Portland music fans fill Old Port for Resurgam Festival

PORTLAND — The fifth annual Resurgam Music & Arts Festival filled Portland's Old Port and Eastern Promenade Trail this weekend, drawing dozens of young musicians, community performers and families to what organizers describe as a celebration of everything that rose from the loss of a beloved predecessor.

The festival, organized by the Maine Academy of Modern Music (MAMM) in partnership with the city of Portland, returned for its fifth consecutive year. It began in 2022 after the Old Port Festival permanently ceased operations in 2019 following the COVID-19 pandemic. The name itself carries meaning: "Resurgam" comes from Portland's city motto and translates to "I shall rise again" — a sentiment organizers and attendees alike say captures the spirit of rebuilding through music.

"This is a really good substitute to the previous festival," said Gretchen Halpert, a Portland resident who has attended Resurgam for several years alongside her husband, Ron Faris.

The event spans Saturday and Sunday, taking over the Old Port with free admission made possible by local sponsors including Otto's Pizza, Tandem Coffee Roasters and the State Theater. Three stages host performances ranging from youth bands and community musical groups to MAMM's adult program. This year, organizers added two stages on Dana Street — a location where MAMM students used to perform before that stage disappeared along with the Old Port Festival — expanding the weekend's lineup.

At the Maine Academy of Music Stage, 12-year-old Safira Hamilton stood nervously eyeing the stage before her band, Corn, was set to perform. Hamilton, along with 16-year-old Logan Silsby and 13-year-old Caden Devoe, drove from Washington County early Sunday morning for their set. Despite their band name, which Silsby was quick to clarify is spelled "with a C, not a K," the group's sound owes more to pop rock than to the nu-metal act that inspired it.

"We're not covering Korn, though," Hamilton said, gesturing toward her Green Day T-shirt. "We're playing Green Day and Olivia Rodrigo."

Nearby, the Amethyst Park Stage drew cheering crowds as bands performed across genres — from the pop rock covers of Corn to the original material of House Arrest, a youth screamo band featuring members Matilda Sargent (15) of Portland, Roman Johnstone (16) of Portland and Lily Thibeault (18) of Lewiston, and folk sets from performers on the main stage.

Jeff Shaw, director of MAMM, said the festival's purpose extends beyond simply filling a gap left by the Old Port Festival.

"We're not trying to replicate the Old Port festival, but trying to bring a fun community event back to Portland," Shaw said.

For Shaw, watching young musicians grow is at the heart of what makes Resurgam special.

"It's basically rock and roll little league," he said. "It's amazing to watch these kids be empowered through the music they love. They guide the curriculum, they're choosing the songs and we help teach them about the music they care about most."

That sense of empowerment extended beyond the youth performers. Brandon Berg, a member of one of MAMM's adult bands and a festival volunteer, said the organization has given him a renewed connection to music after moving to Portland.

"You have folks who work in software engineering, you have lawyers, you have doctors, social workers, and this is their outlet," Berg said. He added that watching the younger performers was impressive, singling out an 11-year-old bassist he said left him feeling slightly outclassed.

Kerstin Gilg, MAMM's Development Coordinator, said the academy has run music programs in Portland since 2007, offering private lessons to children ages 8 through 18 and helping form bands for both children and adults — roughly 30 to 40 in total. For the young musicians gathering at Resurgam, the festival represents the culmination of months of preparation.

"They've been practicing all season, and this is kind of their recital at the end of it," Gilg said.

Among those performers was 11-year-old Silas Shaw, son of MAMM director Jeff Shaw, who took the stage with his band Sorry Not Sorry alongside bandmates Anthony, Oscar and Wolfgang. The group performed "I'm Shipping Up to Boston" by the Dropkick Murphys, a choice that proved more challenging than anticipated.

"We just thought it would be a pretty easy one, and then we could work on other songs that we wanna be able to do soon," Silas Shaw said.

Their next goal? "In Bloom" by Nirvana.

Beyond the music, the festival offered attendees dozens of food trucks, local artisans and family-oriented activities, including an instrument petting zoo in partnership with the Portland Symphony Orchestra — all part of an effort to get young people interested in music in a hands-on way.

For a community that lost a longtime cultural touchstone five years ago, Resurgam has become proof that something can rise again.