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!”

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”

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”

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”

Heckling the band: A True Story, starring Vapors of Morphine, Warren Zevon, and Paul Westerberg

So I went to see Vapors of Morphine last night at the Bayside Bowl and they were fantastic. Dana Colley is a sublime sax player; his phrasing and dynamics are something to behold, and hearing him play live is well worth the price of admission, whatever it may be. It was a helluva show. TheyContinue reading “Heckling the band: A True Story, starring Vapors of Morphine, Warren Zevon, and Paul Westerberg”