If you want your party to be AMAZING and your people like to dance. YOU MUST HIRE THEM!!! We have…read morehad the pleasure of watching them preform two years in a row! When we decided to have a party instead of a traditional wedding reception they were THE ONLY CHOICE... if we couldn't book them we were not going to have a party!

Are you getting dancing fever? Do you feel your feet tapping and your leg wiggling? Do you feel…read morelike Groovin and movin? If you have any of the symptoms then you've come to the right place. The Carmine Band is a great example of what fun, live music should be. I've seen these guys a few times at Thatchers, in South Portland, and (full disclosure) I'm friends with Carmine and his family. (BUT, I feel as though I would be writing the exact same review if I barely knew them.) They play weddings and live gigs all over the state. I would definitely hire these guys if I was looking for a wedding band! I know that Carmine takes his music seriously enough to have it be fun, sound great, and keep people up dancing. I've even seen him record a song written by the father of the bride for the bride so that they would have a copy of it. How awesome is that? In addition to their band playing great live music, Carmine is just an all-around super sweet, nice guy. Don't worry about disco fever, if you got the blues, or Beatles mania. The Carmine Band can cure it all!

Larry was so helpful and best of all the music was amazing. He helped us with scheduling the day…read moreand did a great job moving the party along. If you want an experienced professional who brings an outstanding musical ensemble, then you want the Larry Williams band!

From the owner: The Larry Williams Band is a 9 piece band performing music from 8 decades for multiple generations…read more We customize our performances for special events, weddings, private parties, corporate events and night clubs. Larry's musicians are all highly skilled professionals who combine their formal musical training with street knowledge producing a high energy band capable of keeping you on the dance floor all night! Additionally, Larry takes the time to know his clients and their musical needs. The band rehearses regularly and prepares for each special performance by constantly updating its repertoire. From the early arrival and set-up, to the final note and load out, The Larry Williams Band sets the bar of professionalism quite high. Taking directly from the blueprint of The Tony Boffa Band, Larry continues onward with Tony's tradition of providing live musical entertainment for multiple generations of audiences along with service second to none!

This is the place to go for guitars and guitar gear in Portland…read more The staff is great, the prices are excellent, and the vibe is cool. They recently helped me re-setup my Tele after I screwed it all up by adjusting the neck on my own. They did great work, and got my guitar back in shape pronto. Best of all, unlike the corporate bozos over at Guitar Center, Buckdancer's won't try to upsell you at every opportunity.

I bought a very pretty Martin guitar to get back into playing (45 years since high school) I didn't…read moreunderstand that with the quality of the wood it needed to be hydrated in winter months when the house gets dry. So it cracked! Buckdancer's were able to fix the crack (it happened two years in a row) beautifully and did not charge me an arm and a leg to do so - reasonable price! The guys working there are really great. I have had a good experience shopping there over the years for myself or grown children. Highly recommended! Phinneas, the owner, is a very nice man too! PS They gave me some great advice on hydrating gear to protect the guitar going forward as well.

My wife and I recently went to our first show at Blue the other night. Had never really known it…read morewas a spot prior to this concert. It was an album release party for local pop-punk/emo band Broadwing. The card featured other local bands as well as a New England DJ. I know now that some shows at Blue are free or minimal cover which is great. Tickets for this show ended up being $12 which is a great value for a concert/night out. Hard to find tickets that cheap nowadays. The person working the door was friendly and had our name already so didn't even need to pull the tickets up. Bartenders were friendly and the drinks were well made. I especially liked their spicy cocktail Bing Bong which had the perfect kick to it! Prices were reasonable for drinks as well. Venue is on the small side as expected but had a great vibe for intimate smaller shows. Even with a sold-out show it was not overpacked. The acoustics and sound were good for a smaller venue as well. If you love smaller concerts I would recommend checking out their event schedule to see if something piques your interest. Also if you are a fan of pop punk music then do yourself a favor and check out Broadwing (especially their song New England Baby)! Very down to earth friendly band!

The online presence of Blue is a dumpster fire. Why do I need to enter my contact information just…read moreto see what's happening tonight? If I don't, there is NO current reliable information on who's scheduled. Pathetic and unreliable. I'm not doing it. I've enjoyed many evenings there, but the basic management of the venue is a joke. It will be a shame when it closes. What acts are scheduled for the NEXT WEEK? How difficult is that to maintain? Apparently, it's not possible.

Michael has been teaching my daughter (age 13) for a year now. She has improved and grown as a…read moremusician. She loves going to piano. Michael is very respectful and kind, incredibly approachable and responsive. I highly recommend him for piano lessons for any age.

From the owner: Piano and Hammond B3 Organ lessons online and in Portland, ME…read more Solo pianist/ organist and musical ensembles for events and weddings in Maine, NH and Massachusetts.

As a musician who has recorded at Acadia with multiple bands, I can safely say that this studio is…read morea true gem of the Portland music scene. Todd has an excellent ear, from detecting when any instrument or voice is slightly out of tune to determining the exact effect or mix to bring out the best in every track. His suggestions are tasteful and non-intrusive, and respectful of the artist's original vision. Though I'm admittedly a fan of the convenience of digital recording via ProTools, Acadia also has the ability to record to analogue tape for that oldschool sound. The studio's selection of gear, amps, and mics is also second to none-- I always feel like a kid in a candy store. My hardest decision is usually, "would this song benefit more from some vintage tape delay, or that giant reverb tank?" I'm constantly looking for an excuse to get back here and do more work.

From the owner: -2" 24 track analogue -Digital ProTools HD…read more-Original 1/4" tube analogue recording equipment from the 1950s, for truly authentic vintage sound -Piles of new/vintage instruments, mics, and outboard gear -plate reverb -big live room with isolation booths -convenient bayside location, free parking -hourly and day lockout rates available

Been here a few times for karaoke night, and always loved it. It's extremely LGBT friendly which is…read morea plus as I'm non binary. The vibes are amazing. Stickers everywhere, giant skeletons, it definitely looks like a rock club. Their Jell-O shots are amazing, and they have great deals for drinks!

This place has rocked since before it was on Congress Street. The bar that started the Portland…read morePunk scene with Kip Brown in the 70s. Continuing it with is daughter Gina who is the Princess of punk is this town! A true punk, metal, queer rock and roll bar. The coolest place since CBGBs! This is the real deal. Metal and punk are queer AF so it only makes sense that this amazing place is all of the above! The Island of the Misfit Toys!!!!!

Fabulous (as always)! We have really enjoyed attending the Magic of Christmas over the last few…read moreyears and this year was no exception. We really enjoyed all the music and it was a treat to hear Julia Gagnon perform with them this year. The conductor always does a wonderful job of interacting with the audience and creating a fun, welcoming atmosphere. The musicians are so talented and we enjoy the music each time we attend. I also feel as though the price for tickets are very reasonable, so I recommend checking out a concert if you're able!

Good for a small city symphony. The trumpets were held WAY back, like parts that should be forte,…read morewhich means really loud with bite, were very soft and quiet. The Bangor symphony a ways back, maybe 2019 did a Star Wars tribute, with actors and 6 French horns, a large bone section and very loud trumpets. That was awesome. Thai conductor now with Portland does not like brass, they play way too quiet and don't sell the big passages.

Yesterday John Barton at Friendly River Music added 30 years to my life...seriously!…read more I was out for a drive in the country with my wife and we happened to find ourselves in village of Cornish, Maine. For those unfamiliar, Cornish would be the Wikipedia entry under "quaint New England village." I asked if she wouldn't mind a little detour. I told her how in one of my past lives in the early 1980's I used to go with my bandmates to a very small guitar shop out in the middle of nowhere: Friendly River. John Barton started his store sometime in the 70's. The fact that he is still in thriving with his small shop in the age of big box retailers like Guitar Center and Sam Ash is nothing short of remarkable. The fact that he has built a global base of customers including many well-known celebrity guitarist from a barn on a riverbank in rural...and we are talking rural, Maine is nothing short of a miracle. How did he do it? Having been out of the music business for some time, I'm always a little shy about reminiscing, especially with someone who continues to walk the walk. John greeted me with warmth and spent the better part of a half-hour sharing stories of my past life as a musician. Much to my surprise, he even remembered one of my old bands, "The Coon Cats," which enjoyed some modest success in the emerging country-punk, rockabilly scene in the 1980's. He treated me as if I'd been a loyal customer for the past 30 years...and the fact is I had never bought anything from him! I was not a guitar player in those days; I was a drummer. I used to ride along with my guitar player friends and bandmates to carry and occasionally finance their purchases at Friendly River. I did remember John's expertise and honesty... ...and those are the characteristics that account for his continued success. John has customers all over the world who will call him for an order and trust him to ship vintage and high-end musical instruments simply on his reputation. Many actually travel to Maine specifically to shop at Friendly River- and he's glad to accomodate them. Now at this point in the story I should tell you that part of one of my regular, intentional mid-life crises I decided to play guitar. I'd hacked on it for years, but wanted now to get serious. I recently visited one of the big boxes and left, happily, with a Chinese made Fender Telecaster and a small practice amp. No complaints... However- I'm starting to get fussy about my sound, I'm growing in my technique and I'm ready for an upgrade. With this in mind, John could have sold me just about any vintage instrument that would satisfy my growing passion for surf guitar. (He did, in fact, show me a collector's Fender Jaguar in the neighborhood of $6,000!) He could easily have preyed on my enthusiasm and my middle-aged sense of status purchasing. Instead, he asked me what type of playing I was into and what kind of sound I was looking for. Instead of dazzling me with technical specs, which he is fully capable of, he gave me a tour of the various features of several instruments from a player's perspective. Instead of the Jaguar, he steered me toward a $1,200 used Stratocaster, though he did take advantage of a moment of weakness and had me drooling over a DiPinto Galaxie after he established our mutual admiration of the surf revivalists, Los Straightjackets. The DiPitro was priced at about $600, a considerable drop from the $6,000 Jaguar. Obviously, this is one of the reasons John has such a loyal and lasting clientele. I was very pleased to hear that he was not only surviving, but thriving. Many businesses, particularly those dealing in largely discretionary spending have closed their doors over the past few years. I assumed that part of John's success selling high-end musical instruments from his wilderness outpost was a savvy exploitation of online sales and internet marketing... ...Nope. He does have a website, barely. You really can't order anything from his site- he says give him a call or send him an email and tell him what you're looking for. So what are the keys to his success and why should you buy your next guitar, amp or other fretted instrument at Friendly River? 1) Expertise & Experience - John Barton has been in the music business nearly 40 years as a retailer, collector, technician and musician. He has remained focused and true to his vision throughout. He knows what is current, and possesses an encyclopedic knowledge of the vintage and collector's market. 2) Sincerity and Honesty - As I said, he could have sold me about anything. I left the shop with information and a greater understanding of exactly what instrument would satisfy my ability and interest. I did NOT leave with a guitar. I did leave with the surety that Friendly River is where I will be purchasing my next one. 3) Remote and somewhat inconvenient location - I know, that's usually NOT a benefit...but this trip is really worth the effort!

No other guitar shop has stood up to the experience and expectations set by Friendly River. I've…read morebought and traded many pieces of gear here over the years, even though I have been living across the country for over 20 years, I have never been in another shop that doesn't make me think about jumping on a plane to go to the shop I really want to be at.

We hired Greg to DJ our wedding and we could not be happier with out choice. He was so much fun…read more He kept the night running smooth. He is a down to earth fun guy with lots of experience in the music industry (look up Santa rap on YouTube) including DJing, karaoke, lighting and he has done so many awesome events(including some acting). He was easy to work with and easy to get a hold of. I loved his website for clients, in which I got to create my playlist for the night, create an itinerary for the night and input lots of other information to plan our celebration. On the day of our event he set up uplifting and a light show behind his DJ booth. He kept the crowd dancing and engaged in the festivities. The place was big so we had some difficulty hearing him in he back. He did some late night karaoke, complete with all the words music and mics. He took song requests and kept an upbeat vibe with the occasional love song for the happy newly weds. I would recommend him for any event. He was awesome!

From the owner: Started as a DJ services company with retail dj karaoke store in 1980's.DJ services and rentals now…read more,out of our Route 1 SACO ,Maine.