We're in Lamont's hometown of Sullivan to learn more about The Lucky Stone Retreat and to catch up with Craig Grossi and Audrey Ryan, a writer and musician who credit Sullivan as their source of inspiration.
Announcer:
You're road tripping to America's best music venues with Kyle Lamont. On this episode, we're in Sullivan, Maine. Quiet town that's loudly inspiring. Concert cast the podcast is an audio atlas filled with music, maps, conversations and discoveries to help you navigate America's soundscape. And tune into every state's live music scene. Concert culture is travel centric and every venue has a voice. So let us go and listen. Created and hosted by Kyle Lamont. This episode is made possible thanks to the Granite Garden, an interactive art gallery in Sullivan where you can explore the colorful quarry and meet the artist who carves jaw dropping granite sculptures. Find the Granite Garden on Whales back Road and. And yes, it rocks.
Kyle Lamont:
I'm Kyle Lamont. And my hometown doesn't have any big music venues unless you count the gazebo in the park or the gymnasiums in the local schools. But nevertheless, it's noteworthy because for creative people, this place manifests. Art, music albums, or for Craig Grossi, who I'll be catching up with in this episode. His book.
Sullivan is situated on the rocky coast of Frenchman's Bay and overlooks Mount Desert Island from Bar Harbor as the crow flies It's a 15 minute boat ride, but get this, a 40 minute drive that takes you around the Hancock Peninsula and eventually over the Taunton Bay Bridge, once known as the Singing Bridge because it was made of steel and the inside of your car and bridge would hum while driving over it. Once you cross this bridge, you're officially in Sullivan. This town has roughly 15 hundred people. And with the help of surrounding towns like Sorrento, Goldsboro, Franklin and Winter Harbor or wintah harbor, we're able to sustain our local grammar and high schools. There's one small general store called Dunbar's, and our town's newest addition is a Dollar General, which was definitely met with dismay. But sadly, it's everyone's savior in a bad winter storm where a town where bingo and bean suppers are what fill up the parking lot at the rec center. My ancestors from my father's side hail from Bangor, Maine. And as the story goes, my grandfather, a veteran of World War II and later a pharmaceutical engineer, would drive here as a teenager. He would set up camp and I imagine he would do just as we do now, taken the stellar view.
Fast forward 20 years when he met my grandma. After the war, at a homecoming dance, they fell in love and turned this small patch of land into their home. Fast forward another 50 years or so, and me and my siblings inherited the cottage while remodeling. I came across old blueprints and letters of correspondence that my grandfather had with his contractor who helped build the cottage with him. It was a tearful discovery, but then while working with my own contractor, toiling on the house, updating floors, roofs and design, I would imagine my grandfather pouring concrete, framing the house, six cetera, et cetera. It's as if we were working in tandem and I felt more connected to him than ever.
Fast forward another five years in this small patch of land with the most stunning view in Maine (if I do say so myself) is now part time home and part time summer rental for travelers from all over the world. I named the cottage the Lucky Stone retreat after the smooth rocks with white rings around them that you'll find on the private beach. And also because I'm so damn lucky to call this place home.
Here, you'll be lulled to sleep by listening to waves lap onto the beach while loons sing in the distance and wake up to the sound of lobsterman steaming out for their morning haul. The rumble of engines are accompanied by a chorus of cardinals, chickadees, and crows. Every afternoon, like clockwork, a smooth breeze sweeps across the bay and dances with the poplar leaves. The tranquil power of the sound removes your restless thoughts. And when the incandescent glow from golden hour lights up Cadillac Mountain, you can't help but feel alive. At night the stars are so bright that you can almost hear them twinkle, and the moon beam reflecting off the water will illuminate your dreams at the Lucky Stone retreat the emotional landscape is layered where solitude and connection are one and the same and sound syncopate with the seasons. I want everyone to experience this place, which is why I airbnb the Lucky Stone retreat and to be honest, it helps with property taxes.
Craig:
So I started looking, you know, just on airbnb and everything and started looking out in Virginia, in West Virginia and Pennsylvania and, you know, kind of in the Blue Ridge Mountain area where I'm familiar with. And nothing was really jumping off the screen at me. And I kept going further and further north. And I just saw, I saw water and mountains. You know, I'm not even really sure how much I really looked at the pictures of the house itself, that Lucky Stone. And it was really just about that. You know, the fact that my only time in Maine before that was on the way to Afghanistan and we stopped in Bangor from a flight from Cali to Bangor. And I remember all the troop greeters and all these amazing people that came and spent time with us, and they were the first ones to greet us on the way back to. But it was kind of the unknown just jumping in the deep end, you know, and swim or sink, you know. And I liked that idea. Like that. Neither of us had really ever been there before. And we would be isolated. But, you know, not in a bad way and in a way that really made me feel real in terms of the book and the story and what we were really undertaking.
Kyle:
That's Craig Grossi. He completed his memoir at the Lake Histone titled Fred and Craig. A Story about a Marine, A Stray Dog and How They Rescued Each Other.
Craig:
I just kind of spotted him between defending ourselves, you know, just between trying to hold this little base that we had and, you know, right away. I just knew he was cool. I knew he was interesting. And there was something different about him something kind of magical about him. Because it's just the way he kind of trotted around the battlefield in the compound we were in. And the first chance I got, I had to check him out, you know, and I walked up to him and I was expecting, you know, he's going to growl. He's going to raise his cackles and try and get me to leave him alone. You know, he clearly never been approached before, but he surprised me. You know, I got kind of close to him. He wagged his tail and that, you know, was the last thing I expected. And it's turned out to be this very definitive moment in his life, but also in mine, because it kind of set the tone for the way I would try to handle the challenges of getting out of the military and dealing with the memories and the pain of Afghanistan and the friends that I lost. And, you know, and I would try and do my best. And I still do, you know, to to take a page out of Fred's book. And whenever I'm faced with with adversity or challenges, you know, and reasons that I would otherwise, you know, feel validated and in reacting negatively.
I always try and find a reason to to wag my tail.
Kyle:
I've called him from my Studio in Ellsworth to talk about his writing retreat at the lucky stone. But way before he even arrived in Sullivan, him and Fred took an epic road trip, a highly recommended form of therapy.
Craig:
You know what is therapeutic? And one person’s doesn't work for everybody. But I've always found, you know, the road to be, you know, kind of a place that I find peace and purpose, you know, and even if it's just figuring out, you know, where you're going to sleep at night or what hotel you stay at or what camp site you're going to or you know, or where you get lunch, you know, whatever the process is always, you know, just put me in a good place mentally and doing it with with Fred back in 2015, when Lisa, on that particular road trip that I wrote about in my book with Fred and my friend Josh and other veteran. You know, it really was the adventure behind it and the unknown that we were really excited about. You know, we didn't plan as long as we had a full tank of gas and couple dollars that we were gonna have a good time. Since then, we've done a lot of trips. You know, in different ways and different vehicles. And, you know, and my girlfriend and I and our other dog, Ruby, you know, we travel constantly. And it's always just kind of that spirit of, you know, you never know what's coming around the next corner and you never know what the next book event or the next speaking event or the next place you go get dinner. You know, it's just gonna be a memory regardless if it's good or bad. You know, you can always use it and you can always find something in it.
Kyle:
Once the memoir had taken shape, he acquired an agent. It was time to complete it. They arrived in Sullivan during a snow storm and stayed until his last sentence.
Craig:
I completed my last sentence at the Lucky Stone and turned it in at the end of April, and I hired a collaborator to kind of work it, you know, in terms of like massaging the text and editing and kind of pre-editing. So when we submitted it to HarperCollins, they sent back, you know, like a couple of pages of edits. But it was very minimal, which is pretty, pretty great feeling. But yeah, it was finishing the book and closing the computer. You know, it was a definitely a great, great moment and it felt really good.
Kyle:
Nice. And I really did appreciate your nod or just mention of Sullivan and, you know, being in a cottage that my grandfather, who is also a veteran, had built. That was something I didn't expect. I didn't even expect you to mention Sullivan in general. So it really came as a nice surprise. But that mentality of the kinship that all veterans share across generations. I I really respected that and would love to know more about how, you know, no matter what generation it is like you can relate to veterans.
Craig:
Yeah. Anybody that's ever signed their name to that dotted line, you know, whether it's peacetime or wartime or or a different generation, you have a kind of that instant bond. And it's really comes down to, you know, just the idea of serving your country. Yeah, sure. But when I think about the people that I served alongside, we served each other, you know, and we looked out for each other. You know, it's under the umbrella of serving your country. But at its most, you know, pure you know, you're really looking out for the person on your left and right.
Kyle:
And Craig and Fred continue to spread their message of stubborn positivity as regular visitors to the Maine State Prison.
Craig:
And I'm hoping that I can do something similar with, you know, with this book is, you know, kind of shed light on on a lot of the issues that people face within our correctional system and, you know, around it, you know, and kind of do that through dogs, you know, kind of use them as a doorway. It's no accident that Fred made it out. And, you know, it's kind of my duty to share this story in this dog with the world.
Kyle:
How will Sullivan always be remembered for you?
Craig:
Sullivan will always have like a huge place in my heart. You know, and Nora’s too, because it's where we fell in love with a whole state, but it's where so much of what we've always dreamed about, you know, kind of came true. I mean, I talk about it just about every event that I have, every speaking event. I talk about Sullivan and I talk about, you know, how how I ended up there and how, you know, my first time in Maine was on my way to Afghanistan and how kind of bonkers it is that the second time I was in Maine was, you know, with a car full of stuff, you know, and my whole family. And we were just like all in on this place we'd we'd never been before, you know, and and that's just kind of the way we do it. We got just as much back as we could into to Sullivan. So we're all out. We'll always be, you know, just eternally grateful to that community.
Kyle:
It sounds like Fred is missing Sullivan in the background.
Craig:
Yeah. Yeah, he's he's talking at something. Yeah.
Kyle:
The Lucky Stone has hosted travelers from all over the world, from Australia to Alabama, Costa Rica to the Carolinas. And while guests are staying there, if I'm not traveling, I relocate to North Sullivan. Back in the late eighteen hundreds north, Sullivan used to be one of the state's biggest exporters of granite. Today, the quarries that were once bustling minds are now swimming holes where locals go to rage. Let's just say North Sullivan is a bit shady. It's gritty. It's affordable. So, yes, it's an artist enclave.
Up next, we catch up with Audrey Ryan. She's an indie rocker and singer songwriter who lives in North Sullivan.
Announcer:
The Bright Light Social Hour enveloping song to Sea of the Edge has a music video from Good to Go Studios and director Kyle Lamont. Watch Love at Last Light a love story about two travelers who rendezvous at a lighthouse in Maine. goodtogostudios.com to watch.
Kyle:
On Taunton Drive in Sullivan, Maine, a road where farm houses with flourishing gardens coalesce with battered trailers that have decaying lobster boats parked out front. Some of our state's most influential artists have home studios and rustic galleries. The town's post office is on this road. There's even a random head shop. Artists are drawn to affordability and accessibility to beauty. So I guess it goes without saying that. There's both of that here.
Well, started the Lunaform. It's on track road. A small little road off of Taunton. And it's an artisanal business that specializes in pots and vases. But these are not your average clay pots and vases. They're gigantic, yet extremely elegant. The owners Phid and Sharon Lawless have a proprietary process that yields incredible works of art, which can be found in gardens across the country, as well as the Smithsonian. The New York Botanical Garden and Mass General Hospital, they're open to the public and watching them make one of these things is bonkers. Practically next door is Philip Frey, whose art, according to Carl Little, a highly esteemed art critic from Ellsworth, occupies the nexus between contemporary painting and Brushy traditionalism. Frey's home studio is cozy, and he offers so many awesome workshops and mentorships around the state. His home studio is cozy and just chic and modern. He offers a lot of awesome workshops here and around the state, as well as mentorships. Frey painting is bright and colorful and truly sincere. It's hard to look at a working waterfront around these parts the same way after seeing one of his paintings.
A ways down is the very famous Philip Barter. When you arrive at his studio, a smile will dawn on your face.
Why? Well, because of the high and colorful art meets lawn ornaments that adorn his yard. Chances are Philip or his wife will greet you as you enter. And the kookiness of the moment, like “where the F— am I?” gives way to “Wow, is this for real?” When you head inside to his gallery, your jaw will hit the ground again, according to Little. I mean, why try and describe art when someone can do way better than me? The peel of barters, stylized renderings of trees and rivers and mountains and clouds is powerful. His ability to extract the essence of the landscape provokes marvel. He sees the geometry of a peak. The jagged coursing of woodlands and streams a snowfields curving contours. His palette, often not for the faint of hue, underscores his lively vision. To see his work in person is like Little says, marvelous. And there have definitely been times when driving around exploring new roads. I stop and think, Yeah, this is a Barter painting right here. You just see it. If you keep driving down this road, you'll eventually make it to Franklin. That is, if the 10 foot potholes don't pop all your tires. But we're backtracking because Audrey Ryan, a touring musician, also lives on this road. Ryan was born on Mount Desert Island and used to live in Ellsworth. She's toured all over the country and was a regular performer at South by Southwest. She's even toured around Europe. She lives on Taunton Drive in North Sullivan, half of the year and the other half in Boston, where she's a psychologist and teacher.
Ryan:
I have a private practice. I work in counseling. I've done that for the past 10 years. I had to go back to school and get a job and make money because, you know, when I did music for all of my 20s and then at some point I was like that or know how this is going to go. So I still do music, but only for but it's more for fun and for me now has not I'm not trying to make money off of music, which makes it a lot more fun.
Kyle:
I met Ryan after her show at Fogtown in Ellsworth.
Ryan:
Believe me, when I went to Fogtown, I. I almost fell over. The first time I went there, like last summer, the summer before, I just couldn't believe that something so cool was an Ellsworth because I grew up in Ellsworth basically BarHarbor and Ellsworth. And I was like, Ellsworth has never been cool ever. And all of a sudden it's kind of cool. Like there's two breweries I love Finn’s it’s like my favorite restaurant. I like the Mainly grind. I mean, I love Rooster Brothers guys and Edwards and the Grand. I mean, I actually like Ellsworth. I think it's a really cool town, which I just never felt when I was growing up. I was always like, Oh, Ellsworth.
Kyle:
I’ve called her at her home in Boston. I have you in my phone as Audrey Taunton Drive neighbor.
Ryan:
I have you as Kyle Sullivan.
Kyle:
I wanted to have this convo with her in person all summer, but summertime in Maine is fleeting blink and it's gone. Her show at Fogtown was incredible. It had gravitas and there was never a dull moment. She was switching instruments as fast as a mosquito to a tourist.
Kyle:
You're freaking amazing, Audrey. Is that sort of a fun challenge, maybe to find like new instruments, then to tinker around and see how it might work within your.
Ryan:
Yeah, I mean, it's it can be trickier using different instruments, live, but and certainly it's always easy. Everything's easier when you record it, because if you mess it up, you just go back and do it again. But live yeah. I mean, I've also used the Colomba, which is a cool instrument, but very odd. Like it's it's not even in tune really, which is kind of a problem. So you know I probably would use practically any instrument that I could figure out how to play cause some of these instruments. It's not like I am really good at any of them. I just am musical enough to figure out how to play them.
I probably have like five or six different keyboards. And so every now and again, if I come across a keyboard that I've never seen before and I'm like, oh, that one looks really cool. Then I kinda, you know, I purchase it. I definitely do not need any more keyboards for sure. But if it's like a good price, I’ll just buy it and then kinda make it into a song or something like that. I you see is an old capo town. It had really weird sounds like very dated retro sounds and wrote some pretty cool songs with it because it was, it's unique. So I like off the beaten path back. I'm not really interested in like really mainstream music. I'm definitely more into quirky, you know, instrumental. Yeah. Like more Avant Garde stuff.
Kyle:
During our conversation at Fogtown, when she told me she lived in North Sullivan, my heart soared and to find out, we lived on the same road. Well, I was floored. A new summer friend.
Ryan:
I mean, it sounds fancy. It is a second home for us. Like we were just wanted something that had plumbing that was like our big requirement was like we want something with plumbing. A lot of Maine places that are cheap, you know, just have an outhouse.
Kyle:
They fell in love with North Sullivans old post office, which was built in 1880.
Ryan:
So the first floor was the post office and the second floor was the alderman's office. And it was converted into like a two family in 1990, I think, by a guy, that lives down the road on Taunton drive. I've talked to him a couple. I met him because he told me about what he did with a house. We kind of fell in love with it. The floors are incredible. It's like the best part of the house is the floor. And there's also granite that the foundation is granite, which obviously in Sullivan, North Sullivan, there’s all these quarries. I just feel like it's very original to that area and that has a historical element to it. I just felt like that was a great place to be and I prefer to be in North Sullivan for a couple reasons. One is closer to the ocean than like the Tunk lake thing months ago and month.
And it's closer to like Ellsworth, which unfortunately, whether or not you want to you have to go to Ellsworth to get certain things. I love biking around there with my kids. We have a bike tent at the back of the bikes and we walk around a lot of quarry road and up the court. That would be like the quarry where people go swimming. You could write a song about the quarry which is just wild that quarry. Do you go there to swim?
Kyle:
I've been there and I went a couple of times this summer. But it is it's it's its own little culture going on there.
Ryan:
It sure is. It's kind of sketchy at times. Yeah. But it's also like this is real Maine.
You know, I've I've we go there and, you know, try to just act like, you know, this is Maine. This is what it is. You know, you try not to ever pretend I'm better than anything else.
Kyle:
When I ask her why she thinks that so many artists live in this part of town, she says,
Ryan:
I also think that I mean, that's the same thing in cities, too, that that artists get pushed out to places that are maybe less desirable to people with money and artists tend to not have a lot of money. So it makes sense to me that they're in places that are like because because one of the reasons we went to Sullivan, is it was cheaper there just turns out to be a really awesome place to be in kind of part of you just want to keep it a secret, you know, and be like, OK, don't come to Sullivan so we can keep it cool. And, you know, only we know about it or something.
Kyle:
She loves North Sullivan so much, she convinced her best city from Boston to move in next door.
Ryan:
We're kind of raising our kids together to a degree and just hanging out, making food, playing music, you know, watching Handmaid's Tale together because they have to watch it together because it gets you scared otherwise. I know it's it's so fun to have her there. I kind of imported or there. And she loves Maine and she's very social and really friendly. So anyone I meet, she made them in a lot of times. She she makes more of an effort than I do half the time to, like, really keep in touch of people. And yeah, I just love having her around. She's a big part of my life. Like we'll probably retire together to Maine or something.
Kyle:
When choosing to live in Down East, Maine, you are in many ways choosing solitude, which oftentime provides moments of self exploration. Same idea goes for Ryan. Choosing to be a solo artist helped her make more music.
Ryan:
I'm drawn to being a solo artist not because I wanted to be a solo artist. I really didn't. But I just found it so hard to be in bands because people are busy or they're, you know, you can never find time to rehearse, but when you play alone, it's like on your terms. And it just forced me to be really creative. And I'm glad it did because I never would have come up with all the music I've done in the last 10 years unless I was kind of forced to be a solo artist and to kind of make my own. And then. I've been a one man band for most of my music career. I'm not a loner, but I am. I don't mind being alone. So I kind of took advantage of that. Like, I just was able to travel on my own and make music on my own terms. And I'm really glad I did that.
Kyle:
Ryan has close to ten albums under her belt and has seen her fair share of venues in the country and even Europe. What was that like, road tripping to all these different venues for you?
Ryan:
I mean, it was fun, but it was also nerve wracking because you never knew what to expect You know, there were times when it was like pretty scary being alone, but it was also really fun. I met so many cool people. I was really, like being surprised. It didn't happen a lot. But I remember I always loved it when a gig was way better than I thought it was going to be, like when I was pleasantly surprised. I mostly just like meeting people. I used to tour in Ireland quite a bit. And Irish people are just so nice. They really are. So I remember one time. Same thing happened. I had like the wrong address and I went to the wrong venue. I had like an old tour itinerary from my booking agent before he gave me the new one or I don't know, something got messed up. So I showed up at the wrong venue, had to quickly rush to get to this new venue, and then found out that this woman had specifically come there from like Dublin just to see me play. And it was like, wow, you really did that. Like, it was always nice when people actually cared. You know, I was meeting people that actually really liked music and were there to support you, even though you're not famous. And I'm not making a lot of money, but you're traveling and you're doing something you love.
Kyle:
Ryan is a high commodity in the summertime, main venue owners are quick to book her out. But for her, playing on an island can be one of the highlights for her summer.
What I love about the Maine music venues in our area is sort of how it's sort of a journey to get to them. But when you get there, it's like worth the effort and you sort of settle in. And then I'm imagining here on the islands, like you're even spending the night, you know, you sort of have to make a whole weekend around it.
Ryan:
Well, I've actually played out in Monhegan multiple times because two of my friends are married, live out there year round now. She's ta teacher and he runs that cafe that we played at the barnacle. Going out there is like it's an ordeal. It's an hour and 10 minute ferry ride. You can't bring cars on that island. So you have to just carry everything. And so thank God, my friend that lives there, you know, has a drum set, has an amp.
So all I do is bring my accordion and guitar or whatever and then just borrow everything else there.
So that's very unique. And you have to go there for at least one night because it's impossible to. They only have like three ferries a day. So you're stuck there for at least one night and it's not stuck. It's beautiful. It's the most— I love Monhegan. I'm like in love with that island. And I'm so happy to go there every time I get invited back, which is almost every year. I mean, I love Maine. I'm pretty obsessed with Maine, but I also love the islands.
Kyle:
When you pulled out, like when I saw you play it Fogtown, I was like, oh, this is cool. You know how how charming at first you know look at this woman. You know, she's looping and she's singing these great songs. And then you've pulled out recorder. And that was like lights out. I was like, hands up. I was like, this woman is taking things just a little bit differently here, you know? And then, like, it just started getting a little weirder from there. And that's so I just really love about your music is you're using these really bizarre instruments, but you're making beautiful sounds with them.
Ryan:
I just love looping. I like live recording and at first use a lot of people when they use that, they just use like a guitar. And that's kind of boring to me. It's like, OK, we can use a guitar, but then you have to use other things. So like, I love using the vibraphone and the xylophone. And, you know, the kazoo is sort of a newer thing. But I've I've used banjo, monochord. I mean, really, the sky's the limit with looping. It just gets a little tricky making sure you don't mess up the loop.
Kyle:
And if managing so many instruments and lives looping wasn't enough. Add on top of that song lyrics. My personal favorite song is called “So Strung Out” from her new album, Buggie Spell, which is about, well, adulting.
Ryan:
I think when I wrote the song, it was probably about being strung out about something. I mean, like a lot of not really so much now because my life is a lot more straightforward as to what I'm up to and what I'm doing. But when I was younger playing music, I think I used to get very stressed out about like, where's my life going? What does it all mean? Kind of the existential crisis of choosing to be an artist versus choosing to do more kind of conventional things like just get a job and live your life sort of thing. So it was kind of about that, I think about feeling strung out, about being an artist or choosing that because this is about self-doubt. I think that song's really about feeling self-doubt. Thankfully, do not feel much self-doubt right now. I used to feel quite a bit in that.
Kyle:
It's beautiful, even though it's full of doubt. It has like a comforting tone to it, which I really love.
[Music Plays]
Kyle:
A strange party in North Sullivan helped inspire the song. It's just the way I am.
Ryan:
I couldn't tell if they were on some substances or what was going on, and I just sort of laughed. I was like, I think I've had enough of this party. It wasn't even a party. It was like six people in the house.
And so I kind of left and the husband of this weird couple followed me out to my car. And he's like, you could tell that I was bleeding because I was kind of done with the scene. And he says, listen, “I'm sorry for the way I am, it's just the way I am”. And I go look for him and I'm like, oh, my God, that is like the perfect accordion song. “I'm sorry for the way I am. It's just the way I am.” And then I wrote that song and I still think of Sullivan and that moment of like meeting this weird guy.
[Music Plays]
I have no problem… I’ve never seen him since. But just that, you know, there's like a kind of uniqueness and roughness about it. So I think when I think of Sullivan, I do think of it like maybe more accordion song stuff, which is always more like a story on my accordion songs or like a story. So I hope this summer or whenever I have time, I can write another. Maybe I'll write a song specifically about Sullivan.
[Music]
Kyle:
And the song Allen’s Coffee Brandy is about an iconic Maine drink that, when mixed together with milk, tastes just like ice coffee, the sweet flavor. And how easy it goes down can take you right to blackout town.
Ryan:
This has been really kind of a weird Maine, kind of like, you know, Maine has whoopee pies and lobsters and blueberries and that has Alan coffee brandy. So I wrote the song about that because my mother used to always joke about Alan. She'd be like, Oh, Allen's coffee brandy. You should write a song about it. My parents give me to do things. That's funny. They're always like, you should write a song about this. And I'm like, no, I'm not going to do that. And then eventually I do, do that.
Kyle:
Her parents got the ball rolling and the rest of the lyrics were crowdsourced while at gigs.
Ryan:
My dad gave me the first lyric. “It's Allen’s Coffee Brandy. Number one seller in Maine,” which it is early. That was, I think, Fireball now getting up there, cause people drink that.
The next line with Down East's panty remover. That's their claim to fame. And that was my dad who told me that lyric is like it's Down east painting remover. And I'm like, OK, Dad. All right, I'll put that in the song.
One lyric I didn't really get to you. So I couldn't fit it in the song. But I thought it was a funny story is that there was apparently an article in like the Bangor Daily News about Allen, where some cop said, we don't have an alcohol problem in Maine. We have an Alan’s problem. But I just thought was hilarious.
Kyle:
What is the saddest part for you about leaving shoulder or a bittersweet sense of leaving Sullivan knowing that, you know, it's your summer home and just sort of that whole essence of leaving, but looking forward to coming back?
Ryan:
Yeah, I think it is just too long. You know, I usually don't get back there until, like, Memorial Day. I mean, I have come up there for the holidays and sometimes we’ll come up in like the winter. But it's it's tough to go anywhere but two kids. So I just I miss it. I really do. I miss Maine. I miss the vibe. I miss my friends. But it's also something to look forward to all year. Now, as you're getting through like the long winter and work. Can’t wait.
Kyle:
Talk to you soon, then.
Ryan:
OK. Have a great weekend.
Kyle:
All righty. Thank you, Audrey.
Ryan:
Take care. Bye!
Kyle:
North Sullivan is what Ryan says. A place that is better left a secret, but considering a new 45 million dollar high school is being built to replace the old yet charming one here. Our secret might be out. So much has yet to be determined on what this means for our town. But I digress, like Audrey, when the weather changes, I leave, too. Although I admit with age, it's getting harder and harder. Thoreau left Walden the woods in which he was so eager to live in because he began to fall into routine. He says, I left the woods for as good as a reason as I went there. Perhaps it seemed to me that I had several more lives to live and could not spare any more time for that one. And that's exactly what travel offers. A new perspective, a new way of living. Traveling allows you to live new lives, learn more and apply what you learn when you come back home. When leaving Sullivan, I jump into my forerunner. I grip on to the steering wheel, which is Patenaude, a lot like a railing at a music venue, settle into my seat and turn the key as I go over a mental checklist of everything. The fear of leaving familiarity dissipates. I rev my engine and the wonder list awakens as I drive away. I always make sure to honk twice. A ritual I picked up from my grandpa and later my dad, who would honk when departing on a big trip. I guess it's superstitious at this point. A fond farewell for now. To Sullivan, to my home, to my magnon. I watched Cadillac Mountain disappear. And as I roll across the Tonton Bay Bridge, I cranked the music because when going on a journey, I go with song.
[Music Plays]
Announcer:
Next episode, we drive down the prettiest road in Maine and visit with Emma Thieme of Maven leather bags and motorcycle seats at her studio in Cherryfield before heading to a music venue in Prospect Harbor called The Pickled Wrinkle. Subscribe rate and review concert cast on your podcast app of choice type in concertcast.live for a music centric itinerary and to learn how you can be part of the show and find us on Spotify to listen to our Maine music playlist.
This has been a Good to Go Studios production made in Ellsworth Maine, our resident mastermind is Mark Tekushan, our editor is Pete McGill and Special thanks to Audrey Ryan for her time and wicked awesome songs and to Pepper Little, Amy Charley, Abbey Rock Jessiman, Corey Chandler and Emma Thieme, Eddie Contento, Jesse Couto and thank you for listening.