The Bollard Bulletin: August 2, 2024
Three-Day Weekender Edition: Where the shooting DIDN'T happen
WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED
I don’t know about you, but I’m gonna think twice before I get my muffler replaced at the Meineke in Morrills Corner. Too dangerous. Maybe you heard what happened: there was a shooting there Tuesday night and a woman from Gray lost her life. Rumor on the street is it was a beef between local motorcycle clubs, but that can’t be confirmed because the police are saying almost nothing.
The media, however, seem to have zeroed in on a prime suspect who acted as a witting (or unwitting) accomplice: Samuel’s Bar & Grill, across the street from that treacherous muffler shop parking lot where sources at the scene say the shooting actually occurred. The Portland Press Herald and other mainstream outlets keep running photos of Samuel’s and associating the shooting with the popular blue-collar bar. Take the caption of the photo atop the Herald’s story today: “Portland police responded to Samuel’s Bar & Grill in Portland late Tuesday night.”
Great, except they didn't respond to a shooting there, because no one was shot at Samuel’s or its parking lot. And if the daily paper were looking for informed sources to confirm this, they could just read what Samuel’s posted on Facebook: “None of the individuals involved were at the Brass Rail [the bar across the street from Samuel’s] or Samuel’s. It just so happened to have transpired in the Meineke parking lot by chance. Watching news coverage, it has been made to appear as somewhat of a bar brawl that spilled into the street and that is NOT the case.”
I’ve seen this movie before, about ten years ago, after there was a shooting in the vicinity of Sangillo’s Tavern on the East End. The neighborhood bar got tied to the crime in press reports, the cops (or at least one uptight sergeant) didn’t like the place anyway, and the Portland City Council pulled their liquor license, destroying a multi-generational family business whose presence in the neighborhood was a huge boon to safety in the area, as it put eyes on the street late at night to watch for trouble.
The Minervino family, proprietors of Samuel’s and several other friendly eating and drinking establishments, took over Sangillo’s Tavern and turned it into Tomaso’s Canteen several years ago. Like Samuel’s, it’s an exceptionally safe place, not only because it’s professionally run, but because, being a neighborhood bar, everyone knows each other (or soon will after another round) and looks out for each other and for strangers, happily sharing their knowledge of our city.
So if you’re seeing all these press reports and thinking you’d be wise to avoid Samuel’s, think again. (And if you need work done on your car, go see Greg over at Paulin’s Tire and Auto Care on St. John Street — always motor local.)
MUSIC
FRIDAY
Amigos
Cap’n Ray & The Castaways (rock covers)
9:30 p.m., no cover (21+)
Andy’s Old Port Pub
The Hadacol Bouncers (jump blues)
8 p.m., no cover (all ages)
The Apohadion Theater
Will Orchard & Jess Kerber, Tremolo Fields (indie folk, electro pop)
8 p.m., $10 (all ages)
Aura
The Breast of Tiresias & Teresa’s Tatas Dance Party feat. DJ xnrg
8 p.m., $35-$150 (18+)
Bar Publica
DJ (dance music)
10 p.m., no cover (21+)
Blue Portland Maine
The Orleans Kids (jazz, 7 p.m.); El Malo (salsacore; 9 p.m.)
donations (21+)
Bubba’s Sulky Lounge
Everything Dance Party (DJ)
9 p.m., low cover (21+)
Cadenza
Dave Rowe (acoustic roots)
7 p.m., $23-$28 (all ages)
Cocktail Mary
LOVERBOI Dance Party with DJ Ben Spalding
9 p.m., $5 (21+)
Congress Square Park
Tony Amado (Angolan pop)
6 p.m., free (all ages)
Flask Lounge
“Nectar,” feat. Hive DJs Mx Dansky, Kreitzman, Bauduy (house, techno)
9 p.m., low cover (21+)
The Frog & Turtle
Bess Jacques, Evan Haines and Sheldon Perkins (jazz)
7:30 p.m., no cover (all ages)
Gardiner Waterfront Park
Barney Martin & The Boys in the Band (James Taylor tribute)
6 p.m., free (all ages)
Henry’s Public House
DJ Revolve
9 p.m., no cover (21+)
Hi-Fidelity
Vices Inc, Taylor Tanous & Friends
8 p.m., no cover (all ages)
Lenny’s Pub
The Outerspace Band (jam rock)
6:30 p.m., $10 (all ages)
Maine Craft Distilling
Glen David Andrews (New Orleans jazz)
7 p.m., $20-$25 (all ages)
Merrill Auditorium
Regina Spektor
8 p.m., $49.50-$99.50 (all ages)
One Longfellow Square
Lyle Divinsky (R&B)
8 p.m., $20-$25 (all ages)
The Porthole
DJ Jacky Treehorn (3 p.m.), The Runnin’ Kind (7 p.m.)
no cover (all ages)
Portland House of Music
Tree, Viqueen, SA, Louzy (metal)
7 p.m., $15-$20 (all ages)
Portland Lobster Co.
CFG (3 p.m.), Random Ideas (7 p.m.)
no cover (all ages)
RiRa
Clandestine
10 p.m., no cover (21+)
Stone Mountain Arts Center
Carol Noonan and the Stone Mountain Boys, Téada (folk, Irish)
8 p.m., $100 (all ages)
The Thirsty Pig
Oystah Guy
7 p.m., no cover (all ages)
Thompson’s Point
Joe Russo’s Almost Dead
6 p.m., $55-$65 (all ages)
Vinegar Hill Music Theatre
Muse: A Salute to Divas of Rock
8 p.m., $35-$47 (all ages)
Wilson County BBQ
Danny and Jake
5 p.m., no cover (all ages)
SATURDAY
Amigos
Jeff Beam (psych rock)
9:30 p.m., no cover (21+)
Andy’s Old Port Pub
The Earthtones (string trio)
8 p.m., no cover (all ages)
The Apohadion Theater
Nuclear Bootz, The Feinbergs, Zygote Theory, Cat Food (punk, rock)
8 p.m., $10-$20 (all ages)
Aura
The Breast of Tiresias & Teresa’s Tatas Dance Party feat. DJ xnrg
8 p.m., $35-$150 (18+)
Bar Publica
DJ (dance music)
10 p.m., no cover (21+)
Bayside Bowl
Club d’Elf, Hambone (Moroccan dub-funk, funk)
8:30 p.m., $20-$25 (all ages)
Blue Portland Maine
Pythagoras (prog bluegrass, 7 p.m.); Haki N’ Dem (R&B; 9 p.m.)
donations (21+)
Bubba’s Sulky Lounge
Everything Dance Party (DJ)
9 p.m., low cover (21+)
Cadenza
Sean Mencher and Hugh Bowden (acoustic roots guitar)
7 p.m., $25-$28 (all ages)
First Parish Church (425 Congress St., Portland)
Sun Ra Arkestra (space jazz)
8 p.m., $40-$50 (all ages; space538.org)
Flask Lounge
“Feels,” feat. DJs Tylord and Teal Child (house, disco, breaks)
9 p.m., $5 ($10 after 11 p.m.; 21+)
The Frog & Turtle
Anthony Latini & Stiles (rock)
7 p.m., no cover (all ages)
Hi-Fidelity
Vices Inc, Taylor Tanous & Friends
8 p.m., no cover (all ages)
Hi-Fidelity
[Lite] Beers Brosnan, Savor (hard rock)
8 p.m., no cover (all ages)
Johnson Hall Opera House
Ladysmith Black Mambazo (African a cappella)
7:30 p.m., SOLD OUT
Lenny’s Pub
Turkey Hollow Reunion
6:30 p.m., $10 (all ages)
Maine Craft Distilling
The Matthew Loyal Band
7 p.m., no cover (all ages)
One Longfellow Square
Lyle Divinsky (R&B)
8 p.m., $20-$25 (all ages)
The Porthole
Sugarbox (2 p.m.), DJ Father Tish (dance music, 7 p.m.)
no cover (all ages)
Portland House of Music
Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds, Jeff Beam (modern soul, psych rock)
8:30 p.m., $25 (21+)
Portland Lobster Co.
Eliza Thorn Duo (11:30 a.m.), Spare Room (3:30 p.m.), The Lit Council (7 p.m.)
no cover (all ages)
RiRa
Christine Ray Band
10 p.m., no cover (21+)
Stone Mountain Arts Center
Keb’ Mo’ (blues)
8 p.m., SOLD OUT (all ages)
Sun Tiki Studios
Alex McMurray (New Orleans indie)
8 p.m., $15 (all ages)
The Thirsty Pig
Ryan Williamson (2 p.m.), Circus Mutt (7 p.m.)
no cover (all ages)
Wilson County BBQ
Ben Kilcollins (rock and pop covers)
5 p.m., no cover (all ages)
SUNDAY
Blue Portland Maine
The Robben Harris Project, Won Pound (jazz, hip hop)
7 p.m., $15-$20 (21+)
Flask Lounge
“Sundaze” (bass DJs)
9 p.m., $5 (21+)
Maine Craft Distilling
Lincoln Meyers (acoustic roots)
3 p.m., no cover (all ages)
Orange Bike Brewing
Front Porch Blues
3 p.m., no cover (all ages)
Oxbow Blending & Bottling
Horse Jumper of Love, Gaud (rock)
8 p.m., $20 (21+)
The Porthole
Hello Newman (rock covers, 2 p.m.); Chase Jobe & The Runnin’ Kind (6 p.m.)
no cover (all ages)
Portland House of Music
The Aristocrats (rock fusion)
8 p.m., $30 (21+)
Portland Lobster Co.
Mitch Alden Duo (pop and rock covers, 12:30 p.m.); The Jay Bragg Show (5:30 p.m.)
no cover (all ages)
RiRa
Irish session (3 p.m.), Open mic (7 p.m.)
no cover (all ages)
The Thirsty Pig
Derek Rando
2 p.m., no cover (all ages)
Thompson’s Point
Iration & Pepper, DENM, Arkikal Sound System (reggae)
5 p.m., $45-$50 (all ages)
Three Dollar Deweys
Shelly Coombs
11 a.m., no cover (all ages)
Vinegar Hill Music Theatre
Little Lies (Fleetwood Mac tribute)
8 p.m., $30-$40 (all ages)
CLUB GUIDE’LL GETCHA THERE
PERFORMING ARTS
FRIDAY
Maine State Music Theatre’s production of Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, the family-friendly musical about two World War II vets who follow a pair of singing sisters to Vermont, at Pickard Theater (1 Bath Rd., Brunswick) at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Tix: $93-$131. 725-8769. msmt.org.
Fenix Theatre Company presents Shakespeare’s early comedy Love’s Labor’s Lost at Deering Oaks park in Portland at 6:30 p.m. Free. 615-4020. fenixtheatre.org.
The Bang Group and Guests present Tap for Today, a showcase of modern tap dances, at The Dance Hall (7 Walker St., Kittery) at 7 p.m. Tix: $20-$25 ($10 students). 703-2083. thedancehallkittery.org.
Midwestern comic Jenny Zigrino delivers zingers at Empire Comedy Club (575 Congress St., Portland) at 7 p.m. Tix: $25 (21+). empirecomedyme.com.
Poets read works composed during a workshop at Elements at The Pint & Pawn (28 Pearl St., Biddeford) at 7 p.m. Free (all ages). 449-5932. thepintandpawn.com.
Vivid Motion Dance presents two one-act works, Eclipse and Helen of Troy, at The Hill Arts (76 Congress St., Portland) at 7:30 p.m. Tix: $25 ($10 kids 12 and under). 347-7177. thehillarts.me.
SATURDAY
Maine State Music Theatre’s production of Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, the family-friendly musical about two World War II vets who follow a pair of singing sisters to Vermont, at Pickard Theater (1 Bath Rd., Brunswick) at 2 p.m. Tix: $93-$131. 725-8769. msmt.org.
Vivid Motion Dance presents two one-act works, Eclipse and Helen of Troy, at The Hill Arts (76 Congress St., Portland) at 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Tix: $25 ($10 kids 12 and under). 347-7177. thehillarts.me.
Fenix Theatre Company presents Shakespeare’s early comedy Love’s Labor’s Lost at Deering Oaks park in Portland at 6:30 p.m. Free. 615-4020. fenixtheatre.org.
Midwestern comic Jenny Zigrino delivers zingers at Empire Comedy Club (575 Congress St., Portland) at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Tix: $25 (21+). empirecomedyme.com.
The Bang Group and Guests present Tap for Today, a showcase of modern tap dances, at The Dance Hall (7 Walker St., Kittery) at 7 p.m. Tix: $20-$25 ($10 students). 703-2083. thedancehallkittery.org.
SUNDAY
Vivid Motion Dance presents two one-act works, Eclipse and Helen of Troy, at The Hill Arts (76 Congress St., Portland) at 2:30 p.m. Tix: $25 ($10 kids 12 and under). 347-7177. thehillarts.me.
HAPPENINGS
FRIDAY
CatVideoFest, a compilation of cuteness, shows at the Portland Museum of Art (7 Congress Square) at 2 p.m., 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. Tix: $10 ($7 students). 775-6148. portlandmuseum.org.
SPACE (538 Congress St., Portland) celebrates its 22nd anniversary with cake, music by WMPG DJ Erl, the opening reception for illustrator Martha Rich’s exhibit, Take a Load Off!, and more, at 5 p.m. Free. 828-5600. space538.org.
The Portland Sea Dogs play the Erie SeaWolves at Hadlock Field (271 Park Ave., Portland) at 6 p.m. Tix: $17-$21. 874-9300. portlandseadogs.com.
SATURDAY
CatVideoFest, a compilation of cuteness, shows at the Portland Museum of Art (7 Congress Square) at noon, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Tix: $10 ($7 students). 775-6148. portlandmuseum.org.
The Carlo Pittore Costume Ball and Art Auction, featuring work by members of the Union of Maine Visual Artists, food and beverages, at Merrymeeting Hall (27 Main St., Bowdoinham) at 6 p.m. Donation: $10-$50. theumva.org.
The Portland Sea Dogs play the Erie SeaWolves at Hadlock Field (271 Park Ave., Portland) at 6 p.m. Tix: $17-$21. 874-9300. portlandseadogs.com.
SUNDAY
CatVideoFest, a compilation of cuteness, shows at the Portland Museum of Art (7 Congress Square) at noon, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Tix: $10 ($7 students). 775-6148. portlandmuseum.org.
The Portland Sea Dogs play the Erie SeaWolves at Hadlock Field (271 Park Ave., Portland) at 1 p.m. Tix: $17-$21. 874-9300. portlandseadogs.com.
Screening of CARLO … and his Merry Band of Artists, a documentary about Maine painter Carlo Pittore, at Nomad (14 Maine St., Fort Andross, Brunswick) at 2 p.m. Tix: $9 (all ages). 707-3050. nomadmaine.com.
Queer Makers’ Night gathering of art and craft vendors in Congress Square Park from 5-9 p.m. Free. congresssquarepark.org.