Role Model says Maine show a ‘dream come true’
Maine native Tucker Pillsbury, who performs as Role Model, on stage in Barcelona, Spain in December 2024. (Christian Bertrand/Shutterstock)
Tucker Pillsbury was never quite sure his fellow Mainers wanted to hear his music.
At least not until his first-ever Maine concert sold out in a matter of seconds. A crowd of more than 6,500 is expected for the show on Friday at Thompson’s Point in Portland. Pillsbury, who uses the stage name Role Model, will be performing just a few miles from his childhood home in Cape Elizabeth.
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“I really didn’t think I had enough people from my home state who’d come to a show,” Pillsbury said Friday morning, talking from a car on his way to Maine. “It’s a dream come true. When I saw how fast it sold out, I was blown away. I’m so happy to be celebrating the new album in my favorite place.”
Singer and songwriter Tucker Pillsbury, who performs and records under the name Role Model, grew up in Cape Elizabeth. (Photo courtesy of Interscope Records)
On Friday, Pillsbury is also releasing his latest album, “Chuck Timely & The Hourglass.” He’ll meet some of his Maine fans face to face on Saturday, when he’ll be signing copies of his new album at the Bull Moose music store in South Portland.
He usually does record store signings in major cities when he has a new album out, but Pillsbury said he wanted to do one in Maine, partly so he could hang out here for a few days and visit with family. Besides his parents in Cape Elizabeth, he said, he has family members driving down from Aroostook County to visit.
Pillsbury has been on a hectic schedule ahead of the Maine show and his album release. On Thursday, he appeared on NBC’s “Today” show with Al Roker and then later on the network’s “The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon.” On “Today” he looked over a weather map with Roker and pointed out Maine, saying he was glad to see fair weather in the forecast because he was looking forward to a “hometown” show.
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“It gets a little bigger every time,” Pillsbury said of the publicity campaigns for his albums.
Last summer, Pillsbury filmed a Netflix romcom called “Good Sex” with Natalie Portman around New York City, though no release date has been announced. He said he took on the role partly because he wanted new challenges.
“I was at a point where music and performing were not making me nervous anymore,” Pillsbury said. ” (With the movie) I got to do something that made me really nervous again. I think it’s important to keep challenging yourself.”
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Pillsbury, 29, graduated from Cape Elizabeth High School in 2014 and went to Point Park University in Pittsburgh to study film. There he started writing and recording raps, and eventually started writing songs and singing. By 2017 he was performing under the name Role Model, chosen because he loved the 2008 comedy movie “Role Models” with Paul Rudd. “Chuck Timely” is his third studio album.
He’s talked in interviews about how he doesn’t really love his stage name. He said Friday that while “it’s not the worst thing,” he gets a little frustrated with people thinking it’s his real or legal name. He’s seen comments on social media from people asking “what mother would name a child that?” But he says he’s “in too deep” in his career to change it now.
“You don’t see people asking if Lady Gaga is her real name,” Pillsbury said.
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His upcoming tour starts later this month and includes shows in England, Ireland, Canada and more than two dozen U.S. cities. For Maine fans who couldn’t get tickets for the Portland show, he’s also playing Leader Bank Pavilion in Boston on Sept. 27.
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Pillsbury has talked fondly in previous interviews about growing up in Maine and how much he values spending time here. Among his many tattoos is a script P from the Portland Press Herald logo, on his right hand. He’s talked about how much he loves going to Maine beaches and spending time in the Old Port.
As for Friday’s show, Pillsbury said he didn’t have any big surprises or special plans for his first hometown show. He said he’ll play a lot of songs from the new album, but also plenty of songs from his previous recordings, since he’s never had the chance to play them for his fellow Mainers before.
“So we have some catching up to do.”
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Ray Routhier has written about pop culture, movies, TV, music and lifestyle trends for the Portland Press Herald since 1993. He is continually fascinated with stories that show the unique character of. More by Ray Routhier
