Portland PrideFest Cranks the Volume on Live Music Look, we all know the Portland Pride Parade is the main event. But once the last float rolls by and the glitter begins its inevitable migration into every crack in downtown Portland, the party shifts to Deering Oaks Park for PrideFest. This year’s festival takes place Saturday,Continue reading “Get Your Portland Pride On!”
Category Archives: Live Music
Anti-Folk Legend Hamell On Trial Rolls into New England for Four Shows
In this age of backing tracks and AI slop, there aren’t many performers left who can walk onstage with nothing but an acoustic guitar and not only command, but reward a roomful of attention for ninety minutes. Hamell On Trial is one of them. The anti-folk lifer, punk-rock storyteller, professional rabble-rouser, and all-around force ofContinue reading “Anti-Folk Legend Hamell On Trial Rolls into New England for Four Shows”
Another Southern Maine Music Venue Bites The Dust
Rumors, a scrappy, DIY venue carved out of some unused space above the venerable Mulligan’s in Biddeford, will shut down on Sunday, barring an act of God or a miracle of equal measure from some other unlikely source. “We’re closing our doors as of Sunday because the building is being sold,” Rumors mastermind Austin Hunter-MelansonContinue reading “Another Southern Maine Music Venue Bites The Dust”
A Beloved Portland Venue Is Closing, But A New Showcase Series Is Stepping Up
Pour one out for Novel. The beloved Portland, Maine, venue is closing on April 17. Novel Events & Marketing Manager Adam Paul emailed artists who had played there in the past or have upcoming shows on the books a couple of days ago to break the news. “For those of you with whom I wasContinue reading “A Beloved Portland Venue Is Closing, But A New Showcase Series Is Stepping Up”
Hair of the Pig That Bit Ya
Don’t look now, but some of the most adventurous live music shows in Portland have been happening on certain Sunday afternoons at a little thing called the Hair of the Pig down in Portland’s Old Port. Ah, you know what? Fuck that. Go look. Right now. Go ahead, I’ll wait. And while you’re there, checkContinue reading “Hair of the Pig That Bit Ya”
Two Can’t-Miss Shows in Portland Tonight
Lots going on tonight for live music, with some pretty good shows at venues all over town, but two stand out, and if I play my cards right I can make both of ‘em. First up, we got Troy Hudson playing with Dan Capaldi over at the Orange Bike Brewery in the Bayside. It’s anContinue reading “Two Can’t-Miss Shows in Portland Tonight”
Rebel Songs, Sea Chanteys, and Working-Class Acoustic Punk at Novel on Friday, March 6
Back in the day, when they ran more detailed event listings in the front of the book, The New Yorker used to publish each week a brief disclaimer atop their Night Life column, where thumbnail descriptions of all the live music shows in town could be found. It read, “Musicians and night-club promoters lead complicatedContinue reading “Rebel Songs, Sea Chanteys, and Working-Class Acoustic Punk at Novel on Friday, March 6”
Local Artists Wicked Stoked To Play Portland’s Back Cove Music Festival
The inaugural Back Cove Music Festival is set to go off this weekend, on Saturday, Aug. 2 and Sunday, Aug. 3, and the lineup offers a strong slate of headliners, including Jack White, Lord Huron, The Roots, and Thee Sacred Souls, as well as a deep bench of local acts, including the Oshima Brothers, WeakenedContinue reading “Local Artists Wicked Stoked To Play Portland’s Back Cove Music Festival”
Back Cove Music Festival Organizers Are Playing The Long Game
Portland is no stranger to outdoor music events. Shows at Thompson’s Point routinely bring as many as 7,500 people to the waterfront venue tucked in behind the transit center near Libbytown, one of Portland’s oldest neighborhoods. In 2012, nearly 15,000 people crowded into the Eastern Prom to see the British stomp/clap posers Mumford & SonsContinue reading “Back Cove Music Festival Organizers Are Playing The Long Game”
Blaze Brewing Biddeford Open Mic Is A Winner
Open mics are always fun but a good open mic can be killer, bringing together an intriguing mix of musicians – both seasoned and otherwise — to swap songs, road-test new material, and just generally have fun doing what musicians do best: playing some tunes among friends both old and new. Historically, open mics comeContinue reading “Blaze Brewing Biddeford Open Mic Is A Winner”