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Get out

I am pleased to see Prescott Park Arts Festival, Pro-Portsmouth, the Wire and others like Chris Greiner and Denise Wheeler working so hard to get music out of doors this summer.

Last year it started with the Summer in the Streets series, sponsored by Pro-Portsmouth. Although a certain Portsmouth City Councilor was concerned the event would hurt the little ears of dogs happening by, thankfully, the event was allowed to continue this year.

On Saturday July 8, Jonathan Blakeslee (brother of prolific song writer Dan) and his trio will kick off the weekly event. Dan Blakeslee is also on the bill and is expected to play a song or two with his brother. Future acts throughout July and August include Roundhouse, The Molenes and Banjo, Bones and Ballads: an Eagles Tribute Band. (I bet you $10 there will be at least three dudes at that show with pony tails ... that aren’t in the band.) Shows start at 5:30 p.m.

I caught Jonathan Blakeslee and his trio a few weeks ago while they were playing at another outdoor music series. Artspace Concerts happen every Thursday from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Vaughn Mall (by Subways and the Water Monkey). The low key stage and quiet, shaddy walk way is a pleasant place to catch a few minutes of music to and from where every you go on Thursdays. Tonight, the Artspace Concert features Michelle Moon, Dave Hunter and The Molenes. On July 6, Amos Clapp and Kristen Miller will attempt to play if the rain holds off and future artists include Nate Doyle, Cara Connolly and Phil Bell.

This weekend marks the mother load of all concert series in downtown Portsmouth, Freedom Rocks! which touts itself as “the biggest, most patriotic concert of the year.” On July 3, starting at 2 p.m., acts like the Texas Governor, Jason Anderson, Melvin Taylor and his fabulous Meltones, The Minus Scale, Laurel Brauns, Dan Blakeslee, Dave Talmage and Mini Jacket will perform on the Prescott Park stage. There will be a break for the fireworks and a second act that runs until 11 p.m. Bring your blanket, but remember, the park does not allow booze so you may want to pre-game elsewhere.

The final out door event I wanted to mention is the recently announced Busk ‘till Dusk, presented by the newly formed Street smART and the Wire. Up to 70 musicians and performers will be at 10 locations throughout downtown on Saturday Sept. 22. There are satill spaces left for performers. Go to the link above to sign up.

When I went to the features editor to ask about other outdoor festivals, I was bombarded with a long list of out of town outdoor shows. Here are two upcoming events.

Tonight, Percy Hill will play at the Seacoast Science Center at 6 p.m. $8 for general public $4 for members, free for kids. Call 436-8043 for info.
On Sunday, Elroy will be playing from 4 p.m. at the Hamilton House in South Berwick. Cover is $4 to $8. For info, call 207-384-2454.

Posted by blamontagne at 03:26 PM | Comments (1)

Local beer

I often forget that Red Hook is out there. I see the giant red and yellow sign as I head north along the Spaulding Turnpike. I pass the behemoth of a building each time I go to Pease. I've even been inside a few times for a pint, a show, to cover a news event.

This year marks Red Hook's 10th anniversary in Portsmouth and although I can't seem to find any clue of a birthday celebration planned, I thought this might be a good chance to revisit what actually goes on in the Seacoast's largest brewery.

On June 24, the Red Hook will host a free Endless Summer party, cosponsored by Kittery Trading Post. Outside in their giant deck tent, the brewery will show the Oakley-produced surf film, Separate Volume followed by a performance from the area's favorite hip-hop/funk group The Press.

The event starts at 8 p.m., is 21+ and will happen rain or shine.

The following day, June 25, Red Hook will host the second annual Seacoast Concert for a Cure to benefit breast cancer research and other organizations that help families cope with the disease. I covered this last year in the news section and I have to say it was one of the most fun, inspirational fundraisers I've ever attended. The women, despite what they had been through, seemed so energetic and eager to help others who are now dealing with breast cancer. Plus there was a ton of great food thanks to the Meat House and of course, Red Hook beer.

The lineup this year includes Assembly of Dust, Pondering Judd, deSol, Bellevue Cadillac and Tom Richter.

This is an all-ages event, starting at 12:30 p.m. and running until 7 p.m., again, rain or shine.

Finally, for those of you who haven't been on a Red Hook Brewery tour, get off your lazy backside, call your friends and tell them to get ready to drink.

For $1 per person (that's right, one measly dollar) you get the tour of the plant, a free sampling glass and "3-4 samples of beer." I'm sure it depends who's running the tour and how into drinking the rest of the tourists are, but when I went a few years ago, it seemed like a lot more than just 3-4 samples. Let's just say by the time the tour was over, I was good friends with everyone, including the mid-50s couple from Georgia.

Tours are as follows:

June 1 through Aug. 31
Mon.-Fri. 2 p.m.
Sat. and Sun. 12, 1, 2, 3, 4 p.m.

Sept. 1 through May 31
Mon. Through Fri. 2 p.m.
Sat. and Sun. 2 and 4 p.m.

For more info, visit www.redhook.com

Posted by blamontagne at 10:20 AM | Comments (0)

When orginality fails, just borrow

I meant to put this up last week, but I got carried away with the Maine primary elections, graduation and all the other exciting thing that were going on in the area.

This one I snagged from King Fu Mike. I don't think he will care if I repost it if I give him a plug. Anyway, for those cynics and curmudgeons who nearly went insane last Saturday with all the Market Square Day vendors clogging the streets and the hoards of people enjoying themselves besides the rain, this revamped logo is for you.

Posted by blamontagne at 04:54 PM | Comments (1)

Thumbs up

Has anyone checked out the Sports Page's MySpace page. I cannot believe how many psuedo-porn star "friends" this bar has. It's quite amazing how many hot chicks are on this thing. It makes you wonder -- if they know so many beautiful girls why are there are so few at the Sports Page on a Saturday night (waitstaff excluded of course). Maybe it's because these women all live in Orange County, CA.

Posted by blamontagne at 04:21 PM | Comments (3)

Too political? That's scary.

While I was tempted to write about Market Square Day or the Coat of Arms' early opening on Saturday to show the England v Portugal World Cup game, I had to write about the Portsmouth City Council's closed-minded decision to ask the Portsmouth Halloween Parade organizers to tone down the political rhetoric during this year's event.

The main reason for this censorship? The oldest, weakest, lamest rationalization of all...

We have to protect the children.

The parade should be family-friendly, said the council. If there are to be crazy peace-niks wandering around the street of Portsmouth wearing Dick Cheney in handcuffs costumes, parents should know ahead of time so they don't have to expose their kids to such horrors.

Whether you agree with the politically themed costumes or not, they still deserve the right to be there. Anyone who's ever been to past parades will know that these disguises pop up every year. Whether it's the suit-wearing Saddam Hussein waving the victory sign like Tricky Dick or the Friday afternoon world peace crew waving their signs about war crimes, there is always someone who feels the parade offers them a chance to make a statement.

That's one of the things I love about the parade. For a few hours on a cool October night, you can become someone completely different and say exactly what's on your mind without fear of judgment or repercussion. It's no surprise that the Portsmouth leadership, which continually thinks of ways to keep this town squeaky clean, is now trying to "clean up" the political rhetoric at the Portsmouth Halloween Parade.

While I have yet to contact parade organizers to get a reaction, I would think one issue that will need to be addressed is the free-for-all atmosphere of the event. If you want to join in, you show up to the poorly lit Mill Pond parking lot, and after socializing for an hour or two, get in line and start marching. There's no one inspecting costumes or keeping people in order. Doing so would defeat the purpose of the parade -- "to provide a creative and inclusive alternative to contemporary Halloween."

If you'd like to let the council know how you feel about the parade, you can get in touch with them here.

Posted by blamontagne at 12:35 PM | Comments (0)

Let's move on to something a little more interesting

My, my, my. I had no idea my opinions (and apparently my typos?) could muster such vitriolic comments. I haven't had this much talk about me on Myspace since the last time I was single! Well, I guess it's nice to know someone out there is reading this thing and I'm not just composing boring, untalented tripe for my three friends.

Having come back from vacation well rested and more appreciative of New England weather, I was pleased to find the Music Hall released it's summer movie schedule.

I was especially excited to see the Muppet Movie early on the line-up, though this flick doesn't compare in the least to the scene in the Great Muppet Caper where Miss Piggy flies through the stained glass window on a motorcycle to thwart the diamond thieves. Pure cinematic genius.

There are the bigger movies most of us wanted to see but were too wary of giving money to the mall, like Syriana, Trans America and Thank You for Not Smoking. Then there are those set to come out that look good, funny, interesting, like Art School Confidential and An Inconvenient Truth, but make you feel a little nerdy when ordering the tickets after a pack of 17-year-olds purchased passes to Stick It. Then there are the films that make the Summer Movie Series an asset to this tiny city. Those relatively unknown flicks and foreign films, like Kinky Boots, l'enfant, and I Am Cuba, which challenge us Seacoastians to break out of our isolated bubble and experience something different for and hour or two.

My must-see list includes the documentary, Why We Fight, which takes a critical look at the American military-industrial complex, the Notorious Betty Page, which details the light-bondage career of this 1950s dirty pin-up girl, and Neil Young: Heart of Gold, which needs no explanation.

Tickets may be purchased before the show, $8 for adults, $6 for students, seniors and military, or you could invest in a seasons pass "Golden Ticket" for a measly $300. (They say you'll save over $2,000.)

Posted by blamontagne at 11:37 AM | Comments (5)