Issue link: https://nebusinessmedia.uberflip.com/i/1546328
W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 77 Fact Book / Doing Business in Maine RIGHT: At the band's sold-out show in Freeport, I began to understand how important the fans would become to the story, not only because of their connection to the band, but also because of the community they had built around it. Luke said it's still crazy to him that fans have seen the band 200 times and not get bored. One of those fans is Fran Stanhope, who has seen the band 238 times and was among 15 fans who traveled to Sweden for the band's spring tour. She described Mallettville as "a state of being amongst TMBB's super fans," adding, "It's the place we want to be, to 'sing, dance and love,' and we want to share that with others." I felt welcomed in Mallettville. LEFT: Luke and the band perform at Husson University in Bangor. After photographing the band in Freeport the night before, there is even more familiarity between us. I feel more at ease moving closer with my camera. This will be the last time I photograph the entire band for a while. Their upcoming shows will take them farther from southern Maine, including a 10-day tour of Sweden in April. At the end of the night, I thank the band for welcoming me and allowing me to photograph them. I tell them that, had they not been so open with me, I probably would have moved on to another story. They respond with appreciation, making the moment a fitting close to this chapter of photographing them. BELOW: Andrew Martelle, 46, of Yarmouth, plays a fiddle built in Portland in 1917 and later acquired by his great- grandfather. It has been Martelle's primary instrument since seventh grade, aside from a decade-long break when he was younger. He describes having a strange spiritual connection with it. That connection to music also extends offstage. He teaches elementary music and is the only band member with another full-time job. He finds teaching and performing enjoyable rather than draining, though balancing both requires careful planning and a commitment to being fully present and "working my ass off when I got something in front of me." Every once in a while, the right song finds you at exactly the right moment. The band, the crowd, the venue, and whatever you're carrying in your own life come together for a few magical minutes.