Portsmouth Kicks Off Concert Across America to End Gun Violence

Musicians and advocates in the Portsmouth, NH area will kick off the nationwide Concert Across America to End Gun Violence with a concert featuring renowned local musicians who support the cause of ending gun violence.

Portsmouth, NH concert will be the first of 350 concerts planned in all 50 states that weekend to remember victims of gun violence surrounding the national Day of Remembrance of Murder Victims Sept. 25.

Musical performances around the country will bring together thousands of concert organizers, performers and attendees to remember victims of gun violence and add their voices to a growing national chorus calling on our nation’s leaders to end a public health crisis that claims the lives of more than 30,000 Americans each year.

Each concert is connected via social media using #ConcertAcrossAmerica and #EndGunViolence. All concerts are listed online at http://www.concertacrossamerica.org.

By taking part in the Portsmouth concert, participants are asking federal and state leaders to take reasonable, commonsense steps to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people, like requiring background checks on every gun sold.

“I am tired of being silent on this issue,” said Elissa Margolin, one of the local organizers and performers. “Gun violence is clearly a public health crisis at this point and I look forward to coming together with other like-minded people and doing more as a community, as a state and as a nation to reverse this disturbing trend.”

“As a victim of gun violence, I am appalled that there is such apathy toward this issue,” said Anne Lyczak, whose husband was killed in a Portsmouth shooting in 1994. "I’m grateful to all the musicians involved for caring enough to participate locally in a nationwide call to end gun violence. Their energy and talent will shine a much-needed spotlight on the issue. Our country’s lack of respect for human life is pathetic. I hope this concert demonstrates interest in solutions and leads to better decision-making by the voters and our elected leaders.”

When: Friday, September 23, 2016, 6:30-11:00pm

Where: 3S Artspace, 319 Vaughan Street, Portsmouth, NH

Who: Martin England and the Reconstructed will headline.

Also performing: The Look Backs, Chris Guzikowski & The Grim Brothers and River Sister. DJ Skooch will start spinning at 6:30 pm. Sam Harding will be the emcee for the evening. The Leftist Marching Band warms up the crowd.

Tickets: $10 on sale now

About the Concert Across America

The Concert Across America will take place surrounding Sept. 25, the date designated by Congress in 2007 as the Day of Remembrance for Murder Victims. This nationwide event will bring together a network of organizations, activists and artists with the dual goals of keeping guns out of dangerous hands and making the issue of illegal guns top of mind for members of Congress, the presidential candidates, and the American people as they go to the polls in November 2016. National partners include a long list of organizations allied to end gun violence.