Ghostland: Festival Review (Thompson’s Point, Portland, ME 9/1/18)

Well, that was damn fun. We’ve known for a good long while that the fine gentlemen in The Ghost of Paul Revere know how to throw a party, but Ghostland 2018 was more a lot more than that: it was a celebration of a musical community that has truly bonded artists and fans. Thompson’s Point, one of Maine’s premier music venues, was the perfect place to celebrate. It was a gorgeous summerish night and while there were easily a few thousand people there, it felt like we were all hanging out at the Ghosts’ house in the backyard. (They even made a limited-run beer for the occasion–they are nothing if not gracious hosts.)

Sibylline kicked off the evening at 5:00, with a light breeze coming in off the water. Led by Hannah Daman, the group features her incredibly sharp songwriting, and the beautiful harmonies of sisters Megan and Francesca Martelle. This band has such incredible range and they can go so many places musically. It was the perfect start to the day and people who were coming in mid-set put down their blankets and immediately made their way to the front.

Max García Conover proclaimed that in these times “every concert is a rally.” Damn right. García Conover was preaching in the best possible way: with truth and humor and conviction. “Rich Man,” a song that has had a lot of great buzz this summer, anchored the set, with a new closing verse that evoked a sense of possibility and togetherness: “what if nobody’s rich and nobody’s poor / and nobody’s theirs and nobody’s yours / and there’s nothing below and there’s nothing above / and there’s nobody coming / it’s always been us.” “New Sweden” was another highlight and I heard some folks in the crowd saying, “Yeeeesss,” with anticipation when he started the song. But goddamn, it was that version of “Holy Rider,” at the end of the set, with Ben Cosgrove on piano, that just brought everything into a sharper focus. It’s a song with moral clarity and wry humor. When he sang, “so are we all just bound for ruin? / what we the good germans doing?” it hit home more than a polemic ever would.

The Ballroom Thieves brought their gorgeous harmonies and fierce attitude as the sun started setting. Their long-standing partnership with Maine Youth Rock Orchestra was a highlight of the night. MYRO joined The Thieves for two songs, conducted by Kevin Oates. The vision for MYRO is so inspiring. How many high school students can claim to have played on one of the state’s biggest stages to an audience of thousands of people? And I love The Thieves’ dedication to MYRO–they have been performing together for years and this kind of  intergenerational connection is really inspiring.

The only folks “from away,” as they say in Maine, were hopefully made to feel right at home: the beautiful duo from Charleston, South Carolina, Shovels and Rope. (I will use this opportunity to again say that if you have not seen The Ballad of Shovels and Rope, please watch this documentary–it’s so wonderful.) I found the stage set up for Cary Ann and Michael to be a bummer, because they were set so far back on the stage. Their shows are so intimate, even in a big venue, that the distance was jarring for me. That said, they crushed their set. Michael started on piano, with Cary Ann on drums, and I loved that arrangement. “I Know,” “Birmingham,” and, “O Be Joyful,” were all fantastic, but “Saint Anne’s Parade” was the one that had me totally tuned in. They closed their set with, “Hail Hail,” which had the whole crowd rocking.

Then came our hosts. The sun had set. The food trucks were closing down. And the Ghosts took the stage to a crowd of many die-hard fans, some of whom have been there with them for this whole damn ride. What I loved about this set was how dynamic it was. They included Ben Cosgrove on piano and accordion and Kevin Oates on cello, and this just added so many layers to their songs–especially those from “Monarch,” their excellent record that came out last fall. Their second song of the night was, “After Many Miles,” a clap-along song that features Griffin, Shawn, and Max taking turns on lead vocals and combining for soaring harmonies on the chorus. In previous Ghost shows, I’ve seen this one come at the end–after they have spent an hour going full tilt–and I loved that they put it right there at the beginning. “Next Year,” with just Griffin and Ben was also a real highlight and it was impressive to get a crowd that size quiet enough that you could hear Griffin belting, “I don’t feel nothing at all” echoing off the water. But man it was also breakneck stompers like “Little Bird” that made this show so fun. The Ghosts have really developed a show that works on the big stage but can still transport you to that feeling of a house show about to bust at the seams.

Ghostland 2018 represents two things for me: an amazing recognition that The Ghost of Paul Revere has come so far in just a few years and an unquestionable conviction that they are only going further. Well done, gents. See you in 2019!

Check out our full gallery for Ghostland 2018 over on our facebook page.