Ronda, Kevin, and Matt at the Old Goat in Richmond
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Gig Review

Richmond is not that far to travel from Portland for a good night in a pub – and that’s just what we got Saturday night when Polly and I ventured a bit north of town (OK, about an hour north of town) to join a friend at The Old Goat in Richmond.

The Old Goat in Richmond, Maine

The Old Goat is a small bar room in a store front setting in a large brick building about a hundred yards from the River, at the end of County Road (Route 197). Wide plank flooring, local color hanging on the walls, about a dozen bar stools, and four or five tables, all presided over by Scott, the owner, chief cook, and bottle-washer. Scott is very supportive of local musicians, and books lots of different types of music into the bar. On this night, we were happy to discover, our good friends Ronda Dale, Kevin Attra, and Matt Young showed up to play, working under the stage name of “The Swear Words” (I know – don’t ask me! But it’s typical Ronda Dale craziness!) Ronda is an important part of that great Portland band The Truth About Daisies. Kevin performs often with Ronda as a duo, and Matt can be found almost anywhere there is live music, makin’ it all better with his awesome harmonica skills.

Scott is in charge at The Old Goat

We came in a little early for the show, and that gave us a chance to enjoy the tasty Panini-style sandwiches that are the specialty of the house – reubens, ham, roast beef, turkey, veggie specials, you name it – they were delicious! A large selection of beer on tap and in the bottle, plus a great wine list, helped us get in the mood.

The crowd at the Old Goat

The crowd started getting pretty serious at about 8:45, just before the music started. Seems as if there was a local birthday celebration at the bar that night, and it was soon full of enthusiastic well-wishers for the birthday girl. By the time Ronda, Kevin, and Matt began their set, the place was beginning to look like one of those great dorm parties you remember from your college days, except most of the party looked a little older than you might remember.

L-R Kevin Attra, Ronda Dale, and Matt Young

I really, really enjoy Ronda and Kevin’s music, and when Matt Young starts breathing through one of those harps he carries around in a big case, the music really starts hitting home. They played some nice cover tunes, and of course, some original Ronda and Kevin songs. Kevin is an ace on anything with strings, and his voice has this little Keb Mo’ thing going on. Ronda is just a sweet as pecan pie; she’s always smiling, always singing, and your always glad that she’s doing both.

Lucky for us, we were seated about five feet from the make shift stage. Otherwise, I doubt we would have heard a thing. On this night, at least, The Old Goat was far from a listening room! These three troubadours did their mighty best, but I have to say their best efforts were drowned out in the crowd noise. Not that this was a problem for the sixty or seventy folks jammed into the room – everyone had a blast. Including us; even though we came for the music, the fun in the room was extremely infectious, and we were carried along with the super-friendly crowd into a real party.

If you’re looking for a great party, with lots of friendly locals, great drinks, and a fine menu, I do suggest the Old Goat in Richmond. If you’re looking for a music venue where you can enjoy the music of your favorite singer/songwriter or band, it might not be the best choice. But I have to admit, we had a great time, and plan to return for more of the fun!

And now, a bit of shameless self-promotion!

Please join my musical partner, Alan Dickson, and me, on Friday, March 16, as we play a two-hour set at that great little beer and wine bar called Blue (650A Congress Street in Portland.) “McKillop and Dickson” will be playing a mix of popular cover tunes and our own clever original songs, mostly acoustic folk music consisting of guitar, mandolin, and harmonica. We’ve got some new original material that I think you will like, so come in and check us out. We are on at 7:00, and will play until just before 9:00. At 9:00, you will be treated to a great set by some of the members of the super-pro band The Waiters, who will regale you with jazz and popular music standards – these folks are the real deal.

Hope to see you there!

All the best to you
Bob McKillop

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