Centralized Planning
Highlighting the Central Zone
(2-4PM)
Somerville Porchfest
Somerville Porchest is happening Saturday, May 10, 12-6PM.
Centralize your planning with Baabes, Calcifer, Cheer Camp, Class President, Eva Gertz, Talia Rose, Funk Safari, Husbands. Island of Alaska, Pink Slip, Bad Idea USA, Blame Shifters, See You At Rogers, Sorry, Ma!, the dead flowers, The Ruth & Ben String Band, The Shirts and Shoes, and Your Friends in Hell.
Rain date is May 11.
Somerville Porchfest has always pulled good crowds, and it might have broken a record last year with the Guster Affair.
In response, the Somerville Arts Council introduced a few new wrinkles into this year’s edition, most notably: (1) making certain streets “out of bounds” for performers, in the hopes of preserving throughways for vehicles, and (2) adding a volunteer crew to lend a helping hand.
You can learn more about the particulars and see the full Porchfest supermap at the SAC website.
Other than that, it’s business as usual with a tidal wave of artists sweeping across Somerville, west to east, over the course of the afternoon. Note the times.
West Zone (12-2PM)
Central Zone (2-4PM)
East Zone (4-6PM)
Over 400 porches are in play this year. Multiply that number of porches by the number of acts per porch, and you have… you have a lot.
The afternoon can be bewildering. How to navigate it best? Here are three solid strategies:
1) No Plan, Just Follow The Music
Don’t look at any lists, or maps, or social media posts. Just plant yourself at a starting point in Somerville, open your ears, and start following the music. The only parameter to keep in mind is the timing of the zones. The West Zone starts off at noon. If you want to do the whole day, start in the west and drift east.
2) Build Your Own Adventure
Maybe you have friends performing, or there’s a band performing that you always wanted to see. You can use the supermap at the SAC website to build your own adventure. The map is searchable (super helpful), giving you all the info you need to chart your course.
3) Hit The Highlights
Hump Day News has put together a list, with accompanying map, to help you cut through the chaos. These are acts that we’ve covered, seen live, know will perform a killer set.
Note that we pulled this info from the SAC supermap, which doesn’t include EVERY artist performing at a given porch. For example, Dot Dev (fka Pink Navel) is performing with Mallcops in the West Zone, but only Mallcops is listed. Maybe only the band that applies to SAC gets listed in the supermap? Not sure. Take our list as a starting point and “do your own research.”
Calcifer
2:00pm – 4:00pm, Jazz, 81 Boston Avenue
Nothing like jazz on a weekend afternoon.
Cheer Camp
2:00pm – 4:00pm, Rock, 50 Porter St.
But not the valedictorian. There’s a difference between high achieving and having the wisdom to lead.
Class President
Eva Gertz and Talia Rose
2:00pm – 4:00pm, Singer/songwriter, 97 Rogers Ave
Singers, songwriters, human beings who bring a kind of Club Passim vibe.
Funk Safari
2:00pm – 4:00pm, Funk, 78 Albion Street
Fuck with the funk!
Husbands
Island of Alaska
Pink Slip, Bad Idea USA, and Blame Shifters
2:00pm – 4:00pm, Punk, 96 Rogers Ave
Ska, punk, and skunk!
Pink Slip
See You At Rogers
the dead flowers
2:00pm – 4:00pm, Rock, 34 Morrison Ave
Psych country garage rock, blending the sounds of Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Replacements, and moar.
The Ruth & Ben String Band
2:00pm – 3:00pm, Bluegrass, 28R Cherry St
Laidback groove for your weekend afternoon.
The Shirts and Shoes
Your Friends In Hell
Somerville Porchfest 2024 ↓
A preview of highlights at Somerville Porchfest 2025.