Two Paddy’s Day shows benefit local food bank

What: Two Squid Jiggers concerts celebrating Maine’s Irish heritage and raising money and donations for the Lisbon Area Christian Outreach Clothing and Food Pantry, serving Lisbon, Bowdoin and Durham, Maine. A special St. Patrick’s Day menu will be available (not included in the ticket price) including corned beef and cabbage. The bar will be open and Guinness, Smithwick’s and other fine spirits will be available.

Where: Graziano’s Casa Mia Restaurant at the Corner of Route 196 & Mill Street in Lisbon, Maine 04250 (207) 353-4335

When: March 17, 2012; the first show is at 4pm; second show at 8pm

How much: $15 per person for one show or $25 for both

Tickets: Available at Graziano’s Casa Mia Restaurant, at any Squid Jigger show or call toll free 1-866-655-7171 with a credit card

Maine’s only cephalopod-inspired maritime and Celtic folk duo — The Squid Jiggers — return to Graziano’s Casa Mia for two full concerts on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17. The Squids will sing from their deep reservoir of Irish songs and stories while Chef Joe Graziano serves a special Paddy’s Day menu, including corned beef and cabbage. Fine beer and spirits — including Guinness stout — will be available at the bar.

“We’ll be digging deep and pulling out Irish songs no one’s ever heard us play before,” says Squiddy bass and whistle player Dave Rowe. “And we have enough material to keep going for hours without repeating ourselves.”

Troy R. Bennett, the duo’s guitar and concertina player, agrees, “We’re like an Energizer Leprachaun on St. Paddy’s Day. We just keep going and going.”

The dual concerts will raise funds and goods for the Lisbon Area Christian Outreach Clothing and Food Pantry (LACO) through a series of exciting raffle giveaways and general badgering by the band. Prizes include Graziano’s gift certificates, Squid Jiggers CDs and merchandise, and signed and matted photographic prints of Ireland taken by Squid Jigger (and pro photographer) Troy R. Bennett.

“I’ve been to Ireland a bunch of times, and even did some college time there, too,” says Bennett. “I have some knockout pictures nobody has seen and I’m happy to donate a few for this wicked good cause.”

To raise the stakes, and more cash fro LACO, The Squid Jiggers will auction off “Danny Boy” and other standard requests to the highest bidders — all to help LACO.

“Yep, we’re holding them for ransom,” says Rowe. “If you want to hear ‘When Irish Eyes are Smiling’ or ‘Danny Boy’ or ‘The Unicorn Song’ you’re going to have to cough up some money to feed hungry people.”

To enter the raffles and song auctions, concert goers should bring non-perishable food items or cash.

LACO is a non-profit organization founded in 1985. It is sponsored by churches of various denominations located in the Lisbon, Durham and Bowdoin communities. LACO operates a food pantry located at the Marion T. Morse Community Center in Lisbon. There are no financial qualifications for food assistance, simply proof of residence. For more information about the program, call Carol Day at 353-8019 or James Duley at 353-6002. Visit them on the web at www.lacopantry.org.