How Country is Maine? (Portland, Auburn: move to, bars, pay)

[thenewNewEnglander]

Hi Chandler,

Country is more popular in New England than you might imagine. Though we're pretty serious about our various forms of rock I must admit. Check out New England Country Music Fest at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, MA (August 15th, 2009) Or maybe when you come to Portland you'll open a cool Country bar with some fantastic Kansas City or Texas style bbq?! Portland is itching for something new and different..

By the way,

Thanks for being open minded and moving to New England... I think you're gonna find we not what you thought we were... well we are, but we're also a whole lot more. Maine is a great place! To me it has the best of all worlds... Just city enough in Portland, great country and outdoor life, the ocean, some mountains, New England independence, small town and traditional values, A GREAT SPIRIT OF COMMUNITY AND LOCALISM... "Maine Made" is serious business.... so when you get there it would help if you make something

Best of Luck!

[tankratt]

While I love most country, Montgomrey Gentry, Kenny Chesney, Trace, Six wire and Rascal Flatts, I tend to listen to classic rock, Edgar Winter, Styx, Boston, Pink Floyd, Kansas, Rush, AC/DC and 80's rock, Van Halen(the best band ever) Motley Crue, Bon Jovi, Cinderella, Winger, Night Ranger, Areosmith. All good, hope Maine has some good classic rock stations too.

[ogre]

Looking at the fact that the OP asked about country music but also "country ideals" and a down home way of life, I'll offer some thoughts. I'm not from Maine, but have spent enough time there to believe that I have some feel for the state. If I'm off on any of this, Mainers please step in with corrections:

I believe you would be most likely to find the kind of life associated with soft music and romantic scenes on the beach in the vicinity of Portland, the largest city in Maine. This would be especially true of the more affluent suburbs. You might also find some of this in coastal resort towns, but more likely among the tourists than among the year-round residents, who work hard to make fulfilling but materially modest lives for themselves by running the small businesses the tourists patronize.

While I can't know for sure what the OP means by "country ideals," I think that outside of Portland, and maybe a couple of other cities, what I would consider country values can be found in abundance in Maine. If country ideals would include hard work, with little or no snootiness about the status of what one does for a living, but where any good honest work is valued, self-sufficiency, with people doing their own maintenance on their houses and land, but also a readiness to pitch in and assist a neighbor in ways that would not be an intrusion, and a closeness to the land, with gardening, hunting, and fishing being done not only as hobbies but also for food, then my impression is that you can find these values in abundance in the rural areas and smaller towns in Maine.

Does this sound idyllic? Well, okay, it's true that there are towns in Maine that have had economic difficulty for some time, as is true of many rural areas of the Northeast. It's also true that small towns and rural areas everywhere have both their pros and their cons, and that both of these apply in Maine as much as anywhere else. It's also true that the real-life values of less populated places are alive and well in the less densely settled areas of Maine. Think Mayberry, but a realistic version of Mayberry. That would be what real-life country ideals would be all about in my view. You can find these in Maine.

[cebdark]

Originally Posted by Chandler85

I am very eclectic (country, jazz, rb, soul, 80s rock, rap, everything) in my music tastes - I just don't care for top 40 and thats all they play here

I think Maine is has a good variety of radio stations. The problem I seem to have as of late 'tho, is that stations tend overlap each other. I also sometimes find that 2 stations are playing the same thing (related to the controversy over local station ownership - or lack of- I suppose).

Stephen King owns 100.3, and I love it because it's so local, and although they usually are classic rock, they also have a "blues break" and are known for throwing some unknown so-and-so, who sounds great, but no one has ever heard of before.

I'm not one for top 40 either, in fact, I find myself periodically threatening to remove my daughter's stereo from her room if I hear some of the just plain nasty lyrics emanating from within. Call me a prude, but I don't think that anyone should be singing about "humps" or "lovely lady lumps" . I can find the "off" button pretty quick with that.

A lot of the time, I hit youtube and watch some incredibly talented people perform in their living room (those who typically lack the "beauty" to be mainstream - but that's another topic). There seems to be such a dearth in "mainstream" talent now IMOH.

I listen to the country stations now and again, but I'm more of a country/rock sort of a person, so I'm not sure about any stations that play "classic country" at least in central Maine anyway . I don't seem to hear any old stuff around here, but maybe someone else could better answer that.

[Newdaawn]

Many in Maine like "Blue Grass" music and there are several festivals each year. One that comes to mind is in Sidney. That one is on twice each year for several days each time. Google Blue grass Music Festival Sidney Me- and you will get some information

[RANGER.101ST]

how country is maine???? well we date r cousins n we lisen ta banjo music n most rich familys pitch tagethah and buy a pair of teeth n tha whol fam shares them.we drive big trucks n have twelve dogs each.

[Chandler85]

Originally Posted by ranger.101st

how country is maine???? Well we date r cousins n we lisen ta banjo music n most rich familys pitch tagethah and buy a pair of teeth n tha whol fam shares them.we drive big trucks n have twelve dogs each.

Too Funny..lol

[Siobjuan]

Originally Posted by RANGER.101ST

how country is maine???? well we date r cousins n we lisen ta banjo music n most rich familys pitch tagethah and buy a pair of teeth n tha whol fam shares them.we drive big trucks n have twelve dogs each.

Ooooh, an fir yer wiminfolk, there be lotsa kats here. you kin keep em everywheah. knittin, quiltin an huntin, but only if yer man lets ya.

[cebdark]

Originally Posted by RANGER.101ST

how country is maine???? well we date r cousins n we lisen ta banjo music n most rich familys pitch tagethah and buy a pair of teeth n tha whol fam shares them.we drive big trucks n have twelve dogs each.

derw da der da der da der da dow...sound like "Dueling Banjos" NOT "The Deliverance song?" ARGGGHHHH...

Only 12 dogs? Oh, what those from "away" must think of us now...

[cebdark]

Originally Posted by Siobjuan

Ooooh, an fir yer wiminfolk, there be lotsa kats here. you kin keep em everywheah. knittin, quiltin an huntin, but only if yer man lets ya.

Snort!