This week’s round-up of live entertainment in and around Manchester is brought to you by A. Robert Dionne of Ted Herbert Music School & Rentals. Email your entertainment events to rob@majestictheatre.net for consideration. Be sure to add your events to the InkLink community calendar for possible inclusion in the live radio report on WMNH 95.3 (The Morning Show with Peter White – “World of Entertainment” LIVE every Thursday at 8 a.m.)
Featured LIVE MUSIC
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16th
- Paul Driscoll / The Foundry (Manchester) / 5pm
- Dave Zangri / Homestead (Merrimack) / 5:30pm
- D-Comp / Village Trestle (Goffstown) / 6pm
- Jonny Friday / Elm House of Pizza (Manchester) / 6pm
- Jordan Quinn / Shorty’s (Nashua) / 6pm
- Chad Lamarsh / Copper Door (Salem) / 7pm
- Charlie Chronopoulos / Copper Door (Bedford) / 7pm
- Justin Jordan / Tortilla Flat (Merrimack) / 7pm
- Phil Jacques / City Hall Pub (Manchester) / 7pm
- Swipe Right Duo / Stumble Inn (Londonderry) / 7pm
- Jon Ross / Strange Brew Tavern (Manchester) / 8pm
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17th
- Ryan Williamson / Backyard Brewery (Manchester) / 6pm
- Chris Cavanaugh / Homestead (Merrimack) / 6pm
- Paul Lussier / Fratello’s (Manchester) / 6pm
- Joe McDonald / Coach Stop (Londonderry) / 6pm
- Tyler Levs / San Francisco Kitchen (Nashua) / 6:30pm
- Ian Galipeau / To Share Brewing Company (Manchester) / 6:30pm
- David Corson / Luna Bistro (Salem) / 7pm
- Another Shot Duo / Stumble Inn (Londonderry) / 8pm
- Dancing Madly Backwards / Derryfield (Manchester) / 8pm
- Chase Clark / Bonfire Country Bar (Manchester) / 9pm
- Wiki 3 / Strange Brew Tavern (Manchester) / 9pm
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18th
- Eyes of Age / Downtown Winter Farmer’s Market (Concord) / 9am-12pm
- Lucas Gallo / Great North Aleworks (Manchester) / 3pm
- Honey Bee Duo / Two Villages Art Society (Hopkinton) / 4pm
- George Barber / The Wild Rover (Manchester) / 5pm
- Jeff Mrozek / Coach Stop (Londonderry) / 6pm
- Eric Lindberg / Over The Moon Farmstead (Pittsfield) / 6pm
- Dusty Gray / Chen Yang Li (Bow) / 7pm
- Andrew North & the Rangers – Paulie Stone opener / Area 23 (Concord) / 8pm
- Mo Bounce / Derryfield (Manchester) / 8pm
- Frank Nicolay of the Hold Steady / Shaskeen (Manchester) / 9pm
- FatBunny / Bonfire Country Bar (Manchester) / 9pm
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 19th
- Joe Gattuso / The Foundry (Manchester) / 10am
- Mike Forgette / The Goat (Manchester) / 10am
- Steve Aubert / Luna Bistro (Salem) / 4pm
Always be sure to check a venue’s website or social media for last-minute changes or to see if there are ticket or admission requirements.
Featured ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Click on DIRECT/x link for the official link to purchase tickets for each event.
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16th
CRASH TEST DUMMIES / Tupelo Music Hall (Derry) / 8pm – DIRECT/x
Full Speed Ahead in 2023! In 2018, 25 years after the release of their multi-Grammy nominated hit album “God Shuffled His Feet”, The Crash Test Dummies hit the road for the first time in 20 years with an Anniversary Tour that spanned North America. The overwhelming reception led to a 30th Anniversary Tour in 2022 for their debut release “The Ghosts That Haunt Me” that touched down in the US, UK, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Canada. www.tupelomusichall.com or (603)437-5100
A FLOCK OF NH POETS Town Library (Hopkinton) / 6:30pm – DIRECT/x
Local poet, L.R. Berger, will feature the work of Laurie Morrissey during her next poetry conversation. Laurie D. Morrissey can’t stick to one genre. If you find her at work, she may be writing a haiku, a free verse poem, a personal essay, a book review, or an article on loons. Her poetry has been published in a variety of journals. Currently, her favored poetic genre is haiku, the short-form poetry originating in ancient Japan. Her published collections are: the slant of april snow and all the stars i can swallow . Laurie lives in Hopkinton. We’ll read some of her poems, learn a bit about her, and discover what moves, puzzles or delights us. FREE EVENT – REGISTRATION REQUIRED
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10th
BREADCRUMBS / The Bank of NH Stage (Concord) / through February 19th – DIRECT/x
A Play by Jennifer Haley / Presented by theatre KAPOW. A reclusive fiction writer diagnosed with dementia must depend upon a troubled young caretaker to complete her autobiography. In a symbiotic battle of wills, they delve into the dark woods of the past, unearthing a tragedy that shatters their notions of language, loneliness and essential self. Most plays depend on words, but words are the crux of Jennifer Haley’s play. For the writer, the telling of stories and memories, lies and truths, relies on words. Yet words can also take our hearts and minds away. www.ccanh.com or (603)225-1111
LEADING LADIES / Majestic Theatre (Manchester) / February 17-19 – DIRECT/x
A Comedy/Farce by Ken Ludwig. In this hilarious comedy by the author of “Lend Me A Tenor” and “Moon Over Buffalo,” two English Shakespearean actors, Jack and Leo, find themselves so down on their luck that they are performing “Scenes from Shakespeare” on the Moose Lodge circuit in the Amish country of Pennsylvania. When they hear that an old lady in York, PA is about to die and leave her fortune to her two long lost English nephews, they resolve to pass themselves off as her beloved relatives and get the cash. The trouble is, when they get to York, they find out that the relatives aren’t nephews, but nieces! Romantic entanglements abound, especially when Leo falls head-over-petticoat in love with the old lady’s vivacious niece, Meg, who’s engaged to the local minister. Meg knows that there’s a wide world out there, but it’s not until she meets “Maxine and Stephanie” that she finally gets a taste of it. www.majestictheatre.net or (603)669-7469
SHADES OF BUBLÉ / Palace Theatre (Manchester) / 7:30pm / DIRECTx
A Three-Man Tribute to Michael Bublé celebrates the continuing career of multiple Grammy Award-winning recording artist Michael Bublé by performing his incredible catalog of music while adding the sensational three-part harmony sound made popular by those famous “guy-groups” from the 1950s and 60s. Since debuting at a sold-out concert in April 2015, this trio has entertained tens of thousands at theatrical concerts across the USA, gala events, and headline performances onboard luxury cruise ships. Delivering a set list comprised only of songs recorded or performed live by Michael Bublé, this world-class act honors – but doesn’t imitate – the sophistication, retro style, and high-energy fun that Bublé himself brings to his concerts while engaging new fans with thrilling new vocal arrangements. www.palacetheatre.org or (603)668-5588
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18th
WHO’S BAD – THE ULTIMATE MICHAEL JACKSON EXPERIENCE / Palace Theatre (Manchester) / 2:00pm and 7:30pm – DIRECT/x
Who’s Bad’s power-packed tribute to Michael Jackson has ignited crowds on every continent and can only be described as a jaw-dropping, musical must-see! www.palacetheatre.org or (603)668-5588
CLASSIC STONES LIVE / Tupelo Music Hall (Derry) / 8pm – DIRECT/x
Classic Stones Live™ captures the raw energy of the most electrifying performances throughout The Rolling Stones career, and recreates The Stones in their legendary prime. This is what makes Classic Stones Live™ THE number one Stones tribute in the world. Playing all of the hits that make up the soundtrack of many people’s lives, Classic Stones Live™ delivers a complete Rolling Stones experience every time. www.tupelomusichall.com or (603)437-5100
SCAMPS COMEDY PRODUCTIONS / Murphy’s Taproom, (Manchester) / 8pm – DIRECT/x
Every Saturday night, Scamps Comedy presents a different lineup of diverse, funny comedians; Dave Rattigan (Sirius XM, NESN) headlines a crazy good lineup of professional stand-up comedy. Featuring Matt Barry and Joe Espinola on 2/18.
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 19th
NH PHILHARMONIC – WINTER SERENITIES / Seifert Performing Arts Center at Salem High School / 2pm (also Sat. 2/18 at 7:30pm) – DIRECT/x
Our winter concert begins with Ralph Vaughan Williams’ “Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis” for double string orchestra and string quartet. The richness and power of this music will overwhelm your spirit and take you to a place of serenity and contemplation, certainly something to embrace in the cold of a New Hampshire winter. Their strings will keep you in that place with Arvo Part’s beautiful “Summa”. We’ll then bring our wonderful principal oboe, Alicia Rockenhauser to the stage for a performance of Eugene Goossen’s Oboe Concerto. Our concert will conclude with Gustav Mahler’s First Symphony. Although not strictly programmatic, the symphony still offers glimpses of summer days in the mountains, the sounds of birds, a picnic in the meadows, and a majestic sunset in the Austrian mountains. Mahler’s music is distinctive and continues to thrill audiences around the world. https://www.nhphil.org/
THE WORLD WAS YOURS / Hatbox Theatre (Concord) / through February 19th – FINAL WEEKEND – DIRECT/x
A play by William Ivers. The coveted Eadburg Art Endowment is about to be awarded to one of three finalists who have three very different artistic visions. Prof. Adley Schwartz has traditional views, Z-Jones believes art is rebellion, while Joy wants her art to scream didactic societal messages. All three find themselves in a museum waiting room while the board makes their final decision. Their divergent views escalate when they realize the lucrative grant will come with demands that may compromise their artistic and moral values. Looking on (and bickering) from the ether are none other than Salvador Dali, Andy Warhol, and Bob Ross. www.hatboxnh.com or (603)715-2315
UPCOMING EVENTS:
THE 39 STEPS / City Auditorium (Concord) / February 24-26 – DIRECT/x – POSTPONED
A Comedy by Patrick Barlow / Presented by the Community Players of Concord. An ordinary man is flung into extraordinary circumstances when a female spy is murdered in his London flat. With a team of killers on his trail, Richard Hannay is tracked across England and Scotland, defying death in one seemingly inescapable scrape after another — including romance! Mix Hitchcock’s masterpiece with a juicy spy novel, add a dash of Monty Python, and you have The 39 Steps. Packed with nonstop laughs and over 150 zany characters (played by five actors!), it’s a comic thrill ride from start to finish. Not to be missed!! The Community Players of Concord NH production of THE 39 STEPS, originally scheduled for February 17-19, 2023, has been POSTPONED to February 24-26 due to illness within the company. https://communityplayersofconcord.org/
HITS! THE MUSICAL with DIONNE WARWICK / Capitol Center (Concord) / March 1 at 7:30pm – DIRECT/x
Dionne Warwick, 6-time Grammy Award winner and music legend, presents Hits! The Musical – 90 minutes of pure joy with extraordinary singing, spectacular dancing, hundreds of costume changes and state-of-the-art lighting and sound that will leave you amazed. Imagine songs like “Signed, Sealed, Delivered,” “Hero,” “I Will Always Love You,” “Singing In The Rain,” and nearly 80 more of America’s most iconic songs performed by the greatest young singers and dancers in the country. The cast of 29, ages 10-22, was selected from a nationwide audition of over 7,000 individuals. Their talent is exceptional and the energy is unsurpassed. This show is an unforgettable experience for the entire family. Hits! The Musical is for individuals of all ages and will leave you dancing in the aisles. Don’t miss America’s next great musical! www.ccanh.com or (603)225-1111
Be sure to visit The WEEKENDER for more featured events out and about town this weekend!
