Travis Cyr

Some Great Magnet

The morning we drove 8 hours I started the day by working for 8 hours before that. It was nothing special. Maine State Wardens failed to send us a picture of a missing boy but in the end he was OK any way.

Nothing we could do to help.

I had lunch with my girlfriend at 158 Pickett. I made friends with a dog.

Packed.

Got in the back seat of Nick’s G6. We, Nick and myself and Nick’s girlfriend Catherine, picked up Jakob Battick and his girlfriend, Marisha, and we rode.

Rode.

Rode.

The CD player died. Forced to talk with each other. We made fun of our stereotypes of Northern Maine.

Driving through Houlton, four and a half hours into the trip, I mark the northernmost point I’ve been on the continent. And we keep going.

We drop off Nick and Catherine at the Hampton Inn in Presque Isle. There’s a P. I. High School class of ‘75 reunion. Graying mustaches and plastic cups of champagne and whiskey.

I steal a cookie on my way out of the lobby.

Jakob, Marisha and I drive on to New Sweden.

We arrive at 9:30 and set up our tents in the lights of Nick’s headlights.

In a cabin we find Jesse Pilgrim playing with his girlfriend, Margaret, Andy Barbo, Putnam Smith and John Nels. They play for a bit, rehearse Jesse’s music.

I head to bed. I’ve been up for 24 hours.

Arootsakoostik is a singular event.

Generally when I think of music in Maine, I think of it in terms of Portland. Good shows at Space, Geno’s, Slainte. The musicians clustered around Machigonne, generally not straying further than Lewiston and Guthries or Biddeford and The Oak & The Ax.

But then there’s Arootsakoostik.

Nestled up in Maine’s pompadour, it’s an outdoor music festival over two stages on one day.

Travis Cyr curates it, drawing some 26 diverse acts to play under the wide open skies of Northern Maine.

Portland acts like some great seine in the river, trapping acts as they flow south.

Arootsakoostik is some great magnet, attracting the shining Nickel of Maine music to it’s lodestone stage.

And it’s lovely.

There’s a community, an isolation about the event that pulls musicians together at Thomas Park on Station Road in New Sweden, Maine. There’s no distraction to take away from the music. There’s no city lights, no ambulance sirens. No one who isn’t there for the music.

And what’s more, all the money raised goes right back into the park. Goes right back into that crazy stage with excellent acoustics. Goes right back into creating this wonderful festival that has, for three years now, pulled a bright glittering ore of music up to The County.

When I awoke the day of the concert, I saw miles of blue. I saw green countryside opening its arms before me.

I saw the whole day ahead of me.

Edited by Rodney Devost
Audio by Krister Rollins
Shot by Nick Poulin and Rodney Devost