PORTLAND, Maine — When your food coma subsides, and you’re ready to start burning off some of the thousands and thousands of calories you consumed over the holiday, it would do you good to get out of the house and dance. Even if you don’t dance, you should get out of the house.
Aimsel Ponti, the music writer for the Portland Press Herald, came up with a list of eight concerts worth checking out in Maine over the next couple of weeks. Here are her picks.
SHOW: Model Airplane’s Funksgiving
WHEN & WHERE: Friday, Nov. 24. at Aura in Portland
COST: $28, 18-plus show
DETAILS: An all-star local band of 13 musicians including lead vocalist Lyle Divinsky along with Gina Alibrio, a horn section and a massive setlist of R&B and funk tunes with a couple of originals too. This is an absolute blast!
SHOW: The Rough & Tumble
WHEN & WHERE: Saturday, Nov. 25 at Stone Mountain Arts Center in Brownfield
COST: $25
DETAILS: Scott Tyler and Mallory Graham together are the duo The Rough & Tumble, with a sound they describe as “dumpster folk/thrift store Americana.” The last time they tried to play in Brownfield, a snowstorm kept them away, but here’s another chance to see the duo shine bright with songs from the new album “Only This Far” and the several other ones they have released since 2007. Keep your fingers crossed for the political yet poignant tune “God of War.” Graham’s vocals soar as she sings woefully about guns while her finger moves across a wine glass, creating a subtle, haunting bed of sound that you’ll hear among guitar, bass, drums and percussion.
SHOW: Peppino D’Agostino
WHEN & WHERE: Friday, Dec. 1 at Boothbay Opera House
COST: $25 in advance, $30 day of show
DETAILS: This is what the Opera House says about Peppino: A young Sicilian artist left Italy over 30 years ago, with the dream of “playing with the greatest guitarists”. Peppino has achieved his dream and he’s now firmly planted in the “who’s who” of the guitar world. He emerged on the acoustic guitar scene in the early 80’s as a leading member of the second wave of the great fingerstylists that helped redefine the instrument in the ’90s. His remarkable technique, penchant for open tunings, and percussive effects are the basis of his unique compositional style which has been inspiring musicians and audiences alike for decades. Add to that his natural warmth, playfulness, and broad musical tastes and you have the recipe for what he calls “minestrone music”.
SHOW: 2023 Vince Guaraldi 'A Charlie Brown Christmas' with the Heather Pierson Trio
WHERE & WHEN: 12/2 Bangor Arts Exchange, Bangor @ 7:00 pm
12/3 One Longfellow Square, Portland @ 4:00 pm and 7:00 pm
12/21 Cadenza, Freeport @ 7:00 pm
12/23 The Waldo, Waldoboro @ 4:00 pm
12/24 The Gem, Bethel @ 4:00 pm
Also:
- Spencer and the Walrus Beatles Night: Friday, Saturday night and Sunday afternoon @ State Theatre
- Melissa Ferrick on Nov. 30 @ One Longfellow Square
- Big Bad Voodoo Daddy’s Wild & Swingin’ Holiday Party @ The Strand in Rockland on Dec. 5
- A Motown Christmas with Pat Colwell & The Soul Sensations @ Johnson Hall in Gardiner on Dec. 8