Note-worthy in Plymouth: Brewster Productions

When Jon Dorn, the bass player for Eagle Hill Band, was attending Plymouth South High School, there was nothing he wanted more than for his group to perform on the waterfront. His friend Scott McEwen rooted him on, but Dorn was never able to play by the harbor during his teenage years.

Now, Dorn and McEwen run Plymouth’s Brewster Productions and have made it their mission to give local teens the opportunity to showcase their music at locations throughout the town, including the waterfront.

Dorn and McEwen have done so well, that last Friday they were honored with an ARTY Award from the Plymouth Cultural Council.

“In my reaction to my experience in high school, I want to give these young kids a chance to play when they want to,” Dorn said.

At Brewster Productions, Dorn and McEwen assist bands from Cape Cod to Boston with booking and sound production. They also work year-round to bring entertainment to Plymouth with events such as the No More Pencils, No More Books Concert, the Acoustic Nights Free Concert Series and the Plymouth Independent Music Festival, all of which welcome young musicians, as well as seasoned veterans, to play for large crowds.

Their first outdoor concert of the summer, No More Pencils, No More Books, is in conjunction with the various high school graduations that will soon occur around town, Dorn said. The free June 4th concert will take place on the lawn and aims to show McEwen and Dorn’s gratitude for Plymouth schools.

“We all went to Plymouth South High School so we are products of the Plymouth public school system,” Dorn said. “We wanted to kind of show our appreciation for that and help contribute to the celebration going on around the graduations.”

Like almost all of the shows Brewster Productions puts together, McEwen said they have booked some young bands in order to give them exposure. These teens are strategically placed in the middle of the show so that they can perform in front of the largest crowd.

Between July 15 and Sept. 2, Dorn and McEwen will also host the Acoustic Nights Free Concert Series for the fourth consecutive year. Also taking place on the Hedge House lawn, Dorn said that these summer shows provide guests with a laid-back atmosphere as they sit on the grass and listen to local bands.

While Dorn said that live music gives locals who have already seen the Mayflower and other historical attractions a reason to visit the waterfront, McEwen said the free concerts are perfect for families on a budget.

“It brings a place where families and people can go that doesn’t cost anything,” he said. “Now, with the economy and stuff it is hard to get out and do things with a large amount of people, especially families.”

July 23, the production duo will organize the Plymouth Independent Music Festival, where musicians will entertain guests on two stages on the waterfront. Dorn said that the goal of this family-friendly event is to showcase as many younger and older bands as possible in order to give locals a taste for the sounds that the area has to offer.

In the future, McEwen said he hopes that Brewster Productions can attract more national acts. Still, they do not intend on forgetting the passion of the younger musicians that made them launch the company in the first place.

“That’s basically why we started, to get that young kid his first show,” he said.