Steve Earle plays solo at The Music Hall

Steve Earle first met Townes Van Zandt in 1972 during a performance at The Old Quarter in Houston, Texas. According to legend, Van Zandt heckled Earle throughout the show, repeatedly requesting the song “Wabash Cannonball.” When Earle confessed that he didn’t know how to play the tune, Van Zandt was incredulous.

“You call yourself a folksinger and you don’t know ‘Wabash Cannonball?’” the famed singer-songwriter supposedly yelled.
Earle, a relative newcomer to the scene at the time, was not rattled. He countered by playing Van Zandt’s “Mr. Mudd and Mr. Gold,” a notoriously difficult song with rapid lyrics. With that, the two musicians formed a lasting bond. Earle even named his son, Justin Townes Earle, after the late folk icon.

Earle pays tribute to his mentor on his latest album, “Townes,” which he will introduce to Seacoast fans with a solo acoustic show at The Music Hall on Thursday, May 28. The new disc, which follows Earle’s Grammy Award-winning 2007 release “Washington Square Serenade,” includes 15 covers of his favorite Van Zandt songs.

Known for crossing Nashville alt-country with edgier rock, Earle has attainted the status of a living legend. His songs have been covered by the likes of Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Emmylou Harris, Waylon Jennings, Travis Tritt, The Pretenders, Joan Baez and others. He rose to stardom with his debut recording “Guitar Town” in 1986, which topped the country charts and helped give rise to the “new country” genre. About a dozen other albums have followed.

The show begins at 8 p.m. at The Music Hall, 28 Chestnut St., Portsmouth, 603-436-2400. Tickets are $19.50 to $35.

Leo Kottke strums at South Church

Dazzling guitar virtuoso Leo Kottke will show off his six- and 12-string acoustic skills at South Church in Portsmouth on Friday, May 29.

Kottke’s music is difficult to pigeonhole into a particular genre. His instrumental guitar albums can typically be found in the jazz, folk or bluegrass sections of any music store. During more than 40 years of touring, he has performed with John Fahey, Joe Pass, Chet Atkins, Doc Watson, Margo Timmons, Rickie Lee Jones and Los Lobos, among others, and he gained a new fan base after recording an album with Phish bassist Mike Gordon in 2005.

Kottke is no stranger to the area. He played a solo show in Stratham in 2006 and another in Exeter in 2008. The day after his Portsmouth gig, he heads to Peterborough for a show at the Town House.

Kottke seems perfectly at home improvising songs onstage with his dexterous picking. He is also known to share humorous and sometimes bizarre stories about his days on the road. Following his show at the Cooperative Middle School in Stratham, he signed copies of records and T-shirts and posed for pictures with fans.

He has recorded more than 20 studio albums, plus numerous live recordings, compilations and soundtracks. His 1971 debut record “6- and 12-String Guitar,” also known as the “Armadillo Album” because of its cover art, remains perhaps his most famous and enduring work. 

The show begins at 8 p.m. at South Church, 292 State St., Portsmouth. Tickets are $35. Visit www.mktix.com/heptunes or call 978-462-9630. Tickets are also available at Ganesh Imports in Portsmouth or at Bull Moose locations.