester that included future national stars Coheed & Cambria and Taking Back Sunday was a turning point for the young fan.

“It was just the best feeling in the world coming away from that show,” he said. “I was like, ‘I need to make this happen as much as I possibly can for the rest of my life.’”

It was around this time that Downs began doing shows in a Sandown church basement that informally became known as The Crossing, inspired by that night.

“I got into booking,” he explained, “trying to create opportunities for other bands to create those moments and those experiences with fans themselves.”

The bill at the “grand re-opening” Bungalow show is topped by a pair of bands celebrating new releases.

“Whenever a band has a special show like an album release, we typically collaborate with that band to choose the rest of the lineup,” Downs said.

Iron Gate is a Manchester death metal group that formed in 2022 when singer Jeff Higgins placed an online ad: “Who plays an instrument and wants to play heavy, ignorant music?” he asked, according to a 2023 story by Ryan O’Connor at NoEcho.net. The quartet cites bands like Traitors, Bodysnatcher and The Acacia Strain as influences, the story said. Their new EP is called Crushing Weight of Existence.

Hailing from Bristol, Connecticut, Burying Point is a deathcore band that boasts on its Facebook page to exist “with one purpose … violence.” Released last month, their latest EP is called In the Absence of…. The six-track effort leads off with “Deicide,” a three-minute assault of staccato machine gun drums and bullhorn vocals, and gets more intense from there.

The undercard for this decidedly un-subtle evening begins with Rose Lane, followed by Pure Bliss, Edict and Frog Mallet. The next show at Bungalow will offer a change of musical mood with Millington, a six-piece Albany, N.Y., band that calls its ska/punk sound brass emo. That show happens Nov. 9 and is a co-production with Rhode Island-based Rambudikon.

Downs hopes there will be more collaborations at the venue.

“I’m going to put out a blanket statement right now,” he said. “If you are a promoter that is putting on shows and you’re respected by the community, you’re not taking advantage of bands [or] fans, doing it just to make a buck, you’re respected by the community that you are putting shows on in, I want you to be a part of what’s happening at Bungalow.”

Iron Gate, Burying Point, Frog Mallet, Edict, Pure Bliss & Rose Lane

When: Saturday, Oct. 25, 5 p.m.
Where: Bungalow, 333 Valley St., Manchester
Tickets: $15 in advance at dice.fm, $20 at the door

Featured photo: Courtesy photo.

Juston McKinney films new special

One thing fans of comedian Juston McKinney can count on is never seeing the same show twice. Another is the promise of a respite from divisive humor. The closest he comes to dipping his toe in political waters was in a recent online video, when McKinney claimed he’d turned down an opportunity to perform in Saudi Arabia.

“It wasn’t for that festival, it was a café,” he said with a smile. “But I’m not gonna do it … so keep your thousand dollars.” Apparently, however, not everyone’s funny meter was turned on. A few fan comments hit pretty wide of the mark.

“People were actually like, ‘Good for you, way to stand up,’” McKinney said in a recent phone interview. “I go, ‘Did you not know that was a joke?’ I guess I should have said two hundred bucks. I think that’s how you know the economy is bad. People were thinking, ‘A thousand dollars? Man, this guy’s making it.’”

McKinney is preparing to film his sixth comedy special, using footage from a pair of upcoming shows in Manchester. His most recent special, On the Bright Side, filmed in 2022 at Concord’s Capitol Center, has amassed over 1.2 million views on YouTube — an achievement that surprised the comic. “I didn’t think I’d get to a million,” he admitted.

The new special is untitled, and no-repeat McKinney is bummed he can’t re-use 2012’s On Midlife Support. “That would have been a good name for this one; I’m actually more in midlife now,” he said. “But I’ve got like half a dozen names that I’m thinking of.”

Family life continues to fuel McKinney’s act. His eldest son is college-bound next fall, and he just added his other son, a high school sophomore, to their auto insurance policy. The lifelong New England Patriots fan also has words for new NCAA coach Bill Belichick, and maybe a story about his youngest son coming out as a Kansas City Chiefs fan.

It’s been a thing since middle school, and much to McKinney’s dismay, only got worse.

“A few years ago, he goes, ‘Dad, can I go to Arrowhead Stadium? I want to see the Chiefs play in Kansas City’ and I go, ‘Maybe in 10th grade,’” he said. “That turned into, ‘You promised!’ So … now I’m taking him to the Detroit Lions-Kansas City Sunday night game.”

The game happened days before McKinney’s planned taping of his special, so he masked up to be safe, and played the experience for laughs, ordering a sign reading ‘things we do for our kids — even if they’re traitors.’ When it was delivered, though, the word “traders” had replaced “traitors,” obscuring its meaning.

Problems with the order, it turned out. “I did talk to text and didn’t realize the typo was there,” McKinney said. However, he did wear his Pats hat and fulfilled a promise to “snap a picture of me sitting in that sea of red.” Both father and son flew back happy. The Chiefs won, and the Patriots beat New Orleans the same day.

Perhaps the hardest-working man in New England showbiz, McKinney will start work on his annual Year In Review the morning after he films the new special. He promises an all-new batch of material for the run of shows, which includes six in Portsmouth, three in Nashua, along with stops in Laconia and Lebanon in the new year.

“All those shows are going to be coming up eight weeks after the special,” he said. “Yeah, this year was a mistake … I should have done it in the spring, and now I’m like, what did I do?”

To keep things fresh and craft new jokes, McKinney spends a lot of time in small venues, including The Winner’s Circle in Salisbury, Mass., and other open mic nights in the area.

“I need places to practice,” he said. He’s also on the road every now and again, most recently doing shows in Atlantic City, New York City and Stamford.

He’s so dedicated to exercising his comedy muscle that he recently did a celebration of life for a longtime fan. Held at a private home next to a pond in Sanford, Maine, the gathering was intimate, with about 40 people attending. “It was the first time I’ve ever done that,” he recalled. “Her daughter reached out…. She told me all about her mom.”

It was a fun time, so much that the folks there asked if he planned to do any similar events in the future.

“‘Yeah, you guys got my number,’” McKinney replied. “‘Call me when the next one goes.’” Though his set was well-received, he declined to use every comic’s favorite way to describe a successful gig.

“I didn’t kill,” he said. “I showed up afterwards.”

Juston McKinney – Comedy Special Taping
When: Saturday, Oct. 18, 5 & 8 p.m.
Where: Palace Theatre, 80 Hanover St., Manchester
Tickets: $42.50 at palacetheatre.org

Featured photo: Juston McKinney and his son. Courtesy photo.

Both Sides Now explores Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen

A tribute act that isn’t exactly, Both Sides Now looks at the music and lives of Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen. The two were briefly lovers, but remained lifetime friends and mutual muses. Robbie Schaefer plays Cohen, and Danielle Wertz is Mitchell. The cabaret-style concert was first performed last year at the Signature Theatre in Northern Virginia.

Wertz and Schaefer’s paths converged after he’d been asked to do a Mitchell cabaret show himself and declined.

“His response was, ‘That’s kind of a weird fit, and … a heavy vocal lift,” Wertz recalled from a solo tour stop in the Czech Republic. However, Schaefer had been reading up on Cohen, learning about the relationship between the two songwriters. He said, “I think that’s a much more interesting narrative,” and asked them to find him a Joni.

That turned out to be a hard request. The Signature went to its book and couldn’t find a fit, until their director was in New York City working on a new musical. He met Wertz, an old friend, for lunch, and mentioned the show, asking if she liked Mitchell. “I was like, ‘yeah, of course I love Joni Mitchell … she’s been my obsession for the last 10 years.’”

A quick phone call, some emailed links and a few weeks later the two were introduced in California, where both had solo tour stops.

“We met literally on the side of a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean,” Wertz said. They played Mitchell’s “A Case of You” together. “Immediately we were like, ‘Yep, this is going to be a great fit, this all is going to work out.’”

Schaefer’s career began in the 1990s with Canadian indie folk band Eddie From Ohio, and he’s made several solo records. The singer, songwriter and guitarist is also a playwright, a recently ordained rabbi and founder of Lamplighters, described as “an online community that cultivates small-batch, relationship-driven, inclusive Judaism.”

Wertz is an accomplished jazz musician and composer who’d earned comparisons to Mitchell before the collaboration. In a review of her second album, 2020’s Other Side, Jazz Weekly writer George W. Harris praised the title song for its “Joni Mitchell’d tenderness.”

The decades-spanning show includes nine Mitchell and seven Cohen songs and opens with the tune that gave Schaeffer and Wertz their first click of musical recognition. The song underscores an idea that reverberates throughout the evening and is emphasized via the easy chairs and lit candles in the stage design.

“Joni and Leonard really did not write music that has tribute show energy; they wrote with such depth and vulnerability,” Wertz said. “I think ‘A Case of You’ does a good job of introducing to the audience what kind of show this is going to be, as opposed to starting with something like, ‘You Turn Me On I’m A Radio.’”

The show touches on interesting intersectionalities such as the fact that both began artistic careers outside of music, Cohen as a poet and novelist, Mitchell as a painter, something she was forced to do after leaving art school when she got pregnant and had to move to a home for unwed mothers. After the birth, the 18-year old new mother gave her baby up for adoption.

“What she had intended to do with the next chapter of her life was to continue being a very serious painter,” Wertz said, explaining that she was moved by the reasoning for Mitchell’s move into music. “After she had the baby, the only way that she knew she could make money was by singing covers of folk songs in coffee shops.”

Cohen’s faith is highlighted in the show. The two have recorded and plan to release “Who By Fire,” a song that includes pieces of the R’tzei prayer sung at high holidays, such as Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

“Leonard was raised in an Orthodox household and spent a lot of his life leaning into those traditions and then backing away,” Wertz said. “So much of his music asks, ‘Is this about God or is this about lust?’ It’s often both. We weave the prayer into that song, then pull it back out and let the lyrics … speak for themselves.”

Both Sides Now inevitably includes a rendition of the song that embodies Cohen to most of the world — a reluctant choice, according to Wertz.

“When we were putting the show together, we both rolled our eyes and went, well, we have to do ‘Hallelujah,’” she said. “But once we started playing it, really taking time, digging deeper and reading between the lines in the lyrics, we know it’s such a blessing to get to sing it every night.”

Both Sides Now
When: Friday, Oct. 10, 7:30 p.m.
Where: BNH Stage, 16 S. Main St., Concord
Tickets: $51 at ccanh.com

Featured photo: Courtesy photo.