May Melodies

The Pine State Pitches pose for a photo before performing in our annual concert at One Longfellow Square. Photo taken by Quinlan Ashmore.

Hello and happy (almost) summer! We finally have a few sunny days under our belts in Maine, and Fred and I have been spending every lunch break lounging in the sun in our backyard. My favorite time of the year has come and gone - the 2 weeks when lilacs are in bloom - but I can still smell the faint, sweet scent when I walk by a lilac bush. Lilac season is fleeting, but the promise that they will be back in one year’s time is enough to keep me happy all year.

May was a major month for the Pitches. If you came to our Annual Concert at One Longfellow Square, we want to extend a heartfelt thank you for your support. It was an absolute dream to sing to a sold out audience at such an iconic venue. As I sat in the green room before the show, I looked at the walls and saw the signatures of many of my favorite artists - Connor Garvey, Griffin William Sherry, Tall Heights, and Lake Street Dive, just to name a few. Adding our logo to those walls was a moment I’ll remember forever.

The Pine State Pitches’ logo, drawn by Stacey, on the green room wall at One Longfellow Square.

We pushed ourselves harder than ever before at this show, adding formations for every song and even a little choreography for some of our new tunes. We performed four new songs we had never sung before at this concert, along with some classics we love dearly. The first newbie was Seven Bridges Road, written by Steve Young and famously performed by the Eagles. We opened the show with this song, and I love how it showcases tight, rich harmonies. We typically sing more pop or theater-centric tunes, so it was fun to reach for a country-vibe with this song.

Royals by Lorde was another new song for us, and I’ll be honest - going into this concert, it was not my favorite song. But like many things with the Pitches, singing it with incredible women made me see the song in a new light, and I am so happy we sang it! Our own Lauren M. arranged it for us to sing, and Holly added choreography where we bowed to our queens during each chorus. Of course, each member of this group is a queen, but only three got to wear the crown this time. Audience members with a keen eye may have also noticed we were standing in diamond formations - courtesy of Amber’s great mind.

We honed our inner divas with a few power pop songs in the second half of the show. Opening our second set with Bang Bang by Ariana Grande, Jessie J, and Nicki Minaj was an absolute blast. From our two incredible soloists, Holly and Victoria, rocking out with beautiful vocal runs, to Lauren A. bringing it home on the rap at the end, the song was pure joy and celebrating womanhood.

Our final new song in this concert was Good Luck, Babe! by Chappell Roan. One of the few songs in our set list from this decade, we had the best time belting this tune by a queer icon. Holly designed the choreography so the two sides mirrored each other, helping us tell the story of heartbreak and fighting for what you know you deserve in love.

Everyone came together to create a beautiful concert, allowing us to share songs and stories in new ways. Personally, I have never practiced harder for a performance, and I hope our hard work showed in every song we sang on Thursday. As Rachel L. said at the end of the show, we have such incredible family and friends who support us every step of the way, and this concert was a love song to everyone who has helped us grow over the years. We are eternally grateful to you for holding us up and helping us shine.

If you were not able to make it to our annual concert, don’t worry! You have another chance to see us this weekend - we are singing at Blue Point Acapellooza on Saturday, June 7th. We’re thrilled to be part of a lineup of talented groups, and hope you can join us! Get your tickets now for a great day of smooth harmonies.

We hope to see you more over the summer - keep an eye on our website and social media pages for updates on future performances. We’re ready to enjoy the Maine summer sunshine with you while it lasts!