30th Annual Festival of New Musics at Dartmouth

Dartmouth College will hold their 30th Annual Festival of New Musics tonight at 7:00 p.m. in the Spaulding Auditorium, and general admission is free! For three decades, the Festival of New Musics has presented pioneering acoustic, electo-acoustic and electronic music.

Special music acts this year include: Will Guthrie, The Meehan/Perkins Duo, Brendan Murray, Amy X Neuburg, Howard Stelzer, John Arroyo, Courtney Brown, and Carmen Caruso.

NH Writers Project announces summer workshops

The NH Writers Project has announced their lineup of workshops for Summer 2008! All workshops take place at Southern New Hampshire University and the cost is $65 for NH Writers Project members and $80 for non-members. All classes are limited to 20 participants and are open to all levels. Workshops include:

• Master Class: "Writing Your Memoir"
• 4-Week Class: "The Blood-Sport of Writing a Column"
• Half-Day Workshop: "So You Want to be a Food Writer"
• Half-Day Workshop: "Photos That Sell a Thousand Words"
• Half-Day Workshop: "From the Recipe Box to the Bookstore Shelf"
• Half-Day Workshop: "Other People's Passion"
• Special MFA Session: On-Stage Interview and Reading with Anne Fadman, SNHU MFA visiting writer

NHWP 2008 programs are made possible in part by generous support from Southern New Hampshire University, Lincoln Financial Foundation, and RiverStone Resources, and through an operating support grant from The Badger Fund of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation.

Jazzmouth Seacoast Poetry and Jazz Festival

Love poetry or jazz? Or both? You'll be well covered this week with several events happening as part of the Jazzmouth Seacoast Poetry and Jazz Festival, starting tonight and going through Sunday, April 27th! Jazzmouth offers four days of unique celebrations of poetry and jazz and the connections between them, all of them taking place in a variety of venues in Portsmouth. Here's the schedule for the festival:

Thursday, April 24

• 5:30 PM: Traditional Jazz at The Press Room with Larry Garland and Friends (free admission). Contact The Press Room for further details at 603-431-5186.
• 8:00 PM: Jazzmouth Film Festival at Bourbon's (Downstairs at the Muddy River). Screening of "Witchcraft Through the Ages", featuring soundtrack by Jean-Luc Ponty and narration by Beat writer William S. Burroughs. Live music by Larry Simon & Groove Bacteria with The Seacoast All-Stars & David Amram, and readings of works by William Burroughs. $7 admission. Contact Bourbon's for further information at 603-430-9582.
  

Friday, April 25

• 10:30-11:30 AM: Poetry Coffee Break at Breaking New Grounds featuring five favorite New England poets. Free admission. Contact Breaking New Grounds at 603-436-9555.
• 8:00 PM: JAZZMOUTH EXTRAVAGANZA AT THE MUSIC HALL IN PORTSMOUTH (28 Chestnut Street) featuring Billy Collins, David Amram, Larry Simon Ensemble and many other guest poets and musicians, and dancer Helena Molene. To purchase tickets go to: http://themusichall.org/. Tickets: $22.50 ($18.50 seniors and students).
  

Saturday, April 26

• 11:00 AM-12:00 PM: Young Writers Beat Night Festival at RiverRun Books (tel. 603-431-2100). This event features area teenage writers reading with musical accompaniment by The Larry Simon Ensemble, including special guest David Amram. Free admission.
• 1:00-3:00 PM: Performance Workshop at The Portsmouth Public Library. Free admission.
• 5:00 PM: Book Signing with David Amram at RiverRun Books. Free admission.
• 6:00 PM: Dinner and Poetry by the Portsmouth Poet Laureate Program, at The Spring Hill Tavern (downstairs at The Dolphin Striker) with featured readers and an open mic. Contact Spring Hill Tavern at 603-431-5222. Admission is free, food and drink prices according to menu.
• 8:00 PM: Jazzmouth Jazz Festival at The Press Room, with the Cheverus High School jazz band, poetry and jazz by FD Reeve, David Amram, and Don Davis, and headliner jazz great Sheila Jordan with The Harvey Diamond Trio. $5 admission.
  

Sunday, April 27

• 11:30 AM-2:00 PM: Jazz/Poetry Brunch at The Library Restaurant (at The Rockingham). Featuring 10 writers and musician Larry Simon w/ special guests including David Amram and others. Reservations (603) 431-5202; brunch is $22 (price subject to change).

Monadnock Battle of the Bands

Mark your calendars! On Friday, May 2, the Monadnock Battle of the Bands will take place at the Colonial Theatre in Keene starting at 6:00 p.m. Tickets are $10 and can be bought either at the Colonial or through their website. Featured performer will be Roots of Creation.

Sailing the seas with Finn Riggins

Hello my 18 Milers! Hope your weekend was filled with all kinds of great local entertainment - mine sure was! Friday night I headed over to Concord's Barley House to see Idaho's Finn Riggins, who are touring in support of their debut album, A Soldier, A Saint, An Ocean Explorer out on Tender Loving Empire Records. These guys were just amazing, despite the fact that singer/guitarist Lisa Simpson was ill that night - now that's a pro! To try and describe their sound is next to impossible - its just all really darn likable, like them. Influences of Throwing Muses, Sonic Youth, The Pixies, Talking Heads, Magnetic Fields, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Matthew Sweet, with a whiff of B-52's-esque whimsy and even some 80's Animotion, especially on the song "Glove Compartmnt."

(Eric, Lisa, and Cameron from Finn Riggins)

Keyboardist/singer Eric Gilbert and drummer Cameron Bouiss kicked things off with an instrumental number that melded a little Ben Folds piano bombasity with some heavy funk and psychedic sounds - Eric's keyboarding made me imagine a 2008 version of Ray Manzarek's work with The Doors. They went into this kind of punk jazz fusion number that was so cool and trippy - you could almost see them building it with giant, colorful Legos into this towering, sonic structure. Using such diverse instruments and tools like steel drums, washboards, and electronic samples of old video game sounds like Pac-Man and Space Invaders they created mini audio adventures that you couldn't help going along with.

(Lisa wailing on guitar)

On "Blackrock", Simpson's vocals are so reminscent of PJ Harvey, it gave me chills. She just kills this song. The song "Pancakes", with tinges of Caribbean flavored steel drums, is like listening to someone split apart a computer. I initally called the tune, "The Binary Song" in my notes, because of Simpson's haunting and echoing refrain of "one..one...zero...one...zero...zero.." it was like watching those green numbers falling on the screen in The Matrix. Just hypnotic to listen to. Their song "Hraka" is the perfect song to listen to now in New Hampshire, and after picking up their cd at the show, I found myself screaming along to the chorus, "thank god its springtime", as I drove with my car windows down all weekend!

(Eric on bass)

(Cameron behind the drums...with Grover helpin' out:)

All in all a great show, and a really great group of people. I talked with Eric Gilbert after the show and after a few more shows on the East Coast, they'll be making their way west again. He did tell me that they'd probably be back over this way in October, so keep checking out this blog, because I'll have all the info for you guys!

Just a side note from the evening: I got a chance to talk to Matt, who books the music for The Barley House about the music scene in Concord and how we'd like to see it grow in new directions. He expressed his frustration at the lack of diverse and interesting musical acts in the area, and how he was trying to bring more of those groups to The Barley House (like Finn Riggins!). We both thought that too much of Concord's music scene is all about jam bands and classic rock - nothing wrong with that, its just there are too many bands in the area doing the same kind of music. He said its been difficult, because owners of some of these bars and restaurants don't see bands like Finn Riggins bringing in the crowds - we disagreed! There is demand for more of these unique bands. So, I say to you Matt...don't stop bringing amazing music like Finn Riggins to Concord! And to the area bar owners I say, take a chance! Concord has a chance to steal the great live music scene from Manchester, but it can't happen unless you make the leap!


So all of this has brought up a question from me....and I speak to all of you Concord area music lovers, or those of you who are familiar with the city. What do you think the live music scene there? What do you want to see more of? What do you think it's potentials/limitations are in becoming a hub of independent music? I want to hear from you guys! Let me know in the comments section!

Music from Finn Riggins and Baker this weekend!

Wow, have I got a lineup of shows for all you Granite Staters this weekend! I'm hitting the acai and green tea hard today because my weekend is going to be packed with amazing shows and I need my energy! Hope you all are facing that wonderful possibility as well!

I'm excited about two shows in particular tonight and tomorrow, not only because they are just great bands, but the ladies are represented in them, and damn well! Tonight, I'll be at The Barley House in Concord to see the Hailey, Idaho band, Finn Riggins (pictured above) at 9:00 p.m. These guys are great, with influences of Sonic Youth, Spoon, and even a little Talking Heads! Plus, singer Lisa Simpson (yes, that's her real name) vocals are like Kim Deal crossed with Debbie Harry with some wailing, Karen O swagger from The Yeah, Yeah, Yeah's. Just amazing.

Then, on Saturday, I'll be at The Shaskeen in Manchester to listen to Boston band, Baker at 9:00 p.m. These guys have a new album out called Bike Ride, and this will be their only New Hampshire stop, so don't miss it.

Want to know all the other shows happening this weekend? Here's the rundown:

FRIDAY, APRIL 18
Suncook
8:00PM - My Place In The Cosmos, Forever the Fallen, Thirteen Yards to Victory (Ground Zero, $10)

Manchester
8:00 PM - Blue Matter (The Shaskeen)
9:00 PM - Manchucka (East Side Club)
9:00 PM - Duty Free w/ special guests: Blue Matter (The Shaskeen, free show)
9:30 PM - Chad LaMarsh (Murphy's Tap Room)

Concord
9:00 PM - Finn Riggins (The Barley House)

New Boston
9:00 PM - Brickyard Blues (Mad Matty’s Sports Bar, located at New Boston Tavern)



SATURDAY, APRIL 19
Manchester
3:00 PM - This Is Entity, Life's Eyes (Milly’s Tavern, $8 tickets/$10 door)
5:30 PM - Ajar Project, The Minus Scale, And Then There Were None, The Human Flight Committee, All Hands on Deck, Highfire Skyline - 18+ (Milly’s Tavern, $8 tickets/$10.00 door)
8:00 PM - Adam Young (Milly’s Tavern, $8)
9:00 PM - Baker (The Shaskeen)
9:00 PM - Brian Sweet w/Safer By The Shore (Milly’s Tavern)
9:15 PM - Darkness Wake (Millys Tavern)

Penacook
6:00 PM - ghostwriter (Penacook Community Center, $7)

Belmont
7:30 PM - Jim Tyrrell (Shooter’s Tavern)

Suncook
8:00 PM - tonight is tonight, Stay, The Uncle Funkly Trio (Ground Zero, $10)

A little something for everyone tonight!

Buenos Jueves! That's Happy Thursday for all you non-Spanish speakers out there. Well, we are near the end of the week already and I can't get over all of the great shows and events the Granite State has coming up just this weekend alone - I have a feeling this summer is just going to be kickin for entertainment in the state!

The other night, I headed over to Concord's Red River Theatres to catch their I Love a Mystery film series, which is really just a brilliant idea - and, thankfully, I believe they are going to keep these kinds of series going! I watched the ultimate "thunderstorm" classic, The Spiral Staircase, which is great if you haven't seen it! Amazing camera effects for its time, great performances all around, and although it came out in 1945, its still pretty darn creepy. You have one last chance to catch it tonight at 7:00 p.m. - make sure to get your tickets soon, because the one I went to was all but sold out! They'll finish out the series with The Kennel Murder Case (April 22-14) and Witness for the Prosecution (April 29-May 1), so don't miss it - it's really a lot of fun!

If comedy is what you are seeking tonight, those hilarious folks from Stranger Than Fiction will be performing live at The Barley House in Concord tonight at 8:00 p.m. And who couldn't stand to laugh their ass off all night, am I right?

Okay, if film or comedy doesn't grab you, there are some great live shows around the state tonight:

• LACONIA - Sworn Testimony (7:00 p.m., Awakenings)
• HANOVER - Dan Weintraub (8:00 p.m., Murphy's)
• KEENE - Last Chance (9:00 p.m., Gino's Bar)
• MANCHESTER - Mr. Vertigo and Living Syndication (8:00 p.m., Milly's)

"Snakes....why'd it have to be snakes?"

Alright, my little film buffs, I've got another AFI Project update for you! Just a reminder also that tonight, the Red River Theatres of Concord will continue their mystery film series with The Spiral Staircase at 7:00 p.m. I'll be there to watch all the spooky fun, so come on by! Margarita's Restaurant will be providing the snacks! Okay, now into my last round of films:

A Clockwork Orange: Ummm....wow. It's not easy to find words to describe this 1971, Stanley Kubrick film, but I'll try: violent, graphic, surreal, and laden with dark humor. This film was shocking when it first came out and still manages to be, even now. Malcolm McDowell plays Alex, the leader of a vicious London street gang who seek out trouble every day. Though they do rob many of their victims, that's never the main intent. Plain and simple, they love violence, whether its through the brutal beatings of homeless people or the raping of women. They even beat each other up! This film was an examination of "violent for violent's sake" crimes that were starting to appear with increasing frequency, not only in Britian, but in the US as well. When he's sent to prison for the "accidental" killing of a woman with a phallic-shaped sculpture, Alex unknowingly becomes a guinea pig for a government program, whose aim is to eliminate aggressive tendancies from violent criminals. The method seems fairly simple - clamp their eyes open as they are forced to watch scences of brutality (concentration camp victims, beatings, etc.). It works, but as with everything, it ultimately backfires. Be warned, this is a tough film to watch, but its also a sharp commentary on government, media, and youth culture.

Unforgiven: This 1992 film had a stellar cast, including Gene Hackman, Morgan Freeman, the late Richard Harris, and Clint Eastwood, who also directed the film. It won four Oscars, including Best Director and Best Picture. So, now that I've said all of that, I have to say that I really wasn't crazy about this film. It's one of those where you just watch and keep trying to get into it, but it never happens. The film centers around Eastwood's character, an aging gunslinger named William Munny who is hired for one last job, to avenge a prostitute who is savagely attacked by a couple of cowboys. That's really all I retained from this film. Who knows? I maybe just wasn't in the right frame of mind to properly enjoy it, but I gotta say, I wouldn't see it again.

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?: Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor are phenomenal in this 1966 film based on the Edward Albee play of the same title. Playing an aging, sarcastic college professor named George and his boozy, snide wife Martha, Burton and Taylor play off each other like a couple of professional boxers...and I have to say, I felt pretty beat up after watching the events of their night unfold. George and Martha decide to have a new professor and his wife over for a pleasant evening of conversation and cocktails (mostly cocktails....okay, lots and lots of cocktails! This movie is practically drenched with scotch as the characters drink their way through George and Martha's cutting back-and-forth remarks, shouting matches, slamming doors, and even physical fights). Their poisonous personalities soon start to infect their poor sweet and bewildered guests, and sadly, they are soon sucked into this tornado of repressed anger, unrealized dreams, and painful memories. By the end of it, the guests are swoony and unstable from all the alcohol and events of the evening and you find yourself feeling the same way as well. The cast consists of only four people, but they are all wonderful, and Burton and Taylor are just brilliant. The dialogue alone is worth quoting: "Martha, in my mind you're buried in cement right up to the neck. No, up to the nose, it's much quieter."

Raiders of the Lost Ark: This was the film that launched the Indiana Jones franchise, and for many, was the best of the bunch, since it teamed up Steven Spielberg and George Lucas (plus a damn fine-looking Harrison Ford!) There's so much going on in this film, its kind of impossible to summarize, but even though this movie was made 27 years ago (can you believe it!?) its still a lot of fun to watch. I have to say that I'm kind of surprised this film is only rated PG, because its got quite a bit of scary stuff in it, even though it may look "cheesy" by today's standards (like the horribly bad wax figure of a dead Alfred Molina in the opening scenes - hah!). But there is tons of action, snappy dialogue, and some great comedic moments...my favorite has to be the scene in the open market with Ford and a villian wielding a rather large sword - see it - I'm not going to say any more!

Next in my queue: Network, Cabaret, American Graffiti

This weekend's live music

FRIDAY, APRIL 11
Bedford
Slammers: Rusty Cadillacs

Boscawen
Alan’s: Randy Arrant

Concord
Barley House: Jah Spirit
Green Martini: Andy Cohen
Pit Road: The Grind

Dover
Brick House: Red Rooster and Street Credit
Kelley’s Row: Tim Mathews

Londonderry
Tupelo: Sonny Landreth
Whippersnappers: Stu Sinclair & Never in Vegas

Manchester
Black Brimmer: TigerLily
Derryfield: One Fine Mess
Fratello’s: Marc Apostolides
Milly’s: The World Series, Bloodshed Unreal, Dent The Crown, Me vs. Me, Chapter Fifty and Candy Striper Death Orgy
Murphy’s Taproom: Day Janerio
Piccola: Tim Cannon
Strange Brew: Rhythm Mechanics

Merrimack
Buckley’s: TJ Wheeler Trio

Nashua
Cattleman’s: Hanover Fist
Fody’s: Tracy Crown Affair
Jasmine: Mario Perrett
Michael Timothy: Chris McDermott
Killarney’s: Karen Grenier
Peddler’s Daughter: The Press
Sky Lounge: Last Kid Picked

New Boston
Mad Matty’s: Forge

Newmarket
Stone Church: The Mystix, Hoots & Hellmouth

Plaistow
Sad Cafe: This Is How Rumors Get Started, Saito, Nothing To No One, Kascade and Life On Hold

Portsmouth
Blue Mermaid: The Chevy Cheyennes
Dolphin Striker: The Porch Rockers
Press Room: Roy Davis and The Dregs
Red Door: Rolland Ess

Suncook
Ground Zero: Silence in Shadows, A Better Fall, Fire Takes the Sky and Spirals



SATURDAY, APRIL 12
Bedford
Slammers: Rusty Cadillacs

Concord
Barley House: Amorphous Band
Green Martini: Marc Broder
Pit Road: Trip Wire

Dover
Barley Pub: Hot Day at the Zoo w/ The Verbs
Brick House: Gary Hoey and Rude Toys

Londonderry
Tupelo: The Fools
Whippersnappers: RIPT

Manchester
Black Brimmer: TigerLily
Derryfield: Chad LaMarsh
Fratello’s: Marc Apostolides
Milly’s: The Tom Dixon Band and Mindset X
Murphy’s Taproom: Aaron Seibert
Piccola: Too Late for Therapy
Shaskeen: Tom Deniston & Friends
Strange Brew: Racky Thomas

Nashua
Fody’s: B Street Blues
Jasmine: Four on the Floor
Killarney’s: Karen Grenier
Peddler’s Daughter: Best Not Broken
Sky Lounge: Jimmy’s Down

Newmarket
Stone Church: Papa Grows Funk

Plaistow
Sad Cafe: The Moneymakers, Headtrain, Planetarium, MELVA, and Sandalwood

Portsmouth
Blue Mermaid: Of the Many
Boubon’s: Totaro w/ Route 44
Dolphin Striker: Crazy Maggy
Press Room: The Serfs
Red Door: Tym Ryan

Suncook
Ground Zero: Hollywoodlies, The Hanks and The Coming Week



SUNDAY, APRIL 13
Concord
Hermanos: State Street Combo

Goffstown
Villiage Trestle: Wan-tu Blues Band

Manchester
Milly’s: Battle of the Bands featuring Dead Rising, Absently Minded, Clairvoyance, From the Shadows and Heretic Hybrid
Shaskeen: The Spain Brothers and Friends

Nashua
Michael Timothy’s: TJ Wheeler

Newmarket
Stone Church: Kevin Burke

Portsmouth
Dolphin Striker: Lucy Wainwrite Roche and Audrey Ryan
Press Room: Stephen Guerra & The University of Miami Horns
Red Door: The Pharohs

Tonight's shows including a Teenage Hooker Factory benefit... just wait, that phrase will make sense in a minute.

Happy Thursday, all my 18 Milers! Well, you know spring is finally in New Hampshire when all the local factory workers and soccer moms with license plates that say stuff like "MAMABER" are all ordering iced coffees at the local drive-thru coffee chains and you can finally again see that broken pencil in your parking lot that's been under six-inches of solid ice....kind of like the swimming pool scene in Poltergeist....all of these buried things starting to surface again. Except, you know, no dead bodies :)

Alright, well I'm not here to chat about the weather, I know you guys want your live music fix for tonight and I've got some great ones! There is one in particular I want to tell you guys about, since its a show for a great cause. Manchester band Teenage Hooker Factory, along with MegaBeast, The Isolated Sequence, and Mothers Virus will play a benefit concert at Milly's Tavern in Manchester tonight at 9:00 p.m. to raise money for the victims of the Pearl Street Apartment Fire. For those of you who don't know, on April 1st, a huge four-alarm fire destroyed an apartment complex at 88 Pearl Street, leaving nearly 100 people homeless. Though, thankfully, no one was injured, many were left with nothing. The show is only $5 and is 21+. Come help out these residents and hear some great live music too. Plus, you gotta love this Howard the Duck poster they've done up for the event!

Here's the rest of the live music lineup happening around the state tonight:

Tilton
6:30 PM - Jim Tyrrell (Olive Branch Tavern)

Nashua
6:30 PM - Ricky Lauria with Lee Whalen (Speakers Corner at The Crowne Plaza)

Northwood
7:00 PM - Benjammin' with special guest Keith Monacchio (Lake Shore Farm)

Manchester
8:00 PM - Christopher James (Tee Shirt Bodega -free show)
8:00 PM - Cogent, Easton Legacy, and Drop Down (The Last Chapter Pub at SNHU -free show)
9:30 PM - Chad LaMarsh (Murphy's Tap Room)

The Peterborough Players 2008 summer season announced

The Peterborough Players announced its 75th Anniversary season of plays to be produced at its historic theatre on Hadley Road. Season highlights include the return of James Whitmore Senior and Junior, two Pulitzer Prize winners, a legendary catcher, 3 British comedies, a timeless poet and, for the second year, a seventh show in the mainstage season. There will also be two shows for young audiences that will be produced and performed by the Players Second Company of interns and apprentices. There are also a number of 75th Anniversary events throughout the summer including: A Family/Children’s day July 12th, Players Alumni Weekend August 1 – 3, and a kickoff Cabaret with Lucie Arnaz on May 17th.

NOBODY DON'T LIKE YOGI (June 18-19)
One-man show by Thomas Lysaght.

STONES IN HIS POCKETS (July 2-13)
A comedy written by Marie Jones. Set in a small village in rural Ireland where a major Hollywood studio is making a mega-hit film, the play centers on two down and out Irishmen, happy to be making 40 pounds a day as extras.

PRIVATE LIVES (July 16-27)
A classic Noel Coward comedy of bad manners, dry humor and quicksilver sparring that is both daringly hilarious and elegantly sexy.

AN IDEAL HUSBAND (July 30-August 10)
This show is a dazzling blend of comedy and morality, sex and politics, which explores human frailty and social hypocrisy and uses Oscar Wilde’s signature wit and style to provide all the sumptuous elegance you come to expect.

OUR TOWN (August 13-31)
James Whitmore (The Shawshank Redemption, The Majestic, Kiss Me Kate, Oklahoma!),will reprise his role as the Stage Manager that dazzled Players audiences in 2000. Written by Thornton Wilder and inspired by his frequent stays in Peterborough as a MacDowell Colonist, this Pulitzer-Prize winning play has become an American stage treasure and is Wilder’s (not to mention the Players’) most renowned and frequently performed play.

DOUBT: A PARABLE (September 3-14)
This drama by John Patrick Shanley, is set at a Bronx Catholic School, and tells the story of a strong-minded nun who wrestles with her conscience in the face of concerns about one of the priests.

THE BELLE OF AMHERST (September 17-28)
In this Tony Award-winning one-woman show, William Luce draws heavily on the poems, letters and first hand accounts of Emily Dickinson to create a play that is an inspiring, poignant and truthful biography of one of America’s greatest literary women. Academy Award nominee, Lindsay Crouse, brings this production to Peterborough prior to a New York run.

The Peterborough Players is sponsored in part by the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation – Monadnock Region, New England Foundation for the Arts, the Grimshaw-Gudewicz Charitable Foundation, and the A. Erland and Hazel N. Goyette Memorial Fund.

Season subscriptions are now on sale at the Players Box Office. For reservations and further information, call (603) 924-7585, or visit the Peterborough Players web site at www.peterboroughplayers.org.

Like a mystery?

The Red River Theatres of Concord will hold their "I Love A Mystery" film series this month that will feature four classic mystery films: Green for Danger, The Spiral Staircase, The Kennel Murder Case, and Witness for the Prosecution. Snacks each evening will be sponsored by Margaritas Restaurant. You can purchase tickets at Red River Theatres or on their website. Here's the schedule:

April 8-10 (7:00 p.m.) GREEN FOR DANGER (1946)

During the German doodlebug raids of 1944, a double murder is committed at an emergency hospital on the outskirts of London. Scotland Yard Inspector Cockrill is dispatched to the scene to solve the crimes.

April 15-17 (7:00 p.m.) THE SPIRAL STAIRCASE (1946)

A quaint New England town is terrorized by a sinister killer of handicapped women. Young Helen is a servant for an affluent family. She has been mute since witnessing her parents perish in a fire. Will she be the next victim?

April 22-24 (7:00 p.m.) THE KENNEL MURDER CASE (1933)

A dead man is found in a room where all the windows are locked and the only door is securely bolted from the inside. The police call it suicide. Enter private detective Philo Vance. He thinks it's murder and believes there are seven potential suspects.

April 29-May 1 (7:00 p.m.) WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION (1957)

A convalescent London barrister is persuaded to defend a likable American chap accused of murdering a rich old woman. One problem: the American's German wife provides his only alibi, but it turns out they're not legally married.

Evening with the NH Poet Laureate

On Monday, April 14, New Hampshire Poet Laureate Pat Fargnoli will give a free reading at 7:00 p.m. at the Weeks Memorial Library in Lancaster, NH. This event is part of National Poetry Month (yep, it's in April!) and is sponsored by the Arts Alliance of Northern New Hampshire and the NH Humanities Council. This is open to all!

Tonight's local show lineup

Afternoon all! I'm waiting for my friendly, local mechanic to fix the warped rotors on the trusty "18 Mile Mobile", so I figured it was a good time to give you guys the low-down on live shows happening tonight!


Londonderry
7:00 PM: The Gilmore Project, Michelle Ribeiro, and Liz Longley at Tupelo Music Hall. Cost is $5 for the performance.

Concord
8:00 PM: Samwise & Heer at The Green Martini (free show)

Keene
8:00 PM: The Great Groove Theory EF at the Lane Hotel

Meredith
8:30 PM: Jenny Goodspeed at Lago's

Manchester
9:00 PM: Jacques Raymond at Strange Brew Tavern
9:00 PM: Aaron Lewis, Special Ed & The Shortbus, and The Verbs at Milly's Tavern. Cost is $5.
9:30 PM: Chad LaMarsh at Murphy's Tap Room (solo acoustic performance)

Mail "the Mile!"

Got a New Hampshire band that you think I should hear, or a local writer, artist, filmmaker, haberdasher, or cross-eyed bagpiper you feel absolutely compelled to tell me about? Mail me at 18 Miles! Now, kids...."mail" is that old-fangled method of communication where you put something in an envelope and stick a stamp on it. Yeah, I know....weird, right? Well, it still works and I still love good snail mail, so go crazy! I want to hear from you guys, since you help keep this blog going!

Only a few caveats...nothing obscene, nothing perishable or flammable or illegal...and no crap spam mail. Any of that will be (as the British would say) chucked straight in the bin. :)

18 Miles
P.O. Box #717
Henniker, NH 03242

If snail mail isn't your thing, you can - as always - email me at 18milesnh@gmail.com!

Had to show this bit of snail mail I got - the sender was cool enough to put these awesome comic book stamps all over it!