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Wayside Grange & Theatre continues the Concert Season with Averill Lovely Band

DEXTER — Wayside Grange & Theatre is pleased to continue their 2025 Concert Series on Saturday, July 19 with the Averill Lovely Band.

Averill Lovely and his father Ralph have been playing together since Averill was old enough to hold a  mandolin. Averill sings and plays guitar, harmonica, mandolin and the heart strings. Ralph plays a four  string banjo a la yesteryear. 

Somewhere around the year of the big onions they teamed up with longtime friend and fellow  musician “Martini” Tony Brown, AKA The Bard of Barnard. Tony has played extensively from the East Coast to Albuquerque and back. His most recent project in Central Maine prior to joining Ralph  and Averill was called Tony’s Martini Club. 

(Courtesy photo)

Together their set represents the type of music that gets played around kitchen tables, on back porches and in smoky lounges. They call it Hillbilly Swing. It’s a mix of Americana, traditional jazz, blues and some originals. If that strange brew sounds like something you just have to see to believe, it is. So, come join us at the Wayside Theater on July 19.

From now through October, Wayside Grange & Theatre will be entertaining the Penquis area with a wide variety of music. Many of the musical groups stemming from the area and others traveling a  great distance. McKusick Petroleum, again is fostering great music in the Penquis Region with their generous donation to help continue the Wayside Grange & Theatre music mission. 

The 2025 lineup continues: 

July 19 – Averill Lovely Band  

Aug. 2 – Honest Mechanik 

Aug. 10 – Carl McPhee North Woods Rail Perseid Meteor Show 

Aug. 23 – Bear Tracks 

Sept. 11 – House of Hamill  

Oct. 11 – Variety Show 

The Wayside Grange & Theater in Dexter presents programs of theater and music in an historic  and acoustically perfect setting. The building has served the Dexter community for decades and continues in 2025.  

The Wayside Grange Kitchen is open where Amazing Delicious Homemade Desserts and “pretty good” coffee and cold drinks will be available in our downstairs dining area at intermission. 

At 6:30 p.m. the doors open for the concert and Averill Lovely Band will take the stage at 7 p.m. There is no need for reservations and tickets are only $15 per person.  

If you would like to join Wayside Grange & Theatre and/or volunteer, call Tim Breen at 207-355-5507 and please check out our Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/waysidestage.

The Grange volunteers have improved the comfort level at the Grange Hall with air conditioning. We also have access at ground level entrance, and can be found at 851 North  Dexter Road (Route 23) in North Dexter. Keep watching our Facebook page for more family fun events!

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