Concord-based indie-folk singer-songwriter-guitarist Steven Chagnon, billed as “involved in music since the age of two or three” (he’s now 29), will headline the October 18 “Third Friday” concert at the Andover Community Coffeehouse, where he’ll be joined by up to a dozen local “open mic’ performers.
Music by the featured performer begins at 7 PM in the Highland Lake Grange Hall at the intersection of Chase Hill Road and Route 11 in East Andover. Doors to the Grange Hall open at 6 PM for simple supper food and beverage purchases, and for open mic sign-ups on a first-come, first-served basis.
Admission is free, although the hat will be passed, and donations — which are shared with the featured performer — are gratefully accepted. The sponsor for October’s concert is Patty Pond, “the bluebird baker.”
Chagnon will lead off with a half-hour set and return around 9 PM to close out the evening. In between, local musicians and spoken-word performers will each get ten minutes in the spotlight during the open-mic segment.
A native of Bow, Chagnon got his first guitar at age 2 or 3. By age 10 he was taking guitar lessons, and in fifth grade he joined a choir. At 13, he joined his first band, “a sort of punk-rock group.” He describes his current music as indie folk. “It never stops growing and changing on you,” Chagnon said of his music. He performs mainly in New Hampshire, with a recent month’s schedule taking him to 11 venues, all but one in the state and all south of Andover.
For more information on Chagnon, go to his website at stevenchagnonmusic.com.
For more information on the coffeehouse, go to AndoverCoffeehouse.org. The coffeehouse is located at the intersection of Route 11 and Chase Hill Road in East Andover. It operates under the umbrella of the Andover Community Hub, located at 157 Main Street in Andover.
Coming up: Headliners for the November 15 Third Friday event will be the Baltimore-based duo Nick and Luke, bringing with them “a love for traditional music and honest songwriting presented with the spontaneity of jazz and the reckless abandon of rock music.”
About the Andover Community Coffeehouse:
Now in its fifth year of offering free concerts to the public, the coffeehouse is managed and staffed entirely by volunteers. New volunteers are always needed to help with duties such as talent bookings, community outreach, audiovisual support, venue arrangements, and the like. Those interested in joining in the fun should contact andovercommunity03216@nullgmail.com.
A photographic record of past coffeehouse performers, both headliners and open-mic participants, is shown on the coffeehouse website at andovercoffeehouse.org, and on the Facebook page “Andover Community Coffeehouse.” The website also lists future bookings through the end of 2019.
Video recordings of concerts are shown on a number of community-access channels across the state, and are available for viewing anytime on Andover’s town website at www.andover-nh.gov and then “community videos.” The videos are produced by volunteers at Andover Community Cable.