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Love Stories from The Lounge: "I saved you a seat."

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Spotlight on the Loft: A Conversation with Carlene Carter Interviews

Spotlight on the Loft: A Conversation with Carlene Carter

The intimate Loft on Congress Street has come to serve as the place to feature some of the very best in emerging and established artists from around the world. It is here where music lovers of all genres can spend an evening of discovery. Last year, Loft acts showcased the music of Ethiopian songstress Meklit, the quirky songs of Jocie Adams (formerly of the Low Anthem), Cumbia music from the Los Angeles based Latino group La Santa Cecilia, and the powerful blues guitar of Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band, among many others. Read More Read More
Show & Tell: Particle Fever Explore and Learn

Show & Tell: Particle Fever

Choosing which movie to see is often vexing. There are just more releases every month than an ordinary human being with an actual life can see. It’s a shame, but there it is. But sometimes it’s harder than usual. A month or so ago, as I was facing the task of choosing which movies to discuss in May, I had a couple of real posers. Last week, my choices were either Catherine Deneuve in On My Way or Nymphomaniac Vol. I. I chose the one with all the naked people in it because I wanted to keep up with what Lars von Trier is up to. But I knew that the Deneuve film would also be good. The choice for this week was equally difficult, given that I would rather watch movies in The Historic Theater. The Big Room was playing Enemy, an intellectually challenging thriller starring Jake Gyllenhaal. I like Jake, and I like thrillers. And yet, despite all that, I chose to head to The Loft to watch and discuss Particle Fever, a documentary about the Large Hadron Collider, the extremely large machine built in France and Switzerland to shoot very small bits of matter at one another at unimaginably high speeds in hopes of getting a glimpse of the Higgs Boson. Read More Read More
April NOW Magazine is out Print

April NOW Magazine is out

The April edition of NOW at The Music Hall is out. We’ve got a great lineup of live shows in April: from Jim Belushi to Feist; Swan Lake to P.J. O’Rourke. New shows on sale: The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band, Miss Richfield 1981 “Play with My Poodle”, La Santa Cecelia, Sing-a-long Sound of Music. Don’t miss Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story, Not to mention all the great films: Telluride by the Sea favorites The Invisible Woman and The Lunchbox; Wildcard Movies Babette’s Feast and Crash Reel. Read More Read More
Sweet Harmonies and Flying Fingers: Don’t Miss Arc Iris at The Loft Interviews

Sweet Harmonies and Flying Fingers: Don’t Miss Arc Iris at The Loft

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 Read More
Opera Connection: Tosca In Brief

Opera Connection: Tosca

The perfect way to start your day at the opera! Composer/cultural historian Dennis Neil Kleinman leads a lively, no-PHD-required discussion of Puccini’s masterful mixture of emotion and mayhem, Tosca, including its connections to Reality TV, My Fair Lady and James Bond.  To mark the 3rd anniversary of the Connection, Dennis will be giving away free movie tickets to all, plus a chance to win a backstage pass to meet author Doris Kearns Goodwin (“Team of Rivals”) when she appears as part of the Music Hall’s “Writers on a New England Stage” series on December 4.  A light - but tasty! - brunch is included with admission. When: Saturday, November 9 @ 11:30 am (just prior to the Met Broadcast) Where: Music Hall Loft Admission: $14 (includes light brunch) Tickets & Information: Opera Connection: Tosca Read More Read More
Social on the Seacoast: The Best Kept Secret in Town Specials

Social on the Seacoast: The Best Kept Secret in Town

Gift-giving fever is here. But it doesn’t have to be stressful. My epiphany about gift-giving happened last summer, when I was rushing around Portsmouth looking for a house gift for cousins who live in a Maine farmhouse. I like to match gifts to the recipients and was thinking about their personalities. Mary is an extrovert. Terry is an introvert. They are both intellectually curious and read The New York Times every day. I had recently heard Susan Cain’s fascinating talk about her book, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking at the Writers in the Loft series and it struck me: an autographed copy would be the perfect gift! I high-tailed it over to The Music Hall Box office to purchase a copy. I also bought them a box of Music Hall greeting cards so they could see highlights of the fabulous place I’m privileged to work for—and I could feel good about contributing a bit more to an independent arts organization that brings so much to the community. Read More Read More

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