It’s another Monday night at Sips in Southwest Harbor, and the open mic is about to begin. Guest host Peter Lindquist stands at the helm, adjusting the PA and mic stands with the help of a tall young man with long black hair and warm brown eyes. I’ve seen Peter play before, as the bassist from Banned From Eden, but tonight he wields an acoustic guitar.

I am probably that last person on Mount Desert Island to become aware of the Gus LaCasse phenomenon. We chat while some other performers sign up for the jam session, and he is friendly, relaxed, and genuine. He has an easy quality I have come to associate with home-schoolers, as if he has no particular suspicion of people. Hopefully, his forays into professional music will not sully this quality.