We are so excited to be bringing the amazing, Ethiopian-born singer Meklit to The Music Hall Loft on Friday, January 17. Her unique sound has been likened to that of Nina Simone, Joan Armatrading and Tracy Chapman. This January she will be touring the East Coast en route from NYC, where she has been invited by the Association of Performing Arts Presenters (one of the country’s biggest performing arts conferences) to perform several shows around the city including Joe’s Pub and Winterjazzfest.Read More
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I’ve been a fan of Jocie Adams ever since I first heard her sing nearly four years ago, late one night in Austin, Texas. My brother-in-law had been raving about her former band, The Low Anthem—this was just before their sold out performance as part of Lincoln Center’s The American Songbook Series and their appearance on “Late Night with Letterman”— so I gave it a shot. The music I heard that evening was mesmerizing- layered harmonies, guitar, clarinet, keyboards, acoustic bass, and drums. Jocie’s voice has a beautiful, strange, and playful child-like quality that instantly draws you in to her orbit.
After following her career since that night in Austin, I can’t wait to hear Jocie again when she performs a special concert at The Music Hall Loft in Portsmouth, NH on Friday, December 6 as part of the Martingale Wharf Singer Songwriter Series. She’ll be in town showcasing her latest creative endeavor- Arc Iris.
With Arc Iris, Jocie’s musical landscape is layered with mariachi horns, acoustic bass, guitars, keyboard, and clarinet— a much more adventurous terrain from that of her Low Anthem fame. I caught up with her recently to talk about her music, her memories, and her new band.Read More
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October 8, 2013, Portsmouth, NH— Labor Day, starring Kate Winslet, Josh Brolin and Gattlin Griffith, is making its New England premiere as the opening night film at the New Hampshire Film Festival later this month. One of the most anticipated films to screen at the festival, Labor Day is based on the book by New Hampshire native Joyce Maynard, who will be in attendance at the festival. The film is directed by Jason Reitman, who also wrote the screenplay for the film, based on Maynard’s novel. Starring alongside Winslet and Brolin are Clark Gregg, J.K. Simmons, Brooke Smith, James Van Der Beek and Tobey Maguire. Labor Day opens in theaters on December 25.Read More
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There’s still time to spend a (deliciously cool) few hours with Frances, the idiosyncratic heroine of the hip indie flick, “Frances Ha”—you’ll come out smiling. Greta Gerwig, who co-wrote the movie with Noah Baumbach (“Greenberg,” Margot at the Wedding,” “The Squid and the Whale”) plays a scattered, sometimes awkward, occasionally annoying, but always true-to-herself 27-year-old would-be dancer. At the start of the movie, Frances is living in New York with her best friend from college, barely scraping by. The plot centers on friendship, not romance. I loved this refreshing take on coming-of-age; ditto for the black and white palette which allows a laser-like focus on Frances herself. The film reveals surprising layers of a character who ultimately shows admirable perseverance and integrity as she takes the leap into adulthood.
“Frances Ha” is at the Music Hall Historic Theater through Thursday, July 18. Tickets/Showtimes
Reviews:
The New Yorker - Richard Brody
The Guardian - Emma BrockesRead More
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Every spring for more than 20 years, local homeowners open their kitchen and dining spaces for The Music Hall’s always popular kitchen tour. This year, the tour is back in Portsmouth on May 4, 2013 to tour chic homes in the Mill Pond areas, allowing privileged peeks into some of the most dazzling, inspiring, and innovative kitchens in the region.
To get the inside scoop, I spoke with Dominique Jackson, Special Events Manager at The Music Hall:
RB: Sustainable design is a huge trend. How is it reflected in this year’s kitchens?
DJ: Several homes have green details in their kitchens, from energy efficient appliances to countertops made from recycled materials. One home is only 10 percent on the grid, with elements like solar heat that is stored in cement flooring and then slowly radiates back into the house. Sustainability is very important to The Music Hall, and we’re excited that these homes reflect initiatives we feel strongly about.Read More
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I love catching the big name acts that come to the Music Hall—who wouldn’t swoon to Al Green? But I get even more jazzed about seeing emerging talent push musical boundaries—known to music critics and fans but new to me—like the infectious, high-energy band David Wax Museum, who played to a sold-out house at the Loft on Sunday April 7.
And, as a writer, I hate to miss any of the Writers on a New England Stage or Writers in the Loft events. It’s fascinating to get a privileged peek inside the heads of these authors, each with a singular voice and point of view.
So it goes without saying that I’m excited about the expanded lineup of the Portsmouth Singer-Songwriter festival this year, starting with the Pulitzer prize-winning poet Paul Muldoon with his book The Word on the Street: Rock Lyrics on Wednesday, April 17; and ending with a double bill of Aimee Mann and Sharon Van Etten on Sunday, April 21. (All appendages crossed that Aimee and Sharon will decide to sing a song or two together for us. . .)Read More
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Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes came into Portsmouth with one goal in mind: to bring the New Jersey rock to The Music Hall. Southside Johnny, who is sometimes referred to as the “Godfather of the New Jersey sound,” started playing just after 9 p.m. to a massive roar of applause. For over an hour and a half, Johnny & the Asbury Jukes rocked the crowd filling the Music Hall almost to its entirety. The fans sang along and clapped to every song, including their hit “I Don’t Want To Go Home.” The band also added a personal touch to their performance, interacting with the crowd during the entire show. The rock ‘n’ roll that echoed through The Music Hall was nostalgic for many people in the crowd, bringing them back to earlier days when they listened to Southside Johnny (and similarly Bruce Springsteen). The fantastic performance by Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes was felt all throughout downtown Portsmouth – something that is always welcome.Read More
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Jared Diamond is one of America’s most celebrated scholars. His arrival at The Music Hall on January 17 coincides with the release of his latest work, The World Until Yesterday. Diamond is a Professor of Geography at UCLA whose groundbreaking work, Guns, Germs and Steel won the Pulitzer prize in 1997.Read More
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