It’s OK to go a little wild in winter. So enjoy some live music, theater, comedy, and wildlife this weekend.
Winter Wildlife at The Word Barn
Meet some local owl and raptor species up close and learn about their amazing adaptations and ecology — and how you can help them. Tailwinds educators will be at The Word Barn in Exeter with some live birds on Friday from 5:30-6:30 p.m. Tickets are $25 (free for kids 10 and under), which includes a beer or cider. Learn more here.
Truffle at Newburyport Brewing Co.
Local band Truffle has now been in the business for 37 years, and they’ve shown no signs of slowing down. The New Orleans-tinged funk and soul band will keep doing what it does best in 2023, including when they return to the Newburyport Brewing Co. on Friday from 6-9 p.m. Live music and beer! Tickets are $10. Learn more here.
‘Is Edward Snowden Single?’ at the Ring
The Players’ Ring’s first production of the year is a “wild, party-fueled romp” about a pair of hot-mess millennial friends. Kate Cortesi’s “Is Edward Snowden Single” is on stage in Portsmouth Jan. 13-29; show times are Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m., and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $24-$27. Learn more here.
Paul Nardizzi at McCue’s Comedy Club
Boston-based comic Paul Nardizzi is a past winner of both the Boston Comedy Festival and HBO’s U.S. Comedy and Arts Festival, and he’s appeared on “Late Night with Conan O’Brien,” among other TV programs. He’ll join host Liam Hales at McCue’s Comedy Club in Portsmouth on Friday from 8-9:30 p.m. Tickets are $20. Learn more here.
Live music at The Stone Church
Club d’Elf has been spreading its blend of traditional Moroccan music and electronic, dubbed-out funk for 25 years, and they’ll celebrate the anniversary with a winter tour that begins at The Stone Church in Newmarket with guest Fiveighthirteen on Friday from 8-11 p.m. ($15). Then, on Saturday at 9 p.m., Portland-based tribute act A Band Beyond Description returns to the Church to perform a set of Grateful Dead songs ($12). Learn more here.
‘On Golden Pond’ at the Seacoast Rep
Based on the movie of the same name, Ernest Thompson’s “On Golden Pond” is on stage at the Seacoast Repertory Theatre through Jan. 21. Show times are Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays at 8 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m. And the Jan. 15 matinee includes a special bonus: Thompson himself will be in Portsmouth for a post-show Q&A and book signing for his debut novel, “The Book of Maps.” Tickets are $35-$60. Learn more here.
Jimmy Tingle at The Music Hall Lounge
Jimmy Tingle has been dubbed the Surgeon General of Political Humor. He’s worked on “60 Minutes II” and MSNBC, he’s appeared on “The Tonight Show” and “Late Night with Conan O’Brien,” and he had a cameo on “Veep.” He’ll be at The Music Hall Lounge in Portsmouth on Saturday from 5:30-7 p.m. Tickets are $30-$40. Learn more here.
Two shows at the Button Factory Stage
Local indie rock lives and thrives on the Button Factory Stage at WSCA Portsmouth Community Radio. Rick Rude headlines with guests The Burning Sun and Five Feet on Saturday. People Like You follows with openers Kill-Kennie Band and The 2000s on Sunday. Both concerts are from 8-11 p.m. Tickets to each are $10. Learn more here.
Emo Night at The Press Room
The White Belts’ show at The Press Room last month sold out, proving there’s still a strong appetite for emo music in Portsmouth. The band will return to play two sets of covers by New Found Glory, My Chemical Romance, Fall Out Boy, Jimmy Eat World, and others — plus a set from DJ Nick Grieco — on Saturday at 9 p.m. Learn more here.
PSO Brass Quintet at Jimmy’s
The Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra’s Up Close and Personal chamber music series returns to Jimmy’s Jazz & Blues Club in Portsmouth in 2023. First up, the PSO Brass Quintet will play works by Stephen Sondheim, Leonard Bernstein, Fats Waller, and George Gerswhin on Sunday, starting at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $90. Learn more here.
See the full calendar for more local events.