4 new live-music spaces in New Hampshire

Attention theater and live music lovers! The recent debut of several live performance venues in New Hampshire, some housed in meticulously restored historic buildings, is pushing the Granite State centerstage. Here are 4 destinations to put on your radar—including a trio in Laconia—that offer one-of-a-kind experiences for both the artists and the audience.

This swanky and sophisticated supper club in downtown Portsmouth is the brainchild and passion project of local restauranteurs and brothers Michael and Peter Labrie. They turned a landmark 1905 structure into a buzzy state-of-the-art concert hall.

Housed in a former YMCA building, the cabaret-style club can seat up to 600. Its wide-open interior features exposed brick walls, refurbished wood floors, wood-paneled accent walls, original stained glass, and massive bay windows. A soaring new glass and steel addition houses a sleek bar and lounge area with floor-to-ceiling windows. The ground-up renovation includes high-tech acoustics and lighting, with artist-friendly recording and live-streaming capabilities.

Doors open 2 hours prior to performances, so arrive early. Enjoy cocktails and appetizers like truffle chips, lobster dip with house-made crackers, fried chicken, and the popular, locally sourced cheese and charcuterie board. Entrees include shrimp and grits, maple bacon salmon, and citrus-grilled swordfish.

Now, sit back and watch the show. The stellar lineup of modern jazz and blues greats who have performed at Jimmy’s includes Herbie Hancock, Wynton Marsalis, Mavis Staples, and Pat Metheny.

Performances are offered several times a week, including a recently launched Sunday jazz brunch.

When Laconia’s Colonial Theatre opened in 1914, news articles dubbed it one of the handsomest playhouses in New England. Benjamin Piscopo, an Italian stonecutter from Venice who made a fortune in Boston real estate before moving to Laconia around 1911, built this grandly opulent palace. Piscopo incorporated such Venetian-style flourishes as a fire curtain depicting Venice as seen from the water.

By the early 1930s, the theatre converted to motion pictures, and in 1983, it was divided into 5 auditoriums. It shuttered in 2002 after nearly 90 years of operation.

A massive 5-year, $14.4 million restoration has revived the Colonial Theatre. It’s now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The 1930s marquee lighting up downtown invites visitors to step inside—and back in time. Seating around 450 on the main floor and another 300 in the balcony, the theater retains much of its 1914 ornamentation, such as original chandeliers, restored plaster moldings, and detailed painting and stencil work.

The theater’s roster of year-round performances includes music, theatre, and comedy events.

It may be 140 years old, but this historic performance venue, dance hall, and one-time speakeasy is Laconia’s posh new spot. The property was built in 1882 when well-to-do summer visitors flocked to the Lakes Region. It sat shuttered for 60 years. Enter developer and former Lakes Region resident Scott Everett, with a vision.

Today, after a ground-up renovation, the Opera House, in the up-and-coming Lakeport Village neighborhood, artfully blends the old with the new: Refinished wood floors, replicated tin ceilings, and the original stage and curtains combine with contemporary lighting, opulent metal accents, world-class sound and lighting systems, and modern art.

A sleek, modern bar serves handcrafted cocktails. The separate Skywalk Lounge area offers views of Lake Winnipesaukee.

The intimate theater seats around 200 and hosts about 50 live performances a year. Performers have included national recording artists such as Taylor Dayne and popular tribute bands to ABBA, Michael Jackson, Fleetwood Mac, and Frank Sinatra.

“The community has embraced the new Opera House with open arms,” says Everett. “Almost every show is sold out.”

Prepare to be wowed at this new performance home for the zany, high-energy band Recycled Percussion.

The renowned junk-rock group, patterned after New York City street percussionists, has performed in more than 7,000 shows worldwide and appeared on 40 television shows. They were finalists on America’s Got Talent, headlined their own wildly popular Las Vegas show for 10 years, and produced the Emmy Award–winning Chaos and Kindness TV show and lifestyle brand.

Band member Justin Spencer bought the downtown Laconia building, once a church and later a popular tavern. His goal? To bring Las Vegas–style entertainment to the Lakes Region.

The newly renovated CAKE Theatre, an acronym for the Chaos and Kindness Experience, easily accommodates the band’s dazzling, over-the-top combination of comedy, music, stunts, and props. The production stage includes an enormous disco ball and high-tech sound, lighting, and special effects.

“There’s no other production venue like it in the region,” says Spencer.

In addition to Recycled Percussion performances, CAKE Theatre showcases a variety of emerging artists.

New England–based writers Diane Bair and Pamela Wright cover food and travel for several publications and are frequent Boston Globe contributors.