KR Music Blog

August 11, 2026

Still at it. Dog Days. What can I say. Seems like I updated this yesterday and I’m already late. It’s been a whirlwind. Summer continues to be nuts. This week I have 6 gigs in 4 days but I enjoy it. I’ve also been slowly but surely preparing myself for this years Portland Yacht Rock Festival at Aura. Every year this is a huge undertaking, and this year’s not different. And this year is going to be the best one yet. We’re doing 2 nights, September 4th and 5th, with the 5th having more seating options than the 4th. Hope to see you out there. Ok, enough promo!

I’ve been up and down the coast of Maine over the last month playing with the Dirty Gems, Vinyl Tap, Sneaky Link, Party Time Excellent, as well as with Amanda & The Tubbs, and my buddies Jeff Beam and Stu Mahan. It’s been busy but busy is good. This Friday I’m in a show performing the music from the film Almost Famous down at the Levett Theater in Ogunquit, ME. We’re playing the film first, so come down/up for an awesome night.

Got to check off the bucket list item of going to see Bob Dylan with my friends(and Thanks to Gravity bandmates) Andy Happel and Drew Wyman. Unfortunately we weren’t permitted to take photos or video. The jumbo screens were turned off. Bob played keyboard the entire show. He wore a hoody with the hood up the the entire show. He didn’t speak between songs the entire show. He played 3 hits? When it was over he stood up, took a bow, and walked off stage. He played harmonica twice. And ya know what? He’s allowed to do that because he’s Bob fucking Dylan. I can’t stress enough how awesome the show was. The two times he played harmonica were mesmerizing. He couldn’t have cared less that anyone was there watching him. It was everything that makes music sacred to me all at the same time. At one point I think it was Andy that said, “He looks like Obi-wan Kenobi playing keyboard”. And he did. Obi-wan from A New Hope. Unassuming. Wise. Low key killer when he needed to be. Experience of a lifetime. — Big thanks to Dawson Hill for covering for me so I could go to see Bob!

From time to time I rent a keyboard out. It’s not often but it happens through buddies that work in live music in town. This past month I rented my keyboard to Swamp Dogg, who is a late 60’s and beyond soul/r&b artist. I know of him from playing his most well know song “Total Destruction of Your Mind” with The Dirty Gems years ago. It’s awesome, btw, if you haven’t heard it yet. Swamp Dogg wasn’t going to be playing my keyboard though, his organ/auxillary keyboards player MoogStar used it. Long story short, the night of the Swamp Dogg show I received a phone call needing to trouble shoot some stuff with the keyboard. Once MoogStar and I got it squared away he graciously put me on the guestlist that night and I was able to catch the last few songs after my gig. Including Total Destruction of Your Mind! They slayed. If Swamp Dogg is coming to your area, don’t miss it. That band will lift your soul! Check out his newest record, Swamp Dogg Contemplates the Afterlife.

What I’m Listeing To

Smith – A Group Called Smith
Swamp Dogg – Swamp Dogg Contemplates the Afterlife
Spoon – Lucifer On the Sofa
Bettye LaVette – Everybody Knows this is Nowhere
Nu Deco Ensemble, Derrick Hodge – Mind of a Dreamer
Allen Toussaint – Life, Love, and Faith
Ben Folds – So There
Gnarls Barkley – Atlanta
Chucho Valdes y Su Combo – Cuban Jazz Revolution (hasn’t left the rotation for months!)
Magdalena Bay – Imaginal Disk

Photo 1: Cruising the Atlantic with Party Time Excellent. Side note- this flag attacked me for 2 hours.
Photo 2: Portland Yacht Rock Festival 2026 Poster
Photo 3: Hilarious Reddit post about Vinyl Tap playing at Amigos in Portland.
Photo 4: MoogStar and me after the Swamp Dogg show!

July 7th, 2026

Summer in Maine is GOING. Write in the middle of it. Pun intended. Being a musician in Maine is a trip. Every year I think, “next year I’ll book more free time so I can have some resemblance of a summer”. Every year I fail, haha. Last summer I did a pretty good job of doing that for the Hearts of Pine soccer games, but even this year I’ve missed most of the home matches. Oh well. Such is life.

This past June was pretty standard fair! Played a bunch at Portland Lobster Co., The Sunset Bar & Grill, Amigos, The Brunswick, and some other spots with The Dirty Gems, Vinyl Tap, Sneaky Link, Stucco, as well as solo.

The Dirty Gems and I wrote some songs and went into the studio in late June. We’ve got two new songs, “Someone Shows You” and “We’ve Got Plenty”, and we’ve got a new sound. Really hoping people dig it because we feel awesome about it.

Catch you out there this month! Don’t forget to check where I’m playing and come say hi!

June 6th, 2026

Been a crazy busy winter and spring! Happy to check back in with ya’ll. It’s been too long!

So, what the heck have I been doing anyway?

This fall I connected with a great publisher out in L.A., and signed on with them doing music for commercial use. To say I’ve learned a lot in the last 6-8 months would be an understatement! It’s kept me extremely busy, and pushed me past limits production wise that I didn’t know I had. Very grateful for the opportunity and patience they’ve had with me.

Ryan Halliburton and I, along with Craig Sala, have been working with an artist from New Jersey, Drew Eckmann. Drew, Ryan and I have been co-producing Drew’s new album since late last year and I’m almost finished mixing it. I believe it’s going to be called “Drew Romance”. You may know Drew from his famous house concert series, Live at Drew’s House. His album is “Crooner Rock n’ Roll”, as we like to say. Think if Mose Allison drank too much coffee. Or tea in Drew’s case, as he hasn’t drank coffee in like 30 years. Anway, be on the lookout later this year!

Had some great shows this winter with Everybody Knows: A Neil Young Tribute. We played to an awesome crowd up at Oxbow Brewing in Portland, as well as Moose Alley up in Rangely, ME. To cap it off we did a headline set down at City Winery in Boston. They had a great Yamaha grand piano that sounded EPIC. If I’m playing a real piano I usually have a fantastic night. Can’t speak for the playing, but I have a blast. I think there’s video of this show on Facebook somewhere. There is live video of our show last summer opening for Cheap Trick on Youtube as well! — We also played the newest venue in Portland, Live at Madrid’s. I’m a big fan of Madrid, Spain so I liked this place before I even stepped inside. Really cool venue. Huge. But cool. It’ll be exciting to see the things to come at Madrid’s.

Recorded a new album with Thanks to Gravity. It’s being released in small EP’s over the last and next few months. Many of you may know I joined Thanks to Gravity back in late 2023(I think). It started off really only being a few shows a year but now we’re really productive and it’s been a blast being along for the ride. For anyone that doesn’t know, I know I didn’t know at first, Thanks to Gravity is a Maine/sort of NH based band that started in the early 90’s and was signed *I think* to Capitol Records. Their first EP came out in 1991. I was in 1st grade so if you’re my age you may be a little less familiar with them. After learning a lot of the catalog I can confidently say it’s an incredibly deep blend of so many different musical styles. It’s awesome to play in and with the band. The newest stuff is some of the most musically satisfying material I’ve been a part of. The way the band records pretty much everything live, or in full takes, has changed my way of thinking in the studio BACK to the way I thought of it when I was younger. It’s been a wonderful journey getting back to that place of wonder. It’s tough to describe but I think my friends who are musicians will understand the convenient yet limited way we record music these days.

The same band, also plays as Los Galacticos, an acoustic latin quartet. We also recorded a small EP at Acadia Recording Co. this winter. Again, an incredible experience! The video incorporates some of the studio session. We did it all live, no headphones. I’ve never ever recorded with a band without headphones. It forced me to dig in a little more on their fabulous grand piano. Some of the best playing I’ve ever laid down on wax is on this session. Magical.

I recorded and released some new music under the name Michael C. Cheesery as well this winter. It’s mostly things I’ve written that fit outside the box of what is acceptable to release with the Dirty Gems. Pop/Hip Hop/whatever I want! It’s not available on Spotify, sorry. But this is my plea to you to switch platforms. Specially if you’re a musician. The audio quality is the worst in the streaming industry, and they pay the people you’re listening to the least. What are you waiting for? Hahaha on that note check out Michael C. Cheesery on ALMOST all streaming platforms!

This past May I got a call in the evening from Will Mallett of The Mallett Brothers band. Their fiddle player Andrew was sick with the flu and they needed someone to fill in for a weekend of dates in Burlington, VT and Plymouth, MA. Unfortunately I already had a gig that weekend so it was going to make it tough, but in the 11th hour, my gig was cancelled due to weather. 30 minutes later I was in the van on my way to Higher Ground in Burlington, VT. I’ve known the Mallett Brothers guys for year, and have played with them a couple of times. Great guys. In 2009/2010 I actually used to rent them vans from Hertz rental cars. Seems like a lifetime ago. Anyway- the shows were a ton of fun. I had to listen to the songs in the van and use my ears to figure them out but we made it through! When it’s an emergency fill in you don’t always get time for a setlist beforehand. It sounds crazy but with a supportive cast it can work out really well. Of course right when I start to feel comfortable with the set, the weekend was over. Hope to do it again sometime but check out The Mallett Brothers if they’re in your area. Tell em I sent ya!

Photo by Chris Bremer