Portland Weekend Goings-On, October 5-7th (and a few local music suggestions)

These things are happening this weekend. Get out of the house and/or apartment and/or office and do some of them.

My Picks:

Feastland is a food/music/arts event I am all sorts of bummed I am not going to be able to make it to. Presented by SPACE Gallery, there will be seasonal food, site-specific art projects, drinks and entertainment all presented at Broadturn Farm. Ryan Marenco and Sarah Jump will be cooking, as well as Josh Potocki and Joel Beauchamp of Pocket Brunch (which I highlighted last week). There will also be beverages by The Bearded Lady and Bunker Brewing, art by Petra Simmons, Robert Hyde, Eric Hou and Will Sears, performances by Superorder and Constrapposto, and DJ sets by Jaime O’Sullivan and Nathaniel M. Tickets are between $20 and $30 (the latter cost covers shuttle transport) and you can get them here. [Saturday]

The Fryeburg Fair has been up and running since last weekend and it wraps up this Sunday, so definitely travel West and visit accordingly. It is only $10 and it is totally worth it. Take, for example, the Wednesday I spent at the fair, where I had a pulled pork sandwich and a bowl of french fries for breakfast, a giant doughnut for second breakfast, a sausage for early lunch, a fried pickle for regular lunch, and a sausage for an early afternoon snack.  This kind of self-flajulation is totally okay when one visits an agricultural fair. I also saw Tricky Britches play, spent time with cows, pigs, THE CUTEST BABY ALPACA EVER, and I overheard one dorky teenager ask another, “What’s your favorite weapon of all weapons?” There are also rides, which I didn’t do because I ate all of those things listed above and because I am old. [All Weekend]

(Disclosure: My production company Knack Factory was recently hired by the fair to produce promotional videos. That said, I have traveled to the fair nearly every year for the past 23 years and it’s always one of my favorite Maine occasions.)

Also worth considering:

  • The First Friday Art Walk is tonight, and tourist season is over so you can probably make it all the way down Congress Street to browse galleries without getting unintentionally groped by a stranger from Massachusetts a half dozen times. As always, First Friday events are free can find the gallery listings here. [Friday, obviously.]
  • Local musicians take heed: On October 6th at 10am, there will be a recreation of the photo “A Great Day in Harlem” with local Portland / Maine musicians. “A Great Day in Portland” will be printed and sold at local stores and shows and all of the proceeds will go to Music and Magic Maine. The photo will be taken on the steps on The Maine Irish Heritage Center and it should be noted that Port City Photography graciously donated their time and skills to make this possible. I am psyched to see and get my hands on the end result. You can find the Facebook event listing here. [Saturday]
  • Finally, Hoboe, Ben Meiklejohn’s rock oboe outfit, is having a benefit so that Ben can procure a new Oboe. Kane Grogan and the Accepted Eclectics, Oliver Waterman Band, Lazy lightning, Arcane Lore, Capt. Ray + The Castaways and Nugget are playing at The Big Easy to ensure that this happens. Benefiting Benjamin starts at 7pm, and entry costs $10. Check out the event listing here. [Sunday]

Also, Erik Neilson of the Portland indie-rock band Rural Ghosts (he also runs a small record label called Lorem Ipsum Recordings and books shows under “Lorem Ipsum Recordings Presents”), offered the following Friday musical suggestions, just in case you’re in the market for feeding your ears something new:

Arcane Lore is hands-down my favorite band in Portland. Katie Gilchrest and Brandye Devine have taken the 60s psych-rock power trio concept and condensed it into a duo without losing any effect. Think Stratocasters, wah pedals, swirling blues riffs and thick, Bonham-inspired drums and you’ll be getting towards their sound. What really sets Arcane Lore apart, though, is the songwriting, which is a cut above that of any other band in this “genre” that I know of. If you haven’t seen them live, you’re missing out on one of the bigger treats this town has to offer.

I first saw Johnny Cremains on the night of my birthday about a year ago, and I’ve been a convert ever since. Cremains mix slow, heavy riffs with electric piano and cutting vocals to create one of the most unique sounds I’ve ever heard in Portland. Twisting song structures, dark imagery; it’s dramatic as hell, and I love it. Doug Porter (Covered in Bees, Confusatron, The Watchers) also happens to play guitar in this band, and is one of my favorite musicians on the planet. I’ve been fortunate enough to book Cremains as part of a “Lorem Ipsum Recordings Presents” event, and look forward to working with them again soon.

Onward, folks! Happy weekend to you all!

Alex Steed

About Alex Steed

Alex Steed has written about and engaged in politics since he was an insufferable teenager. He has run for the Statehouse and produced a successful web series. He now runs a content firm called Knack Factory with two guys who are a lot more talented than himself.