Bald Hill

New Gloucester Newgrass

Tag: gritty mcduff’s

Sound & Color Collide this Saturday Night at SBE

March 6, 2023 /

AUBURN, Maine — Don’t miss Bald Hill’s show here at Side By Each Brewing Co. this Saturday night, March 11. And don’t miss the new and distinctive splash of color behind the band.

Area quilt artist and BH super fan Sharon Vandermay has fashioned — for the common musical good — a sound-absorbing backdrop of riotous color that debuted late in January, the last time Bald Hill played SBE. On that occasion, the expansive coverlet was suspended in rusticated-but-not-so-efficient fashion between two ladders. On Saturday, like the band, it will perform to its full breadth and capabilities, thanks to a custom stand.

As Fernando Lamas made clear, it’s more important to look good than to feel good. It’s better still to sound good, and the new quilt will play a vital role there.

Bald Hill, those surprisingly hep purveyors of blues-inflected newgrass, folk rock and Americana, prefer to perform around a condenser microphone or two, moving back and forth in the old-time, Appalachian style. No need to plug in each instrument, or multiple “dynamic” mics: The condenser picks everything up and relays a pure, unadulterated sound to the audience.

Condenser mics are very sensitive, however. They pick up every little sound in a room, even those that might have ricocheted off walls and ceilings back toward the performers. This results in the feedback. The new quilt will serve to absorb those ricochets from behind, and reduce feedback, even when BH deploys common/dynamic mics. While all the while looking totally fabulous. Click on the picture to enlarge and better appreciate its detail.

Bald Hill at Davinci’s Friday night, April 15

April 13, 2022 /

LEWISTON, Maine — Bald Hill, those surprisingly hep purveyors of blues-inflected newgrass, folk rock and Americana, will drop into the Grappa Room, here at Davinci’s Italian Eatery, this Friday evening, April 15, from 6-9 p.m.

Davinci’s, home to the best pizza and pasta in the Twin Cities, has started hosting live music this spring. On Thursday nights, local acts have been holding court in the expansive bar area. On Friday nights, starting with Friday’s Bald Hill show, the music will move into the Grappa Room, where two large, garage-sized doors will open — essentially connecting this erstwhile banquet space with the bar space.

Bald Hill will preside therein, around a central mic, with an acoustic set of bluegrass, alt-country and traditional tunes. Rumor has it that, come Friday evening, several new selections will be test-driven inside Davinci’s massive, brick-bedecked, former mill space.

Be advised that Bald Hill will be popping up and dropping in to play music all over Maine this spring. Fresh of its triumphant All Dead Revue, which drew 200 patrons and exhausted the glass supply at Side By Each Brewery on April 2, BH will take the Revue on the road in May — up north, to the Blue Ox Saloon in Millinocket, on May 28. That show will benefit Boreal Theater Community Arts. Three days later, the band will feature at the Music for Mavis concert series on the town green in Turner, May 31.

Bald Hill is poised to confirm several more dates for June and beyond. For news of those shows, stay glued to this space.

Bald Hill Brings the Music Back: at Side By Each, Oct. 30

October 26, 2021 /

AUBURN, Maine — Wondering what to do the night before Halloween? Join Bald Hill, those surprisingly hep purveyors of blues-inflected newgrass, folk rock and Americana, at the Side By Each Brewing Co., starting at 7 p.m.

Side By Each has quickly built an extraordinary reputation for amazing beer and food, all of it served in lively, socially responsible environs. But the award-winning brewery (home to the Humble Brag double IPA) has not hosted live music since, you know, before that thing… Bald Hill is proud bring it back this Saturday night, 30 October.

The Great State of Maine boasts so many breweries these days, it’s hard to keep them all straight. But Side By Each in Auburn, located at 110 Minot Ave. (just West of Mac’s Grille), is different. The beer is excellent, always a dozen or more on tap in a wide variety of styles. But there the ordinary falls away.

Side By Each is a socially responsible, sustainable operation. What does that mean? In addition to beers on tap, the growler culture is strongly fostered here. Glass jugs (and kegs) are filled to order, on site, via a handy-dandy apparatus that preserves beer quality far longer than your average tap-filled jug. The space itself is sprawling, to allow for a socially distanced experience. If that’s what you want. If not, belly up to the giant horseshoe-shaped bar.

Here’s another thing: No tipping at Side By Each, because the owners, both veterans of Maine’s elite brewing culture, are committed to paying their employees a living wage. Starting early in the morning, said staff brews up CBD coffee and espresso drinks, to sell alongside locally made pastries and breakfast sandwiches. Pinky D’s Poutine Factory, recently called out by Downeast magazine as one of Maine’s top 5 food trucks, prepares lunch and dinner from its new kitchen inside the Side By Each space.

As a New Gloucester-based 5 piece, Bald Hill has (you may have noticed) developed a real fondness for the beer, space, ethos and food at Side By Each. We recommend the Korean-style BBQ poutine, the Kuriro rice lager (Kuriro is Japanese for “Auburn”), and the German Weissbier known as Jam on Toast.  We also recommend you try them Saturday night, starting at around 7 p.m.

Bald Hill back at Gritty’s Saturday night, March 7

March 2, 2020 /

AUBURN — Bald Hill, those surprising hep purveyors of blues-infused newgrass, folk rock and Americana, will return to Gritty McDuff’s Brewing Co. for a pair of shows this spring — the first being this Saturday night, March 7.

The music runs from 8-11 p.m., but no harm in arriving beforehand to secure primo seating, indulge in some of Gritty’s stellar pub fare, and partake of the beers that pioneered Maine’s craft-brew scene.

Bald Hill will return to Gritty’s in Auburn for another show on May 9, so mark your calendars accordingly.

For those of you who’ve never visited, the Gritty’s in Auburn is the most sumptuous and scenic of all the Gritty locations. It fronts on Main Street but the picture windows out back look out over the pub’s sprawling deck, Great Falls and the Mighty Androscoggin River. For those of you who’ve not partaken of the Bald Hill experience, well… get ready for songs from the varied likes of Patsy Montana, Prince, Richard Thompson, Dolly Parton, Elvis, Son Volt, The Stones, The Dead, Hank Williams, Crosby Stills & Nash, The Band and Delbert McClinton.

And that’s just the first set…

Cabin-Fever Reliever: BH to rock Gritty’s Saturday night

March 30, 2017 /

 

AUBURN, Maine — Okay, so there’s a bit of snow forecast for Saturday. And yes, by then it will be April.

However, not going out that Saturday night — NOT coming to see Bald Hill lay down its surprisingly hip purveyance of blues-inflected newgrass, folk and Americana — would be like giving up.

Don’t let the meteorologists win.

Come on out to Gritty McDuff’s Brewing Co. here in Auburn — on the banks of the Mighty Androscoggin — and let Bald Hill entertain you this Saturday night, April 1, starting at 8 p.m.

Don’t worry about the snow. The forecast calls for the storm to have well passed by show time. Even if it hasn’t, you can throw your car in the garage across the street! That’s right: Park it in these luxurious, covered confines and leave your dual scraper/snow brush at home.

Did we mention that parking in this municipal garage — positioned directly across from Gritty’s, with entrances on both Main Street and Mechanics Row — is free? Well, it is.

So come on down, park for nothin’, have a pint and listen to a couple sets of Bald Hill takes on John Prine, Van Morrison, Nancy Sinatra, Gillian Welch, Prince, Clapton, Richard Thompson, the Seldom Scene, the Dead, Hank Williams, Youngbloods, Ryan Adams, Steve Earle, Son Volt, Credence, Tom Waits, Lucinda Williams, Loretta Lynn and even a timely homage to that Handsome Brown-Eyed Man, the dearly departed Chuck Berry.

Still in the glow, Bald Hill returns to Gritty’s in Auburn on May 21

May 20, 2016 /

AUBURN, Maine — You never know what’s gonna happen when Bald Hill takes the stage.

The band returns here to Gritty McDuff’s Brewing Co., hard by the Mighty Androscoggin, on Saturday night, May 21. The music starts at 8 p.m.  But when the headliner is New Gloucester-based Bald Hill — those surprisingly hip purveyors of blues-inflected newgrass, folk and Americana — expect the unexpected.

IMG_0591*Saturday night’s show, for example, will feature a pair of guest artists: blues harmonica virtuoso Mark Peterson and vocalist Emily Edwards.

The band returns to the Twin Cities on Friday night June 3, with an 8 p.m. show at She Doesn’t Like Guthries Restaurant & Café (show up and you might just hear some Prince). Another fun date — a barn party celebrating the 10th anniversary of New Gloucester’s charming Chandler House B&B — will take place on Thursday evening, June 9.

However, the most seismic, unpredictable Bald Hill event took place on May 14. The band had been lured out to Peaks Island in order to play a set and join in celebrating the birthday of drummer Kim Chasse. Kim has played in a number of bands over the years, and so a huge collection of fellow musicians and friends packed, then totally rocked the Lions Club in all-out, hootenanny fashion.

Halfway through Bald Hill’s set, Kim and BH lead singer Renée St. Jean — who’ve been an item for some time — excused themselves, ostensibly to mingle with all the family and friends who’d gathered on the island. When the set ended, Kim reemerged on stage in coat and tie. Then, as a saxophone belted out the familiar processional, Renée — also changed into formal dress — walked deliberately through the parting crowd with a bouquet of flowers in hand.

Yes, a surprise wedding! Of the hundreds in attendance, only the sax player, Mike Abbott, Kim and Renée knew of this grand design in advance. Bald Hill mando player and officer of the court Ben DeTroy was also in on the secret. He had to be: Ben married the happy couple at center stage. Newly betrothed and still formally clad, Kim and Renée rejoined the musicians on stage for two additional hours of rollicking performance.

A special shout-out is due drummer Tom Schipper, who sat in for Kim and unwittingly made this spectacular ruse possible.

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The happy couple, at center, poses for pictures while the music plays on.

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