10 Years Ago, The Maine State Pier Summer Concert Series Was Stacked

If you were in Portland, Maine, ten years ago in 2015, there’s a good chance you made it to at least one show at the Maine State Pier. It was the kind of lineup that made you double-check if you were still in Maine.

  May 2 – Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo

  June 4 – Billy Idol

June 12 – The Wailers / Rusted Root

June 13 – David Gray

June 26 – Barenaked Ladies / Violent Femmes / Colin Hay

June 27 – Peter Frampton / Cheap Trick

July 16 – Kacey Musgraves / Andrew Combs

July 26 – “Weird Al” Yankovic

July 31 – Weezer / The Front Bottoms

August 2 – Christina Perri / Colbie Caillat / Rachel Platten

August 8 – Guster / Augustana / Dr. Dog / Nicki Bluhm & the Gramblers / In the Valley Below / Dominic & The Lucid

August 20 – Counting Crows / Hollis Brown / Citizen Cope

August 22 – Scotty McCreery / Jillian Cardarelli

September 3 – The J. Geils Band / Ian Hunter

You had legends like J. Geils Band, Billy Idol, Pat Benatar and Peter Frampton sharing the same stage, alt rock and indie favs like Weezer and Guster, you even had “Weird Al ” Yankovic, coming out on stage in his vintage fat suit to perform his classic Michael Jackson parody. 

So… What Happened?

By 2018, the music faded out—and the Maine State Pier stopped booking concerts, due to the city of Portland deciding to not renewing their license. It’s wild to think that in just a few short years, we went from seeing Weezer by the ocean to… seagulls and silence. 

Then a replacement venue looked promising. Maine Savings Pavilion at Rock Row in Westbrook was the new spot, however that was short lived and they were forced to shut down primarily due to ongoing issues with noise complaints from nearby residents. It was also noted that staffing shortages impacted the promoter, Waterfront Concerts.

Thank god we still have Thompson’s Point. Seriously—if it weren’t for that venue picking up the torch, Portland might’ve lost its entire summer concert soul. Thompson’s Point has become the go-to for live outdoor shows with those good vibes, killer sunsets, and it’s kept Maine music fans from going feral in the summertime. Check out their summer lineup here.