How about some tunes with those balloons?
By Monty Golfier
Special to The Star-Herald
PRESQUE ISLE — Each year the Crown of Maine Balloon Fest endeavors to bring high quality entertainment as the salsa to the tasty burrito that the hot air balloons present. This year, the salsa is mighty tasty. Two local business owners are sponsoring two evenings of free music at the Fairgrounds in Presque Isle.
CHAMBERLIN, a music group poised to break on the national stage, will perform Saturday, Aug. 25 at 6:30 p.m. in the Commercial Building at the Fairgrounds in Presque Isle as part of the Crown of Maine Balloon Fest. 
Their new single “Jealousy” was recently featured by Rolling Stone as the song of the day. Local rising stars Mellow Endeavor will open for the band.
KMH Music, the new band geek in town, will be hosting an Open Mic Friday night of the Festival.
“We agreed to do this before we had our doors open. We love the idea of local musicians getting a chance to play in public,” said owner Chris Morton, of the event. “So far the sign-ups have been varied and as long as it’s family friendly, we want people to come and play a couple of songs.”
The Open Mic will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 24 in the Commercial Building at the Fairgrounds, and is free to attend.
“It will be inside where the music is during the fair,” said Morton.
Saturday night will see two bands, from near and far, filling the same space with music.
“We’ve got the local rising stars in Mellow Endeavor and Chamberlin is poised to break on the national stage,” said Derik Smith, owner of the local Taco Bell and a member of the festival’s planning committee. “We’re really excited by this line up. Mellow Endeavor has been touring hard in the state. They have a great sound and will be a great lead-in to Chamberlin.
“I first heard of Chamberlin through Scott Tournet of Grace Potter and the Nocturnals who produced their first album,” said Smith. “We tried to get them last year, but they were on a national tour with Grace, but this year they were back in Vermont to record their new EP, so we got lucky.”
Performer Magazine has compared Chamberlin to music legends The Band and called their first album, Bitter Blood, “a knock-you-off-your-feet debut.” Their new single “Jealousy” was recently featured by Rolling Stone as the song of the day.
“I can’t wait to hear their new stuff,” Smith enthused about the band.
Mellow Endeavor and Chamberlin will be performing in the Commercial Building Saturday, Aug. 25 beginning at 6:30 p.m. This free event is sponsored by Taco Bell with support from Hampton Inn, WHOU and Star City IGA.
