UPCOMING EVENTS
Celia Woodsmith + Jason Anick Trio
Singer-songwriter Celia Woodsmith and violin virtuoso Jason Anick front this special supergroup with bassist Zachariah Hickman. They will perform an array of roots-inspired originals, country classics, western swing, and bluegrass music. These globe-trotting musicians have crossed paths at festivals all over the world with their respective projects (Della Mae, Rhythm Future Quartet, Barnstar!) and are excited to share the stage for this special collaboration.
Celia Woodsmith is a GRAMMY-nominated performer, vocalist, and songwriter. The daughter of the Vermont-based poet Sybil Smith, she is influenced by artists such as John Prine, Janis Joplin, and Mahalia Jackson. Woodsmith’s performances can be described as “one of a kind: gritty, muscular, folksy and intimate sometimes all at once” (Bluegrass Situation). Not confined by genre she is as comfortable playing Bill Monroe as she is singing an old jazz standard or a Led Zeppelin rocker. Woodsmith recently
spoke about her experiences with travel and music at TEDx Piscataqua River in Portsmouth, NH.
Berklee College of Music Professor Jason Anick, has earned a reputation among string players as an imaginative improviser, versatile composer, and insightful educator. As a band-leader, Anick has launched a variety of musical projects over the years, including the Gypsy Jazz group Rhythm Future Quartet, an Americana-inspired Acoustic Trio, and a contemporary jazz ensemble with pianist Jason Yeager. A versatile musician and sought after side-man, Anick has also shared the stage with an array of artists like Stevie Wonder, Tommy Emmanuel, Hamilton de Holanda, The Jim Kweskin Jug Band, John Sebastian, Delta Rae, and Ward Hayden and the Outliers. With performances all over the world and renowned venues like TD Garden, NPR, and The Late Night Show, Jason has proven himself to be a leader in the ever-growing contemporary string world.
$20 advance | $25 day-of | $12 student
*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)
Primo Cubano
THIS IS A DANCE PARTY!
Primo Cubano plays traditional Cuban dance music dating back to the turn of the 20th century. SON is the most popular style to come out of Cuba and is the primary contributor to the blend of Latin styles today known as SALSA. It was first a music of the country people and eventually migrated to Havana, where it was urbanized and began to draw wider audiences.
After 16 years of learning and performing the national music of Cuba, Primo Cubano was invited to perform at the 2024 Havana Jazz Festival! They performed two shows at the festival and then invited to sit in at various bars and clubs throughout city. To their surprise, many Cuban musicians and people from the audience told them that Primo Cubano is the first band they have ever seen from the USA to come to Cuba and perform their music. Needless to say, it was an incredible honor for the band to be validated after all these years.
Paul D’Alessio: Tres Cubano (a traditional, cuban, guitar-like instrument)
Marc Chillemi: Trumpet, Percussion, BG Vox
Lenny Hatch: Congas, Bongos, Percussion
Ryan Hergenhan: Timbales
Duane Edwards: Upright Bass
Primo Cubano interprets the classic Son Cubano with affinity, appreciation and inspiration bringing this vibrant music to life for audiences in Maine and beyond.
As the Soneros of Cuba say; “Pa’ Goza!”
$17 advance | $22 day-of | $10 student
*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)
FAR OUT: Life On & After the Commune (Film Screening)
Far Out traces the evolution of our little communal family from its urban origins in a left wing faction fight at Liberation News Service (LNS) through years of subsistence, back-to-the-land farming, to the re-awakening of our political and social activism through such things as community theatre and anti-nuclear organizing. Our story includes a dramatic act of home town civil disobedience, the building of a national movement, five nights of sold out anti-nuclear concerts at Madison Square Garden with the likes of Jackson Browne, Bruce Springsteen, Bonnie Raitt, Crosby, Stills and Nash and many others as well as a 250,000 person rally.
Far Out paints an intimate portrait of how this group of artists and activists dealt with the pressing issues of the day–gay and women's rights, sexual freedom, nuclear power, raising children, the role of the family–to the realities of life, relationships and money in an anarchic communal setting. It’s been a long, strange trip as the Grateful Dead put it and I’m glad that I was able to come along for the ride. And to document it.
A panel with film maker Charles Light and Verandah Porche to intro the film and do a Q@A after the showing.
$18 advance | $22 day-of | $12 student
*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)
Kotoko Brass
THIS IS A DANCE PARTY!
Inspired by the traditional drum rhythms of Ghana, Kotoko Brass has created a unique, joyful, and improvisational style of West African dance music described by the BostonGlobe as “propulsive, infectious party music”. The drums provide the heart and soul of Kotoko Brass — merging syncopated African percussion polyrhythms with hard-hitting dance grooves on the drum set. The horns blend traditional sounds of New Orleans with the famous West African brass band sound heard from Ghana to Nigeria, and the guitar, keys, and bass evoke classic African and Caribbean styles of highlife, afro beat, and reggae.
A celebratory and energetic synthesis of music, people, and cultures fromaround the world, Kotoko Brass features musicians from Ghana, Antigua, Japan, and the United States playing together in unity. Kotoko Brass has shared the stage with An-gelique Kidjo, Red Baraat, Femi Kuti, the California Honeydrops, Vieux Farka Toure, In-nov Gnawa, Take 6, the Boston Pops, Rubblebucket, and more.
Attah Poku (percussion) was born and raised in Ghana inside the walls of the Asante King’s palace, and grew up to be a lead drummer in the king’s drum ensemble.
Michael Ofori (percussion) is a multifaceted performing artist from Ghana — his creative interests lie in African performing arts traditions including drumming, acting, and directing.
Ben Paulding (drum set) is an American percussionist who extensively lived and trainedin Kumasi, Ghana, and now directs the Fafali Ghanaian drum and dance ensemble atBrandeis University.
Brian Paulding (trombone) has traveled the world playing pop, soul, reggae, and calypso music in Turkey, Tunisia, Georgia, Germany, Trinidad, Canada, and across the United States.
Dillon Zahner (guitar) specializes in African guitar styles from across the continent, playing music from Mozambique, Senegal, and Mali in bands such as Kina Zore, M’Bolo, and Samba Lolo.
Yusaku Yoshimura (keys) is an internationally touring pianist who has performed and recorded with Earl Chinna Smith and shared stages with Patti LaBelle, Ledisi, and Lalah Hathaway.
M’Talewa Thomas (bass) came to the U.S. in the 90s from his home country of Antigua after touring the Caribbean for many years with leading calypso act Short Shirt.
Andy Bergman (sax) is a versatile andeclectic global musician who has toured the world performing with bands such as Iyeo-ka Okoawo, Guy Mendilow, and the Macrotones.
$17 advance | $22 day-of | $10 student
*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)
Annie & the Fur Trappers - Swing Dance!
SWING DANCE w/Annie & the Fur Trappers THIS EVENT IS STANDING ROOM ONLY!
Annie and the Fur Trappers are a Boston based traditional jazz and blues band which formed in 2016. Originally founded in St. Louis, Missouri, the band currently includes clarinet, trumpet, trombone, bass, banjo, guitar, washboard, and violin. Annie and the Fur Trappers is dedicated to performing and preserving the music of the 1920s and 30s today. The band plays traditional jazz, delta blues, ragtime, and swing music. Their version of "Delta Bound" was selected to be displayed at the Mississippi Arts and Entertainment Experience in Meridian, Mississippi. Annie and the Fur Trapper's original song "You Break It, you Buy It" was selected for the St. Louis Blues Society's 17 in 17 compilation album.
Annie and the Fur Trappers have performed at a variety of music festivals including the Big Muddy Blues Festival, The Whitaker Jazz festival The Apple Butter Festival, Cherokee Street Jazz Fest, HONK!TX, Musikfest, The Cherokee Street Jazz Crawl, and The Rosebud Cafe Music Festival, to name a few.
The band released their second studio album, Muskrat Ramble, on vinyl in 2019. The album was recorded, mixed, and mastered by Paul Niehaus IV at Blue Lotus Studios. The album includes a number of blues, traditional jazz, and swing favorites, and won an award as “Best Self-Produced Album” by the St. Louis Blues Society. The vinyl was pressed by Standard Vinyl. The band, relocating to the Boston area in 2020 during the global pandemic, the band has been working on recording a new album at PBS studios in Massachusetts.
$17 advance | $22 day-of
*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)
Clara Rose & Raphaella Hero
Clara Rose and Raphaella Hero
Clara and Raphaella blend two unique voices into an inseparable whole in their revealing delivery of original music, traditional folk melodies, and improvisation. Their music represents a way of being together with presence, patience, compassion, embodiment, playfulness, and curiosity—elements that are central to the spirit of improvisation which characterizes their musical partnership. With every performance, they offer an invitation to simply be, holding space for healing not only in contemplation but in celebration. To put down what you carry, enter the present moment, and open yourself to joy in the safe embrace of acoustic sound, creative mastery, and grace.
Embarking on their second tour as a duo, Clara and Raphealla will bring their music to new and old friends around New England, their goal to share brightness and warmth in community through the winter months.
learn more: https://www.heromusic.org/clara-and-raphaella
$17 advance | $22 day-of | $10 student
*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)
Sharon Jones: Remembering Sarah Vaughn
Sharon Jones is a legendary performer and native of Portsmouth, NH, where she shines as an original stand-out of the Seacoast music scene, with engagements throughout New England, in Boston and in New York.
An entertainer in the classical sense of the word, Sharon's versatility allows her to communicate with audiences in any setting. Her two- and three-piece ensembles will complement a social experience with intimate jazz music. With her band, Sharon gives a riff-driven high-energy R&B and Blues performance that gets the crowds dancing. Her passion for performance radiates, and her expressiveness embraces her audiences. Ending Sharon's concerts is a challenge as the audience begs for more!
"We love backing up Sharon. She's a star. She's a treasure. It's amazing to me that someone with her talent is still on the Seacoast," says Ken Ormes of The Downtown Express - the band that often accompanies Sharon. There is mutual delight for Sharon and her longtime followers when she performs for NH Seacoast audiences.
$17 advance | $22 day-of
*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)
Jon Nolan + Good Co. w/ Kate Redgate
Jon Nolan lives in the milltown of Newmarket, NH, where summers are a brief reprieve from months of cold and snow. There are two muddy weeks the locals call “spring.” Autumn is nice. Crisp air makes the coffee even better. Still a frontman of New England alt-country champs Say ZuZu (Strolling Bones/New West), Nolan explores the dreamier, pop-infused parts of his Americana sensibility in his solo material with his band Good Company. Friends Geoff Taylor (bass), Zach Tremblay (guitar) and Rick Habib (drums) accidentally formed Good Co. behind a new batch of Nolan songs in a barn in the summer of 2022. Roland Nicol (pedal steel) was kidnapped and added to the lineup the following year to round out the sound. The new Jon Nolan & Good Co. album (Nolan’s third) is due in early 2024.
WHO IS KATE REDGATE? JUST A GIRL, A GUITAR, and a lifetime of stories put into song. Kate Redgate’s music is a mixture of rock and roll, folk, roots-rock and country. The result of a high school dropout using time well spent absorbing her early influences: the ones she heard as a kid on the loudspeakers at the Illinois Boots and Saddle Club, the ones she saved money and hitched rides to buy recordings of at the local record store, and the ones she waited to hear on the radio, cassette recorder button ready, so she could rewind and playback songs over and over learning chords and writing down lyrics. The Stones and the Grateful Dead, X and the Replacements, Pretenders and Joni Mitchell, Steve Earle and Emmylou Harris… You get the drift.
“For anyone who has been thinking “these tracks, they’ve been getting a bit introspective and delicately beautiful lately” then we hear you and we’re here to address the situation. We’re starting the week with a real belter of a rocking Americana tune. We wouldn’t be the first to suggest that there’s a bit of Lucinda Williams to be found in the music of Kate Redgate, who’s publicity suggests that she is a heart-worn sleeve storyteller, alt-country, rebel rouser, musician, artist, and creative force. Listen to ‘Light Under The Door‘ and you’ll surely find yourself saying “yes, yes, yes, yes, yes and…yes to the whole list.”
— JONATHAN AIRD, AMERICANA UK
$20 advance | $25 day-of | $12 student
*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)
Lena Jonsson Trio
Lena Jonsson Trio
The multi award winning Lena Jonsson Trio continues to break new grounds around the world with their unique mix of deeply rooted Swedish folk, jazz, American old-time and electro
acoustic sounds.
Lena Jonsson’s ability to balance this with innovative artistic sensibilities, sparkling joy of life and a charisma of a rock-star have made her one Scandinavia’s most visionary musicians. Together with guitarist Erik Ronström and bassist Krydda Sundström they create a virtuosic yet playful trio. In April 2023, the trio won Artist of the year at the Swedish Folk awards. Their album ”Stories from the Outside” won both a Swedish Grammis and the Manifest prize in 2021 and Album of the year by LIRA Music Magazine and song of the year by Swedish radio. They released their third album ”Elements” in June 2023.
"If you are already a fan of Lena Jonsson, you will be expecting an exciting mix of contemporary and traditional fiddle, American oldtime and Swedish dance music, folk rock and rockabilly funk: so this album won’t hold many surprises. If you are new to Jonsson’s music, welcome to a world of fine fiddling from both sides of the Atlantic."
— FolkWorld #65
$25 advance | $32 day-of | $15 students
*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)
The Hodes w/ Kent Allyn
The Hodes “Fam” is a collaboration featuring Kittery Pointers Peggo and Paul Hodes, their daughter Ariana and Kent Allyn, the musical wunderkind of the seacoast. As a trio, Peggo and Paul have been performing, recording multiple albums and sharing beach bonfires at Seapoint Beach with Kent for years. Following an award-winning run of albums for children and families as Peggosus, they teamed up to record a series of acoustic oriented albums, “Patchwork Quilt, A celebration of The American Spirit”, which earned them a trip to perform at the White House, “Summer Nights” and the classic Holiday album, “Winter’s Light”. They released Peggo’s solo Jazz record, “In Love” on Parma’s Big Round Records imprint.
Their performances are always light-hearted and heartfelt featuring original folk songs, Americana, and classics. They’re joined once again by singer-songwriter Ariana Hodes. Ariana tore up the indie country charts a while back and writes really catchy songs about love and love lost. Her latest EP as “Ariana Hodes and The Longest Year” is on its way to cyber space. This annual “Valentine’s Day” show of love songs at The Dance Hall, has become a tradition to lift your spirits and make your heart sing in the depths of winter.
$15 advance | $18 day-of | $10 student
*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)
Glen David Andrews - Mardi Gras Party
Glen David Andrews is a native son and treasured vocalist and trombonist that hails from the historic Treme neighborhood of New Orleans. His commanding voice, fierce trombone sound and electric stage presence create a musical experience that never fails to meet the moment. His musical career transcends genres and boundaries, combining New Orleans jazz, funk, gospel and rock, fusing it all into captivating and soul stirring performances that have explosive energy and a feel good attitude that is infectious.
GDA has collaborated with countless musicians and bands including Galactic, Trombone Shorty, Rebirth Brass Band, Allen Toussaint, Tuba Fats, Amos Lee, Delfayo Marsalis, Ivan Neville and many more.
Recently, GDA has earned prestigious recognition and began making headliner status at the New Orleans Jazz Festival and has made notable appearances at The Chicago Roots and Blues Festival, Lincoln Center, Tipitinas, The NYC Blue Note, The Dakota Club, World Cafe, and The Kennedy Center. He has also released several albums that showcase his versatility as a musician and his natural talent to blend different styles seamlessly.
Glen David Andrews possesses an unwavering dedication to his roots and culture. He is an iconic musical trailblazer who continues to make a lasting impression on the music industry.
$20 advance | $25 day-of
*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)
The Mountain
Local old-time and folk outfit The Mountain is Phil Boyd (banjo, mandolin), Colin Vandenbergh (mandolin, fiddle), Chris D'Amore (bass, guitar) and Joe Kenneally (guitar, banjo, fiddle).
At a Mountain show, you can expect rippin' old-time pickin', luscious harmonies, and beautiful dynamics. These four have been spending a little too much time over the past few years in Joe's barn playing music and the are thrilled to be bringing the results to The Dance Hall!
$17 advance | $22 day-of
*fees not included
David Surette Mandolin Fest
Join us for the David Surette Mandolin Festival kick-off concert! Featuring performances by Carlo Aonzo, Sharon Gilchrist, Neil Pearlman, Will Patton, and special guest Susie Burke. Don't miss this stellar lineup of musicians who, between them, cover many musical styles. All well versed in tradition, these talented players also bring tradition into new places.
As some of you know, Carlo Aonzo experienced last minute visa problems which kept him from joining us from his home in Italy for the 2024 festival. We are so happy to tell you that Carlo will be joining us in 2025!
Carlo's illustrious career began with learning from his father in his native Savona. He is now is a world-renowned player and teacher of traditional Italian classical mandolin repertoire, but his interests and skills span across many genres. Carlo’s deep interest in outreach activities focused on his instrument is witnessed by his countless collaborations with mandolin orchestras and chamber orchestras around the world, as well as collaborations with a great number of fellow musicians including Beppe Gambetta and David Grisman. He is also regularly invited to judge mandolin contests, give lectures, and teach workshops in many countries. In the last few years he has toured Japan, USA, Panama, Australia, India, Switzerland, France, Norway and Germany. He has been awarded both the first prize at the Concorso Internazionale “Pitzianti” in Venice, and first prize at the Walnut Valley National Mandolin Contest in Winfield, Kansas! In 2006 he founded the International Italian Mandolin Accademia in Genoa Nervi, where David Surette taught in both 2018 and 2019.
We are pleased to welcome into our mando family Nashville mandolin player Sharon Gilchrist! Our festival founder David had hoped to hire Sharon for a number of years, and we're thrilled that our schedules have finally meshed.
Sharon Gilchrist began touring the national bluegrass circuit in her home state of Texas before earning a BA in Mandolin Performance at Belmont University in Nashville, TN. For two decades, Sharon has performed with many of the groundbreaking legends in bluegrass and new acoustic music including The Peter Rowan and Tony Rice Quartet, Scott Nygaard and John Reischman in The Harmonic Tone Revealers, Darol Anger, Tony Trischka, The CA Bluegrass Reunion Band, Laurie Lewis and the Right Hands, Uncle Earl and many others. She is also a respected and influential music educator offering private mandolin instruction, online mandolin courses at http://www.pegheadnation.com, and teaching at music camps internationally. In 2024, Sharon joined the John Hartford Fiddle Tune Project as a featured artist and co-producer on their Vol 2. album, which will be released in early 2025. Sharon currently lives in Nashville, Tennessee.
Last year, with just days before the festival, Maine's Neil Pearlman filled in for Carlo with fabulous mandolin and piano playing. We asked him to come back for 2025 and are glad he said yes!
Multi-instrumentalist, producer, step dancer and host of the TradCafe podcast, Neil Pearlman is a vital and distinctive voice in contemporary folk music. While he is best known for his groundbreaking approach to the piano in Celtic music, Neil is also a fantastic mandolinist, as anyone who attended the 2024 mandolin festival can attest. Neil's playing is continually evolving and spontaneous without losing its roots in the traditional piano styles of Atlantic Canada, New England and Scotland. He has appeared internationally at major festivals such as the Newport Folk Festival, Celtic Connections in Glasgow, Celtic Colours in Cape Breton and the Orkney Folk Festival and has recorded or performed with luminaries of traditional folk music including Natalie MacMaster, Darol Anger, Seamus Egan and Alasdair Fraser. Neil plays with the wonderful Maine-based quartet the Pine Tree Flyers, in addition to his solo work and other collaborations. His medley of Scottish tunes was a memorable concert moment in 2024.
And last but not least, it will be great to welcome back after a long absence our Vermont friend, Will Patton. Will has taught at the mandolin festival several times over the years, always to rave reviews.
Will plays everything from Brazilian choro music to bluegrass to the Beatles. He has been playing music since the age of 6, starting on piano and taking up guitar at age 12. Mandolin and bass soon followed, and he’s been leading bands since he was thirteen. He studied at Middlebury College in Vermont and discovered a deep connection with the rural landscape there, but his travels have taken him to Rio, Paris and the Caribbean as well as all over the U.S. and Canada. During the last twenty years he has been visiting and playing in Paris, and has been recording and collaborating with legendary manouche guitarist Ninine Garcia. He also has a passion for Brazilian music, exploring the music known as choro with his band Estrela do Norte, and in the last 5 years he has been performing with the Vermont Mandolin Trio featuring Matt Flinner and Jamie Masefield.
Susie Burke played, toured and recorded with her husband David Surette for nearly 35 years. David always had Susie back him up and sing a few songs at Mando fest, and Susie is happy to be carrying on the festival with her daughters and CCMS. She will be joined in the concert by her and David’s daughter, singer Julianna Burke.
This event sold out early last year, so don't wait to buy your tickets!
$25 advance | $28 day of | $15 student
*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)
Rachel Sumner + Traveling Light
Lennon Award-winning singer-songwriter Rachel Sumner is now touring to promote her sophomore album, Heartless Things, a captivating collection of ten original songs. Sumner unveils the next single, "Katie," offering listeners a glimpse into the rich storytelling, whimsically lush instrumentation, and thematic ties that define the album. “In each song there's some aspect of heartlessness and selfishness that threads everything together. ‘Katie’ is the thematic antidote of the album,” Sumner says. “It’s a love song for roommates or friends - dear ones that fall into despair - with the needed reminder that despite the hard times, there may be ‘fields full of flowers’ just around the bend.”
Heartless Things marks a significant evolution in Sumner's studio sound, stepping out from the acoustic string band framework of her 2022 debut album Rachel Sumner & Traveling Light. The new record blends elements of chamber-folk and indie-pop with Sumner’s love of Appalachian balladry and bluesy hooks, resulting in an immersive setting that highlights the top-notch narrative writing we’ve come to expect. Sumner continues to push the boundaries of folk music while staying true to her own unique artistic vision.
Sumner is no stranger to the stage. She spent her early career on the bluegrass circuit, singing and writing with the genre-bending Boston group Twisted Pine. Since setting out on her own, Sumner's songs have been critically acclaimed, winning the Lennon Award in the folk category of the 2021 John Lennon Songwriting Contest for her song "Radium Girls (Curie Eleison);" earning her a spot in the Kerrville New Folk Competition; and being chosen three consecutive years by WBUR/NPR as one of the top Massachusetts entries in the Tiny Desk Competition.
https://rachelsumnermusic.com/
$17 advance | $22 day-of
*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)
Randy Armstrong & Worldbeat Marimba
Randy Armstrong & WorldBeat Marimba perform South African, Zimbabwe and Popular Songs on handmade South African Marimbas, Trinidad/Tobago Steel Pans, World Percussion and Vocals. Their exciting collaborative concerts include performances with the Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra Holiday Pops! and with choruses Voices from the Heart, Ben Baldwin and the Stairwells, Songweavers, and the WorldBeat Marimba Singers. When listening and experiencing this upbeat and vibrant music, you will want to get up to dance and sing! It is a celebration of life and the art of unified ensemble playing. Weekly Classes and Rehearsals Available. The only South African Marimbas made in Cape Town in New Hampshire USA!
“Music is a great blessing. It has the power to elevate and liberate us. It sets people free to dream. It can unite us to sing with one voice.” — Nelson Mandela
THE STORY: Marimba bands can be heard and experienced throughout South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Southern Africa. Even in the United States you can find Marimba bands—from the Pacific Northwest to New England—inspired by many African musicians who have taught the tradition and instruments at universities and cultural institutions in the U.S. for decades.
Randy has been a performer, teacher and student of the balafon which is the West Africa marimba/xylophone style instrument similar to the South African marimbas for over four decades. While on tour in South Africa as an accompanist for the women’s chorus, Voices From The Heart in the summer of 2018, Randy experienced the dynamic and joyous music of Marimba Bands at concert halls, churches, schools and street performances.
At a concert Voices From The Heart performed with the Archbisop Desmond Tutu and his family in attendance, a young group of talented and energetic South African Marimba players performed traditional songs and pop tunes that had the entire audience singing and dancing together. Even Papa Tutu got up to dance to the song, PATA PATA made famous by South African singer, Miriam Makeba and played brilliantly by the Marimba Band.
At that moment, Randy was inspired to commission a set of South African Marimbas handcrafted by ethnomusicologist, Gavin Coppenhall—African Ethos Instruments in Cape Town. The Marimbas arrived at the Port of New York on Christmas Eve, December 24, 2018 and the journey began. For Information and Recordings see HERE.
$25 advance | $30 day-of
*fees not included
Hildaland // Elsie & Ethan
Hildaland
Orkney (Scotland) born fiddler Louise Bichan and Indiana (USA) mandolinist Ethan Setiawan present a collaboration and meeting of their musical worlds. A path steeped in the fiddle traditions of their respective sides of the Atlantic, the journey taken wends through Scottish, oldtime, and Swedish inspired music intertwined with contemporary compositions. Bichan’s fiddle is a melodic foil to Setiawan’s counterpoint and harmonic depth, and the two weave in and out seamlessly.
Elsie & Ethan
Elsie Gawler and Ethan Tischler deliver original and traditional songs and tunes that come straight from the heart. These New England based songsters, on fiddle, guitar, vocals, cello, and banjo, bring together their unique musical backgrounds to create rich original sounds that weave together musical worlds of past, present, and a hopeful future. Elsie and Ethan have each shared their music and spirits with audiences across New England and beyond while maintaining a deeply rooted connection to the thriving Vermont and Maine based folk music communities from which they’ve emerged.
$20 advance | $25 day-of | $12 student
*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)
Billy Wylder
“A sense of mystery and majesty.” –No Depression
From the front-lines at Standing Rock to the archaic streets of Jerusalem, the Sahel Desert to Carnegie Hall, music has been the source of strength for Billy Wylder. The band features Avi Salloway (Bombino/Hey Mama) joined by an inspired cast of singular artists who have performed across six continents including concerts at Coachella, Newport Folk Festival, New Orleans Jazz Fest, Montreal Jazz Fest, Carnegie Hall, and Lincoln Center.
Billy Wylder released their seminal third album, Trying to Get Free (Sand & Gold Records), on August 25, 2023. The music weaves together American folk and rock with sensibilities from the Sahara Desert, exploring new musical space akin to Devendra Banhart, Beck, and Tinariwen. Billy Wylder’s new recordings evoke musical evolutions built on grooves informed by ancient African rhythms, art-rock textures, expansive guitars, violins, synths, and drum machines. Salloway’s lyrics flow with inspiration from mythical songwriting hero Leonard Cohen, while threading together more abstract imagery reminiscent of Thom Yorke.
Billy Wylder has performed and collaborated with renowned artists including Jack Johnson, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Bombino, The Low Anthem, and Pete Seeger.
“Art rock band Billy Wylder carry the torch of the niche dug out by Talking Heads and their groundbreaking album "Remain in Light." -WBUR
$17 advance | $22 day-of
*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)
Little Wings
THIS EVENT IS RESCHEDULED FROM 10/6/2024
Little Wings
Kyle Field is a visual artist and the songwriter behind the 25-years-running group Little Wings. Over the course of more than a dozen albums, he has written a classic cannon of songs that continues to gain listenership to this day. Working without the help of powerful record companies, the songs have earned their place viscerally, person by person, creating a cherished and loyal following around the world. Little Wings continues to release records at an incredible clip and shows no signs of slowing, the songs keep growing. His latest and greatest High on the Glade was recorded with legendary producer Kramer. It’s due out June 7th on Perpetual Doom.
October’s Yankee Charms IV is Little Wings’ fourth tour with the New England rhythm section of bassist Nat Baldwin and drummer Peter McLaughlin.
"...Kyle Field, the Golden State’s mercurial troubadour, is back with a vengeance—songs of vaudeville and villainy, renewal and rebirth."
-Perpetual Doom
$17 advance | $22 day-of
*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)
An Irish Christmas with John Doyle and Mick McAuley
John Doyle & Mick McAuley have been playing music together on the international stage for over twenty years. As multi-instrumentalist members of Irish-American supergroup Solas, they combined to create part of the group’s unmistakeable early sound which garnered critical worldwide acclaim with the Boston Herald heralding Solas as “The Best Traditional Band in the World”.
Over the last several years, Doyle and McAuley have toured extensively as a duet all over Europe and the U.S. and have recently recorded and released a new and exciting album of original and traditional songs and tunes which range from explosive instrumental sets to heart-rending and beautiful ballads.
Individually, they have played and recorded with some of the most respected musical artists in the world and are, themselves, among the most highly regarded musicians in the Irish folk world.
$25 advance | $32 day-of | $20 student
*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)
Jason Anderson + Friends: Home for the Holidays (A Benefit for Cross Roads House)
Award-winning indie/folk artist Jason Anderson returns to his native New England for a very special night at The Dance Hall. Jason will be joined by a band of northeast all-stars for a joyful set of soulful covers, wintry originals, and a handful of holiday classics.
The best part is that this show is a benefit for Cross Roads House. For over 40 years, CRH has offered shelter, respect, and collaborative solutions to unhoused individuals in the seacoast community.
So let’s pack the place for a good cause. And don’t forget your dancing shoes.
$10 advance | $15 day-of
*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)
PMAC Folk Show
Join PMAC for the Fall 2024 Folk Show featuring four acoustic adult ensembles: Bluegrass Ensemble, Noon Tunes, Band of Hope, and the Ukulele Ensemble. The Bluegrass Ensemble, Noon Tunes, and Ukulele Ensemble are under the direction of Steve Roy, and Band of Hope is directed by Jason Crigler.
About PMAC:
Portsmouth Music and Arts Center (PMAC) is a 501c3 nonprofit community music and arts school serving the Seacoast. PMAC’s mission is to build community through the arts by providing all people with the opportunity to achieve their full creative potential, regardless of their age, ability, or economic status. We accomplish this through high quality music and visual arts education programs and by creating ensemble, performance, and exhibition opportunities for students, professionals, and audiences. Learn more at www.pmaconline.org.
$10 General Admission
*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)
It's A Wonderful Life: Live Radio Play
One More Thing Productions has been performing radio plays in the Seacoast area for over 7 years. We have produced versions of A Christmas Carol, The Shop Around The Corner, the Great Gatsby, It’s A Wonderful Life and many others.
This live 1940s radio broadcast is an adaptation by Tony Palermo of the beloved American holiday classic It’s a Wonderful Life by Frank Capra. Come join us for a beautiful retelling of a holiday classic, including live sound effects, as our ensemble cast brings to life the story of idealistic George Bailey, who spent his entire life giving up his dreams for the good of his town.
Featuring the voice talents of Local theatre stars including Don LaDuke, John Seymour, Kevin Murphy, Greg DeZarn-Ohare, Gilda Pronych, John Bolduc and many more. Directed by Richard Gouin.
General admission $17 advance | $22 day-of | $10 student
(children 12 and under are free!)
*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)
It's A Wonderful Life: Live Radio Play
One More Thing Productions has been performing radio plays in the Seacoast area for over 7 years. We have produced versions of A Christmas Carol, The Shop Around The Corner, the Great Gatsby, It’s A Wonderful Life and many others.
This live 1940s radio broadcast is an adaptation by Tony Palermo of the beloved American holiday classic It’s a Wonderful Life by Frank Capra. Come join us for a beautiful retelling of a holiday classic, including live sound effects, as our ensemble cast brings to life the story of idealistic George Bailey, who spent his entire life giving up his dreams for the good of his town.
Featuring the voice talents of Local theatre stars including Don LaDuke, John Seymour, Kevin Murphy, Greg DeZarn-Ohare, Gilda Pronych, John Bolduc and many more. Directed by Richard Gouin.
General admission $17 advance | $22 day-of | $10 student
(children 12 and under are free!)
*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)
PMAC Teen Rock, Blues, and Jazz Show
PMAC Teen Rock, Blues, and Jazz Show
Get ready for an awesome afternoon of music at PMAC’s Fall 2024 Teen Rock, Blues, and Jazz Show! Talented teen musicians bring their unique sound to the stage -- from powerful rock anthems to soulful blues and captivating jazz.
This concert showcases seven different PMAC teen ensembles:
Monday 6pm Teen Rock
Monday 7pm Teen Rock
Rock 101
Friday 6pm Teen Rock
Wednesday Teen Jazz
Saturday Blues Band
Saturday Teen Jazz
About PMAC:
Portsmouth Music and Arts Center (PMAC) is a 501c3 nonprofit community music and arts school serving the Seacoast. PMAC’s mission is to build community through the arts by providing all people with the opportunity to achieve their full creative potential, regardless of their age, ability, or economic status. We accomplish this through high quality music and visual arts education programs and by creating ensemble, performance, and exhibition opportunities for students, professionals, and audiences. Learn more at www.pmaconline.org.
$10 General Admission
*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)
Toy Drive + Hardcore for Dover Fire Toy Bank
A collaboration w/ Breakaway Cafe feat. Gumskab, Zinc and Headcase + TBA
The storage for the Dover Fire Dept. Toy Bank flooded and lost all the toys. Bring an unwrapped toy for children or teens so we can help our community re-establish this important resource.
Great music. Great Cause.
$15 + Toy required for entry
The Bang Group's "Nut/Cracked"
It’s The Nutcracker, but definitely not as we know it. The Bang Group has taken every little girls favorite Christmas show and torn it limb from limb. Mixing Tchaikovsky’s original score with music by Duke Ellington, Glenn Miller and others, the company turns the sugar coated ballet into a percussive piece of dance theatre. Expect tap dancing, singing and some unusual pointe shoe activity. Nothing is sacred as Nut/Cracked twists and melds various dance traditions into an ode to American eclecticism which honors the power of the human urge to dance while riding Tchaikovsky’s voluptuous waves of rhythm.
David Parker’s Bang Group first brought the house down with their performance of Nut/Cracked at The Dance Hall in 2016. This hilarious rendition of the storied holiday production is performed to perfection by a company of exquisitely trained artists.
The Bang Group, a rhythm based, theatrical dance company based in New York City, tours extensively throughout the U.S. and Europe.
$25 advance | $30 day-of | Student $15
*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)
The Bang Group's "Nut/Cracked"
It’s The Nutcracker, but definitely not as we know it. The Bang Group has taken every little girls favorite Christmas show and torn it limb from limb. Mixing Tchaikovsky’s original score with music by Duke Ellington, Glenn Miller and others, the company turns the sugar coated ballet into a percussive piece of dance theatre. Expect tap dancing, singing and some unusual pointe shoe activity. Nothing is sacred as Nut/Cracked twists and melds various dance traditions into an ode to American eclecticism which honors the power of the human urge to dance while riding Tchaikovsky’s voluptuous waves of rhythm.
David Parker’s Bang Group first brought the house down with their performance of Nut/Cracked at The Dance Hall in 2016. This hilarious rendition of the storied holiday production is performed to perfection by a company of exquisitely trained artists.
The Bang Group, a rhythm based, theatrical dance company based in New York City, tours extensively throughout the U.S. and Europe.
$25 advance | $30 day-of | Student $15
*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)
The Bang Group's "Nut/Cracked"
It’s The Nutcracker, but definitely not as we know it. The Bang Group has taken every little girls favorite Christmas show and torn it limb from limb. Mixing Tchaikovsky’s original score with music by Duke Ellington, Glenn Miller and others, the company turns the sugar coated ballet into a percussive piece of dance theatre. Expect tap dancing, singing and some unusual pointe shoe activity. Nothing is sacred as Nut/Cracked twists and melds various dance traditions into an ode to American eclecticism which honors the power of the human urge to dance while riding Tchaikovsky’s voluptuous waves of rhythm.
David Parker’s Bang Group first brought the house down with their performance of Nut/Cracked at The Dance Hall in 2016. This hilarious rendition of the storied holiday production is performed to perfection by a company of exquisitely trained artists.
The Bang Group, a rhythm based, theatrical dance company based in New York City, tours extensively throughout the U.S. and Europe.
$25 advance | $30 day-of | Student $15
*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)
Messiah Sing
Ring in the holiday season and join us with your own voice as Portsmouth Pro Musica Director, Priscilla French, leads you through Part One of Handel’s Messiah plus Hallelujah Chorus, accompanied by professional soloists and instrumentalists. Pick up your score at the door and sit with your voice part. The audience is the chorus!
Bring the spirit of the season to Kittery! Should you choose just to come and listen, you can sit anywhere and take it all in as it unfolds around you in sonic bliss.
$20 advance | $25 day-of
*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)
Jake Blount Trio w/ Nic Gariess + Sammy Wetstein
Jake Blount, Nic Gareiss and Sammy Wetstein, award-winning folk, jazz, and world music performers, have joined forces combining vibrant synergy, deft movements, and stories long untold. Through traditional songs familiar and arcane, this new trio celebrates the vivacious rhythms and deep roots of America’s eldest musics.
Jake Blount (Providence, RI) is a singer and multi-instrumentalist described by NPR as “an Afrofuturist in roots-music garb.” A winner of the 2021 Steve Martin Banjo Prize and a Smithsonian Folkways recording artist, American Songwriter has dubbed him the “King of Roots.” Jake has already lead an amazing career - read more HERE.
Percussive dancer Nic Gareiss (Lansing, MI) has been named one of Dance Magazine’s “25 to Watch,” and has been hailed by the New York Times for their “dexterous melding of Irish and Appalachian dance.” In 2020, Gareiss received the Michigan Heritage Award, the highest honor his home state bestows on traditional artists.
Sammy Wetstein (Boston, MA) is a musician who infuses folk and jazz music with improvisational creativity. Sammy has performed at the Newport Folk Festival, The Shalin Liu Performance Center, and the International Bluegrass Music Association conference, and has appeared alongside artists jazz icons Joe Levano and Kenny Barron, and world-renowned string players including Eugene Friesen, Darol Anger, and Jason Anick. He is currently a student at Berklee College of Music focusing on jazz and roots cello performance.
Blount, Gareiss, and Wetstein's years of experience as performers, educators, and scholars in their respective traditions have drawn them close to the spontaneous creative force at the heart of music-making. The trio brings the power of those fresh bonds to bear in a new performance: a paean to both strong roots and musical co-infatuations traced in wood, flesh, and gesture.
$20 advance | $25 day-of | $15 student
*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)
Todd Hearon: Impossible Man
Todd Hearon
w/ special guests Jake Davis + The Whiskey Stones
Todd Hearon is a New Hampshire-based singer-songwriter (living in Exeter, born in Texas, raised in North Carolina) in the Americana/alt-country/folk vein. His first album, Border Radio (2021), was featured in American Songwriter and Boston’s SKOPE magazine and listed as “Best Seacoast Music” of 2021 in Seacoast Online. Of the songs, Seacoast Online wrote, “Todd Hearon is proof that good folkin’ country singers still walk among us. Somewhere from the great beyond, Townes Van Zandt has happened on Todd's tunes . . . and felt his cheeks go flush with envy.” SKOPE echoed, “Poetry and song, ever old friends, meet again and merge in every line of Border Radio.”
His new album, Impossible Man, produced by Don Dixon, shows Hearon branching into new artistic territory, even as he keeps close to his folk/traditional roots. He'll be joined by a full band, including Andrew Blowen, Lindsay Garfield, Alex Keenan, Rich Habib, Ralph Sneeden and Geoff Taylor.
$17 advance | $22 day-of
*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)
Soggy Po Boys : Honoring A Tradition
This iteration of the "Honoring A Tradition" series focuses on the life and music of New Orleans trombonist Edward “Kid” Ory.
Clifford Cameron: A Walk In The Woods
$15 advance | $20 day-of | $10 student *fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)
A Walk In The Woods: Album Release
5 years ago, pianist-composer Clifford Cameron recorded and released his genre-bending debut album Katahdin, featuring some of the brightest new improvisers and musical voices on the New York scene. This recording would serve as a snapshot of his time in New York City before moving to Maine, leaving behind the trains, subways and dollar pizza for the farms, forests and fields. In that time he has reunited with his family, released several albums of original music and said farewell to his ailing father. Such a turbulent and shifting course of years has led him to lean hardest on the things that never fail to offer support and nourishment: being out in nature with his dog, Alpine, and creating music.
A Walk in The Woods takes us through all four seasons and back again. This music winds through the sometimes haunted, sometimes golden woods, past the stone-walled fields that meet the coastline and always homeward on the stretching road. The musical content oscillates between the minutely composed, to the entirely improvised, with the ensemble comprised of some of the most creative musicians in Maine playing orchestral, folk and modern jazz timbres.
Featuring:
Josie Lawrence- Vocals
Special guest Dan Bui- Mandolin
Mia Bella D'Augelli- Violin
Shannon Allen- Cello
Jesse Heasly- Bass
Jesse Beckett Herbert - Flute/Bass Clarinet
Gene Gill- Alto
Clifford Cameron- Piano and compositions
Club d'Elf
Club d'Elf has been helping audiences lose track of time for twenty five years with its mesmerizing synthesis of Moroccan traditional music and electronic, dubbed-out funk. Circling about bassist/composer Mike Rivard and drummer Dean Johnston, each Club d'Elf performance features a different line-up, drawn from a constellation of some of the most creative improvisers from the jazz, DJ, rock & world music scenes of Boston, NYC and beyond.
The band's music draws from a startlingly wide spectrum of styles, including jazz, hip hop, electronica, avant garde, prog-rock and dub. Under the tutelage of member Brahim Fribgane (who hails from Casablanca) the band has absorbed Moroccan trance music, which is now an essential part of the mix. Diverse audiences are drawn to Fribgane’s mesmerizing oud stylings, and Rivard’s commanding playing of the Moroccan sintir. Trance forms the central core of the Club d’Elf aesthetic, weaving together the band’s various influences.
In April 2022 the band released its latest album, 'You Never Know', which rose to #2 on the Relix chart. The record unfurls upon kaleidoscopic clouds of spiced smoke, shifting from chopped dub-jazz through trance epics that reimagine Boston as a city of bazaars. Club d’Elf pay tribute to the music and musicians who have been primary influences, with half the album being covers of gnawa, Miles Davis, Joe Zawinul, Moroccan band Nass el-Ghiwane, and Frank Zappa. The other half consists of original music inspired by Rivard's personal journey into darkness following a near death experience in the remote jungle of the Peruvian Amazon.
"You Never Know is a wide ranging romp, full of serenity, chaos, longing, improvisation and peerless musicianship inspired by music from India and Morocco as well as the maverick jazz of Miles Davis and Frank Zappa."
- Banning Eyre, Afropop Worldwide
$20 advance | $25 day-of | $15 Student
*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)
Ruth and Ben String Band
$17 advance | $22 day-of *fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)
Ruth and Ben String Band
w/ special guests: "Old Time" Dave Talmage Band
Led by guitarist Ruth Rappaport and her fiddler son, Ben Wetherbee, the band's repertoire includes rousing, powerful old-time fiddle tunes and traditional, modern, and original songs that feature tight harmony singing. Ruth played for many years in the eclectic string band The Poodles, and Ben has made a mark for himself as a popular old-time, roots rock, and alt music fiddler. Both Ruth and Ben are instructors at the Passim School of Music in Cambridge.
Besides fiddle and guitar, the band features Joel Wennerstrom on clawhammer banjo. The Ruth and Ben String Band works with a number of great bass players, including Gian Criscitiello, Larry Unger, Stuart Kenney, Mike Siegel, and Riley Mullany.
"When they've brought their high-energy old time music [to Bluegrass Tuesdays] in the past, they've absolutely electrified the audience, which is really saying something for all-acoustic music."
-Bluegrass Tuesdays (Cambridge MA)
New Sphere: Celebrating Thelonious Monk
A new quartet presenting the music of the legendary African American jazz composer and pianist, Thelonious Monk.
Danza Orgánica
Danza Orgánica
CUERPX
CUERPX focuses on the imprints of colonialism and patriarchy in the body. We are looking at the body as the human body, and also the Earth body. How do we embody liberated realities? How does that look like within the context of colonized bodies? What is the work we need to do to get to an internal liberated space that leads to collective liberation?
Danza Orgánica is a Boston-based dance theater company whose work is centered around equity, social justice, and decolonization. Through Danza Orgánica, we create the world we want to live in as BIPOC. Our values are rooted in antiracist social justice, and decolonization. We envision a world where all living beings are valued, and Mother Earth is in balance. Our legacy is one of opening doors for others, creating spaces for artistic expression, and leaving a body of work carefully created to shed light upon our human experience, and that of our collaborators.
Taíno Afroborikua and award-winning choreographer Mar Parrilla is the founding artistic director of Danza Orgánica (DO). She the proud mother of Caleb, an interdisciplinary movement artist, an educator, and a community organizer. Mar is the founder of the acclaimed program Dance for Social Justice™, as well as the founding producer of the acclaimed Boston-based annual festival: We Create!. Parrilla is a luminary artist at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, where she has been commissioned to create artistic work- and continues to collaborate with in several capacities. Danza Orgánica is also collaborating with Puerto Rico-based artists on an ongoing cultural exchange towards the continued development of Melaza: a project that explores the colonial relationship between Puerto Rico and the United States of North America. Most recently (2021), Danza Orgánica was awarded the Powering Cultural Futures Multi Year Partnership with the BARR foundation.
*There is a FREE Workshop at 1:00 before the show --> Register HERE
$20 General Admission | $10 Student
*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)
*This performance is funded in part by the New England States Touring program of the New England Foundation for the Arts, made possible with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts Regional Touring Program and the six New England state arts agencies.
Dance for Social Justice: Free Workshop
Dance for Social Justice
Free Workshop
Danza Orgánica will be offering a public workshop, hosted by The Dance Hall, as part of their Dance for Social JusticeTM workshop series. Founded in 2014, the Dance for Social JusticeTM (DSJ) workshop grew out of Mar Parrilla’s desire to use dance as a tool for social change. While she was teaching dance in urban settings, she organically provided her students with dance composition tools with which they explored themselves and their connection to communities.
The DSJ curriculum is informed by Paulo Freire’s philosophy of education as expressed in Pedagogy of the Oppressed, her studies on dance composition, and her experience as a performer and choreographer in the diaspora.
ALL-AGES | ALL-ABILITY LEVELS | MOVEMENT WORKSHOP
FOR TICKETS TO THE PERFORMANCE, VISIT HERE
*This workshop is funded in part by the New England States Touring program of the New England Foundation for the Arts, made possible with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts Regional Touring Program and the six New England state arts agencies.
Dharma Down: Album Release!
$15 advance | $20 day-of | $10 student
*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)
Drawing on their eclectic backgrounds and passions , Dharma Down delivers a musical adventure spanning centuries and the globe, while always pushing their genre-bending music into the future. Presenting music across the jazz compendium, Dharma Down also draws on influences from East European and Middle Eastern music and turns this identity crisis into its biggest asset. The group’s upcoming debut album, Owl Dreams, prominently features original compositions inspired by American and Arabic traditions.
About their new album, Owl Dreams:
Dharma Down’s new release, Owl Dreams, is 10 original tracks plus a modern reinvention of a 1000-year-old classical Arabic song. The recording leans into the breadth of the group’s influences and styles, buoyed by the sensitivity and virtuosity of the individual players. Owl Dreams is an exploration of ancient Arabic melodies (Jalla Man), modern and postmodern jazz (Ex One Blues), and new original repertoire in middle eastern influenced jazz (Baghdad, Jurjina, Tadafuqun), all sharing the distinctive sound of Dharma Down.
The ensemble is made up of some of New England’s top players united by their love of modern jazz and middle eastern music: Mike Effenberger (piano), Duncan Hardy (alto sax & qanun), Scott Kiefner (upright bass), and John Mettam (percussion) create a sound that is as intimate as it is powerful. Their compelling rapport creates an exciting new ensemble to follow closely for years to come.
PowerMoneyCake plays Steely Dan
PowerMoneyCake plays stripped down yet faithful versions of the entire Steely Dan catalog. This time around they will be playing the labrum The Royal Scam and Gaucho in its entirety, plus a smattering of hits and deep cuts spanning their career. We'll also have special guest Josh DiJoseph joining us on electric guitar.
If you love Steely Dan, you’ll love PowerMoneyCake. It’s that simple.
The band:
Rick Habib: drums and vocals (Dreadnaught, Diaspora Radio, Wheel of Awesome, Kate Redgate Band)
Bob Lord: bass guitar (Dreadnaught)
Sky Rubins: electric guitar (Trade)
Chris Sink: keyboards (Trade, Queen City Soul, Amorphous Band)
People often ask us why we named a Steely Dan tribute Power Money Cake. The truth is that the band name has nothing to do with Steely Dan. We started as a band doing mostly odd covers that we didn't have an outlet for in other bands (Bob Lord came up with the tagline "Music for very few occasions"). By this date in 2012 we had crossed the threshold into a "mostly Steely Dan" cover band. I kept suggesting more Steely Dan tunes and the guys - god bless them - were receptive. By the end of the year it's all we did.
$17 advance | $22 day-of
*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)
SOLD OUT! Foreside Funk
Foreside Funk
with special guests KING DEAD
Get Ready to Funk! Prepare to groove with Foreside Funk, the 10-member powerhouse based in their hometown Kittery, Maine!
Known for their electrifying blend of classic and contemporary funk, this dynamic ensemble brings together seasoned musicians from diverse backgrounds, all united by an unstoppable love for the rhythms that move the soul. Drawing inspiration from funk legends like Maceo Parker, Tower of Power, and contemporary trailblazers like Lettuce and Dumpstaphunk, Foreside Funk infuses their sound with the energy of modern funk while paying homage to jazz greats like Herbie Hancock, Kenny Garrett, and Freddie Hubbard. Their performances are a high-energy celebration of sound, featuring soulful melodies, tight rhythms, and an electrifying horn section that will keep you moving all night long.
Don't miss your chance to experience Foreside Funk live!
Band Members:
Jenny O'Dell - Lead Vocals
Scott Abene - Guitar
Keith Augeri - Drums
Matthew Lavigne - Bass, Vocals
Gary Lorusso - Trumpet
Justin Leach - Trombone
Stefan Vittori - Saxophone
Dan Will- Keys, Vocals
Tony Gallo- Percussion, Vocals
Special Guest: Will Cicola - Saxophone, Flute
KING DEAD
KING DEAD draws inspiration from their shared love of jazz fusion, funk, soul, Brazilian jazz, improvisation, bagels, and having a good time. Since forming, the band has performed its instrumental compositions across coastal New Hampshire (mostly in breweries). Currently, the KING DEAD boys continue to write and record new music, with a new collection of tunes expected to release in 2024.
The band is:
Sky Rubins – guitar
Chris Sink – keyboards
Justin Greenberg – bass
Seb Sink – drums
kingdead.band
kingdead1.bandcamp.com
Get ready for a night of funk you won't forget!
$17 advance | $22 day-of
*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)
The Smack Dabs
SWING DANCE with THE SMACK DABS
*7:00pm, before the show, join us for a brief lesson on the basics of swing with Jen & Ray of Lindy Maine!
The Smack Dabs, out of Boston MA, specialize in good-time Swing Blues music from the 1930s, featuring the songs of Tampa Red, Big Bill Broonzy, The Harlem Hamfats, and many others. This delightful and timeless genre features a rich variety of musical styles, ranging from mournful blues to joyful celebrations, setting the stage for incredible solo and group improvisations and delighting audiences and dancers alike.
We are proud to feature some of Boston's most compelling improvising musicians in our rotating lineup, bringing a fresh and unique sound to each performance.
• Mark Earley: guitar, vocals, kazoo
• Richard Saunders: piano
• Jim Gray: upright bass
• Mark Berney: cornet
• Kit Buckley: saxophone, clarinet
• Jon Kraus: washboard
SWING BLUES: THE BACKSTORY
The 1930s were halcyon days for Swing music, but not just for the likes of big bands like Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Jimmy Lunceford, and the Dorsey Brothers. There were literally hundreds of small Swing combos from trios to octets, each with its own unique take on the music that dominated the market during the height of the Great Depression. The list of artists who led small combos include Tiny Grimes, Slim Galliard, Billie Holiday, and Fats Waller. In addition to these groups, several important vocal harmony groups were also active on the scene, including the Cats and the Fiddle, the Mills Brothers, the Ink Spots, and the Spirits of Rhythm. Evolving out of New Orleans jazz and ragtime stylings, Swing music was fueled by the improvisational and rhythmic innovations of soloists like Louis Armstrong and Coleman Hawkins. It remains primarily dance music.
$17 advance | $22 day-of
*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)
The Stray Horses: Let It Be
The Stray Horses
LET IT BE
Known at The Dance Hall for producing tribute nights to honor your favorite artists, Seth Warner and Marc McElroy are back at at it. This time they will lead an all-star band in a celebration of The Beatles "Let it Be".
Past tribute shows include: Neil Young, Bob Dylan, The Cure, The Last Waltz, etc.
For this performance the band will feature Maine and Seacoast New Hampshire veteran musicians: Charlie Kickham, Zac Francis, Andrew Hodgkins, Marc McElroy and Seth Warner
$17 advance | $22 day-of | $10 student
*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)
San Miguel Fraser
San Miguel Fraser is a project bringing together Galen Fraser, a Berklee graduate and son of renowned Scottish fiddler Alasdair Fraser and Maria San Miguel, a native of Castile and graduate of Oviedo Conservatory with deep family roots in the traditions of her homeland. Together, they combine dynamic fiddling and string arrangements with the soaring, life-celebrating singing of Maria and the exciting, oh-so-sensitive cittern accompaniment of Galen. Surprises abound in this project, with fresh compositions and startlingly touching and deeply thoughtful arrangements.
Their new album “Dots of Light” sparkles with life and creativity, as they explore traditional music from their combined homelands as well as new compositions in their own unique chamber music style.
“A triumph of an album, the debut from this duo is an absolute delight from start to finish. Neither of them is new to recording, or to the partnership here, so their first joint collection of music builds on firm foundations. Nevertheless, it towers over the landscape of fiddle music and Spanish-Celtic folk.”
—Alex Monaghan, Folk World
$17 advance | $22 day-of | $10 Student
*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)
Alasdair Fraser + Natalie Haas
The musical partnership between consummate performer Alasdair Fraser, "the Michael Jordan of Scottish fiddling," and brilliant Californian cellist, Natalie Haas, spans the full spectrum between intimate chamber music and ecstatic dance energy. Over the last 16 years of creating a buzz at festivals and concert halls across the world, they have truly set the standard for fiddle and cello in traditional music. They continue to thrill audiences internationally with their virtuosic playing, their near-telepathic understanding, and the joyful spontaneity and sheer physical presence of their music.
This seemingly unlikely pairing of fiddle and cello is the fulfillment of a long-standing musical dream for Fraser. His search eventually led him to find a cellist who could help return the cello to its historical role at the rhythmic heart of Scottish dance music, where it stood for hundreds of years before being relegated to the orchestra. The duo's debut recording, Fire & Grace, won the coveted the Scots Trad Music "Album of the Year" award, the Scottish equivalent of a Grammy. Since its release, the two have gone on to record three more critically acclaimed albums that blend a profound understanding of the Scottish tradition with cutting-edge string explorations. In additional to performing, they both have motivated generations of string players through their teaching at fiddle camps across the globe.
"Fraser, one of the most respected of all exponents of the Scots fiddle, would look long and hard to find a more appropriate cellist as a partner...A positive joy." — The Scotsman
$30 advance | $38 day-of
*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)
BALA-BILA: Mali to Mozambique
BALA-BILA
Balla Kouyate & Matchume Zango at the East-West Crossroads
BALA-BILA brings together two African master musicians--Balla Kouyate on balafon, calabash, bass guitar and voice, and Matchume Zango on timbila, mbira, percussion and voice--through a live concert framed as an intercultural musical conversation between the two artists. Kouyate, from the West African country of Mali, and Zango, from the East African country of Mozambique, are leading exponents of their respective principal instruments–balafon and timbila.
BALA-BILA brings together live in concert for the first time these two traditional instruments and these two revered contemporary masters at the height of their careers. This living-room-style concert features Kouyate and Zango as composers and multi-instrumentalists sharing the joy, beauty and complexity of their music but also provides a unique opportunity for the audience to get to know Kouyate and Zango as human beings, artists, ambassadors, and global citizens as they explore their connection to each other, their art, and their cultural patrimony.
Both the balafon (representing Mali, Burkina Faso and Côte d'Ivoire) and the timbila (Mozambique) are part of the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (tim-bila is plural, and m-bila is singular). Kouyate and Zango are leading exponents of their respective instruments, and known for preserving, advancing and contemporizing their rich musical traditions
. . .
Balla Kouyate is a renowned balafon player and “djeli” who is originally from Mali and currently based in the U.S. Kouyate teaches at the prestigious New England Conservatory of Music, has collaborated with artists such as Yo Yo Ma and Andjelique Kidjo, and is recognized by the U.S. National Endowment for the Arts as an NEA National Heritage Fellow.
Matchume Zango is a master timbila player, percussionist, composer and producer from Maputo, Mozambique. He has a Masters Degree in Music Performance from the University of Cape Town, and has toured extensively throughout the world and collaborated with local and international artists. Zango has received funding support from international donor agencies, and has built Nzango Artist Residency, a recording studio and artist residency where he collaborates with local and visiting artists.
$25 advance | $30 day-of
*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)
Tiger Saw w/Dan Sullivan- Songs: Ohia's "Magnolia Electric Co."
Tiger Saw with Dan Sullivan and Friends play
Songs: Ohia's "Magnolia Electric Co."
w/ special guest Nad Navillus
For one night only, Tiger Saw will be joined by guitarist Dan Sullivan to perform the Songs: Ohia album "Magnolia Electric Co." in its entirety. Sullivan was a member of Songs: Ohia and played guitar on that seminal album, recorded in 2002 at Electrical Audio in Chicago by Steve Albini.
"Magnolia Electric Co." is now considered an all-time classic in the indie rock / Americana world, and the defining statement of the late bandleader Jason Molina. Tiger Saw played shows with Songs: Ohia throughout the early 2000's, befriended the band, and was heavily inspired by them. They've paid tribute to Molina over the years, playing several of their songs live and on record. Now, Dan Sullivan will join Tiger Saw to play all of the songs from "Magnolia Electric Co" at the Dance Hall in Kittery, ME on October 11th. In addition to Sullivan, the six-piece Tiger Saw will be joined by several guests including Hamilton Belk (Dead Gowns, Dylan Earl) on pedal steel, and singers Justin Carloni (Eastern Sleds), Kelsey Wilson (Diaspora Radio), and Thalia Zedek (Come, Live Skull).
The Chicago-based Sullivan will open the show with a set of his own songs, under the name Nad Navillus.
Please join us in Kittery, to celebrate the music of Jason Molina, with a lineup that will not be repeated anywhere.
$17 advance | $22 day-of
*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)
Django by The Sea Festival 2024 (Copy) (Copy)
9th Annual Django by The Sea~ Gypsy Jazz Festival!
FRIDAY 10.04.24 @ 7:30PM
- Acoustic Nomads
- Django in Brazil feat. Ian Coury & Jason Anick
SATURDAY 10.05.24 @ 7:30PM
- Henry Acker Trio
- Tatiana Eva-Marie & Avalon Jazz Band
SUNDAY 10.6.24 @ 3PM
- Django's Campsite All-Star Jam
For more info about the festival and bio for each artist, visit:
www.djangobythesea.com
Tickets:
ONE NIGHT/DAY PASS:
~FRIDAY 10.4.24
$30 Advance | $35 Day-of
~SATURDAY 10.5.24
$30 Advance | $35 Door
~SUNDAY 10.6.24
$20 Advance | $25 Door
WEEKEND PASS:
~$70 Advance | $80 Day-of
Includes: Tickets to Friday-Sunday
VIP PASS:
~$150
Includes:
-Tickets to Friday-Sunday
-Special VIP Tables
-Access to VIP Meet and Greet
-Donation to The Dance Hall