It was ok. I just don't think it's worth the 30$ cover charge to get in. Drinks were mediocre for…read morean espresso martini. For that price of a cover charge I would expect my martini in a glass cup vs a plastic one. The barn itself is nice if you were to host an event however going for live music wasn't worth the price IMO

Excellent venue to go to! Reasonable prices and clean!! Everyone is so friendly and welcoming!!read more

Great Holiday Show by the POS, atmosphere and seating was perfect. The music was really nice, I…read morewould have wanted to hear more of the Classic Christmas tunes than what they chose but it was still enjoyable.

We have seen PSO shows at the Merrill. The Magic of Christmas and Star Wars a New Hope…read more Both shows were fantastic! The seats were comfortable and not too cramped. You can clearly see the stage and the instrument sounds filled the venue beautifully. The volunteers were so nice and definitely have a pep in their step. There many of them, there to greet and bring you to the general area of your seats. I say general area, because one actually brought us to the opposite end of the row were were seated. It's ok, we were there early and just walked back around. She apologized, when she saw us walking back the other way. As expected with older venues - there are a lot of stairs to traverse if you are in the balcony - this your warning. Drinks and restrooms are not available at every level, so make sure you plan accordingly. Parking is separate and it's not a bad walk - just wear comfortable shoes, so you don't twist your ankle. Security was friendly - expect the metal detectors, wanding, emptying of pockets and searching of bags. Typical for most venues. We look forward to our next show this year!

What a gem! This cozy, intimate venue is perfect. The facilities are well done and nicely…read moreappointed, the food and food service is great, the acoustics are good. We had a great time and highly recommend this place.

It's a great place to see a show. The food is better than what one might expect. The staff is…read moreamazing.

It is a very interesting and beautiful house. Bright & airy. Meticulously restored. Elegant yet…read morewarm and friendly. Incredible woodwork throughout the house. Lots of thoughtful amenities throughout. It's a treat to stay at this house.

ORIGIN: In the course of preserving a landmark home that…read moresits on top of a hill overlooking the Penobscot Bay, Justin Cooper, a co-owner/musician, has recently transformed the enclosed front porch into a music and special event venue. The site named after the towering elm trees that populate the town. CONCEPT: The event space brings life back into the former 18,000 square foot circa 1895 residential building, and provides a community music venue in which neighbors can gather and hear a variety of musicians from across the country. EXPERIENCE: I experienced a performance of the Young Fables, a musical and real life female/male duo formed by Laurel Wright and Wes Lunsford. The duo was on tour in the region, and hail from Tennessee. They had been solicited by The Elms at Castine owner to perform two consecutive summer nights. Justin Cooper introduced the duo, and set an expectation that everyone would hear the entire performance. The makeshift performance space is narrow, holding 12 large round tables, each accompanying four guests. To further reduce distractions, a fifteen minute intermission was scheduled between the 8:30-10:30 PM performance. The intermission allowed time for community connections, which is a significant component of events at The Elms at Castine. Given the residential building most recently served as an inn, there is a bar near the performance area, and guests are able to bring their purchases to their assigned tables. In speaking to homeowners in the community, it is clear that they appreciate the addition of an evening entertainment venue. I was impressed by the talent of the duo, Laurel's voice, and Wes's guitar playing, an opinion shared by the audience. Although an audiophile, such as my husband or professional musician could notice some acoustic issues due to the makeshift performance environment, it was not apparent to me. TIPS: Upcoming performances are listed on the website, and tickets can sell out quickly. By clicking "buy on map" customers can view and select seats that are available. There is an Americans with Disabilities Act compliant ramp to help those who need it, but to avoid interior steps into the main performance space those with disabilities will need to reserve a special, limited "VIP" seating area that overlooks the enclosed porch. Unfortunately this area currently demands an additional charge, 50% more than the $40 general admission.

We loved this venue. Came here to see The Revivalists / Rustic Overtones and the amenities were…read moreclean, the people that were working were fantastic, we got the fresh pizza right out of the oven (they even gave us a pager to let us know the food was ready). The sound was fantastic, and the venue sits on a slight slope so you still have great seats way in the back to see everything. We will definitely be back.

We were pleasantly surprised with our first visit to Bowl in the Pines in Sidney. As we were in…read moreline to check in my husband pointed out the stage. I said "wait...right there?" There is no bad viewing area even in the far back. A lot of people in chairs, which personally I don't understand, but still a lot of standing room. In fact we were so close we had to move back because my oldish ears couldn't handle it. Spin Doctors, The Gin Blossoms and Blues Traveler put on a great 90s throw back concert. The drink lines were painfully long and they ran out of some a couple of times but kept restocking. Many food trucks to choose from. It is definitely worth a trip up there. They run a good show and it's a beautiful location. Small and intimate.

For a smaller sized music venue in Portland it's a really solid spot. Came here for a show for the…read morefirst time last night. It featured an opening band called Canopy from New Haven CT and the headliner was called High Fade all the way from Scotland. They are funk meets rock group but really played songs with lots of different genres. The musical talent of all three members were off the charts, worth seeing for sure! We got here before opening and a short line had formed and we got inside right on time in a quick manner. Friendly staff all around and they have a lower level, like a pit along with some tables and an upper section as well. Lots of people but it didn't feel crammed which was great. Good tap list of local craft beers and appeared to be some cocktails that could be made as well. Overall solid location to see some local or more under the radar artists!

Keeping in context that this is a medium-sized venue, I thought that the experience generated in…read morethe space was excellent! Clean bathrooms, an easy-to-access and well-staffed bar and a really unique vibe created!

Great setting. Variety of music. Good food. Appreciate introduction asks you not to chat while…read moreperformance is goi g on. Very respectful audiences.

Recently attended a one-man show at Cadenza and loved all parts of the experience…read more Check out their calendar of events; they feature lots of local talent as well as some national acts. Cadenza itself is a comfortable performance space with tables scattered around what may be a dance floor (?) with a well-lit and audio-connected stage for the performers. You can order drinks and small snacks, like chips, at the bar, and you can also order pizza from a local spot that will deliver to Cadenza, but the night we were there, they were backed up, and they were not able to deliver food for an hour and a half! That was the ONLY disappointing part of the night. Otherwise, it was all GREAT!