Frost-inducing temperatures finally hit Southern Maine on Monday, but there was mulled wine to help keep warm at the Hogfarm Studio Annex, where Portland's The Last Sip opened for Omaha talent Brad Hoshaw and the Seven Deadlies. A sparse holiday crowd made it to the Biddeford listening room, but the exposed brick, reclaimed furnishings, and soft lighting created such a cozy feel, the show felt intimate as opposed to empty.
Gil and Coco Corral run the Hogfarm Studio Annex, along with Loving Anvil andMOR, a funky retail shop just around the corner. The two originally hosted shows at a barn on their personal property (an old hog farm), but recently outgrew the space and opened the downtown venue. What started as a series of fun house concerts has grown into a whole other business for the entrepreneurial pair.
Even Brad Hoshaw recognized what a gem the small space is for an old mill town. "[It is] inspiring to me, and to other musicians who travel around the country, to see two people so committed to improving a city."
Part of that commitment is hosting great talent. Hoshaw and the Deadlies were no exception, playing emotional accounts of old girlfriends and upbeat ditties about couples united in home-improvement debt. Of course, the true crowd-pleaser came when the Americana group switched gears for a dramatic cover of "Purple Rain."
The only disappointment of the entire evening was how few people came. Luckily, Gil and Coco offer albums of all their visiting bands at the Loving Anvil store, with over 90 percent of profits going back to the artist. That kind of commitment to the arts is reason enough to make the trip to York County.
hogfarmstudios.com
Topics:
New England Music News
, Gil Corral, Bridget Burns, Coco Corral
