State House Presents Small Stuff
The Regal Drug and Mick Barr
The Cannon
July 8. 2026
There’s a new music series in town where you can see a lot of old friends and some of your favorite local musicians. The Cannon over on 135 Dwight St. launched the series, State House Presents Small Stuff, three weeks ago. Wednesday night it saw two performers – The Regal Drug and Mick Barr – sharing intimate sets that were small in size but big on sound and connection.
State House Presents is the brainchild of Carlos Wells of the former State Street venue. who can now be found behind the bar at The Cannon on Wednesday nights. The series has a simple premise: Each Wednesday two performers begin at 8 p.m. sharp. There is no cover, 21 plus only admitted, and the show will be done by 10 p.m. Wells said he has a variety of performers already booked through September, adding that the type of music will be “always different … a little bit of everything.”
Last night began promptly at 8 as promised with The Regal Drug (aka Scott Amore) offering a wealth of sweeping soundscapes via keys, electronics, and other effects. Always deep, always dreamy, Amore built upon his creations from note one, layering each sound he added to the other until its meditative nature felt like a calling forth to the present. Many in the crowd had their eyes closed, drinking in the lush waves as they became fuller and more realized.
Amore played as both chemist and conductor, creating a symphony of wavelengths occasionally distorted but always organic. It was the kind of sound that lends itself to bringing you places in your mind you did not think you could reach, but ultimately land you right where you are. Trippy and tasty, the 35-minute set felt like an absolutely necessary break from the rest of the world and its machinations, connected amongst friends and fellow music lovers. The crowd loved it.
The crowd also loved Mick Barr who soared through a set that began on electric guitar and ended on acoustic, in between showcasing some of the most engrossing string work I have ever seen. He began by launching into an absolute shred session that went on for a good ten minutes straight, silencing the bar as everyone watched and listened, many eyes wide and mouths agape, some eyes closed and soaking it all in, everyone simply mesmerized, some shaking their heads as if they could not believe what they were witnessing.
Barr segued over to acoustic guitar with one electric note connecting the two pieces, giving himself barely a moment to rest. Settling in and sitting down, he then built up over the next 20 minutes a layered Spanish style set of music that continued his intricate and enticing string play. At times throughout the set if you closed your eyes his guitar work sounded like someone was singing. But there were no words, though the sounds had a storytelling nature to them. The vibe throughout stayed contemplative, intentional, immediate. There was no where to be but right there, with that crowd, in that bar, with Barr’s music. An explosion of applause erupted as he ended the set, though the night did not end quite there as friends and fans gathered with both Amore, Barr, and each other. It can be hard to come back down after such a musical high. Thankfully, we only have to wait one more week to experience another one.
State House Presents Small Stuff continues every Wednesday at 8 p.m. sharp at The Cannon. Admission is free, 21plus only. For information about future performances please follow both The Cannon and The State House Instagram pages.
