 March 28, 2025 (Friday): The Tom Snow Jazz Quintet click
for details
Features Ralph Norris, Gray Sargent, Marshall Wood, and Les Harris, Jr.
Our friend Tom Snow returns to SMAC to share an evening of jazz standards with a star-studded quintet. This very special evening features the sublime saxophone craftsmanship of Ralph Norris along with the incredible artistry of drummer Les Harris, Jr.. The magic of this concert is accentuated even more by adding two more friends, both long-time alumni of Tony Bennett’s rhythm section: bassist Marshall Wood and guitarist Gray Sargent. For years, jazz aficionados far and wide have recognized Les, Marshall, and Gray as longtime stalwarts of the New England Jazz scene and frequent performers in jazz rooms and concert halls across the globe.
This will be the first concert of spring and we can’t think of a better way to welcome warmer, longer days than having our dear friend Tom Snow present an evening of jazz with his buddies!
March 29, 2025 (Saturday): Altan click for details
Wow, it’s been too long since we have seen these dear musical friends. With a career in Irish music for 35 years, Altan has achieved legendary status in a genre that has been equally shaped by the band's influence and genius. Audiences from Ireland to Japan to Australia to Europe have embraced their heartwarming, dynamic live performances and their exquisitely produced, award-winning recordings. Over a dozen releases to date, ranging from the most touching old Irish songs to hard-hitting reels and jigs. Chicago Weekly, said, "Thought by many to be the finest traditional Irish combo working today, Altan seamlessly blend dazzling instrumental prowess and the gorgeously delicate vocals of Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh" I would whole heartedly agree. They have not been here for many years and we have missed them. The real deal of Irish bands...don't miss their welcome return.
April 4, 2025 (Friday): Griffin William Sherry click
for details
Living somewhere in-between modern catharsis and American myth, Griffin William Sherry’s roots continue to grow strong in the ever-evolving genres of Folk, Americana, and Rock & Roll. Griffin’s music is inspired by his New England rural roots. As such, he brings together an inimitable signature style, visceral and heartfelt, loud and passionate, each song taking on a voice of its own. In 2011, He co-founded the band The Ghost of Paul Revere, capturing the hearts and minds of countless fans with a series of acclaimed releases and sold-out shows everywhere. He helped establish his own music festival, performed on national television, and garnered millions of streams. In 2019, his song The Ballad of the 20th Maine became the official Maine State Ballad, securing The Ghost of Paul Revere’s place in Maine music history. After writing music for seventeen years, Griffin’s begun work on his first solo record, taking exciting steps in a new directions both creatively and sonically.
April 5, 2025 (Saturday): Lori McKenna click
for details
Singer/songwriter Lori McKenna has been nominated and won a grammy, along with scores of country music awards for her songwriting. Penning hits for the likes of country stars like Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Little Big Town and more has made her one of the industry's most in-demand songwriters. All have recorded her songs to great acclaim, but nobody sings Lori McKenna's songs better than Lori McKenna! Around here she is family and her sweet voice is like nothing else. It's always a treat to have her here!
April 9, 2025 (Wednesday): Secret Sisters click
for details
Grammy nominated Lydia and Laura Rogers are recognizable as sisters the minute they open their mouths. They float, twist and trade harmonies in ways only siblings can. Hailing from small-town Alabama, the pair started practicing parts as girls in church, and two decades later, their music can be hymn-like: plain but powerful, heartsick and hopeful. They also throw back to secular songs: those of the Everly Brothers, bluegrass creator Bill Monroe and country godfather Hank Williams. In fact, all but two songs on The Secret Sisters' first (self-titled) album were covers of traditionals or traditional country songs. Later albums would show their own songwriting talents, a little darker but still as sweet … the new being a grammy nominated record, produced by Brandi Carlile and the Twins. if that is not a seal of approval, I don't know what is! With their latest, Saturn Return, The Secret Sisters have truly come into their own as artists, songwriters, and singers. Very happy to finally get them back!!!
April 11, 2025 (Friday): Alana MacDonald click
for details
Known largely as the singer and violinist of the super group Devonsquare, Alana is an artist who’s music can stand alone. When you talk of Maine talent, her name will be at the top of the list. She is a striking woman who has a force that is infectious. With a terrific back up band, Alana always brings it. We are so happy to have her here once again.
April 12, 2025 (Saturday): Lonesome Ace Stringband click
for details
Ya know we get more than our share of string band pitched to us these days. But with all the rebooting and reinventions of bluegrass and old timey music, every once in while something more pure comes through and I was so glad we hosted this band. EVERYONE loved them!
Case in point from from Canada , the Lonesome Ace Stringband is an old-time band with bluegrass chops that play some righteous folk and country music. There's a depth of groove and sense of space not often heard in bluegrass today, a level of instrumental interplay and vocal blend uncommon in old-time, and an on-stage rapport that transcends all of this. Click to listen to a sweet ballad on YouTube. But no worries they can S&@t kick it with the rest of them.
April 19, 2025 (Saturday): Alison Brown click
for details
Alison Brown“Like James Taylor’s voice or B.B. King’s guitar, Alison Brown’s banjo is an instrument possessed of a unique sonic signature and an inescapable beauty….an artist who never ceases to delight.”
—Billboard Magazine
One of the most multi-faceted minds in roots music, Alison Brown is a GRAMMY-winning musician, GRAMMY-nominated producer, former investment banker (with an AB from Harvard and an MBA from UCLA), and co-founder of The Compass Records Group which is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2023. Although Alison began her musical career as a teenager in the Southern California bluegrass scene, she has built a reputation as one of today’s most forward thinking and innovative banjo players. She is known for taking the instrument far beyond its Appalachian roots by blending bluegrass and jazz influences into a sonic tapestry that has earned praise and recognition from a variety of national tastemakers including The Wall Street Journal, CBS Sunday Morning, NPR, and USA Today. On her new release, aptly titled On Banjo, Alison continues her musical explorations on a set of original compositions that explore the range of the banjo. The album features an eclectic cast of collaborators including Steve Martin, Kronos Quartet, Sharon Isbin, Anat Cohen, Sierra Hull, Stuart Duncan and members of the Alison Brown Quintet.
Alison is the recipient of the USA Artists Fellowship in Music and the Distinguished Achievement Award from the International Bluegrass Music Association. In 2019, she was inducted into the American Banjo Museum Hall of Fame. Alison serves on the Board of Governors of the Recording Academy and as co-chair of the Steve Martin Banjo Prize.
“Banjo music is seldom thought of as ‘mellow’ or, dare we say ‘pretty,’ but Alison Brown makes it so in the jazz-classical-pop-folk-Latin mix of the Alison Brown Quartet. As a true ground-breaker, [she’s] opening up whole new vistas for an instrument once solely associated with pickin’ ‘n’ grinnin’.” —USA Today
So many accolades ... I hope we are deserved of her... for the third time on our stage. Check her out. Always with a great group of players.
April 20, 2025 (Sunday): Easter "Blunch" click
for details
Spend Easter Sunday With Us! !!!
Always Fills Up Fast. We are Open for Sunday "BLUNCH" from 10:00 to 3:00 ... a little breakfasty a little lunch, and a lotta Eastah! Cool dining spaces, and there are even tables on stage!! Vintage glasses, great food, and a warm and fun staff. From Omelettes, to the tradional ham and scalloped potatoes dinner, Super Salads, Cocktails fun desserts and more.
Easter "Blunch" is Filling Up...Reserve Today
April 25, 2025 (Friday): Juston McKinney click
for details
With multiple appearances on “The Tonight Show”, one-hour specials on “Comedy Central”, and “Amazon Prime”, including “Parentally Challenged” and “On Mid-Life Support”, Juston is at the top of his game. He just released his 5th stand-up special, “On the Bright Side”, currently streaming on his YouTube channel.
Juston was born in Portsmouth, NH and grew up living on the border of New Hampshire and Maine. In the late 1990’s after spending seven years as a Deputy Sheriff in rural Maine, he traded his gun for a microphone and moved to NYC to pursue a career in comedy. He quickly became a regular at Comic Strip Live, Stand-Up New York, Dangerfield’s, Gotham, Caroline’s on Broadway and the New York Times called him, “Destined for stardom.” Juston has starred in numerous Comedy Central shows including his half-hour Comedy Central Presents and his one-hour special “Juston McKinney-A Middle-Class Hole”. He has multiple appearances on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Conan O’Brien as well as a Showtime Special with Rob Gronkowski. He has also appeared twice at Denis Leary’s, Comics Come Home at the TD Garden. His TV & movie credits include; The King of Queens,100 Centre Street, The Zoo Keeper and Here Comes the Boom.
April 26, 2025 (Saturday): Twisted Pine click
for details
What started as a (semi-)traditional bluegrass band in the trenches of the storied folk, bluegrass, and Americana scene in Boston a decade ago has bloomed into an ensemble of players who shapeshift across genres. Even the expansive “progressive bluegrass” label doesn’t come close to capturing their musical scope.
Chris Sartori's upright bass anchors everything with an undeniable, articulate groove. Dan Bui's mandolin is thick, crisp, and propulsive. Kathleen Parks' fiddle and Anh Phung's flute are at constant play, often augmented with effects pedals for layered musical textures, psychedelic sounds, and wild solo trading, somewhere in the territory between bluegrass and jazz. Out in front of the ensemble, Parks’ lead vocals are an instrument unto herself: equal parts mystery, power, haunt, and a search for the edges. And she's surrounded on all sides by the voices of her bandmates, who bring on whatever harmonies, unities, whistles, and howls the night requires.
In a world that needs TLC more than ever, Twisted Pine offers a night of exultant travels across genres, across time, to mountains, cities, roadhouses, and back porches where songs bring tenderness, love and relief. All in all, this album and this tour bring the sound of a band that invites you to Love Your Mind.
April 30, 2025 (Wednesday): Lyle Lovett Acoustic Group details
A singer, composer and actor, Lyle Lovett has broadened the definition of American music in a
career that spans 14 albums. Coupled with his gift for storytelling, the Texas-based musician
fuses elements of country, swing, jazz, folk, gospel and blues in a convention-defying manner
that breaks down barriers. Whether touring as a 'Duo' or with his 'Acoustic Group' or his 'Large Band,' Lovett's live performances show not only the breadth of this Texas legend's deep talents, but also the diversity of his influences, making him one of the most compelling and captivating musicians in popular music.
Since his self-titled debut in 1986, Lyle Lovett has evolved into one of music's most vibrant and
iconic performers. Among his many accolades, besides the four Grammy Awards, he was given
the Americana Music Association's inaugural Trailblazer Award, and was named Texas State
Musician. His works, rich and eclectic, are some of the most beloved of any artist working today.
May 2, 2025 (Friday): Kris Delmhorst and Jeffrey Foucault click for details
Two great song-writers who happened to be married!
Kris Delmhorst is an American songwriter, singer, instrumentalist, and producer. Over more than 25 years as an independent artist, she has built a body of work characterized by a wide-ranging, genre-agnostic curiosity and constant collaboration. In addition to nine critically acclaimed studio albums, she’s written music for films and TV, produced albums for Session Americana and Jeremy Moses Curtis, contributed instrumentation and vocals to scores of other artists’ work, and performed thousands of shows across the US and Europe. Kris Delmhorst lives in western Massachusetts with her husband, the songwriter Jeffrey and their daughter.
Jeffrey Foucault In two decades on the road Jeffrey Foucault has become one of the most distinctive voices in American music, refining a sound instantly recognizable for its simplicity and emotional power. With a string of critically acclaimed studio albums – “Stark, literate songs that are as wide open as the landscape of his native Midwest” (The New Yorker), “Beat-up troubadour folk whittled to dolorous perfection” (Uncut), “Songwriting Brilliance,” (Irish Times) – he’s built a brick-and-mortar international touring career and a devoted following, one that includes luminaries like Van Dyke Parks, Greil Marcus, and Don Henley.
May 3, 2025 (Saturday): Love in the Country click
for details
A Country Love Song Swap
with The Gibson Brothers, Carol Noonan and Kevin Barry
Join us for a night of song swapping between these good friends, bluegrass greats Eric and Leigh Gibson along side singer songwriter Carol Noonan (our fearless leader) and guitarist Kevin Barry. On stage together, these fine musicians will pull out some of their best country love songs of their own and some classics while backing up each other for some great spontaneous musical moments and banter.
May 8, 2025 (Thursday): Valerie June details
Valerie June is a Grammy-nominated artist from Tennessee. She’s been hailed by the New York Times as one of America’s “most intriguing, fully formed new talents.” A musician, singer, songwriter, poet, illustrator, actor, certified yoga and mindfulness meditation instructor, and author, she honorably served as a Turnaround artist working with students for the President’s Committee for the Arts and Humanities and continues serving through The Kennedy Center. She has recorded three critically acclaimed, best-selling solo albums and has also written songs for legendary artists such as Mavis Staples and The Blind Boys of Alabama. An Amazon #1 Best Seller in poetry, her first book, Maps for the Modern World is a collection of lyrical poems and original illustrations about cultivating community, awareness, and harmony with our surroundings as we move fearlessly toward our dreams. When she’s not touring, she splits her time between Tennessee and New York. She even earned praise from Bob Dylan, who named June one of the contemporary artists he'd been listening to…not too shabby!
May 9, 2025 (Friday): The Steel Wheels with special guest, Jack Broadbent
The Steel Wheels
“The band plays whack-a-mole with bluegrass, gospel, blues, pop, country, and rock, bopping those varmints upside the head every time they pop up till they all lie down together peacefully.” -No Depression
Virginia-based folk-rock band The Steel Wheels have spent almost twenty years writing, recording, and touring, all the while constantly honing their evolving brand of American roots music. Additionally they are the founders and hosts of the Red Wing Roots Music Festival, a beloved staple of the Shenandoah Valley. Through the years, The Steel Wheels have drawn on both traditional form and modern sounds to capture the beauty in all of life’s varied trials and triumphs. Their new album, Sideways, which releases on February 9, 2024 via Big Ring Records, is a meditation on resilience and survival. Trent Wagler, the band’s lead singer and primary songwriter, penned many of the songs in response to loss, and the uncertainty that comes with facing what we can’t control.
Jack Broadbent
Jack Broadbent is no ordinary singer songwriter. He can break your heart and then turn around and set the world on fire. Combining elements of Blues, Folk, Rock n Roll and Jazz, Broadbent carries a lineage of true artistry into the 2000s that sets him apart from the rest. His initial rise to fame was for his unique and explosive slide guitar playing. This notoriety was quickly solidified by his superb songwriting. Broadbent went from busking the streets of Europe to smashing the world stage alongside some of the biggest names in rock n roll.
May 10, 2025 (Saturday): Rickie Lee Jones click
for details
Rickie Lee Jones is an American musician, storyteller and two-time Grammy winner who has been inspiring pop culture for decades, beginning with her star-making self-titled debut, followed by the seminal Pirates. Named the “premiere song-stylist and songwriter of her generation” by The New Yorker, and “The Duchess of Coolsville” by Time magazine, Jones released her Grammy-nominated album Pieces of Treasure in 2023, a reunion with Russ Titelman, who produced her first two records. Jones’ celebrated memoir Last Chance Texaco was named Book of the Year by MOJO and a Best Book of the Year at Pitchfork and NPR. The Independent writes, “There has always been something defiant about Rickie Lee Jones . . . a voice from a dream, elusive yet familiar, transcendent, a messenger from another place.”
May 11, 2025 (Sunday): Mother's Day Brunch and Concert(day event) details
With Erica Brown and the Bluegrass Connection
Celebrate
Mom or Just Celebrate!!
A multi-course brunch with Erica Brown and the "Connection" providing their great style of bluegrass in concert wiuth mini sets between courses. After each course the band does a mini concert with a final longer set to end the day's event. A unique way to see a day concert at SMAC and have a nice meal with friends and family. All kinds of Moms are welcome!! If you take care of someone of some-thing you are a Mom!!
About Erica Brown and the Bluegrass Connection ...
We love this band…the pride of Maine...and we are so happy to have them back on our stage for this special holiday! Fiddler Erica Brown and her band feature some of the finest musicians in New England. They are energetic, fun and diverse as they incorporate music from the traditional Bluegrass, Folk and Country repertoire as well as French Canadian fiddle music and original songs.
*Tickets Include Brunch and Concert
May 16, 2025 (Friday): Mary Frances Leahy click
for details
(of the MacMaster Leahy Family)
the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
Wow…can Mary Frances be this old? We have watched her grow from a toddler to a virtuostic musician, and now it is her trun to shine on her own.
A ?ddler, pianist, dancer, and composer from Ontario, since age five, she has been performing shows throughout Canada and the U.S. with her parents, Natalie and Donnell with an estimated 600 live performances under her belt. The oldest of seven siblings, Mary Frances has been developing her own style which is rooted in her Celtic heritage but also heavily influenced by jazz and Latin genres. This new fusion will be displayed on her new debut recording featuring all original material. For such a young lady, she has many accomplishments including a piano performance with Yo-Yo Ma for “So You Love” featured on her parents’ new release, CANVAS, two of her own compositions—“Choo Choo” and “Colour Theory”—featured on that CD as well, a performance on Little Big Shots with Steve Harvey, the Carmen Nebel TV Show in Germany, A Celtic Family Christmas special, and many unique cultural performances in her mother’s home land, Cape Breton Island. Her upbringing has nurtured a love for this traditional music as evident by her recent win in a Cape Breton Tourism music contest, for her submission, “First Light”, which was composed, arranged and performed by Mary Frances.
May 17, 2025 (Saturday): Stephen Kellogg click
for details
In deciding to book this artist, this singer songwriter, poet, writer, story teller, humorist, ted talker, and so much more, I found myslef anamored by not just his music, but his simple life commitements and philosophies. He is just instantly likable as a person, and then you hear his music, and you are hooked. He has had a really interesting journey and story thus far, and its impossible to slap up just a paragraph about this guy. So I wanted to include his bio here which he intimates is more reading than you might have bargained for. But Jesus…cant we slow down and read something more than ten characters on a screen? Yes we can..this is Stephan Kellogg...In his own words.
" I wish I’d known when I started out that the contents of an artist biography ends up being repeated many times in the years to come. It can be frustrating to be viewed through an outdated lens. But what’s to be done? The past, including old one-sheets, remains unshakable.
I know you’re a busy person and, chances are, if you’re reading this, you’re here for the updated Cliffs Notes. So I’ll tell you what I’m proud of having done over the last 20 years and you decide for yourself if any of the soundbites interest you.
I was born, raised and am currently residing in New England. I have four kids and married my high school sweetheart. I’ve written about them extensively on all my records. I also put out a book in 2020 called “Objects In The Mirror: Thoughts on a Perfect Life from an Imperfect Person.” It’s a collection of essays about what I’ve found to be the most important aspects of a life well-lived. For better or worse, my live show has morphed into one with a fair amount of comedy baked into the storytelling. I write what I believe to be true and I try to have a sense of humor about the stuff that hurts. My newest record is called Keep It Up, Kid and it comes out December 2, 2022. Side B is a suite of 5 interconnected songs that explore the journey from youth to middle-age. Side A is a note of solidarity to anyone looking for hope in hopeless situations. We are all alone in the world, but it’s nice to feel as though we are not.
There have been some flattering quotes over the years, but the largest publication to offer up a humdinger was Rolling Stone, who in 2019, said I was like, “John Prine fronting the Heartbreakers.” My grandfather taught me not to believe my own propaganda, but I still work hard to fulfill the promise of such heady praise.
In 2013, I delivered a Tedx Talk on job satisfaction and that has led to speaking engagements for some amazing organizations. I’ve also had the honor of performing at a number of children’s hospitals as well as for the U.S military, who gave me an “Armed Forces Entertainer of the Year” award. Those experiences have been enriching and I hope I’ve used my talents for good there. I’ve had some great adventures co-writing too and one of the singles I co-wrote, “Got Soul,” was the title track for Robert Randolph’s Grammy Nominated album of the same title. Although I have, on occasion, cracked the billboard charts, it has been a minute since all that went down, so I’ll just say that there is little that means more to me than the people who show up year after year, record after record. Take care of the art and the art will take care of you.
In closing, I guess what I’m most proud of having done, the thing I’d want people to know about the first two decades of my career, is that I survived with my soul intact. I’ve played more than 2200 concerts, traveled Europe supporting Gregory Alan Isakov and Josh Ritter, sang duets with Adam Duritz and Rosanne Cash. I’ve sold out the 9:30 club, and performed at the Beacon Theater. I’ve made music in spite of the challenges and managed to build a life that resembles that of my listeners in all the ways that matter. I have not accomplished all that I intended for myself, but that’s why I’m playing another hand at the table. That’s the point of Keep It Up, Kid.
Thanks for checking out my stuff.
- Stephen Kellogg, April 2022
We are very excited to have another artist new to our stage .
If this bio didnt give you enough, watch this sweet video aboiut his family.
May 22, 2025 (Thursday): Comedian Bob Marley click
for details
I don't know any other person who worked harder to keep us entertained during 2020 and beyond than comedian Bob Marley. His daily videos were a comic relief from the world's challenges, and there have been many. Bob has a gift and a way of finding the hilarity in the obvious and the seemingly common occurrences in our sometimes mundane lives. In fact, he would make fun of me for saying all this!!. I can just hear him mocking me now!
On a personal note, Bob kept my staff from going crazy! We appreciate him for being one of the artists that was willing to do shows in whatever way he could to make venues and people laugh..whether it was a small capacity show or a drive in…he did it all. Nothing can stop the Bob Marley train and we love him for that. And yes, I said artist!!
Bob is not just our Maine comedian, he is one of the funniest people in the current world of comedy. His viral videos have thrust him into further popularity as one of the hottest and most sought after comedians in the country. But we are lucky he will still come to us! You know'em, you love'm...more than 15 years as a stand-up comic, Maine's own Bob Marley has been featured in his own special on Comedy Central, and is one of the few comics to do the complete late night TV circuit: The Late Show with David Letterman, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Night with Conan O'Brien and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson and Craig Kilborn. But all those accolades aside, he is just one of us, and we can't get enough of him. And geesh don't we all need to laugh right now.
May 24, 2025 (Saturday): Tricky Britches click
for details
The RETURN of one of our favorite bands. Some bluegrass , some country, some folk…some all of that! Tricky Britches formed in 2009, when four friends in Portland, Maine, took their fiddle tunes and country songs on the road across the US. Since then they have released three albums of original material: Comin’ in Hot (2016), Good Company (2013), and Hard Fought Day(2011). They have played on stages big and small across the US, Hawaii, and Europe. But Tricky on our stage is just the most special.
May 30, 2025 (Friday): Christian Martin Trio details
Featuring Christian Martin (guitar and vocals), Alex Ouellette (bass guitar), and Sam Smith (drums). The Christian Martin Trio put a modern spin on blues and rock music. If you like artists like Otis Redding, Bill Withers, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and B.B. King, this band will be right up your alley. Twenty-four year old guitarist and vocalist, Christian has been playing within the local area for nearing on a decade now as a solo act. Now he has formed his three piece blues band and is focused on creating his own sound and original music. Come out to hear this fantastic up and coming band! ON a personal note, Christian worked for us and we LOVE Him!! You will too!
May 31, 2025 (Saturday): Bill Kirchen Band ... Bill does Bob! click
for details
In Bill’s Words:…"I saw Dylan go electric at Newport in ’65, and was there in ’64 when he debuted Mr Tamborine Man. I’ll do songs from my catalog, with my Texas band,including the Commander Cody years, plus the songs I saw Dylan do those two years at Newport."
In 1964 and 1965, a young Bill Kirchen made two pilgrimages from his home in Michigan to Rhode Island to attend the legendary Newport Folk Festival at the peak of the folk revival. While there were wondrous performances from old folk and blues artists as well as the new generation of folk stars, all were overshadowed by the emergence of Bob Dylan.
In 1964, with poetic masterpieces like “Mr. Tambourine Man,” Dylan revolutionized popular song lyrics. And in 1965, with a full electric band, he announced his abandonment of protest folk with a sound that would alter rock music forever. Bill Kirchen would later humbly acknowledge, “ my mind was blown.”
Over the years, Kirchen’s shows would always sprinkle in a Dylan song or two, revealing Bill as one of the finest interpreters of mid-60’s electric Dylan and, not surprisingly leaving his fans wanting more. Now on a new tour with his very fine Texas band, Bill will pay homage to Bob and satisfy his fans. First half will be devoted to the best of the Commander Cody and solo years, while second half will be nothing but Dylan from Newport. Add Bill’s memories of Newport, wry observations and stories from the era and you have an unforgettable evening as only Bill Kirchen can fashion!
June 6, 2025 (Friday): Julia Gagnon click
for details
A Duo Evening With Julia Gagnon and Nate Haven
Originally from Cumberland, Maine, Julia Gagnon gained national acclaim after placing in the top seven performers of the 22nd season of American Idol. She was a powerhouse on their show and gained tons of fans across the state and beyond. She did some pretty well known covers by the likes of Adele and Whitney H. BUT I think she is an untapped original artist, evident when she sings her own music….a more unique Julia. Watch this video of her with her musical partner Nate Haven.
A University of Southern Mainer, her singing journey started at a school talent show. During her time with American Idol, Gagnon became a household name across the state, with Mainers rallying to support her in any way possible. From voting for her each week to following her continued musical journey writing, recording and touring with fiance Nate Haven.
p.s. If you need an American Idol proof of purchase here she is wowing the crowds and viewers.
But again, we are looking forward to the Julia that is all her own.
June 12, 2025 (Thursday): Shawn Colvin & Rodney Crowell Together on Stage
Shawn Colin stopped the industry in its tracks with her arresting 1989 debut, Steady On. The following spring, Colvin took home the GRAMMY Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album, establishing herself as a mainstay in the singer-songwriter genre. In the ensuing 30 years, Colvin has won three GRAMMY
Awards, released thirteen superlative albums, written a critically acclaimed memoir, maintained a non-stop national and international touring schedule, appeared on countless television and radio programs, had her songs featured in major motion pictures and created a remarkable canon of work. Over the course of three decades, Shawn Colvin has established herself as a captivating performer and a revered storyteller, well-deserving of the commendation of her peers and the devoted audiences who have been inspired by her artistry. And as she enters her third decade as a songwriter and performer, she continues to reaffirm her status as a vital voice in music.
Rodney Crowell is the songwriter’s songwriter and an icon among giants. Native Texan, Crowell is a multi-Grammy Award-winning troubadour with fifteen number one hits. Over the course of his career, Crowell has gracefully blended his own mainstream success as an artist with a prolific catalog of songs cut by the likes of Emmylou Harris, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Keith Urban and more, making him a master among his peers. With more than 40 years of American roots music under his belt, Crowell has also been cited as the architect of Americana music, extending his genre reach, but owing to the distinctly universal, literary quality of his writing, he has also penned beloved songs for artists as diverse as Bob Seger, Etta James, the Grateful Dead, John Denver, Jimmy Buffett and countless others. A member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, Crowell came up in Nashville’s songwriting heyday alongside Guy Clark, Townes Van Zandt, and Steve Earle and has continued that legacy of camaraderie and kinship with his peers well into the iconic era of his career.
June 13, 2025 (Saturday): Gaelic Storm click
for details
It’s hard to imagine a band just coming into their own after 20 years of success, but that’s exactly what makes a true anomaly. This multi-national, Celtic juggernaut grows stronger with each live performance, and as you can imagine, after two decades and over 2000 shows, it is a true force to be reckoned with. With their latest release, Go Climb a Tree, their music has never sounded more representative of themselves as musicians and as live performers.
The band attributes their continued success to their fanatic audience, and it’s a well-diversified crowd for sure. The country-music folks adore the storytelling, the bluegrass-heads love the instrumentals, Celtic fans love their devotion to tradition, and the rockers simply relish the passion they play their instruments with. Each band member, in their own way, expresses a deep gratitude for their fans, but it’s best summed up in the words of Patrick Murphy: “The fans are the ones that have given us this life. We’re here for them.”
Gaelic Storm takes a true blue-collar, hard-nose approach to touring, consistently traveling the US and internationally over 200 days a year, forging a unique path in the Celtic music world. “You have to see us live. We are the true working-mans’ band,” says Ryan Lacey
.
The dedication to live shows date all the way back to the mid-1990s, when Gaelic Storm kicked off its career as a pub band in Santa Monica, California. Due to their discovery at the pub, by the end of the decade, the musicians had appeared in the blockbuster film Titanic (where they performed “Irish Party in Third Class”). This laid the groundwork for a career that would eventually find them topping the Billboard World Chart six times, making appearances at mainstream music festivals, and regularly headlining the largest Irish Festivals across the country, all the while gaining a reputation as a genre-bending Irish rock band, whose songs mix Celtic traditions with something uniquely creative.
Looking to the future, Gaelic Storm is excited about what lies ahead. In 2022, they were excited to welcome Natalya Kay, an incredible fiddler hailing from Western Massachusetts, but living now in Music City, Nashville, TN. Natalya's energy and presence on stage has been a force to be reckoned with.
June 14, 2025 (Saturday): The Weight Band click for details
Featuring former members of "The Band" and "Levon Helm Band"
The Weight Band is led by guitarist and vocalist Jim Weider, a Woodstock, NY native who replaced Robbie Robertson in The Band. Weider later joined Band drummer Levon Helm in the Levon Helm Band. The Weight Band originated in 2013 inside the famed Woodstock barn of Levon Helm. Weider was inspired by Helm to carry on the musical legacy of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame group, “The Band”. On their current album, Shines Like Gold, The Weight Band presents a dynamic set of classic Americana that draws upon roadhouse rock, funky swamp pop, blues, country soul, and folk music.
Performances are composed of The Weight Band's original songs as well as fan favorites from
The Band’s catalog. Their sets also include songs from Grateful Dead. Allman Bros, Bob Dylan, and more!
Joining Weider in The Weight Band are keyboard player and vocalist Brian Mitchell, who helped anchor the Levon Helm Band, bassist Albert Rogers (Jim Weider Band, Jimmy Vivino), drummer Michael Bram (Jason Mraz) and keyboardist Matt Zeiner (Dickey Betts). The veteran quintet shares a deep appreciation and knowledge for this music, which Weider describes as the “Woodstock Sound.” The Weight Band continues to serve as its torchbearer, with Shines Like Gold representing a sublime example of these masterful roots musicians at work.
June 27, 2025 (Friday): Nefesh Mountain Band click
for details
This band has a new album out and if you notice the whos who playing on it, you will know this is a band to watch: “Beacons” the brand new DOUBLE LP from Nefesh Mountain Band with 18 tracks on two discs; one all electric Americana and two all acoustic bluegrass featuring Eric Lindberg, Doni Zasloff, Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Stuart Duncan, Mark Schatz, Greg Leisz, Rob McCoury, Cody Kilby and many more!
The New York based Progressive Americana group Nefesh Mountain Band has been hailed as one of the formative boundary-pushing ensembles in roots music. The band's creators and dynamic husband and wife team of Eric Lindberg and Doni Zasloff have created a world and sound all their own; blurring the lines between Americana, Bluegrass, Folk, Jazz and Blues with a masterful hand as songwriters, instrumentalists and composers alike. The band, declared “A Powerhouse Unit” by Rolling Stone and "Introspective lyrics and world class musicianship” by American Songwriter, takes the listener on a deeply personal journey that embodies their own wild nature and unbridled free spirits, bridging compositional prowess and prolific songwriting with deft instrumentals and jams.
Since their formation nearly a decade ago, Nefesh Mountain has been proudly open and vocal about their background and heritage as Jewish Americans, and are among the first preeminent Americana / Bluegrass bands to infuse Jewish tradition and soul into the beautifully diverse tapestry of American roots music. For them the music is wholly American, freely expressing their own identities while at the same time addressing the hate, discrimination, anti-semitism and racism that still remains at large in America and the World today.
The band has recorded and shared the stage with Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Bryan Sutton, John Doyle, Noam Pikelny (Punch Brothers), Mark Schatz (Bèla Fleck, Nickel Creek), Mike Gordon (Phish) and Tony Trischka among others. The Troubadours along with their band continue to forge new paths in unknown territory, armed with Zasloff and Lindberg’s strong, smokey, and folksy vocals and Lindberg’s soulful and masterful skills on guitars and banjo alike.
In 2021 they made their debut at The Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, TN and in recent years have performed various Festivals, PACs, and countless venues including Mountain Stage, Merlefest, Wintergrass, Ossipee Valley, Kaw River Roots, Thomas Point Bluegrass and more. Through the years Nefesh Mountain has officially showcased and been a proud member of AmericanaFest, Folk Alliance, and the IBMA. Check them out.
July 5, 2025 (Saturday): The Kruger Brothers click for details
Wow... we have been trying to get these guys here for a long time.
Kruger Brothers - Here melodies meet stories woven by the gifted brothers Jens and Uwe Kruger, alongside their musical partner Joel Landsberg. With a unique blend of bluegrass, folk, and classical influences, their music flows like a gentle river, guiding listeners on a journey through a rich tapestry of emotions.
Each note conveys a feeling, each melody holds a memory. Their songs speak of love, loss, and hope, touching the soul and uniting listeners in a shared experience.
The Kruger Brothers have received numerous awards and accolades for their exceptional talent and innovative approach to music.
Their artistry has been recognized worldwide, captivating audiences with both their technical prowess and emotional depth.
Explore their world, immerse yourself in their music and find out about upcoming concerts and shop offerings. Whether you're a longtime fan or new to their music, there's always something new to discover. Enjoy the music, feel the stories, and let the melodies guide you.
The Kruger Brothers look forward to welcoming you on their journey and we welcome them to our stage for the first time.
July 12, 2025 (Saturday): Heather Masse and Jed Wilson click
for details
Heather, one of the sirens from the Wailin' Jennys and a local girl before stardom, has performed at hundreds of venues across the world. As a regular on Prairie Home Companion, where she was one of Garrison's favorites, a national audience welcomed Heather whole heartedly as a solo artist. She just has such a beautiful voice and spirit, singing many styles from folk to jazz. Accompanied by pianist Jed Wilson, an accomplished performer and composer. Just a joy when these two come home together.
July 18, 2025 (Friday): Freddy and Francine click
for details
I’m just gonna lead with this: Watch their video.
We have been telling you to come see these two since they were here for the first time in 2016. If you haven't seen them well you are missing out HUGELY!!
The joyful, raucous, and tender sounds of Freddy & Francine routinely raise rafters from Hollywood to New York City, all the way from Nashville to their adopted home of Tucson, Arizona. Whether appearing as an acoustic power duo or with a full four-piece band in tow, F&F reveals visceral virtuosity, immediate charm, and a soulful, folksy heart of gold to adoring audiences large and small, seemingly wherever they go.
The origin story of Freddy & Francine, Lee Ferris and Bianca Caruso, begins in 2008 on a stage in Los Angeles, where they met performing a revival of Hair, the quintessential manifesto of the American ‘60s. Ferris and Caruso began writing and performing together, developing a reputation for an intense onstage chemistry and the undeniable earworms they were creating together. Seven albums and fifteen years of touring later, Freddy & Francine are an institution, having shared stages with Idina Menzel, Jeff Chimenti (Dead & Co.), Katherine McPhee, Mary Gauthier, Sarah Lee Guthrie, Steve Poltz, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Spin Doctors, Amy Helm, JJ Grey and many others, winning hearts and minds across the country and earning the heartfelt sentiment of instant fans everywhere. We effin' love F&F. You will too!! SMAC TOP TEN!
July 19, 2025 (Saturday): Steep Canyon Rangers click
for details
These guys are just super! They have shot to stardom with Steve Martin ...so happy for them! The Grammy winning Rangers are made up of Graham Sharp on banjo and vocals, Mike Guggino on mandolin/mandola and vocals, Nicky Sanders on fiddle and vocals, Mike Ashworth on drums and vocals, Barrett Smith on bass, guitar, and vocals, and Aaron Burdett. Hailing from North Carolina, and rising to the top since 2009, the Steep Canyon Rangers have received widespread acclaim. Garnishing a nice career jumpstart by acting as comedian Steve Martin's backing band, those tours led to many thousands of new and deserved fans. In 2012 the music community really tipped its hat to the quintet by presenting them with the Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album, and thrust them into the "band to watch" race of up and coming bluegrass bands. Seems like they have won that race! But they are not just any bluegrass band. The Steep Canyon Rangers of course have a myriad of talents: instrumental agility, tight harmony vocals, integration of percussion, and one of the best stage shows we have seen. But it is their songwriting that really sets them apart from the pack. We welcome them back..and often!
A sure sell out..for good reason!
July 29, 2025 (Tuesday): Mary Chapin Carpenter click
for details
This show helps to benefit the Harvest Hills Animal Shelter
Five-time Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter and Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee Mary Chapin Carpenter will return to SMAC once again, for two nights! How lucky and honored are we. She is always striving for new creative heights, with lots more to come we are sure. In our humble opinion she
is just plain vital to the fragile state of music these days…Thank Gawd for MCC. :>)
*This show helps to benefit the Harvest Hills Animal Shelter.
Harvest Hills, Fryeburg Maine is our local shelter for animals who no one wants, and they keep their rescues indefinitely. We have had many pets from them over the years. Great folks, who always need support.
July 30, 2025 (Wednesday): Mary Chapin Carpenter click
for details
This show helps support the MSSPA, Maine’s horse rescue in Windham.
Five-time Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter and Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee Mary Chapin Carpenter will return to SMAC once again, for two nights! How lucky and honored are we. She is always striving for new creative heights, with lots more to come we are sure. In our humble opinion she
is just plain vital to the fragile state of music these days…Thank Gawd for MCC. :>)
This show helps support the MSSPA, Maine’s horse rescue in Windham Maine. The mission of the MSSPA is to protect the health and welfare of abused and neglected equines. ON a personal note, we got a fesity but lovable pony from these folks way back when. They do great work.
July 31, 2025 (Thursday): Marc Cohn click
for details
After winning a Grammy for his soulful ballad “Walking in Memphis,” Marc Cohn solidified his place as one of this generation’s most compelling singer-songwriters, combining the precision of a brilliant tunesmith with the passion of a great soul man. Rooted in the rich ground of American rhythm and blues, soul and gospel and possessed of a deft storyteller’s pen, he weaves vivid, detailed, often drawn-from-life tales that evoke some of our most universal human feelings: love, hope, faith, joy, heartbreak.
Marc continues to do what he does best: infuse American music with both a fresh perspective and a reverence for its deep roots.
Happy to have him back .
August 1, 2025 (Friday): Tom Rush - ONE SHOW ONLY click
for details
Accompanied by Matt Nakoa
Since Tom Rush's 1962 debut as an unknown folk-blues musician on the Boston/Cambridge music scene, he has established himself as a consummate performer and singer-songwriter. A few years back, a sold out celebration of his five-decade career anniversary at Boston Symphony Hall proves his fan loyalty and endurance. When you think of the importance of the folk scene in the 60's you should think of Tom. These days he is just as vital and entertaining. We welcome him back with a big hug!
August 2, 2025 (Saturday): Anniversary Song Stage click
for details
Hosted by Carol Noonan with fellow songwriters
Lucy Kaplansky, Peter Mulvey and Chris Moore. Accompanied by Guitar Gods Kevin Barry and Duke Levine. (This is a fund raiser for SMAC..helping us to be here all year long!)
Song Stage is a great night of song swapping and collaboration. These artists/friends and friends are on stage together all night like a songwriter round up Bluebird Cafe style. Lots of great music and banter, and a unique glimpse into these artists through the music of their fellow guests.
About our artists
Peter Mulvey is a veteran singer and songwriter from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He began his career on the streets of Dublin, Ireland, as a busker, and from there moved on to performing in the subways and streets of Boston,Massachusetts. This led to his first record deal and a leap to full-time national and international touring, beginning in the early Nineties. Mulvey is an iconoclast within the singer/songwriter world. Restless and inventive, he has made seventeen records, spanning rock and roll, folk, Jazz, spoken word, and Americana. A long-standing gig at the National Youth Science Camp led to a spoken word piece, "Vlad the Astrophysicist", which became a TEDx talk, and then an illustrated book.
Lucy Kaplansky Lucy Kaplansky blends country, folk, and pop influences to make every song sound fresh. As a highly-in-demand studio musician, Lucy has sung harmony on countless records with Suzanne Vega, Bryan Ferry, Nanci Griffith, and Shawn Colvin.
She started out singing in Chicago folk music clubs as a teenager. Then, barely out of high school, Lucy Kaplansky took off for New York City. There she found a fertile community of songwriters and performers—Suzanne Vega, Steve Forbert, The Roches, and others. With a beautiful flair for harmony, Lucy was everyone’s favorite singing partner. She is truly unique. She is also part of the has been seen with the On a Winter’s Night concert tour
Chris Moore mandolin player and singer songwriter Chris founded the band Rust Farm with Boston guitarist John McGann. Rust Farm released two albums, the second produced by bluegrass great Tim O’Brien. Maine audiences also know him as the mandolin player for The Fogg Brothers bluegrass band. Chris has composed, performed, and recorded music for dance, film, television, spoken word, theater, and visual art projects. He has performed as a classical soloist, and was awarded a Maine Artist Fellowship for songwriting in 2001. His songs have been recorded and performed by Adrienne Young, Mark Erelli, Rani Arbo, Carol Noonan, Barnstar!, Northern Lights, Dennis Brennan, Joe K. Walsh and others. Chris has taught lessons, classes, and workshops for mandolin, songwriting, traditional Shaker music, and English Country Dance music. He lived in Nashville, TN from 2003-2013, where he founded the band Kindling Stone with fiddler Mark Wingate. Chris returned to Maine in 2013 to work as the Director of Music Education for 317 Main Community Music Center in Yarmouth.
August 8, 2025 (Friday): An Evening with Maine Authors click
for details
A Benefit for Camp Susan Curtis
Join the 9th Annual Evening with Maine Authors to benefit Camp Susan Curtis, a non-profit organization that provides a free 10-day overnight summer camp experience to Maine children facing economic hardship. The evening will begin with a cocktail hour followed by a delicious buffet dinner in the Maine Concert Hall. After dinner, a current CSC Staff Member will share reflections about their camp experience followed by the evening’s feature presentation of readings by award winning authors TBD.
For more information and tickets click here.
August 13, 2025 (Wednesday): Peter Rowan ... Walls of Time click
for details
Peter Rowan ... GRAMMY-award winner and six-time GRAMMY nominee, Peter Rowan is a bluegrass singer-songwriter with a career spanning over five decades. From his early years playing under the tutelage of bluegrass patriarch Bill Monroe, Peter’s stint in Old & In the Way with Jerry Garcia and his subsequent breakout as both a solo performer and bandleader, Rowan has built a devoted, international fan base through his continuous stream of original recordings, collaborative projects, and constant touring. With Larry Atamanuik drums,
Max Wareham banjo and guitar, and Chris Satori acoustic bass.
Wow..what a nice show to get...The honorable Mr. Rowan to be here. So Happy!
August 15, 2025 (Friday): The Faux Paws details
Wow, I love this band. They are so unique. At first listen, I thought they were a Cajun band, then I thought they were a bluegrass band, then I thought they were an old timey folk band. Then I realized they were none of those things, but all of those things. These three guys sing and play it all, and on a lot of different instruments while they are doing it ... including the unlikely particiaption of a saxophone!?? Here is one side.
Their bio says they are a triangle band in a land of circles. Musically impossible to describe. They continue to remain a singularly unique outfit in the acoustic music community, always on the fringes, always memorable and with an increasing number of die-hard fans who feel like they’ve uncovered a secret. And fans don't care what genre they are…they just love them.
Here is another side.
A Faux Paws live show is an explosive roller coaster ride that brings the audience along. Virtuosity on the fiddle, mandolin, guitar and saxophone, sure, but also vulnerability, personal lyrics, tight 3-part brother harmonies, playful interplay, intricately arranged details and soaring improvisations. With the considerable success and praise the band has seen since coming out of the pandemic the Paws decided to add long-time friend and collaborator Zoe Guigueno (Fish & Bird, Della Mae) to their touring outfit on upright bass whenever possible. Zoe only deepens the group’s already massive sound while freeing each member up for more creative expression on their various instruments.
Here is yet another side.
Okay….so many sides and I hope you listened to them all. Now get your tickets and get on this train with this new act to our stage. I think they are the sleeeper of the summer. Don't be left napping!!!
August 23, 2025 (Saturday): Antje Duvekot & Goodnight Moonshine details
(Featuring Molly from Red Molly)
Two Great Acts..One Great Night of Music
Antje:
Boston Globe Says: “Her songs feel at once fresh faced and firmly rooted, driven by the whispery sensuality of her voice.”
Crafter of intricate, closely observed songs, Antje is a compelling live performer and has been invited to play some of the top festivals including The Newport Folk Festival as well as the Mountain Stage, Philadelphia and Kerrville Festivals. Internationally, she’s headlined the The Celtic Connections Festival in Scotland and the Tonder Festival in Denmark. She’s the winner of some of the top songwriting awards, including the Grand Prize in the John Lennon Songwriting Competition, the prestigious Kerrville (TX) “Best New Folk Award” and, in one of the nation’s top music markets, the Boston Music Award for “Outstanding Folk Act”, three of the top prizes in the singer songwriter world.
Goodnight Moonshine:
Goodnight Moonshine is a guitar and vocal duet, and a musical marriage in all senses. The Duo combines the evocative voice and songwriting of Molly Venter, with Eben Pariser’s adventurous guitar playing. The result is folk music with a depth of improvisation and tonal subtlety usually reserved for jazz. Molly is well known for her sublime singing in the prominent female-vocal-group Red Molly, while Eben cut his teeth as a street performer in New York City, playing guttural music of New Orleans with his band Roosevelt Dime.
“Pariser’s harmonic sensibilities are wide, imaginative, while Venter’s singular voice recalls pre-diva singers who could lay out emotions without melodrama.” -Jedd Beaudoin, NPR
August 27, 2025 (Wednesday): Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder details
A life full of music. That's the story of Ricky Skaggs.
By age 21, he was already considered a "recognized master" one of America's most demanding art forms, but his career took him in other directions, catapulting him to popularity and success in the mainstream of country music. 2012 marks the 53rd year since Ricky struck his first chords on a mandolin, and this fourteen-time Grammy Award winner continues to do his part to lead the recent roots revival in music. With 12 consecutive Grammy-nominated classics behind him, all from his own Skaggs Family Records label, the diverse and masterful tones made by the gifted Skaggs come from a life dedicated to playing music that is both fed by the soul and felt by the heart. "This group of guys meets my approval every night," Ricky says. "Each and every one of the pickers in Kentucky Thunder totally amazes me in every show."The all-star lineup of Kentucky Thunder makes this show a bluegrass concert not to miss. ON a personal note, we really love Ricky and are so happy to have him grace our stage once again.
In 2020, Earle was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. And in 2023, Steve was honored by the Bruce Springsteen Archives & Center for American Music.
August 30, 2025 (Saturday): Steve Earle Acoustic Solo Show click
for details
Steve Earle is one of the most acclaimed singer-songwriters of his generation. A protege of legendary songwriters Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark, he quickly became a master storyteller in his own right, with his songs being recorded by Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Joan Baez, Emmylou Harris, The Pretenders, and countless others. 1986 saw the release of his record, Guitar Town, which shot to number one on the country charts and is now regarded as a classic of the Americana genre. Most recently, Earle’s 1988 hit Copperhead Road was made an official state song of Tennessee in 2023. Subsequent releases like The Revolution Starts...Now (2004), Washington Square Serenade (2007), and TOWNES (2009) received consecutive GRAMMY® Awards. His most recent album, Jerry Jeff (2022) consisted of Earle’s versions of songs written by Jerry Jeff Walker, one of his mentors. Earle has published both a novel I’ll Never Get Out Of This World Alive (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 2011) and Dog House Roses, a collection of short stories (Houghton Mifflin 2003). Earle produced albums for other artists such as Joan Baez (Day After Tomorrow)and Lucinda Williams (Car Wheels On A Gravel Road) As an actor, Earle has appeared in several films and had recurring roles in the HBO series The Wire and Tremé. In 2017, Earle appeared in the off-Broadway play Samara, for which he also wrote a score that The New York Times described as “exquisitely subliminal.” Earle wrote music for and appeared in Coal Country, for which he was nominated for a Drama Desk Award. Earle is the host of the weekly show Hard Core Troubadour on Sirius Radio’s Outlaw Country channel.
In 2020, Earle was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. And in 2023, Steve was honored by the Bruce Springsteen Archives & Center for American Music.
September 13, 2025 (Saturday): Le Vent du Nord click
for details
Simply one of the best bands that comes to SMAC and if this band doesn't make you happy well you need happy therapy!!! Simply joyous is how I would describe an evening with this band. Heavily influenced by Celtic music, these guys are better every time w see them. Le Vent du Nord is one of the premier folk bands coming out of Canada today winning multiple awards and accolades from our friends up north. They have a huge and exciting sound using traditional instruments and foot stomping rhythms.....and they even play the hurdi gurdi!! They put on a whale of a show and you will leave here smiling and wanting more, like we always do. Take a minute to watch this video!
September 26, 2025 (Friday): Shemekia Copeland click
for details
Shemekia Copeland is the greatest blues singer of her generation.”
–The Washington Post
Shemekia Copeland possesses one of the most instantly recognizable and deeply soulful roots music voices of our time. The multi-GRAMMY nominee is beloved and honored worldwide for the fearlessness, honesty and humor of her revelatory songs, as well as for her winning, engaging personality. The Chicago Tribune says, “Copeland is the greatest female blues vocalist working today. There’s no mistaking the majesty of her instrument, nor the ferocity of her delivery.”
On Copeland’s new album, Blame It On Eve, the songs all hit hard, with jaw-dropping performances that instantly take hold and command repeated listening. “There’s serious business on the new album,” Copeland says, “but there are a lot of smiles here too, a lot of joyous moments. It’s my blues for sure but it’s the brighter side. Issues are always important to me, but so is rocking, dancing and just having fun. And that’s something we all can all agree on.”
On a personal note, Shemekia is like a dear old friend coming to visit, along wityh her killer band. THye are the nicest folks in music biz…we just love them. And of course Shemekia gets Mavis’ seal of approbal…not too shabby!
“I am so happy Shemekia is delivering these songs that the world needs to hear. Her voice is strong and soulful, and her message comes from her heart.” – Mavis Staples
October 3, 2025 (Friday): Suzy Bogguss click
for details
Wow…we missed her. During the creative explosion that was country music in the 1990s Suzy Bogguss sold 4 million records with sparkling radio hits like “Outbound Plane”, “Someday Soon”, “Letting Go”, “Drive South”, and “Hey Cinderella". But you can’t peg Suzy that easily…
In the midst of her country popularity she took time off to make a duets album with the legendary Chet Atkins. In 2003 she made an album of modern swing music with Ray Benson of Asleep At The Wheel. An album of original music in 2007 landed her at number 4 on the jazz charts. Her folk music roots show through in her frequent appearances on public radio’s A Prairie Home Companion, in the Grammy she earned for her work on Beautiful Dreamer: The Songs of Stephen Foster, and in her critically acclaimed album and book project from 2011, American Folk Songbook. In 2014 she released Lucky, a collection of songs written by Merle Haggard and interpreted through Suzy’s crystal vocals from the female point of view. Her latest offering, Prayin’ For Sunshine, is an Americana tour de force with all songs written by Bogguss.
She continues to tour the world, both on her own and with fellow country radio divas Terri Clark and Pam Tills as “Chicks With Hits” and more recently, with Kathy Mattea on their Together At Last tour. So yes, you can call her a country singer if you want, but really that’s just the beginning. WE are so happy to have our dear friend back.
October 4, 2025 (Saturday): Darrell Scott click for details
Hey all you song writer lovers … this guy in my opinion is 100% exactly what a singer songwriter should be. Scott has collaborated with Steve Earle, Sam Bush, Emmylou Harris, John Cowan, Verlon Thompson, Guy Clark, Tim O'Brien, Kate Rusby, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Mary Gauthier, Dan Tyminski, and Brad Paisley recorded his song "You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive" on the finale of Justified ( a favorite SMAC show by the way!) Here is his version of this great song with some talented friends.
Gaining new fame by touring with Robert Plant and the Zac Brown Band (2 years with each), and producing albums for Malcolm Holcomb and Guy Clark and being named "songwriter of the year" for both ASCAP and NSAI, Darrel Scott has been one buys song writer. A multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter who mines and cultivates the everyday moment, taking the rote, menial, mundane, and allowing it to be surreal, ever poignant, and candidly honest, lilting, blooming, and resonating. The words he fosters allow us to make sense of the world, what is at stake here, and our place in it. And ultimately, Darrell knows the sole truth of life is that love is all that matters, that we don't always get it right, but that's the instinctive and requisite circuitous allure of things, why we forever chase it, and why it is held sacred.
These days find him roaming his Tennessee wilderness acreage hiking along the small river, creating delicious meals with food raised on his property and playing music. He often leads songwriting workshops to help people tell their own truths with their stories, and is as busy as always writing, producing, performing, and just plain fully immersing himself in life. For this night he will immerse himself up a country road . Happy to have him back.
October 9, 2025 (Thursday): Comedian Bob Marley click
for details
I don't know any other person who worked harder to keep us entertained during 2020 and beyond than comedian Bob Marley. His daily videos were a comic relief from the world's challenges, and there have been many. Bob has a gift and a way of finding the hilarity in the obvious and the seemingly common occurrences in our sometimes mundane lives. In fact, he would make fun of me for saying all this!!. I can just hear him mocking me now!
On a personal note, Bob kept my staff from going crazy! We appreciate him for being one of the artists that was willing to do shows in whatever way he could to make venues and people laugh..whether it was a small capacity show or a drive in…he did it all. Nothing can stop the Bob Marley train and we love him for that. And yes, I said artist!!
Bob is not just our Maine comedian, he is one of the funniest people in the current world of comedy. His viral videos have thrust him into further popularity as one of the hottest and most sought after comedians in the country. But we are lucky he will still come to us! You know'em, you love'm...more than 15 years as a stand-up comic, Maine's own Bob Marley has been featured in his own special on Comedy Central, and is one of the few comics to do the complete late night TV circuit: The Late Show with David Letterman, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Night with Conan O'Brien and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson and Craig Kilborn. But all those accolades aside, he is just one of us, and we can't get enough of him. And geesh don't we all need to laugh right now.
October 10, 2025 (Friday): Tannahill Weavers click
for details
FROM SCOTLAND..we loved these guys!! Back to our stage!
"An especially eloquent mixture of the old and the new."
?- New York Times
Born of a session in Paisley, Scotland, and named for the town's historic weaving industry and local poet laureate Robert Tannahill, the Tannahill Weavers have made an international name for their special brand of Celtic music, blending the beauty of traditional melodies with the power of modern rhythms. As one of the world's premier traditional Celtic bands, their diverse repertoire spans the centuries with fire-driven instrumentals, topical songs, original ballads and lullabies, and humorous tales of life in Scotland.
In 2021 they have been joined by exciting piper and fiddle player Iain MacGillivray, who is also Scotland's youngest Clan leader. Iain, a fluent Gaelic speaker, has worked on such exciting productions as Outlander and Men in Kilts, and has performed for a huge list of stars and dignitaries in recent years. As the band celebrate the nomination of their 18th recording, Òrach (“Golden” in Gaelic) as album of the year, and themselves as band of the year, they are firmly established as one of the premier groups on the concert stage. From reflective ballads to foot stomping reels and jigs, the variety and range of the material they perform is matched only by their enthusiasm and lively Celtic spirits. Take a minute to watch them.
October 25, 2025 (Saturday): Maia Sharp & Catie Curtis click
for details
Two Great Songwriters One Great Night!
Maia Sharp
Maia has had her songs recorded by Bonnie Raitt, The Chicks, Trisha Yearwood, Keb’ Mo’, Cher, Edwin McCain, David Wilcox, Art Garfunkel, Lizz Wright, Paul Carrack, Lisa Loeb, Terri Clark, and many more. And through it all, Maia has continued to record her own albums including: nine solo releases, one collaborative project with Art Garfunkel and Buddy Mondlock, and her duo project- Roscoe & Etta (with writing/production partner Anna Schulze). Each release has been embraced by press and radio and has led to extensive touring and appearances on Mountain Stage, Acoustic Cafe, World Cafe, NPR’s “All Things Considered,” CBS Early Morning, and the Today Show to name a few.
Bonnie Raitt says, "Maia is making some of the most innovative and soulful music around with songs that are head and shoulders above the rest. She has become one of my favorite artists….a brilliant album, start to finish.”
Catie Curtis
For over 25 years, Catie toured full-time in the US and Europe, releasing 14 recordings and selling over 250,000 CDs (not to mention streaming and downloads). She has recorded for major (EMI Guardian) and independent (Rykodisc, Vanguard and Compass) labels, collaborating with some of the finest musicians and producers in the country. Before the pandemic, she continued to play shows for a legion of fans who shared stories with her at the merch table night after night. Her songs have been featured in films and tv shows, and she performed several times at the White House during the Obama administration. She’s intensely grateful for those years and honored to know that her music has been an integral part of so many people’s lives. Catie has been making the transition to working as a community mental health counselor over the past three years. Her job as a therapist, while incredibly fulfilling, does not feed the artist in her! “I still need and want to create music.
“Have you ever been to a show where you feel an invisible wall between you and the performer? Catie Curtis pulls the walls down.” – Mary Chapin Carpenter (Grammy Award winning singer/songwriter)
Catie is our therapy!...we love her!!
November 22, 2025 (Saturday): Susan Werner click
for details
What can we say about Susan, but when I think of her I think of thoroughly talented, smart and entertaining. She would hate me for saying this, but I think she is the Mary Poppins of us singer songwriters. Her songwriting is poignant and her message is heartfelt…but always getting her point across with a little sugar on top. Couldn't we all have a little of that lately.
But back to her impressive career...
Over the course of her twenty-five year touring career, Susan Werner has built a reputation as one of the country’s most compelling live performers. With formidable chops on guitar (she began playing at age 5) and piano (she was a guest on Marian McPartland’s Piano Jazz) along with a graduate degree in voice performance, her shows are a one-woman master class in musicianship. Her songs are noted for their poetry and sharp wit, and also for their astonishing stylistic range. She’s written songs in the style of Gershwin and Cole Porter (I Can’t Be New, 2004), gospel music (The Gospel Truth, 2007), traditional Cuban “son” (An American In Havana, 2016), and New Orleans junk piano (NOLA, 2019). In 2014 she composed the music and lyrics to the musical theater score Bull Durham, The Musical (MGM) and her latest recording of original songs, The Birds of Florida, took flight January 2022.
December 10, 2025 (Wednesday): Comedian Bob Marley click
for details
I don't know any other person who worked harder to keep us entertained during 2020 and beyond than comedian Bob Marley. His daily videos were a comic relief from the world's challenges, and there have been many. Bob has a gift and a way of finding the hilarity in the obvious and the seemingly common occurrences in our sometimes mundane lives. In fact, he would make fun of me for saying all this!!. I can just hear him mocking me now!
On a personal note, Bob kept my staff from going crazy! We appreciate him for being one of the artists that was willing to do shows in whatever way he could to make venues and people laugh..whether it was a small capacity show or a drive in…he did it all. Nothing can stop the Bob Marley train and we love him for that. And yes, I said artist!!
Bob is not just our Maine comedian, he is one of the funniest people in the current world of comedy. His viral videos have thrust him into further popularity as one of the hottest and most sought after comedians in the country. But we are lucky he will still come to us! You know'em, you love'm...more than 15 years as a stand-up comic, Maine's own Bob Marley has been featured in his own special on Comedy Central, and is one of the few comics to do the complete late night TV circuit: The Late Show with David Letterman, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Night with Conan O'Brien and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson and Craig Kilborn. But all those accolades aside, he is just one of us, and we can't get enough of him. And geesh don't we all need to laugh right now.
December 12, 2025 (Friday): Stone Mountain LIVE for Christmas details
Hosted by Carol Noonan and the Stone Mountain Boys featuring Duke Levine, Kevin Barry
and very special guest Guitar God Bill Kirchen
There is simply no better place to celebrate the holidays than at Stone Mountain Arts Center! With the lights all strung and garlands galore, Stone Mountain LIVE at Christmas is the whole "Experience"... it takes all the best aspects of this special place on the hill and packs it into one fun festive night! Stone Mountain's owner, Carol Noonan, who hosts this unique revue style show with her house band the Stone Mountain Boys ... featuring guitarists Duke Levine and Kevin Barry. Featuring special guest, the one and only Bill Kirchen...famed for his Commander Cody days and his version of Hot Rod Lincoln, well if we could have a a favorite Uncle for SMAC, it would be him!!
December 13, 2025 (Saturday): Stone Mountain LIVE for Christmas details
Hosted by Carol Noonan and the Stone Mountain Boys featuring Duke Levine, Kevin Barry
and very special guest Guitar God Bill Kirchen
There is simply no better place to celebrate the holidays than at Stone Mountain Arts Center! With the lights all strung and garlands galore, Stone Mountain LIVE at Christmas is the whole "Experience"... it takes all the best aspects of this special place on the hill and packs it into one fun festive night! Stone Mountain's owner, Carol Noonan, who hosts this unique revue style show with her house band the Stone Mountain Boys ... featuring guitarists Duke Levine and Kevin Barry. Featuring special guest, the one and only Bill Kirchen...famed for his Commander Cody days and his version of Hot Rod Lincoln, well if we could have a a favorite Uncle for SMAC, it would be him!!
December 17, 2025 (Wednesday): Comedian Bob Marley click
for details
I don't know any other person who worked harder to keep us entertained during 2020 and beyond than comedian Bob Marley. His daily videos were a comic relief from the world's challenges, and there have been many. Bob has a gift and a way of finding the hilarity in the obvious and the seemingly common occurrences in our sometimes mundane lives. In fact, he would make fun of me for saying all this!!. I can just hear him mocking me now!
On a personal note, Bob kept my staff from going crazy! We appreciate him for being one of the artists that was willing to do shows in whatever way he could to make venues and people laugh..whether it was a small capacity show or a drive in…he did it all. Nothing can stop the Bob Marley train and we love him for that. And yes, I said artist!!
Bob is not just our Maine comedian, he is one of the funniest people in the current world of comedy. His viral videos have thrust him into further popularity as one of the hottest and most sought after comedians in the country. But we are lucky he will still come to us! You know'em, you love'm...more than 15 years as a stand-up comic, Maine's own Bob Marley has been featured in his own special on Comedy Central, and is one of the few comics to do the complete late night TV circuit: The Late Show with David Letterman, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Night with Conan O'Brien and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson and Craig Kilborn. But all those accolades aside, he is just one of us, and we can't get enough of him. And geesh don't we all need to laugh right now.
December 31, 2025 (Wednesday): NYE - Soggy Po' Boys with Celia Woodsmith
The New Orleans styled Soggy Po Boys, native to New England, are spreading the good news of New Orleans music across the northeast and beyond . Joined by Celia Woodsmith a Grammy nominated performer, vocalist, percussionist, and songwriter. A show not to be missed! Perfect to say goodbye to 2025.
PLEASE NOTE: Normal showtimes apply so you can be home for your own countdown :>)
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Thanks
for checking out our schedule... Tickets are on sale Online or at the Arts Center Box Office. 