Folk-indie band, Amy & The Engine performed on campus Monday, Sept. 21. The show, which was put on by the Campus Activities Board (CAB), was held in the North Pod of the Memorial Union during lunch hour. Many students were surprised by the performance, but were happy to enjoy live music while eating their lunches.
“This is really cool and unexpected.They’re really good. I’ve never heard of them before,” third-year student Abby Bellefleur said.
A lot of students at the show discovered the Boston-based band for the first time. Amy & The Engine brought free copies of their album for students to take, and by the time the show was over, most of the CDs were gone.
The band surprisingly has a lot of relevance to the area.
Although this was the band’s first time playing at the University of Maine, lead singer, Amy Ellen, is no stranger to the Pine Tree State.
Ellen is originally from South Portland, Maine. During the show she talked about how the music video for their song, “Last Forever,” was shot in Portland, Maine.
Ellen did not respond to a request for an interview, but Kayla Horne, a member of CAB, was person responsible for putting on the show. She recently discovered the band and thought their “acoustic” and “easy-going” sound might be a “good fit” for small shows in the North Pod.
“I discovered them at The Old Port Fest, they played a couple of times, and I liked their sound. So I kept them in mind,” Horne said.
In the past, CAB has brought other indie acts such as Ghost of Paul Revere. Last year, the organization brought Portland-based band, Sparks the Rescue, which Horne said had more of a rock sound. She talked about how last year’s show had an influence on her decision this semester regarding which bands to book.
“Last semester I brought another local band but they were more of a rock genre. So this semester I wanted to bring something a little lighter, but I definitely want to bring more small bands to campus. I think that’s something a lot of students like,” Horne said.
Horne also discussed her point of view on campus entertainment and how she thinks it has been going the past few semesters.
“I think [entertainment] needs to be more relevant on campus. There is not a whole lot to do, and that is what Campus Activities Board is working on as a whole,” Horne said.
Horne is the co-chair of social media for CAB and heavily advises students to check out their Facebook page for advertising of future events.
