Yard Dogs Road Show in Portsmouth

In the first live performance with its new lobby completed, The Music Hall will resume its Intimately Yours concert series with two performances from the Yard Dogs Road Show on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 26 and 27.

The show is billed as a “hobo cabaret” featuring sword swallowers, fire eaters and dancing dolls, all accompanied by live rock music from the Yard Dogs band. The Music Hall calls it a “Moulin Rouge rock concert circus,” complete with burlesque dancers, magicians and beatnik poets.

The show reflects saloon vaudeville traditions dating back to the Wild West of the late 1800s. According to the Yard Dogs Web site, some say the group originated as a three-piece jug band that performed at informal gatherings, including the Oregon acid tests with Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters. Others say it was the zany idea of an unemployed cowboy and a young poet who united to perform seemingly impossible feats. The site is deliberately murky about the true details, fueling the Yard Dogs’ mysterious aura.

The troupe includes at least a dozen artists who offer a carnival-style production that combines visual and auditory thrills, blending age-old theatrical performance with modern pop culture. Both shows begin at 8 p.m. Tickets are $27.50 to $38.50. Call 603-436-2400 or visit www.themusichall.org.

McLovin Fest storms Rochester

The second annual McLovin Fest will bring three up-and-coming indie bands to the Rochester Opera House on Saturday, Sept. 27. Cantonese Traffic, Head Train and The Knights of Jamalot will keep the house rockin’ with consecutive sets of jam-psychedelia, beginning at 6 p.m. in the Wakefield Street venue.

Based in Rochester, Cantonese Traffic is a rock group consisting of Mike Allard on guitar and vocals, Zac Arnault on bass and vocals and Ian Martin on drums and backing vocals. Formed in December, the band released its debut album, “Proceed With Caution,” in the spring. The talented power trio echoes many of the classic rock bands that dominated the airwaves in the late 1960s and early ’70s, including Jimi Hendrix, The Allman Brothers Band and Santana. 

Head Train is a psychedelic rock band hailing from Amesbury, Mass. The group formed in 2005 and now consists of Hadden Stemp on guitar and vocals, Brad Dematteo on drums and vocals, Tim Oxton on guitar and Travis Hagan on drums. With a style that weaves between ambient soundscapes and heavy, blues-based guitar rock, Train echoes bands ranging from Pink Floyd to Wolfmother.

The Knights of Jamalot formed in Dover in the fall of 2007 when drummer Stephen Shafer called up a few friends for a jam session and started writing songs. The band also consists of Colin Carville on guitar and vocals; Karl Woodward on bass and percussion; and Jon Child on keyboard, saxophone and percussion. As the group’s name suggests, it is a jam-oriented outfit with lots of percussion, modeled after influences like the Grateful Dead and Phish.

Tickets are $5. Visit www.rochesteroperahouse.com or www.cantonesetraffic.com/mclovinfest.

Richie Havens in Ogunquit

For a guy who’s pushing 70, Richie Havens sure gets around. The folk legend performed at The Stone Church in Newmarket in June, and he will return to the Seacoast for a show at Jonathan’s Restaurant in Ogunquit, Maine, on Saturday, Sept. 27.

Havens entered the folk scene during its revival in Greenwich Village in the 1960s. He sealed his reputation with a riveting opening set at the Woodstock Festival in 1969, during which he improvised what would become his trademark song, “Freedom.” Now with close to 30 albums to his credit, Havens is still touring the nation with his husky voice and acoustic guitar.
Havens is currently touring in support of his new album, “Nobody Left to Crown,” which was released by Verve Records this summer. Like his previous efforts, the new disc communicates messages that are relevant to the current political and social atmosphere. It is composed of original tunes, traditional arrangements and covers, sung in one of the music world’s most recognizable voices.

Havens has defined himself not only as a musician but as an author and educator. But playing music remains his top passion, and the thrill of performing has not diminished.

“It’s as invigorating for me as the first day,” Havens told The Wire during an interview in June. “It has been the first day ever since the beginning.”

The show begins at 8 p.m. at Jonathan’s, 92 Bourne Lane, around the corner from the Ogunquit Playhouse. Tickets are $37.50, plus a $10 credit for desserts or beverages. Call 207-646-4777 or visit www.jonathansrestaurant.com.

Dead Science in Kittery

The venue formerly known as The Space will host a double-bill show in Kittery, Maine, on Tuesday, Sept. 30, featuring Seattle-based group The Dead Science and local phenom Nat Baldwin.
It’s the second show to take place at 2 Government St. since August, the first featuring Ear Pwr, Future Islands and Ghetto Crest last month. Some remodeling has been done since then, including improvements to the floor, ceiling and acoustics.

The Dead Science released its first recording in 2003 and has built a healthy following on the merits of its sci-fi, art-pop sound. The band’s show in Kittery is sandwiched between gigs in Montreal and New York, during a fall tour that subsequently circles the United States and eventually hits seven countries in Europe.

Consisting of Sam Mickens on guitar and vocals, Jherek Bischoff on bass and Nick Tamburro on drums, The Dead Science lists among its influences everyone from Prince to John Coltrane, the Talking Heads to the Wu-Tang Clan. Mickens sings with a high-pitched, self-assured effeminacy that reminds of early David Bowie or Freddie Mercury at their spookiest. The band’s creative and exploratory sound should fit nicely with Baldwin, who will be accompanied by his own band.

Baldwin has developed a strong fan base on the Seacoast, where he has showcased his unique double bass skills in a number of capacities, whether helping out other artists, leading his own group or playing solo. His minimalist songwriting is well-matched by his stirring vocals, as evidenced by his 2008 release, “Most Valuable Player.”

The show in downtown Kittery begins at 8 p.m. Donations of $8 will be collected at the door.