The High Seas, The Rock Shows

Ah, Portland nightlife. Nightlife? Posed as a question in the north woods and a good Mainer will scoff at you. You mean the sound of the crickets? Red solo cups by a fire in the woods? The kind famed Maine comedian Bob Marley jokes about. I don't want to laugh at his jokes when I hear them. But I have to. I get them. I am, after all, a Mainer. And a Portlander. I heart The White Heart. I know the doorman. Kicked around at a rock show or two.

The peninsula's nightlife is comfortable, accessible, and predictable. Like good homemade mac and cheese. But it's time for some mind-blowing musical cuisine. It's been a while since I left a show thinking, damn, that was amazing and totally unexpected. (Although that wasn't the case for the Parachutes show at Space Gallery I just saw. A whimsical band from Iceland embarking on a tour of the US. Check them out!)

So lately I've turned to sights, not sounds, to get me fired up about the little city. The splendor of the seas sometimes gets to me just as much as an unexpectedly good band. The overlooked Portland tourist landmarks. The ones held dear to the "summer people." Stumbled upon two of these on the East End trail. The Amistad and The Friendship. Mightily restored sailboats, their majestic riggings whipping on this windy August day. Their crews swinging like pirates between the ropes. One deckhand, a woman, was perched high atop the riggings, ruining my pirate fantasy. I wanted them to abduct me Pirates of the Carribbean- style please. Whisk me off to a tropical locale (which will be especially desirable come November). Ships, amazing.

The Portland Observatory is always taunting. Come on, climb up me, it seems to whisper as I walk by. How can I pass up climbing all those flights of stairs to the top of the tower to take in the Portland skyline from Munjoy Hill's most recognizable structure. Somehow, I have for two years. Maybe I will sneak in when the firemen who sit outside all day at the station next door aren't looking. They're always out there though. An alluring building. One I've never been in. Shame on me.

Perhaps Portland needs events that combine the tried and true fun of the rock show with the oft-overlooked tourist destination. A rock show on the top of the observatory? A duck tour converted into a stage? The Casco Bay "Music Cruise," (or lovingly, the Booze Cruise), is on the right track. Throw some people on a boat in one of the east coast's prettiest harbors, add lots of alcohol, and a great local band, and voila.... the best of both worlds. You took a scenic tour of the bay, you'll say to people. No you didn't. You just got really drunk listening to the band you've seen a million times before. But still, music in a somewhat atypical setting. Or at least not a club. Get the drift? You might after a fifth rum and coke on the booze cruise.

A friend recently came up with the concept of a guerilla gorilla rock show. Basically, people parading around town dressed up like gorillas, with all their band equipment, crashing into people's places, playing a renegade set, and then scurrying along to the next venue, guerilla style. A novel idea. Maybe they could even make a stop at the Observatory. We could ogle at the stars and get our ears blown out. Getting the amps up there might be a little tricky, but an unforgettable venture for sure. Any takers? I hope so. Let's rock (and sightsee) on!