The Rumstock Music Festival, hosted by ONCE Somerville, lit up Boynton Yards last Saturday with rock and roll revelry.

By Raga Chilakamarri

An older woman sporting a shiny, grey bob cut and dark sunglasses grooved to the music, her right hand bumping up, clasped around a can, her red lipstick loud like the guitar riffing, and her leopard-print bag thumping against her side. She wore a dark blue jean jacket and a denim skirt to match; her fishnets ended in edgy Vans. She was rocking out.

Last Saturday, Somerville saw a vacant lot transformed into a rock concert venue, home to the one-day Rumstock Music Festival, an event within the Summer Series hosted by ONCE Somerville at Boynton Yards. Entrance signs read “No Crowd Surfing.”

Doors opened at 12:00 p.m. for the Daytime Music Festival featuring local bands, and at 6:00 p.m. the evening show began, where Boston-based label Rum Bar Records presented a line-up of four rock and surf groups, culminating in a showcase of nine bands in total. A few vendors sold vintage clothes, jewelry, and antique knick-knacks, and a food truck was parked on the left-side along a line of tables offering merchandise supporting the performers. By the night’s end the total attendee count tapped in at about 270 people.

The stage was an elevated platform under a white tent, with paper records strung along streamers as decorations. Vibrant lights washed the performers with a brighter array of colors as the night fell and to the right of the main crowd, attendees left a collection of doodles with chalk on the pavement. At one point during the last set, four inflated beachballs were introduced into the crowd inserting child-like bursts of play into the otherwise older audience.

There was a sentiment of appreciation, support, and nostalgia among the evening concert-goers, a demographic of mostly white, 50+ years old rockers, many of whom boasted baseball hats and t-shirts with prints like “The Drumfather,” “High Karate,” or “The Bomb Pops.” Aside from a couple of youths’ headbanging and shaking about in the front, dancing was expressed by rigorous head nods and foot taps, the positive energy and spirit of fun nevertheless evident throughout the lively performances.

The GypsyMoths closed out the night with their six-person sound of vocals, saxophone, guitar, bass, keyboard, and drums, giving their record release performance after recently signing with Rum Bar Records. Guitarist Chris Conway said that the group first got together in 2014 for vinyl nights which transitioned into live vinyl nights and eventually into their current form, each member originating from an indie band background in the 1980s. During the day, the GypsyMoths have diverse careers, including an audio-visual guy and a scientist, Conway said.

Regarding his process of writing songs, lead singer Muck of The Muck and the Mires, simply stated, “We make a lot of them and throw out the rotten ones,” before flashing a smile. His shaggy hair, tight pants, and black shirt with a single white stripe down the buttons only further cemented his rock star look: a confidence that got the whole crowd bopping and swaying earlier that evening.

“We can drink beer and listen to rock and roll!” someone exclaimed from the stage before the penultimate song, summing up the night with whoops and cheers. 

For those who missed out on Rumstock, ONCE Somerville has more concerts in store for their Summer Series, with events advertised on Facebook and tickets sold online on their website: https://oncesomerville.com.