HippoPress -- The Hippo -- Guide to Manchester and Nashua NH

• Creative flier: In your recent travels downtown, you might have crossed paths with Chris Keefe handing out yellow fliers — with hand drawings on it — promoting two open mike nights at Bridge Café. “The fate of Manchester culture is now in your hands!” is sprawled across the top of the flier. Whether the cafe’s Wednesday musical open mike, or its Friday spoken word open mike, will affect Manchester’s culture is unclear. But walking down Elm Street handing out fliers to strangers (which Keefe is doing) is exactly what will get people talking about an event, especially since no one hits the pavement like that in this town. Keep it up Chris. Maybe you will make an impact on this city’s culture.

• Beware of the Skavalanche: The Know How, In the Face, The Specs (formerly the Superspecs) and more are all performing next Thursday, Jan. 5 at Club Drifters as part of the Skavalanche Tour. The Skavalanche Tour began on December 27, and is hitting 10 cities up and down the East Coast — every show is all ages. The show begins at 6 p.m., and is $10. For more on each band performing, check out their Web sites: www.theknowhow.com; www.intheface.net/ and www.specsrock.com. Club Drifters is located at 17 Factory St., Nashua. 880-0523.

• Cracking the whip on smoking: As of New Year’s Eve the lounge at Whippersnappers in Londonderry will be smoke-free. People will still be able to smoke in the game room (a much smaller room separated from the lounge) for the time being “so that customers don’t have to go out in the cold,” said Whippersnappers General Manager Mike “Friday” Cook. Whether the game room will go smoke free come springtime is not certain. But Cook said he believes sooner or later, all bars will be smoke-free. It’s worth noting that folks from many bands that perform at the bar have complained to Cook about how smoky the bar can get. Their complaints turned into action. Whippersnappers is located at Route 102 Londonderry Commons, Londonderry. 434-2660.

• Stupidity, or determination?: If you read the Moes Haven article in this week’s paper, you know that Matt Farley is willing to go anywhere (Wisconsin) and do anything (make a 24-hour long album, or better yet, 365 albums in one year) to bring attention to his band. These are interesting, creative ways to not only make music, but be unique. Some might call it stupidity or a waste of time. But hey, I never heard of Parker’s band until he sent me a press release for his 365 albums. Now he’s caught my attention. Seems his stupidity (or is it determination?) worked, and could work for other bands out there.

Got a sweet show coming up? How about band changes, new venues or gossip on the music scene? Send all the good stuff to Richie Victorino at rvictorino@hippopress.com or reach him at 625-1855, ext. 18.