PORTLAND, Maine — The first time Lyle Divinsky took cash out of his own pocket to pay for a concert he really wanted to see came when he was in sixth grade. The performer was “Weird Al” Yankovic.
“It was funny because then my dad was like, oh, so you’re into music,” Divinsky recalled. “He was like, cool, come to a show with me next week. And we went and saw George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic.”
That may not have altered the trajectory of Divinsky’s life. Then again, maybe it did. For years Divinsky has made a living as a singer, songwriter, and guitarist, starting in the bars of Portland’s Old Port (where he and his bandmates made “just enough money to take one friend to Denny’s afterward”) to the subways of New York City (where he played for tips) to some of the best venues in the U.S. (including Madison Square Garden) as the lead singer for The Motet.
Lyle Divinsky "Whisper In The Wind"
This week Divinsky is back in his hometown of Portland for shows on Wednesday and Thursday at One Longfellow Square. He’s playing solo, which he loves, and he’ll showcase some new songs.
Madison Square Garden can accommodate about 20,000 people for a concert, One Longfellow Square around 200. Divinsky can’t wait to perform in front of friends and family in the intimate setting the latter provides.
“Honestly, it’s kind of the greatest,” he said of the experience. “It feels like you’re hanging out in the living room together.”