Ticket Prices: $45-$65 Advance/$65 Door
VIP Packages Available!

Shawn Colvin won her first GRAMMY award for Best Contemporary Folk Album with her debut album, Steady On, in 1989. She has been a mainstay of the contemporary folk music scene ever since, releasing twelve albums and establishing herself as an enduring talent. Her songs are slow-release works of craft and catharsis that become treasured, lifetime companions for their listeners. Colvin triumphed at the 1998 GRAMMY Awards, winning both Record of the Year and Song of the Year for “Sunny Came Home.” Her inspiring and candid memoir, Diamond in the Rough, was published in 2012. Shawn was recently recognized for her career accomplishments when she was honored with the 2016 Lifetime Achievement Trailblazer Award by the Americana Music Association. In September 2019, for the 30th anniversary of her debut album, Colvin will be releasing a newly-recorded, acoustic version of that landmark album.

Special Guest Opener: Daphne Willis

There is something real and raw that emanates from Daphne Willis when she performs. Her songs and her voice convey hope and compassion for others; her lyrics are sincere, compelling and relevant. She has a critical message to relay to others when she speaks and performs to her audiences nationwide.

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Ticket Prices: $22 Advance/$25 Door

Chocolate Church Arts Center favorites, Schooner Fare, are regarded as the premier performing group of original and traditional maritime songs. Brothers Steve and Chuck Romanoff’s energetic concerts are laced with a Maine brand of universal humor. The band also writes and performs topical songs, country ballads, and maritime masterpieces that have made their name synonymous with the “Down East” style. Combining their talents on six and twelve-string guitars and banjos, Schooner Fare’s distinctive vocal and instrumental arrangements have made icons of Maine folk and beyond.

POSTPONED

Ticket Prices: $10–$15/Child

Thanks to a generous grant from The Maine Community Foundation, the Chocolate Church Arts Center is proud to offer our brand new childcare program: Parents' Night Out! For a very reasonable cost, we will offer professional childcare (with an emphasis on fun arts activities) during our concerts. The idea is simple: You come to a show and have a great time, while we take care of the little ones and provide them with fun, educational arts opportunities in the Annex! Once the show is over, stop by the Annex to pick them up.

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Ticket Prices: $32 Advance/$37 Door

Decades before indie labels were the norm, and years before women had any real access to the industry, Cris Williamson was busy changing the face of popular music. In 1975, the twenty-something former schoolteacher recorded The Changer and the Changed, for her brainchild, Olivia Records, the first woman-owned woman-focused record company. Her music and voice quickly became an essential part of the soundtrack of a movement, and was the cornerstone of what would become known as “women’s music,” music created, performed, and marketed specifically for and by women. Today, that recording, The Changer and the Changed, remains one of the best-selling independent releases of all time. 

 For Cris, the music became the vehicle for something larger. Her lyrics appear on a regular basis in books and thesis papers. Her albums are part of the curriculum for women's studies courses, and thousands of people who may not even know her name join their voices in “Song of the Soul” around campfires and places of worship. She is embraced by women. She is sampled in hip-hop. Her music is used by midwives welcoming life into the world, while hospice choirs sing her songs in tender sacred escort. “She is often considered a treasure, passed hand-to-hand, person-to-person,” says the Boston Phoenix, “Williamson is a heroic character whose tireless activism continues.” 

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Ticket Prices: $35 Advance/$40 Door

Joan Osborne has rightfully earned a reputation as one of the great voices of her generation— both a commanding, passionate performer and a frank, emotionally evocative songwriter. A multi-platinum selling recording artist and seven-time Grammy nominee, the soulful vocalist is a highly sought-after collaborator and guest performer who has performed alongside many notable artists, including Stevie Wonder, Bob Dylan, Luciano Pavarotti, Emmylou Harris, Taj Mahal, and Mavis Staples, to name a few.

Counting such legendary artists as Etta James and Ray Charles as influences, Osborne has released several acclaimed albums and continues to tour extensively in various configurations—with her own band, as Joan Osborne's Soul Revue, and as an acoustic duo and trio. In 2003, Osborne joined forces with the surviving members of The Grateful Dead when they regrouped to tour as The Dead. In addition to her own solo shows and frequent guest appearances, Osborne currently also tours as a member of the rock/soul supergroup Trigger Hippy, founded by Black Crowes drummer Steve Gorman and built from each musician's shared love of R&B and soul.

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Ticket Prices: $10–$15/Child

Thanks to a generous grant from The Maine Community Foundation, the Chocolate Church Arts Center is proud to offer our brand new childcare program: Parents' Night Out! For a very reasonable cost, we will offer professional childcare (with an emphasis on fun arts activities) during our concerts. The idea is simple: You come to a show and have a great time, while we take care of the little ones and provide them with fun, educational arts opportunities in the Annex! Once the show is over, stop by the Annex to pick them up.

BUY TICKETS >

Ticket Prices: $12 Advance/$15 Door

Called “a master of free verse” in the Boston Globe, Peter Gallway has released more than twenty-five albums on Warner/Reprise and various independent labels. A founding member of The Fifth Avenue Band, Peter's albums have spanned styles from ‘60’s rock and roll, to “jazzy folk”, to atmospheric Americana. With his return to Maine in 2018, the resurgence of The Real Band has been unstoppable! The Real Band is Peter Gallway on vocals and guitar, Mark Wainer on lead guitar and Andre Re on vocals and percussion.

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Ticket Prices: $17 Advance/$20 Door

A classic rock extravaganza! After playing massively popular shows at our Summer Waterfront Concert Series in 2019, two of Maine’s best tribute bands will team up for a double-header performance on our mainstage. The first set will feature Runnin’ Down A Dream playing the music of Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers. They will be followed by Crystal Vision, who will perform the classic songs of the iconic Fleetwood Mac. This is the closest you’ll get to seeing both legendary bands on one stage!

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Ticket Prices: $12 Advance/$15

Four piece, Indie folk group, GoldenOak is driven by the songwriting and harmonies of the brother-sister duo Zak and Lena Kendall and rounded out by Mike Knowles and Jackson Cromwell. In many ways, the themes of GoldenOak’s music are driven by their home base.

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Ticket Prices: $20 Advance/$25 Door

Rustic Overtones is an indie rock band from Portland Maine that Rolling Stone Magazine calls,  “A unique sound steeped in both Earth, Wind and Fire-style funk and late-era Beatles psychedelia. There’s no voice quite like Dave Gutter’s, a weathered coffee-and-cigarettes growl that can turn vulnerable to vicious and crackles like a vintage Fender amp when he screams.”Rustic Overtones has worked with legendary artists such as Imogen Heap, David Bowie, Aaron Neville and many others. Their ever changing sound has been the trademark of their studio albums and live shows for more than 2 decades.

Opening band Gentle Temper is a new-age folk duo from Boston, Massachusetts. Ryan Meier and Marion Earley began their journey as a duo in the fall of 2016 and molded their sound into what Deli Magazine called “harmony-laced smokey folk”.

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Maine’s own Yellow Brick Road, A Tribute to Elton John, is a full concert tribute. Every detail of an actual Elton John concert is presented in such a way that will have Elton John fans screaming for more. The band is led by Gerald Brann, who has a degree in jazz piano from the University of Maine at Augusta and has been performing professionally for over 35 years. Since the early eighties, Gerald has performed in many bands, most notably “The Barking Spiders”, “Ultimate Sin” (An Ozzy Osbourne Tribute) and “The Deal”. Tickets are not necessary for the Live from Home concerts. Audience members are encouraged to donate.

With their ever-expanding instrumentation and dynamically rich live performance, Ryan Meier and Marion Earley make up Gentle Temper, the New-Age Folk duo from Boston. Formed in 2016, Meier and Earley found their footing deeply rooted in the vast realm of Folk and have molded their own unique sound by constantly pushing the boundaries of what a duo is capable of. They draw inspiration from their surroundings, bringing forth music and lyrics that are steeped in observances of travel, mental health, politics, and love. Gentle Temper's latest single "Triple Dog Dare" is available now on all streaming platforms. Tickets are not necessary for the Live from Home concerts. Audience members are encouraged to donate.

Ticket Prices: $23 Advance/$25 Door

In a career spanning four decades, he has recorded 17 albums, had several hundred covers of his songs, including the American folk classic Garden Song (Inch by Inch, Row by Row) and performed in clubs, concert halls and festivals across the US, Canada and Europe. He has appeared on numerous broadcasts, including National Public Radio’s A Prairie Home Companion. Known for his carefully written, poetic offerings, his body of work has provided material for an eclectic list of artists that includes Alison Krauss, Pete Seeger, Hal Ketchum, Emmylou Harris, John Denver and the Muppets.

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William Lederer is former professional musician, full-time composer and performer, before taking the reins at CCAC. Lederer has two albums of original indie-pop under his belt, as well as a long stint as guitar player for popular Baltimore-based soul singer, Bosley. During his Live from Home concert, Lederer will share his own songs, as well as some favorite covers from a wide range of artists. Tickets are not necessary for the Live from Home concerts. Audience members are encouraged to donate. For the first concert with performed by CCAC Executive Director, William Lederer, all donations will go directly the CCAC.

Ticket Prices: $18 Advance/$22 Door
In The Annex

Born and raised on the coast of Southern Maine, Max Ater took his home-state by storm with his story-driven music and powerful voice. He released his hit 5 track EP “Small Town” in 2018 and is currently performing throughout New England and Nashville.

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Ticket Prices: $15 Advance/$18 Door
In The Annex

The Doppelbloopers are back to play and they’ve brought more special guests, new games, and even more laughs! Arguably Maine’s funniest, improv troupe, Doppelbloopers offers up hilarious and unpredictable comedy in the ‘Whose Line’ style.

Seating is limited. Adult themes and content. May be suitable for teens 16+. Parental discretion is advised.

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Ticket Prices: $15 Advance/$17 Door
In The Annex

Arguably Maine’s funniest, down-home comedian, Johnny Ater offers up hilarious and honest stories about life, family, relationships, work, and his colorful local friends, which he brings to life on stage for all to meet.

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Ticket Prices: $15 Advance/$18 Door

Bill Staines is one of the most durable and beloved singer-songwriters on the folk music scene today. An intimate, compelling performer born out of the folk scene of the 1960’s, Bill connects with his audience at every show, encouraging them to join him on the choruses of his songs. Bill has recorded two children’s albums, and his music has appeared in a number of films, including the HBO series, Deadwood. His humorous tales of life on the road and observations of everyday people provide an entertaining blend of story and song.

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Ticket Prices: $15 Advance/$18 Door

Muddy Ruckus is a rock duo of “darkly inventive Americana” according to the New York Music Daily. Guitarist Ryan Flaherty and drummer Erika Stahl of Portland play a grungy style of railroad indie punk blues. This stripped-down power-duo blends rootsy guitar and edgy percussion on a suitcase drum kit, and is known for a full rock band sound.

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Ticket Prices: $15 Advance/$18 Door
In The Annex

The Doppelbloopers are back to play and they’ve brought more special guests, new games, and even more laughs! Arguably Maine’s funniest, improv troupe, Doppelbloopers offers up hilarious and unpredictable comedy in the ‘Whose Line’ style.

Seating is limited. Adult themes and content. May be suitable for teens 16+. Parental discretion is advised.

BUY TICKETS >

Ticket Prices: $12 Advance/$15 Door
In The Annex

Blue Fuse Jazz is  steeped in the sound of  legendary Gypsy Jazz  Guitarist Django Reinhardt and the  driving, swinging style of Hot Parisienne Club Jazz of  the 1930s and 40s. Blue Fuse Jazz honors the traditions of this “gypsy jazz” adding their own interpretations, arrangements and original compositions.

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Ticket Prices:
Regular: $12 Advance/$16 Door
Student: $8 Advance/$12 Door
Jan 3, 4, 10, 11 at 7:30 pm
Jan 4, 5, 11, 12 at 2pm

A Resurgence Dance Company Contemporary Ballet In The Annex.
This comedy by Resurgence Dance Company Artistic Director Ashley Steeves is told through contemporary ballet, speech and recycled costuming.

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Ticket Prices:
Regular: $12 Advance/$16 Door
Student: $8 Advance/$12 Door
Jan 3, 4, 10, 11 at 7:30 pm
Jan 4, 5, 11, 12 at 2pm

A Resurgence Dance Company Contemporary Ballet In The Annex.
This comedy by Resurgence Dance Company Artistic Director Ashley Steeves is told through contemporary ballet, speech and recycled costuming.

BUY TICKETS >

Ticket Prices:
Regular: $12 Advance/$16 Door
Student: $8 Advance/$12 Door
Jan 3, 4, 10, 11 at 7:30 pm
Jan 4, 5, 11, 12 at 2pm

A Resurgence Dance Company Contemporary Ballet In The Annex.
This comedy by Resurgence Dance Company Artistic Director Ashley Steeves is told through contemporary ballet, speech and recycled costuming.

BUY TICKETS >

Ticket Prices:
Regular: $12 Advance/$16 Door
Student: $8 Advance/$12 Door
Jan 3, 4, 10, 11 at 7:30 pm
Jan 4, 5, 11, 12 at 2pm

A Resurgence Dance Company Contemporary Ballet In The Annex.
This comedy by Resurgence Dance Company Artistic Director Ashley Steeves is told through contemporary ballet, speech and recycled costuming.

BUY TICKETS >

Ticket Prices:
Regular: $12 Advance/$16 Door
Student: $8 Advance/$12 Door
Jan 3, 4, 10, 11 at 7:30 pm
Jan 4, 5, 11, 12 at 2pm

A Resurgence Dance Company Contemporary Ballet In The Annex.
This comedy by Resurgence Dance Company Artistic Director Ashley Steeves is told through contemporary ballet, speech and recycled costuming.

BUY TICKETS >

Ticket Prices:
Regular: $12 Advance/$16 Door
Student: $8 Advance/$12 Door
Jan 3, 4, 10, 11 at 7:30 pm
Jan 4, 5, 11, 12 at 2pm

A Resurgence Dance Company Contemporary Ballet In The Annex.
This comedy by Resurgence Dance Company Artistic Director Ashley Steeves is told through contemporary ballet, speech and recycled costuming.

BUY TICKETS >

Ticket Prices:
Regular: $12 Advance/$16 Door
Student: $8 Advance/$12 Door
Jan 3, 4, 10, 11 at 7:30 pm
Jan 4, 5, 11, 12 at 2pm

A Resurgence Dance Company Contemporary Ballet In The Annex.
This comedy by Resurgence Dance Company Artistic Director Ashley Steeves is told through contemporary ballet, speech and recycled costuming.

BUY TICKETS >

Ticket Prices:
Regular: $12 Advance/$16 Door
Student: $8 Advance/$12 Door
Jan 3, 4, 10, 11 at 7:30 pm
Jan 4, 5, 11, 12 at 2pm

A Resurgence Dance Company Contemporary Ballet In The Annex.
This comedy by Resurgence Dance Company Artistic Director Ashley Steeves is told through contemporary ballet, speech and recycled costuming.

BUY TICKETS >

FREE Family Event

For decades, family and friends have gathered at the Chocolate Church Arts Center on the last Monday before Christmas to sing and celebrate the season. Special appearance by the Man of the Season!