Thanksgiving week is here and we’ve got a long weekend of great live music happening all around the city. Coming up this week are two much-loved traditions of the Portland music scene, that you’ll have multiple opportunities to catch.
We’re also featuring some legends of the indie music scene, and the return of a much-loved local music venue.
We’ve highlighted four of our top picks for this week, but you can always check out our Live Music Tonight calendar for the full list of live music in Portland.
THE HEADLINER
American indie rock band Guided by Voices is making a stop at Aura in Portland this Friday, November 25th for an 8:00PM show.
Celebrate Black Friday with these workhorses of the alt-rock world who have cranked out 35 full-length albums since their inception in 1983. With clear influences of post-British Invasion garage rock, punk rock and post-punk, Guided by Voices has developed a dedicated cult following over its nearly 40-year lifespan.
Fans of the band will recognize them for their songs’ frequent brevity and abrupt endings, intertwining eclectic and homemade sound effects.
Get your tickets for these indie rock legends while you can.
LIVE & LOCAL
After stuffing your face with turkey (and stuffing), stuff your face with some great live and local funk music from Model Airplane at Portland House of Music & Events.
On Friday & Saturday, November 25th & 26th, catch this crazy collection of Portland-based musicians that make a tradition out throwing an unbeatable Funksgiving every Thanksgiving holiday.
Self-described as a “seven-piece Funkalicious Soul Explosion that doesn’t give you a choice but to dance,” these shows are sure to be high-energy, high-intensity, and high-fun.
Get your tickets now for the funkiest show in town every Thanksgiving season in Portland.
MID-WEEK MUSIC
It’s the first time we’re featuring Bull Feeney’s in our Live Music Guide since their reopening, but we couldn’t be more excited to finally have one of Portland’s best local music venues back and hosting great live music once again!
This Wednesday, November 23rd, and EVERY Wednesday from 7:00PM – 10:00PM, you can catch Jim Brady for his “100 Proof Folk” songs of Ireland & Scotland. Three hours each week of the very best in drinking songs, folk ballads and patriotic songs of the two nations.
Brady is nothing short of a Master of the Irish folk song, and has released singles of his own as he finishes work on a debut E.P. Sing along with him to some traditional favorites every Wednesday as a reprieve from the work week, with no charge to get through the door.
STAFF PICK
Portland-based musicians Spencer and the Walrus return to the State Theatre this Friday, Saturday and Sunday (November 25th-27th), for the 20th Annual Beatles Night, a celebration of the music of the Beatles with three nights of amazing tribute shows.
Every member of Spencer and the Walrus are already established recording and touring artists from the area, vying to recreate the Beatles as accurately as possible, accompanied by a six-piece horn section. Their dedication to that recreation landed them a raving review in a recent edition of Rolling Stone magazine.
This year, Spencer and the Walrus and the State Theatre have partnered with Maine Family Planning, so that $1 from every ticket sold goes to ensuring that all Maine people have access to high-quality, affordable reproductive health care, comprehensive sexual health education, and the right to control their reproductive lives.
Check out one of the three shows for a memorable night with an amazing tribute band: all of the great music, none of the cheesy wigs or impersonations.
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.