PORTLAND, Maine — Fall is officially here and there are plenty of concerts to enjoy around the state over the next few months.
Portland Press Herald's music writer, Aimsel Ponti, joined us in the 207 studio with a preview of the upcoming concert season.
There are a variety of performers slated to take over Maine stages including: Love by Numb3rs & King Kyote, The Jayhawks with Wesley Stace, Shemekia Copeland, and Paula Cole.
Love by Numb3rs and King Kyote will be at the Chocolate Church Arts Center in Bath on Sept. 24.
"Here’s a chance to see a pair of first-rate acts on the same night in Bath," Ponti said. "Love By Numb3rs is the roots, blues, soul and Americana trio of Anna Lombard, Dan Connor and Jon Roods. Their next album, due out on Sept. 30, is “Earth Needs a Moon.” King Kyote is the performance name of singer-songwriter Jon King, who made a huge splash last winter as a contestant on NBC’s 'American Song Contest' with his tune 'Get Out Alive'."
The Jayhawks with Wesley Stace will be taking over the State Theatre in Portland on Sept. 25.
"Straddling that sweet spot where alt-country meets country rock is something the Minneapolis-based band The Jayhawks has been doing since the mid 80s. They were Americana before it became as wildly popular as it is today," Ponti said. "With an 11-album discography, including 2020’s 'Xoxo,' some of the band’s best known songs are 'Blue,' 'Save It For A Rainy Day' and 'Waiting For The Sun.' Don’t sleep on the opener, British singer-songwriter Wesley Stace, who spent much of his career recording under the name John Wesley Harding."
Shemekia Copeland is coming to the Chocolate Church Arts Center in Bath on Oct. 7. Copeland will also be at the Waterville Opera House on Oct. 8, and she is coming back to Maine on New Year's Eve to play at the Stone Mountain Arts Center in Brownfield.
"Shemekia is an absolute powerhouse blues singer," Ponti said. "She’s released 10 albums since 1998 with the most recent one being 'Done Come Too Far released last month."
And last but not least, Paula Cole will be playing at the Vinegar Hill Music Theatre in Arundel on Oct. 9. Cole will be back to play at the Stone Mountain Arts Center on Nov. 4.
"I’ve said it before and I’ll keep saying it: Paula Cole is a national treasure with one of the most magnificent singing voices of modern times," Ponti said. "From the 90's hits to albums like 'American Quilt' and 'Ballads,' she has consistently proven herself and the live show is not to be missed."
Check out the full conversation with Aimsel in the video above.