Saturday: Somerville's PorchFest to Feature Over 100 Musicians

Some advice on seeing the music festival, in which porches throughout Somerville turn into temporary open-air music stages.

PorchFest, now in its second year, will bring out over 100 Somerville musicians Saturday; they will perform on porches across the city. "It's growing in popularity by leaps and bounds," said Rachel Strutt of the Somerville Arts Council, which organizes the musical festival. This year will feature a wide variety of acts, from bluegrass to jazz, rock, folk, Balkan, trance, world, "gypsy-punk," Cuban, "bubblegummy pop" and much more. Visitors can wander from home to home—porch to porch, rather—taking in all the different music. Some fun performances this year include Porch-i-oke, a karaoke experience in which people can sing along to live music. (It takes place from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at 91 Central St.) The festival also includes Henry and his …

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Summer Singing: Somerville Sunsetters Auditions Monday

Auditions are for Somerville residents in 7th to 12th grade. They begin at 6 p.m. at Somerville High School.

The following is from the city of Somerville: SOMERVILLE –Auditions for the 2012 Somerville Sunsetters will be held on Monday, May 14th, beginning at 6:00 p.m., at Somerville High School, 81 Highland Ave.  All Somerville residents in grades 7 – 12 are eligible to audition, including students entering the 7th grade and graduating high school seniors. Students wishing to audition must come prepared to sing a song of your choosing, either with music on CD or acapella.  A CD player will be available.  The Sunsetters is a traveling performance troupe which performs classic show tunes and modern musicals in Somerville neighborhoods throughout July and August.   Beginning this week, residents may also call the Mayor’s Office to request a …

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Handbells Come to East Somerville Community School

The Back Bay Ringers are awarding a set of choirchimes to the Somerville public school.

Editor's note: The following was sent by Somerville Public Schools: Somerville, MA – The East Somerville Community School (ESCS) will be the recipient of a two-octave set of Malmark Choirchimes courtesy of the Back Bay Ringers (BBR). BBR, Boston’s community handbell ensemble, will present the award at the 6th annual Boston Handbell Festival on Tuesday, May 15th at 8:00 p.m. Adam Epstein, Music Educator at the ESCS will accept the award on behalf of the school. The award is given every two years to a Boston-area school through a competitive Choirchime Donation Application process. Along with the choirchime set, awardees also receive a support package to facilitate the introduction of the use of handchimes to the school. The support package …

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Boston's Big 1: See The Go-Go's In Concert For Mom

It's also the last chance to see the Big Apple Circus.

The first all-female band on the Billboard charts that wrote their own music and played their own instruments is coming to Boston on Sunday. And chances are, your mother remembers them fondly. So take her for Mother's Day to see The Go-Go's at the Wilbur Theater at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $39.50-$57.20. If you're not sure who they are, check out their music here (I'm sure you heard mom humming "Vacation, All I ever wanted," when she came home from work, cooked you dinner, and tucked you in). And if mom is a little more on the wild side, this weekend is the last chance to see the Big Apple Circus in the big tent at City Hall Plaza. Tickets are $20-$100. But after Sunday, its run in Boston, which began on March 27, ends.

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PHOTOS: Somerville Open Studios 2012

Somerville Open Studios, which took place on May 5 and 6, included about 400 artists at 115 locations throughout the city. Thousands visited the studios to look at art, speak to artists and soak in the atmosphere.

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'iBall: Keeping it Surreal' This Thursday

The event will support The Center for Arts at the Armory.

Note: The following is from The Center for Arts at the Armory: ------------------------------ The iBall: Keeping it Surreal, Thursday, May 10 Roger Miller (Mission of Burma, Alloy Orchestra) to perform at VIP reception; Revolutionary Snake Ensemble and Willie “Loco” Alexander to perform during event; Arts at the Armory Billy Ruane Awards to be presented; event includes food from local restaurants  Somerville’s non-profit Center for Arts at the Armory, just voted Boston Phoenix’s Best of 2012 Best Non-Gallery Art Space, announces new details for its 2012 fundraiser, The iBall: Keeping it Surreal, Thursday, May 10 at 7:00 pm in the Armory’s Performance Hall, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville. The theme for the evening is surrealism, which will …

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Boston's Big 1: SOWA Market Opens Sunday

One of the bigger events in Boston this weekend is the opening of the SOWA Open Market in the South End.

It's a little bit farmers market, a little bit flea market, craft show and fine arts fair. But there's nothing little about it. This year is SOWA Open Market's biggest opener yet with 140 indie designers, crafters, artists, musicians, farmers, food trucks and much more, according to the people who run it. The Market opens this Sunday, May 6 in a huge space at 460 Harrison Avenue in Boston's South End. And it will be open every Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. until Oct. 28. There are four distinct sections to the lively marketplace: a farmers market area; an area where jewelry-makers and other craftsmen sell their wares; an indoor vintage market where antiques share space with kitschy items from the 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s; and a building …

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