Ford S. Reiche had a bone to pick with a timeline mural at the Expo lobby. It claimed The Beach Boys played their first East Coast show there in 1965. But Reiche, who knows a lot about rock history, corrected it, saying, “They were at The Palace in Old Orchard Beach in 1963.”
Reiche wrote a cool book called “A Long, Long Time Ago: Major Rock and Roll Concerts in Southern Maine, 1955-1977.” It talks about all the big-time bands that played in the lower part of the state before the Cumberland County Civic Center opened.
The book is like a big timeline, showing photos, posters, dates, ticket prices, and even the songs played at the shows. Back then, you could see stars like Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Buddy Holly in one night at the Lewiston Armory, or Tina Turner at the University of Southern Maine gym for just $5.
Reiche’s book is 182 pages long and has lots of cool stuff. He’s giving all the money he makes from selling it to the Maine Historical Society. Reiche used to work in shipping and wrote another book about fixing up a lighthouse.
In the 1960s and 1970s, people in Maine organized rock concerts in a different way. There were no big companies like Live Nation, and tickets were sold at local stores or by mail. Local promoters, like Bobby Selberg, brought big names like Ray Charles and Brenda Lee to Maine. Selberg even started in the 1930s with big bands and did it all while working a regular job.
Reiche talked to many people who were there, like Dan Blaney, who described a 1955 show with Bill Haley and his Comets. Blaney said, “The place was out of control. It seemed like the building was going to shake, rattle, and roll right to the ground.”
Reiche’s book is full of stories and memories from people who lived through the golden age of rock in Maine. Back then, Maine became a hot spot for big acts partly because of the Maine Turnpike, which made it easy for bands traveling between Boston and New York to stop in Maine.
Looking through the book, it’s amazing to see how many famous acts played in small Maine venues for cheap prices. Tickets for a 1958 show with Danny and the Juniors, Frankie Lymon, Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Buddy Holly cost $1.50 to $2.50. Bob Seger played in Portland twice in 1970, and tickets were less than $5. Black Sabbath played at the University of Southern Maine in 1970, and the Ike and Tina Turner Review played in Gorham in 1974, with tickets for just $4.
