A whole slew of new shows are guaranteed to keep your heart beating, despite the January drear

WXGR Gourmet Lounge Live at Three Chimney’s Inn: It’s the Seacoast’s only musical cooking variety show. Join the DJs for a variety of music and food, featuring free samples of gourmet cuisine at different locations around the Seacoast. On Friday, Feb. 1, the show goes to Three Chimneys Inn in Durham, with a special guest.

Chris Loveday, known in the paranormal world as Haunted New Hampshire, has investigated and researched many haunted locations within the Granite State. He’ll be conducting tours and telling the history behind Three Chimneys Inn. Guests will learn the history and be given the chance to explore the inn after the Gourmet Lounge.

Admission is free. Three Chimneys Inn is at 17 Newmarket Road in Durham and online at www.threechimneysinn.com. The show will also be streamed live at www.wxgrfmorg.

WSCA Rock’n Community Dance: The Jeanne Daniels Band will heat up the Portsmouth VFW in their annual benefit for Portsmouth Community Radio on Saturday, Jan. 26 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 at the door, 21+ only, at 238 Deer St. Rock, R&B, Motown, soul, funk and a dash of swing are on the playlist. Wear your dancing shoes.

Beck’s Song Reader at Buoy: Toward the end of 2012, Beck released “Song Reader,” an album’s worth of new music exclusively in sheet music form—never before released or recorded. The folks at Buoy have taken up the implicit challenge, assembling five groups to learn, arrange, and perform the songs. The performance is one night-only, on Friday, Feb. 1.

Musicians include members of Tan Vampires, Tiger Saw, Pearl & the Beard, and many more. They’ll play “Song Reader” in its entirety, with four groups playing five songs each.

“‘Song Reader’ is an experiment in what an album can be at the end of 2012,” says the press release for the show, “an alternative that enlists the listener in the tone of every track, and that’s as visually absorbing as a dozen gatefold LPs put together.”

The show will start at 8 p.m. Admission is $6, open to all ages. Buoy is at 2 Government St. in Kittery and online at www.buoygallery.org.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Tribute at the Press Room: It’s become a floor-jumping annual tradition to pay tribute to the Civil Rights leader. The show on Monday, Jan. 21, starts off at 7:30 p.m. with the patriotic sounds of the Leftist Marching playing a set of rousing numbers especially selected for the night, which will no doubt include some audience sing-alongs.

Following the Leftist Marching Band, FTET will take over the weekly Jazz Grill set. The group is planning a few spoken word numbers with Press Room manager Bruce Pingree on the mike, including “Max Roach’s “The Dream/It’s Time” and “What Is the Beautiful” by avant-garde/proto-beat poet Kenneth Patchen, which was recently put to music by the Claudia Quintet in honor of Patchen’s centennial.

King’s birthday has become an occasion to continue his tradition of community service, and in honor of that Pingree will also encourage the audience to contribute to Seacoast Local’s (H)EAT campaign, working to raise $30,000 for food and fuel assistance for needy families on the Seacoast.

Tickets are $15 for adults and $12 for seniors and students, at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 603-436-2242.

Spring lineup at Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom: OK, so we’re talking about a little delayed gratification here, but it’s always good to have something to look forward to.

The Casino Ballroom has announced a packed lineup for April, starting with a triple header the first weekend of the month: the doors will open with Sully Erna on April 5 (tickets go on sale Jan. 18), Yes on April 6 and Queen tribute band One Night of Queen on April 7.

Later in the month, America and Sevendust are pinned on the calendar.

The full schedule and ticket sales are online at www.casinoballroom.com or 603-929-4100.