PORTLAND — Dave Rowe and Phil House will move their annual holiday concert online to be viewable from anywhere in the world. The concert, which started as a Lewiston-Auburn tradition, dates back 28 years. The show will start with the performers taking their turns “on stage” from Rowe’s Portland home, and coming together for selected tunes.
The concert is the historical/hysterical source of a piece of video recently aired on ABC’s America’s Funniest Home Videos of Rowe answering a cellphone during a rehearsal for the concert and ordering coffee. The piece aired on March 29, and came in second, netting the $3,000 prize on the broadcast.
Rowe, a multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter who recently returned to Maine after completing a year-long trip traveling the Great Loop, a 6,000-mile circumnavigation of the eastern U.S. by boat, will present favorite holiday selections, traditional Christmas music, selections from his numerous recordings, and two new original holiday songs.
House, a local piano legend, will present his holiday offerings of Christmas and holiday standards in his extraordinary, singular stride-piano style. The concert will culminate with Rowe and House performing their annual rendition of “O Holy Night” in English and French, which always leaves the audience breathless.
The L-A holiday tradition was begun by Dave’s late father, Tom Rowe, of Schooner Fare fame, who organized the first concert featuring himself, Dave and Phil in 1992. At that time, Tom and Dave were performing as Rowe by Rowe. The holiday concert has been an annual event ever since.
“It’s a family affair in every sense,” explained Dave Rowe. “Phil and I have been performing this show together for so long. It’s just like getting together with family and friends for a little music over the holidays. I don’t think either of us would miss this for the world!”
The online concert is free to watch anywhere, but viewers are asked to consider contributing directly to the musicians by buying a “virtual ticket” at Rowe’s website, daverowemusic.com at the “Buy CDs/Leave a Tip” link. The show will premiere at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 19, on Facebook facebook.com/daverowefolk and YouTube at http://bit.ly/roweshow and be available to stream at any time after that.
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