All Roads Belfast is Back, and the Lineup is Stacked!

You can’t swing a dead cat in this state without hitting a music festival of one sort or another but for my money, the Belfast edition of the All Roads Music Festival is, pound for pound, your best live music value. You can snag early-bird tickets at substantial savings here. Tightly curated, the Belfast editionContinue reading “All Roads Belfast is Back, and the Lineup is Stacked!”

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”

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”

Portland’s New Music Venue, Madrid’s, Is Launching Its Lounge Space With a Killer Show Tonight

So I wandered down to Madrid’s of an evening last night after work for the soft launch of Madrid’s Lounge room. That’s the smaller room up front, where they’ll be featuring a wide-ranging assortment of local bands and, I would imagine, an impeccably curated roster of touring acts, as well. Speaking of local acts, didContinue reading “Portland’s New Music Venue, Madrid’s, Is Launching Its Lounge Space With a Killer Show 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”