This afternoon, post Agnes-in-hospital visit, sis-in-law Nancy inquired off-hand if I'd ever heard of
Somerville's Honk Fest. No, I had not. Why? Well, it is something you should check out, lots of music and festivities over a three-day period each fall in Davis Square. Lots of noise and great music.
(Per Wikipedia)- HONK!s so far have been staged in: Somerville, Massachusetts; Seattle, Washington; Austin, Texas; Providence, Rhode Island and New York, NY.
Although each festival is locally organized and there is no central
HONK! authority, they share common features. Each HONK! invites twelve
to over thirty bands, who play multiple sets in outdoor public spaces
over the course of two or three days. These shows are free to attend.
The festivals are volunteer-run and gets support from local sponsors. The bands invited to play at HONK! share common characteristics. They
use instruments that can be simultaneously carried and played, and
utilize little or no electronic amplification. As a result, the bands can walk and play at the same time. Some HONK!s feature a parade.
There is no generally agreed-upon label for this type of band; labels
in use include: "radical marching band," and "community street band."
So, I asked the elite Somerville gang what was going on? They replied:
- (Kay)- My dad is a huge fan! I have never seen it...the retail weekend worker I am!
- (Ron)- Yep, it gets bigger and better every year.
- (Peter)- Absolutely! I go every year ....this year Saturday night to watch the bands
outside Redbones....bands play in several different outdoor locations all day
and night saturday...I like the combination of having a beer, watching some
sports, and then go out for the music for a half hour, then catch the next
band...fun. The best part is the sunday parade ...terrific fun...and Redbones set up a big outdoor food and beer stand. The best band is AfroBrazil led by a Brazilian guy who is a music teacher at Somerville High. Gotta run...I'm off to BSO tonight.
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