The Samples frontman Sean Kelly sits down with That Portland Sound for a candid conversation on touring, depression, and keeping it fresh after 35 years or so.
Tag Archives: Live Music
Rally For Rumors Set for July 12
Local musicians in southern Maine are playing a show to help save a beloved local venue from shutting down.
Get Your Portland Pride On!
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!”
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”
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”
Portland Planners Ditched Plan for Hundreds of Units of Housing to Pave The Way For LiveNation
Portland planners set aside an approved Master Development Plan that anticipated nearly 300 units of housing in downtown Portland so LiveNation could move forward with a proposed music venue across the street from the Merrill Auditorium. According to a May 23, 2025, memo from Portland planning staff to the members of the Portland Planning Board,Continue reading “Portland Planners Ditched Plan for Hundreds of Units of Housing to Pave The Way For LiveNation”
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”