High school rock-off to see CD release; Spose to headline final concert (videos)

The Modest Proposal performs against a Maine Academy of Modern Music banner backdrop, from the group's Facebook page.

Tonight, the Maine Academy of Modern Music is holding a “twofer” at Bayside Bowl on Alder Street in Portland: It’s the kick-off of the annual MAMM Slam high school rock-off competition as well as the CD release party for The Modest Proposal, the Freeport-based band that took the previous rock-off title.

Here’s The Modest Proposal performing “The Opportunist” at the finals of the last competition.

It’s a nice display of what may await the winner of this highly anticipated yearly event when a past champ returns with a record.

My BDN colleague, Christopher Cousins, plugged me into this event and, to give credit where credit is due, did most of the reporting leg work behind this blog post.

This competition stretches out over several months in a playoff-type atmosphere, with a wild card band chosen by fans online to join five finalists chosen by judges. The winner gets $1,000 cash, studio recording time and what an organizer called a “whole host of shows.”

Tickets to tonight’s kick-off are $5 a pop, and according to the event Facebook page, the fun starts at 6 p.m.

Aspiring bands — which must have at least one member in high school to qualify — still have time to get into the fray. The deadline to register is Feb. 14, with the finals concert to be held on April 28 and headlined by Wells native Spose, a rapper who broke into the mainstream with this song, “I’m Awesome.”

Seth Koenig

About Seth Koenig

Seth has nearly a decade of professional journalism experience and writes about the greater Portland region.