For Enfield native Brooks Hubbard, coming home for the holidays means more than indulging in 24/7 downtime from his Nashville-based music career.
Tonight at the Briggs Opera House in White River Junction, the 2010 graduate of Mascoma Valley Regional High School wraps up a return visit sprinkled with gigs around the Northeast by performing songs from his third studio album, a work-in-progress currently titled American Story, with guitarist Val McCallum, a member of Jackson Browne’s band who has local ties of his own.
The 7 p.m. show follows on the heels of Hubbard’s performance at his alma mater’s new auditorium the week before last, benefiting a fund providing musical instruments to elementary-school students in the Mascoma district. And last week he played shows in Boston, New York and New Jersey to raise money for the new record, as well as a set at the 56 Main Street Bar in Enfield on Sunday.
“I’m in Music City now,” Hubbard said during a telephone interview last week before his Boston show. “You’ve got to keep things going.”
Things have been going full throttle since Hubbard relocated to Nashville late in the summer of 2015. In addition to writing and recording and playing at nightspots around the city — not to mention making ends meet by occasionally driving for Uber — he’s been working with other writers more than he expected.
“Moving anywhere new is going to force you to figure out who you are,” Hubbard said. “Nashville is the perfect place to do that. … It’s this huge community of creativity. I didn’t expect to like it that much. It’s not just a place for country music. I don’t consider myself a country artist, but I do draw from a lot of influences in country. … Even with all the changes in the music industry, music is really becoming very open. I’m very optimistic. Some of the best music is being made now, because of the collaborations with all the different genres.
“One of the things I’ve figured out is that it’s all about co-writing and collaborating.”
McCallum, a frequent visitor to the Upper Valley when his mother, English actress Jill Ireland, and his stepfather, actor Charles Bronson, owned a home in West Windsor, has a place in Woodstock but lives most of the year in Los Angeles. Following an introduction by a mutual friend in the summer of 2015, Hubbard and McCallum played a show together at Freight House Hall in White River Junction.
“It was supposed to be a solo show, but the day before, I gave him a call and he was in,” Hubbard recalled. “He killed it, with all these songs of mine that he didn’t know.”
After subsequent shows together, including a previous benefit for the Mascoma musical-instrument fund, McCallum knows those songs now, not to mention an encyclopedia worth of the repertoire of Jackson Browne — “my favorite songwriter,” Hubbard said. While they might cover a Browne classic or two tonight, along with a smattering of McCallum’s own oeuvre and some of Hubbard’s older material, Hubbard expects to focus on the songs he’s considering for his new album.
“There’s an energy to Val’s playing that brings the best out of me,” Hubbard said. “He elevates my performance. … As usual, it’ll be a mix of songs about what’s going on in the world right now, but also love songs and relationship stuff.
“You’ve got to mix it all together.”
Brooks Hubbard and Val McCallum perform tonight at 7 at the Briggs Opera House in White River Junction. Doors open at 6. The ticket price ($20 online in advance, $25 at the door) includes a future copy of Hubbard’s new album and a raffle ticket for the following prizes: a live house concert, a personalized, one-minute song, handwritten lyrics and a bundle of recorded music. To learn more, visit yellowhousemedia.com or Hubbard’s Facebook page.
The Manchester-based ensemble Recycled Percussion fills Lebanon Opera House with a drumbeat of rock on Wednesday afternoon at 4 and on Wednesday night at 7:30. For tickets ($29.50), visit lebanonoperahouse.org or the box office in City Hall, or call 603-448-0400.
Northern Stage wraps its production of A Christmas Carol at the Barrette Center for the Arts in White River Junction with performances this afternoon at 2, tonight and Friday night at 7:30, Saturday afternoon at 2, Saturday night at 7:30 and Sunday afternoon at 2. For tickets ($14 to $54) and more information, visit northernstage.org or call 802-296-7000.
Singer-songwriter Brian Warren performs in the tavern of the Lyme Inn tonight from 6:30 to 9:30.
The North Country Chordsmen sing barbershop standards at the Canoe Club in Hanover tonight starting at 7:45. Next up at the microphone over the coming week with evening shows from 6:30 to 9:30 are pianist Gillian Joy on Friday, pianist Jonathan Kaplan on Saturday, acoustic chameleon Joseph Stallsmith on Tuesday and pianist Randall Mullen next Thursday night. And on Monday night from 5:30 to 8:30, Marko the Magician performs his tableside sleight-of-hand.
Off the Rails pulls into Windsor Station for a session of bluegrass tonight at 7. Next to the microphone over the coming week are Sensible Shoes on Friday night at 9:30 and singer-guitarist Bill Temple on Tuesday night from 6 to 9.
Singer-songwriter Guy Burlage performs at Bentley’s Restaurant in Woodstock tonight at 8, followed next Thursday night at 8 by bluesman Arthur James.
Tirade plays a set of rock at the Salt hill Pub in Lebanon on Friday night at 8.
Singer-guitarist Will Michaels performs at the Salt hill Pub in Hanover on Friday night at 8.
Salt hill’s Newport pub welcomes Turner Round frontman Chad Gibbs to the microphone for a solo acoustic set of rock on Friday night at 8.
Groove Sum, formerly known as The Joe Mitchell Project, sets a funky and jazzy rhythm for dancing at Skunk Hollow Tavern in Hartland Four Corners on Friday starting at 9.
Bow Thayer plays his weekly set of Americana at the Skinny Pancake on Wednesday night at 7:30.
Jim Yeager hosts an open mic tonight at 7 at the ArtisTree Community Arts Center in South Pomfret.
Ramunto’s Brick & Brew Pizza in Bridgewater hosts an open mic starting at 7:30 on Thursday nights. Participants get a free large cheese pizza.
String players of all ages and abilities are welcome at the weekly acoustic jam session at South Royalton’s BALE Commons on Friday night from 6:30 to 10.
Joe Stallsmith leads a weekly hootenanny of Americana, folk and bluegrass at Salt hill Pub in Hanover on Monday nights at 6.
Bradford’s Colatina Exit holds an open mic on Tuesday nights at 8.
Jim Yeager hosts an open mic at Hartland’s Skunk Hollow Tavern, at 8:30 on Wednesday night.
David Corriveau can be reached at dcorriveau@vnews.com and at 603-727-3304.