Jeremy Porter Road Blog

Road Blog: Friday May 16, 2025 - Manchester, NH

Road Blog
May 16, 2025
Manchester, New Hampshire

I left my motel near Worcester, Massachusetts around noon and heading North into New Hampshire. I was runnin' on fumes so I stopped off to get gas near the New Hampshire line and other than some traffic congestion it was an uneventful 75 minute drive. My motel is near the Manchester airport and I got into my room early and chilled out for a couple hours, getting caught up on communications and accounting, watching some TV, and eating the last of my goat vindaloo from Boston and the last few bites of my chili from last night in Putnam. If you missed those blogs, go to my Jeremy Porter music page and scroll down to read them.

I headed into Manchester and stopped at Newbury Comics where I found a sweet tommy conwell & the young rumblers album and some nick-knacks for my guitar case and patch jacket. From there I checked out the Riverwalk and Amoskeag Falls, hoping to catch a glance of a bald eagle I’d heard tell hung around those parts, but just saw some ducks and maybe a cormorant. I called TrooperGirl22 and got caught up about our grass being a foot tall and the neighbors are certainly about to call the cops on us, and my alliums just about to bloom so I better get my weary ass home before I miss `em. One more show boo…

Over at the The Shaskeen Pub I met Devin the sound engineer, the dudes in Regals and a couple of the guys in Dead Time. I also met Miketon, who worked with Matt to book the show and build a lineup around me. I’m eternally grateful to these good people. I ordered a drink and the Erin’s Open Face Turkey Sammy (with stuffing, Guinness gravy, cranberry mayo, and Swiss in rye) and it was basically Thanksgiving dinner – so good. I ate about 1/3 and took the rest back to the motel in a box.

Down Time went on around 9:15 and played a killer, diverse set of indie/alt rock with elements of stoner rock at times. I told them after that they should cover “Space Truckin’” by Deep Purple. Super good dudes, and a solid, fun band. I went on after and did about 45 minutes to a fairly full room that was mostly engaged and attentive. I played as well as I have on this run, and didn’t blow too many lyrics. Devin had the sound dialed in and I felt pretty comfortable up there. After me Regals came up and played an awesome set of original tunes that reminded me at times of Drive-By Truckers at at other times of Country Westerns, but they certainly had their own thing going on with great songs, and great dynamics and synergy on stage. They’d fit perfectly in my record collection! After their set I fetched my vehicle from the parking ramp a couple blocks away, loaded out, said my goodbyes, and headed back to the motel where a couple from South Carolina got in the elevator with me and said they’d just seen my entire set at the bar. They talked up the Tin Roof, which I was familiar with from WATERSHED tour dates. I had a nightcap and did some paperwork before crashing out for about 4 short hours.

Today I am out very early with a daunting (according to Google) 6 ½ to 10 ½ hour drive to Baltimore, through NYC and Philly, where I’m playing tonight at Micky's Joint with The Starlings - Charm City . Show starts around 8ish and it’s gonna be a fun (but exhausting) end to the tour with some collabs! Let’s wrap it up in style! Xx