Tag: 260625

Before the selfie

Snapshots and Harleys at Currier’s Summer of Photography

Instagram didn’t invent self-curation, a point brought home by a pair of commingling exhibits currently at Manchester’s Currier Museum of Art. Long before “personal brand” was an everyday term, people arranged themselves for the lens, deciding which version got preserved. The platforms changed, but the impulse did not.

“Together, Apart, Away: Snapshots from the Peter J. Cohen Collection” offers the sorts of family photos never intended for public viewing. “The Bikeriders,” conversely, is Danny Lyon’s celebrated collection of documentary photographs, taken in the 1960s while he was an actual member of the Chicago Outlaws Motorcycle Club.

Initially the two were separate, until Currier Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art Anastasia Kinigopoulo decided to join the exhibits “in conversation.” With a history of showing his work in museums, Lyon’s photos are more artistic, but Kinigopoulo realized they had much in common with the snapshots in Cohen’s collection.

“One of the things that Danny Lyon pioneered was a style of photography that feels very personal; in some ways, he was taking cues from vernacular photographs,” she said by phone recently. Joining them made sense. “For a long time, they wouldn’t have been found in museums alongside each other, but that’s very much changing now.”

What sharpens the pairing is a constraint both bodies of work shared, but one nobody currently under 30 ever lived with — not knowing right away how a photo came out. Shoot 100 pictures, discard 99 and keep the perfect shot is today’s rule. With vernacular photos, however, the process was snap the shutter, then wait to see what developed.

For example, there’s a Lyon photo of a biker’s reflection caught in a rearview mirror. It’s a shot that couldn’t be restaged after the fact. This was the mid-1960s, and no biker in Hell would be expected to take direction from a photographer seeking the perfect pose. “Mr. Barger, could you move over just a skosh?” Not happening.

The snapshot collection’s timeline runs roughly from 1880 to 1980 — a century of ordinary people, none of them artists, working from the same instinct that fills social feeds today: photograph the picnic, the road trip, the friends piled into a human pyramid, or a dog stuck in the motorcycle sidecar as a joke.

The Cohen collection is grouped in thematic “frames” of photos, all arranged by Kinigopoulo. For one, she paired a wall of open-road imagery with vernacular motorcycle photos. The choice pushes back against the violence-filled mythology of motorcycle gangs by showing ordinary people on bikes.

“I love the juxtaposition of this cultural symbol that permeated families and people’s lives in very different ways besides just as a sort of focal point of this very intense subculture,” she said, describing a photo of a father giving his daughter a ride, women on motorcycles, and bikes as punchlines instead of threats.

For a glimpse of Instagram’s vanity roots, she grouped snapshots of people performing for the camera. “An entire wall of photos of individuals essentially strutting their stuff … posing and building an identity through photographs,” she said. “People have always done that … they’ve always put on a persona for the camera.”

Lyon was Hunter S. Thompson with a camera, defining the difference between a documentary photographer and a tourist with a press pass. Kinigopoulo pointed to a portrait of a biker’s wife, Kathy, caught directly and then twice more in a pair of mirrors, a triple-exposed glimpse few could have gotten that close to.

Something Kinigopoulo has enjoyed during the “Summer of Photography” exhibition, which opened in May and ends Aug. 16, is seeing visitors linger on an object’s relatability. A group visiting during Bike Week marveled at how Lyon’s work reminded them of rides they’d taken and bikers they knew.

To her delight, everyday people will often see themselves or a loved one in a century-old shot.

“One of the things I really love about vernacular photography is its amazing universality,” she said. “People … look at those images and say, ‘I keep expecting to see an image of my grandmother or my aunt, or, ‘my God, look at this person, it looks so much like someone that I’m related to.’ That’s one of the magical things about the show.”

Summer of Photography: “Danny Lyon: The Bikeriders” and “Together, Apart, Away: Snapshots from the Peter J. Cohen Collection”
When: Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., ending Aug. 16
Where: Currier Museum of Art, 150 Ash St., Manchester
Admission: $5 – $20, currier.org

Featured photo: Courtesy photo.

Summer of Music

Summer of Music

A look at the bands coming to big venues this concert season

There are two kinds of music fans in the world: those who’ve been fooled by Google when searching for concert tickets, and everyone who’s lying about being duped. The search engine’s algorithm groups third-party resellers at the top of search results, with at least one Page Down keystroke needed to get an official venue link.

Even then, there’s no guarantee of finding face value ducats. At BankNH Pavilion in Gilford, now a LiveNation property, “Verified Resale” tickets are built into the site, and for some summer shows, they’re the only seats available. Ticketmaster double dips — after collecting a face value service charge, it pockets a piece of every resale transaction.

An official site scalping its own tickets — what can a poor fan do? It’s the sort of thing that drives Scott Hayward, owner of Tupelo Music Hall, absolutely bonkers. He’s written many emails warning patrons of his Derry listening room about the dangers of going anywhere but tupelomusichall.com for tickets.

“Tupelo Music Hall does not release tickets to third-party ticketing vendors,” a note on the website reads, “and does not guarantee the validity or authenticity of any website, person, or business that claims to be selling tickets to our shows. In other words, if you are not buying your tickets directly from us, you could be purchasing tickets that are not valid.”

Despite such clear guidelines, fans still go to sketchy sites, then blame Tupelo when things go awry. Customers call to say tickets never arrived, only to learn a reference number was bogus and seats weren’t purchased from Tupelo. Fans fork over $100 for $30 seats and “get super pissed” when they realize the venue has nothing to do with the price they paid.

The core injury for an acoustically perfect paradise with the words “It’s All About the Music” written in giant letters above the snack bar is the idea of fans priced out of shows by performers they love, and those fans then blaming the venue for inflated costs it never set and doesn’t profit from.

Even someone as savvy as Hayward can fall for the Google ruse.

“We decided to go to a boat show in Rhode Island, and I almost bought tickets for three times the cost,” he said by phone recently. “I really thought I was on the event website, and I’m in the ticketing business! It’s really difficult sometimes.”

Accordingly, the following list of summer concerts is grouped by venue, and ticket buyers should always go to the website listed to begin the process. For Ticketmaster shows, options exist to filter out resale seats, but don’t be surprised if clicking on that box results in a blank page. Also, though infrequently, third-party seats are sometimes sold below face value.

With that in mind, enjoy the shows!

BankNH Pavilion

72 Meadowbrook Lane, Gilford, banknhpavilion.com

The former Meadowbrook is New Hampshire’s al fresco go-to venue for arena-sized acts. It’s now run by Live Nation, with food and merch sold in a carnival-themed midway, tailgate-ready parking lots, and plenty of rustic charm.

Hot Pick: Dierks Bentley, Thursday, July 9 – When he was starting out, Bentley opened for Brad Paisley at Meadowbrook. Now he’s atop the bill, joined by bluegrass legend Ricky Skaggs and newcomer Kaitlin Butts. The show spans country’s spectrum, from Skaggs’s well-honed mastery to the headliner’s road-tested arena sound and Butts’s emerging songwriting voice — a crowd-pleasing gathering that builds toward a rousing finish.

Upcoming Shows:

  • Hardy with Muscadine Bloodline – Thursday, June 25
  • TobyMac with Zach Williams – Saturday, June 27
  • Paul Simon – Tuesday, June 30
  • Lil Wayne with 2 Chainz – Friday, July 3
  • The Guess Who with Don Felder – Wednesday, July 8
  • Dierks Bentley with Ricky Skaggs & Kaitlin Butts – Thursday, July 9
  • Sarah McLachlan with Allison Russell – Sunday, July 12
  • Dave Matthews Band (also 7/15) – Tuesday, July 14
  • Motionless In White with Lorna Shore & Fit for a King – Thursday, July 16
  • Thomas Rhett with Kashus Culpepper – Friday, July 17
  • Bob Dylan – Saturday, July 18
  • Train with Barenaked Ladies & Matt Nathanson – Monday, July 20
  • “Weird Al” Yankovic with Puddles Pity Party – Wednesday, July 22
  • Mötley Crüe with Tesla & Extreme – Friday, July 24
  • Chicago with Styx – Saturday, July 25
  • Five Finger Death Punch with Cody Jinks – Tuesday, July 28
  • Ella Langley with Kameron Marlowe – Thursday, July 30
  • Hank Williams Jr. with Joe Nichols – Friday, July 31
  • Joe Bonamassa with Gov’t Mule – Saturday, Aug. 1
  • Jimmy Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band – Friday, Aug. 7
  • Koe Wetzel with Shane Smith and the Saints – Friday, Aug. 14
  • Mumford & Sons with Medium Build – Saturday, Aug. 15
  • Billy Idol – Tuesday, Aug. 18
  • The Fray with Dashboard Confessional & Colony House – Thursday, Aug. 20
  • Zach Top with Marcus King – Friday, Aug. 28
  • Parker McCollum with Vincent Mason – Friday, Sept. 4
  • ZZ Top with George Thorogood & The Destroyers – Saturday, Sept. 5
  • Tedeschi Trucks Band with Lukas Nelson – Sunday, Sept. 6

BNH Stage

16 S. Main St., Concord, ccanh.com

The sleek multipurpose listening room, part of Concord’s Capitol Center for the Arts, offers great sound to enjoy eclectic performers, local favorites, a wide array of tribute acts, and up and coming performers.

Hot Pick: Opiate: The Tool Tribute, Saturday, Aug. 8 – This Rhode Island-based tribute act is known for recreating Tool’s intricate, immersive sound and elaborate musicianship in faithful detail. Tool’s meticulous songscapes aren’t easy to replicate live, making this band a worthy stand-in for fans who’ve never caught the notoriously infrequent touring originals, with an intense show calibrated to match Tool’s hypnotic concerts.

Upcoming Shows:

  • Martin Toe, B. Snair & Vincent Tesoro, Marxo Phenix – Saturday, June 27
  • Stewart Copeland: Have I Said Too Much? – Saturday, July 11
  • April Cushman & Shelly Fairchild (Cantin Room) – Thursday, July 16
  • Kevin Horan and The Whole Loaf – Thursday, July 30
  • Opiate: The Tool Tribute – Saturday, Aug. 8
  • Dueling Pianos – Friday, Aug. 14
  • Slipbizkit: A Tribute to Nu Metal – Saturday, Aug. 15
  • The Hot Sardines – Thursday, Aug. 27
  • Tom DiMenna – Thursday, Sept. 10
  • Pete Yorn: 25th Anniversary of musicforthemorningafter – Saturday, Sept. 12
  • Also this summer, at Chubb Theatre 44 S. Main St., Concord, ccanh.com, catch Home Free on Sunday, Aug. 16

Casino Ballroom

169 Ocean Blvd., Hampton Beach, casinoballroom.com

Perched on Hampton Beach’s main drag, this spot pairs live music with an oceanfront atmosphere. Originally built in 1927, the historic 2,200-seat venue will be torn down and rebuilt after its centennial season next year.

Hot Pick: Badfish, Friday, July 3 – The regular Fourth of July weekend beach stop for this Sublime tribute act, which also has its own original music, with reggae-rock, ska-tinged energy evoking the Long Beach stalwarts. The band built a solid following faithfully recreating Sublime’s loose, sun-soaked sound, later branching out to its own songs. Their return has become one of the Ballroom’s most anticipated annual concerts.

Upcoming Shows:

  • Little River Band – Friday, June 26
  • Voyage – Celebrating the Music of Journey – Saturday, June 27
  • Badfish – A Tribute to Sublime – Friday, July 3
  • Stephen Marley – Friday, July 10
  • Gimme Gimme Disco – Saturday, July 11
  • The Elovaters with John Brown’s Body – Thursday, July 16
  • The Elovaters with Surfer Girl – Friday, July 17
  • Aaron Lewis & The Stateliners – Saturday, July 18
  • Kip Moore – Thursday, July 23
  • The Fab Four – Ultimate Beatles Tribute – Friday, July 24
  • Lauren Alaina – Sunday, July 26
  • Dave Matthews Tribute Band w/ Joshua Tree – Friday, July 31
  • 12/OC – Saturday, Aug. 1
  • Happy Together Tour – Sunday, Aug. 2
  • Brit Floyd (also 8/5) – Tuesday, Aug. 4
  • Pure Prairie League w/ Atlanta Rhythm Section, Orleans & Firefall – Thursday, Aug. 6
  • The String Cheese Incident (also 8/8) – Friday, Aug. 7
  • Brett Young – Sunday, Aug. 9
  • KC & The Sunshine Band – Thursday, Aug. 13
  • Carly Pearce – Friday, Aug. 14
  • Face 2 Face – Elton John/Billy Joel Tribute – Saturday, Aug. 15
  • Yacht Rock Revue (also 8/20) – Wednesday, Aug. 19
  • Get The Led Out – Friday, Aug. 21
  • Dirty Deeds AC/DC Experience – Saturday, Aug. 22
  • Air Supply – Wednesday, Aug. 26
  • Sevendust / Theory of a Deadman (Also 8/28) – Thursday, Aug. 27
  • Chris Janson – Saturday, Aug. 29
  • One Night of Queen – Sunday, Aug. 30

Colonial Theatre

609 Main St., Laconia, colonialtheatrelaconia.org

Built in 1914 and carefully restored to its original Venetian grandeur via a $14.4 million, five-year renovation effort completed in 2021, Laconia’s 761-seat Main Street jewel now welcomes a wide range of touring talent.

Hot Pick: Tab Benoit, Thursday, July 2 – Benoit brings his Soul of the Swamp tour to the Lakes Region with guests The Cold Stares. Benoit’s Louisiana roots fuel fiery, authentic guitar work steeped in bayou tradition, an emotionally direct style that’s earned him respect throughout the blues world. With the Cold Stares’ gritty, stripped-down sound, it will be a night of no-nonsense, deep and real blues-rock in a historic venue.

  • Tab Benoit Soul of the Swamp Tour w/ The Cold Stares – Thursday, July 2
  • So Good! The Neil Diamond Experience Starring Robert Neary – Sunday, July 12
  • JUMP – America’s Van Halen Tribute – Sunday, July 26
  • EagleMania – Eagles Tribute Band – Thursday, July 30
  • An Evening With Joanne Shaw Taylor – Sunday, Aug. 16
  • Boat House Row – Wednesday, Aug. 19
  • An Evening with Emerson, Lake & Palmer – Sunday, Sept. 13

The Flying Monkey

39 Main St., Plymouth flyingmonkeynh.com

A restored 1920s theater in the heart of downtown Plymouth since the Common Man family revived it in 2010, The Flying Monkey was recently donated to Pemi-Valley Habitat for Humanity. The new owners will continue hosting commercial acts as well as new community-focused events in the 450 seats space.

Hot Pick: YellowHouse Blues Band, Saturday, Aug. 15 – High-energy nine piece Seacoast band with a wide-ranging setlist spanning foundational blues artists like Howlin’ Wolf and Freddie King, Motown icons such as Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder, and modern acts including Tedeschi Trucks Band and Larkin Poe. Their LIVE from Jimmy’s! LP, recorded in Portsmouth, dropped last year. They’re also at Concord’s Market Days June 27.

Upcoming Shows:

  • The Wire Jays – Thursday, July 23
  • Classic Stones Live – Friday, July 24
  • CJ Solar & The Old Souls Featuring Rick Huckaby – Saturday, July 25
  • Blue Collar Men – The Music of Styx – Friday, July 31
  • Emanuel Casablanca with Special Guest Lee & Dr. G – Thursday, Aug. 06
  • The Music of the Beach Boys By Pet Sounds LIVE – Sunday, Aug. 9
  • YellowHouse Blues Band – Saturday, Aug. 15
  • RDMTION Roots. Rock. Reggae. – Thursday, Aug. 20
  • Ghosts of Jupiter & Caylin Costello Band – Friday, Aug. 28
  • The Weight Band Featuring Former Members of The Band & The Levon Helm Band – Saturday, Aug. 29
  • Skerryvore – Friday, Sept. 4
  • Chris Knight Featuring Chance Stanley – Saturday, Sept. 12
  • Draw the Line The Ultimate Aerosmith Tribute – Friday, Sept. 18

Jimmy’s Jazz & Blues Club

135 Congress St., Portsmouth jimmysoncongress.com

An upscale, supper-club-style space that began drawing world-class musical talent into its intimate listening room from the moment it opened in 2021. Van Morrison did two shows there, and Chris Botti headlines often. A restored 1905 YMCA building, it offers art, food and craft cocktails along with music.

Hot Pick: Marc Cohn & Shawn Colvin, Thursday, July 16 – Two acclaimed singer-songwriters share a stage for an evening billed as Together in Concert, a song swap built around decades of celebrated work. Cohn and Colvin share a lot of history, including Grammy-winning debut albums produced by John Leventhal. Each is known for performances that favor intimacy and narrative depth over spectacle.

Upcoming Shows:

  • Victor Wooten & The Wooten Brothers – Thursday, June 25
  • Eddie 9V – Friday, June 26
  • Ana Popovic – Sunday, June 28
  • Local Artist Series: Tim Theriault – Monday, June 29
  • Kamasi Washington – Tuesday, June 30
  • Eric Johanson – Thursday, July 2
  • Alex Minasian Trio – Friday, July 3
  • Billy Childs Trio – Sunday, July 5
  • Local Artist Series: Captain Fantastic – Monday, July 6
  • I Am In Love: Jane Monheit Sings Cole Porter – Wednesday, July 8
  • Yonder Mountain String Band – Thursday, July 9
  • An Evening With Alejandro Escovedo – Friday, July 10
  • Parker Barrow – Sunday, July 12
  • Local Artist Series: The Blues Express – Monday, July 13
  • Hejira: Celebrating Joni Mitchell – Wednesday, July 15
  • An Evening with Marc Cohn & Shawn Colvin: Together in Concert – Thursday, July 16
  • Masters of the Telecaster – Friday, July 17
  • Local Artist Series: Jen Kearney – Monday, July 20
  • Jimmy Carpenter – Wednesday, July 22
  • The Brothers Comatose – Thursday, July 23
  • A Band of Brothers – Friday, July 24
  • Gunhild Carling – Sunday, July 26
  • Mohini Dey – Saturday, Aug. 1
  • Grenadier & Kweku Sumbry – Sunday, Aug. 2
  • Charles Lloyd Sky Quartet: Jason Moran, Larry Grenadier & Kweku Sumbry – Sunday, Aug. 2
  • Local Artist Series: Mica’s Groove Train – Monday, Aug. 3
  • Chris Botti (also 8/7) – Thursday, Aug. 6
  • Larry McCray – Sunday, Aug. 9
  • Local Artist Series: Sharon Jones – Monday, Aug. 10
  • James Hunter Six – Tuesday, Aug. 11
  • Matteo Mancuso – Wednesday, Aug. 12
  • Jon Cleary & the Absolute Monster Gentlemen – Sunday, Aug. 16
  • Rick Estrin & the Nightcats – Friday, Aug. 21
  • Dream Horizon: Jeff Coffin, Nir Felder, James Genus – Sunday, Aug. 23
  • Thurston Howell – A Premier Yacht Rock Spectacular! – Wednesday, Aug. 26
  • Bria Skonberg – Thursday, Aug. 27
  • Mike Zito – Friday, Aug. 28
  • Benny Green – Sunday, Aug. 30
  • Local Artist Series: YellowHouse Blues Band – Monday, Aug. 31
  • Jackie Greene – Wednesday, Sept. 2

Music Hall

28 Chestnut St., Portsmouth themusichall.org

Portsmouth’s grand, beautifully preserved 1878 vaudeville theater is the Seacoast’s premier listening room for top-tier touring artists. In the 1990s it came close to demolition, but a community campaign saved it, and the 900-seat venue’s restoration helped cement Portsmouth as a cultural hub.

Hot Pick: Gillian Welch & David Rawlings, Thursday, July 23 – This acclaimed Americana duo brings spare, haunting harmonies and deep folk roots to this fine acoustic space. Few rooms suit their hushed, exacting sound better than the Music Hall’s wood and plaster; every note and vocal nuance carries cleanly. Welch and Rawlings have spent decades refining a stripped-down sound that rewards reverent attention.

Upcoming Shows:

  • Fitz and The Tantrums – Saturday, June 27
  • Béla Fleck with Edmar Castañeda & Antonio Sánchez – Sunday, June 28
  • OK Go – Friday, July 10
  • Alison Krauss & Union Station with Jerry Douglas – Sunday, July 12
  • John Waite – Friday, July 17
  • Gillian Welch & David Rawlings – Thursday, July 23
  • Mike Campbell & The Dirty Knobs – Friday, July 24
  • Cat Power – Sunday, July 26
  • Richard Marx – Wednesday, Aug. 5
  • I’m With Her – Friday, Aug. 14
  • Whole Lotta Heart (Music of Heart & Led Zeppelin) – Saturday, Aug. 15
  • Big Bad Voodoo Daddy – Sunday, Sept. 6
  • Here Come The Mummies – Friday, Sept. 18
  • Also this summer, the Music Hall Presents at Whittemore Center Arena (128 Main St., Durham, NH) will feature Men At Work w/ Toad The Wet Sprocket on Tuesday, July 28

Music Hall Lounge

131 Congress St., Portsmouth, themusichall.org

A cozy, club-style annex to its grander sibling and built for up-close, intimate shows. Accommodating up to 100 audience members, the former Music Hall Loft re-opened in 2022 after a complete renovation. It offers cabaret seating along with a big focus on emerging and niche performers.

Hot Pick: Haley Reinhart, Monday, Aug. 3 – The American Idol alum brings smoky, soulful vocals to a room where every seat feels close to the stage. Since her 2011 breakout, Reinhart has carved out a genre-spanning career rooted in jazz and blues influences, moving well beyond her beginnings. The room’s clubby footprint suits her sultry delivery perfectly, turning a stadium-scale voice into something intimate and immediate.

Upcoming Shows:

  • Peter Mulvey and Jenna Nicholls – Friday, June 26
  • KB Whirly – Sunday, June 28
  • Scott Kirby & Noah Robertson – Monday, June 29
  • Eric Hutchinson – Wednesday, July 15
  • Naturally 7 – Thursday, July 16
  • Dwayne Haggins – Saturday, July 18
  • Certainly So – Monday, July 20
  • Caroline Cotter – Friday, July 24
  • Maia Sharp – Saturday, Aug. 1
  • Haley Reinhart – Monday, Aug. 3
  • Mary Fahl (October Project) – Friday, Aug. 7
  • Tano Jones Revelry – Saturday, Aug. 15
  • Connor Garvey – Friday, Aug. 21
  • Tim Easton & Alice Peacock – Wednesday, Aug. 26
  • Aldous Collins Band – Saturday, Aug. 29
  • Brendan Cleary (also 9/11) – Thursday, Sept. 10

Nashua Center for the Arts

201 Main St., Nashua, nashuacenterforthearts.com

Continuing the success of midsized rooms like BNH Stage and the Rex, this downtown Nashua venue opened in 2023 and draws a broad mix of acclaimed touring musicians and tribute acts. Seating capacity is 750, with a standing room layout increasing that to 1,000. Their state-of-the-art sound is among the best in the region.

Hot Pick: Oteil & Friends, Friday, Aug. 7 – The longtime Allman Brothers Band and Dead & Company bassist is joined by a band that includes Melvin Seals, Steve Kimock, Jason Crosby, Johnny Kimock, Lamar Williams, Jr. and Tom Guarna. The rhythm king’s “& Friends” billing hints at loose, exploratory sets built around chemistry rather than a fixed setlist, so expect a lot of surprises.

Upcoming Shows:

  • So Good! The Neil Diamond Experience – Friday, July 10
  • The High Kings – Friday, July 11
  • Marc Cohn & Shawn Colvin: Together in Concert – Sunday, July 12
  • JUMP – America’s Van Halen Tribute – Thursday, July 23
  • EagleMania – Eagles Tribute – Friday, July 31
  • Oteil Burbridge & Friends – Friday, Aug 7
  • Noam Pikelny & Stuart Duncan – Sunday, Aug. 9
  • BoDeans w/s/g Ari Hest – Sunday, Aug 16
  • Tuba Skinny – Sunday, Aug 30
  • An Evening with Kenny G – Wednesday, Sep 16

Palace Theatre

80 Hanover St., Manchester, palacetheatre.org

Listed in the National Registry of Historic Places, this charming 111-year-old theater anchors Manchester’s arts district. Most of the summer events at the 834-seat venue are tribute acts, great for escaping to the classic rock era, locking in a beach vibe or finding a “Rocky Mountain High.”

Hot Pick: NH Irish Festival, Saturday, Aug. 22 – Now in its fourth year, this annual celebration fills the historic space with traditional music, dance and a festive tribute to Irish heritage. The 2026 lineup includes County Donegal, Ireland’s Screaming Orphans, The Spain Brothers (Liam Spain organizes the show), local treasures the Jordan Tirrell-Wysocki Trio, and Rory Makem of the storied Makem Brothers.

Upcoming Shows:

  • Tribute to Queen: Somebody to Love (also 6/28) – Saturday, June 27
  • Beatlemania Again: The Beatles Experience Live on Stage! – Saturday, July 11
  • Music of the Beach Boys – Saturday, Aug. 8
  • Changes in Latitudes (Jimmy Buffet tribute) – Saturday, Aug. 15
  • NH Irish Festival – Saturday, Aug. 22
  • Remembering John Denver feat. Ted Vigil – Thursday, Sept. 17

Prescott Park Arts Festival

105 Marcy St., Portsmouth, prescottpark.org

This community-supported summer series is held on a scenic waterfront location. There are no tickets, and anyone can walk in, though don’t be gauche — a $10 donation is recommended, and collected at the gate. BYO chair and a blanket; Adirondack chairs and VIP tables can also be rented.

Hot Pick: Patty Griffin & Kathleen Edwards, Monday, July 20 – These two acclaimed singer-songwriters co-headline, each bringing a catalog full of lyrical depth befitting the intimate, open-air feel. Griffin’s haunting, soul-inflected songcraft and Edwards’s wry, incisive storytelling make for a complementary double bill. With a Piscataqua River and lush garden backdrop, it promises to be a lovely night of outdoor listening.

Upcoming Shows:

  • An Evening of Beatles Music with The Walrus – Monday, June 29
  • The Dip with Tre. Charles – Wednesday, July 1
  • Infinity Song – Monday, July 6
  • Kashus Culpepper – Wednesday, July 15
  • Patty Griffin & Kathleen Edwards – Monday, July 20
  • Tiny Habits – Thursday, July 23
  • The Lone Bellow – Wednesday, July 29
  • Josh Ritter – Monday, Aug. 3
  • Devon Gilfillian – Wednesday, Aug. 5
  • Maggie Rose – Thursday, Aug. 6
  • Ryan Montbleau Band – Wednesday, Aug. 12
  • Allen Stone – Thursday, Aug. 13
  • Caiola – Saturday, Aug. 15
  • Madi Diaz – Wednesday, Aug. 19
  • Fantastic Cat – Friday, Aug. 21
  • Seacoast Jazz Festival – Saturday, Aug. 22
  • Langhorne Slim – Friday, Aug. 28
  • The Devil Makes Three – Saturday, Aug. 29

Rex Theatre

23 Amherst St., Manchester, palacetheatre.org

This 300-seat listening room began as a mid-1800s print shop, then a movie house, and later became a nightclub, then sat in disrepair until a grassroots effort led to a takeover by the Palace Theatre Trust, which revived and reopened it in 2019. It’s become an anchor to Manchester’s local arts scene.

Hot Pick: Traveling Wilburys Revue, Saturday, July 11 – This tribute act honors the Dylan, Harrison, Orbison, Petty and Lynne supergroup, who never toured, with conviction. Celebrating the loose, ego-free joie de vivre that made the musical Mount Rushmore seem disarming, they collaboratively capture the easy camaraderie that defined the band.’s two brilliant albums.

Upcoming Shows:

  • Traveller: A Chris Stapleton Tribute – Friday, June 26
  • Yacht Rock with a Twist (Scott Spradling Band) – Saturday, June 27
  • Traveling Wilburys Revue – Saturday, July 11
  • Whammer Jammer (J. Geils tribute) – Saturday, July 18
  • Roomful of Blues – Saturday, July 25
  • Silver Springs (Fleetwood Mac tribute) – Friday, July 31
  • Crossfire Hurricane (Stones tribute) – Saturday, Aug. 1
  • The Rush Experience – Saturday, Aug. 22
  • Evening With John Gorka – Saturday, Aug. 29
  • Seconds Out (Genesis Tribute) – Saturday, Sept. 19
  • Panorama (Cars Tribute) – Saturday, Sept. 26

Rochester Opera House

31 Wakefield St., Rochester, rochesteroperahouse.com

This lovely opera house has dodged a few bullets in its history, including almost becoming office space in the 1940s. Built in 1908 and restored in 1998 following a 24-year closure, it gives touring rock and pop acts an unusually ornate backdrop.

Hot Pick: Everclear, Sunday, July 26 – Enjoy the ’90s alt-rock staples “Santa Monica” and “Wonderful,” along with newer songs like “Sing Away,” which addresses the issue of teenage bullying. With frontman Art Alexakis the band’s sole constant, Everclear continues touring strong, despite Alexakis being diagnosed with MS a few years ago. Its setlist is built around radio favorites that fans still know by heart.

Upcoming Shows:

  • Are You Ready For It? A Taylor Experience – Friday, June 26
  • Last Child NYC – A Tribute to the Music of Aerosmith – Saturday, June 27
  • Everclear – Sunday, July 26
  • Seven Wonders – Fleetwood Mac Tribute – Thursday, July 30
  • Kanin Wren’s Pop Girl Summer Tour – Friday, Aug. 7
  • Pet Sounds LIVE! – Friday, Aug. 14
  • Noise Pollution – The AC/DC Experience – Friday, Aug. 21
  • Hey Nineteen – A Tribute to Steely Dan – Friday, Aug. 28
  • Whitesnake Experience w/ ZeppHalen – Tuesday, Sept. 1
  • Reverend Horton Heat w/ Messer Chups – Monday, Sept. 7

The Range

96 Old Turnpike Road, Mason, therangemason.com

A family business that ventured into live music with a one-off Roots of Creation show in 2011, this Mason driving range has grown into a much beloved outdoor venue. It offers an eclectic mix of jam-band and roots music, cool tribute acts and regional favorites in a relaxed, communal setting.

Hot Pick: Leftover Salmon and Toubab Krewe, Saturday, July 11 – Rootsy jamming and an instrumental “sonic Pangaea” combine for this double bill. Leftover Salmon pioneered “slamgrass,” fusing traditional bluegrass, rock, country and zydeco, while Toubab Krewe layers in kora, djembe and other African instruments. The two promise genuinely unpredictable, boundary-crossing sets.

Upcoming Shows:

  • G. Love & Special Sauce w/ Moon Taxi & Donavon Frankenreiter – Friday, June 26
  • The Breakers – Tom Petty Tribute – Saturday, June 27
  • Brother Seamus 3rd of July Picnic – Friday, July 3
  • Leftover Salmon with Toubab Krewe – Saturday, July 11
  • Hearts & Bones – Paul Simon Tribute – Saturday, July 18
  • Granite Lion Presents Algorhythm – Friday, July 24
  • Range Full of Blues feat. Jeff Pitchell and the Texas Flood – Saturday, July 25
  • Almost Queen + Elton vs. Billy – Friday, Aug. 7
  • Max Creek – Saturday, Aug. 8
  • The Wallflowers (30th Anniversary Tour) – Friday, Aug. 14
  • The Mountain Grass Unit – Saturday, Aug. 15
  • Parmalee – Saturday, Aug. 29
  • The Machine (Pink Floyd Tribute) – Friday, Sept. 18
  • Town Meeting – Saturday, Sept. 19

SNHU Arena

555 Elm St., Manchester, snhuarena.com

Manchester’s arena will have one concert this summer: Shinedown with Coheed & Cambria and From Ashes to New on Monday, July 20.

Tupelo Music Hall

10 A St., Derry, tupelomusichall.com

Named after Elvis’s birthplace, the region’s gold standard for listening rooms has a strict no-talking policy to focus the concert experience. Originally opened in 2004 in a repurposed Londonderry farmhouse with seating for 200, it moved to Derry in 2017 and more than tripled in capacity.

Hot Pick: Spyro Gyra, Thursday, Aug. 13 – Jazz fusion leaders marking five decades of smooth, genre-crossing instrumentals. Formed in the late 1970s, the band built a devoted following on melodic, accessible compositions bridging jazz, funk, and pop without sacrificing musicianship. The band’s classic tracks include “Summer Strut,” a perfect August banger.

Upcoming Shows:

  • Dio Rules – Tribute to Rainbow, Black Sabbath, and Dio – Friday, July 10
  • Beginnings (Chicago tribute) – Saturday, July 11
  • Howie Day – Thursday, July 16
  • Metal Church – Friday, July 17
  • YellowHouse Blues Band – Saturday, July 18
  • Direct From Sweden (ABBA tribute) also 7/22 – Tuesday, July 21
  • Dwight + Nicole and Friends Celebrate Our Musical Kings & Queens – Friday, July 24
  • Harvest & Rust (Neil Young Tribute) – Saturday, July 25
  • Dokken – Sunday, July 26
  • The Broken Hearts – Friday, July 31
  • Sister Hazel – Wednesday, Aug. 5
  • Stanley Jordan plays Jimi – Friday, Aug. 7
  • Vandenberg “My Whitesnake Years” w/ co-headliners Marco Mendoza & Vinnie Moore – Saturday, Aug. 8
  • Cherry Cherry (Neil Diamond tribute) – Sunday, Aug. 9
  • Spyro Gyra 50th Anniversary Tour – Thursday, Aug. 13
  • Bostyx – Saturday, Aug. 15
  • Revisiting Creedence – Friday, Aug. 21
  • Ugly Kid Joe – Saturday, Aug. 22
  • Collective Soul – Tuesday, Aug. 25
  • Start Making Sense (Talking Heads tribute) – Friday, Aug. 28
  • John Violinist – Saturday, Aug. 29
  • An Evening with Emerson, Lake & Palmer – Thursday, Sept. 10
  • Matthew & Gunnar Nelson – Thursday, Sept. 17
  • Hammerfall w/ Evergrey and Elvenking – Friday, Sept. 18

Tupelo is all about the music

Scott Hayward talks about upcoming shows

Tupelo Music Hall owner Scott Hayward says this summer’s lineup is one of the strongest he can remember, even as the venue’s schedule of roughly 150 to 160 shows a year leans more into tribute acts than in the past.

“Definitely a part of the game nowadays,” Hayward said. “If you want a full schedule, you have to do tributes.”

Among his personal favorites this July are Beginnings, a Chicago tribute Hayward praises for its horn section, and ABBA Direct from Sweden, which performs at Tupelo twice a year. On the original side, he’s looking forward to two hard rock acts, Metal Church and Dokken.

The latter is part of a broader push into heavier music for an audience that Hayward believes craves the energy but not the chaos.

“A lot of it is of an era where people our age are like, ‘Oh, I kind of want to go see them, I want to get up and down a little bit, but I don’t want to have to deal with crowd surfing,’” he noted.

Other summer highlights include Stanley Jordan’s tribute to Jimi Hendrix, the return of jazz veterans Spyro Gyra for their 50th anniversary tour, and Revisiting Creedence, a quasi-tribute act that includes the original CCR rhythm section, drummer Doug “Cosmo” Clifford and bass player Stu Cook.

Sister Hazel and a nearly sold-out Collective Soul round out the season’s bigger draws. In September, Tupelo will host a just booked triple bill with 1980s rockers The Fixx, Colin Blunstone of the Zombies and the Peter Asher Band. Hayward says the bill surprised him. “When the agent first presented that to me, I was kind of like, are you trolling me?” he recalled.

Not everything is nostalgia-driven. Dwight and Nicole, a local soul and R&B act with a stack of regional award wins, are performing a show celebrating the artists who’ve inspired them.

“These guys are real musicians. They’ve got good vocals,” Hayward said. “It’s nice to have regional people in the room once in a while.”

Asked how the season compares to past years, Hayward said Tupelo’s numbers are holding strong relative to the rest of the industry.

“I think our shows are really good, and I think our schedule’s strong,” he said, crediting affordable pricing and a loyal, older crowd for keeping seats filled even as national ticket sales soften.

Changes coming

Casino Ballroom nears centennial eyeing rebirth

Two months into his new role as marketing and sales director at Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom, Freddy Schaake is juggling a packed summer concert calendar with the weight of a century of family history, as well as a redevelopment plan that will ultimately reshape the venue entirely.

Schaake succeeded longtime director Andrew Herrick after his 22-year tenure ended. In a recent phone interview, he said the season’s lineup speaks for itself. There are two nights with The Elovators in July (one already a sellout), a Yacht Rock celebration, reggae legacy act Stephen Marley, and a heavy August bill pairing Sevendust with Theory of a Deadman.

But the bigger story is what comes after the venue celebrates its centennial next year.

The Casino Ballroom is a family business. Schaake’s grandfather worked there in the 1930s and ’40s, followed by his father and aunt. But the wooden structure is coming down, to be replaced by a 4,000-person-capacity performance space — more than doubling the existing room — and extending operations year-round.

“It’s really cool to see how much the business has sustained success over the years,” Schaake marveled, calling his recent elevation in the family business “kind of a full circle moment.”

The redevelopment timeline is fluid, though published reports have pointed to a start date when the 2027 season ends.

“We have a great team that is going to make this project the best it possibly can be,” Schaake said. “With this scope and size, it could be at the end of 2027 … we don’t really know yet.”

He’s also hesitant to predict exactly how a larger venue might change the talent the Ballroom attracts, citing his short time in the role. However, year-round programming is a clear priority. Schaake pointed to a November Mitchell Tenpenny show that sold out six months in advance as proof that a bigger, longer season could open doors for many acts.

Schaake admits the old building’s quirks — the floor rumbling underfoot as a metal band plays, or side doors thrown open to let in ocean air on a sweaty summer night — are part of what makes the place special.

“There’s something about a live show when it’s 80 degrees in July and there’s no AC,” he said. “That really encapsulates some of the best nights at the Casino.”

When the wrecking ball eventually comes, he expects to feel “bittersweet” but optimistic about changes that will improve nightmarish beach parking, add new apartment housing and open up possibilities for new retail businesses and dining.

“I also think,” he said finally, “that the future is bright, too.”

Featured photo: YellowHouse Blues Band, which you can catch this weekend at Market Days in Concord on Saturday, June 27, on the main stage from 6 to 8 p.m. Courtesy photo by Chris Cote Photography.

This Week 26/06/25

Friday, June 26

School of Rock, a teen Actorsingers production of the stage musical featuring a score by Andrew Lloyd Webber, will take place tonight, and Saturday, June 27, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, June 28, at 2 p.m. at the Janice B. Streeter Theater, 14 Court St. in Nashua, according to actorsingers.org, where you can purchase tickets. “Based on the hit Jack Black film, this crowd pleaser follows slacker musician Dewey Finn as he bluffs his way into a prestigious prep school and transforms a class of straight A students into a mind-blowing rock band. With heart, humor and powerful anthems, it is a feel-good story about finding your voice and chasing your dreams,” the website said.

Friday, June 26

It’s the “Rolling Together Revue” tonight at The Range in Mason featuring Donavon Frankenreiter, G. Love and Moon Taxi, according to therangemason.com, where you can purchase tickets. The show starts at 6 p.m., gates open at 5 p.m. Find more concerts this weekend and beyond in the cover story (which starts on page 8) and most weeks in our Concert listings in the Nite section.

Saturday, June 27

The New England Sea Glass and Craft Festival takes place today and tomorrow, June 28, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Whittemore Center at UNH in Durham, featuring more than 100 exhibitors, specialty foods and more, according to facebook.com/GNECraftArtisanShows, where you can find links to advance tickets.

Saturday, June 27

1776 The Musical In Concert, presented by the Powerhouse Theatre Collaborative and the Lakes Region Symphony Orchestra, will be on stage at the Colonial Theatre, 609 Main St. in Laconia, today with shows at 2 and 7 p.m., according to powerhousenh.org, where you can purchase tickets.

Saturday, June 27

Heritage in Bloom: A Garden Tour held by the Garden Club of Deerfield will take place today from 3 to 7 p.m. and feature “a self-guided tour through the gardens of historic homes and properties throughout Deerfield. Guests will have the opportunity to explore beautifully maintained landscapes rooted in the town’s rich agricultural and cultural history while enjoying the magic of a New England summer evening during the golden hour. More than a traditional garden tour, Heritage in Bloom offers a thoughtfully curated experience where music, art, and nature come together. Throughout the gardens, visitors will discover local musicians, artists, and special touches …,” according to a club press release. See givebutter.com/heritage-in-bloom for tickets.

Saturday, June 27

Catch comedian Lenny Clarke tonight at 8 p.m. at the Tupelo Music Hall in Derry. See tupelomusichall.com for tickets. Find more laughs this weekend and beyond in the Comedy This Week listings on page 23.

Sunday, June 28

The next New England Reptile Expo runs today from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester Downtown, 700 Elm St. in Manchester, featuring more than 200 vendor tables, according to reptileexpo.com.

Save the Date! Sunday, June 28
2026 Creative Guts Short Film Festival will take place at Red River Theatres in Concord on Thursday, July 30, at 6 p.m., according to redrivertheatres.org, where you can purchase tickets now. “For the third year, Creative Guts Short Film Festival presents short films by independent filmmakers from New Hampshire and beyond. This 3-hour festival will feature various films and creatives of all backgrounds. The spirit of this festival is to celebrate the creativity, voice, and collaboration of filmmakers. All films will be open captioned,” according to the website.

Featured image: School of Rock. Courtesy photo.

USA rolls in World Cup

The Big Story: Golf’s U.S. Open is always a huge story, especially when it’s played at Long Island’s famed Shinnecock Hills.

But USA’s surprisingly quick advance to the World Cup knockout round tops that. They got there with impressive wins over Paraguay (4-1) and Australia (2-0), whose shocking 2-0 win over Turkey earlier opened the door to Round 2 for the U.S.

Sports 101: Which NBA team has had the most first overall picks in the draft with six? And how many of them can you name?

News Item – U.S. Open: Wyndham Clark became the ninth wire-to-wire winner of the Open Sunday at Shinnecock Hills. But, despite setting a 36-hole low score record, it wasn’t easy, as he let all but one stroke of his six-shot lead to start Sunday get away before claiming his second Open title.

News Item – Red Sox Update: They start the week 14.5 back, last in the AL East at 31-43 and six behind for the last Wild Card spot.

News Item – World Cup Notables:

Paraguay somehow beat Turkey 1-0 despite playing the entire second half with 10 guys because a player got ejected for some rule that doesn’t let you cover your mouth and yell at an opponent. What’s next — tell their mommies after yellow cards?

Tough run for Germany beating (7-1) a Caribbean country no one ever heard of besides maybe Club Med staffers, and Ivory Coast, who hasn’t been in the World Cup since 2014.

Draw your own conclusions whether it’s good or bad that 15 of the first 27 World Cup games have ended with 0-0, 1-0 and 1-1 scores.

The Numbers:

33 – million viewers tuned in to watch Game 5 to be the largest numbers of viewers for an NBA Finals game since 1998 during the Michael Jordan era.

47 – record number of times Milwaukee hurler Jacob Misiorowski hit 101-plus on the gun in Friday’s 3-2 loss to Atlanta.

10,000 – incredible number of police officers deployed to work crowd control for the Knicks victory parade in NYC.

… Of the Week Awards

Thumbs Up – JayWright:When you get it right you get it Wright. Hats off to ex-Villanova head coach for the recruiting judgment to first put the three Nova Knicks, Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges, together to become the first college trio to play together on NCAA and NBA championship teams. With the kicker being historically ending New York’s 53-year title drought.

Numbers Don’t Lie Award: Boy, that Raffy Devers was a real game-changer in SF. We just passed the one-year anniversary of SF getting him in the controversial trade. Contrary to all the yacking here about how great he was, the G-Men were 63-91 with him on the anniversary date

Alumni News – Braden Montgomery: If you’re interested, the Red Sox’ switch-hitting 2024 first-round pick, who went to the White Sox in the Garrett Crochet deal, just got called up to the big club. His combined 2026 numbers in 73 AA/AAA games before the promotion projected over a full season to 30 homers, 123 RBI, .315.

Sports 101 Answer: Cleveland – Austin Carr, Brad Daugherty, Lebron James, Kyrie Irving, Anthony Mitchell and Andrew Wiggins.

Final Thought – Pre-Draft NBA Rumors and Other Stories:

I’m filing this on Monday morning before the draft.

The Celtics have the 27th and 40th picks, so real immediate help is likely not coming there.

The Jaylen Brown and Giannis Antetokounmpo trade rumors are still swirling. Though I’m betting Brown isn’t traded there. Two interesting names bandied about in Celtics trade rumors are New Orleans wing Trey Murphy and T-Wolves back-up center Naz Reid.

Speaking of dumb. After looking stupid all through the last two playoffs for letting Finals MVP Brunson walk for less money than it cost to re-sign Irving instead, now word is Irving is on the block after not even playing a full season there to go young. Minnesota is rumored as the next team dumb enough to bring him there to mess up their team.

Earth to NBA media — Golden State is not only done, but they have been since 2023. You’re doing what the golf media does making a big deal any time Tiger enters a major when it’s been 15 years since he was Tiger! It’s over for GS’s admirable four-championship run just as it is for Tiger.

If he wants to win, the best place for Giannas is San Antonio to lead that young, talented but too small team and mentor Wemby, who needs it. It’s also great for Milwaukee because they have much available young talent and nine first-round picks or pick swaps available through 2030 to rebuild around. Except GA supposedly wants to live in Miami, whose offer is awful.

A Celtics trade I’d prefer is Brown to Houston for wing Amen Thompson and big Jabari Smith. And if Brad Stevens can somehow get a first-round pick thrown in, I’ll take that too.

Email Dave Long at dlong@hippopress.com.

Quality of Life 26/06/25

Bird feeders are more tempting than pic-a-nic baskets

As reported by WMUR in a June 21 online article, this is the time of year — late June and early June — when you are most likely to have a close encounter of the bear kind, especially among chicken-owners. In a related June 17 press release from NH Fish and Game, wildlife biologist Dan Bailey pointed out that many New Hampshire homeowners accidentally entice bears onto their property. “Despite the current abundance of natural foods,” Bailey wrote, bird feeders “represent highly tempting food to bears. Black oil sunflower seeds are higher in fat and protein than any other food a bear can find in the wild.”

QOL score: -1 for the people, the bears and the chickens involved

Comment: Experts recommend protecting poultry from bears with electric fencing. “Biologists from Fish and Game and U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services loan out over 100 electric fences each summer to protect poultry from bear damage,” the Fish and Game press release read. “The other purpose of this loan program is to demonstrate the effectiveness of the equipment to help convince poultry owners to make this investment for themselves. Shooting bears and other wildlife that are attracted to chickens is a cyclical approach rather than a long-term solution.”

The strawberries are dry

WMUR reported in a June 22 online article that the state’s ongoing drought is affecting this season’s strawberry crop. “Despite recent rain, some farmers in the Granite State are struggling with their strawberry crops this year,” the article read. One farmer was said to have reported that “the combination of dry soil and hot days is making things tough. To deal with the challenges, the farm says they are increasing their prices and relying more on their irrigation system.”

QOL score: -1

Comment: According to the National Integrated Drought Information System (drought.gov/states/new-hampshire), almost a million New Hampshire residents currently live in an area of drought.

Pollen, achoo

A June 16 online article from NHPR reports that despite thick layers of yellow pollen covering cars and outdoor furniture, this year’s pollen count is about the same as it was last year. NHPR quoted An Huynh, an allergist and clinical immunologist at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, who said that while total pollen levels are not much higher in recent years, some people with allergies are being exposed to pollen from trees and grass simultaneously. “Right now some people are just getting it much worse than other times of the year or their previous years.”

QOL score: -1

Comment: The NHPR article read, “Overall, Huynh says, pollen counts have been increasing over the last two decades by about 20 to 25 percent.” Visit dartmouth-health.org/articles/pollen-really-worse-year

QOL score last week: 48

Net change: -3

QOL this week: 45

What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire?

Let us know at news@hippopress.com.

News & Notes 26/06/25

Manchester Pride Festival

The Manchester Pride Festival & Parade will take place Saturday, June 27, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Veterans Memorial Park in downtown Manchester, according to manchestertrue.org. The parade will kick off the day at 11:15 a.m. starting at Bridge Street and heading down Elm Street to Veterans Park, the website said. There, the day will include live performances, food, local vendors and community organizations and more from noon to 5 p.m., according to the website, where you can see a map and a schedule of performers. See the Manchester True Collaborate website for details on other Pride events happening this week such as Queer Field Day in Livingston Park on Friday, June 26, from 4 to 7 p.m. and Manchester True’s Official Pride After Party on Saturday at Jewel Night Club (see the website for information on ticket tiers and after party entertainment).

Manchester’s Final Fridays

The first of Manchester’s “Final Friday” community block parties taking place monthly through October will come to Hanover Street between Chestnut and Elm streets on Friday, June 26, from 4 to 8 p.m., according to the event’s Instagram page. “We’re turning the last Friday of every month into a celebration of local art, music, food, makers, businesses, and community right here in downtown Manchester,” the post said. “The dates for Final Friday are scheduled for June 26th, July 31st, August 28th, September 25th, and October 30th,” according to the MEDO Minute, the newsletter for the Manchester Economic Development office.

Find Waldo

Wonderland Toys and Books in Manchester and 25 businesses in Manchester, Bedford and Hooksett are participating in the nationwide “Find Waldo Local” game held by Candlewick Press and the American Booksellers Association in July, according to a press release from Wonderland. “Families love joining the scavenger hunt to find the iconic children’s book character, with his red-and-white-striped shirt and black glasses, hidden in … local businesses and museums,” the release said. Pick up a “‘Find Waldo Local in the greater Manchester area’ stamp card at any of the participating stores. With each miniature Waldo they spot, searchers get their card stamped or signed by the participating shop. Eagle-eyed hunters can also look for Wizard Whitebeard hidden in Wonderland Books and Toys. Participants who collect store stamps or signatures at 10 businesses can return it to Wonderland Books and Toys for a Where’s Waldo? poster (limited to the first 125 seekers) and a $1 off coupon for a Where’s Waldo? book. Collecting 20 or more businesses will earn an entry into a grand prize drawing for Waldo books and other prizes from participating businesses and all hunters are welcome to attend the celebration party and prize drawing at Wonderland Books and Toys on Sunday, Aug. 2, at 2 p.m.” the release said. See wonderlandbooksandtoys.com/waldo2026.

There will be a public reading of Frederick Douglass’s speech “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” at the Warner Town Hall, 5 E. Main St. in Warner, on Saturday, June 27, at noon, according to a press release, which said this free event is sponsored by the Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire in collaboration with the Warner Historical Society.

Concord painter Pamela R. Tarbell will hold an open studio/gallery on Saturday, June 27, and Sunday, June 28, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 236 Hopkinton Road in Concord, according to her newsletter. See pamtarbell.com.

NH Roller Derby plays a doubleheader on Saturday, June 27, with games at 4 and 6 p.m. at JFK Memorial Coliseum, 303 Beech St. in Manchester, according to a post on the team’s Facebook page. Tickets to this Pride-themed night will be sold at the door (doors open at 3:30 p.m.) and are $15 with discounts for veterans with military ID and New Hampshire Roller Derby veterans; kids under 12 get in free, the post said.

Local authors celebrate Manchester’s 180th anniversary on Saturday, June 27, noon-4 p.m. at Barnes & Noble in Manchester (1741 S. Willow St., bn.com). Attending authors will include Robert B. Perreault, author of Franco-American Life & Culture in Manchester, NH, the recent novel Courtship in Purgatory and other titles; Gary Samson, author of Manchester: The Mills and the Immigrant Experience; Yvette Lazdowski, co-author of Manchester’s Shoe Industry, and Kelly Kilcrease, author of Boston’s Long Wharf: A Path to the Sea.

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