Tag Archives: Darlingside

February 15, 2019 · 10:54 AM

Lula Wiles with Mia Bertelli

Wednesday, February 6, 2019

One Longfellow Square, Portland, Maine

I saw Lula Wiles open for Mipso in 2016 and for Darlingside in 2017 and I was eager to see them headline a show. Dan made me a quick pre-show dinner after work and I made my way over to One Longfellow Square for Lula Wiles’ sold out show. OLS was packed when I arrived, but I managed to find a single seat in the corner near the stage. Lula Wiles–Isa Burke, Eleanor Buckland and Mali Obomsawin–are all Mainers, so I think the room was packed with friends and family. Their recent exposure on NPR couldn’t have hurt, either. I’m happy for them that the word about Lula Wiles is getting out!

Mia Bertelli took the stage with Benjamin Foss, and sisters Edith and Elsie Gawler. Mia told us it was Ben’s debut on the upright bass. They all live in the Belfast area and gig regularly in that neck of the woods. Their harmonies are just lovely. Mia joked that they’d played out the night of the Super Bowl and might make their band name Mia Bertelli and the Harmony Touchdowns. I was fascinated to learn that everyone on stage all night (except Lula Wiles drummer, Sean Trischka) met at Maine Fiddle Camp. If Maine Fiddle Camp needs to drum up business, they should have just recorded this show as inspiration for the talent they help foster. One of the Gawler sisters acknowledged that night’s highlighted local organization, 317 Main, where their mom, Ellen, happens to teach. The quartet performed many songs about water, including “Dip and Sway.” To say that this opening band warmed up the audience is an understatement.I’ve been seeing fewer and fewer shows, and it’s because folks in audiences have grown increasingly rude–talking incessantly, recording the show with their phones above their heads, and even pushing (a lot). I’ve started to avoid shows at bigger venues in town, and I realized 45 minutes into this intimate show at One Longfellow Square–one of Portland’s only true listening rooms–I was just so grateful to be in the room and sharing a concert experience with an audience that really wanted to be right there, too.

Everyone was pumped for Lula Wiles, and they delivered. It’s such a pleasure to hear songs with depth that are steeped in social commentary from a trio of young women who are impressive musicians with beautiful voices. Isa called this show their home state record release show, and they played a lot of songs from their second album, What Will We Do. Check out NPR First Listen’s review of their sophomore album. Lula Wiles met at Maine Fiddle Camp, but they also refined their sound together at Berklee College of Music. They have both an ease and a sophistication from both of those worlds, too.A trapping of growing success, Isa told us that a girl who was mean to her all through school wanted to hang out with her during her last visit home. She wrote a fabulous new song about it, which included the refrain “We’re not making plans, Maryann.” Lula Wiles covered “The Pain of Loving You” by Dolly Parton and Porter Wagoner on their record and played it for us. Mali teased Isa before they started singing, “this is another song about being alone, right Isa?” Isa responded, “happy love songs might happen at some point, but tonight is not that night.” It might have been Eleanor who interjected that “it’s not really a Lula Wiles show unless you get to learn a lot about our personal lives.” I really appreciate seeing a band in person that wears their hearts on their sleeves and interacts with each other and with the audience and creates a true concert experience–even if they’re gently picking on each other.

Mali lamented the “exploitation and erasure of Native people” asked us to reflect on “what it is like to be Native in a country that was not made for Native people” during “Good Old American Values.” As the trio tuned their instruments to prepare, Mali joked “we have to be perfectly in tune to talk about colonialism, so bear with us.” Mali also took the lead on “Morphine,” which she dedicated to anyone who has struggled with addiction.

Isa picked up a banjo (was that the third or fourth instrument she played that night?) and took the lead on “Shaking as It Turns.” Lula Wiles wrapped up their set on a high note and the audience jumped to a standing ovation. The trio returned to the stage and covered Lucius’ “Go Home” a cappella around a single microphone. I was glad to hear a song without any instruments to sit back and enjoy Lula Wiles’ easy, airy harmonies without any distractions.What a show! Lula Wiles is the real deal, y’all!

xo,

bree

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December 16, 2018 · 8:14 PM

Darlingside with Henry Jamison

Saturday, December 8, 2018

Port City Music Hall, Portland, Maine

This was a pretty spectacular Saturday. My friend Kay is fostering kittens (!), and Dan and I got to spend some time snuggling with them in the morning. I made Christmas cookies and watched A Christmas Prince (again) with my girlfriends and adorable almost one-year-old baby Norah, and had a delicious homemade dinner at Dan’s before the show. It was a really good day already, and the icing on the cake was getting to see Darlingside for their once-a-year Maine show.

I made my way over to Port City Music Hall just before 8. I ran into my buddy Aimsel Ponti at the door and met up with Colin and Sean up front along the stage for Darlingside and Henry Jamison. I saw Darlingside for the first time at One Longfellow Square back in 2012 and they impressed me with their rich harmonies and warm audience interaction. This was my eighth Darlingside show, and they are always a pleasure to see live.

I just missed seeing Henry Jamison live back in 2012 at The Oak + The Ax in Biddeford, Maine. I arrived late for a Joe Fletcher and brown bird co-headlining show, just as his Bowdoin College-era band, The Milkman’s Union, was wrapping up their set. I recognized Henry when he took the stage from his days living in Portland working at One Longfellow Square, and it was cool to see that he has become a known musician with a devoted following in the last few years.

Henry Jamison is a Burlington, Vermont native with a massive vocabulary and skillful, layered songs. He chatted warmly with the attentive crowd. He told us he’d done a bit the last few days where he introduced the members of Darlingside by revealing which Winnie the Pooh characters represented them best. He was joined on stage by Eric Maier on keys, Walker Allen on drums, and Willoughby Morse on guitar, and I liked the fullness of sound they produced together.

IMG_6773.jpgI’d never heard a Henry Jamison song before this show, and his songs are heavy and cerebral. I enjoyed him live. I looked him up after the show and saw a lot of praise for his debut album, The Wilds. The Guardian called it “a rare thing:  an unshowy, literate gem.” Henry joked about being the cover of the Portland Phoenix. The title of the article is “The Man, The Myth.” Henry joked that “the myth is that anybody knows about me.” I learned that Henry’s song “Real Peach,” which he closed his set with, has over 40 million streams on Spotify.

Henry’s next album, Gloria Duplex, comes out in February. Promotional material about the album from his publicist’s website says it’s “Henry’s razor sharp-focused look at masculinity in 2018.” I was also not at all surprised after seeing him live to also learn that his father is a classical composer and his mother an English professor. The apple hasn’t fallen far from the tree as far as vocation goes.

Darlingside took the stage to a pretty full house. I had time between sets to chat with Elise (who I’d met in the very same spot up front last fall at an intimate show with Shovels & Rope) and her sweetie, Stuart, who’d never seen Darlingside before. Darlingside is Don Mitchell, Auyon Mukharji, Harris Paseltiner, and Dave Senft. Their star is especially rising in 2018 with their first NPR Tiny Desk Concert, first appearance at the Newport Folk Festival, and a run of tour dates opening for Brandi Carlile. Dave thanked Henry for opening the show and told us–“I listen to Elton John when I’m happy and I listen to Henry Jamison when I’m sad, so I’ve come to associate Henry with my own sadness,” which I thought was a beautiful compliment, really.

The guys are a united front and are clearly great friends. They met at Williams College and have been a group for nearly a decade. Sam Kapala, their drummer for the first four or five years as a band, lives in Portland and was at the show, too. Without Sam, Darlingside is four guys with string instruments (and an occasional kick drum and tambourine) around a single microphone. I’d call their genre indie-folk, which is why what happened next was especially frustrating.

Here are a two paragraphs about concert etiquette. We’d all noticed at the end of Henry’s set that two women next to us who were standing at the end of the front row against the far wall were talking a fair amount. It’s always confusing to me when people buy concert tickets and have full voice conversations near the stage when musicians are performing. It’s disrespectful to the artists and to their fans. Someone near us finally said something to them. He asked them to please stop talking so we could hear the band. I heard it. It was innocuous. One of the women broke down sobbing in response. She sobbed for five straight songs. I haven’t seen anything like it at a show. Her sobs were almost as loud as her talking was, and we could all still sadly hear her over the band.

Another group of people pushed their way to the front between sets as people often do. If you really love a band, you should always get to the venue early and get a spot you’re happy with. It’s not fair to fans who arrived early to push your way through the crowd and cut in front of anyone. In this case, a family with young children was front row center, and this trio pushed their way right up to them and hovered immediately over them for the rest of the night. You might assume this move meant they really love and respect the band and wanted to be closer, but I know from experience that it usually doesn’t. They chatted loudly with one another from their front row center spot immediately underneath the band while Darlingside played and while fans nearby tried to listen. When members of the band bantered with the crowd, one of the women in the group responded back very loudly to every single comment as if she was having a private conversation with them. Don’t be that fan who demands attention from the band and interrupts their flow. Wait until after the show and say hello to the band at the merch table instead.

I’ve got to say that for a folk-ish show, I had a really hard time staying focused on the music, and I was touching the stage in the front row near the band. An audience has the power to make or break a concert experience. Towards the end of their lovely set (distracted or not, they’re amazing), Darlingside unplugged and jumped off stage to play a new song from the center of the room in the crowd. They’d played many songs from their 2018 album, Extralife, but closed with “God of Loss,” which is a favorite of mine. They came back to the stage and left us with “Best of the Best of Times” from Extralife, and you’ve got to check out the awesome (as always) video.

IMG_6785IMG_6796IMG_6805IMG_6818Darlingside is always a treat to see live and I feel lucky we’re still able to see them at an intimate venue like Port City Music Hall. See you guys next year!

xo,

bree

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May 14, 2018 · 8:46 AM

Caitlin Canty with Noam Pikelny

Tuesday, May 1, 2018

One Longfellow Square, Portland, Maine

I saw Caitlin Canty by chance back in May of 2012. I was at a Jeffrey Foucault show at One Longfellow Square. At some point in the night he introduced his friend and fellow musician, Vermont’s Caitlin Canty. She was in Portland working on a new record with Sam Kapala (a founding member of Darlingside), and he had taken her out for dinner before the show. He asked her to join him for a song, and I was smitten with her airy, mesmerizing voice. What I didn’t know at the time was that I’d witnessed their first of what would be many, many performances together. I chatted for a while with Caitlin after that show back in 2012, and she has become a friend-in-music who I look forward to seeing whenever she’s in town. I hadn’t seen Caitlin live since 2015 when she moved away to Nashville, so I was really looking forward to seeing her back in Portland.

Colin kindly saved me a seat in the front row, and I arrived a few minutes before show time. I’d had a migraine at school earlier in the day, but I took a nap and rallied for the show. Caitlin and Noam Pikelny took the stage just after 8, and opened with a beautiful song that caught the attention of NPR, “Get Up.” I love that song, and Caitlin grabbed everyone’s attention from the first measure of it, too. Something I noticed even more at this show than last time is that Caitlin has this Alison Krauss quality to her voice where every single sound she makes is truly gorgeous.

Caitlin told us about a song from the Golden Hour album she released back in 2012, “Dotted Line,” that made its way onto House of Cards. She told us “it’s a very good day for a songwriter” when a television show picks up a song. Caitlin, her mom, and her brother watched the episode to hear her song, but didn’t hear it. She’d already cashed the check, so she was puzzled. They watched it again, and realized that they heard three instrumental measures of it during a creepy moment where a woman carrying groceries was being followed down a street. Caitlin laughed and told us it was pretty ironic that one of her “kindest, friendliest” songs was the soundtrack of such a creepy on screen moment.We saw Caitlin and Noam at the end of the release tour for her newest album, Motel Bouquet, which they played every song from for us. Noam produced her album, although he normally tours with The Punch Brothers. It was really a treat to hear him play in such a tiny venue. Caitlin had played a hometown show in Vermont a night or two earlier, and she said it was a community effort. The show was in a space that’s not normally a venue, so her dad and brother set up chairs, her high school music teacher ran the sound, and they borrowed a rug from a neighbor to absorb some of the echo on stage. She joked that compared to that show “you’re all sitting so quietly and you’re not sweaty from setting up chairs or anything.”

Caitlin’s album is named for a bouquet of flowers someone left for her after a show that inspired a song, but she’d thought about naming it Who after one of her favorite songs on the album. She said she was so lucky to have Noam as her producer for many reasons, but also because he talked her out of naming her album Caitlin Canty: Who? Noam chimed in that it was “better than Caitlin Canty: Why?” Noam and Caitlin struck a deal that she’d play a song solo if he would. Noam introduced his solo song by telling us that a year and a half ago, “it became apparent that it was time, yet again, to milk the instrumental banjo cash cow.” His 2017 release, Universal Favorite, is mostly instrumental banjo music. He joked, “I’ll play you guys the first track off the record, a 53 minute piece, so lock the doors.” The song he played, “Wavelength,” was GORGEOUS. I had no idea that banjo could sound like that. Noam didn’t say much, but he was funny when he did talk. Caitlin mentioned that Noam’s friend texted that he couldn’t make it to the show because his guinea pig died. Noam chimed in, “some of you are laughing right now, but not me. It’s the strangest excuse yet, and shows folks are having to dig real deep to find excuses to not come out to hear me play.”

Caitlin told the story of how she’d come to sing her first song on stage at One Longfellow Square with Jeffrey Foucault, and thanked OLS for their continued support. She generously offered to give anyone who signed up to become a One Longfellow Square member that night one of her albums, which was very kind. She told us that she loves playing her songs for “cold weather folks, but they tend to scoot right out the door after the show.” She asked us to stop by the merch table and say hello before heading home.

I can’t remember what Caitlin played last, but my favorite song on Hotel Bouquet (which I’ve listened to a lot in the car over the last week) so far is “Leaping Out.” I do know that she and Noam earned and we gave a standing ovation. They treated us to one last song, a cover of Emmylou Harris’ “Tennessee Waltz” in honor of heading home to Nashville the next day after a successful record release tour. Caitlin remembered me when I saw her after the show and we chatted about how much she’s loved living in Nashville. I’m so happy for her success.

Colin saw Caitlin open for Josh Ritter last night in Portsmouth, and she’ll be back in town on July 20 opening for Mary Chapin Carpenter at the State Theatre. Caitlin is so worth hearing in person, and I hope you’ll check her out!

xo,

bree

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April 1, 2018 · 7:32 PM

An Evening with Glen Hansard

Friday, March 23, 2018

House of Blues, Boston

I love Glen Hansard so much. The best show I’ve ever seen was back in 2004 at the State Theatre when Glen opened for Damien Rice. Glen got his start busking in Dublin, so his voice and presence are both powerful. This night, though, was an absolute disappointment. It’s getting harder to see Glen live now that Once the Musical, which Glen wrote the music and lyrics for, is so successful on Broadway, so I decided I needed to get myself to Boston for this show even though he played the House of Blues, which is not my favorite. Darlingside played the same night in Portland, Maine, and, in retrospect, I should have gone to see them instead. I was bummed that this night became such a mess.

My friend Aimsel often takes the bus to Boston for shows, and I admire her commitment to the environment, so I decided to take the bus. I always drive to Boston for shows, but since this was a Friday, I knew I’d hit tons of traffic and it would be a pain. I checked all of Glen’s social media accounts, and they posted every day of the tour that doors were at 7, there was no opener, and that Glen would be on stage at 8. The Facebook event said the same thing, so I believed them. I ran into a former student in the bus station, and it was great to catch up. When Jane and I parted ways, she joked that I should not talk to strangers and should be aware of my surroundings. I’d chaperoned Jane’s school trips to Scotland and Costa Rica, so we both laughed about the role reversal. This unexpected happiness was almost the end of the positives for the rest of the night, though.

I made my way on the T over to Kenmore from South Station in about half an hour. I was in line outside House of Blues at 6:20 PM for 7 PM doors, and there were maybe 40 people ahead of me. That’s when I noticed a sign outside the House of Blues restaurant that said show at 8:30 PM. The last bus to Maine leaves South Station at 11:15 PM. I had to be on it so I could get home and get some rest before the Brunswick March for Our Lives event that my students helped organize.

Getting into the venue was quick, and I found an awesome spot front and center behind someone shorter than me along the barricade. Ella McDonald is a Tufts student and musician and this was her first Glen show. I was so excited for her, and I was so glad to have an unobstructed view of the stage over her head, too. A foursome from Canada who’d driven down from New Brunswick joined the fold, and we compared bands we love (Penny & Sparrow was top on the list) and have really compatible taste. So far, this night was so good. Then it was 8 o’clock, and no one came to the stage. I figured that even if Glen played for 2 solid hours and started at 8:30, I’d still easily make it back to the bus with time to spare. I was so wrong.

A little after 8:30, Glen and an 11-piece band arrived on stage. If I can’t see Glen solo, which is my preference, I’ll take a band with both string and horn sections. Glen played “The Gift” first, which is easily a top favorite. I am so glad I had those minutes of happiness, because they were fleeting. Since people had arrived early expecting Glen on stage at 8, guess where they’d spent the time difference? Yep, at the bar. So people were drunk before the show even started. If you’ve ever been to a show at the House of Blues in Boston, you know that if someone is talking anywhere in the big room, you’re going to hear it. And we did. And so did Glen. I stopped keeping track of the number of times he stopped singing to scold people who were talking loudly at one of the bars. He even paused during a song and told someone shouting at a bar upstairs to “fuck off.” Glen was clearly frustrated, and it was frustrating as an audience member who’d worked really hard to get to this show to have the vibe turn negative so quickly.

The crowd settled down a bit for a few songs. “When Your Mind’s Made Up”was awesome live and the vibe started to improve a bit. Almost immediately, people close behind me started yelling “we need a doctor.” Someone had collapsed. I assume they’d fainted, which happens at shows, but this person stayed down. A nurse broke through the crowd to help, but no one stood up. People shouted to call 911. Glen spoke to ask the crowd to give them space and said we’d wait for the ambulance, which was absolutely the right call, but it took a solid 20 minutes. He sang “Bird of Sorrow” (another favorite) afterwards, and the lyrics–“well I’m callin’ to you, please get off the floor”–seemed too well planned given the recent medical event. We chuckled, and Glen was sure to add after the song that he saw the ill person leave and felt sure they were going to be fine and asked us to send our best energy to them.

For me, the show never recovered after this point. The whole night was disjointed, and I felt Glen just couldn’t get into a good rhythm, which was not his fault and was probably as frustrating for him as it was for us. My concert friend Bob, who joined me, insists this wasn’t a terrible show, and thinks I was just stressed about catching my bus home, but I disagree.

There were a couple of high points before I had to leave early, including genuinely nice remarks Glen offered about Woody Guthrie before covering his song, “Vigilante Man,” and the very sweet moment when Glen’s trombonist, Curtis Fowlkes, walked up to the microphone to sing a lovely rendition of “Wedding Ring” that I’m sure made more than just me a little misty eyed.

I’d told myself I would leave at 10:45 no matter what to give myself 30 minutes to catch the last bus home, and Glen just happened to play the first chords of “Falling Slowly” at that exact moment. Resigned to missing his best-known song, I sadly waved goodbye to my neighbors and tried not to interrupt the song for other people while also booking it out to Landsdowne Street. I was lucky to see a taxi coming my way a minute later that got me to South Station where my bus was waiting with 14 minutes to spare. It made me wish I’d stayed the three minutes to hear “Falling Slowly,” but I was already cutting it too close for my comfort and made the right call for me.

Since the show was supposed to start at 8, I was really surprised to learn from Bob that I’d missed SEVEN more songs after I left. Bob said Glen got into a groove and the show bounced back after I left. I’m glad it did. My friend Kay was in the crowd (I found out a few days later), and she said she didn’t make it back to her hotel across the street until almost midnight. Quite a long night–especially for a show with no opening act!

I’d see Glen again in a heartbeat, because he is magic. This was just a night when too many things when wrong that were no one’s fault, except the loud drunk people scattered throughout the many bars at the House of Blues. I can pretty confidently say I’ll actively avoid that venue in the future–even if it hosts my favorite musicians–because it’s not a venue designed to support active listening, which is crucial to me at a show.

I thought this was a really stressful, disappointing night. If this was your first Glen show, I hope you see him again in a venue that shows musicians more respect. Glen deserves it and the audience does, too. No matter the circumstances, Glen is amazing, and I hope you all have a perfect Glen concert experience someday. They are worth waiting for.

xo,

bree

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September 12, 2017 · 8:28 PM

Darlingside with Lula Wiles

Wednesday, July 19, 2017

Prescott Park, Portsmouth, New Hampshire

I took a two month hiatus to enjoy the summer, but am back and excited for great music this fall!

I’m watching the Hand In Hand telethon to support hurricane victims right now. They’re putting on a great show! Music can be such a healing force. I’m counting my blessings, too. My dad in Florida is unharmed. There’s heartbreak, though, and a lot of work to do. You can donate $25 right now by texting GIVE to 80077.

Back to blogging. . .

I almost didn’t make the trip to Portsmouth for this show back in July, but I’m so glad I did! I thought I was too busy that day to swing it, but then I remembered that I was a teacher on summer vacation, so I got my act together! Colin told me he was going and we could carpool, so that was the right nudge. Thanks, Colin!

I picked up Colin in Portland and we found parking near Prescott Park. Colin staked out a perfect spot up front in the second row and put a blanket down for us to use later. We grabbed yummy burritos at Dos Amigos and got to the show early to enjoy pretty Prescott Park. I’d never been to a show there, but they’ve got a good system, a lovely space, and the price ($10) is right! We met some wonderful blanket neighbors who shared their desserts with us, and Bobbi (who I’d met years ago at a Lone Bellow show and is a superfan of some bands that I also love) noticed me and came over to catch up.

What a pretty sunset on the Piscataqua River!

We also observed some concert real estate drama. An older gentleman and his wife came up to the front and pushed a couple of blankets aside to set up their high backed chairs in the blanket section. Someone from the Prescott Park Arts Festival saw the chairs when the couple was grabbing food and moved them. The man who’d put the chair down was annoyed. He didn’t seem to understand that it was A. unacceptable to show up late and move other people’s things, and 2. rude to set up high backed chairs in the blanket section. Concert etiquette woes abound lately, it seems. Later in the evening, a gaggle of women sitting near me talked at full voice for half an hour during an acoustic performance. Why buy a ticket to a show and sit up front if you don’t want to listen to the band? Super annoying.

Let the fine folks from Newport Folk Festival show you what kind of chair to bring to a show!

It was nice to see Boston’s Lula Wiles again. I’d seen them play last fall opening for Mipso and really enjoyed them live. They’ve got pretty voices and great harmonies. I love stringed instruments, so hearing an upright bass with guitar and violin is right up my alley. They were obviously happy to be on stage and were warm and chatty with the audience.

I’ve been a Darlingside fan for years, and they were voted by Prescott Park crowds at the end of last season as the band people most wanted to invite back to play this season. That didn’t surprise me at all. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing Darlingside at least a handful of times, and they are the real deal. Don, Dave, Auyon, and Harris are talented multi-instrumentalists who share one microphone and serenade the audience with their smooth harmonies and friendly banter. It’s always a treat to see Darlingside live, and you should definitely check them out when they come to town. Check out “Go Back” and “Clay and Cast Iron”–both beautifully recorded by OurVinyl in Nashville.

Prescott Park is a great place to see a summer show! I’ll be back!

xo,

bree

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February 25, 2017 · 3:03 PM

The Ballroom Thieves with The Suitcase Junket

Thursday, February 2, 2017

Port City Music Hall, Portland, Maine

I love the Ballroom Thieves and have seen them live many times. They’re definitely one of my favorite bands. I was under the weather, but decided to go to this show anyhow, because my friend Marian saw them a few days earlier in Camden and said they’d been particularly “on” and extra fun and very chatty with the crowd. Colin saved me a spot up front because I rushed down to Port City Music Hall after being honored by one of my favorite senior boys on my school’s basketball team at Teacher Appreciation Night.

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Photo by Jeff Lamb Photography

I arrived just in time to see Matt Lorenz, touring solo as The Suitcase Junket, take the stage. I hadn’t seen Matt play for a few years (I saw him play with his band Rusty Belle at One Longfellow Square with Darlingside and Caitlin Canty back in 2013), and never as a solo act. He stole the show. His one-man-band is a powerhouse. Stomping on a kick drum, shaking a collection of shells, bones, and silverware, and playing a guitar he saved from a dumpster, Matt’s vintage sound, and his clear, lovely voice filled the room. He was charming and engaging with the obviously impressed crowd.

The Suitcase Junket is Matt Lorenz


The Ballroom Thieves took the stage after a quick break. They are super talented and sounded great, as always. They didn’t interact much with the crowd, which I missed, so this wasn’t their typical high energy show. My dear college friend, Ken Templeton, was in the crowd reviewing the show for Boston’s Red Line Roots, and I was a little worried that he wouldn’t love them like I do because they were so reserved, but he was quite impressed anyhow. Here’s Ken’s review.

Martin Earley

Callie Peters

The Ballroom Thieves

Devin Mauch and Callie

All of the guys from the Ghost of Paul Revere, Kevin Oates from Maine Youth Rock Orchestra, Connor Garvey, and Max García Conover were all in the house to support the band, and it was nice to witness the camaraderie and to catch up with all of them. Not the best Thieves’ show I’ve seen by far, but everyone is entitled to a mellow night here and there.

xo,

bree

 

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October 12, 2016 · 9:39 PM

Darlingside with The DuPont Brothers

Saturday, September 24, 2016

Portland House of Music and Events, Portland, Maine

I was just at the beginning of what would be a week long illness that knocked me out when I decided to drink some tea, take some ibuprofen, and get down to see my beloved Darlingside at Portland House of Music and Events (H.O.M.E.). I’ve been fortunate to see Darlingside a handful of times since 2012, and they bring incredible warmth and talent to the stage.

I’d seen Burlington, Vermont’s The DuPont Brothers open for The Ballroom Thieves and Maine Youth Rock Orchestra back in April, and I really prefered them on this night without the full band. Brothers Zack and Sam DuPont were excellent as a duo. Their harmonies were richer and I could hear their lyrics and feel their meaning better without all the distraction.

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Sam and Zack DuPont–The DuPont Brothers

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Darlingside took the stage and the audience fell quickly under their spell. It’s always amazing to see a band command a crowd’s attention the way Darlingside does. Don, Dave, Auyon, and Harris share one microphone and an evident bond, and we listened intently.

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Darlingside is Don Mitchell, Dave Senft, Auyon Mukharji, and Harris Paseltiner

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I was especially glad to hear “My Love,” “God of Loss,” “The Catbird Seat,” and “Sweet and Low” live. If you haven’t listened to my advice the other half dozen times I’ve recommended Darlingside to you (shame!), it’s not too late to check them out. They are the full package–talented multi-instrumentalists, lovely lyricists, beautiful singers with lush harmonies, and friendly banterers to boot. It’s always a treat to see you, Darlingside! Come back soon!

It was also a pleasure to get to catch up with Maine Youth Rock Orchestra Director Kevin Oates after the show. I am a big MYRO fan and these talented, hard-working teenagers should definitely be on your radar! Kevin introduced me to some of his rock star musicians who were also at the show, and I am so in awe of how cool these kids are!

xo,

bree

 

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May 23, 2016 · 3:28 PM

Basia Bulat with Twin Limb

Sunday, April 3, 2016

One Longfellow Square, Portland, Maine

I’ve taken a very necessary break from blogging over the last few weeks. I’m in charge of all of the senior class events at my school and I’m selling my house and moving. It’s a crazy time in my life. I can’t remember a time I’ve been so busy!

I have fond memories of seeing Canadian singer-songwriter Basia Bulat live early last month at One Longfellow Square. Basia came across my radar back in January of 2011, when I saw her Tiny Desk Concert on NPR. I’d seen Twin Limb open for Houndmouth back in September at Port City Music Hall, and I’d liked them and was looking forward to seeing them again, as well. Colin and I had just seen Darlingside a couple of nights earlier and he had another show to go to, so I went solo.

I was surprised and a bit disappointed to find that the bulk of the seats at One Longfellow were stacked and pushed to the sides when I arrived. I’ve seen it once before, for a bluegrass show where the band really thought people would want to dance. We didn’t. People helped themselves to the stacks of chairs and set up rows before that show even started. One Longfellow Square is a listening room with a mature audience (I am often one of the youngest people in the audience when I see shows there) and we’ve come to expect having seats in rows so we can sit close and enjoy the show comfortably. I asked one of the staff members and was told one of the bands (she didn’t know which) had asked that the chairs be cleared to create a dance floor. I’ve heard lots of Twin Limb and Basia Bulat music and, trust me, it’s not dance music. I was annoyed. What ended up happening is that people sat really far away from the stage in the few seats that were set up. It ruined the intimacy we’ve come to count on at OLS shows and I’d ask the well meaning folks there to really discourage the vast majority of bands from using this seating arrangement in the future. I watched Twin Limb’s set from one of the few seats in the corner of the room and couldn’t see any of their facial expressions (have I mentioned that I’m pretty significantly visually impaired?) and their set fell totally flat for me because of it even though I’d really enjoyed them six or so months earlier. I was grumpy. I considered going home.

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My crappy view of Twin Limb during their opening set. Please don’t set up the room this way, OLS!

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IMG_3440Basia Bulat came out to watch Twin Limb’s set, and she sat on the floor, front and center. Again, my belief is that people shouldn’t come to a show and have to sit on the floor to be respectful to those seated in the back and on the sides. That type of seating situation is a mess, because anyone who wants to be up front has to either stand in front of seated people and be a jerk or sit on the floor. It was really endearing that Basia was so cool and enjoyed the set from the floor. People in the crowd were definitely her fans—a nice couple initially sitting behind me had driven nine hours from Halifax to be at the show. They were giddy when she plopped down on the floor and went to join her. So, Basia was the one who broke the ice and got people closer to the stage. This was the turning point of the night and things started moving in a better direction.

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Basia Bulat is front and center enjoying Twin Limb’s set

I’d been sitting with Jen Dean, a Westbrook photographer whose friend was sick and had decided to also come to the show solo. Even when I go to a show alone, it never lasts long. She was a dear. Basia and her band took the stage. I’d heard her music and although I didn’t expect this, she made it perfectly swayable. She really worked the stage with high energy dancing and switching instruments (she plays guitar, autoharp, dulcimer, piano, ukulele, and charango—which is a South American ukulele-like instrument I had to Google) and interacting sweetly with the crowd. She is a natural born entertainer, and even though I would have preferred a seated show (I’m done with the rant now), she jumped off stage and danced with the swaying crowd and even gave Jen a turn on the dance floor. My grumpiness about the seats dissipated and I found myself swaying along.

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Basia took to the floor to dance with us

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I don’t know a single one of Basia’s song titles, but I was glad I got to see her live in such a tiny venue. I get the feeling that she’s going places, not just because so many folks in the audience knew every word of every one of her songs, but also because she dazzled on stage and made it a feel-good night. Her most recent album, Good Advice, was released earlier this year (check out her song “Fool”), and her tour schedule is packed. Definitely get out to see Basia Bulat live if she’s in your corner of the world.

xo,

bree

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Twin Limb joined Basia and her band for a song

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May 2, 2016 · 9:56 PM

Darlingside with Haroula Rose

Friday, April 1, 2016

Port City Music Hall, Portland, Maine

What an extraordinary April 1st! My dear friend gave birth to a beautiful (and surely brilliant) baby girl, I got to hold baby sheep and goats after school at a friend’s farm, and I finally got to see Darlingside again after an all-too-long break! (The last Darlingside show I caught was in late 2014, when they shared the stage with the wonderfully talented Maine Youth Rock Orchestra).

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I got to hold baby farm animals!

Darlingside is one of my favorite bands to see live. Think indie rock meets orchestra. “Grandpa” Don, the eldest band member (I learned during band introductions), emailed me to invite me to Darlingside’s show at One Longfellow Square back in 2012, and they stole my heart. Multi instrumentalists Don Mitchell, Auyon Mukharji, Harris Paseltiner, and Dave Senft are magnificently talented. Their perfect harmonies show how close they are and how long they’ve been making music together. They really sing with one voice, which is a real feat.

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From left to right, Darlingside is Don Mitchell, Dave Senft, Auyon Mukharji, and Harris Paseltiner

IMG_3312IMG_3318Colin and I grabbed our favorite spot up front at Port City Music HallPort City Music Hall for the show, where we met Westbrook High School teachers Darcie and Erin. It’s always nice to find a pocket of real music lovers to share a show with. Don emerged from backstage and gave me a quick hug. He was trying to track down some missing equipment on stage. I joked with him that I was impressed he was still dealing with his own gear now that Darlingside has gotten so famous. He laughed, but they’ve had a really big year! Darlingside was featured in The New Yorker (in an article called “Harmonious,” no less), their song “The God of Loss” was named a Favorite Song of 2015 by NPR Music, and Folk Alliance International named them 2015 Artist of the Year. Well deserved!

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Haroula Rose

IMG_3282Haroula Rose took the stage alone to open the show—just her and a guitar. She told us that her name means “joy” in Greek, which she gets asked a lot. Her set was sparse and somber, and I respect that her songs are so personal. “Time’s Fool” is a song about love, and “The Leaving Song” is about loss. She told us that she couldn’t play that song for a long while, too. Haroula just released her sophomore album, Here the Blue River, and I particularly like “Songbird.”

Darlingside was flawless, as always. Their banter was hilarious and their songs crisp and inviting. Seeing them live is a real treat—without exception. They played a lot of their new album, Birds Say. They opened their set with “The God of Loss,” which is one of my favorites from the new record, but I was really glad to hear “My Love” and “Sweet and Low” from Pilot Machines, too. I think the song that surprised me most live was “Clay & Cast Iron,” which kind of took my break away. Come join me the next time Darlingside is in town. I’ll be front and center and you should be, too! More pictures below!

xo,

bree

P.S.—I just remembered that David Wax Museum co-headlined this show and I didn’t mention them at all! I think they’re super fun live, but their music just isn’t in my wheelhouse. I stayed and danced for a handful of songs, but didn’t recap their set above because I really don’t post about a band unless I see their whole set and/or fall in love.

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December 7, 2014 · 7:03 PM

Hollerfest 2: Darlingside, The Ballroom Thieves, and The Ghost of Paul Revere

Saturday, November 22, 2014

Strand Theatre, Rockland, Maine

I was really excited when I saw the lineup for Hollerfest 2. Darlingside and The Ballroom Thieves, both Massachusetts-based bands with strong ties to Maine, are both on my short list of favorite live bands. Add the promise of seeing them play with the Maine Youth Rock Orchestra, especially when I’m such a sucker for stringed instruments, and I was pumped. My friend Colin and I both skipped seeing insanely talented Lake Street Dive at The State Theatre in Portland to catch this show. It seemed like more bang for the buck and Colin’s a big Ghost of Paul Revere fan, too. I beat Colin to The Strand in Rockland and grabbed front row center seats for us.

I’ve written about Darlingside a bunch now. This “string rock quartet” is the real deal. I love that they perform huddled together around a single microphone and are gifted instrumentalists and vocalists. Their harmonies have such strength—surely a result of many years living and playing together. Don Mitchell (guitar), Auyon Mukharji (violin/mandolin), David Senft (guitar), and Harris Paseltiner (cello) are such a pleasure to watch live. They joked with the crowd in between songs and seemed genuinely excited to play with the Maine Youth Rock Orchestra, especially since Harris and Auyon played in orchestras growing up.

Don Mitchell, David Senft, Auyon Mukharji, and Harris Paseltiner of Darlingside

Don Mitchell, David Senft, Auyon Mukharji, and Harris Paseltiner of Darlingside

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They joked that “My Love” is a musical guide for how not to behave in a relationship. It’s one of my favorite Darlingside songs. They told us that “Whippoorwill” was about how great childhood was before fully processing how “uncool they’d been due to lack of youth orchestra.” Auyon kept the laughs going by introducing the band to us with fun facts about everyone’s eating habits while on the road.

They played one of my favorites, “Sweet and Low,” next and then welcomed the MYRO and their director Kevin Oats to the stage. They told us that the orchestra had done all of the work—all Darlingside had done was pick a couple of songs and MYRO director Kevin Oats arranged and taught them. They played two songs together—“The Ancestor” and “Blow the House Down.” The guys from Darlingside were all smiles during both songs and kept looking at the orchestra behind them—clearly tickled about how cool it was to be backed by a talented orchestra. Don joked that he often imagined an orchestra playing behind him in everyday life, but that the MYRO was much better. Auyon said to blame the MYRO if they were actually too awesome and actually did “blow the house down.” It was AWESOME to see the MYRO with Darlingside. All of my regrets about quitting violin after one year playing when I was in third grade came flooding back to me!

Darlingside with the Maine Youth Rock Orchestra

Darlingside with the Maine Youth Rock Orchestra

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The Ballroom Thieves took the stage next and played a few songs I hadn’t heard live before—“Carolina” (?) and “Wild Woman.” Devin Mauch (percussion), Martin Earley (guitar), and Calin Peters (cello) were spot on. Their driving, percussive sound with strong harmonies was such a treat to witness after not having seen them play live since April. They played “Bullet,” which they said “killed in the South”—a relief because they’d been getting blank stares up until they played that song that southerners could relate to. They gave a shout out to Paul on sound who’d run sound for an opera at The Strand earlier in the day before doing sound for three bands and an entire orchestra.

The Ballroom Thieves: Martin Earley (guitar), Devin Mauch (percussion), and Calin Peters (cello)

The Ballroom Thieves: Martin Earley (guitar), Devin Mauch (percussion), and Calin Peters (cello)

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I loved hearing Calin on lead vocals for “Bury Me Smiling.” They did their own cute band introductions, as well. I really liked “Here I Stand.” They brought the MYRO to the stage to play “Archers” with them and told us that the orchestra had literally done all the work. Thieves—when do you have new music coming out? I am so ready to have my hands on this newer music to jam to during my morning commute!

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The Ballroom Thieves with the Maine Youth Rock Orchestra

The Ballroom Thieves with the Maine Youth Rock Orchestra

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The Ghost of Paul Revere came to the stage and I was really looking forward to having the chance to sit down and listen to their lyrics because I hadn’t seen them in a sit down venue for almost a year and a half. Griffin Sherry talked about being really excited to play with the MYRO and Shawn McCarthy joked that he was nervous because the MYRO are “all better than we are.” I think they played a song or two (I’m still pretty unfamiliar with their music, thus my excitement for this show) before Shawn invited people to get up and dance. A happy bunch of dancers made their way to the stage, inches from me in my front row seat. What that meant for me was that I couldn’t see the band anymore even though I was sitting feet from them front and center. I was so frustrated about having to watch people shaking their butts in my face and blocking my view that I ended up leaving after a couple more songs. My suggestion from a concert goer’s perspective for any live band is that if it’s a sit down venue, then the show is a sit down show. If you want people to be up and dancing, that’s what bars and other non-seated venues are for. I was super disappointed.

The Ghost of Paul Revere

The Ghost of Paul Revere

My obstructed front row "view" of the show after the second song :(

My obstructed front row “view” of the show after the second song 😦

On the plus side, I did run into Don from Darlingside on my way out and we got to catch up a bit. I’m already looking forward to seeing them again. What talent. A mixed bag of a night, but great to see two of my favorite live bands play with the talented Maine Youth Rock Orchestra!

xo,

bree

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