PORTLAND, Maine — Aimsel Ponti is the music writer for the Portland Press Herald. She joined us in the 207 studio to preview upcoming concerts across the state from Portland to Rockland, including local acts you won't want to miss.
SHOW: Kaleta & Super Yamba Band
WHEN & WHERE: Friday, Sept. 22 at The Strand Theatre in Rockland
TICKETS: $28 in advance, $32 day of show
INFO: Brooklyn’s Kaleta & Super Yamba Band are fronted by Afrobeat and Juju veteran Leon Ligan-Majek a.k.a. Kaleta. The singer/guitarist from the West African country of Benin Republic lived his adolescent life in Lagos, Nigeria where Afrobeat was born. Kaleta's guitar chops earned him decades of touring and recording with Fela Kuti, King Sunny Ade, Lauryn Hill, and more.
SHOW: Vigorous Tenderness: a fall equinox concert
WHEN & WHERE: 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 23 at Royal River Park in Yarmouth
TICKETS: Sliding scale donations, $25 suggested
INFO: Transition into autumn on a musical note, several in fact, happening in a scenic, outdoor space. Vigorous Tenderness is an immersive outdoor performance, and you’ll hear chamber music paired with the landscape that makes for a poignant experience for listeners. The pieces played amplify marginalized voices in classical music and make experimental music accessible to all. The terrain is mostly paved wide trails that were built with wheelchairs and mobility devices in mind. Park and enter on Forest Falls Drive.
SHOW: Lady Lamb with Dead Gowns
WHEN & WHERE: Saturday, Sept. 23 at the State Theatre in Portland
TICKETS: $25 in advance, $30 day of show
INFO: Lady Lamb, aka Aly Spaltro, will celebrate the 10-year anniversary of her "Ripely Pine" album by playing the entire album along with several other tunes. Eleven musicians will be on stage!
SHOW: Clannad
WHEN & WHERE: Sunday, Sept. 24 at the State Theatre in Portland
TICKETS: $45 to $65 reserved seating
INFO: With a 50-year history, Irish band Clannad is in the midst of its "In a Lifetime" farewell tour. Clannad features lead singer Moya Brennan and her brothers, Ciarán and Pól Brennan. Her children, Aisling and Paul Jarvis, are also part of the touring band. Clannad hit the No. 5 spot on the U.K. singles chart with the 1982 track “Harry’s Game,” and four years later had some success with the song “In a Lifetime” featuring guest vocalist Bono from U2. With a rich discography and a sound that crosses into traditional folk and Celtic with modern elements of instruments like synthesizers and an emphasis on lush vocal harmonies, the show should be a transcendent and fitting farewell.
SHOW: Jonatha Brooke
WHEN & WHERE: Friday, Sept. 29 at One Longfellow Square in Portland
TICKETS: $35 in advance, $45 at the door
INFO: One of my absolute favorite singer-songwriters on the planet!