Great Show Tonight!

Lady Lamb the Beekeeper and Phantom Buffalo- two of my favorite bands on this planet- are the opening acts at the Isobell CD release show taking place at SPACE tonight. Check it out. Tickets are $7.

Fanawesome!

The Tower of Song Festival was Great! I've just spent the last few days basking in the glow of amazing music and a super fun day in Congress Square. These pictures should act as testament to the wonderful vibes of the day:


http://www.flickr.com/photos/samuelcousins/sets/72157618753576054/
http://www.mainetoday.com/photoalbum.html?id=7295

Thank you to all the bands and everybody who made this possible!

Going to see Leonard Cohen live in Boston tomorrow!!!

Tower of Song Festival Tomorrow!

The Tower of Song Art & Music Festival takes place tomorrow starting at noon and ending at 8 pm. Everything you need to know about it can be found here.

Also check out great interviews and photos with the Festival musicians over at Hilly Town. And stop by the Sylvia Kania Gallery after the Festival for their Naked Gallery Art Party.

Get ready for the big show by heading over to the Empire tonight for the cd release of Dead Man's Clothes second album, Apsis. The Festival's Johnny Fountain & The Manes and Anna's Ghost will be opening.

Live on the Red Telephone #10: Over A Cardboard Sea

Over A Cardboard Sea performed Live on the Red Telephone last Sunday. Take a listen to a track from the show here, and be prepared to be transported back in time. Over A Cardboard Sea will be playing at the Tower of Song Festival in their full 9-member incarnation. They will also be selling copies of their new EP at the information table in Congress Square, and will be giving away mix CDs of their favorite vaudeville tunes! Be sure to come check that out on Saturday, May 23rd!

Tower of Song Fundraiser at Sylvia Kania Gallery Recap

Although the miserable weather last Saturday kept the crowds away from our final Tower of Song Fundraiser, it still turned out to be a great night of music. The Sylvia Kania Gallery was nice enough to host the event for us, and they will also be helping us with the Festival on the 23rd. Be sure to check out their Naked Gallery Event following the conclusion of Spencer & The School Spirit Mafia's headlining set Saturday night. That event starts around 8 pm, and provides the chance for you to paint on their bare gallery walls while DJs spin music to keep the creative vibes flowing. The Sylvia Kania Gallery is located at 148 High St.

The fundraiser kicked off with a great set by Jesse Pilgrim, who will also be appearing at the Festival. He played almost all the songs from his great EP, Pecos Bill is Dead, as well as a few new tunes and a cover of an Okkervil River song.

Next up was Blaque Boose from the Portsmouth, NH area- their set was a true revelation, starting off with a cover of a song from the cult classic "The Wicker Man" (go out and rent it today- but DO NOT get the Nic Cage remake!). The band is usually a 10-piece, but tonight they were "stripped down" to only 5 members. The music was still absolutely spellbinding, and I look forward to seeing them play again soon (possibly at Tower of Song).

The night closed out with Johnny Fountain and his tightly constructed songs and rambling storytelling.

If you weren't able to make it to the show, but still want to support the Festival, you can donate to Tower of Song here.


Jesse Pilgrim


Blaque Boose

Over A Cardboard Sea Live on the Red Telephone Today!

Over A Cardboard Sea- Portland's favorite vaudeville revivalists- will be performing live on the Red Telephone this morning. The show starts at 10 am with a selection of pre-1950s songs. Over A Cardboard will start playing at 11 am. Tune in here.

Tower of Song Fundraiser Tonight!

Our final Tower of Song Fundraiser before the big festival takes place tonight. Jesse Pilgrim, Blaque Boose, Gabrielle Raymond (Anna's Ghost), and Johnny Fountain will all be playing down at the Sylvia Kania Gallery starting at 7 pm. The Gallery is located at 148 High Street. $5 Suggested Donation. Tower of Song T-shirts on sale! Hope to see you there!

Johnny Fountain & The Manes @ Empire Dine & Dance Tonight

Johnny Fountain & The Manes will be playing the downstairs of the Empire tonight. Check it out around 9 pm and then head upstairs for Clash of the Titans! It's Bowie vs. Bowie tonight with Ziggy Stardust facing off against the Thin White Duke. Sure to be a great night of music.

Also, I have to say that last week's Clash featuring Flight of the Conchords vs. Ween was awesome. It starred two Tower of Song alumni- Billy Libby (Seymour) played the Conchord's Jerome, while Mat Zaro pulled double-duty as both Dean AND Gene Ween. They were so well matched that the contest ended in a draw, and the whole crowd left happy.

Tower of Song on WMPG Today

Will & Johnny will be interviewed about the Tower of Song Festival today at 4 pm on WMPG's Liberation by Sound. Listen here.

Tower of Song - May 1st

The crowds were out in force for the First Friday of May. The weather was beautiful and it was a great day for Tower of Song. Check out this video of performances by Johnny Fountain & the Manes, Seymour, Dilly Dilly & Sontiago, and the Pondtrotters. And remember, the all-day Tower of Song Festival goes down Saturday, May 23rd. The outdoor event is free, but you can purchase exclusive tickets to the Tower performance space here.

Sorry about the weird audio glitches during the transitions... technology has been conspiring against me today...

Tower of Song Tonight!

It's First Friday, and that means Tower of Song!

Tower of Song is almost always my favorite day of the month (which makes the rest of the month a long decline- thankfully I'll have the Festival on the 23rd to pick up my spirits).

As always, we have a great line-up tonight including Dilly Dilly & Sontiago- who have been nominated for Best Live Music Act in the Phoenix's Best Music Poll. We will also be joined by the excellent Seymour (featuring Billy Libby and Aren Sprinkle- nominated for best female vocalist), The Pondtrotters- a three-piece folk duo, and the always popular, Mr. Johnny Fountain!

Music and magic will be in the air above Congress Square from 5 - 8 pm.