Festivals, rebranding, and a pop-up market; September has had a lot going on. As the fog of humidity slowly lifts and fall starts to set in, we’ll be keeping you updated on that latest Boston music news.
Solei Featured in Topia
It’s great to see a local artist’s talent showcased in a project, and more so when that project happens to be really cool. “Garden,” a track off of Topia by Thane features Boston-based singer Solei. The track drips with lush instrumentals, setting a perfect base for the vocals. Solei’s voice wraps around the saxophone and piano notes, her powerfully delicate voice filling in the nooks of the songs. Her appearance is more than just icing on a cake, it’s a integral part of the recipe.
Check out “Garden feat. Mick Jenkins and Solei” on Topia below.
Black Market Pops Up in Cambridge
Boston Hassle and Ignore Rock*n*Roll Heroes’ bi-monthly Black Market event is taking place on Sunday, September 25th. Open from 11AM to 5PM at the Cambridge Elks Lodge, the Black Market is offering tons of activities and vendors, from records to face-painting. Obviously we’re a fan of the small record labels represented there, but baked goods, nail art and local honey? See you there.
Honk if You Support Activism
The three-day festival HONK! is coming back for it’s eleventh year of socially conscious celebration. Spanning Columbus Day long weekend, there’s lots of activities on their docket, all of which are free.
Parades, performances, art shows and more will take place in Somerville or Harvard Square at a various locations around the cities. The festival kicks off with a lantern parade, opening up the weekend for brass bands from near and far. Last year’s Dirty Water Brass Band and Emperor Norton’s Stationary Marching Band are back, as well as some newcomers. Check out the full band list here.
New Name, Same Place
In case you missed the news, Davis Square Theatre has been renamed as The Rockwell, but continues to operate in Davis Square. There were a few reasons to start over. Patrons would confuse the Davis Square Theatre with the Somerville Theatre – where they showed movies – and a rebranding of the venue would allow the space to reassess their image.
The Rockwell isn’t letting go of hosting local acting groups, comedy shows, and musicians of all genres. What they want is for the community to know and access the wide range of shows and events they offer. Shitfaced Shakespeare, roast battles, and Grammy winning musicians play under the same roof, and The Rockwell hopes to produce their own shows as well. Here’s to keeping community life full of the arts.
Jamaica Plain Music Festival’s Playlist
If you missed out on the JP Music Festival two weekends ago, take some time to enjoy this collection of songs from festival performers: