Boston Compass Newspaper #161

NOTES FROM THE CREW: THE EDITOR’S FAREWELL

Rewind back to the early 2010s: I’m deep in music school at UMass Lowell, in class all day, playing music all night, and coming home to shows in my basement. Entrenched in music and art. It was as glorious as any other reckless college experience that balances getting work done while flailing around a dirt floor basement most nights. Although, the real glory existed outside of myself. Lowell was bursting with artists throwing shows by any means necessary. From the experimental and noisy heartbeat of spots like the 119 Gallery and unchARTed to dim cellars with nonsensical names, there was SO much to experience any night of the week. As I pushed through school, I started to get sick of focusing on my own work and wanted to show the world what the heck Lowell was up to! It seemed like the only people in-the-know were people who lived there. I got the craving to curate SOMETHING to spread the news. I didn’t have to worry too much though…there were all those BCN stapled to my bedroom door for show dwellers to peruse while sippin’ their 40oz. Oh, also the smaller form Lowell Son that pointed people to shows, but in the end I felt like there wasn’t enough attention on the old mill city. This craving to curate and show people what’s up lived a little longer but eventually went dormant.

I continued on my musical journey…playing shows and teaching classes until one day in 2018 I saw an open position for Production Manager for this very newspaper. Here was my chance to live that mission of spreadin’ the word. I had known folks like Sam P from years of bumpin’ around basements, so I settled in nicely and immediately felt appreciated and important which was kinda strange. This kid with no journalism background was entrusted to help run a paper. You know…this kinda thing symbolizes my whole journey with BCN. A journey of love and passion; not like that, ya punk!…like everyone LOVED art and would do anything to see it flourish.

It was a blast showing up to our weekly Brain Arts Org meetings with dozens of eager peeps. I felt inspired and privileged that I got to run the newspaper that I had been gawking over for years with an extremely rad group of artists. Eventually, I worked my way up

to Editor-In-Chief and held the reins. I took on interns, grew the paper back to 8 pages,

tabled events, made friends, and began to pay BCN team members and contributors for the first time ever. It turned into the coolest job I could have imagined (and I teach music as well, hehe).

Now here we are, fresh into my 3rd Earthly decade, and life is beginning to look a lot different.

I been teaching music…a

lot…loving it…a lot, and making this lovely lil’ paper but it is time for change. I have decided I need to focus solely on music…creating it, teaching it, spreading it. The most recent BCN, #160, was the last I produced. After 5 years and 60 issues, I have decided to hang my hat as BCN EIC.

I have been extremely fortunate to have been granted this position. BCN founder, Sam P, has been an amazing mentor to me. To mention a few things he taught me: project management, relationship building, email grind, curation, grant writing, distro coordination…I could go on forever. I have endless thank yous to him for providing me with a diverse skill set that I can carry with me forever. Remember…I went to school for music performance and this dude took a chance on me, and because of his love and patience we succeeded for 5 years! Also BIG thank you to Emma L, Amyas, Marc, Michelle, Phoebe, Adrian, Hannah, all the writers + artists, editors, Marco, Bota, Julia B, Taraneh, distro peeps, every volunteer and intern! Every person I got to work with has been so dope. THEY are the real backbone of this paper. They stuck around month to month, doing the work with little to no monetary compensation. It is thanks to them that we’ve been printing this rag for over 10 years. As I make my leave, I can’t help but be excited for BCN’s future. Change is good and to see the paper morph and change shape is actually quite exciting. BCN will always be around, supporting local art and culture any way it can as long as the love for work and the scene is there. Stick around to see who will be brought on to keep BCN chugging along! Thank you, readers, for the support. I’ll truly miss this rag!

—Kevin Dacey

2ND ANNUAL VETERANS POWWOW IN CANTON

After the success of last year and many tireless hours by the powwow committee, the North American Indian Center of Boston, the Massachusett Tribe at Ponkapoag, and the VA Boston are excited to announce our 2nd Annual Veterans Powwow, held at Prowse Farm in Canton, Massachusetts on September 16th and 17th from 12-6pm.

Our host drum will be Red Hawk Singers and Dancers, a Mashpee Wampanoag drum and our invited drum is Eastern Medicine Singers, an intertribal drum from the New England area. The head lady dancer is Attaquay Peters, Mashpee Wampanoag and the head man dancer is Andre Strongbearheart Gaines Jr., Nimpuc.

NAICOB, Massachusetts’s oldest urban Indigenous center, has been in existence since 1969, formally as the Boston Indian Council on Washington Street in Dorchester. We have been entrusted with the privilege of supporting intergovernmental relations between the Commonwealth and the tribes whose historic territories are held within so-called Massachusetts.

The Massachusett Tribe at Ponkapoag is one of the tribes of first contact when the English settlers arrived in 1620. With their traditional territory stretching across much of the Greater Boston area, it is with gratitude that we are able to work in partnership with the tribe and host this powwow together. Learn more about them at http://massachusetttribe.org/.

The Jamaica Plain VA Medical Center is a long time supporter of Native Veterans and was a proud partner of last year’s powwow. Their goal is to continue to support

—North American Indian Center of Boston (NAICOB)

DESIGNERS: Phoebe Delmonte: p. 1, 4, 5 Hannah Blauner: p. 2, 3, 7 Adrian Alvarez: p. 6, 8

ART BY: Ted Lee

Fri 9/15 - Sat 9/16

BOSTON FUZZSTIVAL

@The Armory (Somerville)

1-day pass: $22

2-day pass: $35 ALL AGES

One of the things I love most about local music is the process of discovery. Seeing a band I’m familiar with on a bill with several I’m not is what makes going to shows so exciting for me. It’s why I rely on folks like Jason Trefts who for the past ten years has been curating a wide array of sonic delights through his Illegally Blind moniker. Often partnering with other booking collectives, groups, and venues (many of which they’ve outlived) Illegally Blind has proved to be the connected, adaptive, and inclusive powerhouse that Boston so desperately needs. Recently celebrating their 10 year anniversary with a show featuring Sweeping Promises, Illegally Blind is gearing up for the ninth iteration of its beloved local

celebration of regional talent known as Fuzzstival on September 15th and 16th. True to form, the lineup is littered with styles and artists from around the northeast. Headed by the smooth and steady punk grooves of Holyoke’s Landowner and the churning, arty experimentalism of PVD’s Baby; Baby: Explores on Friday and the gothic postpunk of VT’s Thus Love alongside the guitar forward, lofi alt-folk of Northampton’s Mal Devisa on Saturday, the fest is a smorgasbord of other acts old and new, near and far. The pounding garage rock of Nice Guys and Rong, legendary noise punks (NE) Patriots, the hip hop grooves of Pink Navel, funky dance punks Boston Cream, Boston expat Gracie’s new outfit Graciehorse, and many more. 22 bands over two days at Somerville’s The Armory provide ample opportunity to discover something new, something exciting, something different. Exactly what Illegally Blind has been trafficking in for a decade.

MASSACHUSETTS MINUTE

Cousin Stizz Curates Homegrown Music Festival

For quite some time now, Boston Calling has grasped the spot as Massachusetts’ premiere music festival. Despite bringing some of the world’s most profound acts to the Boston area, residents and local music aficionados alike have expressed discontent towards the festival’s lack of local inclusivity. Though they’ve made profound advancements in this regard over the years, this discourse has shined a light on a need for something fresh, something that’s both for us and by us. This is where Fields Corner native, Cousin Stizz, comes in. After years of paving the way for Massachusetts HipHop acts as a main source of inspiration, Stizz is curating his biggest project yet. Last month, he announced the very first edition of Commonwealth Fest, a two-day music festival that aims to put New England culture on a pedestal.

Slated for the weekend of September 16th and 17th, Commonwealth Fest will take place in Medfield, Massachusetts at the Bellforge Arts Center – approximately 30 miles Southwest of Boston. Not only will Commonwealth Fest highlight some of Massachusetts’ best up-and-comers, but Stizz will be bringing along some national acts as well. Cousin Stizz himself will be headlining the festival, and will be bringing along friends Buddy, Kenny Mason, and Tony Shnow – three of the most exciting names in Hip-Hop music right now. As far as local acts go, Commonwealth Fest will be blessed with performances by Michael Christmas, BoriRock, Jiles, Avenue, Kei, Clark D, Nay $peaks, Tyler Loyal, and Nino Francis.

Michael Christmas is a charismatic rapper whose polished discography has garnered national acclaim. Working with the likes of Logic and Mac Miller, Christmas has cemented himself as one of the area’s most sought-after acts. BoriRock is an enigma. Crafting fine-tuned rap music rooted in authenticity, Bori has grown into one of the hardest working creatives in the state, releasing four full-length projects already

this year. Jiles is a member of the prospering collective, Van Buren Records. Originally from Brockton, Jiles’ raw delivery of welltooled verses has driven many rap fans his way. Avenue has long-proven to be one of the most capable MC’s in Boston. Making a name for himself by colliding smooth raps atop even smoother instrumentation, Avenue’s style of music is unparalleled. Kei is perhaps the most exciting artist in New England right now. The Boston rapper is an electric performer, and her high-energy musical catalog will surely result in one of Commonwealth Fest’s liveliest sets. Clark D is yet another Boston native, and recently dropped an eclectic project titled ‘CLARKDPROPAGANDA’. He’s had himself a solid year, and will likely be performing the project at the festival. Nay $peaks is a rapper from Mattapan, and was featured in last month’s Massachusetts Minute column. She’s a poet in every sense, and her recent album ‘Nayborhood Healer’ is exceptional. Tyler Loyal is a genre-bending artist from Boston, who fuses elements of Hip-Hop and R&B together to create something special. Nino Francis is a Dominican-American artist from Providence, who makes delectable R&B tracks. His 2022 release of ‘AMARGO’ was one of the best to exit New England in recent memory.

Not only will attendees witness these performers do their thing, but local DJ’s will be providing sounds as well. Tasked with DJing the event will be: SuperSmashBroz, Alondrugs, Jenno, and Snax. Day 1 will consist of musical performances, while Day 2 will feature the SPREAD LOVE FUNCTION – a one-day party curated by Stay Silent. With so much in store, this event will certainly go down as one of the most important in Massachusetts in recent memory. It’s definitely not one that fans of Massachusetts music will want to miss. Be sure to grab your tickets now by heading over to commonwealthfest.com.

ILLEGALLY BLIND CELEBRATES 10 YEARS OF FUZZ, ROCK AND LOVE (INDEPENDENT & EXPERIMENTAL ROCK & ROLL)

---------------- MICHAEL MAMBRINO

-------------------- MIKE ACHILLE

AFFECTED ACCENT DIZ’S “C U WHEN I C U”

GracieHorse – L.A. Shit (Country & Rock)

In my 20s, I worked as a waiter during the overnight shift at an IHOP off an expressway west of Chicago. The patrons were mainly truckers, people that worked odd hours, and barflies done drinking for the night but not yet ready to go home. The mood of the room was what drew me to the job— the resigned, contemplative melancholy captured perfectly by the Hopper painting Nighthawks and the Tom Waits album of a similar name, enhanced by the fact that you could still smoke indoors and smartphones weren’t yet a thing.

This is the mood evoked by the new GracieHorse album L.A. Shit. It’s country music that oozes instead of rides. There is movement that is steady and not rushed, and the songs tell a story that you imagine being told while driving down an empty highway or while sitting on a porch on a

quiet summer night. GracieHorse is the work of Gracie Jackson, formerly of the Boston duo Fat Creeps, and her vocals are the star of the show; they have this amazing dampened, muddy, lethargic feel that is perpetually behind the beat in a way that almost swings.

L.A. Shit is Gracie’s second album since moving to L.A., and her first on Wharf Cat Records. Joining Gracie on the album are her friends from around L.A., many of whom are touring and session musicians who were stuck at home during the pandemic. We here at the Boston Compass are beyond thrilled that Gracie will be performing back in Boston at Fuzzstival on September 15th at the Armory. Join us at the show and pick up a copy of L.A. Shit while you are there.

-------------------------------------------------------------------- STEVE B.

(song review): Are you there for the way up?

Four weeks ago, I stumbled across an open invitation on then-nascent Threads, from: an artist and addressed to: journalists and curators, offering an early listen to a new single of theirs scheduled to release on August 16th; I scrambled to reply in earnest excitement. Wanton careerism aside, I’m also a big fan of the solicitor; Diz, the rising rapper/pummeling producer/ engaging engineer/fit flosser/pre-eminent planker, makes the exact kind of boom-bapcolored, indie-inflected, sample-chopping extravagance that punches me in the chest every time I cut it on. I stuck my hand up and was rewarded for my grubby efforts with a new track via SoundCloud link.

‘Cuwhenicu’, his latest single, opens with rain sounds and low, capacious, tinny, rattling percussion; if you’d told me prelisten that this was an Anita Baker record, for the first 10 seconds I’d have believed you. The drums pick up, and Diz’s comforting scats and hums reminded me that I should probably be taking notes on the lyrics, or something. The clarity of his vocals in the foreground, contrasting the booming and almost muffled ad-lib track that echoes his thoughts on the chorus, cuts through the easygoing instrumental; the production is breezily dense but never busy, with cymbals, kicks, snares, and a shaker (sampled or otherwise) doing most of the rhythm work and a guitar (or synth?) melody floating the emotional weight. The content of the track concerns itself with the proto-typical artists’ ascent; a familiar refrain about chasing cash over celebrity greets us near the top of the record, but the hook serves us a meditation on people’s presence in your life, and if they’ll be there for you while you aren’t yet fully realized or actualized: “My nigga, are you there for the way up? If not, I’ma see you later” implies a certain peace-making with the idea of loss, and of folks not waiting for you. This hook brings us to the end; a sample bidding said folks ado (“Don’t talk to me, don’t call me; just fuck out my face… just, just fuck out my face nigga. Peace”) closes the track; easily mistakable for frustration of the aspirant, the mood here genuinely feels like an embrace of solitude, and of the hero’s journey. Watching him perform the record live confirmed my presumption; Diz’s tone rang triumphant as he bopped, swayed, and two-stepped through the track.

After a brief dm conversation where I profusely expressed my gratitude, we agreed to speak over video-call. I caught up with him while on his way home (via bluebike and bipedal motion); we spent a bit of time on the record, but mostly meandered into process, patience, and purpose. Diz

was more than patient with me, and running into him since our digital meet has been serendipitous on each occasion. Our edited chat follows below:

Alula: I just saw the post that you’ll be at the Exit Galleries showcase this weekend (Saturday, July 29th).

Diz: Yes, sir.

AH: How’d that come together?

D: I’ve been cool with Sam (owner and operator of Exit Galleries) for a little while now. I did my album release party at Exit for The Way Forward there. I love Exit, bro. It’s such a cool venue.

AH: Word. I’m just getting hip to Exit. I was skating by a couple weeks ago and I saw Premo Dee out there; he was telling me about the space.

D: Yeah, Premo’s a good guy. I f*ck with him.

AH: Hell yeah. I guess that segues into my first real question. How connected do you feel to Greater Boston’s music scene? And that could be inside of Berklee or outside of Berklee.

D: I feel more connected with the scene now that I’m in school and I’m going out more. I’ve never really been super tapped in with the Boston scene, and I still feel like, oh, excuse me, bro. Damn, these n*ggas just fucking left their suitcases in the middle of the bike lane.

AH: Inconsiderate as hell!

D: For real. But yeah, I haven’t always felt super connected. I’m starting to understand it and appreciate Boston’s music community because on the outside it can seem like there’s not a lot going on, but it’s a pretty underappreciated place for music.

AH: Do you feel like you’ll stay here for a while? Do you feel like your career can grow here?

D: I feel like my career could grow here. But I don’t know; I’ve been here for my whole life, so I want to go meet new people and do new things and find new places, just do some exploring, but I don’t know. I’ll be here for school, so it’s at least like another two years, you know?

AH: Is school at Berklee a means to an end?

D: I’m really just trying to learn. I’m not really a big networker. I’m really bad at it. I pretty much just make all my music by myself. I don’t have a lot of need for collaboration. I’m looking to be friends with people and then, if it comes to it, we make music, you know? Music is more fun when you’re doing it with people that you have a real connection with.

For the rest of the interview, head over to www.bostoncompassnewspaper.com.

--------------------------------------- ALULA HUNSEN

**We strongly encourage all to take careful precautions when going out to public events! Follow the venue’s requirements regarding vaccination/negative Covid tests and masking instructions! Always double check the event online just in case they need to cancel!**

music & audio

9/3 Silk R&B Party DJ Real P, Baby Indiglo, and guest

DJ Fab are back for another function! The days are long and the world is hard, but once a month there is our soft place to land: Silk, an R&B party, a celebration of us. All R&B, all love, all night.

@ The Grand at Seaport

9:30pm 21+ $30 @djrealp

9/5 Dog Date, Black Beach, Pink Lids, At Stan's Bris @ O'Briens Pub 8pm 21+ $15

9/6 Theo Croker Live at City Winery City Winery Boston presents jazz trumpeter Theo Croker live in concert on Wednesday, September 6th at 7:30PM. Theo’s reach includes collaborations with a variety of popular musicians: vocalists Ari Lennox and Jill Scott, and rappers J. Cole and Wyclef Jean. Hear him perform his latest EP, BY THE WAY, and other singles and records in his brilliant discography. @ City Winery

7:30pm-10:30pm 21+

9/7 CONTAINER (UK), SEDIMENT CLUB (NY/MA), LOCULUS @ FKA Comics (90 King St, Northampton)

8pm All Ages $10

9/8 Public Circuit, Walk Me Home, Main Era, Jane Don't @ O'Briens Pub 9pm 21+ $15 @justmainera

9/8 Clear the Floor presents Dazegxd and Gum.Mp3 @ Union Tavern 9pm 21+ $10$20 @clear.the.floor

9/9 Three drummers, a trilogy of creativity: Luther Gray, Miki Matsuki, Matt Crane @ Lilypad 8pm-10pm All Ages $15

9/9 H2O, Incendiary Device @ Bridge 9 Warehouse (Beverly) 6pm-10pm All Ages $20

9/9 JP Music Festival ft. live music, food trucks, and kids' activities! 7 hours of fun! @ Pinebank Field at Jamaica Pond @ 12pm-7pm All Ages FREE @phborderline, @thatevangreer

9/9 Live Wire Sessions 2 presents Dei Xhrist, Dr. Flow, Minibeast, Oxalis @ Cambridge Community Television 1pm-4pm All Ages

9/10 Electronica Night at State Park ft. J.Bagist, ExHyena, Violet Nox with Noell Dorsey Join us for an amazing evening of electronic music! Visuals by Pea.Cok and DJ Bob Diesel. @ State Park Bar 7:30pm 21+ FREE @violetnoxband

9/10 Paris Texas, live at the Middle East! Paris Texas, new indie-rap heroes based in Los Angeles, are on tour for their latest album (MID AIR), and bringing their show to the Middle East!

@ Middle East Downstairs 7pm-10pm 18+ $20

9/10 Content Brakes presents Chain Cult (Athens, Greece), Burning Wind, Diabolus, B.E.A.S.T. @ Deep Cuts Deli 7pm 21+ $20 @content_brakes

9/10 Billy Wylder Boston Record Release Party w/ special guests Almost Olive @ Rockwood Music Hall 7:30pm-10:30pm $20

9/10 Soulful Bliss Arts & Music Festival featuring Olasco Boston, Smyly Sickwitit, DJ TROY Frost, DA BANGAZ. Wali Ali and Pharaoh Essentials Wellness with Lawanda Monique Join Boston Harbor Now and AfroDesiaCity for a relaxing evening at The Anchor in the Charlestown Navy Yard, curated by and for communities of color. Enjoy games, food & drinks, and live music! Tickets are free, but we ask you to preregister!

@The Anchor Beer Garden @ Charleston's Navy Yard 4pm-8pm All Ages FREE

9/12 Beam Splitter and Jake Meginsky @ Goethe-Institut Boston

7pm All Ages $ome Cost @noneventseries

9/13 Knobs ft. 16bitspit, Simon Smthing, Phthalo Blue, Big Chef Dog A beat night @ State Park Bar 9pm

21+ FREE

9/14 Noise Nomads, Angela Sawyer & Arkm Foam, Shea Mowatt, Jonathan Hanson @ Mystery Train Records (Amherst) 5pm-10pm All Ages Free

9/15 - 9/16 Illegal Blind Presents Boston Fuzzstival 2023! Boston Fuzzstival returns with 22 bands over 2 days for a celebration of local and regional music!

@ Arts at the Armory 6pm All Ages $22-$35 @cliffnotezz, @paprlady @illegallyblindpresents

9/16 Kids Like You And Me present SUPAPS w/ Headband, The Spatulas, ICK, Honey Cassette & KO Queen KLYAM presents... SUPAPS = Somerville

Underground Pop Arts

Performance Showcase

@ Lincoln Park (Somerville)

1pm-5pm All Ages FREE

9/16 Purple Produce 2.0

A Hip Hop & Wellness

Experience ft. yoga, reiki, Dj sets, performances and live art and fashion! @ 1400 Boylston St, Fenway @ 12pm-6pm All Ages @ djtroyfrost

9/18 Taper's Choice with Owsley's Owls

@ Deep Thoughts 8:30pm

All Ages $10

9/18 Mirrored Hell, Phagocyte, Cigarette Camp, The Flems

@ The Silhouette Lounge

8pm 21+ $10

9/21 Jacques, Cortina, Drolet & Cluett & Rawlings, Kelley @ First Church JP 8:30pm

All Ages $10-15 @noneventseries

9/21 Sicaria, Hamdi, Rafeeki, Glass Arrowhead @ Sonia 9pm 18+ $35

9/23 Fall River Noise Fest featuring Trisomy 9, Anka Raczynska, Marie Carroll, Andrea Pensado, and many more! @ VFW Post 486 (Fall River) 2pm All Ages $10

9/23 The Chamber

Ultimate Iron (ft. Big Sosa, TREVO tha Scholah, Najee Janey, Nate Nics, CalvinKleinCaterpillar, Tomo, Maye Star, and Sanye)

9/23 Nightfeeder, Savage Mystic, The Massacred, Kuebiko @ The Vault (Lynn, MA) 7pm All Ages $15

9/23 Roslindale Porch Fest Roslindale Porch Fest is a free music festival featuring bands and musicians on porches and in yards across the neighborhood.

@12pm-8pm All Ages FREE

9/27 Songs of Life from Shelter Music Boston Public Concert ft. the Julie Leven Artistic Project @ St. Cecilia's Parish 7pm-9pm All Ages

9/26 Mourning, Age of Apocalypse, Adrienne, Godskin Peeler, xNomadx @ The Hoff (Holyoke, MA) 6pm All Ages $15

9/28 Hologram LP release, Daunting Nightmare, Wanted, Rabid Few Local hardcore supports purely abrasive DC hardcore @ Canadian-American Club (Watertown) 7pm-10pm All Ages $10

9/29 Wet Specimens, Rabid Few, Target Scammers, Dimension @ Rat Trap (Holyoke) 7pm All Ages $10

video & film

9/13 WOLFF ON COMPOSITION

Written and directed by Ernesto LivonGrosman, the film will be followed by a post-screening discussion featuring Christian Wolff, Ernesto Livon-Grosman, Susanna Bolle, Katarina Miljkovic, and Steve Drury. @ NEC Plimpton Shattuck Black Box Theater 8pm All Ages FREE @noneventseries

9/9 TAG TEAM: Experience the Culture of Working Class Artists curated by AOA Supply Collabs by Boston's Dopest ft. Collaborative Artwork, Live Body Painting, Blackbook Session, VR Graffiti, Drinks @ 1518 Blue Hill Ave, Mattapan @ 7pm-10pm All

9/9 Decoding the Colonial ft. Joanna Tam and Lani Asuncion Responding to Lot Lab’s history and geography as a post-colonial military industrial shipyard that is adjacent to both the Boston Harbor waters and the Freedom Trail next to the USS Constitution Museum locally based interdisciplinary artists Lani Asuncion and Joanna Tam will be presenting site-specific performances and creative interventions in partnership with Now + There. @ The Lot Lab, 115 Constitution Road Charlestown. @ 5pm-7pm All Ages FREE @joanna_tam,@lani.asuncion

9/6 Writing to Repair our Tribe Join the Ujima Arts and Culture team for the next installment of their zine-based microlearning Pod series, "Writing to Repair our Tribe"! Led by Saskia VannJames, a policymaker, reparatory justice practitioner, and cultural artist. @ Zoom 7:15pm8:30pm All Ages Free @ujimaboston

9/8 Liberation Open Mic feat. Porsha Olayiwola @ Boston Liberation Center 7pm-10pm All Ages FREE @porshaolayiwola

9/9 More Life Festival

The team at More Life is radiating joy, love, and health to kickstart our fall! Come out to Harambee Park on September 9, 2023, to receive free high-quality healthcare, vibe to local artists, and connect with your community. @ Harambee Park 1 2pm-7:30pm All Ages Free

9/9 Back 2 Basics Clothing Swap All you need is a sheet and your old clothing that you want to swap! Free Yerba Mate! Meet at the Flagpole. @ Boston Public Garden 2pm-6pm All Ages FREE

community

9/17 Open Streets Boston

Dorchester Open Streets

Boston is a series of free, family-friendly events in different neighborhoods throughout the city. During these events, major thoroughfares will be closed to motor traffic, creating open spaces for pedestrians to enjoy. @ Dorchester Ave

Between Ashmont St and Freeport St @ 10am-3:30pm

All Ages FREE

9/28 Liberation Forum: The Struggle for Liberation in West Africa @ Boston Liberation Center 6:30pm8:30pm All Ages FREE

9/30 El Grito de Lares and Puerto Rico in the Movements for Caribbean Liberation A Puerto Rican Cultural Event!

@ Boston Liberation Center

12:30pm-5pm All Ages FREE

9/30 Youth Night

Priority ages 12-19!

@ Boston Liberation Center

6pm-9pm All Ages FREE

10/5 Sista Creatives Rising present "I Know Who I

Am"! Virtual Fundraiser and Film Event Journeys of Women of Color and Femme-Expressing Creatives, showcasing a collection of women of color and femme-expressing folks of color finding solace and healing in art. Our five chosen artists, through narrative videos totaling to a 20 minute documentary, will discuss their lived experience with subjects around race, gender, disability, mental health, immigration and more, and how art serves as a healing tool for them. @ 6:30pm-8:30pm All Ages FREE @sistacreativesrising

Book Release: Daughters of Latin America by Sandra Guzman A total of 140 women--ancestors and contemporary writers--in one volume. More than 40 nations and 24 languages-songs, chants, poetry, lyric essays, speeches, short stories, fragments of novels, opinions, letters.

Brookline Arts Center

2023 Public Art Program

Call for Submissions This call is for a BIPOC artist or artist team to create a sitespecific work of public art in collaboration with low-income Brookline teens. The BAC is seeking submissions of initial proposals, with two finalists selected to produce more detailed proposals.

Deadline to apply is 9/16

Apply to the Iris Residency!

The Studios at MASS MoCA and The Berkshire Immigrant Center started the Iris Residency to support artists in Western or Central Massachusetts who are foreign-born, or identify as first or second generation American.

Deadline to apply is 9/8

Call for Boston-Based Queer Writers and Collaborators

[Working Title] is an ongoing pop-up queer reading series hosted by L Scully. Events at rotating Boston-area venues featuring invited readers and open mic slots. Seeking performers, venues, sponsors, and media coverage.

Deadline rolling!

Assets for Artists + Artists

U Special 6-month Cohort

A FREE 6-month professional development series based on the principles and strategies of Artists U's transformative book Making Your Life as an Artist.

Deadline to apply is 9/15

Music Drives Us Music Drives Us strives to accomplish its mission to inspire New England’s musicians of tomorrow by supporting their music opportunities today by offering Instrument, Performance, and Organizational grants.

Deadline is rolling.

2024 Hack.Diversity

Software Engineering

Fellowship We partner with the city’s fastest growing tech teams to identify, develop, and equip high-performing talent — who predominantly identify as Black or Latinx/e/a/o — to

Submit to Wild New England: Captivating Expressions of Nature Nearby This Stove Factory Gallery aims to entice the viewer using the flora and fauna of New England in exciting, dynamic and unexpected forms.

Deadline to apply is 9/28

9/2 Catch a double feature of Jacque Demy's dreamy french musicals, with Catherine Deneuve and colors that explode off the screen in The Umbrellas of Cherbourg and The Young Girls of Rochefort @ Brattle Theatre

9/6 Little Amal, a 12ft puppet of a Syrian Refugee child kicks off their 35 city tour at @ ArtsEmerson in an effort to give stories of displacement voice, then heads over to @ Harvard on 9/7.

9/9 Put on your cha-cha heels and head to the @ Coolidge at Midnite for John Waters and the Dreamlanders' anarchic masterpiece Female Trouble. @ 11:59pm

9/9-9/25 Experience the Chilean cinema scene during the coup d’état of ‘73 and the dictatorship that followed it in the series Chile Year Zero @ Harvard Film Archive

9/16 Leave your stupid comments in your pockets and come celebrate 20 years of The Room being the worst movie ever made @Coolidge After Midnite 11:59pm

9/20 & 9/21 Two rare screenings in one double feature, Irma Verp and Days of Being Wild hot the @Brattle

9/21 Rainer Werner Fassbinder's biggest hit The Marriage of Maria Braun, a powerful depiction of a woman's resilience going into post WWII, '60s Germany @ Coolidge

9/23 Fantastic Planet screens @MFA Boston as part of their Marvels of Global Animation series. @ 2:30pm

9/5-10/1 Lorraine Hansberry's searing portrait of black America heading into the '60, A Raisin in the Sun @New Repertory Theater Tix at newrep.org $15+

9/23 Alejandro Jodorowsky's hypnotic epic about a man seeking immortality in Holy Mountain @ Coolidge After Midnite

9/25 Jean Pierre Juenet's The City of Lost Children is an underrated gem and visual feast from '90s French Cinema. @The Brattle 6pm

9/6 No better way to see this foundational film of German Expressionism than on the big screen! The Cabinet of Dr Caligari plays the @ Coolidge Corner Theatre with live accompaniment by the Anvil Orchestra 11pm

9/6 Make a day of it @ The Brattle with Wim Wenders' poetic meditation Wings of Desire then Greta Gerwig's millennial masterpiece Frances Ha

9/26 The Coen Brothers quirky '80s comedy Raising Arizona and it's powerhouse ensemble make this required viewing @Coolidge 7pm

9/26 The hit show bag as this one-woman show, watch Fleabag by the National Theatre Live @Coolidge 7pm

The Extremely Boring Adventures of Jamal B. Franklin by Nile Hennick

The Adventures of Aaron & Beatrice by Gabriel Joy Reid

Holi Space Cat by Coleman Luse

The Market by Cagen Luse

ART BY TED LEE

THE GLUTTON REPORTS

Mass Hole Donuts

Hello, mouthful-forkin’ Massholes! As we ease just that much closer to the next college kid driving his Uhaul on Storrow Drive, this Glutton desires two things to bear the transitioning season: a pumpkin spice iced coffee from Dunkin’ and a donut. Sure, I like my coffee as burnt as any other New Englander, but now and then I venture past that beloved orange-andpink storefront in search of a locally-made confection. Enter Mass Hole Donuts!

Mass Hole Donuts, an Arlington-based confectionary founded in 2018 by Chef and Owner Alex Mansfield, features a mass selection of Massachusetts-themed donut holes. Some punny examples: “New-berry Street,” “Drunken Mass Hole,” and “Revere Peach.” The inspiration? Picking a regular-sized donut of only one flavor felt restricting, so Mansfield ran with the idea of offering a flight of smaller donut holes. Don’t let that story fool you, though, the donut holes are about the size of a deflated tennis ball, or a bird that can hide in the palm of your hand. Chomp! The shop recently opened a second location this past May in Somerville’s Teele Square—next to the closing True Bistro and the young Rwandan coffee shop Yego. The new storefront is brick-walled and open-concept, offering up a social pizza-parlour-esque vibe. A range of past flavors are displayed on the wall of donut fame opposite floor-to-wall windows that streamed to the outside (clearly I came here on a fantastically sunny Saturday). It smells like, you guessed it, hot! piping! donuts! That weekend I had pre-ordered (and pre-ordering is a necessity) a dozen holes to share amongst friends, and the box was large enough to hold two French baguettes. I was greeted by people who seemed to enjoy their work hours (one worker to another: “How are you going

to spend the rest of this Saturday after the shift?” “Kayaking!”), and I walked out feeling pretty grand for someone who just dropped thirty bucks on treasure-cakes and bonbons.

The Glutton Reports: My mom’s favorite way to treat herself is to buy a black coffee and a Boston Kreme donut from Dunkin— and to bite and sip and gobble and slurp in her car, alone. It’s one of my favorite images of her. I’m more of a busy-body with my donuts—I’m the younger sibling who steals a bite from my sister, the coworker who cuts a quarter for themself (four times…), the person leaving brioche crumbs on the car seat. But Mass Hole Donuts—they make you pause and enjoy each little confection in front of you. One example: the “Teddie Bear” was chocolatey and cakey, glazed in sweet peanut butter, dolloped in nutty buttercream, drizzled again in dark chocolate, and finished with a peanut butter cup wedge. This is NOT something you can eat with reckless abandon. Mass Hole Donuts puts the MA in Marie Antoinette. My favorite of the weekend’s rotating bunch? The “extra extra,” a light, fluffy brioche donut washed in a coffee-and-cream golden glaze and crowned with brown butter vanilla bean icing. Any further description would enter into the erotic. Whether you like it yeasty or cakey, it’s imperative to wash these donut delights down with a hot coffee—and maybe that’s me just being sentimental about my ma (and MA).

THE GLUTTON

Welcome to the Commonwealth where common wealth is not common. Born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts, music and art have always been a part of my life. An infamous quote that I wrote in a poem is, “Life is Art and Art is Life.” Everybody has a story. Therefore, everyone has an autobiography. I consider every individual in life as an artist… The sound of life always reminds me that there is no such thing as pure silence. The art of learning how to learn, function, work, and teach is my least favorite song on the radio that I know by heart… I’m from a culture where the culture from my country doesn’t make sense. Common sense in my country isn’t common sense from my country. Poems and quotes, expressions and slangs that I’ve made my own: Trust Number One, Trust No 1, Great Vision, What’s Popular, What's Right?, Non-Fiction, etc. Art is everything I live, everything I breathe and smell, having all my senses to utilize, everything I see/n in life, my ability to touch, feel and hear…

My favorite genre of music is Hip-Hop, mostly rap and R&B. This year of 2023 we celebrate the 50th anniversary of HipHop. I will be dedicating my artwork to influences I’ve had throughout my life -

time… I always wanted to have some type of talent or unique ability that I still yearn to crave and I feel like music is solely responsible… Being able to adapt or relate to something that you never experienced. Music is all around us in the streets, stores we visit, jobs we work at… Art and music complete my life… I thank my parents for the art of being born. I am a child of God, an immaculate conception. Born into a wealth that riches can’t afford, for the songs that sing from my Angels above forever ring a bond never to be broken as each melody is a harmonizing sound of music to my ears. May God bless America and wash my sins always from this bloody bean, for the land of greed and the home of the slaves.

EMBROIDERY EDWIN CHARLES

XR Boston members have had tremendous impact for the past few months. They recently (June 15th) dropped their pants at the statehouse with “Stop Passing the Gas” written on their a**es as they mocked the legislature for continuing fossil fuel expansion despite pledges. With new projects such as the Weymouth compressor station, Eastie substation, and new construction being built with gas appliances — the state’s pledge to cut emissions by 50% (based on 1990 levels) by 2030 is clearly NOT being met.

xrboston.org

In another righteous demonstration on July 14th, XR Boston brought their enthusiasm to Harvard University in calling out Professor Jody Freeman, who is the founding director for Harvard Law School’s Environmental and Energy Law Program and the co-chair of Harvard’s Presidential Committee on Sustainability. Freeman is steering Harvard’s response to

the climate crisis. She even worked with Obama on climate change policy and “solutions.”

Unfortunately, Freeman is a lobbyist and board member for ConocoPhillips — Alaska’s largest crude oil producer and largest owner of exploration leases. She resigned from her position at ConocoPhillips following this demonstration.

Like all movements in history, being bold and disrupting the norm is how change happens.

XR Boston is organizing a "Week of Rebellion for No New Fossil Fuel Infrastructure" during September 18-24: https://xrboston.org/news/xr-bostonannounces-the-2023-week-of-rebellionfor-sept-18-24/. This week includes a creative direct-action demonstration, community festivals, and a group bike ride to envision a car-free future. XR Boston invites everyone to join for any of the activities, displayed on their event calendar: https://xrboston.org/action/.

Extinction Rebellion (XR) Boston BOLD Climate Actions ALEX PLACE

“Not

All Heroes Wear Capes… OR Pants!”