Keep Portland Weird
When longtime residents think of Portland’s arts scene, words like gritty, grassroots, and weird — in the best possible way — often come up. Think Zoots, the Old Port Festival, and $10 concert tickets. For Jeff Shaw, founder of the Maine Academy of Modern Music (MAMM) and Portland’s annual Resurgam Festival, preserving that spirit is central to his mission. Through accessible music education and community-centered events, Shaw hopes to keep Portland’s creative identity alive.
When Shaw, a Milbridge native, founded MAMM, he had his younger self in mind. He wanted to give kids the musical opportunities he missed out on growing up. Today, MAMM serves students from Kittery to Machias and is working to expand access across Maine. The organization operates on a give-what-you-can model, allowing students from all backgrounds to participate in music education.
MAMM’s impact is visible throughout Maine’s music scene. About one-third of its current staff are former students, many of whom now perform or teach professionally. Among those former students is singer-songwriter Genevieve Stokes, who has released two EPs and a debut album, With a Lightning Strike, while touring nationally.
Beyond lessons and workshops, MAMM emphasizes live performance opportunities. For nearly a decade, one of its biggest stages was the Old Port Festival, where students performed their annual end-of-year concert until the festival ended in 2019. “Instead of trying to get people to come to MAMM, we decided to bring MAMM to where the people were,” Shaw said.
The loss of the Old Port Festival left a noticeable gap in Portland’s arts community – one that became even more apparent during the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic. Shaw decided to help fill that void by creating the Resurgam Festival, which began at Thompson’s Point and currently takes place at Ocean Gateway.
Now in its fourth year, the festival features a main stage that has hosted artists such as the Oshima Brothers, Genevieve Stokes, and the Fogcutters, alongside a second stage and beer garden. But the centerpiece remains the kids-only stage, where MAMM students perform for thousands of attendees. Student performances have always been central to MAMM’s programs, and Resurgam has evolved into the organization’s largest culminating showcase for young musicians.
The event also includes local food trucks, craft vendors, and family-friendly activities. Festival-goers can take boat rides with SailMaine, ride trains from the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Co., and visit a children’s makers area organized by groups including Love Lab Studio and SPACE Gallery.
Formerly a one-day Sunday event, this year’s festival also features programming on Saturday, taking place at various restaurants and bars around the Old Port, including Gritty McDuff’s, Amigos, Portland House of Music, $3 Deweys, and more, echoing the spirit of the Old Port Festival “back in the day.”
As for the future of the Resurgam Festival, the city seems more than happy to have handed over the reins to Jeff and MAMM. Like handing back your sister’s baby at the end of a visit, the city did its time with the Old Port Festival — now it’s MAMM’s turn to hold the baby.
