Unity Centre Schedule

John Sullivan, Gen. Manager
42 Depot Street
207 948-SHOW
show@unitymaine.org

Subscribe to Our Email Newsletter Directions

Built from a hundred year old barn, the Unity Centre is a comfortable 200 seat theatre with a great sound system. The generosity of Unity philanthropists Bert and Coral Clifford made it happen.
In January 2007, the Cliffords donated the theater to Unity College.

Tickets bought online will be held for you at the box office.
There are no additional charges for tickets bought online.

Girlyman
Friday February 26 at 7:30 pm

Can the members of Girlyman read each other’s minds? Sometimes it seems so. Onstage they often finish one another’s sentences or burst into improvised three-part ditties so tight they seem rehearsed. Truth is, the Atlanta-based trio has had years to develop this rapport. Doris Muramatsu and Tylan Greenstein became best friends in second grade. The two met Nate Borofsky in college at a talent show, and since then they’ve been creating their own unique language of three-part harmony. Informed by 60s vocal groups like Simon & Garfunkel and The Mamas and the Papas, and infused with years of classical and jazz training, Girlyman’s songs are a dance of melody and suspensions – an irresistible blend of acoustic, Americana, and rock The Village Voice calls “really good, really unexpected, and really different.”
Everything’s Easy, Girlyman’s fourth studio album, is the band’s most intimate and sophisticated effort. Self-produced and engineered, Everything’s Easy was recorded with a single, ten thousand dollar microphone, financed by fan donations. This microphone, along with the work of Grammy-winning mixer Ben Wisch, has created an immeasurably rich sound.
Tickets $18

Christopher Williams with special guest Ellen Tipper
in a Benefit for the Ripple Effect Project
Saturday March 6 at 7:30 pm
Christopher Williams is a songwriter, storyteller, and entertainer - offering songs that are honest and confessional and performances that engage

audiences with an appealing mix of intense passion and humor. With “lush guitar work, and sweet soaring vocals,” (Boston Phoenix) punctuated by the percussive vulnerability of a single djembe hand drum, Williams is a “hard-touring singer-songwriter and a master at spreading his personal energy out into a live audience.” (Madison Isthmus) Touring nonstop nationally for the last ten years at a pace of more than 130 shows a year, Williams has built a faithful following of listeners around the country and is a true independent artist, releasing eight records on his own label. He has toured with Grammy Award winning band Jars of Clay and has also played with songwriter luminaries Arlo Guthrie, Phil Keaggy, and David Wilcox. Williams has a heart for social justice issues and supports Blood:Water Mission and International Justice Mission and his newest studio release, ‘Sweet Redemption,’ showcases songs about his recent trips to Kenya and Uganda. This spring he is celebrating the release of a new live recording, called 'Something As Simple,' that features the feeling of a true live performance with stories, the signature djembe playing and his unique guitar style.
Ripple Effect Project is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting self-sustainable agricultural and educational endeavors of independent orphanages in Sub-Saharan Africa. Please bring non-perishable food items to the show.
Tickets $18

Cara
Thursday March 11 at 7:30 pm
When you look at the mass of talented musicians coming out of Ireland these days and all the young and energetic bands trying to get to where bands as Lúnasa, Altan, Dervish, Beoga or Gráda already are, you might well ask, why a german band should even try to go professional and tour the world with their own interpretation of Celtic Music. Surely this is not going to work out! That's what the members of CARA heard over and over again when they started.

But their debut CD "In Colour" was a massive success, and festivals and venues all around Europe booked the band. In 2006 they woke interest and got signed by one of the best booking agencys in the US, RealGoodMusic (RGM), the second CD "In Between Times" won them a nomination for the German Critics Award, a nomination for CD of the year by "Folker" Magazine and they were voted as one of the 10 most influential bands of the last decade by "Folkworld" Magazine. Since then, they've got 3 successful tours through the United States under their belts, sharing the big american stages with the named above top-bands of the genre. Cara tour world wide with their unique interpretation of Celtic music. They are rooted in traditional music and song, but their own exciting compositions have received wide critical acclaim. While the two female lead singers are surely a hallmark of the band, the quality standard for instrumentals and arrangements is equally high. Cara combine their mastery of vocals, piano, fiddle, flute, guitar, bodhrán, uilleann pipes, accordion and concertina with a dry-witted and very entertaining stage presence.
Tickets $10

The Toughcats
Friday March 12 at 7:30 pm A three piece indie folk band from the Fox Islands in Penobscot Bay, the Toughcats lend a contemporary and interesting feel to Scruggs-style bluegrass, deep South ragtime, and singer-songwritery folk

that shows a great feel for songwriting and fine musicianship. The trio showcases Jake Greenlaw on suitcase, percussion and vocals; Colin Gulley on banjo, mandolin and vocals; and Joe Nelson on guitar and lead vocals. Though you might peg them as a bluegrass band, the Tough Cats have just as much Tom Waits as twang in their sound. Their second album, 2006’s "Pinata," combines old-timey picking with a rock edge, all buoyed by a sense of humor, some wicked vocal harmonies and a whole lot of energy. “Call it new old-time music, folk revival, or whatever the heck you want to, but this trio will likely be making waves beyond their home of Penobscot Bay, Maine with their well-crafted songs and infectious playing soon enough, and you should be in the know when it happens.” -Ben Johnson in The New London Day, CT
All proceeds from this performance will benefit Unity Barn Raisers
Tickets $15

Boys of The Lough
Sunday March 15 at 7:30 pm
The first of the full-time professional Celtic bands to arise on the international scene, Boys of the Lough now occupy a unique position of respect in the world of traditional music. They have completed over 70 tours of the USA and their performances and recordings are spread over five decades.

Since the first tour in 1967 the boys have travelled extensively in their mission to gain traditional music a wider audience and respect. Their warm and vital performances have won them friends from the village halls of their homelands to international concert and festival stages, establishing a precedent that many others have followed. True originals, direct from the tradition, the Boys have earned respect on both sides of the Atlantic and continue to act as role models for countless younger musicians. Their concerts, recordings and compositions were crucial in bringing about the current explosion of interest in all facets of Celtic music.
Tickets $20

Emma Kate Tobia
Friday March 19 at 7:30 pm

Born in Scotland of Irish /Italian parents now living in Kinsale, Co.Cork,Ireland Emma Kate has studied music in the Cork School of Music and with Dr Veronica Dunne in the Leinster School of Music in Dublin. She has also participated in numerous master classes in London and Vienna,and has won many competitions such as the Lieder Cup, the Duhallow award,and the Margaret Dillon award. Operatic roles include Frasquita ( Carmen), Valencienne (The Merry Widow) , The Mother (Amahl and the Night Visitors) , Kate Pinkerton ( Madame Butterfly) Light Opera roles such as Julie ( Showboat) and Sr. Margaretta ( Sound of Music). Emma Kate has performed at various Arts Festivals around Ireland including Westport, Kinsale and Cork and Summer Concerts in Kinsale of Irish traditional and Classical Music led to the album Aisling na nGael,(An Irish Dream ).
Tickets $10

Troy MacGillivray and Kimberly Fraser
Thursday March 25 at 7:30 pm
Kimberley Fraser was born on Cape Breton Island and nurtured within its rich musical heritage. She first began to impress audiences at the age of three with her step-dancing talents. Soon after that she took up both the fiddle and the piano. Like many in Cape Breton, music is not new to Kimberley’s family. She proudly owns the fiddle of her great great grandfather, spanning the musical tradition within her family over a hundred years.

Though still in her early 20s, Kimberley’s career is already a distinguished one. Kimberley has shared the stage with such notables as Alasdair Fraser, Lunasa and Martin Hayes. Kimberley is also in demand for her piano skills, accompanying various Cape Breton fiddlers at home and abroad. She had the honour of being the pianist for the acclaimed Irish musical group, Cherish the Ladies, during their tour of Sweden in May of 2004. Her impact upon the music of Cape Breton has not gone unrecognized. In 2000, Kimberley received the Tic Butler award for significant contribution to Cape Breton culture. Troy MacGillivray's musical prowess can be attributed to an especially rare combination of commitment and bloodline. By the age of six, Troy was already impressing audiences with his step dancing skills. By 13 he was teaching piano at the renowned Gaelic College of Celtic Arts and Crafts in St. Anne's, Cape Breton. Troy has a roots-centered approach to his fiddling and piano playing that has the power to inspire any audience. Troy's 4th CD, Live At The Music Room, is the 2008 ECMA Instrumental Recording of the Year
Tickets $10

Jen Kearney and the Lost Onion
Friday March 26 at 8 pm
A smoke ring from a Cuban cigar wafts through a city kitchen as a soul singer croons on crackly vinyl; freshly diced onions sizzle as they hit the olive oil in Sunday’s morning’s pan...With a pungent mix of soul, Latin, Funk, reggae, and good ol’rock ‘n roll, Jen Kearney and the Lost Onion will take you into the kitchen to find that sweetness in the soul food you crave.

“…Whatever you want to call it, Kearney and the Lost Onion provide a dense musical potpourri that is ever surprising…The Stevie Wonder comparisons that follow Kearney around are evident on tunes like “Pick Yourself Up,” while a more jazz/funk tune like “Amity” suggests Aretha Franklin joining Blood, Sweat, and Tears for a gig in Brazil.” (Jay Miller, Patriot-Ledger, 2/07)
Perhaps Kearney owes it all to her Uncle Sal, who taught her to play piano by ear at the ripe old age of four (if you ask Uncle Sal, he’ll swear it was even earlier). Coming from a musical family, Jen was immersed from the start. However, her attempt at the classic “lady down the street” piano lessons ended after three weeks of young Jen’s efforts to try to develop the lady’s appreciation for Fats Domino’s catalog that Jen had learned by ear… Her latest album, “The Year of the Ox" represents a different approach for Kearney, an actual concept album. Taking a darker direction lyrically and musically, the concept is loosely based on The Ten Ox herding Pictures of ancient Buddhism. Bring your dancing shoes for this one.
Tickets $18

Steve Nelson
Friday April 9 at 7:30 pm
A Steve Nelson fan at Nashville’s storied Bluebird Café said it best: “It’s as if his songs have been in my life all along but it just took me a while to discover them.

The entertainment industry has certainly noticed: Steve is two-time winner of the SESAC Americana Music Award, received an Emmy nomination for Sesame Street and scored two Emmy-winning TV series, and contributed to the recent Grammy-nominated Guy Clark album, “Workbench Songs.” After quietly slipping us songs all these years via the voices of pop megastars (Barbra Streisand, Dusty Springfield, Paul Anka), Nashville legends (Guy Clark, Doug Stone), outrageously famous puppets (Sesame Street), and the world’s most popular bear (Winnie the Pooh theme song), Steve is finally stepping out as an artist to perform favorite songs you may already know – plus a shimmering collection of new ones. Some of those, appear on two recent albums of his own that were beautifully produced by Grammy winner Don Henry. Evident throughout are Steve’s hard-won life experience, relentless honesty, mischievous humor and deep social conscience. Along the path that has led him from his New York roots to California and then to Nashville, Steve has built on the work of the artists he loves most – The Beatles, Woody Guthrie, Joni Mitchell, Paul Simon, James Taylor and Randy Newman – to create his own signature blend of styles. That path continues to feed Steve’s ongoing artistic growth, clearly evident on his latest release, “Distance Over Time.” From its poignant opening track (“John’s Pond,” featuring Bruce Hornsby), this impeccable, engaging, and timeless tapestry of songs, further establishes Steve as an enduring – and endearing – original voice of American music.
Tickets $15

Hot Day At The Zoo
Friday Saturday April 17 at 8:30 pm
Hot Day at the Zoo, a fiercely progressive 4-piece string band grown in Lowell, MA, is quickly spreading their eclectic roots up and down the eastern seaboard and as far west as Colorado. Celebrating their 5th year together

as a band in January \'08, David Cleaves (mandolin, vocals), Jon Cumming (banjo, dobro, vocals,), Michael Dion (guitar, harmonica, vocals,) and Jed Rosen (upright bass, vocals) HDATZ released this eagerly anticipated sophomore EP, \'Long Way Home\' in the summer of 2008. Fans describe their pioneering sound as “ZooGrass”. Fact, fiction or fable, their tunes are layered with intricacies and depth reminiscent of Robert Hunter and the Grateful Dead. Their bluesy, grassy, jazzy, old-timey, reggae, Americana infused rock and roll was inspired by many great musicians spanning a broad spectrum of time and genre. With influences ranging from the Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, John Prine, Bob Marley, Sam Bush, Bruce Cockburn, Charles Mingus, Elvis, and bands like the Beatles, Steely Dan, Nirvana and Pink Floyd, it is easy to see and hear what makes them attract a very diverse fan base. Sights and sounds from the everyday to the exotic are infused in their craft. Tight musicianship, skillful songwriting and amazing personalities introduce us to places they have traveled, people they have loved, those they have lost, and those they surround themselves with. Hot Day at the Zoo is skillful at drawing in a draw a crowd, amusing the audience and leaving roots music fans begging for more.
Tickets $6.50

All dates & performers subject to change.
Call 207 948-SHOW for latest update or email show@unitymaine.org.

Past Shows
2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001