Boston Hassle and Brain Arts—impresarios of experimental, underground music shows—will make most of their shows free for folks younger than 18, the organization announced on Monday.

“To help showcase BRAIN Arts & Boston Hassle’s ongoing & continued commitment to show-goers of ALL AGES we have decided to make our shows FREE for those UNDER 18 for the remainder of 2018,” they said on the Hassle website. “There are of course exceptions, such as shows we might simply be co-promoting @ larger venues, or festivals such as Hassle Fest 10 in November, but the vast majority of the the remaining 80-ish shows we will book this year are now FREE for show-goers under 18 years old.”

Why would they do such a thing? According to the Hassle website, “The youth is our future, hopefully some of them will be motivated to check out a handful of shows they might not have checked out otherwise because of this initiative.”

Beginning around 2010 or so, Dan Shea and Sam Potrykus founded Boston Hassle and then Brain Arts. Last year, they produced more than 100 shows around greater Boston. They also operate the Boston Hassle website, monthly Boston Compass newspaper, bi-monthly Black Market flea market, and (since January) Dorchester Art Project gallery and studios.


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Categories: Music