Somerville welcomes SOMEDAY Fest, a new free music and arts festival
Jonny Tex
– two performers on the outdoor stage – will catch residents' attention and lead them to the festival's indoor stage, where folkier and pop-adjacent acts such as
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The event's grassroots nature was inspired by
(who will also take the stage at SOMEDAY Fest). The free event paired live music with a variety of community-oriented workshops that empowered guests to learn skills like DJing and bike repairs. DiLello says he walked away from the festival feeling like a part of a 'very visible' creative community, and was galvanized to build upon that visibility with his own iteration.
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After finding inspiration in his own backyard, he found financial support, too; neighborhood businesses like Remnant Brewing and Field & Vine stepped up as sponsors to supplement the $2500 grant. DiLello hopes that SOMEDAY Fest's impact will demonstrate the importance of arts grants in creative communities, especially in the face of executive orders that terminated National Endowment for the Arts grants for organizations like
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'This festival absolutely could not have happened without that grant money to get us off of the ground,' DiLello says. 'To create a lot of community joy around money that was placed within the trust of the arts I think is a huge way to stand up to that real misfortune.'
It's also a way to help maintain the momentum of Somerville's music scene. The city's popular event
DiLello says that SOMEDAY Fest isn't a replacement for NICE, but hopes that the event will offer guests a similar sense of connection that will empower them to be more active in the community.
'Whether that's event organizing, or releasing that next album, or forming a tenants' association, I just want that energy to be continued and passed between events and people,' he concludes.
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GIG GUIDE
At Roadrunner on
To celebrate the highly-specific 22 ½ anniversary of her 2002 record 'Lost In Space,'
and later brings the tour to
Yola brings her shimmering, supersized "My Way" EP to The Sinclair on Friday. (Valeria Rios)
Valeria Rios
Also on
complements the fluid funk and R&B of
Leader Bank Pavilion kicks off its concert season on
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On Friday, Sleigh Bells raise an art-rock ruckus at the Paradise Rock Club. (David Perez)
David Perez
The Paradise Rock Club shimmies with variety this weekend, courtesy of art-rock duo
will also stick around for repeat performances this week, as the band holds court at MGM Music Hall at Fenway on
Judy Grunwald, left, in the Elvis shirt, and Beth Kaplan in the Ramones shirt, performing at the Rathskeller in Boston.
Paul Robicheau
NOW SPINNING
New Zealand band Phoebe Rings offer their own slant on city pop with their debut LP 'Aseurai.' (Frances Carter)
Frances Carter
Phoebe Rings, 'Aseurai.' The debut record from Phoebe Rings is a fresh listen for fans of jazz and dream-pop – yet it doesn't fit squarely under either category. 'Aseurai' finds the New Zealand band stepping out with their own slant on city pop, twisting prismatic synths to project a rainbow of emotions.
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Mt. Joy's fourth LP feels like a 13-track thesis on why they're a great fit for headlining festivals. (Caity Krone)
Caity Krone
Mt. Joy,
BONUS TRACK
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. Follow her on Bluesky @VickiWasylak.bsky.social.
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