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By : Kevin Dacey
12 min read
**We strongly encourage all to take careful precautions when going out to public events! Follow the venue’s requirements regarding vaccination/negative Covid tests! Always double check the event online just in case they need to cancel!**
Chosen Happenings curated by Creatives of Color Boston
7/10 Walk for Music 2022: Walk to raise money for Zumix who empowers young people to build successful futures for themselves and transforms lives and communities through music, technology, and creative employment. @260 Sumner St, East Boston 4PM-6PM
7/16 ArtBeat 2022 features an eclectic mix of music, dance, theater, food, performance, and interactive activities. @Davis Square, Somerville 11AM all-day event
7/16 Boston Little Saigon Night Market: Boston Little Saigon Cultural District invites the community to join the inaugural Chợ Đêm, Boston Little Saigon Night Market on Dorchester Avenue between Adams Street and Park Street for games, activities, vendors, entertainment, and more! @Fields Corner, Dorchester 4pm-9pm
7/28-7/30 Get To The Gig Boston Presents: NICE, a fest! featuring Speedy Ortiz, Future Teens, Weekend Friends, Colleen Green, Rebuilder, Kal Marks and so many more! Plus midnight screenings, vendors, and more surprises @Crystal Ballroom and The Rockwell All Ages $20-70
7/28 Raw Boston: Rebirth an artist meet and greet, gallery viewing and musical performances! @Mixx 360, 665 Broadway, Malden 5PM 21+ $35
MUSIC + AUDIO
7/1 Future Terror, Cartridge, Phlegm (Final Show), PCP & the Knives, Kuebiko @O’Briens 9pm 21+ $12
7/2 Hallucination Realized, Tossed Aside, Blast Shield, Fraud @O’Briens 9pm 21+ $10
7/2 EXIT Presents OUTCHEA! A summer long performance series inside and around the evolving art installation with musical performances by Reggie Pearl, Gabe Lazaro, Nikole, Elisheva @EXIT Galleries, 99 Franklin St, Boston 6PM-10PM $13
7/2 Hustle Killer Presents Monthly Cypher and BBQ! @Hustle Killer Headquarters 6PM-11PM 21+
7/3 Silenus, Conduit, Shortest Life, Rosegold Blindfold, Meat Raffle @Peabody VFW (Peabody, MA) 6pm All Ages $15
7/3 Microcosm: jazz infused with funk, avant-garde and bebop @Lilypad 5PM All Ages $10
7/3 Big Bag Theory Tour ft. Aditi, Adlo, Dean Alves, Kold Kwan, Paranoah, Shea Butta with music by DJ Stix @The Jungle 9PM-1AM 21+ $15
7/5 Bars Over Bars Hip Hop Showcase featuring local artists! Every first Tuesday of the month @Midway Cafe 7:30PM 21+ $10
7/7 Jungle Vibes VIII: NH Takeover ft. Kyle Knight, Mo’ Flow, Joey Painter and more! @The Jungle 8PM-12AM 21+ $10
7/8 Long Neck, Bedbug, Cadderwall, Tuxis Giant @Pasta Planet 8PM 18+ $5-10
7/9 The Velvet Dirt Munchers, Joy on Fire, Violet Nox ft. Noell Dorsey An outdoor limited capacity in-person event with live music & short films in Boston's South End. Email mali@jaggery.org to RSVP and obtain the address. 7:30PM $15-20
7/9 Bridgeside Cypher: open mic + video shoot hosted by Cambridge Hip-Hop. Hit linktr.ee/bridgecyph to sign up. @Lynch Family Skatepark 9PM-12AM
7/9 ONCE Summer Series Presents - Rumstock! Day show at 1pm featuring Electric Heaters, Uncivil Servants, Tsunami of Sound, Roll Over White, U-ey at the Buoy and Night show at 6pm featuring The Gypsy Moths, The Dogmatics, Muck and the Mires, The Shang Hi Los plus food trucks, bars, family activities, games and more! @Boynton Yards All Ages $15-20
7/10 Non Event Presents: Shea Mowat @Laconia Gallery 2pm All Ages Free (donations encouraged)
7/10 Mega Mass Presents: Artist Showcase! Every second Sunday of the month! Sign up to perform! @The Jungle 9PM-12AM All Ages FREE
7/10 Eliot Schoolyard Concert Series Presents: Ava Sophia (soulful grooves) @24 Eliot Street, JP 4PM All Ages $uggested Donation Bring your own chair!
7/11 Almost August, Tysk Tysk Task, Captain Vampire @The Jungle 6:30pm 21+ Free ($5 sugg. donation)
7/11 battlemode, tongue love, ever finer @Charlie’s Kitchen 8pm 21+ $5
7/13 Fully Celebrated Orchestra w/ Alec Morrissey and Aphelion @Midway Cafe 8pm 21+ $5
7/14 New England Synth Fest Presents: Rachel Devorah & Emily Boyer, A. Campbell Payne with Christopher Konopka, J. Bagist with Debstep @Museum of Science 7:30PM All Ages $10
7/14 John Wiese, Crazy Doberman, Problem Masturbator, Noise Prince, Ashen Veil @O’Briens 8pm 21+ $12
7/15 CakeSwagg feat. DJ WhySham, Muzzins, Off Wing, The Love Shamans @The Jungle 7:30pm 21+ $10
7/15 Bikini Kill with Alice Bag @Wang Theatre 8pm All Ages $30-70
7/16 Lifeless Dark, B.E.A.S.T., Burning Wind @Shanty-Cimex 7pm All Ages $5
7/17 Eliot Schoolyard Concert Series Presents: Nadia Washington & Brian Friedland (soul, R&B, jazz) @24 Eliot Street, JP 4PM All Ages $uggested Donation Bring your own chair!
7/17 Get To The Gig Boston Presents: Floral, Elaine the Singer, Really From @O’Brien’s 8PM 18+ $13/15
7/17 Vile Creature, Sunrot, Sea, Severed Boy @The Rockwell 7:30pm All Ages $15-18
7/17 Ex-Hyena, Blood Handsome, Secret Mutilator, Adi Sun, Dj Dan-E-Pants @State Park 8pm 21+ Free
7/17 Floral, Elaine The Singer w/ special guest Really From @O’Briens 9pm 21+ $13
7/19 4 Minute Warning Vol. 69 featuring Poison Ruin, California X, Final Gasp, Diabolus, Silver Dagger @O’Briens 8pm 18+ $12
7/21 M.O.B Presents “3rd Thursdays” at Kay’s Oasis! Live Band, After work Jam and Entertainment @1125 Blue HIll Ave 5-10PM 21+ $10
7/21 FIND OUT Event series for musicians & artists to try out new ideas every 3rd Thursday of the month. Every show is a partial benefit for radical community orgs @First Church, JP 8PM All Ages $10 @f_i_n_d___o_u_t
7/22 Mystra Ooze Feat! featuring Gary Higgins, Gracious Calamity, Wednesday Knudsen, Arkm Foam, Karen Zanes, Tarp, Anthony Pasquarosa, Groan Man (Sam P), Federico Balducci and more! @Shea Theater Arts Center (Turners Falls) 6pm All Ages $10-20
7/23 Non Event in the Park Presents: Judy Dunaway (balloons) & Marie Carroll (koto) / Yoona Kim (ajaeng) duo @Fisher Hill Reservoir (Brookline) 5pm All Ages Free (donations encouraged)
7/23 The Kids Like You & Me Present Summer Series! Garage rock and experimental schlops outside! Lineup TBA @Kenney Park, Davis Square, Somerville 1PM-5PM All Ages $uggested Donation
7/24 Eliot Schoolyard Concert Series Presents: Akili Jamal Haynes (Positive African Images) @24 Eliot Street, JP 4PM All Ages $uggested Donation Bring your own chair!
7/24 Eastern Souvenirs, Cadderwall, Kathy Snax @O'Briens 8pm 21+ $12
7/26 Frankie & The Witch Fingers w/ GIFT @The Rockwell 7pm All Ages $15-18
7/28 No Agreements Presents: Fax Gang, Naked Flames, bliss3three, City Light Mosaic @Lilypad 10PM $10s
**
7/29 Illegally Blind Presents: Fugitive Bubble, Blue Ray @Lilypad 7PM All Ages $12
7/29 Open Mic presented by Fort Point Arts Community Last Friday of every month! @Assemblage Art Space 70a Sleeper St. Boston 5PM-9PM All Ages @fortpointarts
7/30 Dark Summer Garden Party featuring Dark Rose Burning, Cliff and Ivy, Ghost Painted Sky, Komrads, L’Avenir, Pilgrims of Yearning, Summore, The Spearmint Sea, Trigger Discipline @ONCE at Boynton Yards 12pm-10pm All Ages $19
7/30 Black Portals I: Ujima Summer Party @Nubian Gallery 7pm All Ages $ome Cost
Black Portals is a recurring visual projections dance party, collaborative fundraiser and digital art exhibition sponsored by the Boston Ujima Project and curated by Black and Brown artists in Boston and beyond.
7/31 Eliot Schoolyard Concert Series Presents: YBH Trio (jazz) @24 Eliot Street, JP 4PM All Ages $uggested Donation Bring your own chair!
7/31 Tossed Aside, Cannabis Crypt, Voidbringer, Psychic Weight, Face First @O’Briens 9pm 21+ $10-12
Queeraoke: Join us EVERY Thursday as we break into song with supa dupa karaoke tracks and bursts of ferocious dance sets by our own DJ Summer's Eve & DJ Moxie. @Midway Cafe 8PM 21+ $8
TheMUSEUM TV + The Soundlab present The Testing Lab a bi-weekly event where local musicians can perform their original music and get feedback from a panel of experts! Spots fill up fast so make sure to stay in tune @thesoundlabma or email thetestinglabma@gmail.com
ItsLitBoston Podcast has a dope new Spotify playlist called “ItsLitBoston Presents: VIBES FROM THE STATE” updated weekly with local new music you need to check out!! I hear they take submissions too! @itslitboston Also on Youtube and SoundCloud
New England Mic Check Radio is our region’s top dawg for uplifting urban music! Local musician spotlights every Sunday with artists such as Monaveli and Nelly Protoolz. www.nemiccheck.com for podcasts, swag and further updates! @newenglandmiccheck
VIDEO + FILM
Weird Local Film Fest #14 celebrates 5 years of local filmmakers! SUBMIT to their next screening! THE RULES: Submit a film of any genre 10 mins or less by September 1st to weirdlocalfilmfestival@gmail.com, 1 submission per filmmaker, submission is FREE, filmmaker must be in reasonable proximity to Somerville, MA and ideally can make the event on 9/15 @Warehouse XI, Somerville @weirdlocalfilmfestival
Wenham Street Cinema is a free theater in a JP garage. They aim to build community through film and informal gatherings. Donations very optional! Showtimes at @wenhamstreetcinema
The DocYard is an award-winning film and discussion series. Catch a screening before it goes on hiatus in the Fall!
Farenheight TV has a monthly variety show that celebrates people's greatness through exclusive interviews, performances & more. Last season is airing soon! www.farenheighttv.com @farenheighttv
VISUAL ART
NOW+THERE’s Public Art Accelerator Cohort Five is open for SUBMISSIONS to artists through July 17! The Public Art Accelerator exists to support early-to-mid-career Greater Boston-based artists who demonstrate need and interest in creating object-based works in Boston’s neighborhoods with the skills and sensibilities to succeed in the dynamic field of public art. Last info session July 13th 12:30PM-1:30PM. Register and more info at www.nowandthere.org @now_and_there
Mindscapes / Bodyscapes @Cutter Gallery, Arlington - Upcoming joint exhibition “Mindscapes / Bodyscapes,” a contemplative journey exploring the balance between imagination and the perception of mind and body. Closing Reception July 31st 2PM-6PM
10b is not a 'gallery' in a traditional sense. There is no selling of work here, or any commodification of work as revenue. The value in this space is in providing opportunity for experimentation with community witness and participation. 10b is establishing space for conversation, non-traditional exhibitions, and performances where 'artists' can experiment, play, fail, and connect. @10b Brookley Rd, JP Open Sun 12PM-5PM by appt. www.10bprojects.com
DeGlassification features work by Siena Hancock & Lindsy Marshall. It is a culmination of experimentation with glass as a material from the past five years. @Beacon St Gallery on view until July 10th Mon-Sat 10AM-7:45PM / Sun 12PM-5:45PM
Support the Nubian Square Public Art Initiative, a newly launched initiative spearheaded by Black Market Nubian to develop a series of public murals and installations as a catalyst for neighborhood economic empowerment by the community, for the community. Support the cause and donate to their gofundme! www.blackmarketnubian.com/nspai
PERFORMANCE ART
5/31-7/3 The Orchard Needham’s Arlekin Players Theatre is taking digital theatre to a new level. Streaming live and in person from NYC with Mikhail Baryshnikov! Tix at theorchardoffbroadway.com $29
7/5 Frederick Douglas Community Reading: Join us for a community reading of Frederick Douglass’ speech “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July.” @Starlgiht Square, Cambridge 6PM
7/6 Open Armory is an open mic for all performance practices. Sign up at 7PM. Every first Wednesday of the month @Arts at the Armory 7PM-10PM All Ages Free
7/8 Subdrift Mela: Celebrating South Asian Creative Community @Starlight Square 7PM-9PM All Ages
7/9 Union Comedy Presents: The Kerfuffle! A mix of sketch, interactive, and completely undefinable comedy. @The Rockwell 9PM 21+ $20
Goofs Underground: Comedy Under the Cantab Every Thursday enjoy local comedians, live music openers, and drink specials all brought to you by Duck Duck Goofs @Cantab Lounge Basement 8PM 21+ $10
Midway or the Highway Ever wondered what hilarious comedians from big fancy TV shows do the rest of the week? Sometimes they appear at your neighborhood bar! The funniest in New England and beyond can now be found in the wilds of JP on every single Sunday night at 9PM FOR FREE. Open mic at 10PM @Midway Cafe 21+
ZINES
Visual Magazine provides a platform for creative spirits to tell stories through visuals. As growing proof that people want substantive artistic media in their hands, the quarterly platform is proving again and again that people want to lift the veil on uncomfortable and fascinating topics with art as the hand. Purchase their latest issues at www.visualmag.ink and connect with @visualmag_
LONER Magazine is a publication that strives to showcase the raw, unfiltered and saturated life we experience on a daily basis. This publication aims to be a creative safe space for Artists, POC, LGBTQ and those who have a desire to change the world with their work. Read at www.lonerofficial.com and follow @loner.magazine
Stay Kind! publishes and distributes creative works including zines and buttons. A portion of all sales are donated to initiatives supporting positive change in our communities. Shop multitudes of zines at www.staykind.com and connect with @staykinddistro
Wisteria Magazine beautiful digital local art and music zine published weekly with love! Peek now at www.wisteriamag.com @wisteria.mag
“Can We Talk With Spirit Friends?” is a series of digital collage zines, compositions of images and text found in books from the 19th-Century to the present, sequenced to create surreal interpretive narratives. There are currently 24 zines in this ongoing series. Buy them online at www.horskyprojects.com/store.
Gay Ghost stories seeks anything queer, spooky, and printable for a full color Halloween zine. Trans ghosts? Queer campfire tales? Haunted gay clubs? Anything spooky goes! Email submissions to Lavendermenacepress@gmail.com
Penny Magazine was created as a means to discuss how different areas of the music industry have been affected and changed in lieu of the coronavirus pandemic. Read this beautifully colorful zine at www.penny-mag.com and follow @pennythemag
The Negro Flowers Series An online zine of writings, poetry, art and photography by various local BIPOC authors compiled by BCN contributor Qadir Shabazz. ‘People & Places’ Issue #3 is now available! Read online at www.linktr.ee/qadir__shabazz
Pleasure Pie is a grassroots sex-positive organization in Boston, MA. They make zines, illustrations, publications, events, and conversations on sexual empowerment and consent. They now distribute sex-positive zines by others outside their org! Check this link to SUBMIT YOUR ZINES! www.pleasurepie.org/submit
COMMUNITY
7/1-2 Boston JerkFest Caribbean Foodie Festival + Boston Hot Sauce Fest The 9th Annual Boston JerkFest is back for 2 days of fun in the sun this summer. This an out-door, family-friendly Caribbean food festival event that features Jamaican jerk hot spiced BBQ food. @Harvard Athletic Complex, 145 North Beacon Street
7/15 This is How We Roll: Come down and experience the unity and love of our local skate community while roll bouncing to the city’s hottest DJs Mo, Nomadik, and Bruno! @Starlight Square, Cambridge 6PM-9PM All Ages FREE
7/16 Savor the Square is a Saturday series on a lot in Nubian Square which brings together existing brick and mortar businesses and entrepreneurial vendors into one marketplace in the business districts’ core. This year will bring food, fun, and entertainment in the heart of Roxbury! @4 Palmer St, Roxbury 12PM-4PM All Ages FREE
7/16 Taste of Carnival Cambridge is a decades-long Central Square tradition, celebrating the Caribbean influence and stories in Cambridge. Get a taste of their bigger event at this mini showcase at Starlight of music, dance, and vendors. @Starlight Square, Cambridge 1PM-3PM
7/16 Salem Flea Vintage, art, clothes, hand-made goods @Derby Square, Salem, MA
UPHAMS IN BLOOM Humphreys Street Studios will host 3 series of free flower-making workshops in July for youth & families. The artwork made will be assembled into public art activations in Uphams Corner this summer. No registration needed, just show up!
Workshop 1: Flower Making from Found Objects with Maria Ritz. Saturdays, July 9, 16, 23, 30 | 10 AM-12PM @Boston Public Library, Uphams Corner Branch
Workshop 2: Flowers to Wear: Tie Dye, Silk-Screen Printing, Decoupage & More with Elson & Wilson Fortes. Saturdays, July 9, 16 | 2-4PM @Humphreys Street Studios
Workshop 3: Photography Discovery: Flowers in Uphams Corner with Jaypix Belmer. Saturdays, July 9, 16 | 10AM-12PM @Humphreys Street Studios
Lucy Parsons Center, your favorite radical bookstore and community space, is moving back to the South End (Into MakeShift’s former spot). They need your help fundraising to make the transition smooth and help keep this Boston staple going! To donate visit www.tinyurl.com/lpcfunds or check their social media @lucyparsonscenter
Popportunity Pop-up Shops: Every weekend, shop local and get to know Central's newest small businesses. All operated by local entrepreneurs and artists, Popportunity's Pop Up Shops are open Sat + Sun 12PM-5pm, weather permitting. @Starlight Square, Cambridge
Egleston Farmers Market is back at the Community Servings parking lot in JP! Every Saturday 10AM-2PM The market is expanding to include a bunch of low waste living resources like textile recycling, DIY workshops, bicycle repair, live tailors and lots more! @eglestonfarmersmarket
Central Square Farmer’s Market open every Monday 12PM-6PM from May 16th through November 21st. Their footprint, like last year, includes Norfolk Street and Starlight to increase space for vendors and distancing for shoppers.
Melanin Owned Business Vendors Flea Market: Every Saturday at Kay’s Oasis 1125 Blue Hill Ave from 12-5pm. Open Mic 1st and 4th Saturdays. Contact 585-237-8487 for vending opportunities. Vendors of color please reach out!
Launchpad Business Accelerator presented by Fairmount Innovation Lab Take your small business to the next level with the expertise of Hakim Cunningham! APPLY NOW @fairmount_lab www.filboston.org
Hatch Makerspace Workshops Tons of free with registration workshops all month long. From programming to sewing to making paper flowers, Hatch is a really cool community spot you have to check out! www.watertownlib.org/hatch
Community Fridges! There’s a bunch of these popping up all around the city and beyond! They provide food for all and are totally volunteer-run! @southbostoncommunityfridge needs help starting up! Email southbostoncommunityfridge@gmail.com to find how to get involved. @dotcommunityfridge is not open but does regular food drives. The following are now open! @watertowncommunityfridge @bostoncommunityfridge @allstonbrightonfridges @matcommunityfridge @cambridgefridge @cambridgecitygrowers @roslindalecommunityfridge @somervillecommunityfridge @newtoncommunityfreedge @numutualaid @southendfridge @brooklinecommunityfridge
ADVOCACY
Families For Justice As Healing has converted one side of their Roxbury office into a community pantry and fridge to meet people's basic needs like diapers, hygiene products, and food staples. You can contribute to stocking the pantry here: tinyurl.com/communitylovefundpantry @100R Warren St., Roxbury www.justiceashealing.org
BDS Boston recognizes that Israel has been involved in the oppression of not only Palestinians, but people in the Caribbean, Central, South, and North America, Africa, and Asia. Israel and the US have been jointly responsible for developing the infrastructure of surveillance and repression of people of color and immigrants. We are committed to building alliances with other groups to fight this oppression. Help build the BDS movement in Boston with this devoted group of activists @bdsboston
Sisters Unchained is a prison abolitionist non-profit organization dedicated to supporting young women and girls with incarcerated or formerly incarcerated parents. It is a refuge space where young women of color can focus on loving and improving themselves and their communities in the way they see fit. Summer programming open for application now! @sistersunchained www.sistersunchained.com
HAWC (Healing Abuse Working for Change) strives to help abused women, children, men, and nonbinary people live free from violence and fear. As a leading domestic violence agency in Massachusetts, HAWC provides a domestic violence helpline, emergency shelter, legal services, advocacy and counseling services to more than 2,500 families in the North Shore area each year. @hawcnorthshore www.hawcdv.org
Be Heard Initiative A racially diverse group of artists pushing the Boston community to start talking about racial inequities. With a host of local partners, dancers, poets and filmmakers from Mattapan to Chelsea have created a myriad of events across the city in June and July, 2022, to have conversations about racism. www.beheard.world
Sista Creatives Rising helps marginalized women/femme creatives gain accessibility and visibility in the arts to facilitate personal healing @sistacreativesrising www.sistacreativesrising.com
Dunamis drops a weekly Resource Roundup for artists straight to your inbox! Stay up to date with all this locally curated list of artist opportunities. Go to their website now and sign up for the newsletter! www.dunamisboston.org
DeeDee’s Cry provides resources and education on the importance of mental health and wellness within communities of color. They collaborate with organizations and agencies to create events, programs, projects and activities within communities of color that are centered on family, mental health and wellness. Find out about upcoming events at www.deedeescry.com
Creatives of Color Boston is a collective dedicated to the creation of intersectional safe spaces for BIPOC artists to connect and create together, while also celebrating and uplifting the voices and work of BIPOC artists from around the Boston area. They plan three main events each year including concerts, workshops, and exhibitions. More at www.creativesofcolorboston.com
Originally published in-print in Boston Compass Newspaper #148 July 2022
Check out all the art and columns of July's Boston Compass at www.issuu.com/bostoncccompass