For the second week in a row, the live music scene in Portland is ramping back up, and we couldn’t be any more pumped! Coming this week is an arena-level heavy metal show with some legends of the hard rock world kicking off their milestone tour.
If the heavy stuff isn’t your cup of tea, we’re also featuring a slew of artists who call Maine home, including some reggae rock vibes for your Saturday night, the talent of tomorrow on Maine’s EDM scene, and a Folk/Americana show you won’t want to miss.
Don’t forget that you can always check out our Live Music Tonight calendar for the full list of live music in Portland!
THE HEADLINER
It’s been quite a while since Portland has had an arena-level tour come through, but that will no longer be the case this Thursday, February 2nd, when Anthrax and Black Label Society come to the Cross Insurance Arena.
Celebrate four decades of heavy metal as Anthrax kicks off a nationwide tour celebrating their 40th anniversary. Portland is only the second date of the tour, so you can bet they’ll be hyped to kick off the milestone concert series on a high note, headbanging along to hits across their entire 11-album discography.
Kick off the evening with even more metal from special guests Exodus, and Black Label Society for a superstar line-up of fast and heavy rock. This could easily be the biggest show of the year so far, and any metalhead would be doing themselves a disservice missing out. Grab tickets while you can for this 6:30PM show.
LIVE & LOCAL
If you’re looking for good times and chill vibes on your Saturday night, get to Rí Rá Irish Pub & Restaurant for live music from local band The O Harrows.
These indie reggae rockers will be setting the mood for an energetic weekend night with their covers of fun songs you may have forgotten you loved. There’s always an unexpected mix when The O Harrows take the stage, but songs you could be in for include The Bloodhound Gang’s “The Bad Touch,” “Waterfalls,” by TLC, and of course, some Sublime.
For good tunes that will make you want to move your feet, get to Ri Ra for this super fun local four-piece. Music starts at 10:00PM.
MID-WEEK MUSIC
If you’re a fan of EDM, and want to scout some up-and-coming talent, or if you’ve been trying to get into the scene yourself, get over to Flask Lounge this Tuesday, February 7th, and every Tuesday, for their Open DJ Night!
Any and all aspiring DJs are welcome to bring their records, CDs or controller to Flask to get a turn blasting their beats on the speakers. Whether you’re looking for new and undiscovered music, or if you’re working your way into the EDM world – this is the weekly event to mark on your calendar.
Sign-ups start at 8PM sharp for this unique open mic event.
STAFF PICK
For a chance at catching some of the best of Maine-grown folk music on the scene, catch Muddy Ruckus and Dan Blakeslee at One Longfellow Square this Friday, February 3rd at 8:00PM.
Muddy Ruckus is a stripped-down power duo of rootsy guitar and solid percussion on a small, suitcase drum kit. The duo make for a simple stage set-up, but a complex, full-band sound when playing together for what makes a grungy, punk blues style of Americana.
Supporting Muddy Ruckus is fellow Maine-native Dan Blakeslee, a folk music-poet who earned his chops in the Boston subway stations, before touring the U.S., playing alongside greats of the modern folk music world.
This special local showcase is your chance to catch some of the most talented, dressed down folk acts in Maine and across the nation. Get your tickets now to get in on what should be an amazing folk and Americana show.
There’s so much live music happening around the city at any given time that we’d never have the time to list them all here.
Check out our Live Music Tonight page for a full calendar of live events happening in Portland, Maine.
