17/10/2026
Veteran guitarist Stefan Iris adds big skills, lustrous shine to rising star Mainline Groove
NORTH YARMOUTH — Late last winter, a couple of highly-skilled, passionate Blues guitarists who had worked together in the past decided to start a new project. They brought together a group of musicians that features a gifted harmonica player/singer, a talented bassist, and a rock-solid drummer.
Together, guitarists/vocalists David Missall and Stefan Iris, Harp ace Gregg MacKenzie and bassist Roger French, along with rotating drummers Lane Kaplan and Ben Russell make up the relatively new band Mainline Groove. They started practicing last Spring, and played their first actual gig in July.
Now, it's really starting to take off. Iris, a phenomenal talent, is a big part of the magic that draws you in the moment this band starts to play. He's silky-smooth, playing every note as it was meant to be played. His other-worldly skills on a custom model guitar are a perfect compliment to Missall's style.
“David and I just really click well on stage, not like some other bands with two guitars. We fit together seamlessly; I feel like the whole band is hitting its stride right now. And while I'm super excited about the potential this band has for the future, I had gigs with three different bands throughout 2026.
“I also play in a Jam band called Captain Bangaroo. We play Classic Rock, Grateful Dead and other 1970s Rock 'n Roll. We play at places like Sugarloaf USA, and at various breweries during the summer months. I also did a few gigs with the Juke Joint Devils, and sat in with a few other bands this year.”
Iris has an extensive background in music, grew up in New York, and has paid his dues in music.
“I was born and raised just outside of Queens on Long Island,” Iris explained. “I first started playing the guitar at the age of nine. I was gigging a little in Middle and High School, but my first paying gig wasn't until I got to college in Boston.”
Exposed to music as a child, Iris says that exposure had a pronounced effect on him for life.
“None of my family members are musicians,” Iris said. “But my father, who's still around, was always an avid music enthusiast. So there was always music playing in my house. He was primarily a fan of the Classical genre, but he did have a handful of Rock 'N Roll records.
“So I was exposed to Rock at an extremely early age through his Rolling Stones albums. I remember being five or six years old, having a toy plastic guitar and listening to my Dad's Rolling Stones record of 'H***y Tonk Women.' It was doing something to me even then.”
In High School, Iris started getting better on the guitar, and getting hooked on good music.
“My first concert was Stevie Ray Vaughan at Radio City Music Hall,” he said. “That was a mind-blowing, inspirational moment, for sure. When I first started getting into the Blues, that show and my exposure to Stevie's brother Jimmie's style of playing just blew me away.
“When I moved to Maine in 2010, I was quickly introduced to Tommy O'Connell, of the Juke Joint Devils. That's how I first got introduced to the Maine Blues scene. I ended up playing with Tommy's band for years. I'm not his primary guitarist any more, but he still calls me for the occasional gig.”
Iris played steadily with O'Connell until late 2016 or early 2017 when his day job became more hectic.
As with any longtime musician, there were other big influences out there who helped shape Iris's style.
“Along with those old Rolling Stones records my Dad had, I was also affected by Jimmie Vaughan,” Iris explains. “He was the biggest single influence on my approach to playing the guitar. I was at a concert in my late teens when Jimmie was still with the Fabulous Thunderbirds.
“They were the opening act, and Jimmie really knocked me out. He would do in five notes what Stevie would do in 30. It's not to say one way is better than the other; yet it's that approach, that 'less is more' style, just playing to suit the song without necessarily being flashy. That's what resonated with me.”
Along with those National artists who had an effect on him, Iris credits a Maine Bluesman for helping to develop his skills, as well.
“I'd really like to give a shout out/credit to Tommy O'Connell,” he explained. “I appreciate him giving me the opportunity to get involved in the Maine Blues scene. He's great, because he makes you work hard in the best way. He would push me on stage, to push myself to the next level in a Live situation.
“That was a great learning experience for me that helped me refine a lot of chops.”
As for his friendship with the ever-talented David Missall, Iris says there's a rich history there.
“David and I actually go way back,” he said. “I lived in Massachusetts before I moved here to Maine, and I played in a band called The Groove Devils with him. He carried on with that band down there after I left, but then he moved up here to Maine the summer before last.
“When he came up here, he told me that he wanted to get something going with me again. We talked about it for months, but we finally got the right people together last winter and pulled the trigger on Mainline Groove. It's exciting to see people take notice as we start to build some momentum.”
When Iris steps onto the stage and gets ready to play, he picks up a high-end, custom-made guitar.
“I am honored to say that I now play Chuck Thornton guitars exclusively,” Iris said with great pride in his voice. “I've played a lot of guitars over the years, but none of them are like his. He had heard about me, and wanted to meet me. So he had me come up to visit his workshop.
“I spent a couple of hours with him, and asked for something different that he hadn't done before. He was more than happy to create a new model inspired by my Specs. I thought it was going to be a one-off, but he actually introduced it as a specific model. I absolutely love his guitars; they're as good as any other brand on the market. They are beautiful, and practically play themselves.”
As for a nice Amp to power those beautiful C. Thornton guitars, Iris chooses a timeless classic.
“I'm using a 1962 Fender Brown panel Princeton Re-Issue,” he said. “It's the Chris Stapleton model, and sounds fantastic. I also use a couple of pedals; I use a Klon clone to give it a little extra midrange boost and bit of grit at lower volume. But this Amp has an incredible Tremolo in it, my favorite effect.”
As the calendar quickly gets done with 2026 and slams us in the face with 2027, Iris has a clear goal.
“I hope to play a lot more gigs with Mainline Groove next year,” he said. “We're working to get the word out, and I'm so grateful that great venues like Lenny's Pub in Westbrook and Andy's Old Port Pub in Portland have given us the opportunity to play there.
“We hope we can continue to play at those fine places, and expand that reach to more venues in 2027. It's just getting rolling for us.”
Story by Phil Whipple
Photo Courtesy of Stefan Iris
