Noel Arrington and Gabe Tonon sing the songs of country greats including Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard, Billy Joe Shaver, Hal Ketchum, Leroy Parnell, Marty Stuart and Mark Collie.

Songs of love yearned for, love found, love lost; drinkin', broken hearts, the travails of life and making music.

The two local guitarists began playing Wednesday nights at Mama D's Mercantile in Boothbay Harbor last winter as The Boothbay Pickers.

And one year later, Arrington and Tonon still enjoy sharing these tunes with everyone who stops in for a meal, a drink, some company or just to hear some live music.

Arrington, a guitar man for most of his life, has been on the road from Nashville to Florida to Maine, as a member of a band, duo and as a soloist.

If you've heard him sing, you'll agree Arrington was born to sing country songs. His mellow voice brings life to the lyrics, and the emotions he evokes are clear and true.

This duo, The Boothbay Pickers, also play original tunes by Arrington including, “She's The One,” an upbeat tune about a guy who's seen the woman he knows is the one and his desire to tell her; “Sunday Morning,” an intimate tune about the warmth and love shared by a couple in everyday ways through conversation, gesture and actions; and the fun “Oldsmobile,” about one of Arrington's cars that, he says, he had for just two years — just long enough to feel fondly enough about it to write the song.

Arrington, who hails from Virginia, says he cut his teeth on country music.

“There's real life in those songs that they (the country stars who wrote and/or recorded them) bring to life in three minutes,” Arrington said. “It's the stories. It's all about the stories.”

Arrington's love of country tunes, and performing them, led to his organizing The Old Time Opry, an event held at the Opera House in Boothbay Harbor for a few years.

The first year of the Opry marked the first public appearance of his fellow picker Tonon, as a musician, in the winter of 2007.

Tonon's first public appearance as a performer was an eighth grade talent show at Boothbay Region Elementary School, done on a dare.

“I did ‘I’ve Been Everywhere, Man’ on stage with recorded track,” Tonon said. “My dad said there weren't any karaoke singers in his family and that I'd either learn how to play the guitar or cut that crap out.”

Chuckling, Tonon said the very next day, father and son went 50/50 on a guitar. A guitar Tonon carried with him everywhere — including school.

Tonon started out learning Johnny Cash's catalog on his own.

“Johnny Cash is one of my biggest influences,” Tonon said. “His songs were all I could sing and were pretty simple to learn. But I learned most of what I know about music by playing with people like Noel, Paul Johnson, Mark (Stover) and all those guys (The Holy Mackerels).”

Tonon has “played it all,” and while he has a special affection for blues, it's country that he loves to play most.

“Country is different than anything else. Country guitar playing is like a free for all,” Tonon said. “If you can blend stuff (genres), you can play country music. Once you get into the music, it's pretty eclectic, and rather fascinating if you listen to it.”

Arrington has watched his younger counterpart grow as a musician over the years. He is impressed by Tonon's talent.

“I've watched him learn to pick and blow right by me, I'm just an old rhythm guy myself. Gabe's picking is very complementary. He knows when to add dynamics — fill in on my leads, add a riff here or there; when he puts his accents on any song I do it's just magic,” Arrington said. “Gabe's a natural.

“He's an old soul; he's played country music before somewhere, that's all I can say!”

Tonon's picking is mesmerizing.

He is focused, intense and clearly zoning, immersed in the notes he releases in the space. Watching and listening to this 23-year-old musician, you can't help but sit back and go “Damn!”

The Boothbay Pickers never rehearse; like most musicians, they have day jobs. So, the two accomplished musicians just “work out” new tunes while they're performing. Not that you'd know it — ask anyone who head's for Mama D's on Wednesday nights.

Arrington and Tonon are trying to put a CD together amidst day jobs and other gigs apart from their Boothbay Pickers persona. For example, Tonon often makes guest appearances with Mark Stover and The Holy Mackerels, and he has performed with The Boneheads.

Neither Arrington or Tonon can imagine life without a guitar, which is an extension of themselves — the nature of the beast, one could say!

Tonon's response to a life without his guitar summed things up for both musicians:

“I'd figure out a way to do it ... or die trying.”

The name of the duo came about real easy like as Arrington explained, “We're from Boothbay ... and we're pickers!”

See and hear for yourself on Wednesdays at Mama D's on Union Street throughout January — and beyond.