This is going back a few weeks now, but I’m working on catching up!
I made a resolution this year to get out to more venues in Portland and throughout Maine – because it’s one thing to list the shows here and in Maine Magazine, but it’s another to actually go out and see that the recommendations I’m making are really hitting the mark. On January 6 I tested this theory and headed out to One Longfellow Square (a venue I enjoy and respect, but don’t make it to often enough) to catch the California-based gypsy jazz group Fishtank Ensemble. The first thing I learned is that shows there start exactly at the advertised time – not like the rock clubs I’m more used to – so I missed all but the last song of Cinder Conk‘s opening set. After getting just a taste of their music – the fiddle player was like none I’ve ever seen – I won’t make that same mistake again. Fishtank Ensemble followed, taking the stage in a line and tearing through songs that spanned continents and decades with ease. The full house (seated, which was not ideal for the music, but seemed to suit the appreciative crowd just fine) was captivated and swarmed the band after their set, presumably to pick up their highly-acclaimed new album, Woman In Sin. Read on for photos!
All photos by Bryan Bruchman.
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