The Kave in Bucksport has been very quiet for most of 2006.

Too quiet.

Maybe the plastic skeletons hanging on the walls inside came to life and ate everyone?

“We kind of take a break over the winter,” said owner Kathy Findlay. “It gets cold in here. We have repairs to do.”

But don’t let that fool you: there’s been a lot more going on that just fixing up. Since May, the music has been flowing, with five shows in June alone. Findlay’s got some new projects in the works. And everyone is gearing up for the big weekend: Kave Fest 2006. 31 bands (twice as many as last year). Four days. July 16 -22. That’s pretty hardcore – in every way possible.

“This festival is a mixed bag of theologies and backgrounds,” said Findlay. “We have Christian hardcore. We have straight edge hardcore. We have old school hardcore. We have local bands and we have national acts.”

“And I will be officially insane before it’s done,” she added.

It’s kind of like throwing a party for, oh, 500 of your closest friends. And letting a good chunk of them spend the night, since people from all over New England, New York and Canada are coming to town specifically for Kave Fest, and plan on camping out, according to Findlay.

David Davis, owner of local label Abaddon Records, said it’s one of his favorite times of the year.

“It’s pretty much nonstop music,” said Davis. “There’s a lot of people coming and going all the time. Anyone that’s traveling from far away spends the weekend. I took the week off work last year to recover. Kids will be pretty tired by the end of it.”

The unofficial headliners for Kave Fest 2006 include New York metal and hardcore hybrid Sworn Enemy, Massachusetts band Since the Flood, and Death Star, a California straightedge band. Shai Hulud, a Florida progressive hardcore band, kicks off the festival on Sunday, July 16 with a rare appearance – according to the band’s Web site (www.hulud.com), it’s the only show they have scheduled all summer.

“Shai Hulud got their name from the book ‘Dune’, from the name of the sand worms,” said Davis. “They’re very cerebral, and experimental. I’m really, really looking forward to it.”

But it’s just as much about the local bands as it is the national ones. Davis has four bands from Abaddon Records – Vengeance Over Victory, Dour Cursiva, Jules Verne and Take Courage – featured on the bill.

Take Courage differs from the pack in that it’s a Christian hardcore band. On it’s MySpace page (www.myspace.com/takecourage), the Brewer-based band states that they are “a Christian band that loves God,” but goes on to say that they “don’t expect you to agree with us about everything, but we hope you enjoy our music and support us at shows.” Refreshing, eh?

Findlay is pretty excited about up-and-coming Rockland band Thanks for Nothing – not just because they play straight up traditional old school hardcore, but because they’re all lobstermen by day.

“Isn’t that great?” she said. “They go out on the boat during the day, and then they come back and play crazy hardcore. It’s awesome.”

Findlay’s got some other things she’s working on, besides Kave Fest and organizing other shows for her booking agency, Really Chaotic Productions.

“Plans are in the works to put a tattoo shop into the Kave,” she said. “I am embroiled in all the legalities of it right now, but we’re working on it. A lot of the people that come here are very serious about tattoos, so it’s a really good fit for us. It’s part of the scene.”

All shows begin at 6 p.m. A four-day pass is $35 and can be bought at www.abaddonrecords.com, or at the door. Individual day passes are available. Directions and other information are at www.thekaveclub.com. The Kave is all-ages and chem-free. Emily Burnham can be reached at eburnham@bangordailynews.net

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Kave Fest 2006 Schedule

Sunday, July 16: Shai Hulud, Robots and Empires, Nira May, Jules Verne, Dour Cursiva and Our Constituent Parts.

Thursday, July 20: Sworn Enemy, Black My Heart, On Broken Wings, Thanks For Nothing and Baby Faced Assassins.

Friday, July 21: Death Star, Blood Stands Still, Anam Cara, In Our Blood, 40sis, Listen Up, Imprint, Take Courage and Spit Ya Teeth.

Saturday, July 22: Since the Flood, Can’t Stand Losing, Shoot Ya Wounded, Affiliated, The Homefront, Vengeance Over Victory, Everything to Fear, Burn the Evidence, Not Dead But Sleeping, Arrogance and Beyond the Glory.