SO MUCH GOOD STUFF, UPPER VALLEY!
Friday
The Occasional Jug Band at the Howe Library. Mary Jo Slattery, Andy Stewart, and Joseph Stallsmith bring jug band classics, American roots music, and fiddle and Cajun tunes to the New Books area. Plus a washboard, kazoos, and even a jug. 3:30 pm.
The Sharon Academy Middle School carnival and circus. For the past two decades, clown, director, and all-around circus mastermind Troy Wunderle has been setting up shop at TSA to teach circus skills and guide students in creating their own show—this year, a family vacation on a cruise to the Bahamas. Things get going at 6 pm Friday with the carnival—with games, a raffle, and more—and then the show begins at 7 pm. Saturday: carnival at 3 pm, show at 4 pm.
Writers Read at the Chelsea Public Library. The third of four monthly events, it’s an open mic gathering for writers “to share their work in front of an appreciative audience. All genres welcome! We've had poetry, songwriting, personal essays, science fiction, and more…” 6:30 pm.
Montshire After Dark. It’s the last After Dark of the season, dedicated to the theme Silly Robots. Try out robotic bees, Wonderful Idea Co.’s roly-poly rollers, and a wall-crawling drawing bot. “Bring yourself, a date, a buddy, or a group, for this adults-only night.” Ages 21+ only—with dinner and drinks from Brownsville Butcher & Pantry. 6:30 pm, but you’ll need to register by 4 pm Friday.
Lebanon High’s Wet Paint Players open Clue (High School Edition) at Lebanon Opera House. “Six houseguests investigate numerous murders whilst trapped within Boddy Manor, attempting to clear their names and escape a mystery blackmailer. This fast-paced comedy, directed by Northern Stage’s Lily Easter, explores secret passages and hidden motives before the body count rises.” Also: rope, lead pipe, wrench… 7 pm Friday, 1 pm and 7 pm Saturday.
Pentangle Arts hosts Gamelan Sulukala: Indonesian & American Music for Javanese Gamelan. It’s a rare concert performance outside their central VT home base: court-style Javanese Gamelan with 650 square feet of gongs, small melodic kettles, xylophone-type instruments, flutes, and drums played by a community group of 14 members who range in age from their 20's to their 70's. 7 pm at Woodstock’s Town Hall Theatre.
The Anonymous Coffeehouse at the First Congregational Church of Lebanon. Things get going at 7:30 pm with the return of Dubuque, IA singer-songwriter River Glen; at 8, NYC’s Rupert Wates takes the stage with his original songs and fingerstyle guitar-playing; and at 9 pm, it’s Crowes Pasture (Bostonians Andy Rogovin and Monique Byrne) with two-part singing and banjo/guitar accompaniment.
Dirty Cello at Court Street Arts. The San Francisco-based touring band is known for its improvisational sets and storytelling, led by cellist and vocalist Rebecca Roudman—who began as a classical cellist but has moved on: “It’s very high energy, blues and rock, with a little bit of Americana and bluegrass thrown in,” she says. 7:30 pm in Haverhill’s Alumni Hall.
A night of standup comedy at Bright Side Brewing in Lebanon. Hosted by Aaron Richter, it’ll feature NH’s Joe Nahme—a regular at the NY Comedy Club—as well as Mike Harrington. 8 pm.
RJ McCarty at Sawtooth Kitchen in Hanover. The multi-instrumentalist writes that he “draws inspiration from the flowing, playful vocals of Van Morrison, to the deep-rooted, soulful dirt and heart of Sister Rosetta Tharpe.” 9 pm.
Saturday
Upper Valley Land Trust maple sugaring workshop at Brackett Brook Farm in Orford. Farm owner Harry Pease will start things off with a boiling demonstration at the sugarhouse and talk about the sugaring process and history of the farm. Then he and UVLT staff will lead a tour of the sugarbush to talk tree identification, selection, tapping, and more. 2-4 pm, 8 Pease Drive.
10th Annual Thetford Hill Church Extravaganza. This year’s version of the annual event at the church facing the Thetford Hill green will feature Charlie Buttrey and Lola Alsup as emcees, with performances by the VTones, FCCT Choir, The Barn Band, Thetford Academy Singers, the Teccas, The Greenoughs, Nacio Levey, Cam Cross, Dick McCormack, and others. A “huge sweet/savory dessert buffet after the show.” Proceeds support the church’s maintenance and care and its community work. 6:30 pm.
Mercedes Escobar at Roots and Wings. The Boston-based guitarist and blues singer grew up in Guatemala, went to Berklee, and is a Club Passim Fellow. Her vocals “swing from guttural growls to the haunting sweetness of Latin divas of old, while her guitar weaves American fingerpicking with Latin rhythms. She calls this ‘Latin Americana.’” 7 pm at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Upper Valley in Norwich.
The Garifuna Collective at the Chandler. The Belize-based musical group that came together around the making of Andy Palacio's hit 2007 album, Wátina, is on a 20th anniversary tour, with its accomplished musicians showcasing their deep well of Garifuna songs and culture. 7 pm.
Anne Lamott and Neal Allen at Spruce Peak. Yep, it’s a drive to Stowe, but it’s not like the Marin County writer and her husband get out here much. Though they’ll no doubt be talking about some of the issues Lamott’s famous for tackling head on—“Alcoholism, Motherhood, Jesus,” as Spruce Peak’s publicity puts it—it’s a good bet they’ll also be talking about their new jointly written book, Good Writing: 36 Ways to Improve Your Sentences. 7 pm.
AM Gold Yacht Rock at the Claremont Opera House. The NYC-based group “performs all the #1 hits from 1975–1985, including music by Hall & Oates, Michael McDonald, Toto, Christopher Cross, Steely Dan, Kenny Loggins, and more,” along with one-hit wonders of the era like Brandy and Escape (The Piña Colada Song). Sit back, relax, and… 7:30 pm.
The Party Crashers at Sawtooth Kitchen. The local six-piece Motown-to-modern-pop party/dance band works hard to keep you on the dance floor. 8 pm.
Sunday
Haydn’s The Seven Last Words of Christ at the Norwich Congregational Church. It’s been a tradition in VT for three decades: First organized in 1991 by the late violinist Bert Francke, an octet has performed this piece in two different Vermont towns every Holy Week since then except during the pandemic. This year in Norwich on Sunday and in Stowe next Friday, with singers Martha Peck (soprano), Cara Hill (alto), Brian Clancy (tenor), Jose Schmidt (bass) and violinists Susan Janes and Ann Kowalski, violist Bill Pierson, and cellist Melissa Perley. 4 pm.
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