The Star City Syndicate—a local group with an impressive range and even bigger, brassier sound—returns to the University of Maine at Presque Isle’s Auditorium in Wieden Hall on Saturday, March 9 at 7 p.m. This time, the group will perform a special fundraising concert for a cause near and dear to band members’ hearts—the Larry Hall Memorial Scholarship. Admission is free for this high energy, family-friendly event, but donations of all sizes will be accepted at the door.
A fan-favorite, especially at summer events across the County, the Star City Syndicate offers up the rich sounds of classic to contemporary pop. By day, Syndicate members are mild-mannered music teachers, postal workers, clergy members, or other unassuming professionals in the community. By night, though (and on select weekends and sometimes summer weekday-early-afternoons), they meld their various musical interests and backgrounds into the driving, thumping, horn-resounding, soul-burning sonic tour de force, the Star City Syndicate.
Blending songs from old-school Detroit with deeper cuts from bands such as Gnarls Barkley and The Heavy, the Star City Syndicate is the melodic guilty pleasure of a group of people who just want to play the classic and modern songs everyone loves.
Members of the Star City Syndicate include Anthony Scott on lead vocals; Mark Shaw, guitar and vocals; Brian Mosher, guitar, keyboard, and vocals; Doug Chronkhite, percussion and vocals; Joel Hall, rhythm guitar and vocals; Jon Simonoff, bass guitar; Sean Diette, baritone sax; Sarah Diette, keyboard; Jenna Simonoff, tenor sax; Kelly Chartier, alto sax; Chris Morton, percussion; Pat Kinsey, trombone; Andy Yaeger, trombone; Randy King, trombone; Kevin Kinsey, trumpet; and Adam Metzler, trumpet.
The group will perform a bevy of top hits spanning the last 50 years during the March 9 concert, by artists ranging from Aretha Franlklin and Sly & The Family Stone to Santana and Portugal.The Man.
All proceeds from this concert go to the Larry Hall Memorial Fund, named after the legendary local music educator, instrument repair technician, and beloved musician. Larry—or “Mr. Hall,” as he was known to his thousands of students—was well-known amongst his friends for his quiet charity and generosity. He often donated his personal time, money, and even instruments to enable fellow musicians in need, both young and old, to continue to create music. The Syndicate is grateful for a chance to honor their bandmate, and to perpetuate his legacy through The Larry Hall Memorial Fund, which provides free instruments and repairs to local musicians of all ages in need.
For more information about this concert, please contact Gayla Shaw at 207-768-9452 or umpi@maine.edu.