House of Hamill comes to the Wayside Grange & Theatre

DEXTER — Wayside Grange & Theatre is proud to introduce House of Hamill to Central Maine on Thursday night, Sept. 11. The three members of House of Hamill say “we owe our existence — almost entirely — to a series of cancelled flights.”

Rose Baldino and Brian Buchanan first found themselves onstage together at the 2014 Folk Alliance International conference in Kansas City. 

Baldino’s band Burning Bridget Cleary was scheduled to perform, but inclement weather prevented two of her bandmates from flying. Desperate to salvage the showcase, Baldino approached Buchanan, who she knew fronted Canadian Celtic rock band Enter the Haggis. She thrust a guitar into Buchanan’s hands, pulled him onstage and the two just clicked. 

Four years and hundreds of shows later, the duo was booked to play a closing slot at a Colorado  festival, so they hired a bass player and drummer to fill out their sound. By the oddest of coincidences, their hired bandmate;s flights were canceled the day of the show. A frantic Facebook post introduced them to local musician Caroline Browning, who joined them on bass for the weekend. Once again, the chemistry was undeniable and House of Hamill became a trio. 

Today Pennsylvania-based House of Hamill is a fixture on festival stages across the U.S., and have shared their music and stories on the country’s premier folk stages. Their original song “Banks of the Brandywine” was a grand-prize winner in the 2024 John Lennon Songwriting Contest, and the video for their all-violin cover of “Sweet Child O’ Mine” amassed over 16 million views on Facebook, where it was shared over 400,000 times.  

The band’s newest release “Wildfire” marks House of Hamill’s most compelling work to date.  Featuring their strongest and most exciting songwriting, “Wildfire” is filled with lyrical depth,  sophisticated vocal and instrumental arrangements and hooks that are simply irresistible. This album captures the vibrant energy and creativity that have become the hallmarks of a House of Hamill live show. 

Whether they’re ripping through a set of original jigs and reels, adding lush three-part harmonies into traditional folk ballads or cracking up an audience with stories from the road, House of Hamill puts on a show that captivates audiences from the very first note. 

From now through October, Wayside Grange & Theatre will continue entertaining the Penquis  area but the season is winding down. Many of the musical groups that we hosted this 2025 season stemmed from the area, but others traveled a great distance. McKusick Petroleum, again fostered great music in the Penquis Region with their generous donation to help continue the Wayside Grange & Theatre music mission. 

The 2025 lineup continues with the Saturday, Oct. 11 Annual Variety Show.

The Wayside Grange & Theater 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 and serves “amazing, delicious, homemade desserts” and “pretty good” coffee and cold drinks in our downstairs dining area at intermission. 

At 6:30 p.m. doors open for the concert and House of Hamill will take stage at 7 p.m. No reservations needed 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. 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.