The start of a new year and the starkness of early winter can bring a clean page for us to reflect, dream, and tell tales upon. What better time to check in on The County’s most prolific singer-songwriter, Travis Cyr, to hear his dreams for the coming months and reflections on 10 years of musicianship.
Cyr’s unique blend of Americana folk is about as local-grown as it can come, invoking the literal grit of the local landscape and the spiritual grit of his personal experiences. In October, the Van Buren native performed two hometown shows at the Aroostook Hospitality Inn that served a dual purpose: returning to the site of his first show in 2002 (back when the inn was known as The Colonial) and celebrating the release of his fourth and latest album, “The Non-Electric Dream Machine.”
When asked about this moment in the creative crossroads, Cyr remarked, “Persistence is key, I have been plugging away at this art for a long time. It’s love. Feed it, nurture it and it will grow.”
A quick glance at his tour schedule showcases this persistence, with multiple shows scheduled most weeks. While this level of performing could be unsustainable for many artists, fans continue to turn out for Cyr’s performances to take part in his journey through his constantly evolving and growing setlists. He notes, “I learn at least one or two new songs every week and I’m always writing and being inspired by things which in turn affect each and every performance differently.”
In addition to offering performances of his own, Cyr also shares his passion for music as lead organizer of the Arootsakoostik Festival, held each summer since 2006 at the beautiful Thomas Park amphitheater in New Sweden and featuring performances from nearly two dozen acts from throughout New England. Built on “good intentions” and “a lot of love,” proceeds from each year’s festival have gone toward preserving the park’s iconic Music Bowl and to support area charities. Local fans of the festival are in luck this winter, as Cyr has partnered with Eureka Hall Restaurant in Stockholm to offer a new winter music series this starting Sunday, Feb. 10 and featuring performances by Tricky Britches, Dark Hollow Bottling Company, Gunther Brown, Ghost of Paul Revere, and Putnam Smith.
Travis Cyr has several local shows of his own planned for this month, making it a great time to catch one of his performances. For detailed tour information and album information, check out his website at http://traviscyrmusic .wix.com/tc.
Dianna Leighton is youth librarian at the Mark & Emily Turner Memorial Library in Presque Isle. Her professional and personal interests include community building, digital media and content creation, and promoting transliteracy skills. In her spare time, she enjoys testing her cooking skills, reading anything she can get her hands on, and sharing stories and experiences with those in her community. Dianna can be reached at (207) 764-2571 or via e-mail at diannaleighton@ presqueislelibrary.org.
