Summer of Music— 06/25/2026

on the cover

Summer is a great season to head to a concert or five. Michael Witthaus takes a look at the shows on the schedules at bigger area venues and talks with folks at the Tupelo Music Hall and the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom. Above and on the cover is the YellowHouse Blues Band (photo by Chris Cote Photography courtesy the band), which is slated to play the Tupelo Music Hall on Saturday, July 18, among other local dates according to their website, yellowhousebluesband.com. Catch them Saturday, June 27, at Concord’s Market Days; they will be on the main stage from 6 to 8 p.m.

Also on the cover Michael also talks to the Currier about their “Summer of Photography” featuring two exhibits — “Danny Lyon: The Bikeriders” and “Together, Apart, Away: Snapshots from the Peter J. Cohen Collection” both offering a window into time (page 13). John Fladd talks to an organizer at the Hollis Strawberry Festival and Town Band Concert (page 16). John also gets the details about Market Days — the three-day celebration of food, music and more in downtown Concord (page 14).

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A graphic the shape of the state of New Hampshire, filled in with the New Hampshire flag made up of the crest of New Hampshire on a blue field.
Manchester Pride Festival The Manchester Pride Festival & Parade will take place Saturday, June 27, from 11 a.m. to 5 ...
A graphic the shape of the state of New Hampshire, filled in with the New Hampshire flag made up of the crest of New Hampshire on a blue field.
Bird feeders are more tempting than pic-a-nic baskets As reported by WMUR in a June 21 online article, this is ...
The Big Story: Golf’s U.S. Open is always a huge story, especially when it’s played at Long Island’s famed Shinnecock ...
six kids holding instruments, standing on stage with rock concert lights behind them
Friday, June 26 School of Rock, a teen Actorsingers production of the stage musical featuring a score by Andrew Lloyd ...
nine piece band made of women and men, standing on road outside with instruments on sunny day
Summer of Music A look at the bands coming to big venues this concert season There are two kinds of ...
retro motorcycle displayed in museum, photographs on walls behind
Snapshots and Harleys at Currier’s Summer of Photography Instagram didn’t invent self-curation, a point brought home by a pair of ...
scene of street fair with people walking down the street between sidewalk tents, brick buildings rising in the background on a bright cloudy day.
Downtown Concord comes together for Market Days One of the high points of the year for downtown Concord is the ...
Family fun for whenever Summer fun The Somersworth Festival Association will hold Celebration Night Friday, June 26, from 5:30 to ...
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Hello, Donna, At a recent yard sale I purchased a bag of jewelry. In it was this letter necklace. It’s ...
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• Wine on wheels: LaBelle Winery Derry (14 Route 111, Derry, 672-9898, labellewinery.com/labelle-winery-derry) recently announced on its website that it ...
close up of elderly person's hands as they hold up plate and spoon gravy from a bowl onto meat and tortilla from outdoor table
Coming together for a celebration of local food Evan Mallett is the chef and owner of Black Trumpet in Portsmouth ...
Fresh tasty ready for harvest ripe red and unripe green strawberries growing on strawberry farm in greenhouse
An afternoon of strawberries and sousaphones “In 1943, a boys’ band from Nashua came out to Hollis and gave a ...
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Last Thursday was one of those days. You know the ones — you don’t really have anything to complain about, ...
album covers for Pussy Riot, CYKA and Tesla, Homage
Pussy Riot, CYKA (self-released) It was quite a surprise for me to find that this was the Russian protest-punk group’s ...
Book cover for Take Me To Your Leader, by Neil deGrasse Tyson showing drawing of spaceship taking up small figures into the sky
(Simon Six, 226 pages) Aliens are having a moment. Of course, it could be argued that they’ve been having a ...
scene from computer animated movie Toy Story 5 showing characters of toy cowgirl doll Jessie and her horse looking happy
Toy Story 5 returns to fun Summer is kids-in-the-movie-theater-air-conditioning time and Toy Story 5 offers a fun, very solidly built ...
• Chicken man: During the pandemic, when his business travel corporate job went to Zoom, Joe Fenti found the funny ...
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Martin Toe brings activism and Afrobeats to BNH Stage There’s no line between work and music for Martin Toe, the ...

Coffee in Summer— 06/18/2026

on the cover

In this week’s cover story, John Fladd looks at that popular summer — and year-round — way to caffienate, iced coffee. As with all tasty things, there is an art to making a good cup of iced coffee and to picking just the right flavors to add in, if you so desire. John explains it all in the story that starts on page 8.

Also on the cover, St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Manchester presents its annual celebration of food and culture this weekend with its Lamb BBQ & Food Festival on Saturday, June 20, and Sunday, June 21. John serves up the details on page 16. And start planning your baking (or buying) for next weekend’s Cake Fest in Deerfield (see page 16). Michael Witthaus talks to John Shields of Little Stranger ahead of their show on Friday, June 19, at the Northfields Music & Art Festival this weekend (see page 23).

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A graphic the shape of the state of New Hampshire, filled in with the New Hampshire flag made up of the crest of New Hampshire on a blue field.
Veggies for Granite Staters Formula recall Parents and caregivers are advised not to use Nara Organics Powered Infant Formula, according ...
A graphic the shape of the state of New Hampshire, filled in with the New Hampshire flag made up of the crest of New Hampshire on a blue field.
June weather brings gunkier water As reported by WMUR in a June 4 online article, several blooms of cyanobacteria have ...
The Big Story – Tie – Knicks Take NBA Title and World Cup Begins: Normally a New York story isn’t ...
outdoor stage in evening, people standing to watch band playing, young boy sitting on man's shoulders in crowd
Thursday, June 18 Head to the coast for the 26th Annual Hampton Beach Master Sand Sculpting Classic, which runs today ...
plastic take out cup filled with iced coffee, sitting on a counter
Iced coffee offers a refreshing way to get your caffeine in the hot season and year-round Chip George gets a ...
promo poster for adaptation of Company showing man holding birthday cake topped with the figures of other cast members
Cue Zero stages Sondheim’s Company In 1970, Stephen Sondheim and George Furth’s Company seismically shifted the theater world. One of ...
plate seen from above, painted with flowers, butterflies, and colorful birds
Hello, Donna, I was going through a china cabinet and found this plate. I’m not sure where my mother got ...
man dressed in old fashioned coat and vest, holding glass bottle with playing cards sitting on top, holding wooden wand as he does a magic trick
Liberty and Legacy kicks off a summer of history As it turns out, this summer is not only the 250th ...
Family fun for whenever Summer celebrations • SEE Science Center (200 Bedford St. in Manchester) will hold its Kick Off ...
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Summer celebrations • SEE Science Center (200 Bedford St. in Manchester) will hold its Kick Off to Summer Saturday, June ...
tray filled with Greek pastries in cupcake wrappers
St. Nicholas kicks off this summer’s Greek food festival season There are three Greek churches in Manchester, and each opens ...
decorated cake sitting on plate
Cake Fest expects up to 125 cakes The idea for Cake Fest came to Susan Witts, the owner of Susie ...
rectangular slice of layered cake
Several years ago, in an action that can only be described as evil and motivated by malice, the National Biscuit ...
album covers for Sublime, Until The Sun Explodes and Tori Kelly, God Must Really Love Me
Sublime, Until The Sun Explodes (Atlantic Records) Said to be the last album from the ’90s ska-punk/reggae-rock juggernaut, this one ...
book cover for Ruins showing a graphic illustration done in green, of a barren landscape with a monument in the distance under a single moon, a small red figure stands in the middle of the landscape
Grand Central Publishing, 389 pages By her admission, Ember Agni was a weird kid. For fun, she liked to bury ...
scene from Disclosure Day showing woman standing on car as man reaches down from ladder on wall to help her climb up
The summer movie frontier? Who doesn’t love summer movie space aliens? (Spoilers ahead — I don’t really know how to ...
• Stacked show: A release event for cathartic Providence rockers Valoria’s EP From Me To You is a five-band affair, ...
looking out from outdoor stage at back of band and to standing audience on sunny day
Northlands Festival returns As John Shields begins a phone interview, he’s also readying a jagged week of travel, a mini-tour ...

Kids’ Guide to Summer 2026 — 06/11/2026

on the cover

Your kids are done with school (or soon will be) and are ready to have some summer fun. Find fairs, festivals, kid-friendly theatrical performances, family music concerts and more in our annual kids’ guide to summer. Know of a summer event not listed here? Let us know at adiaz@hippopress.com.

Also on the cover Michael Witthaus talks to comedian Shane Torres ahead of his Saturday show at Queen City Center (see page 31). Another show to look for this weekend: comedian Bo Johnson at the Moka Pot on Friday, June 12. Find even more in the Comedy This Week listings, also on page 31.

John Fladd finds out about MakeIt Labs’ annual MakeIt Fest in Nashua (see page 23). And he talks to the owners of Bow Beer Garden about their outdoor beer and pizza concept (page 24).

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A graphic the shape of the state of New Hampshire, filled in with the New Hampshire flag made up of the crest of New Hampshire on a blue field.
Veggies for Granite Staters Northeast Organic Farming Association of New Hampshire (NOFA-NH) is helping local residents with limited incomes to ...
A graphic the shape of the state of New Hampshire, filled in with the New Hampshire flag made up of the crest of New Hampshire on a blue field.
The high cost of child care A June 2 report by the New Hampshire Financial Policy Institute confirmed what parents ...
The Big Story – World Cup: The four-year wait is over for soccernauts. The first game is today (Thursday) between ...
poster for movie Legally Blonde showing young blonde woman in pink dress stepping forward while carrying thick books, groups of students watching her in background
Friday, June 12 It’s the final weekend for Love ...Or Best Offer, “a lighthearted yet heartfelt look at online dating ...
Group of Kids Eating Frozen Colorful Popsicles in the Summer
A season of festivals, theater, concerts, movies and more family fun School’s Out! For! Summer! School’s! Out! For— wait, for ...
middle aged man wearing black shirt, coifed hair, small smile
Learn art in downtown Manchester For anyone who’s wanted to draw or paint but didn’t know where to begin, or ...
plant with purple flowers with pong spidery petals
I’ve heard it said that June is the most common month for weddings. I’m not sure why, but my theory ...
man standing at outdoor table with small robotic machine on table, long armed robot picking up something from dish
Celebrating creations of all types at MakeIt Fest Nashua MakeIt Labs is a makers’ space in downtown Nashua. On Saturday, ...
tapestry showing leafy forest scene
Dear Donna, I have a hanging tapestry that is approximately 7 feet by 4 feet, and a wall-mounted one that ...
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• LaBelle happenings: There are several events on the schedule for LaBelle Winery (345 Route 101, Amherst, 672-9898, labellewinery.com). LaBelle ...
woman standing outside her food truck
Ice cream, croissants, caviar and The Whole Shebang Melissa Samaras has worked in restaurants and the hospitality industry for years ...
area enclosed in temporary fence made of cement blocks and wood, filled with wood chips, containing picnic tables and a shipping container made into a concession stand
Bow Beer Garden offers picnic vibes Some dreams are realized all at once; others happen one step at a time ...
short glass filled with cloudy yellow cocktail with ice and pineapple
The label on the bottle reads “Buchanan’s Pineapple.” It’s a brand of scotch flavored with pineapple and citrus fruit. Yes, ...
Album covers for Kristian Montgomery and the Winterkill Band, Soul Family and Rich Willey, Laid Back Vol. 1 featuring John Swana
Kristian Montgomery and the Winterkill Band, Soul Family (self-released/Bandcamp) We’ve talked about this local musician before, including how he lost ...
cover for It’s Hard to be an Animal, by Robert Isaacs showing illustrated animals circling the title text
Meet Henry Parsons — although he’d rather you not. Henry is socially awkward and reticent; he’s most comfortable in the ...
screenshot from Office Romance showing Jennifer Lopez and Brett Goldstein shaking hands
A look at Office Romance and other streaming fare I like a rom-com that doesn’t skimp on the com. Office ...
• Blue adieu: Celebrating a 60-plus-year career, Judy Collins is on her final Sweet Judy Blue Eyes tour, the name ...
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Indie comedy grows in Manchester When he last was in Manchester, Shane Torres appeared at Shaskeen Pub. In 2021, it ...

Smoke Show — 06/04/2026

on the cover

Barbecue isn’t the only food (or drink!) that can be smoky and delicious. John Fladd takes a look at what happens when smoke is introduced to meat but also cheese, beer, cocktails and even crackers. Above is a smoked cocktail from CodeX in Nashua. Photo by John Fladd.

Also on the cover, Michael Witthaus looks at the NH Maker Fest on Saturday, June 6, in Dover (page 12). John stays on the smoky theme with a look at the NH Bacon & Beer Festival slated for Manchester on Saturday (page 16). And celebrate bees, butterflies and the other creatures that keep the ecosystem going at the Pollinator Fest and Native Plant Sale at the NH Audubon’s McLane Center in Concord (page 15).

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A graphic the shape of the state of New Hampshire, filled in with the New Hampshire flag made up of the crest of New Hampshire on a blue field.
Tick reminder The most common tick bite-spread infections in New Hampshire are “Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, Powassan virus, and hard-tick ...
A graphic the shape of the state of New Hampshire, filled in with the New Hampshire flag made up of the crest of New Hampshire on a blue field.
It only seems soggy As reported by WMUR in a May 21 online article, “The latest update from the U.S ...
The Big Story – Wait Until Next Week: With the Red Sox scuffling along 10+ games out of first in ...
poster for movie Legally Blonde showing young blonde woman in pink dress stepping forward while carrying thick books, groups of students watching her in background
Friday, June 5 Theatre Kapow will present Morning Sun, a play by Simon Stephens, at the BNH Stage in Concord ...
cocktail in short glass sitting on bar counter, smoke at top of glass
How adding smoke can transform your favorite flavors When most people think of smoky food, their minds go immediately to ...
kids and their parents standing around an outdoor craft table on a sunny day during an event
NH Maker Fest celebrates creativity A 3D printer hums a colorful plate into existence; handmade hula hoops and a DJ ...
Family fun for whenever Music and learning The “Be Like Blippi” Tour comes to the Capitol Center for the Arts ...
Pride Month
Find Pride celebrations in several area towns and cities in June. Here are a few of the events on the ...
close up of pot of colorful variety of flowers with label describing pollinators and names of flowers
NH Audubon expands plant sale with Pollinator Festival For most non-specialists, knowledge of pollinators begins and ends with honeybees. Honeybees ...
stack of wide hardcover books
Dear Donna, We have a partial set of encyclopedias, with just one missing. Is there any interest in these? Would ...
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• Manchester farmers market opens for the season: Manchester Farmers’ and Makers’ Market has opened for the season. Wednesdays, 4 ...
appetizer with bacon
High Hopes Foundation makes NH its focus at Bacon & Beer Festival The High Hopes Foundation is a nonprofit organization ...
leafy green herb growing in ground
Greenery is on the menu for the 17th annual Herb and Garden Day As you might suspect, the New Hampshire ...
plate with hunk of bread pudding, covered by sauce with chopped rhubarb, and scoop of vanilla ice cream
This isn’t the type of pudding you’re thinking of. It’s an old-fashioned, British-style steamed pudding adapted from a 1930 recipe ...
Aaron Bilodeau, Lid Licker and Midge Ure, A Man Of Two Worlds
Aaron Bilodeau, Lid Licker (self-released/Bandcamp) So here is a fellow from Milford, N.H., whose trip is experimental art-rock, unless he’s ...
cover for Yesteryear
(Alfred A. Knopf, 391 pages) One of the stranger things to emerge from the internet is the tradwife influencer, a ...
screenshot from The Other Bennet Sister showing scene with two actors sitting on logs in the woods
A look at some TV with movie ties With The Mandalorian and Grogu putting TV in movie theaters, let’s look ...
• Summer songs: A season of weekend music kicks off with Katie Dobbins, an inspirational singer-songwriter who also organizes the ...
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Jon Pousette-Dart plays intimate Rex show As he walked into Quadrafonic Sound Studio to begin his band’s first album in ...

Day in the Garden — 05/28/2026

on the cover

Spend a lovely day in the garden — made all the lovelier by being a garden you don’t have to water or weed. This week, John Fladd takes a look at some of the garden tours and public gardens that allow you to enjoy the flora of the season without having to put on any gardening gloves. Above and on the cover, a view of the gardens at Petals in the Pines. Courtesy photo.

Also on the cover John also gets the details on the Friends of the Library of Windham’s annual Strawberry Festival & Book Fair, slated for Saturday, May 30 (see page 16). Enjoy the big trucks and friendly competition of the Fire Truck Pull & Festival (page 14). Michael Witthaus talks to singer songerwriter Amanda McCarthy about her return to New England and her slate of upcoming shows.

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A graphic the shape of the state of New Hampshire, filled in with the New Hampshire flag made up of the crest of New Hampshire on a blue field.
Teacher award The New Hampshire Department of Education announced the three finalists for 2027 Teacher of the Year: Rebecca Fortgang, ...
The Big Story – Memorial Day weekend It’s not officially summer, but it makes it feel like summer has arrived ...
A graphic the shape of the state of New Hampshire, filled in with the New Hampshire flag made up of the crest of New Hampshire on a blue field.
Hey! Their feelings are tender, too! The New Hampshire Fisher Cats occasionally play under two other names during home games: ...
poster for movie Legally Blonde showing young blonde woman in pink dress stepping forward while carrying thick books, groups of students watching her in background
Thursday, May 28 Manchester’s Taco Tour takes place today from 4 to 8 p.m. in downtown Manchester. See tacotourmanchester.com and ...
stone sculpture of garden fairy sitting on rock while reading book, sculpture in grassy area of garden
Get inspired at public gardens and garden tours For gardening nerds and the occasional gardener alike, a trip to a ...
orchestra on dark stage, during performance
The Phil presents wide-ranging music Folk Voices and Fantasies, an upcoming afternoon of classical music from the New Hampshire Philharmonic ...
group of small magenta flowers in shady spot, sunlight coming through
Test your soil, make it better Asking me to name my favorite flower is, perhaps, like asking you to name ...
woman with one prosthetic leg, pulling on rope, on sidewalk while people gather
Less Leg More Heart raises funds with Fire Truck Pull Christina Hurley has given the question of what kind of ...
Family fun for whenever Fest fun • Truckfest, an event featuring big vehicles that kids can explore, will take place ...
ornate crystal chandelier, lights turned on, hanging from ceiling
Dear Donna, Looking to find a value for our hanging ceiling lamp. Not sure of the age. I believe it’s ...
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• Looking for a purr-fect name: There are plans for a new cat cafe in downtown Concord. Entrepreneurs Star Chagnon ...
woman wearing red apron, standing in large gym space, holding dish with strawberry shortcake topped with whipped cream
Time for the annual Strawberry Festival FLOW, the Friends of the Library Of Windham, who support the Nesmith Library, is ...
bread loaf in the shape of a fish
Sourdough has a life of its own April Repoza and her daughter Bailey own and operate Bigfoot Sourdough in Milford, ...
short glass with red cocktail and ice
I recently needed to develop a recipe for a cocktail based on the theme of a magical fruit bat, as ...
album covers for Satoko Fujii and Myra Melford, Katarahi and Confess, Metalmorphosis
Satoko Fujii and Myra Melford, Katarahi (Rogueart Records) Recorded live in September 2024 at Jazz festival Leibnitz in Austria, this ...
cover for book "I am not a Robot" by Joanna Stern, showing cartoon drawings of robots holding various professional, domestic or hobby items
(Harper, 282 pages) In 1965 an assistant professor of mathematics at Dartmouth University proposed to spend two summer months exploring ...
scene from Is God Is showing one black woman hugging another black woman from behind as they sit on outdoor cement steps
Twin sisters set off on a mission of vengeance in Is God Is, a film written and directed by first-time ...
• Hard rockers: Multiple subgenres of heavy music converge at the Backwoods Metal Fest, with more than two dozen area ...
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Nashville story has a New Hampshire ending Amanda McCarthy is back in New Hampshire, after living and working in Nashville ...

Summer Guide 2026 — 05/21/2026

on the cover

It’s summer! Or at least, it’s the season of festivals and happenings that start Memorial Day weekend and offer up those summer vibes. In this week’s issue of the Hippo, we bring you oodles of summer events including fairs and festivals, art events, music festivals, outdoor and summer playhouse theater, nature events and more. Load up on sunscreen and get ready to head out for some summer fun.

Also on the cover Looking for some tasty fun? John Fladd serves up all the details on Manchester’s Taco Tour (next Thursday, May 28) and the Concord-based Sweet Springtime Stroll (this Saturday, May 23). See page 24 for those stories. John also talks to an organizer at the Rubber Duck Regatta in Nashua, part of four days of fun planned in the Gate City (page 23). Michael Witthaus also gets all the details about the ongoing Nashua International Sculpture Symposium. This year’s sculptors are working now on pieces that will become a part of the city’s landscape (page 20).

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A graphic the shape of the state of New Hampshire, filled in with the New Hampshire flag made up of the crest of New Hampshire on a blue field.
Memorial Day It’s a weekend of Memorial Day parades and celebrations. Here are a few: • The Amherst Memorial Day ...
The Big Story – Baseball at the Quarter Turn: It has not been pretty for your Boston Red Sox. They’ve ...
A graphic the shape of the state of New Hampshire, filled in with the New Hampshire flag made up of the crest of New Hampshire on a blue field.
Fewer ODs As reported by WMUR in a May 14 online article, new data from the Centers for Disease Control ...
poster for movie Legally Blonde showing young blonde woman in pink dress stepping forward while carrying thick books, groups of students watching her in background
Thursday, May 21 The Canterbury Shaker Village, 288 Shaker Road in Canterbury, will hold a Shaker Barn Dance tonight from ...
retro style banner with colored vertical stripes on light background, words in bubbly font Summer Guide 2026
It’s summer! Or, it’s “summer” — the state of mind we enter sometime around Memorial Day weekend, when we dig ...
collage of four portraits in a four square, one man and three women
Nashua International Sculpture Symposium offers access to artists In front of a revitalized Civil War-era cotton mill, four sculptors are ...
small figurines standing in different poses
Dear Donna, I have several of these metal figures. They belonged to my grandfather. Do you think they are safe ...
hundreds of yellow rubber ducks with sunglasses floating in river
Buy a six-quack and watch On Saturday, May 23, the Downtown Nashua Association will launch what it hopes will become ...
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• A new Aroma Joe’s: There is a new location of the coffee joint Aroma Joe’s at 700 Mast Road, ...
crowd of people outside of restaurant, some standing in line, sunny evening on downtown sidewalk
Manchester’s Taco Tour returns Manchester’s annual Taco Tour will take place Thursday, May 28, from 4 to 8 p.m. For ...
woman behind table filled with pastries and desserts for sale inside larger space, while customers look at the selection
Try a sample of treats at the Springtime Sweet Stroll “In a nutshell,” Emma Stetson, the owner of Wine on ...
chunky chocolate cookies sitting on plate beside tall glass of milk on counter, tray of cookies in the background
1 cup (120 g) all-purpose flour ¾ cup (80 g) dark rye flour ½ cup (42 g) unsweetened cocoa powder ...
album covers for Simon Hanes, Gargantua and Crow and Gazelle, Truth Be Told
Simon Hanes, Gargantua (Pyroclastic Records) If you’ve already read the Playlist piece this week, you know I am presently besieged ...
• Blues power: Until he stumbled into a Chicago nightclub in the early 1990s, Johnny Burgin planned to be a ...
three men playing guitars on dark background
The Janzen Boys make first New England visit While anchored by steady acoustic bass, joyful strumming and finger-picked flourishes, the ...

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