Summer in the Seacoast means music. Lots of music. More music than anyone can handle. There are outdoor shows and indoor shows, concerts at the beach and in parks, and performances on sidewalks and on boats. With so many shows in such a variety of venues, music fans need to be prepared. To help, we’ve selected some of the shows we’re most looking forward to this summer, along with a brief guide to what you need to best enjoy the performance. Get your backpack ready and go out and have fun.
The Cocheco Arts Festival returns to Henry Law Park in Dover in July.
JUNE
Dan Mangan, June 5
The Music Hall Loft, Portsmouth
Canadian singer-songwriter Dan Mangan has relentlessly transformed himself since he recorded his first EP in 2003. Along the way, he’s earned two Juno Awards (think the Canadian Grammys) and a host of other accolades. Initially a solo acoustic performer, Mangan is now touring with his backing band, Blacksmith. Their latest album, “Club Meds,” sounds like Peter Gabriel and Calexico surfing a sweet wave of reverb.
What to bring: Your best friend who’s into indie rock, a Tim Hortons gift card.
Neko Case, June 17
Prescott Park Arts Festival, Portsmouth
The park kicks off its Wednesday night River House Restaurant Concert Series with musical shape-shifter Neko Case. The singer-songwriter has moved deftly from power-pop vocalist to country-noir torch singer to a sort of David Lynch-inspired rock shaman. Case’s songs tap into surreal dreams and celebrate the dark beauty of the natural world — the perfect fit for one of the Seacoast’s best outdoor concert series.
What to bring: Comfortable lawn chair, your spirit animal.
Colleen w/Nat Baldwin, June 25
3S Artspace, Portsmouth
Better known as Colleen, French musician Cécile Schott is constantly in search of new boundaries to push. In April, she released “Captain of None,” a melodic, fast-paced album that blends haunting vocals, nimble strings, and other-worldly production. Joining her is the Seacoast’s own Nat Baldwin, an avant-garde cartographer whose bass draws up emotional, immersive sonic landscapes.
What to bring: Flashlight, a map to get you back home.
Also in June: Bright & Lyon bring Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter John Fullbright to The Stone Church in Newmarket on June 4. Rusted Root celebrates their 25th anniversary and a new album, “The Movement,” at the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom on June 11. Techno-jazz-pop wizards Super Human Happiness are at The Press Room in Portsmouth on June 12. Psych-rock powerhouses Woods and Quilt are at 3S Artspace on June 17. Grammy-winning alt-country star Lucinda Williams hits The Music Hall in Portsmouth on June 21. British folk-rock icon Richard Thompson returns to Prescott Park on June 24. That same day, post-punk legends and Boston natives Mission of Burma come to 3S Artspace. Portsmouth’s Summer in the Street festival kicks off its 13th year on June 27. In Strafford, the Harmonium Music Festival celebrates its second year with headliners The Ballroom Thieves and local acts The Reconstructed and the Soggy Po’ Boys on June 13.
Woods will be at 3S Artspace June 17.
JULY
Saline Fiddlers Philharmonic, July 3
Hampton Beach Sea Shell Stage, Hampton
Don’t let this show’s proximity to the ocean fool you — The Saline Fiddlers Philharmonic have nothing to do with saltwater. The almost 30-piece all-string orchestra is made up of high school students from Saline, Mich. Since 1994, each class of fiddlers has toured the country, playing American folk, bluegrass, jazz, western swing, and Celtic music.
What to bring: Dancing sandals, a large autograph book.
Jumbo Circus Peanuts, July 9
Seacoast Science Center, Rye
Most indoor venues can barely contain the Jumbo Circus Peanuts. Their sound is so big and the dancing they inspire is so frenetic that keeping them inside often leads to minor structural damage (or at least some scuffed floors). It’s best to see them in their natural habitat — outside and near the ocean. Luckily, the Peanuts are playing as part of the Seacoast Science Center’s Music-by-the-Sea outdoor concert series this summer, so you can dance like no one but the seagulls are watching.
What to bring: Picnic blanket, Red Bull, sensible-yet-flashy shoes.
Sonny & The Sunsets w/ Sarah Bethe Nelson, July 23
The Press Room, Portsmouth
After a day at the beach, cap off your night with some laid-back West Coast beach-pop. If Jonathan Richman climbed into a ragtop convertible with a couple of doo-wop bands and hit the road for a beach-blanket bingo tour of America, the result would likely be Sonny & The Sunsets. It’s the perfect sound for summer nights you want to last forever.
What to bring: Pomade/hairspray, a Modern Lovers T-shirt.
Also in July: The Cocheco Arts Festival heats up Henry Law Park in Dover throughout July and August. Americana jam band The Kenny Brothers Band takes up a Wednesday night residency at Fury’s Publick House in Dover. Thao & The Get Down Stay Down bring catchy indie-pop to Prescott Park on July 8. Sojoy hits The Dance Hall in Kittery, Maine on July 24. House of Wolves, along with Boston’s Sarah Fard (of alt-jazz band Savoir Faire) and Seacoast favorites Tiger Saw take over The Red Door in Portsmouth on July 27.
Thao & The Get Down Stay Down hit Prescott Park July 8.
AUGUST
Lee Brice, Aug. 14
Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom, Hampton
