One more weekend before school starts and we roll into September! Here are some of the top area happenings.
Last weekend of ‘Godspell’
The Firehouse Center for the Arts’ outdoor summer series concludes this weekend with three more performances of “Godspell” at Smolak Farms in North Andover, Mass. Stephen Schwartz’s classic musical, in which a group of people helps share Jesus Christ’s parables through song, will be staged Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Tickets are by the pod, with one $50 ticket admitting up to four people. Learn more here.
Concerts at The Stone Church
Summer is winding down, but things are heating up at The Stone Church in Newmarket. On Friday, singer-songwriter King Kyote (above) plays his whiskey-soaked folk songs from 9-11 p.m. ($10). On Saturday, Grateful Dead tribute act a Band Beyond Description plays an early show from 3-5 p.m. and a late show from 6-9 p.m. ($20). And on Sunday, The Chickenshack Bluegrass Band brings its strings to the stage from 3-5 p.m. ($20). Get tickets here.
Shawn Mullins at Newburyport Brewing Co.
Singer-songwriter Shawn Mullins is best known for his late-’90s hit single “Lullaby,” which hit number one on the Adult Top 40 and was nominated for a Grammy. The alternative folk-rock star has continued touring and recording, now with 10 studio albums under his belt. He’ll play in the beer garden at the Newburyport Brewing Company on Saturday from 5-8 p.m., with support from acoustic rocker Steve Webb. Tickets are $30. Learn more here.
25th Annual Tommy Gallant Jazz Fest
The Prescott Park Arts Festival and Seacoast Jazz Society have assembled an all-star lineup for the 25th annual Tommy Gallant Jazz Festival in Portsmouth on Sunday from 12-9 p.m. Featured acts include the Seacoast Big Band with guests Sharon Jones and Trent Austin, the Taylor O’Donnell Trio, Soggy Po’ Boys, Mark Shilansky and David Thorn Scott, Rhythm Future Quartet, Giuseppe Paradiso & Meridien, and The Two Tuckers. Learn more here.
The Suitcase Junket at The Word Barn Meadow
Multi-instrumentalist and singer Matthew Lorenz, aka The Suitcase Junket, will play two concerts at The Word Barn Meadow in Exeter on Sunday, with an early show from 4-5:30 p.m. and a late show from 7-8:30 p.m. NPR World Cafe has called The Suitcase Junket “a master of musical imagination,” and The Boston Globe has said his sound lands somewhere between the Avett Brothers and Black Keys. Tickets are $25. Learn more here.
See the full calendar for more local events.