Nova Arts, the nonprofit collaborative arts initiative, housed out of Brewbakers Café on 48 Emerald St., is expanding its pay-what-you-want ticketing to be a permanent fixture of the venue’s events. The news coincides with the organization’s recent reveal of the big-name headlining the multi-day “Thing in the Spring,” New York-based rap group Wu Tang Clan’s Ghostface Killah.
The nonprofit, which introduced the free ticketing option in the summer of 2025 through a grant from the TD Charitable Foundation, is implementing the program permanently as a result of financial support from the Savings Bank of Walpole, according to reporting by MyKeeneNow.
TD Charitable’s grant previously allowed the organization to pay for artist fees, production expenses and staffing, thus allowing event-goers to save on their tickets, according to The Sentinel.
“This aligns very well with our mission of supporting underrepresented voices and facilitating collaboration by fundamentally changing who has access to our programming,” Eric Gagne, Nova Arts program director, said in an email statement to The Sentinel, referring to the organization’s introduction of the program.
Now, Nova Arts will be able to offer the program in perpetuity.
Access for All ticketing, the name for the pay-what-you-can system, can be found under the event listing for nearly all of the venue’s upcoming performances under the “buy tickets” button on the organization’s website.
The organization has many musical and activism-centric events planned as the winter winds down and spring approaches, culminating in mid-May’s Thing in the Spring, a three-day music festival with over 25 performances.
This year’s Thing in the Spring features a partnership with The Colonial Theatre to bring rappers Ghostface Killah and Sammus to the Keene venue on Saturday, May 16, from 7-10 p.m. The performance’s ticketing will be sold through the Colonial, with prices ranging from $64.50-$84.50.
In terms of events leading up to the big-ticket show in May, there are a number of local artists and groups coming out to the Emerald Street café.
The venue will host Coffin Flop, a local punk band that performed at WKNH’s 2025 Solar Fest, in a joint-performance with alternative band Jonee Earthquake and psychedelic rock band Phrogs on Feb. 28, from 7-10 p.m.
On Thursday, March 5, the nonprofit will host “What Can I Do About It Here? Session 2,” a political discussion event put on by Cooperative Action Monadnock (CAM), building off CAM’s first event, which The Equinox reported on.
The following day, Friday, March 6, 7-10 p.m., the venue will host The Wooden Nickels, a collective of acoustic musicians, as well as guitarist Liam Grant and multi-instrumentalist Sam Boston.
On March 14, from 7-10 p.m., Walpole, N.H.-based band TERRACES, along with progressive rockers Sunset Mission out of Boston.
Keene Mutual Aid is hosting an open mic night with a suggested donation of $5 on Thursday, March 19, 7-9 p.m., where performances of music, poetry, writing, comedy and more are welcome by community members.
On Friday, March 20, 7-10 p.m., rock entertainers The Great Groove Theory and Boston-based soul-influenced rock band Reckoners will be performing.
Moving on to Thursday, March 26, from 5-9 p.m., there will be a Queer Open Mic/Drag Open Stage/Clothing Swap, with the swap occurring from 5-7 p.m. and the performances from 7-9 p.m.
The following day, on Friday, March 27, from 7-10 p.m., singer-songwriter Sean Rowe and multi-instrumentalist Simon Gray will perform at the café.
On Friday, April 3, from 7-10 p.m., the Reproductive Fund of N.H. is hosting a fundraiser concert featuring singer-storyteller Olive Klug, Southern New Hampshire/Boston-based indie rock band Happy Just to See You and folk singer Eve Pierce.
Next up on Saturday, April 4, from 7-10 p.m., rock trio TAKAAT will be playing alongside guitarist, vocalist and songwriter Kal Marks.
On Friday, April 10, 7-10 p.m., Owlsley’s Owls will play musical selections from rock band The Grateful Dead.
A week later, on Friday, April 17, from 7-10 p.m., Massachusetts-based noise rock band Rong will come to the venue to perform alongside the two-piece band Kendra and B|_ank by electroacoustic percussionist and experimental soloist Will Hicks.
The following Friday, April 24, from 7-10 p.m., house band Murphy’s Blues will perform with bluesy rock band Down In The Ground.
Then, to round off the organization’s pre-Thing in the Spring schedule, The Draa Hobbs Jazz Quartet will perform on Saturday, April 24, from 7-10 p.m. The group will perform alongside Japanese-born fingerstyle guitarist Hiroya Tsukamoto.
Ticket pricing is typically in the $20-$25 range for those looking to purchase tickets, as opposed to using the organization’s Access for All pricing.
Nathan Hope can be contacted at
