Byline: Robert Duguay

The art of the one-man band can be a peculiar thing sometimes. It can constitute a basic setup with a person strumming their guitar and pounding their foot on a kick drum while singing their heart out, or it can be more complex with a ton of different instruments coming into play. As The Suitcase Junket, Matt Lorenz utilizes an approach that’s similar to the latter while creating a blues-soaked brand of folk music.

Boston post-hardcore act Actor|Observer has a knack for providing an intense experience whenever and wherever they perform. While doing so, the band embraces the timeless interaction that occurs between a band and its audience with a simultaneous exchange of energy taking place. It’s one of the many reasons why they’re one of the top bands within the vibrant music scene that’s happening within “The Hub.” Folks within driving distance of Portsmouth have the opportunity to check this act out when they come to The Press Room on February 28 for a mid-week rager.

Brooklyn drummer extraordinaire Joe Russo has a lot going on with his career these days. He’s the leader of the popular Grateful Dead tribute band Joe Russo’s Almost Dead (aka JRAD), he’s collaborated with an abundance of bands and musicians and he still has time to be part of a duo with childhood friend and keyboardist Marco Benevento.

Different parts of the country have occasions where this feeling is abundant, including Tuesday nights at The Press Room in Portsmouth.
That’s where the Soggy Po’ Boys play on a weekly basis for a residency that’s become a staple of the city’s nightlife. It starts at 9 p.m. and it goes all night long while creating a fun evening for everyone involved. 

Folks around Manchester will get the chance to experience this for themselves as part of a Sunday night special on January 28. That’s when these rock icons Livinf Colour will be performing at Angel City Music Hall for what should be an ideal way to conclude the weekend.

Everything I just described is most likely going to happen at The Shaskeen Pub & Restaurant in Manchester on January 27 when local folk-rockers The NightBlinders take the stage.

It’s the Jonee Earthquake Punk Rock Xmas with him and his band being joined by The Graniteers, Presidential Disgrace, Kermit’s Finger and Ragz To Stitchez. It’s also free admission, so if you’re looking for a night on the town without breaking the bank then this is ideal. 

I caught up with Space Bacon bassist Kevin LeGall ahead of the show about the band being very interactive with their fan base, a unique annual gig they have happening next month and what’s ahead for 2024.

With his skills on guitar, he’s played with the likes of Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Pat Metheny, Bill Frisell, Jaco Pastorius, Mavis Staples and Phil Lesh from the Grateful Dead, just to name a few. In fact, the name of his new album, “Uncle John’s Band,” released October 13, comes from one of the Dead’s famous tunes and he also did a rendition of it for one of the record’s tracks.

It’s titled “Merry Good Enough” and while the subject matter I just described might sound suspenseful, it actually promises to provide some laughs in clever ways. In fact, people can experience this when they attend the film’s premiere at the Rex Theatre in Manchester on December 1. Filmmakers Dan Kennedy & Caroline Keene, who are both from the New England region with Kennedy actually growing up in Manchester, are the ones behind the vision and creation of the motion picture. 

On November 18, Normand is going to be doing what he does best while performing at the Chubb Theatre within the Capitol Center for the Arts at 7 p.m. as part of his “Ya Don’t Say Tour.”

Within the music realm, supergroups can come together in a few different ways. The members can each be a savant when it comes to playing their chosen instrument, it can be a combination of two prior bands or it can be a collective of multi-instrumentalists. Fantastic Cat leans toward the latter with Brian Dunne, Anthony D’Amato, Mike Montali and Don Dilego each being respected musicians in their own right.

Through his immense skills on keyboard and his avant-garde approach to music, John Medeski has been a central figure in the world of jazz for over 30 years. His repertoire is also fairly diverse with the funk fusion he’s created with drummer Billy Martin and bassist Chris Wood as Medeski, Martin & Wood as well as the collaborations he’s done with the likes of bluegrass icon Béla Fleck, guitar savants John Scofield and Marc Ribot and sax wizard John Zorn.

Way before alternative rock was even a thing and heavy metal was still relatively new, there was a band laying down the foundation for the former while putting a creative spin on the latter. They go by the name of King’s X and the trio of vocalist and bassist Doug Pinnick, guitarist Ty Tabor and drummer Jerry Gaskill can definitely bring the emphasis and the amplification.

As part of their tour in support of the new full-length, Xiu Xiu are going to be performing at Nova Arts in Keene on October 26. I had a talk with Stewart ahead of the show about the creation process behind the album, having a couple other bands do some remixes of their music, the current lineup of the band and always feeling grateful when it comes to being able to play a show. 

The show starts at 7:30 p.m. and it looks to be a proper way to conclude the weekend in the Queen City. 

Tennessee has an immense musical history when it comes to both blues and country. There’s a good chance that one of your favorite musicians has either honed their craft in “The Volunteer State,” been influenced by the music that’s come out of that part of the United States or currently lives there when they’re not on the road.