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Tag: live performance

  • La Kermesse Franco-Americaine and Skowhegan Farmer’s Market in June

    "The La Kermesse float passes on Jefferson Street in Biddeford as riders wave to spectators during a parade kicking off the 36th annual La Kermesse Franco-Americaine Festival. — Staff photo by Derek Davis." This is a quotation from the Portland Press Herald website describing the original photo. The float includes many of the circular emblems for the festival, which include a green frog and the year, as well as "C'est le temps," the motto of La Kermesse.
    Photo from the Portland Press Herald: “A parade through downtown Biddeford kicks off the 36th annual La Kermesse Franco-Americaine Festival. The La Kermesse float passes on Jefferson Street as riders wave to spectators.” (Photo by Derek Davis/Staff Photographer)

    Two new performance dates in June to share, and both are in the spirit of intimacy, “plein-air,” perception, and local community. I’m especially honored to play at La Kermesse Franco-Americaine Festival this year. The festival has served to preserve French Canadian heritage in Biddeford-Saco, Maine for over 40 years. A lot of my middle school students and their families know it simply as their local fair. I’ll be playing for 90 minutes, with a mix of my own stuff and covers, perhaps some in French! I’m thinking especially of “Le temps de vivre” by Georges Moustaki—one because it’s the summer solstice; and two, because the festival’s motto is “C’est le temps.” “It’s time.“

    La Kermesse Franco-Americaine Festival is June 21, 2025 at 2:30pm. The fairgrounds are at St. Louis Field, 284 Hill Street in Biddeford, Maine.

    https://www.lakermessefestival.com/

    The second date is at the Skowhegan Farmer’s Market. There’s a friendly community of people in that area that I know through my partner’s family. This year’s organizer of the music often plays at the East Madison Grange Hall open mic when I’m there—and she’s wonderful. I played a few years ago and left with a lot of gorgeous complimentary produce.

    Skowhegan Farmer’s Market is June 28, 2025 from 10am to 1pm. The market is at 42 Court St in Skowhegan, Maine.

    https://www.skowheganfarmersmarket.com/

  • 2024 in-person: Show posters from a busy Chico States year

    Show poster and band photos for Alex Silver, Chico States, and Chloe Gordon at Hi-Fidelity in Portland, Maine, April 2024.
    Show poster on door of Apohadion Theater for Chico States, Becca Biggs, and Emily Irving in Portland, Maine, 2024.
    Show poster for Chico States and Diaphanous at Liberty Tune Co in Liberty, Maine, October 2024.
    Show poster for Greg Freeman, Chico States, and The Clearwater Swimmers at Oxbow Blending and Bottling in Portland, Maine, October 2024.
    Show poster for Chico States Band, Greg Freeman, and The Clearwater Swimmers at Oxbow Brewing in Portland, Maine, October 2024.
    Show poster for Greg Freeman, Chico States, Jes, and Vega at House Show in Burlington, Vermont, January 2024.
    House show for Lily Talmers, Léna Bartels, Chico States, and Jes Band at Bar Freda, Queens, New York, January 2024.
    Show poster for Louisa Stancioff, Chico States, and Owen Howes and the Evening Call at Nomad, Brunswick, Maine, May 2024.
    Show poster for Chico States Band, Louisa Stancioff, Sophia Corinne at Blue, Portland, Maine, July 2024.
    Show poster for Chico States at Maine Craft Distilling, Portland, Maine, January 2024.
    Show poster for Neon Moons and Chico States Band at The Half Moon, Hudson, New York, December 2023.
    Show flyer for Chico States, Oldstar, and Kan-Kan at Hi-Fidelity in Portland, Maine, July 2024.
    Show flyer for Chico States band and Oodelally at House Show in Dresden, Maine, July 2024.
    Show poster for Chico States, Ratsnake, Jes, and Older Brother at Red Ink Community Library, Providence, Rhode Island, January 2024.
    Show flyer for Chico States and Skip Guptill at Liberty Tune Co, Banks Garage, Liberty, Maine, August 2024.

    2024 was a busy year for Chico States, and a fun one. It felt like rather than practice the steps of a dance, we mostly just danced. To celebrate that momentum, I thought I’d archive show posters I can find from the past twelve months.

    This year was also the first that I played an improvisational set of the No Guide: Sketches sort. As Joe put it: “We were like, Alex is sending it in this bar.” What a compliment! (Stay tuned for a future article questioning why concerts are also parties…). Something started cracking open in doing that show that gave me a sense of safety/abandon for publicly creating things like this blog.

    Essentially, the Hi-Fidelity “set” used the style of context-based music I’ve worked the hardest on for over 10 years. Yet it was still a precarious experiment. I hand-wrote a subset of lyrics that have continually resurfaced over that time, in an indiscriminate scroll, and handed them out to the audience. The idea (which comes from teaching children) was to pre-expose the audience to the material so that words meant more when they heard them sung.

    In 2025, we’re hoping to do a tour and who knows what summer will bring. Joe et al. are busy finishing up the new Chico States record, which I believe I’m allowed to say will be called I Saw A Galloping Horse Cover No Ground. Stay tuned for a release show. Happy New Year!