BAAM Presents The Sandy River Ramblers

Join BAAM at The Gem for a live performance from the Sandy River Ramblers!

This event has moved inside the theater due to the parking lot being paved. 

The Sandy River Ramblers, one of Maine’s premier bluegrass bands, are the longest-running bluegrass band in Maine’s musical history; 2023 will mark the band’s 40th year.  While the band’s musical style is traditional bluegrass, the band is innovative and is unique among all Maine musical groups in the emphasis of original songs about Maine. The Ramblers’ two most recent CDs feature 28 original songs about Maine topics, most of them written by band founder and leader, Stan Keach, who is nationally known as a bluegrass songwriter, having written many songs for some of the biggest names in the genre. In 2019, Keach was inducted into the Maine Country Music Hall of Fame.

The Ramblers showcase three virtuoso instrumentalists: banjoist Bud Godsoe of Madrid, fiddler Brendan Hickey of Farmington, and mandolinist Bobby St. Pierre of Cundy’s Harbor.  Godsoe learned to play banjo while working on the Alaska Pipeline in the 1960s. Hickey, who teaches music in Farmington schools, graduated from the prestigious Berklee College of Music. St. Pierre, who hand-crafts his mandolins, has been known since the early 80s and one of Maine’s premier bluegrass musicians.

The band features stunning vocals; upright bass player Julie Davenport (a forester and farmer by trade) is the most accomplished vocalist, but Keach, Hickey and Godsoe all sing lead and are showcased in the Ramblers’ gorgeous 3-and-4-part vocal harmonies.

A Rambler show always includes plenty of comedy and impressive novelty numbers, including songs featuring musical saw, but they also have plenty of serious songs; there’s something in a Ramblers show for everyone, children and seniors included. Beloved Maine author/journalist, the late George Smith has called the band “a gift to Mainers,” and he adds that they do an excellent job entertaining flatlanders, as well.

Performance @ 4:00

Tickets are “Pay As You Wish” with all proceeds benefiting the performers and future BAAM programming.

Proof of Covid vax is required for all over 12.

Thank you to our advertising sponsors that make this programming possible.