Wednesday, May 18
Bluegrass and comedy have never been strangers. It’s just that the latter tends to be of the cornball variety when paired with that music. Enter deified comedian, actor and author Steve Martin, who also picks a mean banjo. He performs tonight backed by his band, the Steep Canyon Rangers, with peerless picker Tony Trischka and his band, Territory, opening the show at Merrill Auditorium (20 Myrtle St., Portland) at 7:30 p.m. Tix: $45-$65. 842-0800. portlandovations.org. And at the St. Lawrence Arts Center, it’s another strong pairing: Bollard columnist and author Crash Barry teams up with storyteller and radio host John McDonald to present “Two Maines,” an evening of tall (and short) tales, at 7 p.m. Tix: $10 (not kid-friendly material). 775-5568. stlawrencearts.org.