SAILFEST MUSIC & INFO July 11-13

This article will continued to be updated as new information becomes available. Check back often!

Last updated July 11 - 11:43am

Sailfest Hours:
Friday - July 11  (5pm to 11pm)
Saturday - July 12  (10am to 11pm)
Sunday - July 13  (10am to 6pm)

http://www.sailfest.org

http://twitter.com/Sailfest

Street Closures: (Sat & Sun ONLY)
State Street
(from Eugene O'Neill Drive to Bank Street)
Bank Street
(from Tilley Street to State Street)

Anne's Show Pics of the Week - Sailfest Edition (July 10)

By Anne Castellano

One of the best weekends of the year is coming up, which means New London is going to be filled with great live music. Sailfest 2014  will be this Friday July 11 through Sunday July 12 in the downtown area, or if you prefer, "The District". Band stages will be at the Hygienic Art Park and the Custom House Pier, with the local clubs also hosting their own events from early evening until closing time. Due to a last minute cancellation, there will only be one ship in port for the festival (I could go on about that, but this is a music blog and you really don't want to get me started on that subject anyway), but for me Sailfest has always been about the music. Sure, there's lots of fair-type food (although not many vegetarian options), vendors, and the best fireworks show anywhere around. But one of the best things about living in New London is the opportunity to see live music in an outdoor setting on the waterfront. That's why this is one of the best weekends of the year.....

Anne's Show Pics of the Week (July 3)

By Anne Castellano

There aren't many shows this weekend as New London rests up for next weekend's Sailfest, but there are a couple of outdoor events that you'll definitely want to see. On Saturday night, the Hygienic Art Park is the place to be, for the first Can Kickers show in a very long time. To make the evening even better, The Paul Brockett Roadshow and The MacLean Sisters will also be playing. The Can Kickers released their first album of punk-influenced old-time music thirteen years ago, while the members were still students at Conn College. Since then they have toured all over the United States, even doing tours of Mexico and Ireland. These guys are masters of DIY, releasing four self-produced CDs in addition to booking all their local shows and tours. In the process, they also brought a lot of great bands to town...

Anne's Show Picks of the Week (June 26)

By Anne Castellano

Wow, there's a lot going on this weekend! First up, there's a benefit for the New London Community Meal Center taking place on Friday night. The Hoot For Hunger will be happening at the Seehund German Pub & Restaurant on Bank Street in New London, in the space formerly housing Dev's on Bank (and before that it was Ye Olde Tavern). There will be nine bands and solo performers, with each playing a 15-20 minute set.. The Crew will start things off at 6:30 pm, followed by Sue Menhart at 6:50, SheSaidHeSaid at 7:10, Dan and Liz at 7:30 pm, Anna May and Vince Thompson at 7:50, Golden Ratio at 8:10, Jim Carpenter at 8:30, Arlene Wow! at 8:50, and Vox Nova at 9:10. There's no cover, but donations will be collected throughout the evening, so you are encouraged to be generous.

Anne's Show Picks of the Week (June 19)

By Anne Castellano

On Friday night, Music in the Meadow returns with another show at the Connecticut College Arboretum in New London. The bands will be The Rivergods, The 3-Pack, and The Meadows Brothers. They made their debut at the Hygienic Art Park for a recent Live Lunch Break show, but this will only be the second show for the Rivergods' new 6-piece lineup. Core members Ben and Nancy Parent are joined by Dana Takaki on violin, Craig Johnson on bass, Chris DeBiasi on drums, and Bill Groth on keyboards and backing vocals. The band won "Best Country Rock Act" at the recent Whalie Awards, and they have a busy summer full of shows planned. Their most recent EP, Never Grow Old, was released in January. The only show to date that the 3-Pack have played was back in the fall, at the now-defunct Six String Cafe. You will  remember Hugh, Peter, and Tom from the Reducers, but Peter is now playing bass and they have been working on all new material for quite some time. Expect a mix of new originals with a few really cool covers to round things out. I shouldn't have to tell you that they will sound great. The Meadows Brothers are teenage brothers Ian and Dustin Meadows, talented  roots/bluegrass/country duo from the lower CT River valley. These guys have been playing in bands together since they were in middle school, and they released their self-titled debut album in 2012. The Meadows Brothers have toured extensively and have even opened for Don McLean. Bring an blanket, bug spray, a picnic supper, and a cooler. If you'd rather someone else do the cooking, Munchies Food Truck will also be at the Arboretum entrance. Gates open at 6 pm, and tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children. The Arboretum is located on Williams Street, directly across from the back entrance to Connecticut College.

Anne's Show Picks of the Week (June 12)

By Anne Castellano

Summer is finally here (sort of), and the outdoor show season has begun. But first, perhaps some loud and fast music to release the tensions of your work week. There's a four band punk show on Friday night at 33 Golden Street in New London. The bands will be God's Middle Finger, Blastmat, Productive Member, and Losing Streak. Members of Losing Streak have been in such bands as Indocannibals, the Enemies, Second Class Citizen, and others. This band is brand new, and they will be playing their first show on Friday. Productive Member is a female fronted CT punk band who has played in New London a few times already, both at 33 and the El 'n' Gee. They played their first show, which happened to be at the Gee, almost a year ago. God's Middle Finger is from Norwich, and these thrash punks are well known from playing many shows in New London. Blastmat has played here a lot as well. Blastmat is from CT, and they are regulars at Cherry Street Station, where they opened for Gang Green this past December. This show was put together by Joaquin Gouin, formerly of the El 'n' Gee, so you know it will be good. Doors are at 9 pm and cover is $5.

2014 Whalie Awards Winners

Anne's Show Picks of the Week - Whalies Edition (June 5)

By Anne Castellano

The big event in New London this weekend is the 5th Annual Whalie Awards ceremony, taking place on Saturday night at the Hygienic Art Park. The Whalies are New London's version of the Grammy Awards, honoring the best of the best in all genres of local music. There are some new categories in both Critic's Choice (voted on by area media professionals) and People's Choice (voted on by the public) for 2014, including Best Jazz Act, Best Radio DJ and several new Best Video awards. Over 100 local bands and individuals in the New London (and nearby) scene have been nominated, and the show has become one of the most popular events of the year. This is the music community's opportunity to be seen, be heard, and show off a little, so while music is the focus of the evening, fashion is right up there in importance as well. There's even a red carpet, with photographers covering the arrivals beginning at 6 pm when the gates open. Some folks have even taken limo rides to past shows. The actual ceremony begins at 7 pm, with 40 statuettes being awarded by special guest presenters. Musical performances will also be interspersed with the actual awards. Highlights of past years include the Weird Beards performing as marionettes and Bobby Crash presenting an award with (and interpreting for) "Pucky" the whale....

Mystic Blues Festival June 27-29

Tickets & more info:
www.mysticbluesfestival.com