Organizers are inviting all hired musicians to perform next year

NORTHAMPTON—Due to the current regulations regarding community health and limitations on public gatherings brought on by COVID-19, the Northampton Jazz Festival has made the decision to postpone its 2020 festival scheduled for the first weekend in October. 

The Northampton Jazz Festival is a celebration of jazz music held yearly in downtown Northampton, collaborating with local businesses and performers to provide the community with musical performances. From jazz strolls to intimate venues with Grammy Award winning performers, this weekend has become a staple of the community. 

This year’s lineup was to include musicians who have performed on Broadway, held Billboard Top 100 titles, and been celebrated in DownBeat jazz magazine. Festival leaders intend to secure as many of these musicians for the 2021 season as they can; the event will be held on Oct. 1 and Oct. 2, 2021. 

The organization plans to maintain a strong social media presence to connect jazz lovers with live concerts they can safely watch from home. Furthermore, the Board of Directors is working under the guidance of both city and state public health officials to collaborate with local musicians, city partners, and downtown businesses.

Through these means, festival leaders are working on a plan to provide downtown Northampton with quality jazz performances in a safe way. As Massachusetts transitions through its four-phase reopening, more details will be confirmed. While the festival cannot continue as intended this year, organizers hope to bring a celebration of jazz music to the community in a different and safe form.

President Ruth Griggs who has been leading the festival for three years said, “We are truly saddened by the reality that this coronavirus has forced on us, but our most important goal is to provide a pleasurable, meaningful, and safe experience for our jazz fans, jazz musicians, and to our community partners. Unfortunately, we recognize that we just won’t be able to achieve that in this pandemic environment.”

For more information, visit www.northamptonjazzfest.org or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/northamptonjazzfest or on Instagram at @northamptonjazzfest or email to: info@northamptonjazzfest.org.

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GILFORD—As musician Jon Lorentz describes it, Dueling Pianos at Patrick’s Pub & Eatery is somewhere on the entertainment scale between watching a cover band and a stand-up comedian. “It’s more about having fun than trying to light the music world on fire,” he said.

Though the concept traces back to the 1890s, Dueling Pianos is a popular entertainment offering at the pub today. Launched three years ago by Lorentz—a longtime and well-rounded musician—Patrick’s version has its own unique style.

Lorentz admits the musicians don’t actually duel. “It’s more of a volley,” he said with a laugh, noting the competition is all in jest. “We try to get through as many requests for as many customers as we can.”

The duels will start back up on May 24, and Lorentz and three of his colleagues— Gardner Berry, Jim Tyrrell, and Matt Langley—are ready to take the stage.

From 8:30 to 10:30 on Friday nights, two keyboardists face one another on the Patrick’s stage. Patrick’s customers serve up song requests that Lorentz said run the gamut from Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” and jazz standards like “Fly Me to the Moon” and “Georgia on My Mind” to Billy Joel and Elton John tunes, and hip hop and pop.

“It’s set up to look like a grudge match,” Lorentz said. “We get the crowd excited to come up with song requests. No style is off limits. Customers come up, and we pass the requests back and forth to see who will play what.”

Berry said, “It’s great fun. Nobody takes themselves too seriously, and we all have our own niche, which allows us to be quite successful at fielding the various requests.  Patrick’s is a wonderful venue, staffed with great people, and friendly customers.”

Patrick’s has been hosting live music since it opened in 1987, originally featuring mostly Irish music. After Jeff and Allan Beetle purchased the pub in 1994, they began to expand the music offerings. “We like to say we’ve brought some American spirit to the Irish ancestry of this pub,” Allan Beetle said.

“During Dueling Pianos, it’s awesome to have such talented musicians performing classics on request,” Beetle added.  “Live music is part of our DNA here at the pub, helping to create great experiences for our guests.”

Patrick’s entertainment line-up includes five nights of live music with Open Mic on Tuesdays; Acoustic Music Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays; and Dueling Pianos on Fridays. For more information, visit www.patrickspub.com or email info@patrickspub.com.

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Unique venue had record-setting 2018 season

GILFORD—Every summer, the Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion packs in large crowds for musicians who run the gamut from country’s Chris Stapleton to heavy metal’s Slayer to KIDZ Bop, for the family.

The innovative outdoor venue isn’t just providing folks with a few hours of entertainment, though. It’s pumping nearly $20 million a year into the local economy.

Michael Seymour, the chief operating officer and chief financial officer for the venue formerly known as Meadowbrook, said more than 200,000 people stream through the gates each season. They come from New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, and states even further afield.

In 2015, the New Hampshire Division of Economic Development estimated that those attendance numbers translated into $9.6 million in ticket sales at the pavilion. And it marked $6.7 in spending at establishments such as inns, restaurants, retail and entertainment locations, state parks, and gas stations in the region for a total of $16.3 million annually.

Seymour said the big boon is a big responsibility.

“It’s become an economic engine for the region,” Seymour said, noting the venue has 10 full-time staff members year-round and roughly 700 employees in the summer who oversee food and beverage handling. “That’s significant. We provide summer employment for high school and college students and teachers, and others employed in the school system, as well as those who work at ski areas in winter.”

Allan Beetle, co-owner of Patrick’s Pub & Eatery in Gilford, said he has long recognized the importance of the pavilion to the local economy, and he said the community also benefits greatly from the organization’s philanthropy.

“The Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion and the Hardings have been very generous to the Lakes Region community for many years in a number of ways,” Beetle said. “And here at Patrick’s we certainly see a boost in business when there is a concert. We very much appreciate their presence here, and we know that other businesses are equally grateful to have the venue here in our midst.”

The Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion, which has closed for the 2018 season, was founded as Meadowbrook in the Lakes Region 23 years ago and is operated by owners RJ and Bridget Harding. It offers A-list talent for 9,600 viewers per show. In 2018, there were 33 performances.

“Every year, things improve,” said Seymour, who has also served in local government, holding the title of Mayor of Laconia from 2010 to 2014. “We are continually investing in the property and our offerings. We deliver a great product on stage and a great product for patrons as they visit.”

One thing that sets Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion apart is it gets fans closer to the stage.

“Artists and attendees feel like they’re getting a much more intimate show here,” he said. “Watching the Dave Matthews Band here is a bit different than watching at Fenway with tens of thousands of others.”

Seymour said Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion can draw people away from stages in their own regions—as talent tours about—because the venue not only offers a fantastic stage but a festival feel, complete with offerings from pedal boats on the pond to games like corn hole and sack races.

Seymour said the Bank of New Hampshire is a critical sponsor; the Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion carries its name, of course, and bank customers can purchase tickets before they go on sale to the general public.

Other sponsors add to the flavor of the venue. Gunstock Mountain Resort uses a Wheel of Prizes to give away gifts such as a free ride on the zip line or the ropes course. Kittery Trading Post, of Maine, sponsors the camping area, the pond, and outdoors activities. AutoServ Chrysler of Tilton displays new vehicles and runs giveaways. And Irwin Marine holds a drawing in which a nightly winner can sit on a pontoon boat—on a trailer—to enjoy a drink and a snack.

“Our partners give us the opportunity to expand our offerings and play a huge role in attracting visitors,” Seymour said.

The Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion also gives back to the region in multiple ways.

Each year in December, Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion plays a significant role in the Lakes Region Children’s Auction, making its staff members available as volunteers and offering IT support. RJ himself designed the auction’s integrated tracking platform, which accounts for all donations in real-time.

The pavilion also operates its own foundation, the Meadowbrook Charitable Foundation, through which memorabilia signed by visiting artists is raffled off to raise funds that are used to support the band and performing arts programs in nine area school districts.

“Municipalities are struggling with budgets and funding,” Seymour said. “Because we’re in the business of entertainment, we feel that’s something very valuable to stand behind.”

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