The Mallett Brothers Band has spent seventeen years earning the tag “New England’s wildly eclectic crew of genre rebels” — a Maine-rooted outfit that moves between alt-country, Americana, jam, and roots rock like the lines between them were always meant to blur. On December 31, they close out their 2026 touring calendar at Waterhole Music Lounge in Saranac Lake for a New Year’s Eve bash, with Vermont groovegrass trio Jatoba opening the night.
About the Show
The band is led by brothers Luke and Will Mallett, sons of a man who worked alongside Paul Stookey of Peter, Paul and Mary — an origin story that says a lot about their instinct for melody and their willingness to take American music seriously across genre lines. Six independently released albums in, their catalog draws from southern rock, psychedelic folk, fiddle music, and classic country, all filtering through a distinctly Maine sensibility. No Depression called it “dense, world-worn roots music.” Folk Radio UK went with “whiskey-soaked old-time Acadian hoedown.” Both are right and neither is complete, which is probably the point.
Their most recent single, “Dogs and Horses” (February 2025), features Chuck Leavell and was described as “a love song for rural life.” The 2026 tour took them through Rhythm & Roots Festival in September, ZenBarn in Waterbury, VT, and the State Theatre in Portland on December 5, before the Saranac Lake show wraps the year. They’ve shared stages with The Turnpike Troubadours, Blackberry Smoke, Robert Earl Keen, and Lukas Nelson — the kind of touring company that signals they’re built for an audience that takes this music home with them.
Opening the night is Jatoba, a groovegrass trio from Brattleboro, VT, performing since 2008. John Jamison, Jason Scaggs, and Jeff Richardson bring three-part harmonies, driving tempos, and a reputation built opening for Greensky Bluegrass, Trampled By Turtles, and Leftover Salmon, with a Rolling Stone nod along the way.
Venue & Logistics
Waterhole Music Lounge is at 48 Main Street in Saranac Lake, deep in the North Country. It is a bar and music venue, close quarters, and the right scale for a band whose music works best when there is no distance between the stage and the room. If you are making the drive from points south, plan accordingly: Saranac Lake is worth the trip, but it is not on the way to anything else. Doors open at 7:30 p.m., with the show at 8:30 p.m. This is a 21+ event.
Tickets
Tickets are $17 in advance or $20 at the door. Buy tickets