Portland, Maine, what can we say? You introduced us to not only the most vibrant (and eclectic!) styles of music but also fed us the tastiest food we’ve had on the East Coast. Could the Locavaux Crew ask for anything more? We arrived in Portland this past Sunday night and met our gracious host for the next few days, friend and fellow Colgate graduate, Molly Frantzen. That evening, we had the lucky opportunity to attend the exclusively local and popular concert event, Food Fight Portland, which consists of local restaurant staff forming bands of all musical styles in order to compete against one another in a creative and hilarious battle of the bands. Hosted by the incredible Heidi Powell and Spencer Albey, Food Fight Portland was an exciting event to both socialize in and film. We felt like local celebrities as we interviewed talented musician after talented musician, listening to some incredible (and comical) covers and original songs by Portland’s finest in the food industry. The intersection of local music and local food at Food Fight Portland we witnessed and filmed was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the Locavaux Crew, and we can’t thank its organizers and participants enough for working with us! Best of luck in the next few rounds to those of you that won! The next few days were spent sampling some of Portland’s finest food (Lobster rolls at Lobster Shack, Ramen at Pai Men Miyake, and fish tacos at La Cantina! We were in foodie heaven) and playing tourist as Molly showed us the beautiful Maine coast in Port Elizabeth and the colorful harbors in her own hometown of Falmouth. On Tuesday night, our last evening in Portland, we were fortunate enough to watch and film the practice session of the talented and crazy cool local marimba band, The Maine Marimba Ensemble. We were so excited to witness a local band with such a different sound than what we had heard earlier. We also met the owner of the carpentry workshop in which they practice, Rick Romano, who was the epitome of support for local music—years earlier, when the group had been performing at a wharf down by the water in Portland with a sign asking passersby for suggestions on free practice space, Rick fell in love with MME’s sound and offered them his studio as a free practice space. If that isn’t community support for local music, then we don’t know what is.
So thank you Portland for feeding our stomachs and filling our ears with only the best food and music that the city has to offer. A big shout out to the hospitable and welcoming Frantzen family for housing us, playing tour guide to the Locavaux Crew and putting up with our rather cumbersome bus in your driveway! And now: hello Hanover, NH!
