the Red Door’s Hush Hush series changes hands 

There have been plenty of changes to the music booking world in Portsmouth as of late, most recently with Bourbon’s addition of Tim McCoy as “booker.” Now The Red Door’s musical future is in new hands, too, at least on Monday nights.

Laurel Brauns, who for two years has managed the Hush Hush Sweet Harlot series, which runs every Monday night at 8 p.m., recently handed the reins over to two other local and familiar faces, Jay Boucher and Joe McDonough.

“My first gig at The Red Door two and half years ago was so wonderful, and the people I met who came to it were so friendly, talented and amazing,” says Brauns, “that I decided to move here to Portsmouth instead of Portland, Maine, or Boston or New York City.”

Of course, by the time she had actually decided to move to the area, series founder Sid Lindner (a.k.a. Sid Alexis of the now West Coast-based The Hotel Alexis) had decided to fold the Hush tent.

“I was sad to find out that the series was no longer running and asked Cresta (Smith, the bar’s owner) if I could take it over,” Brauns says. “I had been hosting a public access TV show in Laconia and was eager to get involved in another aspect of the music community that would allow me to meet people and help folks out and maybe get some favors returned.”

The Red Door, with its deep red walls, leather couches and flickering tabletop candles, provides the perfect atmosphere for the kind of music the aptly named Hush Hush features. Most of the music is either “indie” or vaguely rootsy, and usually fairly mellow, though there have been some rocking nights. Plenty of artists have headed up that steep, old-school New England staircase with guitars and gear in hand to play Hush Hush—locals folks like Northern, Unbunny, Gregg Porter, Kim Torres and Hotel Alexis and regional/national types that have included The Ponies (Phantom Buffalo), Lovers, John Vanderslice, Jennifer O’Connor, Tara Jane O’Neil and the Winterpills. M. Ward even stopped down a few months ago to check out the scene.

Instead of wading through her ever-full Red Door e-mail account, Brauns plans on using her newfound extra time to make sure her own music gets heard. Her third album is due out in the next few months, and she’s planning on rehearsing and writing even more songs. The Hush calendar is full of Brauns’ work all the way through the year’s end, when the Jay Boucher and Joe McDonough era officially begins.

Jay Boucher was chatting with Brauns at The Mighty K Festival a couple of months back when Brauns mentioned she’d like to pass the series along. Boucher signed on, and Joe McDonough came on board shortly afterwards to help as MC, sound and some promotions. Boucher spent about a year as the music director for WSCA-LP 106.1 FM, the community radio station in Portsmouth. He once held down the same title at WUNH, where he worked as a DJ with McDonough. The two men go back all the way to high school.

“I’ve already got January booked,” says Boucher, who in his spare time runs a “low key local label thing” called Sadheel Records. Justin Carloni’s latest offering was released through Sadheel. “I’m going to try and stay the course along the lines of what Laurel booked. It’s going to have the same quiet, ambient, laid back atmosphere.”

Boucher also promises some great surprises among the concerts from local and national and international acts. He’s currently working on a date with James Blackshaw, a London’er, and mentions a Jan. 29 show featuring Geoff Farina and Stephen Brodsky.

As for Brauns, the departure is bittersweet.

“I’ve definitely learned a lot about the music industry from booking and hosting, many things that have helped me when I’m trying to approach other venues to play,” says Brauns of her time as booker. “I’ve also seen how much you can accomplish when working for someone as supportive and genuine as Cresta.”