Stuart, you need to get the word out if you have a band playing in Maine. I haven't heard of you though if you got started in the last 6 months then I wouldn't have heard of you. But none of my friends have mentioned your band either. Get out to the coffeehouses and build an audience and get heard wherever you can. Not only will that help your band but it will help when you do the benefit concerts. Maine is a small communitiy and the word will get out when you play out more often. If you do Irish/Celtic type stuff you should check in with Brien (another Mudcatter). Individual members should go to the weekly sessions in Portsmouth (Fridays from 4:00 to 9:00 at the Press Room) to strut their stuff and get the word out. The organizer is another Mudcatter, Curmudgeon. He can tell you more. There are coffeehouses around the area. If you guys work unplugged then you will have a good time showing what you do and networking with other organizers. The Side Door coffeehouse is in Brunswick. You can get more information on that venue by calling the Unitarian Church in Brunswick.

Sinsull can help you get in touch with some of these people. As she said above she's doing volunteer work at Preble Street but she is also in touch with a lot of the folk music people in Maine.

Good luck. Hope to hear more about you when I get back to Maine.