Discover how the Irish got that way, in Lewiston

LEWISTON — Two of Maine’s premier theater companies, The Public Theatre and Maine State Music Theatre, present a special co-production of the spirited musical revue “The Irish … and How They Got That Way” from Aug. 27 through Sept. 14 at The Public Theatre in Lewiston.

This collaboration celebrates the resilience, humor and enduring spirit of the Irish people in a heartwarming production sure to leave audiences clapping, laughing and singing along.

Written by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Frank McCourt (“Angela’s Ashes”), the revue offers a tribute to the Irish-American experience through a blend of storytelling, humor and music that ranges from ballads including “Danny Boy” to contemporary hits from U2.

For tickets, dates and more information on the show, go to thepublictheatre.org or call 207-782-3200. All performances take place at The Public Theatre, 31 Maple St., Lewiston.

Reconnect with the Rockin’ Recons in Poland

POLAND — The Rockin’ Recons, the Lewiston-Auburn-based band that specializes in rock ‘n’ roll from the ’60s to the ’80s, will play Saturday, Aug. 30, at Poland Spring Resort starting at 8 p.m.

Known for playing danceable favorites from the rock ‘n’ roll era, the popular, versatile band plays across Maine after forming more than 50 years ago during Lewiston’s Pal Hop days.

Poland Spring Resort is at 22 Robbins Way. For more information and tickets, call 207-998-4351 or go to polandspringresort.com.

Music in the shade in Farmington

FARMINGTON — The annual Under the Oaks Music Festival takes place Friday and Saturday, Aug. 29 and 30, for the third year at Whistlestop Concerts behind Narrow Gauge Cinemas.

The festival will feature musicians from Maine and the Northeast, centering around indie, folk and rock sounds.

Along with enjoying the tunes, festivalgoers can camp along the Sandy River for the weekend and attend different workshops, including yoga.

The amphitheater is at 123 Narrow Gauge Square. For more information, go to www.goldenoakband.com.

A taste of Marshall Tucker (and more) in Denmark

DENMARK — The Denmark Arts Center will offer a two-fer this week, with The Shadow Riders playing some of the best of the Marshall Tucker Band and then offering a musical reprieve with a talk by frequent awards-list novelist Jessica Anthony.

The Shadow Riders will play Saturday, Aug. 30, at 7 p.m. The six-piece band from the New England area is fronted by singer/guitarist Bruce Marshall. Marshall played with Toy Caldwell, the lead guitarist, primary songwriter and co-founder of the Marshall Tucker Band, giving The Shadow Riders unique insight into how Marshall Tucker’s music was played, arranged and sold to the public.

For reservations and more information go online at www.denmarkarts.org/calendar-of-events.

On Sunday, Aug. 31, at 5 p.m., the center’s Author Series will present writer Jessica Anthony. Anthony’s more recent novel, “The Most,” was longlisted for the 2024 National Book Award for Fiction, and was one of Time’s 100 Must-Read Books of 2024 and one of the Washington Post’s Best Books of 2024.

The story has been described as “a tightly wound, consuming tale about a 1950s American housewife who goes for a swim in her apartment complex’s swimming pool one morning . . . and won’t come out.”

A New York native, Anthony graduated from Bates College in Lewiston and lives in Maine. Her other novels have received critical praise and been on numerous award lists.

Tickets for the Denmark Arts Center events are Pay-What-You-Can, with a suggestion of $10 to support the Author Series and Denmark Arts Center. For reservations and more information go online at www.denmarkarts.org. The Denmark Arts Center is at 50 West Main St.

Check out Celtic band Heron Valley in Farmington

FARMINGTON — International band Heron Valley will bring its blend of Scottish and Irish music to the Old South Church on Thursday, Aug. 28, at 7 p.m.

The band’s roots lie in Scottish and Irish traditional music, including traditional Scots song, Scottish piping tunes and Irish banjo. The members of the six-piece group come from vastly different areas of Scotland and listeners are sure to hear a story or two from Heron Valley, and maybe even some Scots language lessons, along with the music.

For more information and tickets, go to www.farmingtonucc.org. The Old South Church is at 235 Main St.

 

Hear Mary Elizabeth Remington and Pan Fried Steel in Bath

BATH — Bath is another place for a two-fer this week, with singer/songwriter Mary Elizabeth Remington appearing Wednesday, Aug. 27, at 7:30 p.m. at the Chocolate Church, and Pan Fried Steel playing on the shore as part of the Bath Waterfront Summer Concert series Saturday, Aug. 30, at 5 p.m.

Remington is a singer/songwriter and multi-disciplinary artist based out of central Massachusetts. Through her mainly manual work life, she writes most of her music while working, lending her music to represent the historical precedence of singing while you work.

Opening for Remington on Wednesday night will be Maine-based singer, songwriter and guitarist Greg Jamie, who fuses traditional folk melodies with cold, synthetic textures, which it has been said creates “a haunting tension between intimacy and mystery.”

On Saturday, the Yarmouth-based, high-energy steel drum band will serve up a blend of calypso, reggae and tropical rhythms. The band’s infectious beats and feel-good vibes will end the city’s Summer Waterfront Series on a high note.

For more information about the Chocolate Church event, go to [email protected] or call 207-442-8455. The venue is at 804 Washington St.

For more on the Waterfront Series, go to mainstreetmaine.org. The venue is at 61 Commercial St.

For more events, go to www.sunjournal.com/lifestyle/encore/.

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