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As mid-June rapidly approaches, it’s safe to say that the summer of 2015 is in full throttle. At this point, most Boston College students have settled in to their hometowns for the summer. Some are content having the entire month of June to watch Game of Thrones poolside and chant Ellie Goulding’s “Love Me Like You Do” or Taylor Swift’s “Style."
Others are already itching to be back in Boston, reminiscing on the past year by watching the BC
"Uptown Funk" video on loop and vicariously living through their Bostonian friends’ Instagram posts. The summer, however, is a great chance to branch out and experience new music, and for the lucky few still residing in Chestnut Hill, Boston is a fantastic city in which to do so.
Tori Fisher / Gavel Media
This summer, instead of trying to make sense of the “Bad Blood” music video, take a break from your standard music taste and gander at the Boston music scene. Thankfully, there is enough free, live music to satisfy all of your summer sound cravings.
Photo Courtesy of Lindsay Walsh / Flickr
Summer In the City (Berklee College of Music)
Berklee College of Music is hosting a free concert series throughout Boston with over 200 performances from students in virtually every music genre.
The Boston Public Library will host Berklee students every Wednesday from June 3 to August 26 at 6 p.m. Alternatively, “Swingin’ in the Fens” will be taking place in Ramler Park on July 15 at 6:30 p.m. Live music can also be found closer to the BC campus at the Harvard Longwood Campus Wednesdays from July 8 through August 26 at 12:20 p.m.
The Summer In the City will conclude with the 15th annual BeanTown Jazz Festival on September 26 at the border between Roxbury and the South End. A full summer schedule can be found here.
Concerts in the Courtyard
The Boston Public Library will host a series of performers every Wednesday at 6 p.m. and Friday at 12:30 p.m. from June 3 to August 28.
Artists range from Wambura Mitaru, who blends sounds from R&B, funk and jazz, to Felipe Abad, who finds his inspiration from Latin Pop music. Other bands like The Ivy Age, who represent a more fold-rock sound, or Damn Tall Buildings, which blends bluegrass with acoustic instrumentals, will also be in attendance. A full schedule of performers for the summer can be found here.
Photo Courtesy of Nicole Hennig / Flickr
Summer In the City (Boston Harbor Hotel)
For the 17th year in a row, the Boston Harbor Hotel will produce a live music series on the waterfront. Beginning at sunset for three nights a week, the hotel will serve food and drinks while providing a themed night of music, changing depending on the day of the week.
Summer Soul Tuesdays will host bands like Soul City on June 23, Pulse of Boston on July 21, or Sweet Tooth and the Sugar Babies on September 1. On Rat Pack Wednesdays you can find bands like The Alex MacDougall Band on June 17, Justin Beech Band on July 15 and Rat Pack Reboot on August 19.
As the name suggests, Blues Barge Thursdays will host blues and jazz performers. On June 18, James Montgomery will perform, while on July 16, Greg Burroughs will be headlining and on August 13, you can find Bruce Marshall. (The Boston Harbor Hotel will also screen Movies by Moonlight like The Princess Bride, Rocky and Young Frankenstein on Fridays.) Check out the entire lineup here.
Boston Landmarks Orchestra
At the Charles River Esplanade, the Boston Landmarks Orchestra will host a series of live music performances encompassing all genres of music.
On July 22 at 7 p.m., Fiesta Sinfónica will play Latin music with roots in everything from the Mambo to the Cha-Cha to Salsa--music that is guaranteed to inspire some lawn dancing. On August 5, the orchestra will host Italian Night, with music from the composer of The Godfather. On August 19, the theme will be Drums Along the Charles, where a huge variety of pieces will be performed, all with rhythmic, high tempos.
A full list of the Boston Landmarks Orchestra's summer performances can be found here.
Photo Courtesy of BrakKellyPhoto / Flickr
Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular
In order to properly celebrate Boston’s historical significance and demonstrate their city pride, thousands of Bostonians gather on July 3 and July 4 on the Esplanade. The Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra provides the free musical entertainment and the night ends with a dramatic finale of Tchaikovsky’s "1812 overture" and an incredible fireworks show over the Charles River. More information for the Fourth of July weekend can be found here.
With all of the above-listed events free and accessible to a Bostonian, there should be no excuse to stay confined to your iTunes library this summer. Give yourself a break from your summer school course, internship or job and take this chance to explore the Boston music scene.
From Texas, but not a “Decider” · usually eating breakfast food and listening to Arcade Fire · Life motto: WWAPD (What Would Amy Poehler Do?)
