Maine's Premier Pirate Band
ABOUT US
The Shank Painters are a pirate-themed folk music trio based in Portland, Maine. The band's repertoire consists of Shanties - a variety of mostly nautical classic folk songs with catchy sing-along refrains, beloved by children and rowdy drunks alike. These works are treasures of history, preserving the travails and spirit from centuries of seafaring culture.
Formed in the Summer of 2016, the band began performing at Portland's First Friday Art Walk and has since performed at festivals, parties, pub crawls, restaurants, and bars all over New England. Bringing together accordion, voices, banjo, and guitar, the Shank Painters bring the past alive with their mixture of playful, rollicking, heartbreaking, and hilarious songs.
MEET THE CREW
Captain Nobeard
Captain Nobeard (Elizabeth Leibiger) started piano lessons at age 4, and has been in love with music ever since. Around 2014, they bought their first accordion off of Craigslist for $50 and found it to be a far sexier instrument than the common piano. Elizabeth found their love of sea shanties through the video game Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, which features sea shanties as a part of the gameplay.
"Trouble" von Bellows
Trouble von Bellows (Charlie Swerdlow) has been with the Shank Painters since the beginning, as a singer, guitarist, and songwriter. His translations of French shanties, reworking of traditional lyrics, classical training, and theatrical persona have helped shape the band’s character and dramatic flair. He is also an illustrator, painter, graphic designer, and author. Please visit HistoryDepicted.com to learn more!
Fair B. Rapscallion