First and foremost, The Range in Mason, New Hampshire is a family business. Defining the rest of what comprises the multi-faceted destination identity is a bit more complicated: Throughout its 25 years of triumph and tragedy, the scope of The Range’s offerings has continued to expand in new ways. Now, it has evolved into one of the Northeast’s most intriguing concert venues.
“My parents built the driving range and ice cream stand [originally called Marty’s] in 1992 from a blank slate,” explained Nicole Ruggiero, who co-owns and operates The Range with her father. “They sunk their lives into the business up until my mother was diagnosed and passed away of lung cancer unexpectedly in September of 2010 at only 51 years old. … I had gone back to school for hospitality management before she was sick, and decided to move home to take over the family business after her untimely passing.”
With a new Ruggiero generation now in the driver’s seat, The Range began to grow. She built a tiki bar on the property and, in an attempt to market the new space, booked Roots of Creation to perform there. The performance was a success, so she booked another live show. “I never looked back!” she added.
A Look At The Range
Before long, the tiki bar was becoming a hot spot for live music in the area—a notion that didn’t thrill some Mason locals. Ruggiero had to fight tooth and nail to establish The Range as an official venue. “Let’s just say not everyone in town had the same enthusiasm for live music as I did … but justice prevailed for this valuable community hub of music, food and fun for all ages.” Ruggiero explained. “I spent a handful of years in and out of town meetings and attorneys’ offices to get to where I am.”
Today, The Range proudly boasts a 1,000-capacity open-air venue with patio and VIP seating that has hosted performances by a wide range of acts including Melvin Seals & JGB, Dumpstaphunk, Chali 2na & Cut Chemist, Lotus with Spafford and lespecial, Kitchen Dwellers, Mihali, The Elovaters, Robert Randolph, and more. This summer’s concert series at The Range got started back in June and has already featured shows by the Mallett Brothers Band, Rodney Atkins, and Max Creek.
Dynamic Asheville five-piece Papadosio, psych-jam bassist/bandleader Karina Rykman, and Boston-born jam stalwarts Strange Machines are due to perform on Saturday, August 17th [tickets]. Additional shows on the docket at The Range throughout the rest of this summer include touring Talking Heads tribute Start Making Sense on August 24th [tickets], a Ramble After Party set by Adam Ezra Group on August 25th, beloved reggae-rock-punk outfit Ballyhoo! with Mad Caddies and Keep Flying on September 6th [tickets], all-girl Led Zeppelin cover band Lez Zeppelin on September 13th [tickets], and more.
Additional performances take place on the property’s patio. Its “Garage Door” series includes free live concerts with themes by day, like Taco Tuesdays, Thursday Cruise Night car shows, and BBQ and Blues on Sundays. The venue’s 603 Brewery collaboration, The Range Hoppy Lager, is flowing all summer long.
Ruggiero continues to add new layers to the Range experience each year. The venue recently introduced food trucks and more parking. New glamping cabins are on tap for next year. And of course, true to its original vision, you can still eat ice cream and hit golf balls while you’re there. Her thinking on the matter is simple: Beyond simply developing The Range as a vibrant music venue for the New Hampshire scene, she wants to ensure that her ever-changing family business never stops feeling like a welcoming home for all its visitors.
“What I have tried to do since day one, is really focus on the guest experience from start to finish at our venue,” she said. “The Range is memorable because we care about the details, from transparent ticket pricing to free parking, art installations, to the shuttle ride into the venue, making our food from scratch, and all of the artists, vendors, and performers in between. We genuinely care about providing something authentically special in an industry that has really strayed from this. We’ve had guests drive upwards of eight hours to get to our venue… that speaks volumes for our small town. I’ve been told by fans and bands that we have a ‘magical’ space here, and we are just going to keep growing that magic.”
For a full list of upcoming events at The Range in Mason, New Hampshire, head here. Follow The Range on Instagram or Facebook to keep up with future announcements. Below, view the full lineup for the summer concert series at The Range and check out some photos and videos of the space.
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The post You’re Home On The Range, New Hampshire’s Driving Range & Ice Cream Shop-Turned-Concert Hotspot appeared first on L4LM.
