The Eagle Hill Band jams out at our June 4th show this year, with guests Ben Carter, Doug Logan, and Nate Cristofori.

1. FULL BANDS! Yep, that’s right, you just might see a drum kit or two on the Hedge House Lawn this summer. This year we’re stepping up to full-band status – yes, the shows are still acoustic in nature (we’re keeping the drum kits small – like a stripped-down “Unplugged” sort of thing), but this new addition is going to be really cool. We’ve got acoustic bands like Anika Scribbling, Westerly Whales, Jake Hill & Deep Creek, and Ben Carter which will be thoroughly awesome, and we’re also super excited about is this: We’ve got some bands playing extra-special acoustic shows just for the Acoustic Nights series! Bands like The Okay Win and Large are putting together one-time-only unplugged sets for their shows at the Hedge House, and it’ll be really cool to hear their music in a different context.

In the summers to come, we’re planning to expand on this and get even more up-and-coming bands like The Okay Win to do a stripped-down set for us. This summer’s going to be an exciting one – we can’t wait to see you at the shows!

FIRST SHOW: Anika Scribbling w/ Steve Capachione and Large, July 15th

NJ-based Ortolan will take the stage at 8:15pm August 14. They're hot off rave reviews at SXSW and a European tour.

First off, I must say congratulations to the newly-engaged Scott McEwen and Erin Hollenbeck. Scott founded the concerts and Brewster Productions with Harry and me several years back, and Erin is always helping out with the shows and being all around awesome. We’re all very happy for the two lovebirds, and you should be too.

Now onto the big FREE music festival we’re putting on this Saturday. When I say big, I mean real big. We’ve got 9 bands. The headliner Ortolan just finished their first European tour, and is hot of rave reviews at South By Southwest in Austin, TX this year. The eight local bands sharing the stage with them are an incredible bunch themselves, including: Emma Ate the Lion, Doug Ratner & the Watchmen, Boston & Bosco, The Okay Win, BarRoom Heroes, Pride of the Atlantic (with guys from the Widescreen Edition), One Way Karma, and The Hiding Spot. Go to the Schoolhouse Rock page for all the links and even more info: http://brewsterproductions.com/concertseries/schedule/schoolhouse-rock/

If the incredible amount of awesome independent music from cool young local bands wasn’t enough, there’s going to be a GUITAR RAFFLE! Yes, we’ll be raffling off a Takamine acoustic guitar, and 4 weeks of free guitar lessons, both courtesy of Thunderbolt Music. Buy your tickets for $1 early and often from our table – the more you buy the better chance you have to win.

You will also have an opportunity to donate to a great cause, Vh1 Save the Music. This foundation helps support music education programs throughout the county’s public schools.

A huge huge thank you goes out to our co-presenter this year, Tranzmission, the indie music blog by Ryan Wood. He’s helped us out a ton in bringing Ortolan to the show and putting the whole thing together. Also thank you to Thunderbolt Music on Main St. in Plymouth for donating a guitar and lessons.

See you at the festival! (don’t forget, it’s FREE!)

- Jon

Amy Mercier performs at Hedge House Lawn tonight 7/30. Show starts at 6pm.

Howdy everyone,

We’ve had quite the hectic July, putting on 3 big main stage shows and running all over creation to make them happen, and now we’re back at the good ol’ Hedge House Lawn for the rest of the summer, except 1 show (the HUGE Schoolhouse Rock Music Festival at the main stage 8/14).

Molly Pope will open up the show tonight 7/30 at 6pm.

To welcome all of our loyal audience members back to the 200-year-old house’s lawn, we’ve got the talented pianist/singer Amy Mercier and singer/songwriter Molly Pope taking the stage tonight. Click on the links to take a listen to them, and then come on down to the show! I suggest grabbing some food, a blanket, and/or some lawn chairs and have a nice relaxing night of music and food. For free. Well, beside the food, unless it was a gift.

Also, since we like to be pretty open about how we run things around here, we have to be totally honest and say this past month has run us pretty dry as far as funds go. If you can, please come to the show and make a donation – it will help us make the last shows of the summer awesome.

Thanks for all the support and for coming out to the shows! See you tonight!

Jon & the School’s Out crew

Mark Rose performing August 7, 2009 at the main stage. Last year his band featured Lucas Carpenter on keys, and Darren Wilson of The Hush Sound on drums.

Why hello everyone in free concert land! We’ve got a big show for you all to enjoy this Saturday, July 24.

Mark Rose, frontman of  Spitalfield (Victory Records, rumored to be reuniting soon…) is on a US tour alongside Camera Can’t Lie, who were recently signed to Atlantic Records, which will release their debut album in the coming months.

Mark Rose is returning to the School’s Out stage, after performing last August along with Lucas Carpenter. This’ll be a great show, and we’re real excited to have these guys play.

Come check out some music you’ll probably be hearing on the radio soon – it’s your chance to say, “I saw them in Plymouth up close and personal (for free)!”

- Jon & the School’s Out team

We had an incredible show this past Saturday night at the Main Stage with The Release, Bones & A Curtis Rhythm, and young newcomers 14th Union. The whole show was an awesome display of talented young musicians and songwriters, with nearly every song performed being an original. We were quite honored to have The Release – who were performing at School’s Out for the 3rd consecutive year – perform a set almost entirely filled with never-before-performed songs that they will be recording this fall. We’ve worked with, and been fans of, The Release for quite a while now and it was a great pleasure for us to help them debut some new material (check out their next show Thursday 7/22 at TT the Bear’s in Cambridge).

Bones have also played at our series for 3 years in a row now. They actually played one of the first few shows ever at the concert series, but under their original moniker “Brewster”, funnily enough. Then they briefly changed their name to Glasstronaut, and right before Schoolhouse Rock 2009, they adopted Bones & A Curtis Rhythm.

14th Union is a great young band with a ton of promise. These three 13 and 14 year olds busted out a 40-minute set of ALL originals. That’s hard for any band to do that’s only been together for around a year, let alone young kids. So kudos to those guys, I’m sure we’ll be seeing and hearing them for  years to come.

It was an all-around great show, and we can’t wait for the next one on Saturday July 24 at the main stage, which features Spitalfield frontman Mark Rose, and newly-signed-to-Atlantic-Records, Camera Can’t Lie. Stay tuned for a post on that – for now check the schedule!

Til next time, keep rockin’.
- Jon & the School’s Out Team

3rd Left rocks the main stage at the very first School's Out concert series show, July 11, 2008.

We’ve been at this concert series thing for 3 years now, but we had yet to have a show on Plymouth’s (in)famous 2nd-biggest holiday, the Third of July….until now. Well folks, this is the year. And it’s a show of 3s, as luck would have it: This will be the 3rd year in a row we’ve had the big 3rd Left, Jake Hill, EHB show to kick off our stint at the main stage, and it happens to be on the 3rd of July. Crazy, huh? Let’s get to the details.

First off on this big weekend coming up is an incredible guy by the name of Sean P. Rogan on Friday 7/2 at the Hedge House. Up until a short time ago, he played guitar for Big D and the Kids Table (he also filled in on guitar for Streetlight Manifesto at last year’s Warped Tour, for those who think that’s the coolest thing ever). You’ve probably heard of them if you’re under the age of 30, and certainly if you’re from the Boston area. They’re a pretty popular nationally touring ska/punk band for those who don’t know them. Sean played a show with us at Sweetwater Cafe in Boston this past spring and he was incredible – you can download ALL of his songs for free (seriously!) at his web site: seanprogan.com.

Then of course, we have the big show on the 3rd of July, Plymouth’s lesser-known second-biggest holiday, ranking just behind the one with the big turkey dinner. 3rd Left, Jake Hill, The Eagle Hill Band, and Nate Cristofori will take the stage starting at 5pm at the Main Stage. Not much else to say except this is going to be a big, huge, fun, rockin’ show, and you would be very sad for the rest of the summer if you missed it.

See you at the shows, and don’t forget your dancin’ shoes!

- Jon & the School’s Out Crew

Concert series founders, Jon Dorn, Scott McEwen, and Harry Quinn will be on the radio this week talking about the series.

Don’t adjust your dial, that’s really us on the radio. Brewster Productions will be taking the airwaves by storm (relatively speaking…) this week with 2 (yes two!) radio appearances to talk about the concert series and share some music. You can listen to Scott, Harry, and I on WATD 95.9 tonight (Mon. 6/7) from 9-10pm on South Shore Live (click the link to listen live online). Then on Wednesday 6/9, I’m going to guest DJ on Harry’s radio show on WUML (listen online at wuml.org) from 12-2pm. The recap:

1. MONDAY 6/7, 9-10pm: WATD 95.9 (listen online: South Shore Live) – Scott, Harry, and Jon talk about the concerts and play local music

2. WEDNESDAY 6/9, 12-2pm: WUML (listen online: wuml.org) – Harry and Jon talk and play music

So whether you listen on the radio or the World Wide Interweb, check out the shows, they’ll be fun!

- Jon

Brian Carroll, from Scituate/Boston, belts out his Bob Dylan-esque tunes Friday 6/4 @ the Hedge House Lawn.

Friday night’s show may have ended earlier than usual, but it was a great time. After Jeff Conley unfortunately had to cancel (he’ll be back June 18), Brian Carroll stepped up and brought his friend Ward Hayden. They played some great folk music with a bit of country twang. Check out the photos – unfortunately we didn’t have the camera until Brian started playing, so there aren’t any photos of Ward. Check out both of their music here:

Brian Carroll: myspace.com/briancarrollmusic

Ward Hayden: myspace.com/wardhayden

THIS WEEK: Friday, June 11 – Nate Cristofori, Jesse Boncek, and Willie Dinardo! 6pm!

- Jon

The Eagle Hill Band capped off the show on Friday 5/28 at the Hedge House, kicking off a summer of great tunes.

Friday night was a great success and kicked off what is sure to be an amazing summer of music. We got a bit of a late start (Hedge House shows will regularly run til about 9pm), but the crowd stuck around and we all had a great time. Check out the photos and get ready for the next show: June 4 @ the Hedge House with Jeff Conley and Brian Carroll.

Also a huge thank you to everyone who came out and donated! We’re also excited to announce the return of a great sponsor from last year: Seabreeze Inn Bed & Breakfast!

Happy Memorial Day!
- Jon

Thanks to Alex Dorn for most of the photos.