The Portland, Maine, 2014 Summer Concert Lineup Was Epic

We may not be considered a big market, and might have to take our road trips to Boston to see Springsteen and U2. But Portland, Maine, always has and continues to be a live music town – on both ends. Mainers love going to see live music, and the bands love coming to play here.

I thought it would be fun to dig up the summer concert lineup from ten years ago for Portland alone. While putting this list together, it confirmed two things: time goes by way too fast, and Portland had (and still has) a wide variety of bands coming through our city.

Portland had Powerman 5000 and Ryan Adams playing on the same night, just a few blocks away. The same thing happened later on in the summer with Winger and the Old 97’s. Luckily, I don’t think either of those shows had you torn as to which one you were going to. Speaking of Powerman 5000, they will be playing at Pilot's Cove in Sanford on July 18, with Sponge and Tantric. 

This was also the summer that Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers came to Portland on Labor Day Weekend with Steve Winwood! That’s a show I, and many, will never forget. We also saw big names like Jackson Browne, Alanis Morisette, and Snoop Dogg come through that summer.

Tom Petty & The Hearbtreakers at the Cross Insurance Arena - 8/31/14

A lot has changed since then. The Maine State Pier is no longer doing shows, Port City Music Hall is now an oversized arcade bar, The Asylum got revamped and expanded into what is now called Aura, and Thompson’s Point is now the premiere outdoor concert venue.

3 Doors Down at the Maine State Pier - 8/3/14

Here is the insanely eclectic and diverse concert calendar for Portland, Maine, for the summer of 2014:

6/22 - Reel Big Fish - Port City Music Hall 

6/25 - Primus - State Theatre

6/26 - Saliva - The Asylum

6/28 - Trapt - The Asylum 

7/8 -   Robert Cray Band/John Hiatt - State Theatre

7/10 - Snoop Dogg - Portland Expo

7/12 - Lady Lamb - Maine State Pier

7/13 - Circa Survive - Port City Music Hall 

7/14 - Gordon Lightfoot - Merrill Auditorium

7/18 - Natalie Merchant - State Theatre

7/19 - Cracker - Asylum 

7/21 - Pepper - State Theatre

7/21 - Dirty Heads - State Theatre

7/22 - Quiet Riot/Faster Pussycat/BulletBoys/Gilby Clark - The Asylum

7/22 - Ryan Adams - State Theatre

7/24 - Gogol Bordello - State Theatre

7/26 - Winger - The Asylum

7/26 - Old 97’s - Port City Music Hall

7/27 - Against Me! - Port City Music Hall

7/30 - Skrillex - Cross Insurance Arena

7/30 - Band of Horses - State Theatre 

7/31 - Tom Keifer (of Cinderella) - The Asylum

8/1   - Ingrid Michaelson - State Theatre 

8/3   - 3 Doors Down - Maine State Pier 

8/16 - Nothing More - Port City Music Hall

8/17 - Jackson Browne - Merrill Auditorium 

8/17 - Powerman 5000 & (hed) PE - The Asylum 

8/19 - Jonny Lang - State Theatre

8/23 - Alanis Morissette - Maine State Pier

8/31 - Tom Petty & Steve Winwood - Cross Insurance Arena

9/3   - Chevelle. State Theatre