Mainebiz Special Editions

W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 73 Fact Book / Doing Business in Maine C O N T E N T S P H OTO E S S AY C O N T I N U E D O N F O L L OW I N G PA G E » I t's Dec. 6, 2025. I'm six rows deep in a sea of fans at the State eatre, surrounded by the energy that fills a room just before the lights dim, eagerly awaiting the Mallett Brothers Band. I'd liked their latest album but wasn't deeply familiar with their music. eir first song was "Portland Town," a cover of the Schooner Fare classic. It's a song woven into the very fabric of Maine, perfectly capturing the feeling of returning home, when the first lights appear across Casco Bay and you know you're almost there. e chorus sings: I see the light across the bay I see the light not far away And I hear music all around I'm gettin' close to Portland Town So, Mother, won't you make my bed I see the light of Portland Head I see the light, I'm comin' 'round I'm comin' home to Portland Town ABOVE: It's my first night photographing the band and the first night of their acoustic spring tour at the Sanctuary Cultural Arts Center in Maynard, Mass. Excited and nervous, I walk into the venue as the band is doing soundcheck. Will briefly introduces me, but I don't think the guys really know why I am there. The band's drummer, Brian Higgins, invites me onto the stage to take photographs. As I walk up the wooden steps at the side of the stage, he fist-bumps me, and I immediately feel a little more at ease and welcome. After soundcheck, Will, Luke, Andrew Martelle, the band's fiddle player and keyboardist, and I eat at a Korean restaurant. Luke said food is part of what he enjoys most about life on the road. For him, touring is not only about playing music but also about experiencing new cities, people and finding the places locals love. "I wanted to be a touring musician, not just a musician," he said. Unlike Luke, I am not an adventurous eater. I am selective, some friends and family would call me picky. We all order bibimbap, which I am trying for the first time, and I enjoy it. During dinner, I explain my vision for the photo story and the moments I hope to photograph. ABOVE: After the show, on a cold night in early March, the guys carry their equipment out of the center and load it into the van. Luke said the acoustic tour gave the band a chance to return to the sound that first defined the band. "It gives a little more focus on the lyrics and the content of the song as opposed to the production and just the rock and roll of it," he said. Andrew describes the band's sound as difficult to define by standard genres. "Sometimes we play straight-ahead rock and roll. Sometimes we play folk music. Sometimes we're a jam band. Sometimes we're a mix of all of them." B E L OW : Brian Higgins, 59, of Gorham, always wanted to perform live and build a life with a band. "I wanted to see California for the first time with a band. I wanted to travel the country for the first time, not for vacation, with a band. It's always been about that for me." Fulfilling that dream has also required navigating the financial uncertainty and constant travel that come with being a working musician. Now, at 59, performing takes a greater physical toll, but his commitment has not changed. "I always come back to: A, it's the thing I love the most. B, what the freak else am I going to do?"

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