The Weekender, March 30-April 1: Game on for warm weather

Members of the grounds crew prepares the field at Marlins Park prior to the opening baseball game between the Chicago Cubs and the Miami Marlins in Miami, Thursday, March 29, 2018. (AP Photo/Gaston De Cardenas)

Let’s go down the spring checklist, shall we? Ice is out in streams and ponds, check. Crocuses spotted in eastern Maine, check. Baseball season has started, check. My car is covered in a mass of mud and bird poop from the battalion of robins and chickadees congregating in my driveway, check. I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling it.

In Bangor this weekend, on Friday night, check out bands and other fun around town including the Rotating Taps at Nocturnem Drafthaus, Stesha Cano at the Sea Dog, or Improv Acadia doing their comedic thing at 8 p.m. at 51 Main. Up in Orono, the Muddy Ruckus is at Black Bear Brewing, and Drive-By Todd, the Orchids and Livid Orange play at the Boomhouse in Old Town. On Saturday, folk duo Piedmont is at Nocturnem, the Karmaceuticals play at Paddy Murphy’s, Celtic harpists Grainne Hambly and William Jackson are at the Bangor Arts Exchange, and country artists Justin Moore and Dylan Scott are at the Cross Insurance Center.

The Dance Cartel. Photo courtesy Space Gallery.

In Portland, on Friday night, there’s the long-awaited show from Bleachers at the State Theatre, with guest Charly Bliss. There’s also Portland contemporary dance favorites the Dance Cartel with DJ Che Ros at the Space Gallery. Elsewhere, Wild Child is at Port City Music Hall; Ada, Lisa/Liza and Pits are at the Apohadion; Port City Saints, Marko and the Bruisers, Time Out and No Good are at Geno’s; Worried Well and Borderlines are at Bayside Bowl; Battery Steele, the Big Sway and Spillers are at Empire, and there’s a Townes Van Zandt tribute night at One Longfellow Square. On Saturday, Maine icons Rustic Overtones play with Bella’s Bartok and The Very Reverend at Port City Music Hall; there’s the Donut Queen’s Burlesque Ball at Portland House of Music; there’s Kenya Hall, Ock Cousteau, Sarah Violette and Renee Coolbrith at Empire; songwriter Bri Lane with the Pages at One Longfellow, and Johnny Cremains and Iron City Preachers at Bayside Bowl.

Tommy and Jeff Owen of Orono navigate canoe 12x through the rapids just upstream from the Ghent Road Bridge during the 38th Annual St. George River Race on Sunday. The pair finished the race at 0:52:48, coming in first in the Jr/Sr 13-16 category and fourth overall. Micky Bedell | BDN

In a true sign of spring, the very first canoe race of the season kicks off this Saturday, with the 39th annual St. George Canoe Race. Organizers say that given the balmy temps of the week and the rain we’re getting, the race should be good to go on Saturday morning. Registration starts at 8:30 a.m. at the Methodist Church on Route 131 in Searsmont, and the race kicks off at 11 a.m. BYOC or BYOK (bring your own canoes or kayaks).

Six-year-old Laurie Mouradian applies the egg coloring as two-year-old sister, Elizabeth, and Mr. Easter Bunny look on intently. Laurie and Elizabeth are planning to have a gay time on Sunday, March 31, 1961, because with the help of their pink-eyed friend the Easter egg hunt will be much more fun. Other youngsters, too, will be hiding and hunting for Easter eggs Sunday in one of spring’s most enjoyable pastimes. Laurie and Elizabeth are the daughters of Dr. and Mrs. William F. Mouradian of 359 Hammond Street. BANGOR DAILY NEWS HISTORIC PHOTO BY DANNY MAHER

It’s also Easter weekend — which doesn’t seem possible, does it? — and there are several egg hunts in the Bangor region to take the kiddos to, including the Brewer Parks & Rec egg hunt at 6 p.m. Friday, at their HQ on Wilson Street, and then on Saturday at 9 a.m. at the Leroy Smith Elementary in Winterport, and at 10 a.m. at Glenburn Elementary School. On Sunday, whether you go to church or not, lots of places around town have Easter brunches, including usual brunch-y suspects like Blaze, the Sea Dog and Timber in Bangor and Mason’s in Brewer, and special brunches like the ones at the Tarratine on Park Street in Bangor and at Heritage on 9 in Eddington.

This cover image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows characters Aech, left, and Parzival in a scene from “Ready Player One,” a film by Steven Spielberg. (Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)
Jaap Buitendijk

In theaters this weekend, Steven Spielberg’s sci-fi romp “Ready Player One” hits screens nationwide. There’s also a bunch of new TV shows to watch on various streaming platforms, including premiere episodes from HBO series like “Silicon Valley” and the brand-new (and very, very good) “Barry.” Also on HBO is the two-part documentary, “The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling,” about the beloved, late comedian, which is exceedingly well done, though probably only of interest to serious comedy nerds or TV lovers. Also of interest to 90s comedy and TV fans, on ABC, the premiere of the reboot of “Roseanne” aired earlier this week. It’s available to watch on Hulu.

Emily Burnham

About Emily Burnham

Emily Burnham is a Maine native, UMaine graduate, proud Bangorian and a writer for the Bangor Daily News, where she's worked since 2004. She reports on everything from local bands to local food to all the cool things going on in the Greater Bangor area. In her quest for stories, she's seen countless concerts and plays, been lobster fishing, interviewed celebrities, hung out with water buffalo and played in a ukulele orchestra. She's interested in everything that happens in Maine.