SCHOOL'S OUT

NJ-based Ortolan will take the stage at 8:15pm August 14. They're hot off rave reviews at SXSW and a European tour.

First off, I must say congratulations to the newly-engaged Scott McEwen and Erin Hollenbeck. Scott founded the concerts and Brewster Productions with Harry and me several years back, and Erin is always helping out with the shows and being all around awesome. We’re all very happy for the two lovebirds, and you should be too.

Now onto the big FREE music festival we’re putting on this Saturday. When I say big, I mean real big. We’ve got 9 bands. The headliner Ortolan just finished their first European tour, and is hot of rave reviews at South By Southwest in Austin, TX this year. The eight local bands sharing the stage with them are an incredible bunch themselves, including: Emma Ate the Lion, Doug Ratner & the Watchmen, Boston & Bosco, The Okay Win, BarRoom Heroes, Pride of the Atlantic (with guys from the Widescreen Edition), One Way Karma, and The Hiding Spot. Go to the Schoolhouse Rock page for all the links and even more info: http://brewsterproductions.com/concertseries/schedule/schoolhouse-rock/

If the incredible amount of awesome independent music from cool young local bands wasn’t enough, there’s going to be a GUITAR RAFFLE! Yes, we’ll be raffling off a Takamine acoustic guitar, and 4 weeks of free guitar lessons, both courtesy of Thunderbolt Music. Buy your tickets for $1 early and often from our table – the more you buy the better chance you have to win.

You will also have an opportunity to donate to a great cause, Vh1 Save the Music. This foundation helps support music education programs throughout the county’s public schools.

A huge huge thank you goes out to our co-presenter this year, Tranzmission, the indie music blog by Ryan Wood. He’s helped us out a ton in bringing Ortolan to the show and putting the whole thing together. Also thank you to Thunderbolt Music on Main St. in Plymouth for donating a guitar and lessons.

See you at the festival! (don’t forget, it’s FREE!)

- Jon

Happy spring (officially)!!

NJ foursome Ortolan, fresh of rave reviews at SXSW, will hit the Plymouth Waterfront for Schoolhouse Rock August 14th.

They were just down in Austin, TX for South By Southwest, the gargantuan music and film festival, and get this: New Jersey folk quartet ORTOLAN will be rocking the stage in Plymouth this summer! Ortolan, a talented group of 3 sisters and 1 sister-in-law will bring their melodic folk music to the stage at this year’s SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK, thanks especially to Ryan Wood of the indie music blog TRANZMISSION. This will be the 4th year we’ve put on the show (the first on July 27, 2007 was the spark that started Brewster Productions). We’ll be taking donations for the Vh1 Save the Music Foundation in support of a very important cause: Music and arts education, especially in under-served urban and rural schools. In addition to Ortolan, the SHR10 stage will be rocked by Boston & Bosco, The Barroom Heroes (a punk band of middle school kids), and Doug Ratner & His Watchmen, plus a couple more to be announced.

Keep checking our Schedule page for near-constant updates. We’ve also just added The Eagle Hill Band acoustic on 5/28 to kick off the season, and Jesse Boncek, playing with Nate Cristofori on June 11 at the Hedge House.

Summer’s coming soon, and so are we. Get ready for School’s Out!! And while you’re at it, go to some Brewster Productions shows – we’ve got at least 1 a week up in Boston, and lots more at various places and times.

- Jon