FenderBender

FenderBender is a multi-faceted band from Lewiston-Auburn, that specializes in classic rock with roots in many different styles such as Blues, Jazz, Fusion, Country, Soul, and Rock and Roll. This is a four-piece band, two guitars, bass, and drums with three of the four members singing lead, and back-up vocals. Each member of this band has over 20 years experience playing in their musical professions.

This band was formed by accident, as the members just got together one day for a “fun jam” between friends who have played together before in different projects. The results were startling, and it was evident at that time, that the chemistry was too strong to not, at least, look into this a little further. The rehearsals that followed seemed to go more like “fun jams,” as these four friends compiled a working list of songs with such pleasure and ease, it didn’t seem like work ­– it wasn’t! It is evident that these musicians enjoy playing together; just catch a show, and you too will experience the enthusiasm, professional musicianship, and camaraderie that they felt on their initial get-together.

Imari & the Sahara Desert Dancers

Imari (Lisa Cummings) has been belly dancing for 16 years and has been teaching locally for eight years at such places as St. Mary’s Hospital and CMMC. Belly dancing is great for the mind, body, and soul! Imari and 28 of her students from Maine and New Hampshire will be at the Balloon Festival to proudly share this graceful and beautiful artform … if you saw last year’s show, be sure to be there for this year’s new dance routines! Belly dancing is HIP!

The Nitpickers

An ear-catchingly great bluegrass band from Central Maine. Formed in June 2007, The NitPickers play traditional and original bluegrass and newgrass with impressive harmonies and raw enthusiasm. Their self-titled CD displays a range of material from newgrass instrumentals to eloquent ballads to playful modern bluegrass delivered with heart and commitment. All five members of the NitPickers are songwriters and lead singers so there is always something new and exciting to hear. Members are Don Bernier on fiddle, mandolin, guitar and vocals; Jane Bernier on guitar, mandolin and vocals; Rich Bernier on dobro, guitar and vocals; Rick Dale on banjo and vocals; and Woody Woods on bass and vocals.

Camp of Rock/Fairview Community Band

Camp of Rock is a weeklong music camp directed by Brian Gagnon. It is modeled after the movie “School of Rock” and is open to musicians from ages eight to 15. These kids make music the way they’ve dreamed of — putting their instrument to good use in the summer — all while having a blast! The Fairview Community Rock band was a spin-off idea of the Camp of Rock, run by Brian Gagnon. After watching his daughter perform at Camp of Rock, one of the parents suggested to Brian that he do an adult version. So, he formed a band made up of kids and their parents. This year’s group has about 20 members, mostly made up of at least one parent and child, including a family of four.

Juke Joint Devils

The Juke Joint Devils are an old time, hard driving and swinging blues band that never fails to get the crowd rocking. They play a style of blues that goes back to the day when home entertainment systems didn’t exist and folks went out to the local juke joint to be entertained. Their music is rooted in the blues of Chicago, Memphis and New Orleans with a little modern day tempering of the West Coast Swing style of blues. Featuring Tommy O’Connell on vocals and harmonica; Gerry Byrne on the big “doghouse” bass; Mike VanSumren on guitar and vocals; and Steve Kaulback on the drum kit; they bring many years of experience to the stage. When the “Devils” get going, toes will be tapping and the joint will be jumping. The guiding principle of their music is that it’s all about the groove, all the time.

Robert Washington

Born in 1958 in St. Louis, MO, Robert Washington was raised in Cape Girardeau, MO. His first memories of Elvis were of watching his movies on television. He also remembers hearing “Jail House Rock” on the radio and being impressed with the King’s style. From then on, he was a loyal Presley fan. In 1977, while Washington was serving his country in the Marine Corps, he found himself connected to Elvis because the singer died on Washington’s 19th birthday. For the next few years, Washington sang along with Elvis and practiced his moves for fun. With the support of his wife, he added a microphone to his stereo system and performed only for close friends. In 1983, Washington entertained on stage for the first time in Waukegan, IL. His rendition of “Don’t Be Cruel” went over so well that he ended up singing for the rest of the evening. That was the beginning of his career. Since then, Washington has competed in the Images of Elvis Competition several times, finishing in the top 3 every time. Washington’s voice is pure and true – he captures the “Elvis” sound like very few impersonators. He wear the costumes Elvis made famous with dignity and looks fantastic on stage at all times. His moves bring his audience to a fever pitch and leave them screaming for more.

Phat Grass

Phat Grass is a hard-driving, progressive, New England bluegrass band. Strong vocals, explosive energy, and unique instrumentation blend together and detonate in a bluegrass reaction that can only be described as Phat!

The MaineStream Band

Here’s what New England has been waiting for … The MaineStream Band will rock the club with the newest hits of today and the top 40 of the 2000s.  The talent hits the stage with the young look and energy that this band will perform to the next level of hip hop and R & B dance music.  With music from J Lo, Black-eyed Peas, Lady Gaga, Cee Lo Green, Flo Rida, Adele, Rhianna, Jesse J, Bruno Marrs and many more! Bass guitarist Glen Mallet said, “I could say I love music, but I think that’s already been known by my background and the years gigging out with bands I have been in. Started playing at the age of 10, born and raised in Boston I have traveled and played everywhere. I must say, The MaineStream Band is the most energetic and so full of talent that I just had to be part of it. I have a background in classic rock and played all over as I traveled in the Navy and played with many musicians while in Iceland, Sicily, Puerto Rco, and Bermuda. I like the music of the Top 40 and I would like to hook up with my band members to write and record our own songs; now that’s a goal to reach.” With the talent of The Mainestream Band, that’s not to far from happening.  

Mallet Brothers Band

After just over a year of playing together, alt-country-rockers, The Mallett Brothers Band, swept the top categories at the 2011 Portland Phoenix’s Best Music Awards, winning Best Local Act, Best Live Act, and Best Local Album. Their fall 2010 performance at the National Underground in NYC was listed among the “Best Shows of 2010? by the award-winning music blog Hidden Track, and their debut album was named the Top New Local Album (Maine and New Hampshire) of 2010 by Bull Moose Music, after spending nearly a full year on the weekly Top 10 Local Album chart. They shared a bill with the likes of Derek Trucks, The Flaming Lips, Jakob Dylan and Furthur at the 2010 Nateva Festival; they regularly sell out establishments ranging from rock clubs to grange halls throughout New England; and at their March 2011 performance at Portland’s Port City Music Hall, more alcohol was allegedly consumed than at any other local show in the venue’s history.

While they’ve been called “a party that cannot be missed” (The Deli Magazine), “an authentic, rip-roarin’ alt country band” (The Portland Press Herald), “no softies” (The Portland Phoenix), “amazing” (The Piscataquis Observer), and “luminaries” (NonAlignmentPact), with their songwriting compared to Hank Williams and Townes Van Zandt (The Bangor Daily News), Sam Pfeifle of the Portland Phoenix is perhaps most accurate in his observation that “this band always seems to be having a hell of a time, and that emotion is infectious.”

Don Campbell Band

Don Campbell is a singer-songwriter, composer, and multi-instrumentalist whose music is inspired by sources as diverse as the Celtic and Canadian Maritime music of his family to Dan Fogelberg, Vince Gill, the Beatles and novelist, Stephen King. Writing in genres as diverse as adult contemporary, country, Celtic, Christmas, bluegrass, and rock, Campbell has released 10 CDs, including one cover CD of some of his favorite writers.  Co-based in Portland, Maine and Nashville, TN, Campbell averages between 150-200 performances per year primarily with the New England-based Don Campbell Band.

Brian Patricks

Singer-songwriter Brian Patricks emerged onto the Maine singer-songwriter scene in the early spring of 2009 with a 30-year span of classical guitar and various folk, blues and rock projects under his belt. That coupled with a suitcase of experience in front of an audience, he set off with guitar in hand and a passion to perform.

Patricks intertwines finger-style rhythmic guitar with a hint of harmonica into his sets of originals and covers of folk, blues and rock.

One minute he may be jammin’ an old folk or rock tune then throw at you a fine classical or flamenco piece breaking out into a smokey blues finger-pickin’ number.

In a Brian Patricks performance, you will surely hear some of his original creations along with covers from the many artists that have influenced  his own musical journey such as The Eagles, Tom Petty, Jackson Brown, Bad Co, Eric Clapton, Dan Fogelberg, Fleetwood Mac, Peter Greene, Santana, and Talking Heads, to name a few. 

Pat Pepin and Her Blue Ribbon Band

Award-winning vocalist and saxophonist Pat Pepin is without a doubt one of the most entertaining blues performers around. Pepin has worked all her professional life as a vocalist, sax player, songwriter and music teacher. With a career that spans over 25 years, Pepin has three times represented the Maine Blues Society in the International Blues Challenge, produced three CDs and now has a tour schedule that includes shows and festival appearances up and down the east coast. Her 2010 CD release, “In It For the Long Haul,” was a Top 4 finalist for the Best Self-Produced CD as part of the 26th IBC in Memphis, Tennessee.

Sidecar Heroes

Six men, six unique instruments, all combining to create the tight harmonies and rockin’ rhythms which comprise Sidecar Heroes’ eclectic repertoire of vocal music. They’ve got rock, they’ve got doo wop, they’ve got Motown and funk. No genre is safe from their ever-searching arrangers. Sidecar Heroes is based out of Southern Maine and currently performs all over Maine and New Hampshire. The group’s members — Jason, Mark, D.B., Mac, Lee, and Devan — all have been immersed in the a cappella scene since college and represent such groups as the UMaine Steiners, Six Day Week, and Fourtnight to name a few. With their many years of performing experience, coupled with some exciting arranging chops, Sidecar Heroes offers an exciting and entertaining a cappella concert that everyone will enjoy.

Denny Breau Band

Denny Breau’s rhythmically flawless and dazzlingly clear style allows him to do amazing and stunning things with a six-string guitar. He first draws in an audience with a finely arranged melody and then slides effortlessly into scorching fingerwork that sets ears aflame. The lightning fast guitar lines that seem almost humanly impossible to accomplish are balanced with those that have a quiet intimacy and wrap tenderly around his carefully crafted songs.

Guitarists in the audience often suspect that they have been left in the dust and regularly tell Breau that they might as well hang up their guitars! As Breau greets concert-goers and shakes hands following his performances, guitar players invariably ask how he performs certain techniques and Breau, who has a passion for teaching, is happy to show them. This is especially true when demonstrating the guitar style of Chet Atkins, who was a family friend and major influence.

It is not an exaggeration to say that Denny was born to the instrument on May 26, 1952. His parents, Hal Lone Pine and Betty Cody, were popular country performers and RCA recording artists beginning in the 1940s. His older brother, the late Lenny Breau, is considered a jazz guitar giant.

Denny started playing guitar when he was nine years old and was performing professionally by his early teens. During more than 30 years as a full-time musician, he has performed with many well-known artists and picked alongside outstanding guitarists including Bryan Sutton, Harvey Reid, J.P. Cormier, Pat Donohue, Dan Crary and Steve Kaufman. He has long been in demand as a studio musician and has done jingles and sound tracks for radio and television as well as recorded and produced albums for other artists. Breau was a member of roots music trio Turkey Hollow with Tom Rowe and Tom’s son Dave starting in 1998. Since Tom’s death in early 2004, Breau and Dave Rowe have continued to perform as Turkey Hollow on a limited basis. Breau was inducted into the Maine Country Music Hall of Fame in 2004, the youngest inductee in the history of the organization.

The Veayo Twins

The Veayo Twins, at 15, known for their sweet vocal harmonies and catchy original melodies, have acquired invaluable real-time experience playing multiple live gigs with rock bands or simply as a duo.  The twins and the music they write are being featured in a national documentary film called “Bullied To Silence,” to be released in the fall of 2011.  Kristen, who is real passionate about rock right now, has written several originals and performed them with her sister, Katherine, at many notable venues such as the Jonas Brothers softball challenge in New Britain Stadium, CT, New York City’s historic Webster Hall, Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots, and Boston’s Hard Rock Café.  They have been featured on 92Moose and WTOS radio shows and played their music live on local CBS, ABC and Fox TV shows!

Kristen Veayo is a guitarist, songwriter, and vocalist.  Art will always be a big part of her life, whether it’s drawing, acting, writing poetry, or making music.  She also has a special connection with animals and seems to naturally attract them.  When she is not creating art, you can find her skateboarding at the local parks.  Kristen is a great songwriter with a unique ability to write songs, composing the music with the lyrics all at once! Often the topics revolve around relationships and love. She thinks that being a teen really helps her connect the lyrics to the listener. Kristen said, “The lyrics just sort of come to me whenever I write out my feelings.”

Katherine Veayo is a drummer, keyboardist and can do back-up vocals simultaneously. She is a natural performer with an “old-school ear” for music.  Katherine is known as “the time keeper,” having three seasons of percussion with an entire orchestra at New England Music Camp.  She is also a talented visual artist.  Kate loves to draw portraits of friends and celebrities. She also has quite the reputation for hair styling, as many of her friends ask her to do their hair for special events. Katherine has a special passion for modeling, acting and loves video production. She enjoys writing poetry and absolutely loves performing live music!  In her words, “I’m just having a good time.”

Jason Spooner Trio

This multi-award winning, New England-based songwriter discovered his father’s collection of eight-track tapes as a child and never looked back. After early exposure to songwriter legends like Neil Young, Paul Simon, Jim Croce and Van Morrison, along with Motown heavies like Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder and Gladys Knight, Spooner was inspired to start making the rounds on coffee house stages in his teens. Shortly thereafter, he spent time in Europe performing in folk and blues clubs and on the streets of London and around Spain. Once back in the states, he landed a job at a roots and blues record label where he witnessed numerous blues legends (including members of the original Muddy Waters band) making magic in recording sessions. Before long, Spooner jumped head-first into the Northeast’s burgeoning songwriter scene.

Sea Monster, the third studio album released in 2010, is active proof that the independent path is the way of the future. Co-produced by Spooner and Jonathan Wyman, Sea Monster was recorded in Maine with longtime touring bandmates Adam Frederick on bass and Reed Chambers on drums, and features a guest appearance from veteran pedal steel virtuoso Bucky Baxter (Bob Dylan, Ryan Adams, R.E.M). “I think we definitely unearthed some new territory with this record,” said Spooner. “We spent countless winter months in my drummer’s attic shaping these tunes from the ground up as a band.”

Sea Monster is a departure from Spooner’s previous releases. He explained, “In the past, I had been so focused on making acoustic music that the electric was relegated to more of a supporting role: one of the smaller brushes in the batch. This time around, I just focused on the right guitar for the right song. There’s no question that the electrics ended up front and center on this record and I’m very happy with the progression.”

The album’s third single, an instantly lovable and more rootsy take on Trent Trent D’Arby’s 80s classic, “Wishing Well,” debuted in March 2011 as the Third Most Added track at Triple A radio behind Radiohead at #1 and Los Lonely Boys at #2.

Spooner has received overwhelming recognition for his songwriting talents from prestigious outlets including Mountain Stage, Starbucks Music Makers, SXSW, The Food Network, NPR’s Car Talk, The Kerrville Folk Fest New Folk Competition, and The Falcon Ridge Folk Festival’s Most Wanted Poll. Spooner and his band have toured extensively over the past few years, sharing the stage with artists including Ray LaMontagne, Brandi Carlile, Guster, Amos Lee, Blues Traveler, Kathleen Edwards, Jackie Greene, Carbon Leaf and more.

Johnny A.

Johnny A. has one of the most eloquent voices in modern music – and he doesn’t sing a note.  Instead, he channels joy, love, humor, sadness … every aspect of the human experience, through his guitar. Only the finest musicians have the ability to capture the nuances of life in sound, which puts Johnny A. in a very exclusive group of six-stringers that includes Les Paul, Wes Montgomery, Jeff Beck, Chet Atkins, and Jimi Hendrix.  The secret is his blend of melody, sonic definition, technique and that indefinable-yet-tangible quality called “soul.”  And he’s eloquently shared that secret on the CDs Sometime Tuesday Morning (2001), Get Inside (2004), and the instructional DVD Taste, Tone, Space (2006), which are approaching combined sales of 150,000 copies.  All the virtues of Johnny A.’s playing are in abundant display on One November Night, a brand new DVD/CD set recorded live at Scullers in his hometown of Boston, MA.

“We were coming off a long tour,” Johnny A. related.  “Plus, my daughter had just been in her first car wreck, so I wasn’t sure if we should even record this show, and yet, the music and the audience and the night were beautiful.  Everyone and everything in the room came together to make it an extremely special experience.”

Although an instrumentalist, Johnny A. thinks like a singer as he plays, composes and improvises on guitar.  “I’m always interested in dynamics and tone far more than the amount of notes played,” Johnny explained.  “What’s most important is that every song has a strong, clear melody; not how fast or flashy the solo is going to be.  That’s a lesson I learned when I fell in love with The Beatles and other bands of the British Invasion, which is still my favorite era in music.”

As Johnny A. explores various genres from song to song, melody remains as the unifying backbone of his voice.  And the way he plays those melodies is highly personal.  His blend of a hybrid picking style and an unconventional approach to playing chord-based melodies helps create a sound that’s absolutely his own.  And it’s complimented by an unerring sense of rhythm developed on the first instrument he played as a youngster: drums.

Johnny A. has been getting that kind of reaction from fans and other musicians since he was in his teens, working his way up from playing pizza parlors to headlining now-historic Boston clubs like the Rat with his bands The Streets, Hidden Secret and Hearts on Fire.  He also has the distinction of being the last guitar player to perform at the historic Boston Garden before its demolition. 

Cribstone Bridge

Cribstone Bridge plays original, traditional and progressive bluegrass music with honesty and sincerity. Singer and songwriter Ted DeMille, formerly with the well-respected Maine band North Star, teamed up with bassist Kelly Burke and Dobro picker Dan Burke in the fall of 2007. Mandolin and guitarist Taylor Smith and banjo player Keith Hillyard signed on in 2010. The chemistry worked, and the five-piece band has developed a wide range of hand-crafted material drawn from DeMille’s original songs, instrumental numbers, tunes from the first-generation bluegrass icons, and carefully chosen songs from the folk and blues repertoire.

Cribstone Bridge sound features a solid rhythmic punch anchored by Burke’s standup bass and complemented by innovative soloing by Burke, Smith and Hillyard. In a relatively short time, DeMille and Smith have achieved a richly textured vocal sound that has been praised by critics and fans alike. Cribstone Bridge put their collective shoulder to the wheel to serve the song.

Pepetual E-motion

Captivating, passionate, propulsive and progressive are what best define the music of this power duo, perched at the convergence of traditional and electronic dance music. Perpetual e-Motion integrates technical and sonic innovations with old school traditions to create a enormous sound full momentum and groove. Lauded as a two-man orchestra, this duo continues to innovate the art of traditional dance music through their use of sound sculpting and multitasking, captivating listeners and dancers with their infectious and unique sound. Perpetual e-Motion begins with the simple statement of traditional, often recognizable dance tunes from Europe and the Americas, and proceeds to notch it up into a thrilling composition of complex poly-rhythms, melody and counter melody scaffolding exotic and lush chord structures into an amazingly satisfying musical performance drawing from Celtic, bluegrass, jazz and electronic influences. The duo is highly regarded throughout New England for their ability to provide hours of driving, pulsating music for contra dances, which rely on traditional dance tunes as a backdrop.

Born into a musical family, Ed Howe started playing fiddle at the age of 4, learning Suzuki method. His musical interests cover a wide spectrum from Bluegrass to Celtic and beyond and he has been a regular instructor for Maine Fiddle Camp since 2003. Howe has an extensive electronics background, and took an interest in the electric violin. He plays a 5-string NS Design electronic violin and is a featured artist on the NS design artist page. Howe makes extensive use of the BOSS RC-50 loop station to layer and orchestrate a variety of sounds from his instrument and watching him play bare footed and operating complex electronic equipment with his feet is a sight to behold. Check out a video of him playing solo by clicking here

John Coté is a well-known accompanist for many Maine and New England fiddlers and is very active as a private teacher and at Maine Fiddle Camp. Coté attended the Berklee College of music both for a five-week music program in high school and for two years after high school to study film scoring. He later transferred to the University of Maine at Augusta’s jazz program and earned a bachelors degree in jazz performance. At 22 he took an interest in traditional dance music teaching himself the mandolin and fiddle and helped found the Celtic/world band Wake the Neighbors that has endured to this day. In this duo, Coté plays a Godin acoustic electric guitar connected into synthesizer module adding a wide palette of sounds to the music. Aside from his duties on guitar, Coté simultaneously plays the didgeridoo (an Australian aboriginal instrument) and foot percussion. The result is a very lush and complex orchestration of music that defies what one would expect from just two people.

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