Coming Up at Nova Arts in Keene

Nova Arts is hosting a pre-halloween bash! The haunting band Doctor Gasp will be performing with opener Slow Pony.

KEENE, NH - On Saturday, October 21 at 7:00 p.m., Nova Arts is putting on an eerie show you don't want to miss! This season leave all the ghoulishness to that maniacal minstrel... Doctor Gasp! Beneath the mask of this phantom is a New England folk musician Dan Blakeslee with his unique bag of all original songs of Halloween oozing with vampires and ghastly creeps. Dan Blakeslee's songs are a throwback to cult horror themes, inspired by Bobby Pickett (Monster Mash), Alfred Hitchcock, John Zacherle, and Paul Frees.

Dan Blakeslee, better known as Doctor Gasp, has always had a passion for music. He comes from a family full of musicians who introduced him to a variety of genres, including jazz, country, hip-hop, and punk rock. For the last two decades, Blakeslee has sent chills down spines across New England through his music after assuming his new role - an alter ego, of sorts - Doctor Gasp, a New Hampshire-based Halloween musician.

Slow Pony is an accordion-centric polk-funk musical collective, their material includes soulful yet creepy sounds, bringing an otherworldly experience to Nova Arts' stage. Slow Pony's music draws upon traditions of balkan, blues, tango, cumbia, jazz manouche, and more, Slow Pony is on a mission to make you dance, laugh, and cry with a heaping side of chaos.

Slow Pony is currently based near Brattleboro and is led by Eli Dworkin, a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter who has traveled all over to explore different sounds. He has intersected with many great musicians along the way, including Hot Damn Scandal, Profane Sass, Maray Fuego, Mama's Broke, Sexy Flail Family Band, the Railyard Ghosts, The Homeless People, and many others, while also pursuing and performing his own coercive compositions.

This show, like all of our shows, is all ages; doors are open at 7:00 p.m., and music will begin at 8:00 p.m. Tickets are $15, seating is limited and first come first served. We're guessing the bands will encourage costumes!

Events take place at 48 Emerald St., Keene, NH. https://www.novaarts.org/events/doctorgasp

Nova Arts is welcoming the Legendary Baba Commandant and The Mandingo Band, here on tour from Burkina Faso. Electronic and World Fusion duo Deep Seize opens!

KEENE, NH - Sublime Frequencies is ecstatic to announce that Baba Commandant and the Mandingo Band are returning to the US after a successful first American tour! Anyone who experienced this tour described it as the "show of the year." On Tuesday, October 24 at 7:00 p.m, the opportunity to witness this astounding show has been placed right in the heart of Keene, come join us!

The Mandingo Band are a hit machine, sculpting seven new tracks of near Beefheart/Magic Band dynamics, Fela inspired groovers dusted out in the Sahel zone, rather than the humidity and sweat of Lagos, creating one of the most original and propulsive musical statements to come from the contemporary West African cultural juggernaut. Like previous releases, the band features the renowned guitarist Issouf Diabate, who is sought after as one of the greatest guitarists of the last 40 years. The Mandingo Band is filled with highly experienced and skillful artists, and Baba's voice is charged with gravel and grit, showcasing a range that is ancient and defiant in equal measure.

Deep Seize, formed in 2014 by producer Wyatt Andrews and composer Jed Blume, has created a new sound. They combine complex and ethereal melodic lines of live handpan with hard-hitting electronic grooves grounded in Hip Hop, Downtempo, and EDM. Deep Seize is based in Southern Vermont and travels through New England gracing music venues, bars, and festivals with their electronic sound!

Doors are at 7:00 p.m., and music will begin around 7:30. All ages are welcome and tickets are $25.

Any seating is first come first served, we will be clearing room for dancing!

Events take place at 48 Emerald St., Keene, NH. https://www.novaarts.org/events/babacommandant

Park Theatre Presents a Festival of Halloween Events

Jaffrey, NH performing arts center holds "Halloweenie Weekend" starting Oct 27

JAFFREY, New Hampshire (October 11, 2023) Scary things are coming to Jaffrey, New Hampshire, this Halloween. The Park Theatre continues its tradition of celebrating Halloween with a multi-day of movies and special events. This year, it is entitled Halloweenie Weekend, and it runs from October 27 through Halloween night, October 31.

The fun starts on Friday, October 27, with a screening at 7:00 p.m. of a film that is frequently referred to as "the scariest movie ever made." The original The Exorcist (1973) will be shown in its recently restored and uncut format. After the film, there will be a "Halloween Dance Party" in the same auditorium with "CJ the DJ" spinning some spooky dance classics. The dance party goes from 9:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m., and the cost is $10. Costumes are required for this event. The bar will be open.

On Saturday, October 28 at 1:00 p.m., a classic film for children and adults will screen with the original Ghostbusters (1984). Dan Aykroyd and Bill Murray supply the laughs as they search and destroy crazy ghosts in New York City.

Immediately following Ghostbusters will be the Park Theatre's 4th Annual Halloween Costume Contest with three categories: adult, child, and pet. The contest starts at 2:45 p.m. when contestants take the stage and are voted on. Each category winner will win a $50 gift certificate.

At 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, things get really frightening with the screening of Friday the 13th Part III (1982). One of the biggest villains of all time, Jason dons his hockey mask for the first time in this classic from the many 13th sequels.

The Halloween weekend gets campy on Sunday, October 29 at 4:00 p.m. with a screening of the definitive Bette Davis & Joan Crawford thriller, Whatever Happened To Baby Jane? (1962) The behind-the-scenes fights between the two actresses are legendary. A series on the FX Network chronicled the making of this film. It was appropriately entitled Feud. Men and women love to "dress up" as Bette and Joan at screenings of this cult movie. The Park Theatre is encouraging it as well. Photos will be taken, and Bette's and Joan's will possibly be seen on The Park's Facebook page.

On Monday, October 30 at 7:00 p.m., acclaimed silent film accompanist Jeff Rapsis returns to The Park with a very unique offering. The original Dracula (1931) never had an atmospheric film score. Producers of early talkies weren't sure the concept would work with audiences. Jeff has written a score for the classic Bela Lugosi film, and he will play his composition live along with the sound film. It will be a historic first-time event.

Halloweenie Weekend ends on Halloween, October 31. The Park Theatre joins Team Jaffrey's "Downtown Trick or Treat" that goes from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Jaffrey businesses hand out candy to hundreds of children during this favorite yearly event. The Park will have its lobby decorated for the occasion, and children and adults can come inside and have their picture taken with Jason from Friday the 13th or with a "Ghostbuster" dressed in full Ghostbuster gear with a Proton Pack backpack.

The Ayala Brothers of Jaffrey are sponsoring Ghostbusters and Friday the 13th Part III films.

All films will be presented in The Park's 333-seat Eppes Auditorium with its giant 27' wide screen and 17-speaker surround sound.

Tickets for Halloweenie Weekend events can be purchased online at theparktheatre.org/halloweenie/ or by calling the box office at (603) 532-8888. Tickets are also sold at the box office before each event.

The Park Theatre is located at 19 Main Street in downtown Jaffrey, NH, just 95 minutes from downtown Boston. The facility is completely accessible.

Comerford to Receive 2023 Beacon of Justice Award From the Equal Justice Coalition

(BOSTON, MA) - On Thursday, October 19, Senator Jo Comerford (D-Northampton) will receive a 2023 Beacon of Justice Award from the Equal Justice Coalition (EJC) for her commitment to expanding access to civil legal services and securing funding for the Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation (MLAC) in the FY24 budget.

Comerford will accept the award in person at the Beacon of Justice Awards reception on October 19 in the State House.

EJC advocates for expanded access to civil legal aid for low-income Massachusetts residents. Through MLAC-funded legal aid organizations, people who have serious civil legal problems but cannot afford an attorney are able to access services. These organizations guide residents through the court system, mindful of the charge to keep individuals and families housed, healthy, safe, and financially secure.

"Smart, stabilizing legal representation and advice should be accessible to all Massachusetts residents, regardless of income," said Comerford. "I am proud to partner with my colleagues in the legislature to ensure that people throughout the Commonwealth can access civil legal services. I am grateful for the work of the Equal Justice Coalition and Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation-funded legal aid organizations and humbled to receive this recognition."