What makes a great music scene even greater is when it's infused with new flavors "from away"-Redhook celebrates eight years of brewing at Redhookfest on Saturday, Sept. 18 at 12:30 p.m. with some great guests from out of town-Toots & the Maytals, Particle (West Coast), Entrain (Martha's Vineyard), Averi (Boston), Charlie Mars (Mississippi) and The Brilliant Inventions (Atlanta). Whether it's the venerable Toots or up-and-comers Particle-literally coming straight from Austin City Limits the day before-we say, bring it on. And louder, please.

new lineups

At the Newberry Room at The Muddy River Smokehouse in Portsmouth, Mike Marchand says football has moved in on Sunday and Monday nights for the fall. After a two-week hiatus, The Tong, Sunday's experimental music series, will shift to Tuesday from 8 to 11 p.m. and Monday's Death Before Dishes presents... will cease to exist, for now anyway.

In Newmarket, Nate Wilson, songwriter and keyboardist for Percy Hill and the Assembly of Dust, will bring his own trio to The Stone Church for a Thursday night residency Sept. 16-Oct. 1. Wilson, who cut his musical teeth at the Church, will be joined by fellow AOD members, as well as Michigan Black Snake percussionist Yahuba Garcia. Wilson's older brother and Percy Hill co-founder, Zack Wilson, will also be on hand. In addition, each week a different special guest will sit in-including singer and bassist Rob Derhak of moe., AOD frontman and former Strangefolk singer Reid Genauer, guitarist and singer Peter Prince of Moon Boot Lover, and Deep Banana Blackout guitarist Fuzz.

music returns to Ioka

A month after the nearby Loaf & Ladle resumed singer/songwriter performances, The Ioka in Exeter will resume an old tradition by presenting music in the 425-seat venue, starting with The Portland Invasion, including As Fast As and Jeremiah Freed on Thursday, Oct. 14 at 8:30 p.m. ($10) and Melissa Ferrick and Everyday Visuals on Oct. 15 at 9 p.m. ($14). Both shows are 18-plus.

say goodbye, Johnny

Following closely on the heels of Solid8's final show at The Stone Church, Smoke Up jOhnny's last show is Friday, Sept 17 at the same venue, when they'll be opening for Lemon Fresh Kids. Smuj's Tom Ferry promises there's no such thing as a Stone Church curse-in fact, the band will be resurrected in a slightly altered state next year as the Dirt Dogs.

new CD sampler cuts all ways

Red Fez Records new 19-track CD sampler, Apples & Oranges Vol. 1, was just released, featuring music by Ed Jurdi, Thanks to Gravity, The Screen, Dreadnaught, Museum of Science, Devil Music, Amorphous Band, Tractor Trailer, Mata Hari, Ethan Bessey, The Lord of the Strings, and 35th Parallel. You can find the disc on sale at shows and at www.redfezrecords.com. Red Fez also recently acquired Manchester-based management and booking firm Small Pond Entertainment (www.smallpondentertainment.com).