RANGELEY – Rangeley Friends of the Arts are excited to bring Schooner Fare to Bald Mountain Camps for an outdoor concert on August 21.
Praised for their captivating maritime tunes and high-energy shows, this folk duo from Maine knows how to net an audience with a repertoire that has grown to include a “Down East” brand of pop songs and original compositions.
Schooner Fare has captured audiences across the country with their “Down East” brand of music, entertaining stage personas, and warm humor. With a basis in traditional maritime tunes, the group’s repertoire also includes various folk, pop, and original songs which have attracted praise from fans, critics, and fellow musicians like Tom Paxton and the Kingston Trio.
The group began with brothers Chuck and Steve Romanoff singing and playing guitar and banjo, and soon expanded to include Tom Rowe on the electric bass and pennywhistle. Schooner Fare quickly gained popularity with their energy-filled concerts and lively folk harmonies.
Schooner Fare worked their way up, from their first booking in Portland, Maine, to weekend jobs and local television, to their first steady job at the Holy Mackerel, where they still perform weekly. In 1978 they released their debut album, Day of the Clipper, but their first real success came with their third album, Alive (1983). This live release reflected the excitement of Schooner Fare’s concerts as none of their previous releases had done. Two years later, their album We the People helped them become firmly grounded as a national touring act.
Looking to try something new, Schooner Fare became more experimental with their music. On their winter-themed recording, Home for the Holidays (1987), they sang in Hebrew, French, German, and Spanish, while the group composed six original songs including “Too Funky for the Folkies (But Too Folksy for the Time)” and “The Broome O’ the Cowdenknowes” on For the Times (1993). Schooner Fare also released an album aimed at young listeners called KidSongs (1997), with tunes like “Bonnie Heeland Laddie” and “A Cat Named Patrick Finnegan.” In 2004, with the death of Tom Rowe, Schooner Fare returned to recording as a duo. Rowe had spent 29 years with the group, and the brothers decided that they could not replace him – spiritually or physically. They dedicated their 2005 album, And Both Shall Row to his memory.
Fans of Schooner Fare’s music can now hear the group worldwide via satellite radio. Artists in the United States, Canada, Britain, Ireland, and Australia have paid tribute to Schooner Fare by recording and performing their songs. Schooner Fare’s lively music and unforgettable concerts have earned them a well-deserved national and international presence in folk music.
