The Irish Descendants
Tuesday February 7 at 7:30 pm

Since their formation in 1990, The Irish Descendants have garnered a loyal fan base in their native Canada, and captured the attention of an ever-growing international audience. The band’s award winning recordings range from lilting ballads to toe-tapping reels, and their high energy, humorous live performances have made them a popular attraction at home and abroad. To date, the band has sold half a million albums. Having toured extensively throughout North America,including headlining Celtic Festivals in Chicago, Boston and Cleveland, The Irish Descendants have performed at such prestigious venues as The Smithsonian in Washington D.C., and have played with many of the nation’s best symphony orchestras. They appeared on stage at The Princess of Wales Theatre in Toronto in the theatrical production of Needfire, as well as headlining The International Festival of the Sea in England. The 1991 release of their first album, Misty Morning Shore, quickly catapulted the band from pub circuit regulars to radio stars. This led to a contract with Warner Music, and the release of Look to the Sea in 1993. In 1996, following the release of Gypsies and Lovers the previous year, The Irish Descendants were named Entertainers of the Year at the East Coast Music Awards, and received a Juno Award, the Canadian equivalent of a Grammy. By year’s end, the band’s first two albums were both certified Gold. Over the next decade the band continued to evolve, touring every year and releasing albums including a Greatest Hits Package, So Far So Good, and The Gift, a Christmas album. In 2004 the band released Across The Water for the New York based Kells Label. The album immediately cruised to the top of the North American Irish Charts, and drew rave reviews from the Irish media. The band has now released a new CD, Southern Shore, produced by Alan Doyle (Great Big Sea), and will be touring extensively throughout North America.

Tickets $20

Directions to Unity Centre
42 Depot Street in Unity, Maine

From Points South:
From I-95, take exit 132 (Fairfield/Benton). Follow Route 139 east to Unity (about a 20 minute drive). At the blinking caution light in Unity, go left onto Main Street (Route 202/9). About a block later, take a right at the Moose onto Depot Street. Look for our sign on the left.

From Belfast:
Take Route 137 toward Freedom. You’ll wind through some pretty countryside for about 15 minutes. At the caution light atop Knox Ridge, take a right onto Route 220. Follow the signs into Unity. Take a left onto Depot Street (Route 139). You’ll see our sign on the right.

From Points North:
Take I-95 South. Just south of Bangor, take exit 174 (Carmel/Winterport) and go left toward Newburgh. After a 5 minute ride, turn right onto Route 202/9. From here it’s a 20 minute ride to Unity. In Unity take a left at the Moose onto Depot Street. You’ll see our sign on the left.

John Sullivan, Gen. Manager
42 Depot Street
207 948-SHOW
show@unitymaine.org

Ana Egge
Friday January 13 at 7:30 pm

Saskatchewan-born, Brooklyn-based folk troubadour Ana Egge isn’t your run-of-the-mill alternative-country singer. Using unique production and rock-based chord progressions, Egge has made a name for herself as a Gillian Welch figure with a rocker attitude, which once prompted Lucinda Williams to call her “the Nina Simone of folk.” “Her recent 12-song record Bad Blood, produced by ‘Treme’ star and country badass Steve Earle, gives new life to the folk genre, especially on the title track: Egge’s soft-spoken lyrics float lucidly beneath a driving bass-heavy beat, tremolo guitars and spastic and distorted slide guitar”. -Cameron Matthews, Spinner” Bad Blood was released August 23, 2011 via Ammal records. The 12-song set was produced by Steve Earle and recorded at Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock, NY. Bad Blood was mixed and mastered by Ray Kennedy (Earle and Kennedy’s production partnership includes the Grammy winning Lucinda Williams album Car Wheels On A Gravel Road, the Ron Sexsmith favorite Blue Boy, and many more. Steve Earle stated, “Ana Egge’s songs are low and lonesome, big square-stare noir ballads which she plays on a guitar she built with her own two hands and sings like she’s telling us her deepest, darkest secrets.” Ana Egge has toured and shared the stage with Lucinda Williams, Ralph Stanley, John Prine, Ron Sexsmith, Shawn Colvin, Joan Armatrading, Iris Dement, Richard Thompson, George Jones, and many more.

Tickets $15

John Sullivan, Gen. Manager
42 Depot Street
207 948-SHOW
show@unitymaine.org

Directions to Unity Centre
42 Depot Street in Unity, Maine

From Points South:

From I-95, take exit 132 (Fairfield/Benton). Follow Route 139 east to Unity (about a 20 minute drive). At the blinking caution light in Unity, go left onto Main Street (Route 202/9). About a block later, take a right at the Moose onto Depot Street. Look for our sign on the left.

From Belfast:

Take Route 137 toward Freedom. You’ll wind through some pretty countryside for about 15 minutes. At the caution light atop Knox Ridge, take a right onto Route 220. Follow the signs into Unity. Take a left onto Depot Street (Route 139). You’ll see our sign on the right.

From Points North:

Take I-95 South. Just south of Bangor, take exit 174 (Carmel/Winterport) and go left toward Newburgh. After a 5 minute ride, turn right onto Route 202/9. From here it’s a 20 minute ride to Unity. In Unity take a left at the Moose onto Depot Street. You’ll see our sign on the left.

Alexis P. Suter Band
Thursday January 5 at 7:30 pm

When the great Bluesman B.B. King first heard Alexis P. Suter sing a few years ago, he was visibly impressed – and said so after her opening set. Shaking his head in wonder in his characteristic way, he remarked: “It’s a rare thing to share the stage with great talent like that young lady.”

Considering the caliber of performers who appear on the same bill as King, that’s a heady compliment. And she has earned similar accolades from other well-known musicians and performers, including Levon Helm of The Band and Dan Akroyd, better known in the Blues world as Elwood Blues, who called her “America’s number one contender for the new Queen of the Blues.”

A true vocal phenomenon, bass/baritone powerhouse Suter and her band began wowing audiences in the northeast 6 years ago as regular performers at Levon Helm’s Midnight Ramble Sessions in Woodstock, NY. “She is one of those wonderful spirits, she’s got her arms around you, you can feel that,” Helm has said.

In addition to her voice, Suter’s real secret weapon is her top-notch band. At every show, audiences show their whistling, cheering appreciation for drummer Ray Grappone’s funky beats and guitarist Jimmy Bennett and keyboard man Benny Harrison’s high-flying solos. The rest of the band –Peter Bennett on bass, and gorgeous singers Vicki Bell and Linda Pino –have also added to the firepower of this exciting band that has captured the attention of some of the best players around. Along with other hot New York blues players, Suter is featured on the cover of the February/March issue of Big City Rhythm and Blues magazine. The sky’s the limit for The Alexis P. Suter Band!

Tickets $15

John Sullivan, Gen. Manager
42 Depot Street
207 948-SHOW
show@unitymaine.org

Directions to Unity Centre
42 Depot Street in Unity, Maine

From Points South:

From I-95, take exit 132 (Fairfield/Benton). Follow Route 139 east to Unity (about a 20 minute drive). At the blinking caution light in Unity, go left onto Main Street (Route 202/9). About a block later, take a right at the Moose onto Depot Street. Look for our sign on the left.

From Belfast:

Take Route 137 toward Freedom. You’ll wind through some pretty countryside for about 15 minutes. At the caution light atop Knox Ridge, take a right onto Route 220. Follow the signs into Unity. Take a left onto Depot Street (Route 139). You’ll see our sign on the right.

From Points North:

Take I-95 South. Just south of Bangor, take exit 174 (Carmel/Winterport) and go left toward Newburgh. After a 5 minute ride, turn right onto Route 202/9. From here it’s a 20 minute ride to Unity. In Unity take a left at the Moose onto Depot Street. You’ll see our sign on the left.

Considering the caliber of performers who appear on the same bill as King, that’s a heady compliment. And she has earned similar accolades from other well-known musicians and performers, including Levon Helm of The Band and Dan Akroyd, better known in the Blues world as Elwood Blues, who called her “America’s number one contender for the new Queen of the Blues.”

A true vocal phenomenon, bass/baritone powerhouse Suter and her band began wowing audiences in the northeast 6 years ago as regular performers at Levon Helm’s Midnight Ramble Sessions in Woodstock, NY. “She is one of those wonderful spirits, she’s got her arms around you, you can feel that,” Helm has said.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Since then, they have been in demand at North American festivals including, just in the past summer: The Toronto Waterfront Blues Festival, The Cincinnati Blues Festival, Floydfest in Floyd, VA, The Kitchener Blues Festival in Kitchener, Ontario, The Vermont Blues Festival, The Salmon Arm Roots and Blues Festival in Salmon Arm, British Columbia and The Columbia Blues Festival in Columbia, SC. During the fall of 2009, the band toured Italy as part of Blues Al Femminile.  In 2009, the band was showcased at New York City’s River and Blues concert series and at the New York State Blues Festival, where Dan Aykroyd joined them onstage for “Got My Mojo Workin’.”

Along with Levon Helm’s band, the Alexis P. Suter Band has played sold-outs shows at the Beacon Theater in New York City,Bethel Woods Center For The Arts and Central Park Summerstage. The band has also appeared on Imus in the Morning. At Floydfestthis summer, where they played on the same day as the Levon Helm Band, Suter was invited up to sing on The Weight, which usually closes Helm’s show.

Born in Brooklyn, NY, Suter came from a musical family. Her mother was a music teacher and singer who worked with HarryBelafonte, Mahalia Jackson, Sister Rosetta Tharpe and The Hall Johnson Choir. Early on, her daughter sang in recitals and Gospel plays and learned the power of her voice. In the early 90’s, Suter became a staple of underground garage music and the first African American woman signed to Sony-Epic (Japan). Her acclaimed song “Slam Me Baby” made her an underground star, while she also still sang with New York’s Illumination Gospel Choir. Her debut CD, Shuga Fix on Hipbone Records was well-received by the music community and played on the radio nationwide. The band also released a CD/DVD recorded Live at The Midnight Ramble, and last year’s record Just Another Fool.

Suter is poised to release her latest – Two Sides – in April. Suter said the record “has a lot of different styles – blues, soul and other roots music. It’s mostly original songs and a few covers.” One of the covers is her version of Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door,” which Suter sang at last New Year’s Eve’s Midnite Ramble in Woodstock, where people are still talking about it. More recently, Suter and her band previewed some of the new songs at The Turning Point in Piermont, NY where the entire kitchen staff came out and lined the hallway to hear her sing.

In addition to her voice, Suter’s real secret weapon is her top-notch band. At every show, audiences show their whistling, cheering appreciation for drummer Ray Grappone’s funky beats and guitarist Jimmy Bennett and keyboard man Benny Harrison’s high-flying solos. The rest of the band –Peter Bennett on bass, and gorgeous singers Vicki Bell and Linda Pino –have also added to the firepower of this exciting band that has captured the attention of some of the best players around.  Along with other hot New York blues players, Suter is featured on the cover of the February/March issue of Big City Rhythm and  Blues magazine. The sky’s the limit for The Alexis P. Suter Band!

Details on the Performance at The Unity Centre for the Performing Arts found at this link:

http://thevalleyvoice.org/2011/12/18/the-gawler-family-band-on-dec-29th-and-alexis-p-suter-band-on-january-5th-at-unity-centre/44553/?preview=true&preview_id=44553&preview_nonce=8342f35c84

Thursday December 15 at 7:30 pm

Irish born artists, Aoife Clancy, Robbie O’Connell, and virtuoso accordion player Jimmy Keane present Celtic Christmas for its first tour in Maine. This celebration of mid Winter season has a distinctly Celtic flavor and extends from the little known Kilmore carols of Wexford to the Irish-American vaudeville stage. Robbie and Aoife, accompanied by Jimmy, will explore the Christian and Pagan traditions surrounding the Winter Solstice in a mixture of songs, poetry and instrumental pieces. They will share stories of family Christmases growing up in Ireland along with songs that were passed down to them by their uncles. Aoife Clancy now living in New Bedford Ma, comes from the small town of Carrick-on-Suir in Co Tipperary Ireland, where her musical career began at an early age. Her father, Bobby Clancy of the legendary Clancy Brothers, placed a guitar in her hands at age ten, and by age fourteen she was playing with him in nearby folk clubs. In 1992 Aoife moved to the States and toured for six years with the acclaimed group Cherish the Ladies doing over 200 dates a year. She has also been a featured soloist with the Boston Pops and has three solo recordings along with a CD titled “The Clancy Legacy” with cousins Robbie O’Connell & Donal Clancy.

A National Treasure… a man blessed with an enviable turn of phrase and a gift for melody bestowed on only the few, is how Ireland’s top music magazine, Hot Press describes Robbie O Connell. He now resides in Bristol RI, but was born in Waterford Ireland and grew up in Co Tipperary. In 1977 Robbie was asked to join his uncles, The Clancy Brothers, with whom he has recorded 3 albums. Robbie is also a prolific songwriter and has had many artists record hit material including award winning Irish vocalist Sean Keane. Every May he runs a successful tour to Ireland with Celtica tours and teaches songwriting workshops all over the United States and Europe.

Irish Music’s accordion virtuoso Jimmy Keane was born in London of Irish speaking parents from Connemara. Jimmy’s accomplishments are far reaching having won five consecutive All-Ireland titles on the piano accordion. He has been an avid collector and arranger of old tunes and is becoming increasingly known for his original compositions. He has also recorded and produced numerous albums and in 2011 was honored with the “Male Musician of the decade” by Live Ireland and by the Irish American news. Jimmy and Robbie have toured together over the years and this Christmas has joined up with Robbie and Aoife for their Celtic Christmas tour.

Tickets $15

John Sullivan, Gen. Manager
42 Depot Street
207 948-SHOW
show@unitymaine.org

Directions to Unity Centre
42 Depot Street in Unity, Maine

From Points South:

From I-95, take exit 132 (Fairfield/Benton). Follow Route 139 east to Unity (about a 20 minute drive). At the blinking caution light in Unity, go left onto Main Street (Route 202/9). About a block later, take a right at the Moose onto Depot Street. Look for our sign on the left.

From Belfast:

Take Route 137 toward Freedom. You’ll wind through some pretty countryside for about 15 minutes. At the caution light atop Knox Ridge, take a right onto Route 220. Follow the signs into Unity. Take a left onto Depot Street (Route 139). You’ll see our sign on the right.

From Points North:

Take I-95 South. Just south of Bangor, take exit 174 (Carmel/Winterport) and go left toward Newburgh. After a 5 minute ride, turn right onto Route 202/9. From here it’s a 20 minute ride to Unity. In Unity take a left at the Moose onto Depot Street. You’ll see our sign on the left.

Lewis MacKinnon

Singing in English, Scottish Gaelic and Irish, Lewis MacKinnon has performed in coffee shops, pubs, convention centres, theatres and concert halls throughout Eastern Canada since 1994. Born in Cape Breton and raised in Antigonish County Nova Scotia, MacKinnon has played in every Atlantic Canadian Province, Ontario and in both Scotland and Ireland. In the fall of 2007 he was a featured performer at the Féile Ámhranaíochta (The Irish Song Festival in Belfast) and also in the internationally acclaimed Celtic Colours Festival, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. In 2008 his performances included the Blas Festival in Scotland and the Celtic Colours Festival again. His all Gaelic cd entitled “A’ Seo” – “Here” earned him an East Coast Music Award nomination and the song Ailein Duinn a traditional Gaelic song was selected to be included in the Celtic Colours Festival’s 2007 compilation CD. MacKinnon is a vocal artist who combines passion and perspective along with powerful baritone vocals in his songs. MacKinnon’s most recent effort offers interpretations of traditional material to inspire present and future generations of learners, singers and composers.

Tickets $15

The Barra MacNeils
Saturday December 3 at 7:30 pm

The Barra MacNeils have celebrated an outstanding recording and touring career for over 20 years. As a group, the six MacNeil siblings are widely regarded as one of the greatest live concert acts in the Celtic world. Hailing from Sydney Mines, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, the family group is deeply rooted in Celtic music, culture, dance language and history. Their numerous critically acclaimed recordings have included their own original songs as well as tried and true standards, both instrumental and vocal.
The Barra MacNeils’ annual Christmas show features a skillfully performed collection of seasonal favorites complete with captivating vocals, harmonies and extraordinary musicianship. Multi-award winners, The Bara MacNeils have released numerous recordings, including Racket In the Attic (2002).

Adults $25
Childen $12.50

John Sullivan, Gen. Manager
42 Depot Street
207 948-SHOW
show@unitymaine.org

Directions to Unity Centre
42 Depot Street in Unity, Maine

From Points South:

From I-95, take exit 132 (Fairfield/Benton). Follow Route 139 east to Unity (about a 20 minute drive). At the blinking caution light in Unity, go left onto Main Street (Route 202/9). About a block later, take a right at the Moose onto Depot Street. Look for our sign on the left.

From Belfast:

Take Route 137 toward Freedom. You’ll wind through some pretty countryside for about 15 minutes. At the caution light atop Knox Ridge, take a right onto Route 220. Follow the signs into Unity. Take a left onto Depot Street (Route 139). You’ll see our sign on the right.

From Points North:

Take I-95 South. Just south of Bangor, take exit 174 (Carmel/Winterport) and go left toward Newburgh. After a 5 minute ride, turn right onto Route 202/9. From here it’s a 20 minute ride to Unity. In Unity take a left at the Moose onto Depot Street. You’ll see our sign on the left.

Sultans of String
Saturday November 12 at 7:30 pm

2010 JUNO Award nominees and “Canada’s ambassadors of musical diversity” Sultans of String thrill their audiences with their global sonic tapestry of Spanish Flamenco, Arabic folk, Cuban rhythms, and French Manouche Gypsy-jazz, celebrating musical fusion and human creativity with warmth and virtuosity. Fiery violin dances with rumba-flamenco guitar while a funk bass lays down unstoppable grooves. Acoustic strings meet with electronic wizardry to create layers and depth of sound, while world rhythms excite audiences to their feet with the irresistible need to dance. The band is riding a wave of success from their sold out Yalla Yalla! Canadian CD release tour, to their national features on CTV’s CanadaAM and CBC’s Canada Live, and their triple nomination for the 2009 Canadian Folk Music Awards, winning Instrumental Group of the Year. Their debut CD Luna soared to #1 across Canada on Top Ten national radio charts, and the Sultans of String won the award for Best Variety Act from Festivals & Events Ontario as well as the 2008 International Songwriting Competition! The buzz extends into the U.S., with acclaimed promoter David Wilkes (Emmylou Harris, Bela Fleck, Jesse Cook) now representing the band.

“Energetic and exciting music from a band with talent to burn… the very epitome of world music: no boundaries, no rules… the sort of band and music that would rip up any festival in the country!” – Maverick Music Magazine, UK
http://www.sultansofstring.com/ 

Click here to view the embedded video.

Tickets $15

Troy MacGillivray
Thursday November 17 at 7:30 pm

Troy MacGillivray’s musical prowess can be attributed to an especially rare combination of commitment and bloodline. By the age of six, Troy was already impressing audiences with his step dancing skills. By 13 he was teaching piano at the renowned Gaelic College of Celtic Arts and Crafts in St. Anne’s, Cape Breton.

Troy has a roots-centered approach to his fiddling and piano playing that has the power to inspire any audience. Troy’s 4th CD, Live At The Music Room, is the 2008 ECMA Instrumental Recording of the Year His first three recordings – ELEVEN (2005), Boomerang (2003) and Musical Ties (2001) – also received Music Nova Scotia and East Coast Music Award nominations. His latest project, When Here Meets There, is a unique collaboration with Canadian & US National Fiddle Champion Shane Cook that clearly showcases why both fiddlers are at the top of their game!
http://www.troymacgillivray.com

Tickets $15

John Sullivan, Gen. Manager
42 Depot Street
207 948-SHOW
show@unitymaine.org

Directions to Unity Centre
42 Depot Street in Unity, Maine

From Points South:
From I-95, take exit 132 (Fairfield/Benton). Follow Route 139 east to Unity (about a 20 minute drive). At the blinking caution light in Unity, go left onto Main Street (Route 202/9). About a block later, take a right at the Moose onto Depot Street. Look for our sign on the left.

From Belfast:
Take Route 137 toward Freedom. You’ll wind through some pretty countryside for about 15 minutes. At the caution light atop Knox Ridge, take a right onto Route 220. Follow the signs into Unity. Take a left onto Depot Street (Route 139). You’ll see our sign on the right.

From Points North:
Take I-95 South. Just south of Bangor, take exit 174 (Carmel/Winterport) and go left toward Newburgh. After a 5 minute ride, turn right onto Route 202/9. From here it’s a 20 minute ride to Unity. In Unity take a left at the Moose onto Depot Street. You’ll see our sign on the left.

Matt and Shannon Heaton
Thursday November 10 at 7:30 pm

Musically speaking, the Heatons play the heck out of their instruments (Irish wood flute/accordion, guitar/bouzouki). After years of study in Chicago, and many nights of music in Clare, Galway, and their adopted home of Boston, Irish Music Magazine’s John O’Regan wrote, “their duet playing is tight, sweet, and tasteful, lacking nothing on either technical expertise or instrumental virtuosity.” As for their singing, when Matt and Shannon perform centuries-old songs, it feels current, conversational. They make traditional music relevant to American audiences. O’Regan wrote “songwise [there are] hints an older domestic sound, the familiar down home harmonies of The Carter Family and Tim and Mollie O’Brien.” Like Richard Thompson or Nic Jones, the Heatons’ music comes from a traditional aesthetic, a devotion to strong traditional bones, and a passion for reaching out to the modern world around them. They are devoted to Irish traditional music and uplift listeners by connecting with each other and the people around them.

“Their playing is masterful and inventive, their arrangements city-smart and spacious. Still, they never forget that Irish music is, at its heart, a neighborly form meant for sharing, not showing off.” —Scott Alarik, Boston Globe
Tickets $15

Miss Tess and the Bon Ton Parade
Friday November 11 at 7:30 pm

Miss Tess is Brooklyn-based performing songwriter and bandleader. She currently tours with a tight knit quartet complete with guitar/lap steel, upright bass, drums, and herself on guitar and vocals. Similar to artists such at Tom Waits, Randy Newman, Madeleine Peyroux, or Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks, Miss Tess draws inspiration from older styles of music, and uses those sounds in the service of her own personality.

Critics have had a hard time assigning Tess’s music to a specific genre; when she still lived in Boston she won a Boston Music Award for “Outstanding Folk Artist of the Year” (2008), in 2009 she received a nomination for “Best Jazz Act”, and in 2010 was nominated for “Best Roots Act” by the Boston Phoenix. Miss Tess & The Bon Ton Parade not only played in most venues in Boston, but are also hardened road warriers who have found homes in all types of venues ranging from upscale jazz clubs, music festivals, to local dive bars.

“If Billie Holiday and Chet Atkins had a musical baby, it would be Miss Tess. With a calmness that belies the intensity in her music, Miss Tess will cement a place in your music- loving heart with her first note.” –Caroline Aiken, Singer/songwriter
Tickets $15

Unity Centre For the Performing Arts
42 Depot Street, Unity Maine 04988
www.unityme.org/theater
948-SHOW  (948-7469)

Frank Ferrel

Widely regarded as a composer – the classic Cape Breton jig, Spin-N-Glo, is one of his compositions. Frank Ferrel is considered to be one of the leading North American fiddlers performing today. In a recent Boston Globe article, music critic Scott Alarik referred to Mr. Ferrel as “One of the finest living masters,” of that genre.Frank began his fiddling at age 8, influenced first by his grandfather, a traditional musician and native of Ohio and West Virginia. His father’s family originally came from the Longford area of Ireland via Maritime Canada. Frank rekindled his interest in traditional fiddling under the influence of local Irish, French-Acadian, and Canadian Maritimes fiddlers while stationed at the old Charlestown Navel Shipyard in Boston in the 1960′s. Those were the days when Kerry fiddler Paddy Cronin held forth at the old Greenville Tap in Dudley Square, while up and down Dudley Street, Cape Breton Irish and French Acadian maritime music drifted out of dancehall windows at such legendary places as the Rose Croix, O’Connell Hall and the Hibernian. There you could dance to the fiddling of Winston Scotty Fitzgerald, Bill Lamey, Tommy Doucet, and Angus Chisholm, just to mention a few. And if it wasn’t the dances, there was always the old Hillbilly Ranch on Washington Street down in the Combat Zone, a good place to listen and sit in with the likes of Bill Keith, Tex Logan, and the Lilly Brothers.

Over the years, Frank has appeared on the nationally broadcast popular American radio series, A Prairie Home Companion, and is included on their anthology recording, “PHC Tourists.” He has performed on numerous occasions with the legendary Celtic group, The Boys of the Lough, both as guest artist on their Scottish Highlands and Islands tours, as well as in concert performances in North America. The Library of Congress chose his major label CD release, Yankee Dreams, for inclusion in their Select List of 25 Recordings of American Folk Music. Most recently, he’s been performing with the legendary Irish-American accordion player, Joe Derrane, and is music director of the National Public Radio series, Says You.

Frank has published two collections of fiddle music for the international music publisher, MelBay, and is currently putting the finishing touches on a third collection. He has also produced recordings of traditional music for such major folk labels as Rounder Records, Voyager, and Flying Fish Records. In addition, he has made a number of recordings, both as a solo artist, and as a studio musician.

Joining Frank on stage will be Maritime keyboard style piano player Janine Muise Randall. Janine is the founder of the Ceilidh Trail School of Celtic Music in Cape Breton and is well known as one of the leading proponents of Cape Breton style piano in America. She resides in the Boston area where her family home was a central gathering place for Maritime Kitchen Parties.

Tickets $15

Tremolino
Friday October 28 at 7:30 pm

Fado, a unique Portuguese music form, returns to Unity in a concert by Tremolino. Fado is a fiery, soulful folk song style from Portugal characterized by passionate lyrics and mournful tunes. The music is said to be the oldest urban folk music in the Western world, representing the voice of the Portuguese soul, yet unfamiliar to most people in Maine. Tremolino is a trio of Waldo County musicians featuring singer Leslie Stein. Stein has sung various kinds of music over the years, from folk to rock to musicals and jazz. Fado is her current passion, and she plays guitar. Stein has also performed as an actor in Mid-Coast and Central Maine theaters. The group also includes guitarist Jim Macdonald, a graduate of the Allman Brothers School of Endless Guitar Solos who has explored many kinds of music, and Chris Marshall, who has been in a Russian balalaika group, a Javanese gamelan and a Bulgarian dance band. Tremolino’s repertoire also includes songs from Spain, Greenwich Village and other exotic locales. In addition, the lovely Shana Bloomstein will interpret in dance the songs of Fado. Imaginative and delightful to watch, she has been enchanting audiences in the area for years since growing up in Freedom. This is a benefit show for Sebasticook Regional Land Trust. Based in Unity, the Trust works with Central Maine landowners to conserve productive farmlands, rich woodlots and diverse wetlands. For program and volunteer information, visit the website. A benefit meal featuring locally grown and produced foods will precede Tremolino. Tickets for the meal and music package are $25 ($20 before Oct. 24). For Tremolino only, the cost is $10. Tickets are are also available at the SRLT office, Main Street in Unity.

Tickets (meal and show) $20

The Brew with Special Guest Adam Ezra
Saturday October 29 at 8:30 pm

Since their inception, the members of The Brew have shared a common vision: transforming their urgent and unapologetically artistic musings into song. As childhood friends from the Boston area, now in their mid-twenties, they have traveled afar singing of romance and tragedy with their haunting and original voices. True musketeers in their friendship- Kelly Kane, Chris Plante, David Drouin, and Joe Plante- bring their passionate and full hearted performances night after night, with a fierce sense of family. Together they create an anthemic, purely original sound that marries the majesty of Queen with the nuance of Steely Dan, as their unbridled energy pulls more and more listeners into their world of songs.
With each release, the music of The Brew gets sharper, stronger and more pure, with an increasing emphasis on their burning and poignant lyrics. An honest music from a band concerned with real expression.

Tickets $10 in advance; $15 day of show

Alan Reid and Rob van Sante
Thursday November 3 at 7:30 pm
Alan was a vital member of Battlefield Band from its inception in 1969 till his departure in 2010. In that time he toured all over the world and made almost 30 recordings with the band, working with such artists as Garrison Keillor, Van Morrison and Mike Oldfield. They won awards in Germany, Britain and the U.S. and throughout Alan was at the heart of the band, his keyboards underpinning the bagpipes and the fiddle. In being the first to use keyboards as an integral part of a traditional folk band Alan’s contribution to the band’s story has ensured it’s stature in Scottish culture as well as its influence on many of today’s Celtic musicians.
Rob is a guitarist of exceptional skill and subtlety. He was born in the Netherlands and begun playing guitar at an early age. As his interest in music developed, he became influenced by the best of Folk, Rock, R&B and Blues. During the 1970′s, 80′s and 90′s he toured extensively throughout Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. He has worked with such stalwarts of the British Folk and Jazz scene as Danny Thompson, Jon Strong, Tom Napper, Tom McConville, Kate Rusby, John McCusker, Gordon Tyrrall, Tim Wood, Patsy Matheson and many more. Rob has worked for Battlefield Band for 13 years as their sound engineer for both live and recorded work.

Tickets $15

Unity Centre For the Performing Arts
42 Depot Street, Unity Maine 04988
www.unityme.org/theater
948-SHOW  (948-7469)

The Toughcats
Saturday October 15 at 7:30 pm

Pop quiz: What could cause a band to play a Devo-esque robotic klesmer melody in the middle of a poppy, bluegrass dance hit?
Answer: the suitcase.

A three piece indie folk band from the Fox Islands in Penobscot Bay, the Toughcats lend a contemporary and interesting feel to Scruggs-style bluegrass, deep South ragtime, and singer-songwritery folk that shows a great feel for songwriting and fine musicianship. The trio showcases Jake Greenlaw on suitcase, percussion and vocals; Colin Gulley on banjo, mandolin and vocals; and Joe Nelson on guitar and lead vocals. Though you might peg them as a bluegrass band, the Tough Cats have just as much Tom Waits as twang in their sound.

Their second album, 2006’s "Pinata," combines old-timey picking with a rock edge, all buoyed by a sense of humor, some wicked vocal harmonies and a whole lot of energy. The band’s sophomore album Run to the Mill was released February of 2010. “Call it new old-time music, folk revival, or whatever the heck you want to, but this trio will likely be making waves beyond their home of Penobscot Bay, Maine with their well-crafted songs and infectious playing soon enough, and you should be in the know when it happens.” -Ben Johnson in The New London Day, CT

All proceeds from this concert will benefit local hunger relief efforts in Waldo County, Maine as part of the 5th Annual Arts for Hunger sponsored by the Unity Area Rotary Club.
Tickets $15      

Scott MacMillan and Brian Doyle
Thursday October 20 at 7:30 pm
Tickets $15     

About Scott MacMillan

Once inked, a Scott Macmillan biography is at once out of date, for he and his passion for creating music have already moved on to a new composition, arrangement commission, collaboration, performance, musical directing live or in the studio, conducting, teaching, or as a clinician. Driven by his need to be creative Macmillan seeks opportunities in all aspects of music making. That love has inspired exploration into genres from rock to blues, classical to choral, Celtic to jazz, as well as modern and avant-garde.

Music has taken Macmillan to places, like Carnegie Hall in New York, to perform his much loved ode to our world’s oceans “Celtic Mass for the Sea”, with his partner and librettist Jennyfer Brickenden. He has performed in the British Isles and Germany, the US and has crossed Canada many times to conduct orchestras, perform, make television and radio shows and sound tracks for films. Yet the many who seek out his talents know that Nova Scotia, the home of his birth, is where to find him.

A musical treasure, Macmillan has played a significant role expanding audiences for Atlantic Canadian music both nationally and internationally for over 30 years. Acknowledged by Rita MacNeil as an integral contributor to her success, Scott has played an equally pivotal role in the rise of the Rankin Family Band, Symphony Nova Scotia’s Maritime Pops programming and the Nova Scotia Mass Choir.

Ultimately, it’s the connections with people that feed Macmillan, inspiring and motivating his performances and creative talent. “When I create, I think of the people in the audience first and then I think of the musicians”. “It’s the thrill of creating something for people that no one else has done, but when they hear it, they feel like they have heard it before,” enthuses Macmillan. That ethic continues to inspire audiences and musicians to love Scott’s works such as “MacKinnon’s Brook Suite”, “Currents of Sable Island”, “Suite Silver Dart”, “Within Sight of Shore”. Scott has taken his guitar prowess into his myriad of music styles. An animated performer Scott lets loose with his12-piece jazz ensemble, “Scott ‘n the Rocks”, and his musically challenging guitar duo with Brian Doyle.

Inspired by his desire to learn and expand his own musical knowledge and how as the best students make the best teachers, Scott has joined the Faculty of Music at Dalhousie University to mentor a new generation of guitarists.

Awards, appointments, commissions and critical reviews all reflect Macmillan’s success establishing his contribution to the music of Nova Scotia and the world. He has shown us, with his live performances and creative works, a great personal legacy of written music, recorded music, and music presented from the grandeur of concert halls to the intimacy living rooms. And while his biography will always be out of date, as he continues to grow and evolve, Scott Macmillan’s musical legacy is lasting and timeless.

About Brian Doyle

Genre

Rock, blues, celtic, fusion etc…

Hometown

Margaree Forks, Nova Scotia, Canada

Record Label

Independant

Biography

It is no surprise that BRIAN DOYLE has become the compelling musician we now see on stage. Music was as important as first steps within the vibrant Celtic music scene he was born to on Cape Breton Island, and the rich musical soil of his own Chisholm family was a perfect launching pad for the musical career that was to follow.
On stage since the age of fourteen, Brian has played the Rock and Bl…See More

Current Location

Cape Breton Island

High Hopes Jam
Saturday October 22 at 7:30 pm

High Hopes Jam, a concert to benefit Waterville’s High Hopes Clubhouse, features three acts – Tim Sullivan and the Funk Punks, the Gabriel Zacchai Trio and Frank Hopkins and Line of Force. High Hopes, an affiliate of Kennebec Behavioral Health, is a non-profit vocational clubhouse in Waterville where members experiencing mental illness learn to work meaningful jobs in the community for meaningful pay. The Gabriel Zacchai Trio is a hard-driving fusion of blues, folk and rock – fronted by Gabriel Zacchai, with John Robins on bass and Andy Gaudet on percussion.

With seven CDs to his credit, Mid-Coast resident Zacchai has been performing original work for more than 20 years. Line of Force is a funk/rock band featuring Frank Hopkins on lead guitar and vocals, Josh M. Robbins on bass and vocals, Chuck E. Prinn IV on drums and Tim Beaulieu on keys. Their CDs are "Symbiotic" and "American Dream." The Funk Punks will bring a big funk, soul, reggae and afro-beat sound. Tim Sullivan’s CDs include "Caught Up in Nothing" and "My Shade of Blue." Sullivan, a singer and songwriter, has been recording a new CD with a Cajun-, New Orleans-style of Rock and Roll.

Tickets $15 

Unity Centre For the Performing Arts
42 Depot Street, Unity Maine 04988
www.unityme.org/theater
948-SHOW  (948-7469)

Friday October 1 4

Greater Purpose and Backyard Bluegrass in a benefit concert for local hunger relief efforts.Unity College Centre for the Performing Arts at 7:30 P.M.

Two great bands, Greater Purpose and Backyard Bluegrass Band, have teamed up to give an uplifting performance to benefit local hunger relief efforts in Waldo County on Friday, October 14th at 7:30 p.m. at the Unity College Centre for the Performing Arts in Unity. This concert is held in conjunction with the 5th Annual “Arts for Hunger” a local effort to raise funding and awareness for those who are less fortunate in our communities through the sale of artwork, handcrafts and a benefit concert. All proceeds from this fundraiser will benefit the local hunger-relief efforts of:

- Volunteer Regional Food Pantry – serves 11 towns in Waldo County
- People for People – ensures the needy families in Waldo County have a wonderful Thanksgiving & Christmas dinner each year
- Open Door – serves FREE meal the last week of each month at the Unity Community Center

Join us with family and friends to enjoy great music, light refreshments and fellowship. The concert is free. All donations collected will be donated to Arts for Hunger to benefit families throughout Waldo County. Please also feel free to bring non-perishable food items to the concert. Everyone is Welcome!! This benefit concert is coordinated as a ministry outreach of the Quaker Hill Christian Church in Unity. For more information, please contact Pastor Mike Senecal at 491-5080 or email at timesten@roadrunner.com

The band, Greater Purpose, plays mostly original inspirational Christian music meant to reach people where they are.

Cathi Burke – Lead vocals and guitar

Cathi grew up on a farm in Maine and was influenced by The Gaithers, Loretta Lynn, Eva Cassidy, and John Denver. She is active in the music ministry at the Farmington Baptist Church and is excited to sing and play with Greater Purpose!

Craig Hutchinson – Guitar and vocals

Craig has always enjoyed music and was influenced by folk & country music and also the acoustic guitar music of the ‘70’s. He is also involved in the music ministry at Farmington Baptist Church and Manages the sound system there..

Alan Hutchinson – Keyboard and strings

Alan has toured Canada and the United States with various Gospel and secular groups. He is currently Worship Pastor at the Peru United Baptist Church in Maine.

Louise McCleery – Harmony vocals

To live well, live blessed, to bless others, and to laugh often are Louise’s priorities in life. She spends much of her time off helping with the upkeep of the 100+year old family farmstead. She has developed a keen ear to hear and sing the harmony parts of songs and is glad to be able to add her vocals to the Greater Purpose mix.

Steve Moore – Drums, harmonica, and harmony vocals

Steve has been with Greater Purpose, when we needed him, since the beginning of the band.  He has been playing music and has been in local bands for over 40 years and GP is blessed to have Steve sit in with us not only at concerts but also on both of our CDs and DVD. Steve plays on the worship team at Calvary Hill Baptist Church.

Ivan Moore – Bass, lead guitar and harmony vocals

Ivan has been with Greater Purpose almost as long as his dad, Steve. He is a great musician with a big heart for the Lord. Ivan is Worship Director at Fayette Baptist Church.

John Hellie – Percussion, drums, and harmony vocals

John hails from the mid-west and now lives ‘way up in the mountains of western Maine’.  He joined Greater Purpose in the making of their Christmas CD and continued through with his expertise and professionalism on the newest CD, Seasons.

Evan Fellman – Lead guitar, electric violin, and bass

Evan has filled in for GP on an as-needed basis in the past but hopes to be able to play more regularly with the band.  A multi-talented musician, Evan has a Bachelor’s Degree in music and is Worship Director at Calvary Hill Baptist Church in Wilton.

John Sullivan, Gen. Manager
42 Depot Street
207 948-SHOW
show@unitymaine.org

BRIGHTON ROCK

Friday, Sept. 30 thru Thursday, Oct. 6
Daily at 12:10, 2:30, 4:50, 7:10
Except NO 12:10 on Sat. & Sun.!
Also late shows Friday & Saturday at 9:20

An incredible cast including Helen Mirren, John Hurt and rising young stars Sam Riley and Andrea Riseborough along with Graham Greene’s timeless source novel that the film’s based on help make BRIGHTON ROCK one of the most memorable thrillers of recent years. "Greene’s great 1939 novel about an ambitious teen psychopath’s attempt to ascend the gangland ladder and his dark plans for the pliable girl who crosses his path comes to startling life in Rowan Joffe’s elegant, suspenseful thriller. CONTROL’s Sam Riley steps into a role made unforgettable by a young Richard Attenborough in the 1947 original and makes it his own, slipping into the character like a second skin. This terrific adaptation is a well-told tale with equal appeal to Greene and suspense fans. Joffe updates the story to 1964, the year the Mods and Rockers faced off in a series of riots on Brighton’s boardwalk. It is a brilliant move, lending the tale color and making it more contemporary. This is essentially a thrilling film noir blended with a twisted romance. Riley is unforgettable as the young psycho whose ambition outstrips his reach, but his is only one among many excellent performances delivered by Joffe’s ace cast."–Boxoffice. Unrated. 111 Min.

THE DEBT

Monday, Sept. 26 thru Thursday, Sept. 29
Daily at 12:00, 2:20, 4:40, 7:00

Friday, Sept. 30 thru Thursday, Oct. 6
Daily at 2:10, 4:30, 6:50

J.P. Devine (Central Maine Morning Sentinel, Kennebec Journal) on the great new thriller THE DEBT: "You will spend an hour and 53 minutes in the dark with Helen Mirren, Tom Wilkinson, Ciaran Hinds and Jessica Chastain. It couldn’t get better than that. But it does. Once again, the simple adage: “It’s not the lie, it’s the coverup that gets you in the end,” pops up and gets everyone in trouble. THE DEBT, John Madden’s (SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE) powerful new spy thriller, brings the saying home with greater force and life threatening power than just a twist up involving White House political hacks. This time the lie born in a dank, dark East Berlin apartment in the late 60’s, rolls over thirty years to the present day and raises that ugly specter of the Holocaust,and one of its most horrid players, a brutal Nazi doctor dubbed the “the surgeon of Birkenau,” who played ghastly games with children and women. We learn that Dr. Dieter Vogel (Jesper Christensen) is alive and well, practicing medicine as a gynecologist in East Berlin. As they did in the historic Adolph Eichmann capture, an expert team of Israeli Mossad agents is sent in to ferret him out and bring him to trial in Israel. But this is not just a simple secret agent procedural played out in real time with the traditional beginning, middle and end. There is more than one of each of those. We bounce back and forth from today to the 60’s and back again, with three characters beautifully played out by six superb actors. The characters, young Rachel (Jessica Chastain, who keeps popping up in one good movie after another) grows old to become Helen Mirren. Young Stephan (Marton Csokas) survives the escapade to grow old, wheelchair bound and powerful in the Mossad (the impeccable Tom Wilkinson.) Sam Worthington (“Avatar”) who plays David, rounds out the trio and later becomes the great Irish actor Ciaran Hinds…THE DEBT is one of those exciting movies that comes to an end, and then it doesn’t. It will end in an unexpected place, an unexpected country, and the final scene will take your breath away and weaken your knees." R. 113 Min.

THE GUARD

Monday, Sept. 26 thru Thursday, Sept. 29
Daily at 3:10, 7:10

Friday, Sept. 30 thru Thursday, Oct. 6
Daily at 12:15
Also late shows Friday & Saturday at 9:05

"On the one hand, we’ve seen THE GUARD before: It’s a fish-out-of-water-meets-interracial-buddy-comedy. On the other hand, we haven’t seen it done quite this way–which makes this independent Irish film that pairs a cynical if honorable Irish policeman (known as "Garda") and a straitlaced FBI agent fresh and honestly funny without ever being mean-spirited. Sgt. Gerry Boyle (Brendan Gleeson) is made up of familiar parts, but they’re assembled in a new way. He’s got a dying mother (the luminous Fionnula Flanagan), hookers coming in from Dublin to keep him busy on off days and a biting sense of humor. Boyle assumes everyone around him is an idiot and gibes them until they rise to the occasion or prove him right. He’s not lazy, and as the final third of the film underscores, he’s not without integrity–but he’s a lost man with nothing in particular to live for. Things perk up the day after an execution-style murder when Boyle learns that the deceased was part of a group of drug traffickers now being monitored by American FBI agents (including the extremely straitlaced Wendell Everett, played by Don Cheadle) and local Galway police. Boyle isn’t particularly exercised to learn that the Americans are in town to prevent the remaining three traffickers from picking up an expected cache of drugs about to arrive on Irish shores, but in the ensuing hours and days he’s drawn into the plot almost forcibly when his partner goes missing. That doesn’t sound like a recipe for funny, yet writer-director John Michael McDonagh keeps Boyle’s lines snappy, and his sense of the absurd remains ripe….Boyle is quite brilliant. And so is THE GUARD –Randee Dawn, Moving Picture Networl. R. 96 Min.

Admission Prices at Railroad Square Cinema

Adults
$8.50 evenings
$7.00 matinees (shows starting before 4:30 unless otherwise stated)
$6.50 with a discount book
$5.50 Mondays
Children (12 and under)
$5.50 at all times
Senior Citizens (65 & Over), Military Personnel and Students with I.D.s
$6.50 evenings and matinees
Members
$5.50 Tuesdays & Wednesdays

Discount books are available. $65 for 10 admissions or $55 if you’re a Railroad Square Cinema member. Click here to get info about membership.

Railroad Square Cinema

Saluted by the Sundance Film Institute as one of only a few select theaters in the country included in its "Art House Project"

24 hour movie info: 207-873-6526

17 Railroad Square, Waterville, Maine, 04901

Emily Smith
Tuesday October 4 at 7:30 pm

Joy Kills Sorrow
Wednesday October 5 at 7:30 pm
With its bold new brand of acoustic music, Joy Kills Sorrow pushes right through the envelope and out the other side. The Boston-based string band brings a decidedly modern sensibility to an old-world sound, channeling the prodigious talents of its individual members into elegant arrangements and well-crafted songs.While the group pays due homage to its Bluegrass roots—its name is taken from WJKS, a radio station that broadcasted the Monroe brothers’ show in the 1930s—the band truly excels in its rich and textured treatment of more contemporary material. Boasting a full arsenal of original songs, Joy Kills Sorrow plumbs the entire spectrum of its spare instrumentation, effortlessly merging influences as diverse as folk, rock, pop, and jazz. The music that emerges is dark and often funny, ruminating on modern life and love with eloquence and wit. The result is a radical new strain of folk music, one that bravely breaks with tradition even as it salutes the past.
“Subtle and snazzy, this new jack acoustic outfit merges bluegrass with jazz like it was the most natural combination in the world. Meanwhile, singers and songwriters Emma Beaton and Bridget Kearney bring wry existential intelligence and a haunting, Celtic/Canadian interpretive quality to their delicate yet determined tales of contemporary dislocation and off-kilter love. – Los Angeles Daily News
Tickets $15

The Hot Club of Cowtown
Wednesday October 12 at 7:30 pm
Since their first recording in 1998, Austin-based Hot Club of Cowtown have grown to be the most globe-trotting, hardest-swinging Western swing trio on the planet. The first American band to tour Azerbaijan, they have opened stadiums for such artists as Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson and continue to bring their brand of western swing to a wide range of festival audiences all over the world. But for guitarist Whit Smith, fiddler Elana James and bassist Jake Erwin, it has always been about staying true to their roots.
Remaining willfully out of the musical mainstream,Hot Club of Cowtown have created an international cult following for their sonic personification of joy and unique sound inspired by their namesakes: “Hot Club” from the hot jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt and violinist Stephane Grappelli’s Hot Club of France, and “Cowtown” from the Western swing influence of Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys.
“This Austin-based Western swing/jazz trio–violin, guitar and upright bass–will bring even the tamest audience to its feet. Plus, instrument aficionados will drool over the 1925 Gibson acoustic, 1937 Gibson amp and all the other classic gear that helps to keep Cowtown hot and hoppin.” — Chicago Tribune
Tickets $15

Stanley & Grimm
Thursday October 13 at 7:30 pm
Celtic duo Stanley & Grimm entertain with a celebration of traditional music through old and new interpretations of jigs, reels, and songs played with lively fiddle, guitar, and voice. Fiddler Nikki Engstrom and singer/guitarist Sean Brennan create a musical journey through a bounty of fiddle tunes and ballads of all origins, alongside modern tunes and songs they have composed. Their second CD, Another Round, was awarded the Celtic Radio Music Award for the 2008 Album of the Year, and also took top honors in the “Jigs & Reels” category. Celtic Radio Network describes their music as “emotionally stirring, exhilarating, perfectly splendid!” The infectious fun they have on stage and their intense playing have helped them to become fan favorites on the New England traditional music scene. Their newest CD Stanley and Grimm, Open the Gate is available now. Nikki has delighted audiences for over two decades with her spirited and sensitive playing. Through a broad range of fiddle music from old and new sets of jigs and reels to slow airs, with Sean’s warm vocals and rhythmic guitar, Stanley & Grimm capture the essence and energy of great traditional music.
Tickets $15

John Sullivan, Gen. Manager
42 Depot Street
207 948-SHOW
show@unitymaine.org

Kyle Carey with Rosie MacKensie
Thursday September 8 at 7:30 pm

The ingredients of Kyle Carey’s music include the songs of the American Folk Anthology, the Appalachian poetry of Louise McNeill, and weekends spent working at Caffe Lena (in Saratoga Springs, NY) and listening to the best musicians in contemporary folk. The results are well described by Bill Fox of Skidmore College: “Kyle’s songs are ‘classic’ in the best sense of the word. None of the immature ‘reading from a diary’ silliness of so many singer-songwriters, but rather perspective—subtle expressions of human experience from a variety of perspectives.” In the winter of 2011 Kyle traveled to Western Ireland to record her debut album, ‘Monongah’. Produced by Donogh Hennessy (Lùnasa), ‘Monongah’ features Athelone-based guitarist Neil Fitzgibbon, Pauline Scanlon (Lumiere) and Aoife Clancy (Cherish the Ladies) on harmony vocals, Cape Breton fiddler Rosie MacKenzie (The Cottars), Brendan O’ Sullivan (Gràda), old-time fiddler Cleek Schrey, Appalachian expert John Kirk (Quickstep) on mandolin and banjo, and Trevor Hutchinson (The Waterboys, Lùnasa) on double bass. At age 20, Rosie MacKenzie is already a veteran performer and recording artist, recognized as one of the finest young Cape Breton fiddlers on the traditional music scene. She exploded onto that scene as the youngest member of The Cottars in 2001, and has been winning over audiences with her electrifying musicianship, engaging stage presence, and stepdance prowess ever since. Rosie is the latest in a proud lineage of Cape Breton fiddlers including greats such as Buddy MacMaster, Jerry Holland, Natalie MacMaster, and Ashley MacIsaac. When Rosie carries that proud musical legacy onto the stage, she does so with an unmistakable flare and passion, which immediately draws the audience in, and captivates them throughout her performance. And Rosie is downright kinetic when she takes the stage – she is in constant motion from start to finish, standing, sitting, stomping her feet, interacting with fellow musicians and the audience, even stepdancing while she plays.
Tickets $15

Ti’ Acadie
Thursday September 15 at 7:30 pm

Ti’ Acadie is French for “a little Acadia”. Band members are: Pam Weeks on fiddle, mountain dulcimer, mandolin, piano, guitar, Celtic harp, singing; Jim Joseph on button accordion, 5 string banjo, mandolin, jaw harp, feet, percussion, singing; Bill Olson on guitar, bass, singing, calling. They play Quebecoise, old timey, and New England dance tunes for contradances, school events, parties, weddings; Cajun dance tunes and songs for Cajun dancing and all the previously mentioned gigs; and they sing the songs they like (mostly old time Southern but not all) in 3 part harmony in addition to the above for concerts. As the band name implies they do a lot of North American French music and like being a link between Northern Acadian music and Southern Cajun music as often as they can!
Tickets $15

Teada with Seamus Begley
Thursday September 22 at 7:30 pm

Téada, now firmly established as one of Irish music’s leading exponents on the international world music stage, continues to be driven by a fascination with the timeless, expressive force of traditional tunes inherited from previous generations of musicians.Since 2001, when the freshly-formed band landed a spot on the innovative Irish television show Flosc, Téada, has evolved to frequent headline performances at major music festivals throughout the US, Canada, Europe, Israel and Australia. A notable highlight was a headlining appearance to a 30,000-audience in Brittany during 2006, a year which also saw the band launch a hugely successful CD/DVD ‘Inné Amárach’, released by Gael Linn and Compass Records. With lush Irish orchestration, Téada, meaning “strings” in the Irish language revels in the vibrant traditional music of Ireland, deftly playing up its structural intricacies while preserving the timeless energy of the reels, jigs, hornpipes, and other lesser-known tunes in the repertoire.

Téada are: Oisín Mac Diarmada – fiddle; Paul Finn – button accordion; Damien Stenson – flutes; Seán Mc Elwain – bouzouki/guitar; Tristan Rosenstock – bodhrán.
Tickets $15

Cathie Ryan
Thursday September 29 at 7:30 pm

Irish American Cathie Ryan, with her crystalline vocals and insightful songwriting, is an original and distinctive voice in Celtic music. Since her acclaimed seven year tenure as lead singer of Cherish the Ladies, the Detroit born Ryan has established herself as one of Celtic Music’s most popular and enduring singer-songwriters. The Boston Globe recently wrote, “Cathie Ryan is a thrilling traditional vocalist whose honey-pure soprano is equally at home on probing original ballads about a woman’s place in the modern world.” Cathie has released 4 critically acclaimed CDs on Shanachie Records: Cathie Ryan, The Music of What Happens, Somewhere Along the Road, and her latest The Farthest Wave. She is featured on more than forty compilations of Celtic Music. In 2003 Cathie was included in the famous Irish music collection, A Woman’s Heart – A Decade On placing her amongst Irish music’s finest female vocalists and songwriters. It was the first time Americans were featured in the series and she shared the honor with Allison Krauss, Dolly Parton and Emmylou Harris. In recent years, her original songs have been recorded by such distinguished Irish vocalists as Frances Black and Mary Black among others. Cathie has performed on national and public television in the United States and Europe, appeared on NPR’s Mountain Stage and Thistle and Shamrock, PRI’s The World, BBC2 in England, Radio Scotland, and RTE, RnG, and TG4 in Ireland. She was voted one of the Top 100 Irish Americans by Irish America Magazine, Chicago’s Irish American News honored her as Irish Female Vocalist of the Decade, and the LA Times recently named her, “One of the leading voices in Celtic music.”
Tickets $15

Unity Centre For the Performing Arts
42 Depot Street, Unity Maine 04988
www.unityme.org/theater
948-SHOW (948-7469)

Ashelin
Thursday August 18 at 7:30 pm

Ashelin is a band of five sisters – Cassy, Joesie, Kaliyan, Shaelin, and Thea from Newfoundland Canada. The sisters began singing and dancing to Newfoundland and Irish music as far back as they can remember while learning to play a stunning variety of instruments. Although they never expected this childhood passion for all things musical to be anything but family focused, they were soon embarking on a musical journey that is winning them attention and fans around the world. Known for their sparkling vocals and intricate harmonies, Ashelin’s brand of folk roots and pop shines through their original songwriting and novel interpretations of traditional tunes. The band’s original song “Song for Mariana” was a winner from over 600 contenders for David Suzuki’s “Playlist for the Planet,” a soon-to-be-released CD which brings them together with some of Canada’s finest songwriters and performers. Other winners for this prestigious release include Gordon Lightfoot, Bruce Cockburn, Broken Social Scene, k-os, Randy Bachman (with Sarah McLachlan and Nikki Yanofsky), Joel Plaskett, Great Big Sea, Johnny Reid, and RUSH. Ashelin’s 2010 release “The Road Not Taken” was produced by Grammy Award winning producer/engineer George Massenburg and ECMA award winning producer/engineer Al Strickland, and features performances by the crme de la crme of East Coast talent including bassist Jamie Gatti, multi-instrumentalist J.P. Cormier, and bluesman John Campbell John among others. These five fresh talents, who can cast a spell over their audiences, are ready to take their place among the greatest talent Canada has produced.
Tickets $15

JJ Chaisson’s PEI Kitchen Party
Thursday August 25 at 7:30 pm

Prince Edward Island’s J. J. Chaisson is without any doubt a talented multi-instrumental musician. He has collaborated on award winning recordings, acted as front man for a Celtic rock band, and toured widely as a solo artist. It is not possible to put into words what this young man does with his fiddle and guitar. Born into the well known and respected Chaisson family helped to immerse J. J. in the world of traditional music from an early age. He began gracing halls and stages across the Island when he was barely able to touch the floor while sitting in a chair; word spread quickly about this young prodigy. When he was just 14 years old he released his first CD. “In the Genes” was a tribute to his two grandfathers. While still in high school, J. J. and his cousins formed the Celtic Rock band known as “Kindle”. This group was recognized with a nomination as Best New Group at the 2000 ECMA’S and a nationally televised performance at the awards show. The group traveled widely throughout Canada and into the USA. J. J. served as front man on fiddle and as a vocalist and he continued to astound audiences wherever he performed. In 2002 his second CD was released and entitled “Class Act”. This CD again showed his enormous talent on fiddle and introduced his listening audiences to his skill as a guitarist. J. J. continued to travel widely and audiences continued to want more and more of this delightful performer. His personality is equally as powerful as his playing and he reaches out to young and old alike with smiles and endless jokes and stories. J. J. is now married to the love of his life Julie MacDonald Chaisson . He is captain of a lobster boat aptly named “Chaisson a Dream” and he loves his time at sea. He fishes the cold Atlantic from May 1st till June 30th each spring for lobsters. When the “fishing season ends” the music season starts. He plays at locations across Prince Edward Island throughout the summer and travels off Island whenever the opportunity arises.
Tickets $15

The Tartan Terrors
Thursday September 1 at 7:30 pm

Taking the Celtic scene by storm, the Tartan Terrors, North America’s premiere Celtic Event, features the best in music, comedy and dance. Bolstered by the blistering piping of a Two Time World Champion Bagpiper, the driving tones of drums from around the world, and a guitar played unlike any you’ve ever heard, standing room only audiences understand why Dig This Magazine declares “(The Terrors) one act to keep an eye on!” Combine this musical prowess with championship calibre Highland Dancers and intentionally recognized comedic performers and this Celtic Group goes beyond the ordinary. Member of the Tartan Terrors have performed on 4 different continents; in some of the most prestigious Festivals, Highland Games and Theatres of North America; for President Clinton; Queen Elizabeth II; and Good Morning America. They’re even streaming for on-demand listening in multiple international podcasts including a coveted spot on Pulse of the Planet in Spain! Join the phenomenon of the Tartan Terrors and see why Celtic Beat Magazine hails them as “the heirs apparent to the [Celtic] mayhem.”
Tickets $20

Unity Centre For the Performing Arts
42 Depot Street, Unity Maine 04988
www.unityme.org/theater
948-SHOW (948-7469)

Ian Sherwood
Thursday July 21 at 7:30 pm

Award winning songwriter, Ian Sherwood mixes catchy melodies and heart-breaking stories with intricate guitar loops, saxophones and pop/rock/jazz grooves to create music that has been described as “Traditional singer/songwriter style at it’s essence.” *. His live show can make you weep for goats, sing to Jesus and hop a boxcar to the Yukon. Ian is equally at home in front of a large festival audience or a quiet house concert. His energetic stage show and honest presentation have quickly gained him recognition as a solid performer, lyricist and player and garnered him Music Nova Scotia’s 2008 Musician of the Year award.

** “..romantic as they are clever and snarky… Sherwood has a tongue that can be firmly planted- in-cheek, in his often funny, often poignant lyrics.” — Josh Visser, Halifax Chronicle Herald

Tickets $15

The Bb Sisters with Skip Holmes
Thursday July 28 at 7:30 pm

Kimberley Holmes and Sherryl Fitzpatrick, The Bb Sisters, have emerged onto the Traditional Folk music scene as a new duo with fresh Canadian fiddle tunes. With driving Quebecois jigs and reels, traditional Cape Breton and Irish tunes, soulful slow airs enveloped in beautiful harmonies, this duo will certainly take you on a rich journey through the diverse repertoire of the Ottawa Valley, Maritimes, Quebec as well as exploring their original music. This unique duo will highlight their ability to switch from fiddle to piano as well as incorporating their beautiful blends of harmonies.

Tickets $15

Unity Centre For the Performing Arts
42 Depot Street, Unity Maine 04988
www.unityme.org/theater
948-SHOW  (948-7469)

The Kane Sisters
Thursday July 7 at 7:30 pm

From North Connemara, Liz and Yvonne Kane, known as The Kane Sisters, are much respected musicians and educators. Born in Letterfrack, they were taught music by their grandfather, local fiddle player, Jimmy Mullen and Mary Finn, a Co.Sligo musician and teacher. Liz and Yvonne first came to national and international prominence during the three year period in which they toured with accordion player, Sharon Shannon as members of her band, The Woodchoppers. They travelled all over the world with her band and are featured artists on Sharon’s album ‘The Diamond Mountain Sessions’. At that time, a Hot Press review by Siobhan Long confirmed ‘…while ‘Fire in their Bellies’ (with Liz and Yvonne Kane) is ensemble playing at its best and most naked.’ Following this period of touring with Sharon Shannon, the girls decided to embark musically on their own and they recorded their first album together entitled ‘The Well Tempered Bow’. This received rave reviews including this review from well known New York music critic, Earle Hitchner: “Aptly titled, ‘The Well-Tempered Bow’ is fine-honed unison fiddling by two musicians who know how to draw out the heat and light within a melody.

There’s no superficial flashiness substituting for a more difficult-to-achieve understanding of what makes a tune tick. This duo debut has real depth and heft, with superb accompaniment from guitarist and pianist John Blake, a member of the band Téada. The Kanes Head Up Best Traditional Albums of 2002” The Kane Sisters toured Ireland and the United States following the release of their first album and this followed with a second album entitled ‘Under the Diamond’ in 2004.

Tickets $15

The Brew
Friday, July 8th at 8:30pm

Massachusetts-based quartet The Brew cook up a musical melting pot on their brand-new, self-released album, Back to the Woods, that combines their roots in classic rock, adding ingredients of prog, jazz, reggae, world beat, indie, funk and orchestral pop, sometimes in the course of a single song. The band has been busy building a fan base by touring the northeast, playing events like the Gathering of the Vibes in Connecticut and the Up North Festival in Maine and headlining Boston’s famed Paradise Rock Club. They opened for Bruce Hornsby in 2006, and again in 2008, and were voted Best Opening Act by his fan site. This year, the band was nominated for the “Best New Groove” (Best New Artist) award at the J ammy’s in New York City’s Madison S quare Garden.

Their eclectic stylistic palette can be heard clearly on Back to the Woods, from the tribal world beat and prog-rock of “Seen It All” and the reggae rhythm of “Looking Down” to the jazz-funk and Sting-like vocal on “Control,” the lush Beach Boys a cappella harmonies of the title track and the Queen-like overkill of “Castle Walls” and the climactic “Chance Reaching.”

Tickets $12.50

Colin Grant Band
Thursday July 14 at 7:30 pm

Lingering somewhere amidst the rich, soulful roots of traditional Cape Breton music and the grooves of a thousand branches of rock and funk, Colin Grant embarks on his latest project: a dynamic and thoughtful mingling of beats and melodies from an extensive host of musical influences. Far from the awkward malaise of mohawked bag-pipers and kilted punks, the Colin Grant Band has created a kind of Celtic fusion that is as much Steely Dan and Yes, as it is Ashley MacIsaac.With a Trad trio comprised of the amazing Jason Roach on piano, and embarrassingly talented Darren MacMullen (bouzouki, mandolin, guitar, banjo) Grant hooked up with the rough and red-eyed blues/funk rhythm section of Merlin Clarke and Donnie Calabrese on bass and drums.

Together, the group produces a fervent yet calculated rhythm that backs an expressively diverse range of tunes. While the lively sound never strays too distantly from its Celtic roots, the Colin Grant Band has found an open ear in everyone from indie scenesters to blue-haired bingo stampers. Colin has just released his second full-length album, Fun For the Whole Family-a highly anticipated follow-up to the acclaimed Colin Grant solo debut.

Tickets $15

Unity Centre For the Performing Arts
42 Depot Street, Unity Maine 04988
www.unityme.org/theater
948-SHOW  (948-7469)

Girsa
Thursday June 16 at 7:30 pm

The women of Girsa have all known each other since they were very young, growing up participating in Irish music and dance in their community of Pearl River, New York. Most of them come from musical families, with their parents having learned Irish traditional music from such greats as Martin Mulvihill, Maureen Glynn Connelly, and Pete Kelly. Some of their parents and their lifelong friends carry on this great tradition by teaching music in the community. “We loved playing together so much that we started our own band just over 6 years ago and called it Girsa, which means “young girls” in Gaelic. We’ve been having tons of fun ever since!”

Tickets $15

Lennie Gallant
Thursday June 23 at 7:30 pm

Recognized by his peers as one of Canada’s best performing songwriters, Lennie Gallant is a native of Prince Edward Island now living in Nova Scotia. This prolific songwriter has recorded nine albums (seven in English and two in French), which have won him a host of awards and nominations from both the JUNOs and East Coast Music Awards. His album, “When We Get There” was nominated for a JUNO Award and went into space aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour in July 2009. Canadian astronaut Julie Payette chose the album for the astronaut crew to enjoy. With the release of “If We Had A Fire” in 2009 he claims it is his best work yet. Recorded in beautiful St Cecilia Studios on the outskirts of Halifax, the album holds 14 new Gallant songs, performed by the artist and some of the best musicians the East Coast has to offer. “If We Had A Fire” Won the 2010 “Roots Recording of the Year” at the East Coast Music Awards. He has shared the stage with such accomplished songwriters as Lucinda Williams, Roger Hodgson (Supertramp), Patti Griffin, and Ron Sexsmith and has represented Canada at songwriter events in Nashville, London, and Texas. “Our northern neighbor has given us some of the best songwriters living today. You can add Lennie Gallant to that list.” — The Performing Songwriter

Tickets $20

The Outside Track
Thursday June 30 at 7:30 pm

A stunning synthesis of virtuosity and energy, The Outside Track’s marriage of Canadian, Scottish and Irish music and song has been rapturously received around the world. Hailing from Scotland, Ireland, Cape Breton and Vancouver, its five members are united by a love of traditional music and a commitment to creating new music on its foundation. Using fiddle, accordion, harp, guitar, flute, step-dance and vocals these five virtuosos blend boundless energy with unmistakable joie de vivre. Each player within The Outside Track is a master of their chosen instrument with the band stacking up an impressive amount of international awards. This amount of talent alone would be enough to recommend the band but in this case the end result is so much greater than the sum of the parts. The line up comprises Norah Rendell (Canadian Traditional Singer of the Year nominee), Mairi Rankin (Beolach), Ailie Robertson (Live Ireland Winner, BBC Young Trad Finalist), Fiona Black (BBC Fame Academy Winner), and Cillian O’Dalaigh. The band have enjoyed 5 years of extensive touring in the UK, Europe, Canada and the USA, including appearances at Celtic Connections, Celtic Colours, Goderich, Mission, Memoire et Racines, Sidmouth, and Whitby Festivals.

Tickets $15

Unity Centre For the Performing Arts
42 Depot Street, Unity Maine 04988
www.unityme.org/theater
948-SHOW (948-7469)

Buddy MacDonald & Rachel Davis
Thursday June 2 at 7:30 pm

Buddy’s career as a singer, song-writer, entertainer, began thirty years ago.Born and brought up on the Northern Shores of Cape Breton Island, he was exposed at an early age, to the singing and story telling of some of the great Celtic singers of his native Island. Much of his song-writing is still influenced by this style he was so familiar with as a young boy. Over the years he has travelled and entertained audiences throughout Canada, the United States, Germany, Scotland and the Scandinavian countries, performing as a solo act and in different combinations with other musicians from Cape Breton. He has performed on stage with many of Eastern Canada’s traditional artists such as Natalie MacMaster, Howie Mac Donald, Ashley MacIssac, Dave MacIssac, John Allan Cameron and more. Since Celtic Colours International Festival began ten years ago, Buddy has been the host of the late night Festival Club, and has performed over various parts of the Island with Scotland?s Dougie MacLean,Archie Fisher, Irelands Tommy Makem, Michael Black, and hosts of other artists from all over the world of music.

Now considered one of the best young Cape Breton style players currently on the go, Rachel Davis was fortunate enough to be the recipient of the 2009 Frank “Big Sampy” Sampson Award, which is sponsored by the Celtic Colours Festival Volunteer Driver Association, and Lakewind Sound Studios, giving financial aid for a Cape Breton artist to record their first CD. Her self-titled debut album was released during the Celtic Colours Festival that October, with a CD release party held at the late night Festival Club. Her CD has received rave reviews, with articles in the Cape Breton Post, Rambles.net, fRoots magazine, and Penguin Eggs Magazine. Cuts from Rachel’s debut album have been featured on promotional CDs for Lakewind Sound Studios and Cape Breton University.
Tickets $15

The Nuala Kennedy Band
Thursday June 9 at 7:30 pm

Nuala Kennedy is a singer and flautist playing traditional music from Scotland, Ireland and the fathomless realms of her own imagination. She is currently promoting her second solo album released on Compass Records in 2010.

Tickets $15

Girsa
Thursday June 16 at 7:30 pm

The women of Girsa have all known each other since they were very young, growing up participating in Irish music and dance in their community of Pearl River, New York. Most of them come from musical families, with their parents having learned Irish traditional music from such greats as Martin Mulvihill, Maureen Glynn Connelly, and Pete Kelly. Some of their parents and their lifelong friends carry on this great tradition by teaching music in the community. “We loved playing together so much that we started our own band just over 6 years ago and called it Girsa, which means “young girls” in Gaelic. We’ve been having tons of fun ever since!

Tickets $15

All dates & performers subject to change.
Call 207 948-SHOW for latest update or email show@unitymaine.org.

John Sullivan, Gen. Manager
42 Depot Street
207 948-SHOW
show@unitymaine.org

Directions to Unity Centre
42 Depot Street in Unity, Maine

From Points South:
From I-95, take exit 132 (Fairfield/Benton). Follow Route 139 east to Unity (about a 20 minute drive). At the blinking caution light in Unity, go left onto Main Street (Route 202/9). About a block later, take a right at the Moose onto Depot Street. Look for our sign on the left.

From Belfast:
Take Route 137 toward Freedom. You’ll wind through some pretty countryside for about 15 minutes. At the caution light atop Knox Ridge, take a right onto Route 220. Follow the signs into Unity. Take a left onto Depot Street (Route 139). You’ll see our sign on the right.

From Points North:
Take I-95 South. Just south of Bangor, take exit 174 (Carmel/Winterport) and go left toward Newburgh. After a 5 minute ride, turn right onto Route 202/9. From here it’s a 20 minute ride to Unity. In Unity take a left at the Moose onto Depot Street. You’ll see our sign on the left.

The Press Gang
Thursday May 19 at 7:30 pm

A bold new sound has emerged in New England’s traditional music scene: The Press Gang fuses the talents of squeezebox player Christian “Junior” Stevens, fiddler Alden Robinson, and guitarist Owen Marshall into a high-octane musical partnership. The trio blends their skill and fluency in traditional Irish music with their curiosity and aptitude for other styles. The result is a unique sound—at once energetic and sensitive, innovative and reverent. A debut CD, to be released in the spring of 2010, gives a generous helping of Irish tunes spiced with Appalachian music and original compositions. The joy that these musicians take from playing with each other shines brightly, both in the recording and on the stage.

Tickets $15

Cadence
Monday May 23 at 7:30 pm

Four men. Four microphones. No instruments. This is the formula for Canada’s celebrated vocal band, Cadence.Combining the lyricism of Stan Getz, the sophisticated harmonies of the Count Basie Big Band and the devil-may-care attitude of Louis Prima, this fabulous foursome has been entertaining audiences worldwide for over a decade with their innovative jazz arrangements, genre-hopping covers and eclectic originals. With an infectious energy and a good measure of wild stage antics, this cool cat rat pack of musical misfits is guaranteed to leave you shouting out for more. “One of the finest quartets to make an appearance in the a cappella scene,” Cadence continues to thrill its fans night after night by pushing a cappella music to new heights and demonstrating that the human voice has no limits. Cadence’s three-time Juno-nominated albums have been met with wide critical acclaim, having received numerous awards and nominations including Best Jazz Song, Best Original Composition and Best Rock/Pop Album (CARA AWARDS.) Their 2005 release Twenty for One was nominated for the Juno Award for Best Vocal Jazz Album alongside such established musical mainstays as Diana Krall and Paul Anka. Most recently, Cadence’s 2010 release – Speak Easy – hit the Top Ten on the Jazz Radio charts in France.

Tickets $15

Cynthia MacLeod
Thursday May 26 at 7:30 pm

From her home base in tiny Prince Edward Island, Canada, fiddling sensation Cynthia MacLeod has built an international reputation that is expanding around the globe. It’s a reputation founded in raw talent, nurtured by boundless energy, and polished to a gleaming finish by a touring schedule that has taken her across Canada, through New England, and as far away as Japan. And all this before she’s 25 years old. In that time, she has produced three critically-acclaimed (and top-selling) CDs. Head Over Heels (2002) won her instant credibility with a hard-bitten music industry and was named Album of the Year. Her second CD, Crackerjack (2004), built on her growing reputation as a precise, lively interpreter of traditional fiddle music. Hot Off The Floor (2007) combined that traditional sound with newer compositions and cemented Cynthia’s place among the very best in East Coast fiddle music.

Tickets $15)

Unity Centre For the Performing Arts
42 Depot Street, Unity Maine 04988
www.unityme.org/theater
948-SHOW  (948-7469)