Podcast Open Mic

POM 9/22 No. 2:  Smizz Born and raised in New Hampshire, Smizz grew up with a mother who loved soul and folk. His father was into older music such as Jimi Hendrix and The Beatles. An avid vinyl collector, his dad eventually handed down the records to Smizz. Smizz's older siblings introduced him to hip hop artists such as Nas and Jay-Z. As an early teen, Smizz drew influence from the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Joey Bada$$, and J. Cole. Smizz began releasing solo music exclusively on SoundCloud as early as 2013, at the age of 15. At the age of 19, Smizz began producing his own beats, which eventually led to him building relationships with likeminded producers and engineers in his area. In 2022, Smizz and his team founded Shine Music Group, their independent label dedicated to shining a light on local New Hampshire talent. Over the past year, Smizz has been steadily building momentum. Between a constant flow of music and a slew of performances around New England, he and his team have been working to solidify the foundation of a legendary career.”   Website:  https://smizzmusic.com   Apple Music:  https://music.apple.com/us/artist/smizz/1478527861 Spotify:  https://open.spotify.com/artist/229lH6QPlJlevBMMZX5ypb?si=P3IhoWSdS_GEo1pN77Phfg YouTube:  https://youtube.com/channel/UC0AUlFzJ9C6muPi6q3ssOFw    

POM 9/22 Nicole LePera returns I'm a singer/songwriter living in the beautiful state of Maine. After all these years, I finally found my home — and her transcendent beauty and power never fails to inspire and nurture me.  Music has always been a central part of my life — my mother said I sang before I spoke. Most of what I write is pure improvisation, and I write the music and lyrics on the fly, in a holistic manner. As such, my music is a diary, a means of therapy, and a window into my deepest thoughts and other worlds, and encompasses everything from pure folk to multitrack experimental or atmospheric music. At 15, my parents took me on a vacation that would change my life. We went to Michigan and "while we were there," we visited the Interlochen Academy for the Arts. I was transfixed by the immense talent around me and I never forgot that place. One day, I mentioned the school to my mother and she had me apply. I was accepted and never looked back. I went on to study music composition at Peabody Conservatory of Music (Now The Peabody Institute of Music of the Johns Hopkins University) and the Yale School of Music and studied under composers Jacob Druckman, Martin Bresnick, Poul Ruders, and Morris Moshe Cotel. I've written string quartets and orchestra pieces. But eventually, I realized that I was my own instrument and pursued my authentic musical voice.  I will never forget the day I discovered the true power in and freedom I could experience when I connected deep into my soul and let it all out — the beautiful, the dark, the ecstatic, the bloody, the traumatic, the angry. It is one of the most wonderful experiences a human being can have.  Influences include Arvo Part, Ani DiFranco, George Crumb, John Cage, Bjork, Sinead O'Connor, Loreena McKennitt, and a host of others. I hope to reach out to others through the Internet during this crisis and make connections to other musicians and listeners.  https://oeinc.bandcamp.com/album/gate https://nicolelepera.com

POM 8/22 No. 2: Jen Ayers Jen Ayers is a vocal dynamo with a throat of gold, pianist, songwriter and recording artist. She's performed thousands of shows nationwide, fronting Seattle-based band Honey Tongue and shared bills with the likes of Jack Johnson, Tom Petty and Bill Frisell. Her powerhouse vocals and electric stage performances have earned invitations to sing across the U.S., including the National Anthem at NBA/MLB games, Led Zeppelin for “Bonzo's Celebration Day” (with members of Heart, REM, Pearl Jam) and “House of Thee Unholy” – Broadway-level burlesque at Seattle's Triple Door, and most recently appearing with Dave Matthews at Seattle's Moore Theater for SMASH. Jen is a frequent guest singer in high-profile gigs across the Northwest and currently fronts Wild Rumours – A Fleetwood Mac Experience. Since 2012, Jen has also been performing at Teatro Zinzanni. First in “Return To Paradise,” which enabled her to dabble in the things she loves most: singing, acting and dancing. She even spun from a cirque cage while performing Honey Tongue's original song “I Wanna Go.” Then, in “Be Italian” and “Hollywood And Vine,” she brought the character of Donatella DiMarco to life – a feisty Italian New-Jersey born chanteuse. She also collaborated with Zinzanni to develop "Big Top Rock: Dream On," a Rock ‘N Roll Family Show in which she played the role of the Blondie-esque Jenny Jupiter alongside the rest of her Dream On band members. And subsequently starred in "Big Top Rock: Rock This Way" as Donatella with an all-star band (Hans Teuber, Keith Lowe Igor Abuladze and Jose Martinez). Jen's following up her debut solo CD “Every Day Is A Parade,” with “SHe Said”, a concept album and theatrical production about gender identity and transition. The "SHe Said" show directed by Daryle Conners hits the stage 10/6, 10/7, 10/8 and 10/9/22 at Seattle's Broadway Performance Hall and will feature Jen, Marc Kenison (aka Waxie Moon), and a live band (Kathy Moore, Rebecca Young, Melissa Montalto, Geoff Reading and RL Heyer).  The "SHe Said" double album, produced by Jeff Fielder, will be released on vinyl, CD and digitally September, 9 2022.    

POM 8/22 No. 1:  Reesa Wood Reesa Wood has been making music in Portland, Maine since 2016, when she learned to embody rage, desire and confrontation fronting the metal edged Cadaverette, and developed confidence in her songwriting and guitar abilities in the heavy shoegaze tinged Burr. She has been performing her unique twangy ballads under the name Draudiga since 2019, both as a solo artist and with her backing band. Draudiga lurks in the dusk, in the sleaziest corner of a haunted glade- where the dryads and the wood nymphs Sleep in Safety, head to toe Death Rock, covered in desert dust and strung out on old Gun Club and Hasil Adkins records while maintaining the airy whimsy of Kate Bush and the toothsome menace of Lydia Lunch. https://draudiga.bandcamp.com/ @draudiga_ www.cadaverette.bandcamp.com 

POM 7/22 No. 2: Dave Bullard returns Dave Bullard... Singer songwriter performer from California on Spotify iTunes, apple music tours once or twice a year COAST TO COAST davebullardguitar on Instagram and tiktoc Dave Bullard on Facebook Amazing You.S.A. book on Amazon Kindle.    New albums online: SILOUETTE, Amazing You.S.A., & LOST HORIZON BLUES  

POM 7/22 No.1: Spook Handy (from 7/21, the final POMotR broadcast) A year ago this month Podcast Open Mic on the Radio had its final broadcast.  But my last guest was a goodie and needs to be reheard.: Spook Handy, the only guest I have found via Portland Hour Exchange... Spook Handy performed alongside Pete Seeger at festivals and concerts more than 50 times from 2003 – 2013 learning firsthand many of Pete's songs and the stories behind them. Even more, he learned who Pete Seeger was and what he stood for. Spook is now traveling throughout the U.S. and Canada with his “Remembering Pete Seeger” World Tour, keeping alive Pete's tradition by sharing a few songs by Woody Guthrie (Pete's most notable mentor), plenty of songs by Pete Seeger and a healthy handful of new songs Spook wrote under Pete's tutelage. Spook's sixth studio album, “Pete, Woody & Me, Volume II – Dedicated to the Proposition” reached the No. 3 position on the International Folk Radio Charts in May, 2019. His fifth studio album, “Pete, Woody & Me, Volume I – Keep the Flame Alive,” held the No. 3 position on the same charts in June and July , 2016 with his original song, “Vote!” reaching No. 2. Recorded with his backup band “The Seed Planters,” the CD is more than just a tribute to Pete. It is a work that, as John Weingart of WPRB Radio says, “certainly rests on the shoulders of the past but is unmistakably steeped in the present.”  Spook was named Best Folk Artist by Upstage Magazine, Gannett New Jersey, The Courier News, The Home News and About.com. His song “Whatcha Gonna Do?” was used in the BBC documentary film “Doomsday Code,” and four of his sings, including “Bring Back Abiyoyo” were used in a theatrical adaptation of Pete's children's story, “Abiyoyo.” Spook is a well known speaker and workshop facilitator at festivals, conferences and colleges around the country.  “The passion, purpose and spirit of American Folk Music are alive and well with Spook Handy and his Remembering Pete Seeger World Tour and concert.” … Gary Wien – Editor in Chief, New Jersey Stage

POM 6/22 No. 2 April Keez April Keez is a multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, and music educator. April's YouTube channel, April Keez, has over 8,000 subscribers and is ranked among Feedspot's Top 5 Songwriting Channels to Follow in 2022. Her goal is to push the world of songwriting further by giving people access to great information, new ideas, and inspiration. April believes that anyone can be a great songwriter if given the right tools to get there, so she creates songwriting lessons, full songwriting curricula, as well as easy-to-use resources for people of all ages and skill levels to explore their creativity with songwriting. After many years of teaching and writing, she continues to use her own songwriting practice as a tool for both mindfulness and creative curiosity, exploring storytelling through unusual harmony, literary devices, sonic connection, and vivid imagery.  Social Media & Pages: Website: aprilkeez.com Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/6xER9ixLXSrlhowfQN0gpa YouTube: youtube.com/aprilkeez Skillshare: https://skl.sh/3PpxMMX Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aprilkeez/ Facebook: facebook.com/aprilkeez

POM 6/22  No. 1:  Bill Stamey I was born, and grew up, in Memphis, learned the basics of reading music at a young age, and got my  first guitar at around age 5. Self-taught for the most part, I took lessons from a few key figures: Bob  Salley (a university instructor) at age 14, Shawn Lane (a musical phenom) at age 18, was a University of  Memphis music student for 2 years. Later, when I arrived in Maine I studied guitar for a year with the  truly gifted Bob Thompson.   In my teens I started playing in original and cover bands (rock, R&B, and blues). I played out a lot,  mostly in town, sometimes other states down south.   I had the privilege of recording in a few of the landmark studios in Memphis, which brought me into  contact with incredible people. Some of my work was on original music, and some was in an effort to be  a studio musician: playing on song demos for writers, or cutting jingles, theme songs, or really anything.   From 1998-2002 I took a detour and attended the East Tennessee State University Quillen College of  Medicine in Johnson City, TN. During those years I played in a popular local cover band. From 2002- 2007 I completed my medical training in Tampa, FL, and Houston, TX. There was no time for playing in  bands during that time, (though a few gigs did happen).  In 2007 my family and I moved to Maine, where I started practicing medicine. After about 5 years of  practice I began playing out again or a limited basis. In 2018 I joined an established cover band in  Brunswick.   From summer 2021 until February 2022 I recorded the album get up in my home studio in Harpswell. It is available online at https://billstamey.bandcamp.com/releases    

POM 5/22 No.2:  "Chaos Creator" Artimus Wolz Artimus Wolz is a musician and social media influencer. He went viral on TikTok with his original song, Incompedance[1]. After a successful KickStarter campaign[2], he began work on his comedy album Chaos that is slated to publish in 2022.

POM 05/22 No.1:  Jim Baumer ME returns Biddeford-based indie rocker Jim Baumer has released a diverse pastiche of songs on the provocatively titled Living in Some Strange Days. The songs emanate from a space of darkness and deep pain and his music hearkens back to a period of time he calls indie's “halcyon days,” in the early-to-mid-90s. Music has been Baumer's path forward after losing a son, well-known environmental activist and poet, Mark Baumer, killed in 2017.  Picking up an old Yamaha acoustic he'd had around the house for 20 years, Baumer says he took it out of the case and started to play. “I've been playing it ever since.” LISSD has solo acoustic material, rooted in 70s music and artists like Arlo Guthrie, Neil Young, Big Star, and others. Then, Baumer's one-man-band electric songs” are influenced by angular indie bands like Pavement, Polvo, Silkworm, while channeling T. Rex and other influences, too, especially the grittiness of Lou Reed's solo material. A child of the 70s, Baumer grew up with music that never shied away from the topics of the day. “TNT (Acoustic Mix)” speaks to freedom and protest and is a paean to Canadian truckers, while sounding like it might have been recorded during Young's “Tonight's the Night” sessions. He performed some of the new tracks from the new release on Podcast Open Mic. Jim Baumer Musician/One-Man-Band Ph: (207)939-8057  

Live on WMPG, featuring:  Jamie Frick, Lindsey Montana, Jeffrey Knox, The Orchards, James Paul Gosslin, Rick Colella, and Christian Cuff & Amanda Gervais

Stuff from my flash drive that I hope will entertain you.

Wielding a voice that defies the size of her body and strong storytelling sensibilities, Emilia Dahlin has carved out her name as a unique songstress. She weaves mesmerizing tales (complete with Greek myths, robotic messiahs, epic floods, and tax evaders) with raw, rootsy folk and dynamic jazz vocals. Her well-crafted songs sound as if they've been left outside where time and weather have worn cracks for the wind to whip through. Her sky-rocketing energy is delivered with honesty. Throughout a sixteen-year musical performing career that has taken her through the U.S., Canada, Brazil and Europe, Emilia Dahlin has made Maine her home. Known for memorable performances, Emilia garnered national awards, from Telluride Troubadour, Winner of the Starbucks Music Makers Competition, Winner of Boston Music Conference Songwriting Competition, and the Great Waters Songwriting Contest. Emilia garners great joy from collaborating and co-creating and believes that music and storytelling are some of the most powerful tools to foster connection between people and create positive social change. A teaching artist, who facilitates songwriting as a means for personal expression, creative collaboration, and language exploration, Dahlin's also a fellow of Noel "Paul" Stookey's (Peter, Paul & Mary) organization, Music To Life, which supports and amplifies the work of musician-activists.   New Single "Something Outside" video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUEilM2J7xg

Chris Newcomb has performed on stages from Kittery to Holton; Penobscot Theatre to Mad Horse. He's appeared in numerous independent movies, commercials, podcasts, music videos, and in his younger days he wrote commercials and DJ'd at two radio stations in Auburn, ME. More than anything, he loves telling his own stories. "Think You Might Be Wrong"  One Man Show https://www.thefootlightstheatre.com   YouTube channel. “Thanks for Thinking with Chris Newcomb” https://youtube.com/user/cchrisonutube   ARTernitives  https://www.chrisnewcombart.com

The best of Podcast Open Mic on the Radio broadcasts on WMPG!

Dano's music infuses modern folk, post rock, and groove oriented rhythms with poetic lyrics creating a unique brand of conscious music that uplifts and inspires.   Born and raised in the Buffalo suburb of Tonawanda, Dano's role models were The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, David Bowie, Simon and Garfunkel. As a youth during 70's, Dano began leading the band Odysseus at the age of 13, playing guitar and singing at school events and neighborhood parties. At 16 years of age he switched to bass and joined the band Crossroads. He was immediately thrust into the Buffalo music scene playing some of the biggest venues and supporting international touring bands such as Judas Priest, Ambrosia, John Cougar Mellencamp, Modern English, Spirit, as well as many others. After a lineup change Crossroads would become the Beez and Dano would leave to start The Western Voice and his song writing was now front and center. With The Western Voice there was label interest from A&M records as well as production interest from Mitch Easter and the band began traveling extensively, often playing CBGB's and the Peppermint Lounge in NYC. Dano moved to NYC to further pursue his music career starting the band Zider Zee and playing regularly in the Greenwich Village scene. Dano would later form the band Swift Running Water with collaborator and lifelong friend Kevin Henneman as well as members of the legendary NYC blues band King Dice. Dano now lives in Maine and continues to write, record, and perform. DISCOGRAPHY  Beez – Me and My Girl/Losing Time Beez – Handle on My Heart/Please be Mine The Western Voice – SCREAM Bandano – Bandano DanoMatt – Jazz Holidaze  

Alejandra O'Leary was born to a Colombian mother and Irish father in Portland, Maine. Having a different sounding name and being a woman of color both challenged and shaped her as she grew up listening to crashing ocean waves and Beatles records. Specifically, growing up in Portland instilled feelings of being both a native and an outsider. “I've always been at home with messiness, big emotions and uncertainty,” Alejandra reflects. “I guess that's why I like rock n roll.”   After moving to Santiago, Chile at age seventeen, Alejandra became infatuated with the idea of creating rock music and followed her muse across the world for a decade, releasing four albums of original songs, sharing the stage with Guster and Asobi Seksu, and drawing positive nods from outlets like No Depression, PopMatters and Magnet. The sound Alejandra cultivated during this time was an expansive mix of raw rock theatrics, spiky indie bangers, anthemic Top 40 pop melodies, and soulful retro flourishes. In 2016, Alejandra returned home with her newborn baby to Portland with the intention to record a new album. Never one to follow cookie cutter formulas, she rounded up a group of hand-picked local musicians and sent them demos of her new songs. No other instructions were given, and when they all showed up in the studio, it was made clear that they were going to improvise the song's final arrangements. Alejandra refers to the band as a pop-up project, asserting “This improvisatory spirit keeps things fresh and thrilling. I find it to be the most enchanting way to create music.” The resulting recordings have a live-wire feeling to them which reflects their on-the-spot creation. From the twangy 90's Americana of “Undone” to the shoegazey twilight-rock of “Wires,” O'Leary's new Maine music, specifically her fifth and sixth studio albums, EVEREST and SUNLIGHT, are packed with a variety of distinctive ‘retronuevo' sensibilities, all indicative of their creator's sparkling and soulful spirit.

Jason Lambert has been playing music for more than a quarter century. It started out as solo acoustic ballads, with some rock n' roll mixed in, and has eventually evolved into other musical outlets, including 80s influenced synth pop, and old school hip-hop. All the while, he has continued to write heartbreak ballads on the acoustic guitar. Lambert is also an author, who, this past summer, self-published a work of young adult fiction set in late 80s Portland. It is called Sophomore Summer and has been well received.  plus, one of my favorite holiday Lorenzo Commentaries. Happy Holidays & stay safe!

Erin is a Portland resident who plays the keyboard and wants to connect with other musicians to create some fun new music. She uses her YouTube channel and playlists to help her loop her original music and add depth to her sound. Currently her music interests include playing Blues, Grateful Dead, English Country Dance music, and creating unusual piano compositions like the one titled “Messing around with the Chromatic Scale” which is on her YouTube channel. Reach out to her through YouTube or Instagram.

Based in Biddeford, ME, JimBaumerMe operates as the performance unit of singer/songwriter, Jim Baumer. Baumer's music originates from a space occupied by tragedy. In January 2017, Baumer's only son—an award-winning poet and well-known environmental activist—was killed on a cross-country walk. A year later, Baumer picked up the acoustic guitar he'd had for 20 years and started playing and writing songs. He's written more than 30 over the last 2 ½ years, and began posting music on platforms like Bandcamp and Soundcloud His music is one part stripped-down acoustic, but Baumer is first and foremost a rocker and over the course of 2021, has developed a lively electric performance set that finds him operating as a one-man-band—playing electric guitar and utilizing a drum machine/stomp box as his percussionist. His originals speak from loss and sadness, but also offer newfound hope found in music. Plus! New Plague Dad EP Back In The Tree on BandCamp, and check out ThatPortlandSound.com

Brantah strives to make visceral, pure, raw music that straddles the line between progressive rock and singer/songwriter. Delivering a ride that expands from light sonic textures to aggressive rhythmic energy; performs as both solo and band. Always intuitive, listeners can expect improvisation and a jam mentality over catchy, unpredictable, original arrangements. http://www.brantah.com  

Think Megadeth meets Joe Satriani! Adam Gilchrest (Gilch) is an American rock n roll/metal guitar player who's newest song Conquering Covid-19 is the anthem for overcoming the coronavirus pandemic!  It's now for sale  as part of a full CD!   E-mail  at adamgilchrest@gmail.com for a copy.  New song Aftermath of the Pandemic coming out later this year.  Jeff Thal on drums (brother of Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal who played lead guitar for Guns N Roses) and Onur Coban on vocals (who has done singing for Dave Ellefson of Megadeth) Now working hard to try to get my original music placed in TV! 

Plague Dad is a high-energy acoustic duo out of Portland, Maine. Frank Gallagher (vocals, 6- and 12-string guitars, mandolin and banjo) and Miguel Sanchez (vocals, bongo, spoons, stomp box and what have you) have honed their sound busking for hours around Portland and playing parties and club dates throughout Maine. They've become skilled at not just commanding attention, but rewarding it, and the audience is growing. Plague Dad delivers an authentic and compelling sound, crafted with steel strings and wood, calfskin and oak, drawing on a repertoire of tightly crafted original material and carefully curated covers. But whether they wrote the song they're playing at any given moment or not, the Plague Dad sound draws you in: taut, sparse melodies and hauntingly urgent grooves that somehow fill the room, big or small. One writer called it three parts Stanley Brothers and two parts Minutemen -- and a Plague Dad set is just as likey to feature a song from the one as it is from the other -- but a growing number of folks who've caught them live don't really care what the label says, they just like what they hear, because Plague Dad connects. The Plague Dad project came together in the early days of the pandemic. Laid off from his job, Gallagher spent the time up in his attic, writing and recording new songs, and just trying to make sense of it all. Eventually some of those recordings made their way to family and friends, and building on that support, Plague Dad has continued to attract attention and build an audience. Plague Dad dropped a debut 7” in November 2020, and the first run of 250 copies is nearly sold out. They've got a new five-song EP coming on November 5, 2021. Tentatively titled Back In The Tree, the new material will be released in a limited run of 100 cassettes and 100 CDs, and will be available exclusively through the band's Bandcamp page and at live shows. Plague Dad also contributed a cover of Urine Speaks Louder Than Words to a compilation called Songs for a Bunny Named Pat, released on Eden-Wolf Records in August 2021. The CD project features a dozen covers of songs by Pat the Bunny from various artists, with 100 percent of the proceeds benefitting Books Through Bars. The limited run of 100 copies is going quickly, but a few copies are still available.

Heart Shaped Rock is Rock Shaped with Heart!   We are: Sheridan: vox/Bret Mills: Guitar, b vox/Replica A: Guitar/Eric Eaves: Bass, b vox/Dave Bloom: Drums All veterans of the Maine/Portland Music scene currently working on our 8th body of music. You can find us on most social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram,  Twitter, Bandcamp, Spotify and many more. You can check out our "Award winning video" by Peter Giordano here:  "Spyder Mylk"" on YouTube https://youtu.be/ehxuaT13TS8 Or our spaced out love song here: "Unconditional"" on YouTube https://youtu.be/78KYh0AStmo heartshapedrock.co

From Nick himself:   Colorado born and bred, I grew up in Golden under the auspices of the Coors Brewery before moving to Boulder where I spent the majority of my time studying, playing music, and eating burritos.  I studied Neuroscience as an undergraduate and ultimately went on to receive a PhD in the field (also at CU). These science skills have enabled me some freedom of movement; I spent a year in Chile, two years in Germany, and I am now in Bar Harbor working as a postdoc studying stress neurobiology.  Tennis and music have been the largest hobbies in my life and still abound today. Although my body won't allow me to play as well as the GOAT, Roger Federer, I still spend as much time on the court as an old man with old-man-hips can. Music began as a hobby and quickly shifted into a primary focus. I had a brilliant music teacher in college who opened my ears and mind. He taught me the importance of rhythm, making interesting arrangements, and practicing with a purpose.  I spent a lot of time searching for my sound, and I am quite happy with the results and am excited to see how I grow.  

Frank and Peggy went to high school together in Ann Arbor, Michigan growing up in the turbulent 60's.  Out of high school a they and large group of their friends would gather nightly for a song swap.  In the early 1970's they started writing original songs influenced by Moody Blues, Harry Chaplin, Tim Buckley, Gordon Lightfoot and other folkies.  They performed at Open Mic nights at the Ark Coffeehouse in Ann Arbor.  Love of music carried them through many decades of separation, reuniting them in 2015 when they picked up where they left off, both musically and personally.

The Wildcat O'Halloran Band has been thrilling audiences in Western Massachusetts for over thirty years, and is currently promoting its 16th album “You Can't Fall Off the Floor"... building on the success of the previous:  "Deck of Cards" " NYC Chill", "Hot Pulldown", "Midnight Service Call","Party Up In Heaven", and “Drinkin' With the Harp Girls” each of which was played on over 200 stations, and called “crazy-fun” by the Boston Blues Society and “a great release” by the UK's Blues Matters. Living Blues Magazine wrote: “Wildcat emerges as one of the most entertaining songwriters in contemporary blues...and his band doesn't know the meaning of dull!”   The band has opened for just about every major blues artist to visit Massachusetts, from Greg Allman to John Lee Hooker to The Stray Cats, and has been backup band for Bo Diddley and James Cotton. Recently, they opened for Duke Robillard at Greenfield's Hawks and Reed Music   Often featured at Millenium Music Conference, and  longtime host of the  Sunday Blues Jam in Northampton, the Wildcat (guitar and vocals) will often be accompanied by "Dr." Kathy Peterson(Bass), “Dr. Luscious”….Emily Duff (sax), Devin Griffiths (guitar, vocals) and drummer Mark Chouinard Hall. https://www.northamptonartscouncil.org/2021/05/transperformance-live-tribute-music.html Living Blues added these kudos : “the grooves are so damned infectious, and the guitar playing so stirring....The Wildcat O'Halloran Band can make you dance and make you laugh if you let it...irresistible” https://wildcatohalloran.com

Zeke L'Vek started the phenom rock band called Zeke and the Endorphins back in early 2001, drawing from the pool of incredibly talented local and national musicians he's played with over the years, to record and perform original music. All of the players are exceptionally creative, have great listening skills, and a deep love of music! While the focus is on “Zeke tunes”, the band's rock roots encompass all genres and styles in a go anywhere, do anything—anytime fashion. Each song's performance will delight or haunt—they emote, float, sting, or bring you to laughter or tears. It's worth more than a listen! It's goose bumps! A classically trained percussionist, Zeke fell off the deep end pursuing a postgraduate degree in Philosophy. Torn asunder between academics and musical corruption—he chose the latter —joined a rock band, toured the heartland, and began composing and recording songs. His musical background includes stints with symphonies, drum corps, college bands, big bands, little bands, and multiple rock, jazz, and R & B groups. The more diverse, but less diffuse, the better. “You gotta feel it!” There were some famous people along the way of course. But, you could find him playing smoky jazz in Paris someday, reggae in Jamaica, surf music in the Baja, or maybe all of the above!  “Rock it!!”. https://zekedrumz.com/

Listen Up! Music is a Portland, ME-based nonprofit that supports musicians with intellectual uniqueness in writing, arranging, recording, and performing their music. We are affiliated with Composition Studio, The Art Department, Publication Studio, and Creative Trails, and collaborate with other organizations and musicians to make our music heard. Facebook

I am a South Portland songwriter, producer and graphic artist. My business website is www.mattwibby.com and my Youtube channel is  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7qHsi4RtU08ObRemf4XrpQ. Just a bit of caution about the channel: we are just starting to build it, so there aren't many videos on there yet.   For graphic arts, I sell t-shirts at tees.edbliss.com. Eventually, I will move that site over to tees.mattwibby.com, though.   I have been writing songs and publishing EP's since 2004, mostly under my pen name, Ed Bliss. I recently changed my business model and started writing music for licensing in movies and for performers under my new company, Matt Wibby Arts.   I play out pretty regularly with my band, the Funky Vulcans (https://www.facebook.com/FunkyVulcans/). I play bass in the band. I play guitar and sing at open mics in the Portland area as myself :>D    

Joel Carpenter is an American poet and singer songwriter based in New England. He was born in 1992 in Chattanooga, Tennessee, then raised in Portland, Maine, from the age of two. Carpenter is the founder of the Underground Writers Association, an independent publishing house with a mission to bring bold book projects from emerging writers to market. Carpenter is also known for his daring dog rescue in 2015, adopting his dog Sadie 1500 miles from home, and making national news.

David Johnson lives on the coast of Maine in a home he bought he built and powered by harnessing the sun. His low overhead allows him to travel in the winter, at times enjoying local music, dance, and food with people from all over the world who laugh with joy and listen with open hearts. He has volunteered teaching carpentry to children in Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Bolivia. He works as a carpenter renovating homes, some of which, luckily, are by the sea but sailing is is what rally feeds his soul and blows away the stress.   www.billygoatdave.com

Kevin Tacka = Visual Artist, Musician, Theatrical Performer/Producer, Building Trade Artisan, Educator. Kevin Tacka has been located on/near Congress Square Portland since 1994. Specializing in Fresco Murals, Fountains, Painting,  Art Restoration, Plaster - Paint -Cement Surfaces, Song/Story Producing, and Campfire Cowboy Appearances. Appearances that have resulted in 100's of Adventures Of The Black Toad and Big Bad Dan Stories,  performed live at the local Cable Access Station. Kevin also enjoys being the Portland Chapter Coordinator for The Plein Air Painters of Maine since 2014. As a 2 time University of Southern Maine Graduate ( Fine Arts, Art Education ), Kevin has been in the WMPG Radio community since 1984.

Hannah Harleen (born Hannah Kramer) is a Portland-based Jazz & R&B vocalist. She grew up in the Bay Area and moved to Maine when she was 10, when she discovered her love for singing. Her parents introduced her to Jazz music, and she fell in love with the vocal stylings of Ella Fitzgerald, her first and greatest inspiration. She been singing and performing ever since. Over the years, her vocal style has evolved from Jazz to include the sounds of R&B, Pop, and Neo-Soul. She has most recently been writing original music, and plans to release her first EP in Summer 2020. You can find her current music on all streaming platforms, and can follow her on YouTube and Instagram @hannahharleen.

First person! I’m a 19 year old artist who’s used music as a way to express myself. I’ve been performing for about 6 years. I’ve been through a lot in my life , but I’ve overcome so much with the help of writing and recording music. I hope to help people see that they can overcome anything. 

FBb has been playing together for about four years. The original members were James Fletcher on bass guitar and Nathan Fletcher on lead guitar and lead singing. Hayden Bachman (drums) joined the band in the September of 2017. Now, the band features other people like Annabelle Brooks on piano, Emma Moreau on alto saxophone, and Cooper Swartzentruber on alto saxophone and baritone saxophone. Also, the manager and soon to be sound guy is Aidan Collins. They have played at such notable places as Hella Good Tacos, Empire, One Longfellow Square, and even all the way in Rochester New Hampshire on multiple occasions. The bands main genre is Rock.

Another first person bio! Hey guys! My name is Madelyn Perry and I am a sophomore at USM. I want to go to school for recording arts and be in the music producing industry. I’ve been songwriting since I was around 15 but I’ve been playing music since I was 10. I went to Maine Academy of Modern Music for two years and preformed all around Portland. I am a work-study student at WMPG 90.9. This song called Fantasy is about finding myself and realizing what I want to do with my life and as a career and how I’ve felt in the past year and a half and how it’s brought me here today. 

No stranger to the stage, Carole Wise has been composing and performing for over 50 years.  Carole began playing guitar at age eight and began a professional path by age 17,  performing in local clubs and restaurants in her hometown of Lewiston/Auburn! Her musical journey would eventually trek across the country, spanning many genres and opportunities to share the stage with well-known local and national artists Carole’s musical tapestry has been woven thread by thread, song by song, year-by-year from a meaningful journey, rich with struggles and discipline, integrity and gratitude.  Her rapport with the audience is easy and intimate her voice fluid and soulful.  Like Carole herself, her music has incredible energy and intensity as powerful as it is passionate at times it brings a tear to your eye.  At times the smile to your heart…but it never leaves you unmoved. Carole returns to the stage and her musical roots after an eight year caregiving hiatus with a hopeful, positive spirit.  She is grateful for this second act and for the love and support of her family and friends

Rwanda-born, US Artist Sikko, is known for his unique melodic sound of today's Hip Hop-R&B music. Sikko embodies the free spirt of hip hop while staying true to his traditional roots. The polyglot R&B rapper uses his creatively in merging different accents to create astonishing melodies. At the young age of 9, Sikko wrote his first song inspired by various Hip Hop and R&B artists around the world, initially by a Rwandan artist named Mani Martin. Moving to America at age of 14 in 2008. Sikko started out as a versatile drummer, who later came to produce and direct music for a band that went on to open for the rapper YG in summer 2016. Sikko has taken the opportunity to master his flow that he now describes as All-around Sound; a flow that was influenced by different genres of music and artists, all while continuing to push the boundaries in hip hop-R&B music in hopes of creating a new genre and most importantly inspiring his audience.   Sikko has been featured on multiple local radios including blog interviews. From the critics, Sikko is expected to be the next Hip Hop -R&B sound.  If you can think of a melting pot of music, that is Sikko’s talent. His love for all the sounds makes him the most current unique Hip-Hop-R&B artistFuego Blaze born and raised in Portland, Maine started his music career in 2016. Fuego Blaze has been around music practically his whole life, from sample music to Rap music. Starting with a Record Label from 2016-2017 by the name of King Records, where he soon ventured off to do his own projects where he's recently produced his current singles "Warzone" and Hole Team Lit & Fire living ... Fuego gets his inspiration to produce his music from listening to Hip Hop/Rap legends like 2Pac, Nas, Mob Deep. Fuego Blaze is looking to go worldwide with his music. Along with his passion for music he would like to give back to the community and invest in children as well. From 2016 till now Fuego Blaze has made a major impact in his music career and will continue to do what it takes to become the next big thing.  

Maine-born and raised singer-songwriter Chris Kemp White has been making music in and around Portland for more than twenty years. After performing almost exclusively with bands––HausCats, An Overnight Low, Andy Happel, Hotel Arrival and The Frotus Caper, to name a few––he is currently writing, arranging and recording solo material. Drawing from classic and modern influences like David Bowie, Crowded House, Wilco and Death Cab for Cutie, the songs explore both spiritual and everyday themes of love, loss and longing. Josh Rogers of the Portland Phoenix writes, “White’s got a knack for poetry, elevating the quality of his lyrics with inventive phrasing and word choice.”  Chris performs solo around Maine, sharing acoustic arrangements of original music and rearrangements of popular songs from the 60s to present. He released his first, self-titled, CD in June, 2016, then a 2-song record in partnership with boutique record label Leesta Vall later that year. Since  summer 2018, Chris has been digitally releasing his song, making them available on iTunes, Spotify, Deezer, and other streaming formats. His latest song, “(They Can’t) Undo This Love” can be heard on 98.9 WCLZ, Frank FM, and 106.3 The Bone. He also plays bass and sings backing vocals with Portland cover band HausCats. In spring of 2018, after teaching middle and high school social studies for 6 years, Chris changed careers to pursue music and carpentry full time. White balances his love of music with career and family. Above all, Chris cherishes time with his wife, Rachel, two children, Arran and Alice, and their dog, Ida.    

Ed tells his story: I was born 1956 in Portland Maine. I have 4 older sisters who had a big love of music.  They played it loud! I grew up dreaming and playing air guitar until early 70s when friends had a band and no one would sing I was just a spectator; I don’t know how it happened, I started singing,then learned to play some to practice singing.  I self-taught guitar and have been playing 45 years.  I enlisted in the U.S. Air Force on my 17th birthday and served 6 years. Then at BIW as a machinist 3 years, then 25 years with New England Telephone.  Now pursuing music married 38 years to the love of my life with 3 children.

A long time resident of Maine, and current resident of Portland. Kelcie has played guitar/music for 19 years, since age 12. Since then has picked up several instruments which are featured in most of his recordings including banjo, mandolin, washboard, double bass, dobro, and ukulele. Kelcie was in various bands such as Cold Shower, The Loconuts!, The Cash Onlys!, and From Around Here. You can find his music on spotify as The Loconuts! On bandcamp at https://theloconuts.bandcamp.com/releases and on YouTube as From Around Here https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9smTcqpCMXkoWoFC-ttr1w?view_as=subscriber

A short bio from David himself:   I am a 58 year old singer/songwriter/actor and father of 4 wonderful kids. A lifelong musician, I play guitar, keyboards, bass and sing. As a songwriter I had several of my songs recorded for an album titled "Unfinished Business", which was in limited release. In 2014 I wrote and recorded a jingle for the Saco water-park "Aquaboggan" which was heard on many radio stations around New England for several years. My second album, tentatively titled "Americana Divide" is in the process of being recorded. As an actor I have appeared in on-stage performances and in numerous student films for the various local colleges. Also I have been involved with several independent feature films, such as "The Water in the Bay" and "The Hanover House". I can occasionally be seen performing live solo at various Southern Maine venues.  

Smokemaster 420 is what happens when experimental musicians get bored at work. Smokemaster 420 is what happens when listening to music on Youtube gets boring. Smokemaster 420 is what happens when you combine a love of musique concrete and plunderphonics with a soft spot for toilet humor. Smokemaster 420 is what we'd be doing anyway, but for your ears as well as ours.  Smokemaster 420 is the name of our printer at work. Smokemaster 420 is.

Rebecca Kerwick is a singer-songwriter, composer, and multi-instrumentalist currently based in Portland, ME. Rebecca has performed her original music in cafes, bars, backyards, and other intimate spaces across the Northeast since 2018. Her upcoming debut album explores themes of interiority, desire, and loss. In performing the relationship between vocality and instrument, she achieves ethereal sound.

Mehuman "May-mon" : An East Coast native singer/songwriter/guitarist cut her teeth on old time gospel  spirituals, straight ahead jazz, country blues, and classic rock and roll. Recently independent and re-connecting to her fanbase as a self distributed artist,  the former Arista Records recording artist, Mehuman established herself in the Detroit, Manhattan, Dublin Ireland, Canne France, Nashville, and Los Angeles music scenes as an gifted performer. Mehuman has toured in the U.S.,Europe, Eastern Europe, and West Africa, as an award winning songwriter and producer delivering a powerful and punchy mix of "funky pulse-poet potions she calls folk hop for hip folk."  Performing Songwriter Magazine dubbed Mehuman a sultry blend of Lenny Kravitz and Indie Arie, mixed in the passionate delivery of Sade and Bono. CNN Music, touted "Mehuman to be one of the top 10 burgeoning songwriters to watch." Most recently, thriving in Maine, Mehuman enjoys sharing and making music within the local artistic community as an independent songbird, songwriter, and educator.

RICK ADAM has been performing, teaching, and inspiring people of all ages for over 20 years. He has combined his extensive theatrical and musical experience and training with his own life experience to create original theatrical performances that both educate and entertain. Adam has toured widely, from elementary schools to colleges to maximum-security prisons, from Rhode Island to Russia. He has acted with the Trinity Square Repertory Company and has appeared in films and on television. He was featured on a PBS show about one-man bands, which is now in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian Institute.

Maine Metal/Stoner Rock band Thems That Wait was formed when longtime friends and songwriting partners Craig Garland and Mat Patterson met Texan Branden Clements through a Craigslist ad in early 2017.  The band’s sound has been compared to Black Sabbath, Clutch and Kyuss.  Thems That Wait prides itself on being a solid live rock band that sounds as full as possible as a 3 piece with mammoth drumming by Branden Clements, true bass playing from Mat Patterson who tastefully weaves around guitarist Craig Garland’s heavy handed, memorable riffs and barbaric, guttural vocals.  Following the band’s live debut in January 2018 in Portland, Maine, the power trio continued to gig and make connections, and ultimately landed a chance to open for New England Hardcore legend Scissorfight in the fall of 2018.  In January 2019, Thems That Wait recorded their debut EP Fiction at The Maine Music Mill in Brunswick, Maine with Andy Porta(Blackcat Sounds).  Andy and the band mixed the EP and Steve Austin(Today Is The Day, Austin Enterprise Recording & Mastering) mastered it.  In addition to the band’s arsenal of all original songs, Bass player Mat Patterson designs all of the artwork for the band, including the cover for the FictionEP.  The band plans to record the follow up to Fictionbefore the end of 2019 with a tentative 2020 release date but until then, we wait…

Hi, I go by the name Lovelore. You can find my music here: https://soundcloud.com/lovelore       I am an artist with my hands in a few things: producing, singing, rapping, piano, videography, and more. I don't like to stick to one particular genre or style of music and I allow myself to be open-minded while creating. When recording or writing music I try to channel whatever energy or feeling I'm currently experiencing and translate it into the music or art. I feel that if I can help create a powerful feeling within myself and keep it there when recording then that is the first and most important step in the process of making a powerful song that creates a powerful feeling in myself and possibly others. Sometimes it is difficult to capture the feeling and it becomes a balancing act of sorts.        I need to know when to simply allow the music and ideas to flow through me and when to direct them and/or focus. Also I think improving technical ability where needed/wanted will help in the execution of the process and in other people being able to connect with or enjoy the expression. This is the way I currently view making music but any other way is valid as well and some people may like to think about it in a purely technical sense and that's totally okay too. In my eyes and how I currently create, being open-minded is most important and goes along with my general and music-related philosophies.    Thanks for reading/listening and good luck in finding and following your path!

Formed in Boston in 2010. Bill had been primarily playing drums in his friends' bands for years since his art school days (School of The Museum of Fine Art, Boston) but decided to start something brand new after writing a bunch of songs, learning to play the guitar and finding his voice. He decided to perform as a solo act for a year at first to gauge the response to his material. After repeated warm and positive responses to his solo shows he kept hearing from people that he should "get a band together". So the decision was made. Bill Dwyer Band has been fortunate to have included many amazing people and musicians in it's ranks through the last several years. Current members include Cullen Corley (Drums), Charles Murphy (Bass), Joe Diaz (fill-in Bass) and Attis Jerrell Clopton (fill-in Drums). BDB is a 3 piece band with heart as its main drive. The band released it's first full-length, 15-song album "Renaissance After Sundown" (iTunes, cdbaby, Amazon, Google) in the Summer of 2015. They completed their first tour of Europe in September 2016 with 10 shows in 14 days with stops in Germany, Lille and Paris France, Amsterdam and London. The band had a BLAST as the shows were ELECTRIC and they were warmly welcomed by audiences everywhere they performed. BDB performs throughout New England, NYC/Brooklyn and the East Coast for now. Stay tuned! 

Jane Clukey, a native of Maine, has been a singer for as long as she can remember but began taking voice lessons at the age of 14. She earned her Bachelor's of Music from the University of Southern Maine, her Masters of Music from the University of North Texas, and is pursuing her Doctorate from Shenandoah Conservatory in Virginia. Jane moved back to Maine in 2018, and has since been busy teaching voice and piano lessons, classes, and workshops. In addition to singing and playing the piano, she is teaching herself the ukulele and guitar. Jane is passionate about songwriting, is looking for band members, and hopes to record a studio album in the near future.