Category: Nightlife

Blues trio goes way back

When James Montgomery arrived at Boston University in 1967 his mind was on more than the English degree he hoped to earn. Steeped in the music of his native Detroit and keenly aware of his new home’s burgeoning scene, he set out for Kenmore Square with a harmonica tucked in his pocket.

There he found guitarist Bob McCarthy playing 12-bar blues. Montgomery offered to jam; an instant friendship formed.

“Within two or three hours,” Montgomery said in a recent phone interview, “I had already found someone to play music with, and I continue to play with him to this day.”

McCarthy went on to make many Boston “best of” lists while appearing with Neil Young, Bonnie Raitt, Linda Ronstadt, Jonathan Edwards and others.

For his part, Montgomery kicked off a 50-year career by being the first Northern artist signed to Capricorn Records, label of the Allman Brothers and Marshall Tucker Band. The irony of the pairing wasn’t lost on him. “Grew up in Detroit, out of Boston, but somehow we were called Southern rock,” he told one interviewer. “Go figure.”

On May 21, Montgomery and McCarthy continue the bond formed that day at an acoustic show in Laconia, performing as a trio rounded out by bass player Billy Martin — who also shares a connection with Montgomery from those days.

“He was in my first college band,” he said. “We opened up for Paul Butterfield, and Buddy Guy and Junior Wells in upstate New York.”

It will truly be a BU reunion, Montgomery added. “I mean, we all did really go to school together and everything.”

After the pandemic canceled his 2020 shows, Montgomery, whom Peter Wolf once called “the John Mayall of New England,” is eager to get back on stage.

“I’m bringing the whole band, and we’ve all been vaccinated,” he said. “I’ve got a bunch of outdoor shows. … My July and August look like any other year.”

Their first gig back was April 23 in Franklin, Mass.

“We had a ball,” Montgomery said, though “some of the songs we couldn’t remember; it was like, ‘Does the bass solo come before or after that?’ There were some arrangement changes we made spontaneously on stage.”

For anyone on the fence about getting a shot, Montgomery had an answer with “Get Vaccinated,” a redo of “Intoxicated,” which originally appeared on his From Detroit to the Delta album.

“We made it multicultural, people from across the spectrum getting vaccinated,” he said of the video, released in late April. “One of the main reasons for putting it out was to try and encourage people to hasten that process so we can get back to full-capacity live music.”

Montgomery has been involved in several film projects over the past two decades, contributing the title song for Delta Rising: A Blues Documentary in 2007, a project that included narrator Morgan Freeman and musicians Mose Allison, Charlie Musselwhite and Willie Nelson. With partner Judy Laster, who runs the Woods Hole Film Festival, he co-founded the Reel Blues Festival in 2001.

Currently he’s nearing completion of a documentary that’s close to his heart: Bonnie Blue — James Cotton’s Life in the Blues. Cotton, a harmonica legend, shared a familial bond with Montgomery.

“When I’d call his manager, Jack would say, ‘Oh, your father wants to say hello,’” he said. “I met him when I was in my teens, and we were lifelong friends. Of course, we’d done a ton of work together.”

Most of the filming is complete, with post-production and song rights the remaining tasks. The latter is currently the focus of a fundraising effort.

“It’s a music film, so there’s going to be a lot of licensing stuff,” Montgomery said.

The finished product will be a star-studded affair.

“We got Steve Miller, Jimmy Vaughan, Buddy Guy, and I think we’ll get Charlie Musselwhite next,” Montgomery said.

A two-day shoot had harp players from across the country reminiscing, as both Cotton’s and Montgomery’s bands joined in.

“It was completely spontaneous playing, and chatting about him, which I’ve never seen in a documentary before,” he said. “It’s really cool footage.”

Acoustic Trio – Bob McCarthy, Billy Martin and James Montgomery
When: Friday, May 21, 6 p.m.
Where: Belknap Mill, 25 Beacon St. E., Laconia
More: belknapmill.org

Featured photo: Bob McCarthy and James Montgomery. Courtesy photo.

Tupelo season continues with Truffle

Few New Hampshire bands have the longevity of Truffle; 2021 marks their 35th year. Beyond that, the quintet’s lineup has stayed intact for most of that time. Mike Gendron took over on drums 10 years in; he’s jokingly called “The Rookie” by his bandmates.

As a recent sold-out Stone Church show attests, Truffle is a mainstay at its Seacoast home base. But the rest of the state often finds itself waiting to see them play, a situation made worse by the pandemic. An upcoming Tupelo Drive-In show is their first inland gig since February 2020, when they played at Milford’s Pasta Loft.

Truffle front man Dave Gerard is stoked to celebrate his band’s anniversary with horn-honking fans, their first time in the Derry parking lot venue born out of necessity last spring, and that’s set to close when indoor events return.

“Our peeps told us they were dying for a show, and we were like, OK, here you go,” he said in a recent phone interview. “It’s our only one in May, so let’s hope there’s good weather.”

Before Covid-19 blew a hole in their plans, Truffle was set to make a new album for their big year. Main songwriter Ned Chase and bass player David Bailey had a lot of new material ready, but plans were pushed out another year.

“Whenever we all have a bunch of tunes, that’s when it tells us it’s time to do an album,” Gerard said. “but it just wasn’t meant to be.”

Instead, Gerard made his sixth solo disc, due for a June release.

“I made the call, I said, hey, you guys, OK that I’m going to do a DG album? And they were like, of course man,” he said.

He recorded at The Electric Cave in Portsmouth, “flying in tracks” from several musician connections and recruiting local scene luminaries like Yamica Peterson of Mica’s Groove Train to contribute.

The approach to recording was loose and low-key.

“I thought, if the guys can’t come in, no pressure, I’ll make an acoustic album,” he said. “The next thing I know Mike Gendron and Dave Bailey, the rhythm section from Truffle, were like, ‘Yeah, we’ll come in, absolutely.’ … I’d say at least half the album ended up full-fledged electric.”

Sound Cave engineer Marc McElroy contributed on several instruments; Gerard handled all the guitars, along with vibes and percussion. Tracking was just completed, and the new release should be out by early summer.

“I went into it thinking it’s going to be what it’s going to be,” Gerard said. “It’s far exceeded what I thought we’d get.”

Live outdoors — for now

Gerard expects to play a few new tunes at the upcoming Tupelo show. While he played similar al fresco venues last season around his Seacoast stomping grounds, this will be his first — and last — at the Derry venue. That’s because owner Scott Hayward announced the return of indoor shows in an April 28 email.

“Based on our contracts, conversations with agents, and new tours that are being booked, I believe that we will once again be hosting shows indoors in September,” Hayward wrote. “This means that we will be making some sort of transition at the end of August and probably ending our Drive-In series mid-August.”

In a phone interview two days later, Hayward said the transition may happen earlier. It will depend on whether Three Dog Night or Air Supply follow through with tour plans and perform on Aug. 20 and Aug. 28, respectively.

“Air Supply says they’re coming, and if that’s the case I have to have the show,” he said. That’s a problem if skittish fans want refunds. “We could be open and still lose money.”

It’s Hayward’s plan that 33 1/3 Live’s Killer Queen Experience kicks off the return of live entertainment in the 700-seat room on Sept. 3, followed by Frank Marino & Mahogany Rush on Sept. 9.

Hayward dangled some tantalizing names for “yet to be announced shows” waiting on contracts that are likely to happen later this year. Performers could include Chris Isaak, Rick Wakeman, Wynonna and a night co-headlined by The Fixx and The English Beat.

The path forward is by no means certain.

“There’s a real misunderstanding of what it means to say you’re open — people need to understand that few bands are touring and it pushes everything out a few months,” Hayward said. “You’re kick-starting an entire industry.”

Truffle
When: Friday, May 7, 6 p.m.
Where: Tupelo Drive-In, 10 A St., Derry
Tickets: $22 per person, $75 per car at tupelohall.com

Featured photo: Truffle

Married Iguana finally debuts in Manchester

After a heady process of assembling a band, then working up and recording three original songs for a debut EP, Married Iguana was prepared for a big reveal at Jewel Music Venue in Manchester. Sadly for the nascent power trio, their debut gig was scheduled on March 14, 2020, the day after Covid-19 landed like an asteroid on the local music scene.

The group quarantined and waited for another chance to show their stuff to an audience. The Rehearsal Dinner did come out as planned, and it’s a treat. “EAYM” is a Primus meets Mothers of Invention romp, and “Farewell My Friend” echoes Rush as it rocks out with abandon.

Leading off the record, “Go With the Flow” chugs like a steady rolling party bus, but to Married Iguana guitarist, singer and principal songwriter Brett Higgins it’s also an ironic anthem for his band, which went from planning to play out to hunkering down.

A year later, the personnel has changed — the current lineup has Higgins, Ian Smith (Trichomes) on bass and drummer Tyrel Gagnon — along with the music. Punchy radio rockers are now stretched out more.

“We don’t want to call ourselves a jam band,” Higgins said in a recent phone interview, “though Ian has a lot of that influence playing with his other group … it’s a little more progressive rock.”

That said, the way Higgins described his songwriting process is jammy enough.

“Me doodling around at home is basically how every one of our tunes starts,” he said. “I have my strainer of songs. I’ll be working on something and I have to think if it’s special enough to sell those guys. It’s almost like I’m auditioning for my own group.”

Higgins formed Married Iguana to counteract playing in cover bands like Darrah and Channel 3.

“I’ve always written my own songs on the sidelines, and finally got to the point where it was time to start applying myself,” he said, and began recruiting on Facebook.

Smith responded immediately with an offer to hang out and jam.

“There was no real idea,” Higgins said. “I had a couple of songs floating around right at the get-go, and I started showing them. We just noodled around a lot and Ian really latched onto a couple of the riffs. We’ve been getting together ever since, and that was it.”

Early on, the band was a four-piece, with a second guitarist. A few different drummers also came and went before Gagnon joined. He and Higgins have played in different bands together for over a dozen years.

“He’s been my go-to guy for a long time,” Higgins said. “He’ll get sick of me and he’ll skip out and then he’ll find a way to come back, or I’ll beg him enough and he ends up coming back in.”

On May 4, the band will finally make its hometown debut at Jewel.

“It’s a makeup gig,” Higgins said with a laugh, adding they’re fired up to finally play a set with over an hour of original music for a hometown crowd — though there are more than a few nerves at play.

“I just hope that people will have fun and will really accept us; we’re still kind of unsure what to expect,” he said. “We’re not the run-of-the-mill band from around the area. We’ve got a unique sense about us, a lot of energy in the music. It changes and twists and turns a lot, and I just hope that people will enjoy it, have fun and come see us.”

Married Iguana w/ The Humans Being and What Has Science Done?
When: Tuesday, May 4, 9 p.m.
Where: Jewel Music Venue, 61 Canal St., Manchester
Tickets: $10 at the door, masks required for entry

Featured photo: Married Iguana. Courtesy photos.

New music and shows from Lucas Gallo

Over the past year, Concord singer-songwriter Lucas Gallo noticed a marked shift in how the diners that he played to responded to his craft.

“People’s appreciation … or the way they show it, has changed,” Gallo said in a recent phone interview. For example, “I usually don’t put out a tip jar, but people walk by and just throw a 10-dollar bill at me and say, ‘Good job, man.’ That was a rare occurrence, but now people are dropping money at my feet.”

Another bright spot of the pandemic was outdoor performing, which grew out of necessity but has become de rigueur at many venues. Gallo books music at Penuche’s Ale House in Bicentennial Square, which is known for its raucous basement, but they’re “trying to work a patio in,” and he expects that the soon-to-reopen True Brew Barista will likely use its outdoor space for live music at some point.

Gallo played at last year’s summer series hosted by Capitol Center for the Arts in nearby Fletcher-Murphy Park, which will reprise in early June, and he’ll be back again for a July 31 show. He’s also involved in the return of Market Days to downtown Concord in August, with an even sharper eye for area talent.

“They’re really focused on local offerings, not national or bigger chain vendors, which I think is cool,” he said.

Lately, he’s been playing at places like Area 23 and had effusive praise for the restaurant-tap room’s owner, Kirk McNeil, “who never let the live, local music stop no matter what.” He recently did a set at Main Street Bar & Grill in Pittsfield; it reminded him of The Green Martini, a mainstay Concord bar until it burned down in 2012.

“I lived there for a while, it was my go to, and maybe it was because some of that crew is there, but it had a super chill, fun, friendly hangout vibe,” he said.

An upcoming show at Concord Craft Brewery will showcase Lost & Found, a six-song EP released digitally in March. Their Safe Space IPA is not the only reason he enjoys going back to the brewery.

“It’s so supportive,” he said, adding their outdoor performing space is “one of the many cool places that have popped up everywhere. You get passers-by when you play their patio; it’s right on the road.”

There’s a lot of love and warmth on Gallo’s new record, a reflection of family nesting during the long quarantine. The title track is an easygoing love ballad; “Thrive” offers words of wisdom for his children. “I wanted to write a sort of advice-type song for them,” Gallo said, “ and that’s what came out.”

It succeeds sweetly, offering a checklist of instructions. “Don’t let the bumps and the bruises of the day change the way you’re moving through it,” he sings, “every pain heals itself in time … be the light.”

Such sentiments, and the choice of the album’s title, Gallo said, are a reminder that “in addition to the underlying theme of gratitude, there is the sense/motif of light and darkness, and a balance between the two that corresponds with being lost and found.”

While the music scene ground to halt for large parts of 2020, Gallo managed to get a lot done.

“Funny thing, there didn’t seem to be a huge amount of slow time,” he said. “Maybe it was all the livestreams people were doing … people just found ways to do more, but it’s nice to see them getting back into the restaurant and patio gigs.”

Along with his solo projects — another three-song record will arrive mid-summer — Gallo has plans to again reunite his old band JamAntics.

“We were going to do another show last year and everything was shutting down before we announced it,” he said, “We have some stuff in the works for later this year. I don’t want to say too much, but we’re crossing our fingers that everything continues the positive trend, so we can open later in the year.”

Lucas Gallo
When: Saturday, April 24, 4 p.m.
Where: Concord Craft Brewing, 117 Storrs St., Concord
More: facebook.com/ConcordCraftBrewing

Featured photo: Lucas Gallo. Courtesy photo.

Musical Bingo Nation adds songs to game night

Musical Bingo Nation is changing bingo’s sound all across the Seacoast — rather than listening for “B2” or “G6,” players listen for the opening chords to “Never Gonna Give You Up,” “Sweet Caroline” or other songs on their bingo sheet.

On Tuesdays at Tailgate Tavern in Stratham, anyone who wants to play gets a free bingo card when they’re seated. Throughout the night, guests eat and drink while keeping an ear out for the songs listed on their card, which were created by the entertainment company Musical Bingo Nation.

“They [are] usually based upon some sort of theme, like either ’60s, ’70s, hits, or one-hit wonders,” said Stephanie Smith, general manager at Tailgate Tavern.

A host from Musical Bingo Nation plays the tunes throughout the night, and once someone fills a column, row or diagonal they’ll win a prize, ranging from free drinks to Tailgate Tavern gift cards.

“The good thing about it is it’s not like trivia, where you’re locked in and you have to be there at a certain time. You could come in late or just play one round if you want. It’s a lot of fun,” Smith said, though she noted that some people have started to arrive hours in advance to guarantee a seat.

The game is family-friendly at Tailgate Tavern, she said, which is especially welcome in a time where it’s challenging to find out-of-the-house things to do.

“It’s nice to go out into a socially distant environment and be able to bring your kids along with you and play and have a good time and just be a family,” Smith said.

Wally’s Pub in Hampton has been offering Musical Bingo Nation on Tuesdays for a couple of months, and bartender Hannah Beringer said it has already brought bigger crowds to the beachside bar.

“People … come in just to play bingo,” she said. “It’s just a good way to get out and have fun without just sitting at a bar all night long.”

Saddle Up Saloon in Kingston is entering its third month offering Musical Bingo Nation, and owner Bob Page said the new game has “definitely helped,” with the bar seeing about a 25 percent increase in customers on Wednesday nights.

“The music they play is excellent,” Page said.

Smith agrees, saying that staff loves bingo nights too.

“We’re all just in such a great mood, listening to great music. The customers are happy, we’re happy,” she said. “The other day [the host] was playing ‘Sweet Caroline’ and everyone in the restaurant was singing. It makes me happy. It makes everyone happy. … I don’t know too many people that can listen to music nice and loud and stay in a bad mood.” – Sadie Burgess

Where to play music bingo
Here are a few spots that are currently offering Musical Bingo Nation.

Wally’s Pub
When: Tuesday nights, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.
Where: 144 Ashworth Ave, Hampton
More info: wallysnh.com/calendar

Saddle Up Saloon
When: Wednesday nights, 7 to 9 p.m.
Where: 92 Route 125, Kingston
More info: saddleupsaloonnh.com/Events

Tailgate Tavern
When: Tuesday nights, 6 to 8 p.m.
Where: 28 Portsmouth Ave, Stratham
More info: tailgatetavernnh.com

The Goat
When: Monday nights, 7 to 9 p.m.
Where: 20 L St., Hampton
More info: goatnh.com

Featured photo: Musical Bingo. Photo courtesy of Steph Smith.