Music nonprofit's benefit to boast a ton of talent

An array of artists will be playing for the CAC benefit. (Courtesy photos)

Continuum Arts Collective is 501 (c)3 nonprofit that assists underserved, school-aged artists and musicians in Maine and New Hampshire by supplying them with musical instruments, art supplies, and art and music lessons.

Local musician Martin England and his wife, Jenny, started Continuum Arts Collective back in 2015 to help remove barriers for student artists and musicians.

"Art and music help us make connections within ourselves and with others," said England. "Serving our community brings us both a great deal of joy. We're honored to have the opportunity to assist underserved student artists in Maine and New Hampshire."

With the cancellation of all in-person fund-raising events this year, CAC has scrambled to stay afloat. This weekend CAC will be hosting a two-day, online "telethon" that will be streamed to Facebook, YouTube and Twitch and will feature a mix of live and recorded bands. This event is free but CAC will be accepting donations. There will be hourly raffles and if you donate you'll be automatically entered to win.

The event will feature live streamed and prerecorded performances by regional artists including Truffle, Kenny Brothers Band, Tristan Oman, Dean Harlem, Soggy Po Boys and The Reconstructed. Also on the bill are Young Frontier, Green Heron, Wellfleet, Moe Pope, The Last Waltz Band, Dan Blakeslee,, Tristan Omand, The Mammals, Bean Pickers Union, Pondering Judd, Broken Amps, Jim Dozet, Field Report, Jason Anderson, Rick Ruse Ensemble. and Hilton Park. "And there's a special guest," England said. "but you'll have to tune in to find out who."

England went on to say, "I'm overwhelmed at the kindness and generosity of so many people in our lives, all in an effort to keep CAC afloat and to help level the playing field for young artists and musicians in the great sister states of Maine and New Hampshire. Hope you'll join us for a minute or for the duration."

CAC is hoping to grow, and serve the needs of more children. Donations can be made at PayPal: info@continuumarts.org; with Venmo: @continuumarts.org, or on the CAC website at Continuumarts.org.

https://www.facebook.com/events/256531589135576/

And here's the complete weekend lineup.

Friday, October 23

Continuum Arts Collective Telethon Day One runs from 3-7 PM and features live performances by Tristan Omand and The Kenny Brothers Band. There will also be some pre-recorded performances by many others, along with live hosts to update you on our latest. People can tune into the Livestream at https://facebook.com/continuumartsco

Eric Grant at Back Street, Sanford ME, 6-9 p.m. upstairs dining area. Country music at its best.

Texas Pete at the Dover American Legion, Dover NH, 7-11 p.m. New Country/Southern Rock Band. Hope to see y'all at a show soon.

Saturday, October 24th

CAC Telethon Day Two kicking things off at noon and will run until 8:00 PM, featuring live performances from Dean Harlem, Gerard / Truffle, and a special guest. People can tune into the Livestream at https://facebook.com/continuumartsco

Rosie at Trains Tavern, Lebanon ME, 7-11 p.m. After a long wait, Rosie is back inside! Indoor stage, 50 person capacity, social distancing please. Playing classic rock covers with a little rocking country thrown in. RosieBandRocks on Facebook

Bad Penny at the Garage at the Governors Inn, Rochester NH, 6-9 p.m. An energetic rock cover band bringing a mixture of great music from many decades and styles. 60's through present day.

CC Bissett is a longtime aficionado of the Greater Rochester music scene. She lives in Lebanon, Maine.

You can reach her at ccbissett@gmail.com