Beat-loving pair tuned into music for County

So you live in Aroostook County. It ain’t perfect, but it’s where you are, and it’s home. The problem? You want music. You live for it. It makes your situation in life – from generalized boredom to outright anger and frustration – more exciting, more meaningful, more enjoyable. You want to go to shows and see bands, or be in a band and actually get to play shows.

The problem? The closest venue is at least two hours south – more like five or six hours south if you’re in Caribou or Fort Kent. No one ever comes to The County. If you want to see music and be a part of a scene, you’re going to have to drive. A lot. And spend lots of money. And find couches to crash on. Or, move away, which you can’t really do.

So what do you do? You plan your own shows and you make your own scene. And that’s what James Boyce and Ben Ivey, two diehard metal fans from Houlton, are trying to do with Supporting the Cause, their booking and promotion group.

It started with a friendship that had developed between Boyce and Ivey and the Bangor-based metal band Disaster Complex.

“We wanted to see them go as far as they could with that they were doing, but the first show we went to was way down in Portland,” said the 22-year-old Boyce. “We thought, ‘Well how come we can’t have shows like this in Aroostook County?’ So we decided to get something going ourselves.”

In March of 2005, the two started Supporting the Cause with a plan to bring metal shows to The County. It took them a little while to secure funds and talent and a venue, but by September 2005 they were ready to unveil their first big event: a daylong concert they dubbed Moosestock, featuring bands like Tomorrow’s Tragedy, Unscarred and, of course, Disaster Complex.

“We got an overwhelming response,” said Boyce. “People came down from Caribou and Presque Isle, and from New Brunswick. People don’t get to go out to shows too much cause they’re way down in Portland or Bangor, so it’s not really worth their time. But this worked really well.”

With the positive buzz from Moosestock, the next shows they organized brought even more people in, proving to Boyce and Ivey that they were doing something right.

“[A lot] of the people up here listen to metal,” said Boyce. “But I think a lot of musicians and fans up here get discouraged because there’s no way for them to showcase their talent or to see shows and they end up moving away.

“But with this, there’s a chance to keep it here in The County. Plus, it keeps kids safe. Our events are strictly chem free, so everyone is sober and having a good time, without going out and doing pills or getting drunk. I want people to appreciate it for what it is. It’s mostly about the music.”

The next event for Supporting the Cause is scheduled for March 18, at the Maliseet Recreation Center in Houlton. It’s the largest venue Boyce and Ivey have booked for a show. They’re hoping to pack in as many people as they can and feel confident they will. Another first for them is that they’ve attracted talent from outside of Maine. New York City-based band Sinaria is coming up, as well as a whole mess of local and regional acts – 10 in all.

Boyce and Ivey are living by the DIY spirit. No extra help, no money – just a couple of guys who see a chance to do something cool for a music-starved area. It’s not really that novel an idea. In fact, it’s the most practical and sensible thing I can think of, when faced with a problem like this. And yet, it always makes me really happy when people do it and succeed.

For more information on Supporting the Cause, visit www.supportingthecause.com, or www.myspace.com/supportingthecause. Tickets for the March 18th event are $10 and can be purchased at York’s Bookstore in downtown Houlton. Emily Burnham can be reached at eburnham@bangordailynews.net.