Tom Rowe

This weekend, The Squid Jiggers are proud, as always, to be playing at the annual tribute to Tom Rowe. The show has been raising money for the Jack McPhillips Memorial fund for years. This time around, it’s been decided to dedicate all the money raised to the victims of three back-to-back fires in the “L” half of Maine’s L/A.

“I’m glad the board of the memorial fund has decided to do this,” said Dave Rowe, son of the late Schooner Fare bassist in whose memory the annual show takes place. “I know my father would approve. He lived right across the river in Auburn for many years.”

Tickets are still available for the show. The lineup includes the Dave Rowe Trio, Danny Quinn, Side by Side, Schooner Fare and a surprise appearance by Don and Tonya Campbell.

Get your tickets HERE right now!

Some of you already know about the North Pond Hermit Song. Some of you have sung along on the chorus at a show. Thank you! Soon, you’ll be able to get yourself a copy of the song to play at home, or while you’re camping in the deep, dark woods. Troy’s other project, the Half Moon Jug Band, spent saturday in Dave’s studio, working on tracks for an upcoming EP about the Hermit with fellow Maine songwriter Stan Keach. Looks for it in the next couple of weeks.

Dave at the controls.

So, we started this thing over a year ago.

It’s a record split between us and our Vacationland Music pals in the Half Moon Jug Band. We worked on it some more over the weekend. We’re still not done. But we’re having a wicked decent time trying to get it finished, anyway. Here’s a video clip from Saturday afternoon.

Please pay special attention to the terrific dancing and air saxophone playing.

Mike the Drummer and Steve-O.

Here’s a video from way back in November. We spent a weekend hanging and hustling with about a thousand other folkies at the North East Regional Folk Alliance conference in upstate New York. It was three days of music, jabbering and very little sleep. One night at dinner, we joined in a flash mob rockin’ out on Barrett’s Privateers — a gem of a modern shanty by the late, and very great, Stan Rogers.

- TROY

You know, we sing a lot of whaling songs. We’re proud to celebrate the daring, hard-working men who risked, and often lost, their lives doing battle with leviathans from the deep in tiny wooden boats, who brought fame and fortune to New England. They literally greased the wheels of the early industrial revolution. They fueled the oil lamps and keeping the night at bay. They bathed the ladies in perfume and stiffened their corsets for years. We think they’re worth a sea chest full of songs and stories.

However.

Those days are gone. Now, it’s time to conserve and protect these amazing creatures. Here’s a video of some folks — in a small but giant way — doing just that.

For those of you who couldn’t make it, we feel truly sorry for you. For those of you who were there we say thank you for making it a great night. And what a night it was! The folks at Graziano’s Casa Mia put on a heck of a spread, featuring pasta, seafood, chicken cacciatore and the best calamari we’ve ever had, anywhere. The room was packed with wonderful people, all singing along — and Newfies dancing everywhere! We even had a proposal on stage. She said yes!