Thursday, July 29, 2010
The Lost Bayou Ramblers kick off a fine weekend of acoustic music at One Longfellow Square (with Patty Larkin on Friday and Frank Solivan and Dirty Kitchen on Saturday), as they bring a Cajun dance party to Portland at 8 pm. Tickets are $18 in advance (207.761.1757) or $20 at the door. (If swing's more your speed, catch the monthly Fogcutters Big Band show at 8 pm at Empire Dine and Dance.)
Filed under:
MUSIC
Thursday, July 29, 2010
A major figure in the San Francisco dubstep community, DJG, comes by Moldy's latest dance night at Slainte. Other guests include Gutter Funk and Marshall Law at 10 pm at 24 Preble St., where a $5 cover is requested. 207.828.0900.
Filed under:
MUSIC
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Citizen Architect: Samuel Mockbee and the Spirit of the Rural Studio documents a design-build outreach program in an impoverished Southern community, and its founder, in an examination of class, poverty, and community building. The film screens at 7:30 pm at SPACE Gallery (538 Congress St.), and tickets are $7. 207.828.5600.
Filed under:
FILM
Thursday, July 29, 2010
New York punk mainstays Murphy's Law return to Portland tonight, with a good and rowdy bill at Port City Music Hall. Allston's Superpower and locals Covered in Bees and the Pubcrawlers open it up at 8 pm at 504 Congress St., where tickets are $12 in advance, $15 at the door, or $20 for VIP seats. 207.899.4990.
Filed under:
MUSIC
Thursday, July 29, 2010
One of my (few!) favorites of the currently-overstuffed chillwave/hypnagogic pop movements, Matthew Mondanile comes to the Apohadion tonight with his sort of 8-bit project Ducktails tonight. Though they're a blog favorite, Mondanile is probably better known as a guitarist for a barely-older blog favorite, Real Estate. Lo-fi good vibes predominate as Ducktails play with Herbcraft and Big Troubles at 8 pm at 107 Hanover St. Have some cash handy for the bands at the door.
Filed under:
MUSIC: VENUE:APOHADION
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Last year, Waterville author Ron Currie Jr. received some well-deserved national publicity for his second book, Everything Matters! Right after the book comes out in paperback, he'll return to our favorite indie bookshop to read from it. The free event starts at 7 pm at Longfellow Books, in Monument Square in Portland. 207.772.4045.
Filed under:
READING
Friday, July 30, 2010
Elsewhere: another Prime Artist studio benefit at Geno's with Armstrong and Arms Against a Sea begins at 9 pm; Troop of Echoes, a sax-driven instrumental rock band, play with Hoboe at Slainte; Eileen Jewell brings her road-tested mix of blues and country to the Freeport Venue location; and the latest installment of the open-mic, reading, and performance series Lit is at Mayo Street Arts. See listings for details.
Filed under:
MUSIC
Friday, July 30, 2010
A benefit for the Travis Roy Foundation at the Big Easy features an enticing duo performance by Anna Lombard and Sara Hallie Richardson, and will be headlined by Tony McNaboe and friends. It kicks off at 9 pm at 55 Market St.; call 207.775.2266 for details.
Filed under:
MUSIC
Friday, July 30, 2010
The night at SPACE Gallery begins out of doors, where Bill Daniel - part of the venue's upcoming August art show - pulls his Sailvan (it is what it sounds like) up to 538 Congress St. to show a two-screen (or -sail) video show on survival strategies, called Sunset Scavenger at dusk. That's free; after, Transmission Drop play with sing-along favorite Jason Anderson and the dauntingly charismatic Strand of Oaks at 8:30 pm for $6. 207.828.5600.
Filed under:
EVENT
Friday, July 30, 2010
Brenda's Road to Solid Sound tour continues tonight at Bayside Bowl, with their first local set since a galvanizing CD-release show in June. They'll play with the Rattlesnakes, another indie group with a much-enjoyed new release on their platter. Cover's $5 and your shoe rentals are free at the 9 pm show at 58 Alder St. 207.791.2695.
Filed under:
MUSIC
Friday, July 30, 2010
Athens, Georgia quintet Packway Handle Band are a reverent and lively bluegrass/Americana (or "newgrass," if you like), playing at Empire Dine and Dance at 9 pm tonight. Tickets for the 575 Congress St. show are $7 in advance and $10 at the door. 207.879.8988.
Filed under:
MUSIC
Friday, July 30, 2010
Ten years after their stunning, durable debut, Let's Get Free, the militant hip-hop duo Dead Prez return to Portland with a batch of protest bangers. Their most recent album, a collaboration with DJ Green Lantern called Pulse of the People, came out last year. The Asylum begins to step out of a summer slumber with this show at 121 Center St., which begins at 9 pm and costs $16 in advance or $18 at the door. 207.772.8274.
Filed under:
MUSIC
Saturday, July 31, 2010
The Awesome bring '80s covers and costumes to Bubba's (bubbassulkylounge.com), Arborea are at the North Star (northstarmusiccafe.com), and Abram Taylor and Mark Tipton bring their respective and fine groups to Blue (portcityblue.com).
Filed under:
MUSIC
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Try out the Stationeightyfive CD-release show at Empire Dine and Dance (575 Congress St.), which also kicks off around 9 pm. Call 207.879.8988 for details.
Filed under:
MUSIC
Saturday, July 31, 2010
If you're looking for a good solid rock show close by, check out recent Portland Music Award winners Sun Gods in Exile with Clubber Lang and Brought Low at the Big Easy at 9 pm. Call 207.775.2266 or swing by 55 Market St. for a cover.
Filed under:
MUSIC
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Comedian-people-actually-like Louis C.K. currently has an unexpected critical smash on his hands, in the form of his new FX comedy Louie, so his performance at the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom in New Hampshire couldn't be much better timed. Call 603.929.4100 to reserve $25-45 tickets to his 8 pm show.
Filed under:
COMEDY
Saturday, July 31, 2010
A day before they storm the Newport Folk Festival, Catskills heroes the Felice Brothers, steadily making good on all those Bob Dylan and the Band comparisons, bring their hootenanny to SPACE Gallery. Should be an expert display at this "An Evening With" performance at 8:30 pm at 538 Congress St., where tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door. 207.828.5600. (For more Americana goods, check the listing for the Prescott Park Americana Festival in Portsmouth in our Pop Concert section.)
Filed under:
MUSIC
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Another big to-do today happens at the Wiscasset Raceway, where the latest Oxxfest features something like 40 of the bands that have or continue to hijack modern rock radio, including Shinedown, Puddle of Mudd, Chevelle, Dead Season, and others. The event begins at 10 am, and tickets are $37.50 via the Colisee in Lewiston, at 207.783.2009.
Filed under:
MUSIC
Saturday, July 31, 2010
After a triumphant show last year, Kris Clark has patched together another Zootz reunion party at Port City Music Hall (504 Congress St.) tonight. The "Ultimate Dance Party" will feature six DJs in two rooms, along with a chance to see old friends and relive past dramas. $13 advance tickets are available at the Happy Yogi or through Brown Paper Tickets; perhaps advisable since the party sold out last year. Call 207.899.4990 for more.
Filed under:
MUSIC
Sunday, August 01, 2010
At Geno's, female-fronted Milwaukee power-poppers Sugar Stems play with Geoff Useless, the Goodnight Process, and Gravel at 9 pm at 625 Congress St. Call 207.221.2382 for a cover.
Filed under:
MUSIC
Sunday, August 01, 2010
It's also your last chance this afternoon to witness a delight that is rare to some, though never-ending for me, as two Phoenixers - Deirdre Fulton and lead Nicholas Schroeder - display their winning ways in I Hate Hamlet, with the Freeport Community Players at Freeport Performing Arts Center at 30 Holbrook St. at 2 pm. Tickets are $10 in advance or $15 at the door. 207.865.2220.
Filed under:
THEATER
Sunday, August 01, 2010
Former Moody Blues frontman and then co-founder of Wings (!) Denny Laine is in town this evening, to perform at the new Venue Music Bar in Portland. Terry Sylvester will open up the 9 pm, $25 show out at 865 Forest Ave. Call 207.899.4350 for more information.
Filed under:
MUSIC
Monday, August 02, 2010
Vermont's esteemed international youth circus, Circus Smirkus, makes its annual trip to Maine this week, with two dates at Rockin' Horse Stables in Kennebunkport Monday and Tuesday with more following in Freeport later in the week. All shows are at 1 and 6 pm, and tickets run from $16-18. Call 207.967.3006 for more info.
Filed under:
EVENT
Monday, August 02, 2010
Near-weekly movie update: Winter's Bone is blunt, super-intense, and one of the best movies of the year. It's at the Nick. The Kids Are All Right, also there, is apparently another one of them (see the review here). So is The Father of My Children, a French portrait of family dissolution playing at Frontier tonight and tomorrow. An old classic, Night of the Living Dead, gets the Geek Chorus treatment at Geno's at 8 pm. More on Wednesday!
Filed under:
FILM
Tuesday, August 03, 2010
Consult our listings for more on regular Tuesday favorites, and look out for a new monthly installment of the Gong Show at the Big Easy at 9 pm at 55 Market St. 207.775.2266.
Filed under:
MUSIC
Tuesday, August 03, 2010
I've gotta admit, I have a weird thing for Paramore, the Hayley Williams-fronted band quickly maturing into, dare I say it, the Jimmy Eat World of their generation. They're fairly nearby today, at the Meadowbrook Musical Arts Center in Gilford, NH, with a killer lineup including Tegan and Sara and New Found Glory at 6:30 pm. Call 603.293.4700 for $26-51 tickets.
Filed under:
MUSIC
Tuesday, August 03, 2010
Those of you looking to fill your evenings with free outdoor Shakespeare performances have another option: the August 3-6 Freeport ShakespEare Festival at L.L. Bean on Main St., which offers daily 7 pm performances of The Tempest. Call 207.865.9299 for details.
Filed under:
THEATER
Wednesday, August 04, 2010
Two high-profile poetry events tonight: one in Bar Harbor with Pulitzer Prize winner Charles Simic, and one at Maine Historical Society in Portland with BetSy Sholl and Estha Weiner.
Filed under:
READING
Wednesday, August 04, 2010
In another Solid Sound warmup, Brenda play acoustic before a screening of the recent Wilco concert documentary, Ashes of American Flags at SPACE. The event begins at 7:30 pm and costs $7 at 538 Congress St. 207.828.5600.
Filed under:
MUSIC
Wednesday, August 04, 2010
A Grand Jury Prize winner at this year's Slamdance festival, Zachary Levy's documentary Strongman is about Stanless Steel (yes), the world's greatest metal and steel bender. Director Levy brings his film to Brunswick's Frontier tonight at 7 pm, and follows the $8 screening at Fort Andross (14 Maine St.) with a Q&A. 207.775.5222.
Filed under:
FILM
Thursday, August 05, 2010
Next week, Portland gets its first Improv Comedy Festival, and one of a handful of Thursday art receptions in Portland unveils "The Largest Drawing in the State of Maine," which seems so apparent I won't even bother to fact-check it.
Filed under:
COMEDY
