The Red Door celebrates four years of its Monday night music series

It’s easy to walk past The Red Door without even noticing that it exists. There is no sign beckoning customers to the State Street location in downtown Portsmouth, just an unadorned entrance between AK’s Bar and Bistro and Dos Amigos Burritos. The windowless door would be entirely inconspicuous were it not painted blood red, which makes it stand out slightly against the white façade of the building. 

Once you open the door and climb the narrow staircase on the other side, however, you discover a thriving metropolitan alcove with wood floors, leather sofas and all-red walls. The scene within varies, depending on the night of the week. On Tuesdays, DJ Beat Pervert hosts an evening of experimental soul and hip-hop called the “Scissor Test.” On Wednesdays, the Green Lion Crew hosts its popular reggae night. On Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, a range of guest DJs and artists provide house music. And, on Sundays, hip-hop ensemble Pharos improvises fresh beats.

But for many Seacoast music fans, Monday is the most exciting night of the week. While most residents sink into the dreary onset of another work week, a reliable group funnels into The Red Door for an intimate evening of live music. Whether it is a solo folk act with an acoustic guitar or an electric punk band with drums and bass, the act onstage is tucked into the audience, as if performing in your living room.

Named for an obscure clipping painted on the wall of The Friendly Toast (if you enjoy playing “Where’s Waldo,” spend some time scouring the restaurant’s walls for the reference), the Hush Hush Sweet Harlot music series came to life at The Red Door in February 2004. Since then, it has shuffled through three different booking managers and evolved to include acts from around the country and across the sea. The series’ fourth anniversary celebration on Monday, Feb. 18, will feature music from at least 10 familiar acts, including Dan Blakeslee, Elsa Cross, Unbunny, Justin Carloni, Hotrod Fury, Guy Capecelatro III, Tan Vampires, Gregg Porter, Breakfast Song and Northern.

The eclectic lineup is a testament to the series’ unique and important niche in the Seacoast music scene.   

“We have people who are always anxious to see new and local bands, and, besides The Red Door, for this kind of music, there really isn’t that many places in the whole Seacoast that you can see live music of this caliber,” said Jason Boucher, who books the Hush Hush Sweet Harlot shows.

The Red Door was created in the fall of 2003 by Jay McSharry, who also owns The Dunaway, Jumpin’ Jay’s Fish Café, Radici and Dos Amigos. McSharry quickly signed up Strafford native and UNH grad Cresta Smith as the club’s manager. It was Smith who came up with the idea of hosting a quiet acoustic music night once a week.

“The room is kind of contemporary looking, and then you get the DJs. I just didn’t want it to be all about this urban techno house thing,” Smith said. “(Hush Hush) kind of softens up the room a little bit.”

The manager was too busy running the club to book musicians week after week, so she approached Syd Alexis of Hotel Alexis. Syd was immediately interested, and after hearing Smith describe her vision for a low-key, laid back music series, he pitched his suggestion for a title. It stuck. The first show of the now four-year-old series consisted of performances by Hotel Alexis and Portland, Maine-based band The Ponies (now called Phantom Buffalo).

Originally, the Hush Hush series was held on Wednesday nights, but some disinterested patrons found the music distracting. The club had mainly attracted an after-work, metro crowd that enjoyed chatting on the plush furniture while unwinding with a strong martini. The music did not seem to fit.

“It kind of clashed with the people who were performing, because they would bring their quiet group who wanted to listen to the music, and then we’d have a bunch of cocktailers,” Smith said. “It wasn’t hostile, but it was definitely clashing, so we just moved everything around.”

Hush Hush shifted to Monday night and the Green Lion reggae show eventually filled the Wednesday slot. Although Monday is typically the deadest night of the week, curious Seacoast music fans seemed eager to check out a venue where new local bands were playing. The series glided along smoothly until Alexis moved to Colorado a few months later, leaving booking duties in Smith’s already full hands.

For the next several months, Hush Hush continued to hobble along. But, without proper promotion, attendance began to sag. 
“There were some nights where it was literally just me and the band and their parents or something,” Smith confessed with a laugh.

Hush Hush was revitalized in February 2005, when singer-songwriter Laurel Brauns came to the rescue. Brauns used her connection to the Seacoast music scene, as well as her surprising business savvy, to get a regular audience into the club on Monday nights. She also began to frequently bring in touring acts from other parts of the country, and to occasionally let louder rock bands play.

Brauns remained at the Hush Hush helm for nearly two years, but finally threw in the towel when her other jobs and music obligations became too much to juggle. (Brauns has since moved to Portland, Oregon.) She passed the torch to Boucher, who has been carrying it proudly ever since. He celebrated his own one-year anniversary at The Red Door last month.
Boucher’s résumé made him a perfect candidate for the gig. He was WUNH’s music director from 1997 to ’98 and he held the same post at WSCA from 2005 to ’06. He has also done promotions for Important Records in Newburyport, Mass. With Hush Hush, Boucher has made it his mission to match local artists with visiting acts from around the country and, occasionally, across the globe.

“What I see that works for the club and for me and for local bands in general is to pair them up with someone similar that’s either regional or national to get the cross-promotion,” he said. “It’s hard to get people out to see live music, especially on a Monday, but it’s been great.”

Boucher pointed to local singer-songwriter and upright bassist Nat Baldwin’s CD release show in October as an example of the series’ success. Baldwin’s performance, which packed the house, was preceded by a set from British 12-string guitarist James Blackshaw, who happened to be in the area during his tour of the United States. The show stands out as one of Boucher’s fondest Hush Hush memories.

When asked for her personal highlights, Smith recalled a summer show during the Brauns years featuring Unbunny (Jared del Deo, who has since moved to Seattle but will be at the anniversary show).

“He had set it up like a campfire theme, so there were these cardboard trees all over the place and stars hanging form the ceiling, and he was like, ‘Cresta, do you think you can come up with a S’mores cocktail?’ So we had a white chocolate martini with a graham cracker rim and marshmallow garnish. The whole night was dreamy, because he just had the whole thing sorted out,” she said.

Smith and Boucher both pointed to Jason Andersen shows as another Hush Hush treat. Renowned for his boundless optimism and energy, Andersen has been known to wander through the audience with his guitar, walking across coffee tables and climbing over railings to mingle with his crowd.

Another mission for Smith and Boucher is to give new, aspiring musicians a chance to play in front of an audience.

“My philosophy is if you haven’t played out and you want to, and we think that it would work and you can get some people to come out and see you and promote your show, I’ll give you the opening slot, which is usually 10 to 15 minutes to open up the night,” Boucher said. “We’ll pay for your dinner and, if you do well, we’ll have you come back and have you headline it or be the second act.

For some musicians, performing at The Red Door was their first time playing a public show. Smith mentioned folk-rockabilly singer Elsa Cross, who is now a regular performer on the Seacoast. Boucher pointed to Breakfast Song, which consists of Seth Gooby and Isis Alis, as another indie band that spawned from Hush Hush.

The atmosphere at The Red Door is warm and cozy, but the capacity is low. At times, Boucher has been forced to turn people away at the door. Other nights, the crowd has been much smaller, but Boucher can always count on a faithful group of regulars to pop in and drop $5 in the hat every week.

“We have these two young ladies come in with their knitting every Monday. We have some of the same faces week after week, which is great, and I really do appreciate it,” he said.

During the anniversary show on Monday, Boucher will hand out surprise awards to some of those regulars, as well as to some of the musicians who have participated in the series over the years. Boucher will MC the event, while others orchestrate rapid transitions between the evening’s many acts. Each act will play short sets of about three songs. The usual $5 donation will apply and, as always, $2 Pabst Blue Ribbons will be available at the bar. Boucher has one morsel of advice for guests: “Get there early.” Doors open at 7 p.m. and the music begins around 8.

Looking ahead, Smith and Boucher plan to primarily stick with what’s working rather than making dramatic modifications. Smith said she would like to attract some better-known acts that are still willing to play at small, intimate venues. “You know, next time Bob Dylan’s coming to town,” she joked.

But, as they say, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” and the Hush Hush Sweet Harlot music series definitely ain’t broke.
“I’m really happy with the way it’s been going, and I feel like we have a great regular clientele who are also happy with it, so I don’t want to change anything dramatically, at all,” Smith said. “It’s serving its little niche pretty well.”

For more information on The Red Door’s Hush Hush Sweet Harlot music series, visit www.reddoorportsmouth.com.