I Knew It Would Happen...

I got through almost an entire week with keeping it strictly New Hampshire related. This though is where I lose my credibility. Bear with me as I make the connections throughout this string of consciousness. Last night I saw one of the best live bands if not the best live band currently making relevant music, My Morning Jacket. These guys wail in every aspect, the vocals, the guitar, the drums, the bass, you can really find yourself tuning into each element during the show, true entertainers. If you want to check them out here is a set-list I put together from last nights show, I'm pretty sure all the songs are there, you can see by it's length that the show went on for 2:45 about with them taking a quick 5-10 minute break right after Touch Me I'm Going To Scream Pt. 2.



Here's a video of one of the songs... view it quick cause it might get taken down soon.



Now one of the things that made the show so great was the venue. Radio City is by far the best indoor venue I have ever seen a show at. The acoustics are unbelievable and the sound just flows rather than feeling forced out. So here's where I make the connection, in all my years of living in NH I didn't actually see many shows within the state, NH isn't really a state that bands are going to route tours through and there is a serious lack of venue outside of the big box arenas, like Manchester's Verizon Wireless Arena. Taking these out of the equation because frankly they don't offer too much in terms of a unique experience, that isn't to say they aren't good to see a show, because the bands you're going to see there know how to handle a venue like that and can put on a great show. Ok so onto to the kind of live music experience you're looking for in NH here is how I see it.

I'll preface quickly by saying I haven't been to many of these venues but if I were a booking agent these are the places I'd be looking at to give my band the chance to create a unique experience for the fans.

Starting off with the larger rooms because they're a little easier to quantify and package into a digestible opinion.

The Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom - Half of this venues appeal is it's location, sitting right on the Hampton Beach boardwalk for all sun bathers to see. The marquee just right out over the road so it'd be hard to miss who's paying. I've never even been indside the place but I know given everything around it it's an ideal place to play a show, friends I spoken with say that a show there is pretty good sound and lighting wise which makes it a total win for a band to rock out.


I already mentioned the Verizon Wireless Arena and unless you a big enough band to play there I'd steer clear of playing that size room. One really large venue that gives a pretty unique and fun experience is the Meadowbrook Pavilion. It's a really big place set right on a lake, there is the potential for two stages and so festivals could set up there and make sure the small bands get a crowd along with the big boys without feeling intimidated by the size of the large stage. These outdoor venues usually make for a great music experience.

The other kind of cool venue is when Red Hook has shows at their brewery in Portsmouth. They usually bring a different kind of concert strictly because it is a special occurance. The last one I heard was they had George Clinton and the P-Funk All-Stars, now that would be a different type of show. Plus I haven't even mentioned the best part, there is plenty of beer around to really 'enhance' the show.

Those are three large venues in NH, now here are three small venues that I've heard good things about or been to a show and liked what I heard.

The Dover Brick House - I always heard good things about this place, Dover is a city full of current and former UNH students so there will always be a crowd ready to rock if you can get them to the show. From what I''ve heard it's a pretty standard pub set up.

The Red Door - I've heard a couple people gush about seeing music here. It's a much more intimate setting, more catering to the singer/songwriter than the bar band. That difference in feel makes can translate into something really special if you're there.

The Sad Cafe - This is the place I'm most familiar with. I remember when it first opened and I have been there so many times. I had friends work there and bands names are still on the wall somewhere there (I hope they still do that). This place wanted to be the afterschool hangout for all the surrounding schools but it would always get a bad rap because there were strict no dancing during music (mosh pitting) mostly, and if you think about it most high school bands are trying to be the next metallica and not the next jack johnson so that became a problem from the early on. There are a couple of issues with the room that I've always had, the setup is kind of weird with the stage against the side wall and not against one of the end walls, it's just a personal preference. They've done some really cool stuff with recording all the sets live and then let the bands use that to sell at the next show.

So maybe it wasn't so obscure to start off the post about My Morning Jacket and find a way to tie in NH. If you're in the area and want to take in some music check out one of these venues, I can't guarentee the quality of music but I will do my best with my monthly music playlist to find those bands worth checking out.