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Update: Due to current forecasts, Somerville Porchfest has been postponed to Sunday, May 13. Bands begin in West Somerville neighborhoods at noon.
Have you ever sat on your porch and overheard a neighbor strumming guitar on another porch? PorchFest takes this idea and multiplies it to create a city-wide event where Somervillians share their love of playing and listening to music.
PorchFest began in 2011 and has been growing rapidly ever since. This year over 250 musical acts will be performing on porches (and sometimes spilling into front yards and gardens) all over the city. Genres range from gypsy punk, cosmic americana and killer blues to Afrobeat, acid folk, and American space rock. There’s even Porch-ioke where passersby can step up and belt out a tune with a band backing them up.
This year the performances will start in West Somerville and go East – the opposite direction of past years. Acts in West Somerville perform from 12:00 to 2:00 p.m.; central Somerville bands (between Central and Willow St.) perform from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. and East Somerville musicians perform from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. This allows music to sweep like a giant wave from west to east and festival goers can plan out their routes to hear as much music as possible. To see the current lineup and map go towww.somervilleartscouncil.org/porchfest. Listen to band’s music samples and plan out your day. Want to play PorchFest? Registration is still open until May 10. Visit the website for more information and to register your band.
PorchFest originated in Ithaca in 2007. When Somervillian Nancy Goodman learned about the event she thought: Why not Somerville? She contacted the Somerville Arts Council and things were quickly set in motion. From the get-go, responses from musicians and music-loving residents was resounding. There were 35 people at the initial planning meeting and 75 acts registered to perform for our first edition in 2011.
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Already my friend out in a request for the day off to service the elderly as last year it was just impossible to get to their homes due to the people just ignoring her and keeping her from her job. Bathing and helping them get dressed and feeding them and giving them their medications. No one seems to realize the impact these things have on people. Take it to the park and play. We can’t treat the incapacitated in this manner.when their is an easy solution. I am sorry that your good time hurts so many of our needed people.
This started out as a nice community event, but’s it’s become an excuse for a lot of students and 20-30 year olds to drink in the streets and block access. They feel entitled to do as they please and couldn’t care less about others. That’s what Somerville has become.
Whine whine, whine whine whine. Whine whine whine whine whine – whine whine? Whine! Whine whine.
Whine whine whine whine “whine whine“. Whine.
PorchFest rules. Got a slice of all ages and demographics who play and enjoy it. One of the best days of the year in Somerville. Some people just gotta be miserable.
All ages and demographics? Tell that to the 200 mostly white college kids drinking beer and smoking pot on our street and sitting on our stoop. I guess we’re just supposed to look the other way now.
If PorchFest really represents a good cultural cross-section of Somerville, I hope we get to see photos and videos reflecting that cross-section.
Then we’ll know that this venue doesn’t involve mostly college kids and millennials.
Elaine – drinking beer and smoking pot (neither of which are illegal activities). Whatever next eh?
This is being moved to Mother’s Day?? Are they serious? People in my neighborhood are coming and going all day on Mother’s Day. If someone doesn’t take control of this someone will get hurt due to the way they block the streets and refuse to let people by. And people are expected to visit with their families when you can’t hear yourself think during this?
Precisely Johnnie. Tufts has a big field and why not do it there? I really don’t care if they want to smoke a joint or drink but they do not let people go about their business and they do block the streets and it is way out of control. Move it to a place where they can enjoy their good time.
I live near Teele Square and we have musicians on our street at every Porch Fest, I have frequently had to drive out from my street and have NEVER once had a problem coming or going. I just drive out slow, people part and I drive through. I have never had any group of people refuse to move or block me in. That is pure fiction by people who like to complain all the time. I own in Somerville and I am happy to see people having a good time. In fact my in laws who are in their mid to late 60s come in from metro west to enjoy. I have NEVER seen any bad conduct or even heard people swearing. You complainers really need to look in the mirror. And “Old Taxpayer” – I pay tax (probably a lot more than you do)- and I am happy to see this festival.
Old, I think your daft, the point of it is to be in neighborhoods annoying all the curmudgeons with their marijuana and rock’n’roll
JPHM has it right. I have enjoyed every one of these fests every year and checked out each participating area and believe me, there are no such problems as these miserable misanthropes are reporting. And every year I see the same made up stories about how there was wanton anarchy in the streets and nobody could get through. Complete hogwash. These complainers are obviously tight-bottomed crabs who just like to complain – probably out of jealousy over their long depleted youth.
So get out and enjoy yourselves today. And don’t worry about these ridiculous grouches. They’ll have their own fun later getting on here and telling more lies about their misery and all the “danger” posed to the sick and elderly. Unashamed liars.