Portsmouth is home for local musicians, community symphony, world-renowned jazz artists, up and coming ensembles—blues, bebop, bluegrass, classical—you name it, we have it. There’s a quote around Portsmouth among musicians: “Open a door in town and find a tune.” Our summer is full of street concerts, park festivals, and sidewalk jams all in the easy zone of our sunny season. But did you know that winter is the secret time for discovering new artists in intimate settings? Among others, three Portsmouth locales offer authentic vibes on the seacoast, all with a community spirit of bringing music to the dark days of winter.
Jimmy’s Jazz and Blues Club—housed in a restored YMCA—sports crushed velour seating and offers bespoke cocktails, and feels like a place where all the cool kids hang out. Downtown and swinging, the swanky listening room is known for perfect acoustics. Throw in dinner, and you have a night out.
Don’t want to make breakfast on a Sunday? Go to the Sunday Jazz Brunch from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., with a full-on smorgasbord of delectables like smoked salmon, carved meats, Benedicts of the week, and fruit towers. Be entertained by a rotating array of jazz musicians ready to soothe the winter blues away or rev you up for the snow. Stay for the sweets table and dance along to the jazz.
You can also choose to go to the Gallery downstairs for the Jazz Parlour and Salsa Nights, and snuggle or sway, while enjoying the signature winter cocktail: New England Manhattan.
The Music Hall is a 1920s historical gem with opera seats, crystal chandeliers, red velvet curtains and a magical wonderland bathroom you have to see to believe. Its “younger sister,” the Music Hall Lounge, is across the street and gets you intimate and up close to singer-songwriters and local musicians on the cusp of making it big.
Both are community spaces that host a full schedule of events: Writers on a New England Stage, monthly book clubs, film festivals, seasonal productions with the Ogunquit Playhouse Theater, comedy, Community Conversations, opera, the annual Lit Fest, and benefits for local nonprofits. January is prime time for world films, so take in a movie mid-week with friends.
Plus, of course, there’s the roster of world-renowned musicians that fill the hall with dancing. Music is the real deal here and it’s always the place to be for award-winning jazz, blues, and symphony. With bars on two floors, and speakeasy-styled McKeon’s Bar next door for members, you can find cozy nooks for specialty cold weather cocktails like Ember Glow or Cinnamon Symphony.
The Press Room is a classic New Hampshire hangout where musicians go for a night off or just to see which of their friends is playing the stage on a given night. Exposed beams, brick walls, pub fare—this is the musical heartbeat of Portsmouth, and it’s been in business for more than four decades.
Think Tuesday night jams, Friday night jazz parties, fabulous Sunday brunches, Celtic sessions, birthday bashes, new folk, old folk, bluegrass, poetry slams, ensembles, singalongs, tributes, techno. Whatever you fancy, the Press Room pulls in the local talent from the Seacoast and nearby. Toast to the winter with a classic rye on the rocks.
There’s no need to fret when we’re stuck in the freeze feeling isolated, because music is the common language that connects us. Portsmouth offers havens from the winter doldrums, places where everyone is welcome to have a good time out on the town.
Jimmy’s Jazz & Blues Club
135 Congress Street, Portsmouth, N.H.
888.603.5299
jimmsoncongress.com
The Music Hall
28 Chestnut St, Portsmouth, N.H.
603.436.2400
themusichall.org
The Press Room
77 Daniel St, Portsmouth, N.H.
603.431.5186
pressroomnh.com
There’s no need to fret when you're stuck in the freeze feeling isolated, because music is the common language that connects us.