Dennis Moro performs original music on Wednesday, Aug. 28, at the Livermore Falls gazebo. Leo Goddard/Livermore Falls Advertiser

LIVERMORE FALLS — Country musician Dennis Moro performed in the Livermore Falls gazebo on Wednesday, Aug. 28. He has performed there every other Wednesday this summer on his “Back to Basics” tour.

Moro started teaching himself to play guitar at the age of 11. He said growing up in Peru, Maine, his father and aunt used to play old country music around the dinner table which inspired him to start playing. In the beginning of his career, he spent a year and a half performing around the country with his songs and his acoustic guitar.

Along the way he got picked up in Florida by the band Dakota who he toured with for 15 years as the lead guitarist. After that he joined The Stone Mountain Band touring Florida and then he returned to Maine with the Blake Brothers. For the last 11 years Moro has been the lead guitarist for the Maine band Roadhouse.

From left, CJ Jerry and Ken Jerry of Jay watch Dennis Moro perform on Wednesday, Aug. 28, at the Livermore Falls gazebo. Leo Goddard/ Livermore Falls Advertiser

Though he is still performing classic and southern rock with Roadhouse most weekends, Moro wanted to “get back to his roots” by playing acoustic, original material. He said that he wants to tell stories with his music, and that in order to do that he needs to perform in front of local crowds. “I’m dipping my feet back in the water,” he said.

In the beginning of the show, there were only two audience members. One was CJ Jerry who was appalled by the lack of people. “I just don’t know why no one’s here,” she said. “There are people in all of these buildings, and no one is even opening a window.” Jerry thought that one reason for sparse crowd might be caused by a competing performance in Wilton. Moro’s response? “If no one was here, I’d still sing.”

Moro started his performance with a song about a man who “loves his family to pieces,” called “Beautiful Day.” As he played, more people began to trickle in to listen, some listening from inside their cars. He played his newest song, “Sitting by the Window” which is about a husband who never returns from the war.

Brenda James of Rumford watches her boyfriend, Dennis Moro, perform his song “Brenda James” on Wednesday, Aug. 28, at the Livermore Falls gazebo. Leo Goddard/Livermore Falls Advertiser

Moro said that when he writes music he can’t “make stuff up,” that all of his songs come from his own personal experiences or the experiences of others close to him. And to fit all of the pain, anger, and memories into one song, he needs to find the chords that convey those emotions.

Moro will have three more performances in the Livermore Falls gazebo this year on Sept. 4, 11, and 25, starting at 6 p.m. Moro said that maybe next year he will start doing some branding for himself on social media, but for now he leaves it all up to the venues he plays to spread information. For more performances by Dennis Moro look for local advertisements.