Change for the better: Lakes Region music scene full of opportunity

LACONIA — The local music scene could be characterized numerous ways — seasonal, varied, complicated and burgeoning come to mind. Visitors will find, playing at local restaurants and other stages, immense talent and a fierce love for the Lakes Region. While tourists come and go, local bards remain, banging away on their instruments and singing their songs day after day and night after night. 

Singer-songwriters, cover artists, disc jockeys and everybody in between play regional hotspots including the 405 Pub and Grill in Laconia, Tower Hill Tavern at the Weirs and Hermit Woods Winery & Eatery in Meredith to earn their living. 

Bob Kerr of Farmington, better known as Bobby Freedom, created a niche for himself. He sings the hits, but his creativity is best expressed while belting out soulful renditions of gold mining-themed music. 

“I’m Bobby Freedom because I’m free,” he said in an interview. 

He’s done a lot in his life. Formerly a landscaper, he started playing music after learning the harmonica. He went on to work as a studio musician in Boston before breaking off on his own. Now, Freedom performs in venues throughout New England and performs DJ sets at weddings. 

But in 2011, Freedom was inspired by TV programs which highlighted gold miners and sought to learn the trade. He hired a guide in Vermont who showed him where to camp and how to get the gold. 

“I remember that first night,” he said. “It was like 26 degrees.”

His experiences informed his 2014 album "Gold Adventures with Bobby Freedom" which he wrote while living in Wolfeboro.

He works primarily in and around the Lakes Region, which he characterized as less competitive than other areas. He said it’s easier to get new leads here and being a solo performer makes it easier to stand out. 

“When I grew up in Mass. it was very competitive,” he said. 

“The 405 is like my second home,” he said. “It’s worked for me really well here in New Hampshire in the wedding industry.”

Freedom said the interactive nature of his performances separate him from others.

“I let my guests sing, play tambourine,” he said. “You never know who’s going to hit the tip jar.”

Katie Dobbins of Gilford has made a career for herself performing original music throughout New England.

“I’ve been playing music my whole life,” Dobbins said. “I started playing piano when I was 7 or something. Music was already part of me — my parents joked that I came out of the womb dancing.”

She released her debut album "She Is Free" in 2017 to critical acclaim, and performed widely in the Boston area while living in Somerville. 

“Something definitely clicked,” she said. 

Now Dobbins performs regularly at The Loft at Hermit Woods where she also curates intimate shows, called songwriter round-ups, featuring songwriters from far and wide. 

“I’ve been working with them a lot,” she said. “That’s kind of like my baby. I just feel like making music is so much fun with other people.”

Dobbins also performs at Patrick’s Pub & Eatery and Beans & Greens Farm, both in Gilford, among other venues.

“I feel fortunate that there are a lot of venues here that value live music,” she said. “I feel very supported here. The Lakes Region has something special about it — all of the musicians I’ve met here have been very supportive of each other and we’re all really hungry.”

The Lakes Region represents something special, she said.

“I love New England, I love New Hampshire, I love the Lakes Region,” she said.

Dobbins said young musicians who are striving to make a career of their passion should follow their hearts. 

“Stay true to yourself and follow your gut. There is really no one way to be successful at it,” she said. 

Paul Warnick, of Gilford, is a performer and longtime school teacher who first arrived in the Lakes Region in the 1990s after finishing up school at Keene State College. He started out playing music part-time with friends anywhere that would host them.

“It’s a four-season resort area,” he said. “Places are providing live entertainment to their guests. There’s a ton of work.”

Warnick said the Lakes Region presents ample opportunity for those hoping to work consistently in the music industry.

“It’s a great place to be a musician, quite frankly,” he said. “It’s an embarrassment of riches. The musicians in this area are great, I think it’s a really friendly music community.”

In addition to playing covers of the big hits, Warnick spent a lot of time working in the wedding business, though he’s backed off in recent years. Now he reminisces about times he’s played gigs at Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion in Gilford, where he said he’s performed countless times on both the main and side stages.

“I’m incredibly grateful to the folks over there,” he said. 

He’s also performed at The Flying Monkey in Plymouth.

Warnick said there’s room for young and ambitious musicians to make a name for themselves in the Lakes Region.

“Work hard at creating a really good product, that’s the most important thing. Make sure you’re proficient and do it as much as you can,” he said. “Listen to other people and observe what they do — make sure you’re not the most important person in the room. Understand your role in whatever it is, know your audience.”

But one person has his hand in bringing musicians to the area as much as anybody: Luke Heal of Meredith, better known as Luke Skyrocker.

“It started when I was a kid, I did marching band, I did orchestra band and I did chorus,” Skyrocker said. “Here, there’s a lot of restaurants, especially now with how busy the Weirs is getting.” 

Skyrocker performed prolifically as a DJ and has transitioned into booking and managing shows. He plays a key role in organizing live music during Laconia Motorcycle Week.

Venues such as Tower Hill Tavern, where he manages the booking, and The Big House are especially busy over the summer when tourists flock to the Weirs. He’s already lined up about 120 different performances through Motorcycle Week.

“That’s a huge opportunity,” he said. “If you can change what you’re doing, that gives you a lot of opportunity.”

While Skyrocker performed as a DJ, he met a man who went by DJ Tim while running a karaoke performance at Tower Hill. DJ Tim was handling much of the sound engineering there and needed a hand, Skyrocker said.

Skyrocker said he didn’t know anything about lighting and sound, but he learned quickly and it came naturally. He eventually began managing the bookings.

“It keeps me around other musicians, which is great,” he said. “I’ve created a really great relationship with some of these musicians that come in there. I think there’s definitely a lot of young local talent coming up — there’s so much good music around here.”

Skyrocker said he’s seen the music scene in the Lakes Region change for the better over the years.

“The evolution has come from, a lot of places can deal with full bands now as opposed to just acoustic acts,” he said. “The summers just keep getting busier and busier.”

He said up-and-coming musicians should use modern marketing techniques and develop a professional performance. 

“Utilize social media, learn how to bring people to come watch you play. I really appreciate it when a band brings 25 extra people,” he said. “It’s in a bands’ best interest to create that following. And be a good, tight band. The best bands play four or five songs in a row and don’t have a lot of dead space.”

To see performance schedules for these artists, visit djbobbyfreedom.com, katiedobbinsmusic.com and pwarnickmusic.com.