Restored French Film Classic Screens at Park Theatre

Alan Delon stars as a contract killer in the 1967 "Le Samouraï"

AFFREY, New Hampshire (April 22, 2024) The Park Theatre will screen a masterpiece of 1960s French film this Friday, April 26 at 7:00 p.m. Le Samouraï was first released in 1967 to widespread acclaim. The film has undergone a total 4K restoration.

In a career-defining performance, Alain Delon (Rocco & His Brothers, Purple Noon, Borsalino, Swann in Love) plays Jef Costello, a contract killer with samurai instincts. After carrying out a flawlessly planned hit, Jef finds himself caught between a persistent police investigator and a ruthless employer, and not even his armor of fedora and trench coat can protect him.

An elegantly stylized masterpiece of cool by maverick director Jean-Pierre Melville (The Informer, The Red Circle, Army of Shadows) Le Samouraï is a razor-sharp cocktail of 1940s American gangster cinema and 1960s French pop culture--with a liberal dose of Japanese lone-warrior mythology.

The film will be screened in the 333-seat Eppes Auditorium with its giant screen and 17-speaker sound system.

Tickets are $10 ($9 for seniors, students, children, teachers and active military). To purchase advance tickets go to theparktheatre.org or call the box office (603) 532-8888.

The Park Theatre performing arts center is located at 19 Main Street in downtown Jaffrey, New Hampshire, just 90 minutes from Boston. (https://theparktheatre.org/)

Coming Up at Nova Arts in Keene

Join us at Nova Arts in Keene this Wednesday and Thursday night for some incredible music from New England and beyond!

On Wednesday 5/1, San Francisco-based guitarist and composer Bill Orcutt will present his latest project, an all-electric Guitar Quartet performing the music from his 2022 LP "Music for Four Guitars," an album which Pitchfork describes as "a rigidly structured quartet that weaves tiny rhythmic phrases into expansive tapestries, drawing on the tenets of early minimalism and New York guitar groups like Glenn Branca Ensemble." Featuring an all-star team of guitarists Orcutt, Wendy Eisenberg, Ava Mendoza, and Shane Parish, the ensemble will present the music in an expanded live format that will combine intricate composition with no holds barred improvisation.

Bill Orcutt is the former guitarist and founder of the notorious 90's group Harry Pussy, and his sound is a stuttered reimagining of blues guitar, weaving looping melodic lines and angular attack into a dense, fissured landscape of American primitivism, outsider jazz, and a stripped-down re-envisioning of the possibilities of the guitar. Whether he's playing his decrepit Kay acoustic or gutted electric Telecaster (both stripped of two of their strings, as has been Orcutt's custom since 1985), Orcutt's jagged sound is utterly unique and instantly recognizable, compared with equal frequency to avant-garde composers and rural bluesmen. The New York Times has called him a "powerful musician... a go-for-broke guitar improviser," and described his sound as "articulated sprays of arpeggiated chords and dissonance."

The very next evening we've got our storied Honkytonk heroes The Rear Defrosters, with a twist. This time around they'll be fronted by the inimitable Milan McAlevey, an American songwriter, guitarist and singer, and the leader of the raucous northern Maine legends, Coke Weed. A long-time resident of the state of Maine, his songs are often informed by the dreamy melancholy of the New England coast. They center on storytelling through lyrics that convey a wryly existentialist worldview and share an affinity with magical realism via hobo poetry and tall tales from last century America.

Milan's life and music are an archetypal story of a lost songwriter, one finally getting his due after decades outside the limelight. After all, Milan has been writing songs for 30 years and yet hadn't had his first commercial release under his own name until 2022's Islands of Milans. Now almost two years later his new album Bucksport Motel will arrive May 10th on Fortune Tellers, a label founded by Peter Bauer of the Walkmen.

Opening up this show will be High Tea, the indie folk-rock duo hailing from Massachusetts: a concoction of sweepingly soulful harmonies, guitar riffs to knock your socks off, and a refreshing blend of old blues and new rock. Isabella DeHerdt and Isaac Eliot have come together to fill spaces with homegrown storytelling and Lumineers-esque vocals. Their songs are ripe with americana heartbreak, and tell tales of growing up, going wild, and always coming back to the ones you love.

Doors are at 7:00 p.m., and music will start promptly at 7:30. The show is all ages and seating is first come first served.

Tickets are available at novaarts.org/events, at Brewbakers / Terra Nova Coffee, or at the door.

"That Thing in the Spring" Happening May 16-19

From Thursday May 16 through Sunday May 19, the Thing in the Spring will be unfolding at Nova Arts in Keene NH; it's the 16th Thing, and the 3rd since it moved to Keene. Both weekend passes and single day tickets are available now at thethinginthespring.com and at Brewbakers / Terra Nova Coffee.

As usual, the Thing's programming offers audiences an eclectic curation of performances throughout the four day festival, as well as within just a single day. This way, no matter what someone is able to attend, there is a unique opportunity awaiting them. Each day on its own is an exciting combination of world renowned artists and regional acts; string four days of this together and what you have is a truly special resource for the Monadnock region.

This year's festivities begin with a kickoff party hosted by the folks at Cooper's Hill - they'll be making the trip to Keene and emceeing the show which features eight performances from groups spread all around New England. The evening is headlined by the region's own Modern Fools.

Friday has a lean toward jazz and avant garde music, featuring jazz trumpet legend Wadada Leo Smith, pioneering hiphop producer Prefuse 73, and capped off my avant garde guitar maestro Marc Ribot, as well as the Messthetics & James Brandon Lewis. The Messthetics feature the rhythm section of Fugazi, and Lewis is the biggest name on tenor sax currently, as well as a former MacDowell fellow.

Saturday will see the very first New Hampshire appearance by stoner / doom innovators Earth, as well as composer and master violist Jessica Pavone, favorites the Huntress and Holder of Hands, and psychedelic lifers Sunburned Hand of the Man. There will also be a deep poetry review & a book event with Chelsea Granger at Toadstool.

Sunday features Big Thief songwriter / guitarist / singer Buck Meek, as well as singer/songwriters Nina Nastasia, Jolie Holland, and Song Exploder helmer and the One AM Radio himself, Hrishikesh Hirway. There will also be a city bird walk led by the Harris Center, and celebration of the new book of Dan Blakeslee's rock posters!

This all amounts to around 35 bands on 2 stages all at 48 Emerald St, with backdrops by Nathaniel Russell, and a tap takeover by Post and Beam Brewing! We hope to see you there.

Mark Peterson to Host "Broadway Feud" at MWCC

Theatre at the Mount is thrilled to announce that Mark Peterson will be showcasing his talent and creativity as the host and creator of BROADWAY FEUD at Theatre at the Mount on Saturday, June 15 at 7:30 p.m. Mark, a familiar and beloved face on the Theatre at the Mount stage, has captivated audiences with his performances as Horace Vandergelder in Hello Dolly and Mayor Shinn in The Music Man. Join us for an evening of entertainment and fun as Mark brings his theatrical expertise to this exciting event.

"Survey says" that this unique blend of America's beloved game show and musical theatre will be a night of entertainment like no other. Watch as our talented teams of performers go head-to-head in a friendly competition and maybe even get a chance to be a part of the onstage excitement. This is a one-night-only event that you won't want to miss!

Tickets for Broadway Feud are on sale now at mwcc.universitytickets.com or call the Theatre at the Mount Box Office at 978-630-9388.

Applications Open for Operation Money Wise, Veteran Financial Education Funding

Veteran-serving organizations in Massachusetts can apply for funding to offer financial education programming for veterans, service members, and their families

BOSTON - In collaboration with the Division of Banks (DOB) and the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation (OCABR), the State Treasurer's Office of Economic Empowerment (OEE) announced a new round of funding for Operation Money Wise. This grant program offers funding to veteran-serving non-profit organizations, public agencies, and higher education institutions to host financial programming that serves the Military, Veteran, Family, and Survivor Community (MVFSC).

Veteran-serving organizations can apply for up to $5,000 in funding, which must be used before March 31, 2025. Applications close on May 31st, 2024 at 5 p.m. Go to https://www.mass.gov/how-to/apply-for-operation-money-wise to learn more and apply.

To date, Operation Money Wise has served over 6,648 members of the military community. A total of $262,977 has been awarded to 55 grantees in six grant rounds. The funding allows organizations to use their knowledge and expertise to design or enhance a program that would best serve their community. Many of these workshops will include strategy sessions on basic budgeting, managing debt, preparing for retirement, and making decisions with money.

"We are proud to help those who serve our country achieve financial stability for themselves and their families," said State Treasurer Deborah B. Goldberg. "Operation Money Wise will continue to support organizations that uplift and financially empower our veteran community across Massachusetts."

"Operation Money Wise helps address the daily financial challenges that veterans and their families continually face," said Undersecretary of the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation Layla R. D'Emilia. "By empowering the organizations that best serve our military, this program is an example of a results-driven, community-focused collaboration in which we are proud to take part."

Previous programs include one-day seminars or multiple sessions hosted by local colleges and financial institutions. Topics featured in past programs include career-training, information tailored to Gold Star Families, the National Guard Reintegration Yellow Ribbon Program, and the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program.

Funding is possible through a Division of Banks settlement over alleged unlawful lending practices.

About the Division of Banks
The Division of Banks (DOB) is the chartering authority and primary regulator for financial service providers in Massachusetts. DOB's primary mission is to ensure a sound, competitive, and accessible financial services environment throughout the Commonwealth.

About the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation
The Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation protects and empowers consumers through advocacy and education and ensures a fair playing field for the Massachusetts businesses its agencies regulate.

About the Office of Economic Empowerment
Treasurer Goldberg created the Office of Economic Empowerment with the deliberate goal of implementing a range of economic empowerment initiatives that include closing the race and gender wage gap, addressing racial equity, increasing access to financial education, and creating pathways to economically stable futures for all residents across the state.