By MIKAYLA MINOR, Contributing Writer
Lead singer Isaac Brock of Modest Mouse performs at the Boston Calling Music Festival last spring. The festival runs this year May 22-24, and the lineup includes artists such as Tenacious D and Jungle.
Winter is in full swing at UNH but that does not mean there is any less for students to do. Many Wildcats find themselves with more down time during the winter months than the rest of the semester, and with the temperatures dropping it is easy to overlook many of the entertainment events going on in surrounding cities—let’s face it, they don’t advertise those on the tables at Hoco.
UNH students have a pretty good handle of what’s going on around campus; the buzz at the moment is the upcoming Logic concert presented by SCOPE. However, even with UNH being located centrally between two of New England’s most popular music venues, The House of Blues in Boston and The State Theatre in Portland, it can be difficult to get the scoop on the latest tours passing through the area.
Whether by bus, the Amtrak or borrowing a friend’s car, students living in and around Durham can easily access both of these venues and experience all of the concert series they have to offer. Wildcats can shake the winter chill with these upcoming musical events; no matter their musical taste there is an artist passing through for everyone.
Coming up in February at the House of Blues in Boston is the revered country artist Sam Hunt with openers Native Run. In addition to Hunt, the House of Blues will be hosting numerous single artists such as Rick Springfield, as well as several concerts with Epic Saturday and country singer, Joe Nicols. March starts off strong with upcoming artist Hozier who will be playing with George Ezra, followed by four straight nights of the Dropkick Murphys. By mid-April the House of Blues will be featuring artists like Walk the Moon, on their “Talking is Hard” tour, and Matt and Kim, who will make appearances that month at both the House of Blues and the State Theatre. In May, Boston will shake off the winter blues with The Maine and Kiesza. These artists and many more make a solid beginning lineup for the House of Blues concert series.
In Maine, Young the Giant kicks off February at the State Theatre in Portland, shortly followed by rock group Breaking Benjamin. Later that month the venue is hosting KONGOS with Sir Sly. March doesn’t slow down with George Thorogood and the Destroyers while Blackberry Smoke closes the month on March 26. Yellowcard hits the stage in mid-April, while back-to-back weekends in May will feature Guster and Death Cab for Cutie
For those who prefer a festival-scene to a single performance, Boston Calling Music Festival will run from May 22-24. The artists set to appear in City Plaza range from Jack Black’s Tenacious D to Britain’s funky soul-collective, Jungle. Between festivals and concert venues, there are ample entertainment opportunities for UNH students in the surrounding cities. However, the push from the students seems to be towards bringing different artists right to campus.
“I want to see bigger names” UNH freshman Nicole Bogert asserted when asked about the musical diversity of the Durham area. Bogert stated that some of the artists that pass directly through the UNH campus are new names for many students. “It’s nice to know there are places around that have [artists we know] but it would be easier if they came right to campus.”
Other students like Danny Parker don’t mind the journey off campus but would be interested to see a wider range of genres brought to UNH. “I would definitely go see a show in Boston.” Parker expressed. “But it would also be cool to see some of those artists come here.”
Bogert and Parker aren’t alone in their desire to see some different names pass through the UNH campus. UNH musician Whitman Constantineau stated, “Travelling to Portland and Boston, while expensive, is absolutely worth the experience of seeing live music.”
However, when asked what he would like to see from future UNH concert series, Constantineau suggested, “If UNH and SCOPE brought a wider range of musical genres to campus year to year, students wouldn’t have to go any further than the Whit for great concerts.”
Though there is always room for the local music-scene to grow, between the UNH-based entertainment programs and surrounding venues there is no shortage of artists to see this semester. Whether they are comfortable with the journey to Boston or Portland or prefer hitting SCOPE’s concert series, UNH students should be sure to check out the entertainment options available throughout the rest of the winter and into spring.
