Published: August 06, 2008 04:36 pm            

MUSIC: Lewiston fest fans have alternative

By Anthony Custode Jr.

The Lewiston Art Festival isn’t the only event in town this weekend.

Water Street Landing will sponsor Lewiston’s first Alternative Music Festival on Saturday.

“The Lewiston Art Festival is this weekend, so there will be a large mass of people here,” said John Dibernardo, organizer of the festival. “We want to expose those people coming to the art festival to alternative music, and hopefully they’ll enjoy it.”

The idea behind the festival is to introduce people to original music, played by local and small-time bands. Although this is the first festival of its kind in Lewiston, Dibernardo hopes it will become an annual event.

“The reality is there’s not enough original music. There’s a lot of cover bands,” he said. “We have local original bands scheduled to play.”

There will be a tent set up in Lewiston Landing Park, which is next to Water Street Landing. The tent will open at 2 p.m. at which time food and drinks will be available. Music will also be played through speakers until 4 p.m., at which time live music is scheduled to begin, Dibernardo said.

Participating performers include a pair bands from Lewiston, Psychedelic Test and Black Dog, Buffalo’s Potter’s Field and Massacheusetts’ Spouse. Although Spouse isn’t a local band, they are original and familiar with playing in the Lewiston area.

“We always have a good time (in Lewiston),” Spouse drummer J.J. O’Connell said. “We don’t really know what to expect (at the festival), but every time we go there, we have a good time.”

Spouse has what O’Connell describes as a “revolving door of band members” and said there are close to 13 members of the band, although the version attending Saturday will be a three-piece group.

One of those members, songwriter and manager Jose Ayerve, said Spouse is excited about playing for a new audience.

“Hopefully, we can win over a few new fans. Any chance we get to play in front of new people is welcomed,” he said.

With the Lewiston Alternative Music Festival making its debut, O’Connell said he’s not quite sure what to expect, but he knows his band will be ready to perform.

“We’re going to bring the rock and have some fun,” he said. “We love (Lewiston). It’s always been a good time, and we’re going to play our stuff and hopefully people dig it."



IF YOU GO

* WHAT: Lewiston Alternative Music Festival

* WHERE: Lewiston Landing Park, Water Street, Lewiston

* WHEN: 2 to 11 p.m. Saturday

* MORE INFORMATION: Call 754-9200 or visit waterstreetlanding.com

        

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