Local and regional acts herald national headliners at Livermore music festival

Jose Leiva/Sun Journal Bill Halsey of Florida relaxes in a recliner at the camping area for the Music Alliance Festival held at the Barn Yard in Livermore on Saturday.

Jose Leiva/Sun Journal David Deschambault of Florida reclines on a portable bed in the camping area of the Alliance Fest held at the Barnyard All Terrain Park in Livermore on Saturday.

Jose Leiva/Sun Journal the band Kids Collapse from Windham perform at the Music Alliance Festival held at the Barn Yard in Livermore on Saturday; members of the band are from left Robbie Gagne on keyboard, Matt Portier on guitar, Heath Morrell on bass and Jamison Trudel vocals.

Jose Leiva/Sun Journal Tylor Hutchins of Rumford breaks into dance at the Music Alliance Festival held at the Barn Yard in Livermore on Saturday.

Jose Leiva/Sun Journal Zeke Libby 10 of Oxford wears some ear protection as he listens to band perform at the Music Alliance Festival held at the Barn Yard in Livermore on Saturday.

LIVERMORE — Dave Dechambault missed out on Woodstock the first time around, but it certainly wasn't for lack of trying.

"I was 15 years old at the time," he said. "I tried to leave and go, but my parents basically locked me up."

The 53-year-old New Hampshire native laughed as he talked about how the monumental music event shaped the rest of his life. "When my buddy called me up and said they were doing a Woodstock in Maine, I said, 'I'm gonna be there.'"

And since he hasn't missed a Woodstock reunion or Woodstock-themed music event — including Spudstock, Hempstock and even Livestock — the Punta Gorda, Fla., man was certain not to miss the Heroes of Woodstock event in Livermore this weekend. But this wasn't just any music festival for Dechambault, who even shaved a peace sign into his back for the event.

Nope. This weekend in Maine represented one of the most important moments in his life, a potentially soul-changing moment.

"I've spent the last three years traveling around the country looking for my soul mate," Dechambault said. "I went back to Punta Gorda in February and was at this outdoor concert and I turned around and saw this girl with the most beautiful aura."

The rest is history. Dechambault plans to add to Sunday's historical event in Livermore when he heads onstage to propose to his girlfriend with a hand-crafted Claddagh ring representing his belief that he found his lifelong soul mate. If she accepts, he has a sunset wedding ceremony ready to go on a hillside overlooking the grassy field where thousands are expected to gather to hear the likes of Jefferson Starship, Canned Heat and Ten Years After — bands that performed at Woodstock in upstate New York 40 years ago.

On Saturday, the crowd gathered on the lawn to listen and jam to homegrown acts as headliners Dead Season wrapped up the daylong Alliance Fest. Organized by the Mainely Music Alliance, the event heralded Sunday's rock heroes with 17 bands from Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts.

While much of the afternoon was relatively quiet with a lower-than-expected turnout for the Alliance Fest, cars were starting to roll into the parking lot of the Barnyard All Terrain Park on Route 108 late Saturday afternoon.

"A friend of mine that I work with went to the original Woodstock, so that's why I came," said Shirley Black, 49, of Bangor. "I thought it would be cool to listen to some of the music from when I was a kid." 

On Saturday, Black was there for the rock and metal shows taking the three stages set up across the field. A gentle breeze blew across the natural amphitheater nestled among the woods and gently rolling hills as acts took to the stages in rotation throughout the afternoon.

Vendors sold food and drinks, tie-dye T-shirts, peace flags, hand-blown glass pipes and hemp purses. Saturday's musical selections may not have been their parents' Woodstock, but it still drew music lovers across all generations.

"There's a lot of great bands here today," said Joann Tancrel, 48, of Greene, who attended Alliance Fest with her 10-year-old grandson, Caleb Sawyer. "I'm introducing him to local music."

Tancrel was not planning to attend Sunday's event. She came out Saturday because she wanted to show her support for local and regional bands.

Bill Violette and his family were in the same boat. The Standish man and his wife had a chance to attend the 25th anniversary Woodstock event in 1994, but they decided not to because it was only 10 days from the birth of their daughter, Courtney. On Saturday, the 14-year-old and her parents jammed in the audience in support of local bands.

"This is just what we do," Violette said of the family going to see local bands on a regular basis. "I've always tried to move forward when it comes to music."

And then, there were those who made it to Woodstock 40 years later because they regret missing their chance the first time around. 

"I had tickets to go to Woodstock, but I met a girl and went to see her instead," said Kerry Ross of Livermore. "But my brother ended up going. He wasn't planning on it, but the guys got to drinking, got the car stuck in the mud and just went."