triple bill to rock the Muddy River

Boston’s Girls, Guns and Glory will headline a three-act show at The Muddy River in Portsmouth on Saturday, March 28. Named “Act of the Year” by the 2008 Boston Music Awards, the band joins area favorites The Divorced and The Molenes on Saturday night.

Formed in winter 2005, Girls, Guns and Glory began collecting accolades after the release of its 2007 sophomore album “Pretty Little Wrecking Ball.” That year, the band won two Boston Phoenix awards and took the Boston Music Award for Outstanding Americana Act of the Year—a feat the quartet repeated in 2008.

Rootsy local rock band The Molenes released its sophomore album “Songs of Sin and Redemption” less than a year ago. Indie folk band The Divorced, based in South Boston, released its debut self-titled album last year and is at work on a follow-up for 2009.

The show begins at 9 p.m. at The Muddy River, 21 Congress St., Portsmouth, 603-430-9582. The door charge is $8.

music series returns to ellO

The ellO gallery in Portsmouth will reawaken its Fluorescent Grey Music Series this spring, beginning with a two-band show this weekend. Local bands Octa/Octa and Aneth will kick off the series on Friday, March 27.

Based in Dover, Octa/Octa is a one-man project headed by experimental artist Michael Morrison, who occasionally ropes in friends to help out with his quirky, electronic, video game-influenced songs. Aneth is a Portsmouth-based folk-rock duo composed of guitarist Antoine and singer Liz, who met and formed the band in England in 2005.

The gallery began the monthly music series last spring but took a break over the winter. Shows will take place on the last Friday evening of every month. Octa/Octa and Aneth both performed in the series last year. For more information on the bands, visit www.myspace.com/octaocta or www.myspace.com/anethmusic.
The all-ages show begins at 8 p.m. at ellO gallery & shop, 110 State St., Portsmouth, 603-433-9110. A $3 donation will be collected at the door.

Amare Cantare plays Seacoast churches

Amare Cantare will perform three spring concerts at area churches in coming days. The chamber chorus is presenting Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco’s “Romancero Gitano” with guitar accompaniment from Christopher Kane.

Amare Cantare is an auditioned chamber chorus created in the late 1970s with 24 members from around the Seacoast. The program for each concert will also include Robert Greenlee’s “Songs of Ecuador,” two solo works for guitar, and arrangements of tangos by Astor Piazzolla, Sebastián Piana, Carlos Gardel, and Ángel Villoldo.

The first show takes place on Saturday, March 28 at 8 p.m. at Durham Community Church, 17 Main St., Durham. The second performance is on Sunday, March 29 at 3 p.m. at Phillips Church, 61 Front St., Exeter. The final concert is on Wednesday, April 1 at 7:30 p.m. at Christ Episcopal Church at 1035 Lafayette Road, Portsmouth. Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 at the door, with a $2 discount for students and seniors. Call 603-664-5974 or visit www.amarecontare.com.

Jazzmouth fundraiser at The Press Room

The Press Room in Portsmouth will host a fundraiser for the 2009 Jazzmouth festival on Thursday, March 26, with music and poetry from local artists. The open mike event will feature Sargent Press published poets from the last four Jazzmouth festivals, with accompanying music from guitarist Larry Simon and Groove Bacteria.

The fifth annual Jazzmouth poetry and jazz festival takes place from April 23 to 26 at a number of venues in downtown Portsmouth. The main event is the Jazzmouth Extravaganza, which takes place at The Music Hall on Saturday, April 25 at 8 p.m. Special guests include jazz singer and pianist Mose Allison, former U.S. Poet Laureate Donald Hall and multi-instrumentalist and poet David Amram, all performing with The Larry Simon Ensemble.

The fundraiser runs from 7 to 9 p.m. at The Press Room, 77 Daniel St., Portsmouth, 603-431-5186. There is no cover charge, but donations are suggested. For more information, visit www.jazzmouth.org.