A number of firsts occur this weekend, including the first concert in this year’s Prescott Park Arts Festival, the first show of 2018 at the Hackmatack Playhouse, and the first live performance by a new local band. Learn more about those and other events below.
Ani DiFranco, Melissa Etheridge
Two singer-songwriters/guitarists/activists/living legends are performing in Portsmouth this weekend. Ani DiFranco, who last year released her latest album, “Binary,” kicks off the River House Restaurant Concert Series at Prescott Park on Friday, June 15, at 7 p.m. There is a suggested donation of $8-$10. Melissa Etheridge, who in 2016 released her latest album, “Memphis Rock and Soul,” plays at The Music Hall on Sunday, June 17, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $55-$105, with backstage meet-and-greet passes available for $305-$655.
Lend Me a Tenor
The Hackmatack Playhouse in Berwick launches its 2018 summer season with a production of Ken Ludwig’s comedy “Lend Me a Tenor,” billed as “the funniest of modern farces.” The show runs in Hackmatack’s historic barn theater from June 15-30; show times are Wednesdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m., with matinees on June 21 and 28 at 2 p.m. Guests can arrive early to have a picnic and visit the buffalo herd. Tickets are $15-$30; learn more here.
2018 Juneteenth Celebration
The theme of the Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire’s 2018 Juneteenth Celebration is “Law and Order: An American Dilemma.” Among the highlights are a community dialogue, soul food, a black history tour, African drumming and dancing, and a retrospective African-American concert. It happens Saturday, June 16, beginning at 10:30 a.m., with most events taking place at the Middle Street Baptist Church in Portsmouth. There’s a $20 suggested donation for the day and evening events; learn more here.
Novel / Novella and Friends
Two of the Seacoast’s most admired musicians have joined forces to form a superb new duo that has released two singles, and they’re playing their first live show this weekend. Novel / Novella, a mesmerizing experimental project consisting of vocalist Taylor O’Donnell and multi-instrumentalist Nick Phaneuf, performs at the Dover Brick House on Saturday, June 16, at 8 p.m. Joining them are Buffalo, N.Y.-based band The Tins and Andover, Mass.-based trio Powdeer. For more information, click here.
Seacoast Food Truck & Craft Beer Fest
Food Truck Festivals of America presented the first Seacoast Food Truck & Craft Beer Festival last year, and it returns to downtown Somersworth for a second round on Sunday, June 17, from 12-5 p.m. (with a VIP hour starting at 11 a.m.). Food trucks from around New Hampshire will serve up dishes, and craft brews will be available for purchase. There will also be live music, an artisan market, and lawn games. Tickets are $25-$30; learn more here.
For a full calendar of local events, click here.