12 minute read
Sounds of Summer
New Hampshire’s outdoor venues stay in tune with the season
By Emily Reily
The warm weather brings along the chance to break out of the seasonal indoor venue box, when fans customarily go shoulder to shoulder for the best spot in the general admission arena. New Hampshire’s outdoor music venues hold what larger cities lack — room to breathe, scenic, unique concert spaces in beautiful surroundings, and communities ready to welcome visitors taking in a show. And it doesn’t hurt that concertgoers can sidestep much of the parking and traffic tie-ups that other regions are known for.
Plenty of New Hampshire venues fit the bill: There are cozy, restored barns full of character; scenic views and art installations; and big-name rock star performance spots. With warm breezes brushing your cheek and good music wafting through the dewy air, there’s no better time of year to be here. Here’s some of our best outdoor music venues.
Word Barn & Meadow, Exeter
Located in a renovated farm building that dates to 1695, The Word Barn has been flying under the music radar since it opened in 2015.
In 2020, during COVID, when no one wanted to socialize in tight spaces, The Word Barn introduced its open air “meadow” as a safer alternative.
The Word Barn also focuses on community and local arts — one recent event was a mushroom ID workshop. Its live poetry and fiction readings spotlight new and upcoming artists, and they welcome live animal shows, standup comedy, theater camp for kids and even wellness activities.
The venue often hosts shows from the booking and production company Bright & Lyon Productions, who have worked with such established indie acts as The Tallest Man on Earth, Shakey Graves and Band of Horses, as well as local acts. Dead to the Core, a group of acoustic artists dedicated to the Grateful Dead, will bring new life to the barn.
Ben Anderson, co-creator of Bright & Lyon Productions, says their end of summer celebration will make headlines.
“We're launching our very own mini-festival here at the end of the summer, feature the Whiskey Treaty Roadshow, Ali McGuirk, Jamie McLean and a slew of other bands, along with food trucks and camping,” Anderson says.
Great Waters, Wolfeboro
Great Waters in Wolfeboro, home to the Great Waters Music Festival, is another multifaceted venue geared toward community enrichment. Deeply rooted in music, its late founder, Gerald Mack, conducted the Great Waters Festival Chorus and Orchestra.
With Lake Winnipesaukee as a backdrop, Great Waters began as an 800-person tented venue in 1995, and has evolved as its popularity increased.
In 2021, Great Waters partnered with the Castle Preservation Society to create a new tent space at Castle in the Clouds in Moultonborough, debuting with the “Concerts in the Clouds” series. The “Concerts in Town” series takes place at Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro.
Great Waters Executive Director Joan Myers says they’ve added an additional concert for each series.
“All of our shows are selling fast, and we are busy planning for and ensuring that our patrons continue to enjoy the very best experience at both our venues: intimate, high-quality performances, and community camaraderie,” Myers says.
Their summer lineup includes sets by The Docksiders, a yacht rock tribute group, and folk music legend Judy Collins on Aug. 3.
“We are so excited to have Judy Collins back. She performed for Great Waters way back in 1999 at Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro. We are also very pleased to have Belinda Davids, the quintessential Whitney Houston performer all the way from South Africa,” Myers says.
To share the power of music, the organization offers a scholarship program and educational outreach.
For its Street Piano Project, for example, brightly colored pianos are placed in various Wolfeboro locations, just begging to tinkered with, nurturing the musical soul in each of us.
The Range, Mason
The Range lives up to its name. This family-owned venue has an outdoor performance stage, driving range and tiki bar, in-house food offerings and 30 flavors of local ice cream, all within close proximity on 10 acres of land.
Nicole Ruggiero, who co-owns The Range with her dad, has been continuously adding new features since taking the helm in 2011.
“Every year we sink our money back into the business and just keep building it up and growing it, and that's just how much we believe in it,” Ruggiero says.
Originally known as a popular ice cream stand and driving range, Ruggiero made a tiki bar to diversify, then began booking acts.
Once the new model took off, The Range’s popularity grew.
“It has been a wild ride. We've had people drive eight hours to our venue to see a show,” Ruggiero says.
A general admission open-air venue with a 1,000-person capacity, The Range offers patio and VIP seating. An additional food truck and more parking has been added, and new glamping cabins are on tap for next year.
Ruggiero also wants to ensure their ticket pricing is as transparent as possible.
“We are really trying to focus on the customer experience from start to finish. I really want people to feel genuinely that we care and that we're a different experience,” Ruggiero says.
Shows range from country to jam bands to reggae to bluegrass, and even hip-hop shows and tribute acts, though Ruggiero says, “I try not to pigeonhole myself into specific genres.”
The “Garage Door” series features free live concerts shows with weekly themes — Taco Tuesdays; Cruise Nights on Thursdays; and BBQ and Blues on Sundays.
The return on the family’s investment has yielded unforgettable responses.
“People tell us, ‘Oh, this atmosphere is magical.’ You feel the vibes when you enter onto the property. We showcase artists, live painting and fire dancers. It's more of a miniature festival experience,” Ruggiero says.
The Farmstand, Tamworth
With a tagline like “Feel the Barn,” The Farmstand doesn’t take itself too seriously. This is a farm, a B&B, an organic food stand that presents intimate concerts with “lawn seats” just outside the barn door or on the lawn, and hosts weddings and special events. It’s also a place to get pure maple syrup in the spring. In the fall, they churn out about 200 gallons of apple cider from heirloom varieties.
“Our 1810-era barn only seats 80 lucky music fans, and then we sell lawn seats, and we have speakers for the folks outside,” says Kimball Packard, Farmstand owner and longtime artist manager who draws from his rich pool of music contacts to curate his concerts.
“We have some big names coming this summer, including Sonny Landreth with Cindy Cashdollar, Steve Forbert and Chris Smither, and Oscar and Tony winning author/songwriter Ernest Thompson,” Packard says.
These same artists also sing The Farmstand’s praises.
Packard says one musician, Rhett Miller, a solo artist who also performs with the country rock band Old 97’s, once told him: "There aren't many venues like this anywhere in the world.”
Northlands, Swanzey
With just a few summers under their belt, the independently owned Northlands – a music and arts venue and campground nestled in the Monadnock region at Cheshire Fairgrounds in Swanzey – has been making waves as a hot western New Hampshire landing zone for music fanatics.
Bands that have previously graced its stage include Dinosaur Jr., Lettuce, the Melvin Seals Grateful Revue, the String Cheese Incident – far too many to include here. Their Maple Barn is a recording and performance space, and a secondary “Campground Stage” offers room for even more acts.
Northlands features arts installations and campground wellness workshops, and places an emphasis on watching a show while staying sober. The organization is also improving the negative vibe that expansive music festivals often bring: The image of beer cans and red Solo cups strewn along a grassy field comes to mind.
In response, Northlands’ sustainability program includes a composting and recycling program that bans disposable cups and offers refillable water stations, a welcome sight during those hot summer festival days.
Its Music and Arts Festival is June 14-15, so grab your tickets early.
BankNH Pavilion, Gilford
The BankNH Pavilion in Gilford, near Lake Winnipesaukee, has a long history as an outdoor music amphitheater and a strong reputation as one of the premier spots in the state to catch world-class acts.
Originally opening in 1996 as Meadowbrook Farms, the Pavilion can seat about 9,000 fans, who can choose from spots underneath the pavilion, or under the stars. General admission lawn seats are also up for grabs.
One unique perk: Music fans who’d rather spend the night there instead of sit in stalled traffic can camp out overnight after the show, either in the woods or next to their cars on grass fields.
Their 2024 summer lineup brings a broad spectrum of music groups, everything from classic rock bands like ZZ Top, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Styx, to Dave Matthews Band, Third Eye Blind and New England’s homegrown, Boston-based alternative band The Pixies. This year, the ultimate summer surf rock band, The Beach Boys, will bring memories of California dreaming.
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FREE MUSIC UNDER THE STARS
You don’t need to spend money to enjoy good live music in New Hampshire this summer. Many cities and towns hold concerts on town greens or local meeting places. Children’s entertainment, big brass bands and genre-specific music festivals are all up for grabs throughout the Granite State. Pack a picnic lunch and a blanket and get there early for these budget-conscious summer outdoor music venues. Check town websites for guidelines. For additional listings, go to visitnh.gov/blog/ new-hampshire-live-and-in-concert
CANTERBURY
For the third year, Canterbury Shaker Village will host its annual Music on the Green concert series. 288 Shaker Road, Canterbury shakers.org/whats-on/music-onthe-green
CARROLL
Four free concerts take place through July and August at the Lynda Cohen Performing Arts Series at Crawford Notch. Registration is required. Park at the AMC Highland Center at Crawford Notch, U.S. 302, Carroll outdoors.org/events/lynda-cohenperforming-arts-series
EXETER
Thirty years strong, the summer concert series at Swasey Parkway takes place from June 20 to Aug. 8 from 6-8 p.m. at Swasey Parkway, 316 Water St., Exeter. exeternh.gov/recreation/2024summer-concerts-swasey-parkway
HAMPTON BEACH
The Sea Shell Stage at Hampton Beach holds nightly concerts from 7-8 p.m. and 8:30-9:30 p.m. through August. The stage also hosts a country music fest July 9-11, and an Irish festival and a polka festival in August. hamptonbeach.org/events/ sea-shell-stage-nightly-shows
LACONIA
Belknap Mill’s Arts in the Park concert series has performances begin Friday nights from 6-8 p.m. The Belknap Mill, 25 Beacon St. East, Laconia belknapmill.org/sock-hop
LEBANON
Lebanon Recreation and Parks offers Monday night concerts featuring a range of acoustic, brass and jazz bands; and the Front Porch Concert Series is Thursday nights at 6:30 at Colburn Park, 51 N. Park St. Rain location: First Congregational Church, 10 South Park St. lebanonnh.gov/345/SummerConcerts-Performances
MILFORD
The Milford Summer Concert Series’ kicks off its nine-week “Sounds on the Souhegan” series July 3. Concerts are Wednesday nights from 7-8:30 at either Emerson Park or The Stage at Keyes Park. milford.nh.gov/recreation/pages/ summer-concert-series
NASHUA
The Nashua Parks and Recreation Department holds its free weekly Summer Fun concert series at Greeley Park, 100 Concord St. Every Tuesday night at 7, the series will cover several genres, including oldies, R&B, classic rock and oldies. nashuanh.gov/546/SummerFun
NEW BOSTON
On select Tuesdays from 6-7:30 p.m., the town hosts its “Concert on the Common” summer concert series at the gazebo on New Boston Common. newbostonnh.gov/recreation/pages/ concert-common
PORTSMOUTH
Concerts at the Portsmouth Prescott Park Arts Festival’s River House Restaurant concert series are free, though a $15 donation is suggested. Concerts start at 7 p.m. at the Wilcox Main Stage in Prescott Park. prescottpark.org
