If It's Too Loud...

Sometimes bills are put together perfectly. Thursday night was one of those when the double bill of Mali Velasquez and Bloomsday came into Somerville, and Sweet Petunia was added as local support. All three artists are perfect examples of the indie folk genre, and all three blended together perfectly. Plus, I've been meaning to check out the new-ish Warehouse XI for a while, so it ended up being my perfect chance to. Sweet Petunia opened the show. Despite the fact that they're from Boston, I hadn't been able to see them yet. Maddy Simpson and Mairead Guy play together perfectly. The duo played a short, but glorious set of indie folk songs that endeared themselves to Mali Valsquez and Bloomsday's audience. I couldn't tell how many people knew of Sweet Petunia before Thursday night, but they completely won over the crowd within a song or two. Bloomsday played next, and I had high expectations for their set. Musically, they have the laid back indie folk sound mixed wit...

Taking place in Somerville, NICE, a fest has been slowly growing and becoming one of the go-to festivals every year despite an increasingly stacked festival schedule. This will be their fourth year, and hyperbole aside, they've grown even bigger and more impressive for 2024. This year will see over eighty bands with ties to Boston playing over four days. They're back to Crystal Ballroom at Somerville Theater and The Rockwell for 2024, but they've added a larger outdoor stage for Saturday at the Grove Street lot. The line-up is stacked and features many of our favorites. Vundabar, Palehound, Model/Actriz, Dutch Tulips, Hannah Mohan, House of Harm, Burp, Jake McKelvie, Sweet Petunia, Noble Dust, TIFFY, Vivid Bloom, Zip-Tie Handcuffs, and many, many more are playing. Every single time I look at the poster I notice a band I had previously missed and get even more excited for! And there are still two unannounced bands that are pretty high up on that poster, so let the speculatio...

If you take our recommendation and see The Gypsy Moths at noon on Saturday, you potentially saw ten hours of music and probably want a rest for a bit on Sunday. You'll need some extra energy to stay fresh for Trampled By Turtles and Lord Huron, so I'm sure you'll want to sleep in at least a little that day. But, you're going to need to get to In Between Days before noon to make sure you catch Sweet Petunia. I can't remember when I first discovered Sweet Petunia, but they have been high on my list of must see Boston bands for a while. (It just hasn't worked out, unfortunately.) Their bio lists them as a "queer freak-folk band," but I personally think they sound a bit more traditional folk than freak-folk implies. Madison Simpson and Mairead Guy have some of the finest vocal harmonies in all of folk. Their music is absolutely lovely and completely captivating, and will be the perfect way to ease you back into festival mode. It's also the perfect way ...