Ray LaMontagne

In many ways, Maine is something of a coastal Minnesota. It has loons, moose, and a stump-studded northwoods. It has a Plymouth, an Orono, a Medford, and a Northfield. We have Granite Gear; they have L.L.Bean. It’s like the two states were separated at birth—by glaciers. But you don’t hear much about the hot Maine music scene. The state’s only star of note is Ray LaMontagne, a guy with a mythical-sounding backstory: One night, after his shift at the shoe factory, he hears a Stephen Stills song on the radio and has an epiphany: He should make music, not shoes! So he quits his job on the spot and starts writing songs. Minnesota has produced Prince, the Jayhawks, and Bob Dylan, and LaMontagne’s sound borrows a bit from all three, as evidenced by his rootsy, sexy 2004 debut, Trouble. The fellow is notoriously shy, which has made touring difficult, but perhaps he’ll feel at home here. 651-989-5151; www.hennepintheatredistrict.org