Tag: 230504

Move to the music

Local band adds to yoga experience

When Cassie O’Brien was in her twenties, she wrote for a Concord alt weekly and was constantly impressed by the city’s music and arts scene. When she and her husband began planning a move from Washington, D.C., back to New Hampshire six years ago, they wanted someplace with a similar vibe.

Ultimately they chose the real thing.

“Thinking about where we wanted to live, we just kept circling back to Concord,” O’Brien said recently. “A sense of community … that’s what brought us here.”

The two fit in quickly. Rob O’Brien is prominent as a musician, playing the Roland Aerophone, an idiosyncratic saxophone-cum-synthesizer, with local band Andrew North & the Rangers. The disciplined jam act has a new live album, Thanks for the Warning, Vol. 1, due on May 12, with a release show at Concord’s Area 23 the following night.

Cassie is a yoga instructor and, since September, a small business owner. She runs Worthy Mind & Movement, offering a range of classes that are almost all music-centric. That element was part of the yoga studio when Cassie worked there, before she bought it. When she took it over, she wanted to take the music up a notch or two, so she began offering Buti, a yoga practice that includes a lot of dance-like movement.

Initially EDM mixes were used for classes, but on May 5 local electronica duo Bosey Jose will play live while participants work up a sweat. It will be a Glow Yoga event, with body paint and clothing that pops under a blacklight. “I kind of equate it to like going to a rave, but without all the regrets and everything afterward,” Cassie said.

The experience is perfect for “moms who want to have that night out for themselves, have a good time and let loose,” she continued. “People can hoot, they can holler, they can swear at me … anything goes, as long as they’re being safe. It’s a good release, a fun way to move your body and still get in a workout.”

Non-glow Buti classes happen during the week, along with Zumba and the more intense HIIT yoga; there’s also the meditation in motion of Primal Flow. Buti is a bit in between, Cassie explained: “There’s some cardio involved, there’s some plyometric work — planks, your holding poses and stuff like that. It’s just dynamic movement, meant to be a fun way to move your body and have a good time.”

Buti is a good entry-level yoga. “You never have to be in any pose for too long, because we are pretty much constantly moving … our movement is driven by the beat of the music,” Cassie said. For her, trading cues with live musicians will offer a new challenge. “When I want to pick up the pace and maybe do a cardio push, I’m going to have to somehow communicate to them, and I’ll also have to fall along.”

Bosey Joe once played in a barber shop, so they are a good fit for the small-business showcase. The space comes with a bonus, Rob O’Brien explained.

“I helped upgrade the studio and we have a fantastic sound system up there now with a big subwoofer,” O’Brien said. “Since these are at night and most of the offices and businesses below us are closed, we can really crank it up. I’ve been in there by myself, and it feels like a club — the energy can get really high in there.”

The volume and vibe “enhance the experience,” Cassie offered. “You get your endorphins running, it’s a rush. People after class are always saying, ‘Wow, that went by so fast! I can’t believe I’m sweating … it was so fun, I forgot I was working out.”

Buti Yoga Glow Night w/ Bosey Joe
When: Friday, May 5, 7 p.m.
Where: Worthy Mind & Movement, 8 N. Main St., Suite 1B, Concord
Tickets: $20, reserve at worthymindandmovement.com

Featured photo: Courtesy photo.

The Music Roundup 23/05/04

Local music news & events

• Taco tunes: Manchester’s largest Taco Tour ever has live music, including sets from reggae rockers Supernothing and Donaher, the latter a power pop quartet whose front man is campaigning to recognize the Queen City as the birthplace of chicken tenders. Indie singer-songwriter Colleen Green opens the early evening free concert, which offers a great way to shake off all those tasty tacos. Thursday, May 4, 4:30 p.m., M&T Bank/City Bandstage Stage, corner of Bridge and Elm streets, Manchester, see facebook.com/grtrmanchester.

• Dancing scene: When a night hosted by Abba-inspired brand ambassadors Gimme Gimme Disco succeeds, it’s due to the crowd’s energy. Revelers are resplendent in bell bottom jeans, afro hairdos, oversized sunglasses, crazy colors and other finery that works under a mirror ball, along with a yearning to groove to songs like “September,” “It’s Raining Men” and “Waterloo,” all spun by a ’70s-savvy DJ. Friday, May 5, 7:30 p.m., Nashua Center for the Arts, 201 Main St., Nashua, $19 and up at eventbrite.com.

• Father’s son: Starting in 1996 with the multi-platinum Bringing Down the Horse, The Wallflowers became a band in name only, with a singular vision guided by its front man, Jakob Dylan, who last year said, “no one lineup … ever made two records [and] one person is actually putting the ideas together … that’s always been me.” Recently, Dylan has been covering old friend Tom Petty’s “American Girl” at concerts. Saturday, May 6, 7:30 p.m., The Flying Monkey, 39 Main St., Plymouth, $69 and up at flyingmonkeynh.com.

• Fresh hell: After the headliners dropped out of a run called The Hellbender Tour, Saving Vice took charge, rebranding it The End of Winter. The new name refers to the Vermont metalcore band’s debut EP, Colder Than Dark, which is now celebrating its five-year anniversary. Sink With Me, No Eye Has Seen, Frantic Endeavor, Devitalized and Soft Touch Mechanism round out the bill at a local show. Sunday, May 7, 7 p.m., Jewel Music Venue, 61 Canal St., Manchester, $15 and up at eventbrite.com.

• Country couple: The latest in an ongoing singer-songwriter series has Lance & Lea playing and chatting with fellow musician Katie Dobbins, who opens the show. Lance Kotara came up in the Texas club scene, while Coloradan LeAnna Kaufman rode horses and sang in church as a youngster; they met in Nashville and became a duo. Their first album was produced by Grammy winner Paul Worley. Wednesday, May 10, 6 pm., Loft at Hermit Woods, 72 Main St., Meredith, $10 to $15 at hermitwoods.com.

Built to Move, by Kelly Starrett and Juliet Starrett

Built to Move, by Kelly Starrett and Juliet Starrett (Knopf, 336 pages)

CrossFit devotees are no doubt familiar with Kelly and Juliet Starrett. Not being one, I was not, and there was nothing in their new book’s title that seems particularly inspiring. In fact, the only thing the book had going for it, I thought, was an endorsement by popular Stanford University podcaster Andrew Huberman.

I was wrong.

The Starretts, co-founders of CrossFit, have written an unusual fitness book in that they address both long-time, hard-core exercisers and the passionate sedentary, those who proudly display 0.0 stickers on the back of their cars in defiance of the 26.2s. They’re not interested in getting you to run a marathon or even 5K. They’re more interested in getting you to be able to get up off the floor for the next couple of decades — literally.

The “sit and rise” test was the subject of research published in 2014. That study showed that the ability to easily drop into a cross-legged position on the floor, and get up again (if possible not using your hands), is reflective of a person’s physical well- being and can be predictive of mortality.

Intuitively, that makes sense. The more limber a person is, the better their health, right? But the Starretts don’t see sitting and rising as simply a measure of wellness and mobility, but a way to achieve it. The average toddler falls down (and gets back up) 17 times an hour, whereas aging adults do all they can to not visit the floor. In fact, we should be getting on the floor, and getting back up, as long as we’re able.

“Sitting on the floor, if you do it regularly, is one of the things that can help you become more proficient at getting down on the floor, and then getting back up again, without using any support,” they write, adding, “Our bodies are built to sit in ground-based positions.”

The Starretts recommend that we spend a total of 30 cumulative minutes a day sitting in various positions on the floor; doing so helps to “rewild” our hip joints and correct the musculoskeletal problems people develop when they sit in chairs (or cars) most of the day.

It is this kind of advice that makes Built to Move a nice surprise and a departure from the typical wellness book that repackages the same old advice. While upending the conventional wisdom, the Starretts argue that anyone, at any age and in any condition, can incorporate a handful of easy practices and see improvements in their condition. But first, they want to destroy the notion that if we exercise aerobically four or five times a week then we’re in some optimal physical condition.

Think you’re OK because you exercise and stretch? The Starretts say that stretching doesn’t work, nor does even yoga, when it comes to improving and preserving range of motion. “In most circumstances, passively pulling on a muscle doesn’t really achieve much, and it certainly doesn’t improve range of motion.” Stretching just releases tension from our muscles. They recommend movements called “mobilizations” that also target ligaments and joints.

Think you’re OK because you run for 45 minutes four times a week? Nope. You need to be walking for a half hour, too, because walking “rewilds” the feet and works the muscles, tendons and ligaments in ways that running doesn’t.

While showing how the typical modern lifestyle works against the ways our bodies are meant to move, the authors point out the myriad conveniences that might make life easier now but might make it harder for us in old age — like a car’s backup camera. (“Give it a rest sometime and turn around to look behind you when you back up.”)

Then of course, there’s nutrition, not as it relates to our weight, but how it affects our ability to heal from injury. Poor nutrition contributes to inflammation and can slow recovery from injury or illness. They don’t care what sort of eating plan you follow as long as it’s high in protein and contains about 800 grams of fruits and vegetables per day.

Finally, as someone currently dealing with chronic pain from an arm injury, I especially appreciated the Starretts’ section titled “What to do when you hurt.” Apparently a lot of other people will appreciate this, too. When Kelly Starrett speaks to audiences, he often asks people to raise their hands if they’re currently in pain, and about 95 percent of the crowd raises a hand.

“Pain,” the Starretts write, “is a request for change.” But interestingly, they add, that pain “doesn’t always mean that you’re injured or that a tissue is damaged; in fact, most times it doesn’t.” While of course pain caused by obvious injuries (i.e., a twisted ankle or broken arm) requires medical treatment, “most of the musculoskeletal pain people experience these days — sore knees, achy lower backs, throbbing shoulders — is not injury, but rather a reflection of our modern lifestyle,” things that can be corrected with the practices shown in the book, the Starretts say.

Their message is hopeful. “One thing you should know about your body is that it’s not as fragile as you think. You are a pretty bombproof organism, easily designed to last a hundred years. That doesn’t mean your body should hurt.” It just means that you’ve got to address the pain in ways beyond taking fistfuls of ibuprofen; “Follow the breadcrumbs and try to figure it out.”

As for the sit-and-rise test, here’s how it’s done: “Cross one foot in front of the other and sit down on the floor into a cross-legged position without holding onto anything. … Now, from the same cross-legged position, rise up off the floor, if possible, without placing your hands or knees on the floor or using anything for support.”

How’d you do? If you still can’t even figure out how to get down on the floor, let alone get up without holding on for dear life, this book’s for you. And no, I’m not telling you how I did on that test. B+

Album Reviews 23/05/04

Bobcat Goldthwait, Soldier for Christ (PGF Records)

So, an album featuring ’80s/’90s/whatever comedian Bobcat Goldthwait performing a standup set recorded last year at Lincoln Lodge in Chicago. Like Gallagher with his watermelon-smashing Sledge-O-Matic (which has been outdone by approximately 367,000 YouTube prank videos last time I looked), Goldthwait has had a shtick going back decades, mildly funny jokes delivered in a hiccupping, “what kind of drugs is he on” voice. Reading this record’s informational one-sheet, I saw that Goldthwait has put away the cocaine and has a kid now, which gave me horrible flashbacks of Chris Rock’s most recent comedy special. Yet, I persisted. Jokes include making fun of a guy in a wheelchair for dissing Biden; the intrinsic sadness of Mylar Spongebob balloons; and trusting the government for the first time ever, upon hearing last year’s announcement that UFOs are real. It’s OK for what it is, this LP; there wasn’t much that tickled me any harder than those Jimmy JJ Walker commercials on MeTV where he’s trying to scam old people out of their Medicare. B

Fights, Scampirock (Lie Laga Records)

OK, OK, I give up, the genre of “Scandirock” is happening, and, owing to its roots being, you know, rooted in the Hives’s approach to melodic hardcore, it’s protected from on high by the prince of melodical dumbness, in other words this is even harder to hate than Finnish folk-metal. We talked about the Oslo, Norway-based Scandirock band Dudes a couple of months ago, but this fivesome is a lot more raw, and definitely more unhinged. I mean, you have to put a listen to opening track “Good Morning Neil Armstrong” on your bucket list, as the riff is up there with the Yngwie Malmsteem hammer-on madness that shot Alcatrazz’ single “God Blessed Video” into the stratosphere in the ’80s. But wait, there’s more, the vocal is sung in a scratchy-throated math-metal style I wasn’t expecting; in fact it’s probably the coolest rock tune I’ve heard in years. Buy buy buy. A+

Playlist

• Here it comes, gang, it’s already May 5, and you know what that means! Well, nothing really, unless it’s your birthday month, because you won’t really have any reason to go to the beach until June, but we can work with what we’ve got I suppose.

Ed Sheeran, – (which will eventually become known as Subtract, but for now, let’s just all pretend that this neckbearded indie-pop fraud will be super-famous forever and currently isn’t so drunk with cred that he thinks he can get away with a dumb, unpronounceable album title every year without some permanently annoyed rock critic pointing out how dumb it is)! I’ve never been able to tell that dude from that ginger prince in Britain, whatever his name, but there is no escape this time, because if I’m ever going to get this column off to my editing queens I’m going to have to stop stalling and go listen to something from this idiotically titled album. OK! The single, “Eyes Closed,” is the sort of Weeknd/Bruno Mars-style confection you’d hear if you hung around in the electronics section of Target for too long; it uses a chicken-plucking guitar-or-whatnot in order to attract listeners who don’t really like music, and then it’s millennial whoop-ish oatmeal burnishing the slightest possible variation on the same junk you’ve been hearing on bubblegum-radio for how many years now? 70? Oh, what am I even doing, let’s move it along, I don’t know how people can listen to this stuff without going completely daft. Talk about Groundhog Day, OMG.

• Yes, yes, but hark, the really stupid album names continue this week, courtesy of the Jonas Brothers, whose new album is titled The Album, no, I’m serious. Hold it, one of those Jonases is married to a British princess if I’m not mistaken. No, Wikipedia says I got it wrong, he’s actually married to a Westeros princess, the girl who was on the HBO show about dragons where all the good guys met pointless, gratuitously disgusting comeuppances, the adult CGI cartoon that was based on those books by that dude with the really stupid bosun’s mate hat, or maybe it’s a cab driver’s hat, who knows or cares. You know, somewhere in these boxes I have a specially signed CD of the Jonases’ first album, back when their record company was trying to make sure every critic in the country was talking about them. I’ll have to remember to list it for sale on Amazon at some point as a super-collectible item or something, but anyway, let’s all just calm down and talk about this new stupidly titled album. Look how grown up those boys look, my stars, and how they look so haunted after all those years of being yelled at by record company lackeys when they just wanted to play Donkey Kong, tsk tsk. The opening song is called “Sucker” (I won’t say it) and OMG it’s like that Ed Sheeran song I just talked about except the beat is more bloopy, and whichever Jonas is singing like Bo Diddley meets Prince and it’s even more bubblegummy. Ha ha, all the YouTube comments are from bots, it’s so obvious.

• The Lemon Twigs are two singing brothers from Long Island and they have a rich mommy. Thus far they’ve sort of wavered between indie, emo and glam, which might be a good direction, depending on what the new single from their upcoming album, Everything Harmony, sounds like. Ack, gag me, it’s 1960s twee, like the Young Rascals, get this trash out of my face this instant.

• We’ll end this exercise with LA Priest, whom I’ve heard about before, but there’s no Wikipedia page for him, just one for his old band, Late of the Pier. Whatever, his new space-pop LP, Fase Luna, features the tune “It’s You,” Ack, gag me, it sounds like Beck trying to be Mungo Jerry, we’re done here.

If you’re in a local band, now’s a great time to let me know about your EP, your single, whatever’s on your mind. Let me know how you’re holding yourself together without being able to play shows or jam with your homies. Send a recipe for keema matar. Message me on Twitter (@esaeger) or Facebook (eric.saeger.9).

In the kitchen with Gerry Ferretti-Berrios

Gerry Ferretti-Berrios and her sister, Amberle Ferretti, are the owners of Chicken Lou’s Distribution (chickenlous.com, and on Facebook and Instagram @chickenlous), a purveyor of two cooking seasonings and three sauces — a signature honey mustard, a chipotle ranch dressing and a “Kickin’ Chicken” barbecue sauce — great for use as anything from dips and salad dressings to marinades, sandwich spreads and more. Chicken Lou’s was born in 1990 when Lou Ferretti — the sisters’ grandfather and the business’s namesake — opened a small restaurant on the campus of Northeastern University in Boston. For more than three decades the tiny 550-square-foot building was known for serving fresh sandwiches, wings, pizzas and other items to students and faculty. It closed in 2020 when the sisters’ father, Dave, announced his retirement. But Ferretti-Berrios, who grew up in Merrimack, wanted to continue the family’s legacy. Today, all of Chicken Lou’s products are packaged and delivered out of a warehouse in Amherst and are available at Locally Handmade, inside the Merrimack Premium Outlets, as well as online.

What is your must-have kitchen item?

I can’t live without a massive, heavy-duty cutting board. … A good cutting board is so critical, I think, for anything you’re doing in the kitchen.

What would you have for your last meal?

It’s definitely got to be a good veggie burger with really well-done crispy fries on the side. They’ve got to have salt on them and you’ve got to have a little honey mustard to dip, for that sweet and salty combo. … Then, my go-to indulgence is a warm chocolate chip cookie with vanilla ice cream on it.

What is your favorite local restaurant?

I’ve got to give it up to Pressed Cafe. … I just love the fact that they have something for everybody. I love their veggie ciabatta sandwich.

What celebrity would you like to see trying one of your products?

The Zumba instructor in me wants to say Daddy Yankee, but the New England girl in me is saying Bill Belichick. But with Bill trying it, there has to be a press conference review afterward, because I just think that would be hysterical!

What is your favorite product that you offer?

When we were a restaurant, I was Team Honey Mustard, and then we came out with the chipotle ranch, and now it’s a split between the two. … I love the honey mustard as a salad dressing, and then for the chipotle ranch, I love to dip cheese pizza in it. It’s life-changing.

What is the biggest food trend in New Hampshire right now?

Everybody is doing flights. … Flights of drinks and flights of desserts and flights of appetizers. I see all these posts from restaurants and food groups that I follow, and I just feel like everybody has jumped on the flight trend.

What is your favorite thing to make at home?

I’m a huge fan of just making snack plates for dinner. I’ll do some diced up cheeses, some hummus, olives, celery sticks [and] carrot sticks. Those are definitely my go-tos.

Southwest rice and bean casserole
From the kitchen of Gerry Ferretti-Berrios of Chicken Lou’s Distribution

4 cups cooked white rice (can be replacedwith quinoa, brown rice or other grain of preference)
1 package shredded cheddar cheese
2 cans black beans, drained
1 package taco seasoning
1 bottle Chicken Lou’s signature Chipotle Ranch dressing

Optional toppings:
Shredded cabbage
Shredded lettuce
Black olives
Sliced jalapenos
Diced tomatoes
Cotija cheese
Salsa
Diced red onions
Avocado slices

In a bowl, combine the rice, beans, taco seasoning, half the bag of shredded cheddar cheese and half the bottle of chipotle ranch dressing. Mix thoroughly until combined. Take the mixture and spread onto a 9-by-13-inch greased baking pan. Top with the remaining cheese. Bake in the oven, uncovered, at 350 degrees until it’s heated through and the temperature reaches 165 (approximately 30 minutes). Top with your favorite taco toppings.


Featured photo: Gerry Ferretti-Berrios, co-owner of Chicken Lou’s Distribution. Courtesy photo.

Taking the cake

Fleur Délices amateur baking competition returns

Amateur bakers will show off their cake decorating skills and compete for prizes during the second annual Franco Foods Fleur Délices challenge. Following a successful inaugural year in 2022, the friendly baking competition and fundraising event is due to return to Anheuser-Busch’s Biergarten in Merrimack on Saturday, May 13.

Challenge organizer and Québec native Nathalie Hirte is also the office manager of the Franco-American Centre, a Manchester-based nonprofit celebrating and promoting French culture and heritage in the Granite State. In early 2021 Hirte launched Franco Foods, a how-to YouTube series on French-inspired recipes that her son Oskar directs and produces.

Each of the entrants from last year’s competition chose from a list of nearly 90 International Francophonie-recognized countries and regions, or nations where French either is a primary or secondary language or has a historical connection to the culture. This year, Hirte said, the theme is French fairy tales. Contestants will be tasked with creating a cake that is decorated to represent the story of their chosen fairy tale in some way.

“Part of our mission is to introduce people to the French world and the many facets of it,” Hirte said, “and so I figured that this is a great way to have people learn different aspects of the French language through stories.”

Bakers have several well-known choices for their fairy tales — Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Little Red Riding Hood, Puss In Boots and Beauty and the Beast are all among those in the given list. Similar to last year, they will pre-bake their cakes and decorate them during the competition.

“The decoration of the cake should represent the fairy tale,” Hirte said. “The idea is that … you’re supposed to look at the cake and know that that’s the story.”

Each cake, Hirte said, must be a minimum of two tiers, one of which should be a sponge cake. Other requirements include a buttercream element and a 3D element, made of any edible material of the baker’s choice.

When the competition begins, single decorators will get one hour to create their cakes, while teams of two will get 45 minutes. Attendees are free to watch them in action, and tables of light appetizers and snacks will be served.

The judging panel will include Marie-Josée Duquette, of the Québec Government Office in Boston; and Sandra Martel, who was declared the winner of last year’s competition for her crème brûlée cheesecake and berry chantilly cake representing France. They’ll judge each cake based on criteria such as taste, texture, overall appearance, creativity and representation of their chosen French fairy tale.

Attendees can also vote for their own favorite cake based on appearance, and will receive at least two samples at the conclusion of the competition. The winner will be awarded bragging rights, an engraved cake platter and the opportunity to be a featured guest on an upcoming Franco Foods episode with Hirte.

“We received nothing but positive feedback from attendees who thought it was a fun event, and they all enjoyed their cake after,” Hirte said. “Last year we kind of had it at the early end of April … and so this year, being in May, I feel like there’s a pretty good chance people can mill around and enjoy the outdoors and whatnot.”

Second annual Fleur Délices Challenge
When: Saturday, May 13, 6 to 9 p.m.
Where: The Biergarten at Anheuser-Busch Brewery, 221 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack
Cost: $20 per person for Franco-American Centre members, $25 for non-members
Visit: facnh.com/fleur-delices-challenge

Featured photo: Last year’s baking challenge. Photo by Matt Ingersoll.

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