Somerville’s annual PorchFest is part hootenanny, part a giant open studios for bands. Some 300 bands acts are scheduled to perform on porches, in backyards and in parks from noon to 6 p.m. this Saturday, May 12 (raindate: May 13).
Update: “Porchfest is moving to rain date: Sunday, May 13,” the Somerville Arts Council reported on Thursday, May 10. “Because the weather looks dicey for Saturday, we are switching Porchfest to its rain date, Sunday, May 13th. Times will be the same – noon until 6 p.m. We understand that some bands won’t be able to play on Sunday. We will do our best to update the Porchfest site by tomorrow evening to reflect this.”
The schedule groups bands by neighborhood, so bands west of Willow Avenue play from noon to 2 p.m., folks between Willow Avenue and Central Street play from 2 to 4 p.m., and east of Central Street artists perform from 4 to 6 p.m.
Inspired by an event in upstate New York, PorchFest exploded locally when the Somerville Arts Council first copycatted it here in 2011. There are now several versions around greater Boston.
This year is heavy in Americana and indie rock, though you can also find Honk-style brass bands, jazz, classical, Tibetan sounds, the Brazilian folk music forró, and a thereminist who performed on the television program “America’s Got Talent.”
Below are some bands worth checking out, listed in order of when they’ll be performing. My criteria were not absolutely musically rigorous. Other things sometimes sway me, like a music video featuring romance with an elephant, a rendition of the “Star Wars” cantina band song, or professing to play “other people’s music, barely passably performed.”
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Hornography
Noon to 2 p.m.: 227 Willow Ave.
I’m hoping this “brass-fueled pop/rock/dance/funk band” will play “Star Wars” cantina band tunes all day long.
Louder Than Milk
Noon to 2 p.m.: 11 Morrison Place.
This “Americana/alt-Country/roots” band makes my heart ache. In a good way.
The Novel Ideas
2 to 4 p.m.: 16 Banks St.
4 to 6 p.m.: 10 Homer Square
Four-part harmonies that create “a blend of pastoral, harmony driven, and plaintive Americana.”
School of Honk
Noon to 2 p.m.: Cutter Avenue at Summer Street.
Launched by folks who helped found Somerville’s annual Honk festival, School of Honk is a band that welcomes in everyone to learn to play music the street band way—and spread the Honk spirit.
That Noble Fury
Noon to 2 p.m.: 56 Winslow Ave.
This “heady pop” band made my list because they created a music video in 2011 of a lady having a sexy romance with an elephant who drives a Zamboni. Perhaps the elephant will make an appearance?
Jon Bernhardt, Thereminist
2 to 4 p.m.: 9 Charnwood Road.
“You stand up for every nerd who’s ever wanted to be a rock star,” Simon Cowell told Bernhardt when he performed on the television program “America’s Got Talent” in 2016. For PorchFest, Bernhardt will grace the audience with “theremin versions of songs that are completely inappropriate for that instrument (mostly punk and new wave classics). We’ll throw in a few standards, to keep the audience on their toes.”
The Dan Quayle Experience
2 to 4 p.m.: 124 Lowell St.
I’ve got no idea what this Americana band sounds like, but I was sold by their how they described their act: “Other people’s music, barely passably performed.”
Spotted Tiger
2 to 4 p.m.: 24 Central Street.
Laid-back roots music, originals and “mashup covers.” Rebel Darling and Mike McCann will also perform.
Tarciso Alves Forró Band
4 to 6 p.m.: 30 Puritan Road.
Alves “grew up in the Brazilian state of Pernambuco, steeped in the region’s traditions of music, folk dancing, and spoken-word poetry.” He specializes in the Forró folk music of the northeastern part of his native country. “They’ll perform songs connected to Brazil’s traditional San Joao festival, which coincides with PorchFest, and celebrates the corn harvest.”
BBB (Boston Bhoepa Band)
4 to 6 p.m.: 54 Sargent Ave.
The band explores “Tibetan songs and melodies via various western musical genres.”
Banda Raizes
4 to 6 p.m.: 51 Bow St.
Brazilian forro and sertanejo dance music.
Desperate Measures Street Band
4 to 6 p.m.: 22 Union Square.
10-piece Honk-style brass band that performs surf rock, New Orleans jazz/funk, pop, klezmer and punk.
Dirty Water Brass Band
4 to 6 p.m.: 67 Broadway.
A Motown horn section crossed with a Honk-style street band.
Dutch Tulips
4 to 6 p.m.: 85 Bonair St.
Fuzz rock and rollers.
Mo Bounce
4 to 6 p.m.: 62 Fellsway West.
“Boston’s uncut funk and R&B party band.”
The Novel Ideas
4 to 6 p.m.: 10 Homer Square.
Four-part harmonies that create “a blend of pastoral, harmony driven, and plaintive Americana.” See video at their 2 to 4 p.m. listing.
Second Line Social Aid and Pleasure Society Brass Band
4 to 6 p.m: 14 Quincy St.
A 30-piece “raucous, stomp-your-foot-and-belt-out-the-choruses” New Orleans-style street band. These are the folks who founded the Honk festival. Their mission: “To fight for social justice causes and support community events while having fun and spreading joy through our music.”
Help Wonderland keep producing our great coverage of local arts, cultures and activisms (and our great festivals) by contributing to Wonderland on Patreon. And sign up for our free, weekly newsletter so that you don’t miss any of our reporting.