PORTLAND, Maine — Pocket Full of Mumbles returns to the Allagash mothership on Riverside for an afternoon show on Saturday, Sept. 5, from 3-5 p.m. The band will follow up with a gig in the Hayseed Theater, at the Fryeburg Fair, starting at 5 p.m. on Oct. 7.
The Mumbles made their Portland Allagash debut back in June, and they’re keen to return and play outdoors in the facility’s expansive, inviting courtyard. Pray for good weather. But rest assured the gig will go off rain or shine. The boys will also unveil new material on Sept. 5 — from Little Feat, Bob Mould’s ‘90s-era power/punk trio Sugar, Cracker, and Liz Phair, who just happens to be visiting the State Theater on Sept. 23.
“Though we hesitate to say so, we’re also debuting a version of the Eagles’ Take it to the Limit,” says Mumbles bassist Mike Conant. “Someone just started playing it at practice in July and it sounded pretty great — like it had emerged fully formed and countrified from the brow of Zeus.
“Many bands have traditionally maintained strict , unwritten rules against playing any Eagles songs — since about 1994. But we like the tune, the harmonies and pedal steel sound great, and we’re hoping folks won’t mind. It’s also possible that, in 2026, the Eagles songbook is so old, it’s passed into the realm of compelling kitch.”
The Fryeburg Fair is Maine’s largest and oldest agricultural fair. Organized by the West Oxford Agricultural Society and known as “Maine’s Blue Ribbon Classic,” the sprawling event was founded back in 1851 (or, about when Glenn Frey and Don Henley got together). Check out the website for the incredible range of events planned for Oct. 4-11.
But let’s get real: It’s hard to beat The Goat Barn, administered by the fair’s Goat Department. According to the website, “Our motto in the Goat Department is: Promote the Goat! But given their outgoing personalities, the goats do a great job of promoting themselves!” Amen to that. For the record, the Open Dairy Goat Show is held on the first Sunday of the fair in the Livestock Arena. The Goat Barn itself is open to the public every day until 9 p.m.
Pocket Full of Mumbles have a played a whole host of Maine fairs, most recently Topsham and Casco. As with most things, however, Fryeburg is biggest and best. Just check out the list of previous performers: Johnny Paycheck, Jonathan Edwards, Juice Newton, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Ray Benson and Marshall Tucker Band. The Mumbles are proud to walk in their footsteps … and those of the goats.
