What's happening in Portland, Maine:

Auditions

New Musical Revue-Boys Will Be Boys
Be prepared to sing-bring sheet music
Performances June 14 - 17 at Lucid Stage
Auditions at One City Center, Meeting Room, Ground Level-use main entrance
Show information and music samples: www.onthenewedge.com
Click auditions

The Wood Brothers with: Seth Walker

    Port City Music Hall
Doors: 7:00 PM
Show: 8:00 PM
Age Policy: Ages 18 and up
Status: On Sale

The Wood Brothers

Oliver and Chris Wood grew up in Boulder, Colorado. Sons of a Poet and a Microbiologist, they both took up music. Oliver moved to Atlanta and became a southerner. Chris moved to New York City and became a Yankee. Now, after years of musical and geographical separation they have reunited.

While in Atlanta, Oliver soaked up the roots of blues, the soul of the south, and found he had a talent for writing and singing songs. His band, King Johnson (named after Freddy King and Robert Johnson) toured mostly in the southern states. Meanwhile, Chris was living in Manhattan playing everything from free jazz to rock and roll. This is where he met his band mates to form Medeski Martin & Wood.

Now The Wood Brothers have begun a collaboration that combines their shared childhood influences with everything they've learned since leaving home. Their music has a rootsy feel that blends blues, folk, and rock music in a guitar/bass duo.

Noonday Concert Series at First Parish Church

Noonday Concert at First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church

Phillips, Craig and Dean

Favorite Christian Recording group Phillips, Craig & Dean are bringing their Contemporary Christian Gospel harmonies to Maine this May. These three men, who are each pastors of their own church, have a great sound and pure hearts of compassion and leadership. Numerous number one hits and Dove awards mark their years in Christian music.
DON'T MISS OUT!!!

May 24th - Thu - 7pm - First Baptist Church, Portland, ME

Jazz Brunch with Sean Mencher

EVERY SUNDAY, enjoy Local Sprouts delicious brunch menu with some jazz on the side.

The Duke Robillard Band

Guitarist. Bandleader. Songwriter. Singer. Producer. Session musician. And a one-man cheering section for the blues, in all its forms and permutations. And every one of those names has shared recording studio space or stage time with a man who is a legend in the blues community.

The Blues Music Awards (formerly W.C. Handy Awards) have named Duke Robillard "Best Blues Guitarist" four years out of five (2000, 2001, 2003, 2004) making him the second most honored guitarist for that award! He was also nominated in that category in 2005, 2007 and 2008.

In 2007 Duke received a Grammy nomination for his Guitar Groove-a-rama CD and was also honored with the prestigious Rhode Island Pell Award for "excellence in the arts" along with actress Olympia Dukakis, actor Bob Colonna, and R.I. Choreographer/Festival Ballet director Mihailo "Misha" Djuric.The Pell award is named for Senator Claiborne Pell who help establish the the National Endowment for the Arts and Humanities in 1965. Other awards over the last decade include three Canadian Maple Blues Awards in 2001, 2002, and 2003 for "Best International Blues Artist," The Blues Foundation's "Producer of the Year" award in 2004, The French Blues Association "Album of the Year" award in 2002 (Living with the Blues) and "Guitarist of the Year" awards in 1999 and 2002.

BB King himself has called Duke "One of the great players," The Houston Post called him "one of God's guitarists. And the New York Times says "Robillard is a soloist of stunning force and originality. But none of that goes to Robillard’s head. He’s still on the road, still playing as many as 250 dates a year. And still proving, night after night, that his true talent is bringing people out to hear the music, appreciate the show, and dance to the blues.

Alley Cat Race

This isn't your typical Sunday ride. Local rebels Nick Reddy and Steve Tesh have come up with a fast and furious Alley Cat Race throughout the city that's not for the faint of heart. If you're unfamiliar with the Alley Cat race model, it's basically a messy scavenger hunt bike ride through the streets with obstacles, check points and prizes. If you're not up for the race, but still want to party, come to SPACE for the after party, where we'll be serving up a new bike themed beer from Bunker Brewing Co., dancing and giving away prizes to the Alley Cat winners.

Alley Cat Race: 2:00-4:00PM
Dance Party: 8:00PM
Cost/Cover:     Race: $5/Party $3, free for riders, All Ages
*Please note: this ride is for experienced city riders. All participants will ride at your own risk.

An Evening with Arborea and Dilly Dilly

Arborea is currently touring in support of the album Red Planet: Rolling Stone 'Best Under-the-Radar Albums of 2011'

Top Ten Albums of 2011 Portland Phoenix Top Editors pick in the December issue of Guitar Player magazine Top vinyl pick in the December issue of Mojo Magazine.

Arborea, avant-folk duo from Maine, formed in the summer of 2005 by husband and wife Buck and Shanti Curran. Their music follows in the progressive folk rock tradition of artists Tim Buckley, Jeff Buckley, Chris Whitley, and Pentangle. Buck plays guitar, slide guitars, bowed strings, flutes, banjo, and vocals. Shanti provides lead vocals, banjo, ukulele, bowed strings, harmonium, and percussion. Arborea is often joined by Helena Espvall on cello.

Their songs are, as described by George Parsons of Dream Magazine,” Low key intimate spellcasting affairs; the fact that they are a couple might help to explain the seamless organic blending of their music together. Conjuring truly transportational magic out of the simplest ingredients. Their songs might be a hundreds of years old, and there’s little here to lock them into any moment other than forever”.

Since 2006 Arborea has performed throughout the US, UK, and Europe...including radio sessions on the BBC, WXPN, and WNYC. In 2009 Arborea curated the 'Leaves of Life' compilation album to benefit the UN World Food Program, and in 2010 they curated the Robbie Basho tribute album 'We Are All One, In the Sun', which made Acoustic Guitar Magazine's 'Best Acoustic Albums of 2010', glowing reviews from The Wire and Pitchfork, and Mojo Magazine 4 Stars. Their 4th album 'Red Planet' was released in 2011 by the Oregon label Strange Attractors Audio House. Equal parts psychedelia and backwater folk, inspired by Smithsonian field recordings, Arborea succeeds in creating a new folk form of breathtaking originality.

Dilly Dilly
Ok... A little about me. I grew up in Maine. I have been playing music for almost 20 years. Choda 1993-1994 red light city 1994-1999 cerberus shoal 2000-2006 sage francis backing band spring 2007 solo as dilly dilly 2005-present started off playing bass but now i'm a multi-instrumentals and play ukulele, guitar, banjo, saw, trumpet, drums/percussion, toy instruments gallore, mpc and have been hitting the piano lately. I produce, write play and sing... And after all is said and done... I love music and she has loved me back :) I love life and all she's given and taken from me!

Rhythmic Cypher

Avant garde poetry with a beat open mic with musical accompaniment featuring local, regional and national performance poets. EVERY SUNDAY at Slainte!!