Bluegrass band performs free for area fundraisers

Yee ha! Woo hoo! That’s how self-described co-conspirators Ben Dresser and Joe Cannon get your attention when they describe “Buck and the Beecher Boys Hillbilly Band” they recently formed to entertain themselves, and, well, more specifically, you. And for free, too.

Playing stringed instruments featuring bluegrass music, funny novelty songs with a sprinkling of anecdotes, barnyard jokes and female cloggers, the band is willing to entertain for small town fun days, nonprofit fundraisers, charitable organizations and at retirement and nursing homes.

They offer you a one-hour show, which is a hoot, I promise, because my husband and I watched the entire tape of their performance at Page Farm and Home Museum on the University of Maine campus in Orono, and it was delightful.

Their performance is free, to help you raise money, and any monetary donations they receive are given to charity.

For example, the $399 in donations they received last year was given to The Salvation Army’s Angel Tree fund. They do, willingly, accept a hot dog or two, if it is offered.

The performers are cloggers Amy Clark, Amanda Shearin and Karen Dresser, all of Old Town; lead clogger and trainer Janet Cannon of Hudson and singer/fiddler Eileen O’Donnell, of Orono, a UMaine student.

Also, bass player Ben Dresser of Old Town, who sometimes plays it like a guitar; acoustic guitarists Jeremy George and Ben Lagasse of Old Town and John McCallum of Hampden; Paul Carlson of Levant on banjo; and Joe Cannon of Hudson on the mandolin.

Working together for less than a year, and learning their instruments (as well as their lines) as they go along, they are a group of people who simply like to perform their special brand of music and hope you will enjoy it as much as they do.

“We have a good time doing it,” Dresser said. “We’re all green, but we work at it pretty hard.”

The women wear original square dance dresses that are about 20 years old, but the others made up their own costumes and they are, to say the least, unique.

The entertainment is family style and audience participation is encouraged. They love to get the crowd clapping, I was told.

Youngsters seem to enjoy their costumes, and oldsters seem to enjoy the familiar, and not-so-familiar, songs and comedy.

Admitting that they’ve been a little “timid and bashful” about getting the word out that they are available, the group now is rarin’ to go, and hopes you will get in touch with them.

They do prefer weekend dates, a month’s notice would be nice, and they would like to stay within the Bangor area, since this is an all-volunteer effort and all expenses are out of their own pockets.

If you would like to learn more about Buck and the Beecher Boys Hillbilly Band – who describe themselves as “the Simple Cousin clan from the fictitious Aroostook County Town of Beecher, allegedly located 50 miles east of Houlton” – call Joe Cannon, 327-1278, Ben Dresser, 827-8539 or visit www.Hillbillyband.com.

Polly Camp reports that the Orono Public Library Foundation will benefit from the Full Moon Margarita Madness 4 p.m.-1 a.m. today at Margarita’s Restaurant in Orono.

Eastern Agency on Aging executive director Noelle Merrill wrote to thank Bangor Superintendent Sandy Ervin for a Medicare D clinic he arranged recently.

Described as “a unique partnership between computer savvy high school students and our staff,” Merrill extends special thanks to BHS principal Norris Nickerson and staff members Bill Trafton, Becky Czlapinski and Ken Dow “for impeccable orchestration.”

Merrill deeply appreciates “the extra hours worked by our staff and volunteers, including Val Sauda, Dorothy VanHorn and Jane Gottleib,” which enabled more than 20 senior citizens and caregivers to be counseled and given “computer printout information to enable them to perform the next steps in signing up for prescription coverage.”

The clinic was such a success, Merrill wrote, “and students are so avid to provide more help,” that four more clinics are planned.

If you are interested in dates and times of the coming clinics, call EAA at (800) 432-7812, 992-0135, fax 941-2869 or visit www.eaa.org.

Bob Pentland of the Bangor Band e-mailed that the band “is in need of used, four-drawer file cabinets for music storage in the band library.”

If there is a willing donor out there, Pentland would love to have you call him during the day at 667-5529, or evenings at 667-4874.

Joni Averill, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor 04402; 990-8288.