Bill Flagg (second from right) and Jon Holabird (third from right) pose with members of Tusk, a Fleetwood Mac tribute band, after a concert in 2025.
(Courtesy of Bill Flagg)
A local partnership is working to bring quality entertainment to Aroostook County at the Caribou Performing Arts Center.
Jon Holabird, partner of J&B Entertainment LLC, said the center is a great advantage for the region.
“CPAC is the largest facility of its kind north of Bangor,” said Holabird, who is the owner of Rick’s Redemption Center in Presque Isle. “We really need to take advantage of this great concert hall and bring a new level of talent to this market.”
J&B entertainment, whose other partner is Bill Flagg, hosted its first event in 2025, featuring Tusk, a tribute band for Fleetwood Mac. Public reaction is still reverberating in the community, Holabird said.
“Immediately after the performance people were really buzzing,” he said. “Even today people approach me saying what a great event this was. People even say it was one of the best events at CPAC in years. That is our goal, to bring similar productions here several times a year.”
The center can seat up to 800 people and was designed to offer superior sound and viewing from virtually any seat. Caribou is fortunate to have such an outstanding place to host entertainment events, Flagg said.
“The people who created CPAC had a vision of establishing a center for music, theatre and other forms of entertainment for this entire region,” said Flagg, who is responsible for marketing events. “Major events will bring people into the community, to our restaurants, hotels, gas stations and local shops. It is our hope to bring a variety of shows here and we are hoping the community will support the effort.”
The entertainment group is working with national talent companies to bring high-level bands to Caribou. The next event will feature EagleMania, an Eagles tribute band. The event will be held on Saturday, May 22.
The cost to bring this level of talent to the region is considerable, according to Holabird.
“There is a lot that goes into this,” he said. “These tribute bands charge a hefty fee, there are costs for promotion, and the CPAC has increased the cost of hosting these type of events. And rightly so. This venue needs to be supported.”
Ticket prices may seem higher than most local events, but that is what it takes to high-level talent to the region, Holabird said. Once the company builds a reputation for quality shows, the partners believe the community will respond.
Tusk will return later this year and other events are in the works. J&B Entertainment hopes to bring performances to the region so people won’t always have to travel to Bangor or beyond, spending $1,000 or more on travel, lodging and ticket prices.
The bands they are bringing might not be the original artists but are the next best thing, Flagg said.
“We know people here are hungry for first-class entertainment and that is what we hope to accomplish at a reasonable price. We are looking forward to several acts over the coming years,” he said. “Utilizing CPAC, creating anticipation and following through with a great show is a primary goal.”
For tickets or information, contact Holabird at 207-762-0076 or visit eventbrite.com or Sleeper’s, Ruska or S.W. Collins in Caribou.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source thecounty.me ’
